A Seven Point Loss;
Six games worth watching (and picking);
Five Combined Wins;
Four Compliments For T.J.;
Three French Hens;
Two Dope-ass Rhymes (and a whole mess of sub-par ones as well);
And a Doofus Dancing (Amidst a Really Long and Grumpy Analysis of the New Kanye West Album).
Tonight at 7:00, your William & Mary Wrens (4-6, 0-1 CAA) visit the University of North Carolina (7-4) seeking to bounce back from a disappointing 71-62 loss to Liberty. (1) The contest will be televised on ESPN2, marking the first time in history that a Tribe regular season game is broadcast on the Deuce. It is not UNC's first rodeo. (Note: as I was writing this, the broadcast was moved to ESPNU so ESPN2 can show the UCONN women's game. That sounds like about the right level of respect for the Tribe.)(2) W&M is 3-18 all-time against the Tar Heels, 0-10 in Chapel Hill, but (3) exactly 33 years and two weeks ago today, W&M dropped the then-#2 Heels, 78-75, in Blow Gym (that was a basketball facility, guttersnipes). Coincidentally, (4) it was the first meeting between the two schools following Tribe head coach Tony Shaver's 1976 graduation from UNC. Harbinger? I hardly know her.
While both schools have strong academic reputations, only at W&M would you see the Sports Information Department boast (5) the following statistic: over the past five years, the Wrens have a .658 winning percentage (25-13) in games played between the end of the fall final exam period and the beginning of the spring semester.
UNC freshman Harrison Barnes was a pre-season All-America. (6) As near as I can tell, all of William & Mary's players are American citizens, assuming we still claim Ohio. Tyler Zeller and Barnes are both on the pre-season Naismith National Player of the Year watch list. (7) Most of the Wrens watch YouTube videos of Muppets rapping.
After tonight, only a 12/29 guestie at Longwood stands between the Tribe and the remainder of the CAA schedule. And if early returns are any indication, the game against Carolina will serve as a bit of a breather before conference battles begin; (8) the CAA is 3-3 against the ACC (though one of those was against Wake Forest), 7-5 against the Atlantic 10, and has two wins against the Big East and one against the Pac-10. Overall, the conference is 62-36 against non-conference foes.
The Tribe comes into tonight's game a tidy 266th in Ken Pomeroy's rankings to North Carolina's 25th-place standing. Anyone else smelling a Red Line Upset?
the line on the game is 21...i felt compelled to make a small wager. on the heels of course.
ReplyDeleteReturn of the futile superfans...
ReplyDeleteStill in my Survivor Pool gents...danimal, the Jags better not f me this weekend.
ReplyDeleteoh jiminy christmas teej. they could. but you probably don't have many options at this point do ya?
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly the type of sportswriting that makes this blog great: focused, informative, and humorous with a few winks to inside/self-referential jokes, all done in under 5,000 words. I need to learn how to do this.
ReplyDeleteAnd it has a video clip!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteNice that the Wrens' worst loss will be on the darkest day of the year.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ernest Clary.
ReplyDeleteFuck you, Ernest Byner
ReplyDeleteErnest Saves Christmas.
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/Ycfuj5y7qds
Saw that movie in the theater.
ReplyDeleteernest is jon stewart's older brother
ReplyDeleteI've said for years that Ernest and John Smoltz are the same guy.
ReplyDeletenice post, makes me nostalgic.
ReplyDeleteback in the day when i lived in monroe hall, i remember going over to Blow Gym.
You mean Jim.
ReplyDeleteit's called a "pun," t.j.
ReplyDeletethe humor lies in the double meaning of the word.
what happens if you step on a grape? it lets out a little whine.
if you have to explain it, it doesn't work.
if you haven't read Sentence of Dave today, you're going to want to . . . because i learned how to use my cell phone camera and i'm going to do some investigative photography after school today. this may be the last you hear from me.
ReplyDeleteThe Barnes & Noble at 53rd and 3rd doesn't have the new GFK album. Apparently they don't sell rap music. My plan to listen to Apollo Kids at work was thus thwarted. I miss record stores.
ReplyDeleteI don't appreciate your ruse sir.
ReplyDeleteYou realize you can "download" albums now and listen to them on "computers" or "mp3 players", right Z?
ReplyDeleteGood try, Mark. I tried the same thing when I was driving with him a few months ago. He gave some sort of argument that I didn't follow.
ReplyDeleteI prefer downloading and burning as needed to blank CDs that cost a quater apiece when bought in a good-sized spindle.
TR needs to work on his spelling.
ReplyDeleteit's "qatar"
ReplyDeleteI was eager to listen to the album at work. My laptop at work has a CD-ROM. I didn't have time to download the album this morning and for some reason I feel like the artists do better if you buy their CDs instead of electrons, and I'm all about supporting GFK. The world will be more boring when he stops making music. I also like old-fashioned things like liner notes. Call me a Luddite.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I get the feeling that Zman is one of those guys that doesn't have an answering machine/garage door opener/TiVo.
ReplyDeleteLiner notes are awesome. About the only thing I miss about buying CDs.
ReplyDeleteIn other news, my sources tell me that the brothers Hildegard were reunited last night and were able to watch the lunar eclipse together. Still trying to confirm rumors that they gave each other handjobs whilst viewing the eclipse.
You still have an answering machine, Mayhugh?
ReplyDeletei lost my garage door opener about 4 years ago and am too lazy to replace it.
ReplyDeleteYou couldn't reach it even if you wanted to...
ReplyDeleteMayhugh has the Jim Rockford reel to reel style answering machine.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a land line so no answering machine. I don't have my own garage so no door opener, and no Tivo or DVR.
ReplyDeleteI do, however, have a long and distinguished johnson.
I love my answering machine. It reminds me when someone is looking for me.
ReplyDeleteCan I get a Beef O' Brady's Bowl preview? I'm liking Louisville despite the general cromulence of Austin Davis and the boys.
I went old school this year, really started at the end of last year.
ReplyDeleteI buy vinyl. All the great artwork, liner notes and a digital download.
Wife got me a very nice record player for our wedding anniversary this year.
Zman, artists make jacksh*t off digital, cd and vinyl sales. Unless they are on an indie label. They make all their cash in concerts. It's the best way to support them. And I know you see a bunch of shows which is good.
poseur
ReplyDeleteVinyl has tremendous snob appeal but requires too much effort for one as sloth-like as I.
ReplyDeleteother than brandon britt, the tribe's vastly less athletic than carolina. i know this comes as a shock.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Rob, but I like the Tribe's hustle tonight.
ReplyDeleteAt least they have really cool uniforms.
ReplyDeleteI gotta find me a beef o'brady's.
ReplyDeleteAnd I didn't realize there was a dome in St. Petey'sburg.
ReplyDeleteit's where the rays play. it's a dump.
ReplyDeletewake is trailing presbyterian by 12 in the second half. #notanupset
ReplyDeletekyle gaillard matches up athletically. get some, zeller.
ReplyDeletedanimal, hope you got to your guy. tribe's obliging you on the 21 points.
ReplyDeleteThe Pomeroy site predicted the Tribe would lose tonight by a count of 80-55, I believe. Tribe lost, 85-60. Not bad.
ReplyDeleteAnd Zman, does the Barnes and Noble on 53rd and 3rd have The Ramones' first album? Trying not to be too clever for the Teedge.
ReplyDeleteYou all need to go download "In tha Park."
ReplyDeleteI downloaded the GFK album today. Fixing to play it whilst wrapping Xmas presents (the future wife is out of town so I'm stick with all the wrapping).
ReplyDeleteI was really hoping that Dan was joking about the dome in St. Pete. And, no Dan, you don't want to find a Beef O' Brady's. Imagine a less appetizing, smaller menu'd Applebees with no liquor and some crappy video games. That's about what you're getting.
He sampled Johnny Thunder. I bet B&N's anti-punk stance is what keeps the Ramones (and hence Apollo Kids) out of their outlet on 53rd and 3rd.
ReplyDeleteOr not. Johnny Thunder is not Johnny Thunders.
ReplyDeleteMark- no was not kidding. Have never seen a second of TB hockey and am in general very unaware of my surroundings, unless I am able to stay in a Holiday Inn Express.
ReplyDeleteI did find my "Guy" Robbie .