House Money

I didn't think the Tribe was going to win last night. Towson had beaten us in five of our previous six meetings, both times this season, and did it by getting in our faces, pushing us around, and bullying us. For as talented as the Tribe obviously is on offense, I didn't see us taking a punch and responding.

I failed to reckon with David Cohn's stones, nor did I expect us to play rock-solid defense, or out-rebound the Tigers. And for all of that, I apologize.

This evening, W&M takes on the CAA's clear best team, regular season tie with Northeastern notwithstanding. Charleston has two first-team all-league players in Grant Riller and Joe Chealey, and a second-teamer in Jarelle Brantley. The Cougars finished 14-4 in league play, led the conference in defensive points/game, defensive shooting percentage, and turnover margin. They're the anti-Tribe.

And a week ago, the Tribe hung 114 on them in Williamsburg.

Earlier in the season, Riller dropped 37 on W&M in Charleston, as the Cougars beat the Tribe, 82-77.

My point, I guess, is that tonight's a crapshoot, and we're playing with house money. And we've got David Cohn. So, out in a blaze of glory it is.

#3bids4caa

We're breaking new ground, blogging in motion from southbound I-95 on the way to catch the Baby Wrens' CAA Tournament first rounder against JMU. In the spirit of our poorly conceived and badly executed previews from years past, we're channeling Quentin Tarantino to bring you the 2011 CAA Tournament, Pulp Fiction-style.

Game 1
(9) Georgia State vs. (8) UNCW

Most previews are completed before games are played. We're avant garde like a motherfucker. This game's over. Georgia State as Tim Roth's incompetent armed robber (the Panthers showed an equal amount of skill and smarts in their pre-tournament firing of Rod Barnes) took out UNCW, in the role of Zed, by a 58-52 count. Zed's dead, baby.

Game 2
(12) Towson vs. (5) Drexel

Drexel was hard to cast, but in the end, they're tough and strong. We predict bad things to befall them. And they'd fit right in at a pipe-hitting party. Bruiser Flint's team are Marsellus Wiley. Towson, with their 0-18 conference record, are all dressed up in latex. They'll meet the same fate as the Gimp.

Game 3
(10) Northeastern vs. (7) Delaware

Bill Coen's Huskies were down and out, losing their first 8 in conference play. Then Eric Stoltz as Lance jammed a hypodermic in their chests. And Chiasson Allen became Chaisson Allen, leading NU to 6 wins in their final 10 CAA contests on his way to a first team All-CAA nod. Delaware boasts the conference Rookie of the Year in Devon Saddler, but they're going the way of Marvin, getting their brains spattered all over the car in the first game of the evening session.

Game 4
(11) William & Mary vs. (6) James Madison



Much like Christopher Walken's Captain Koons, the Wrens have been walking around for years with a metaphorical watch in their ass. In this case, an NCAA berth stands in for the timepiece. JMU's as schizophrenic as any team in the CAA, capable of winning four in a row to get to the Dance, and just as likely to lose to W&M. Mia Wallace went from high highs to near death, just like Matt Brady's Dukes. Tonight, the Lance doesn't get the needle into Mia's chest in time and the Wrens continue their recent CAA Tourney success.

Tune in tomorrow as we preview the quarterfinals while whitewater rafting. Bet you can guess who Mr. Wolf is, can't you?

I owe rob a Tribe hoops post

Our fighting hoopsters take on Howard this evening.  Pasted above is a screengrab of this matchup.  Yeah, sooooo...there are only 347 teams in Division 1 hoops.  We appear to rank 342nd in scoring at 52.2 ppg.  That, my dear friends, is a steaming pile of poo.  But guess what, as you start to ask "Who's possibly worse than us?"...BAM, I give you that list:

347. Binghamton (47.7)
346. St. Peter's (50.3)
345. Howard (51.3)
344. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (51.8)
343. Centenary (51.9)

Oh wait, double-take, who do I see on that list at #345?  Ah yes, tonight's opponent, the Howard Bison (not to be confused with my awesome high school alma mater the Shaker Blue Bison).

So I guess what I'm saying is get ready to enjoy a 47-45 barnburner folks (with the good guys triumphing of course).  Tribe Pride, it's contagious (and a tad itchy).

Sadly, Sadly Predictable

We fought hard and well against the longest of odds. And in the end, our half-court heave met the same fate as Gordon Hayward's. Given the opportunity to break with tradition, to leaven three centuries of self-seriousness with a hint of whimsy, to boldly go where no institution of higher learning has gone before, William & Mary chose...the Griffin.

Yes, it has an eagle's head and a lion's body, symbolizing the College's historical debt to both the United States and Great Britain. And sure, it'll play well with the Harry Potter demo. But how do we explain this to our children? How do I look into my daughter's perplexed eyes and answer her question: "Why does it have a naked man's legs and a tail?"

Why, indeed, sweetheart?

On this sad occasion, I feel it both appropriate and necessary to cast about for a silver lining. And in the Griffin's animated namesake, I think we may have found just such a balm.



I suspect Peter may make the occasional appearance in these parts as the Griffin assumes his place in W&M lore. And if you think today's announcement signals the end of the Wren, I think you may underestimate the power of our stubborn laziness.

Go Wrens!

Viva la Wrens

Mere minutes after the Blogger hamsters haul their lazy backsides off the couch and drag this post to the internet, your William and Mary Fighting Wrens kick off their postseason in Richmond against the Dukes of James Madison University. W&M's mascot search has received a great deal of publicity in the past week, with such notables as Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post and...um...and...well... this guy weighing in on the topic.

To which we say, "Nice to see y'all. Been wondering when you were gonna show up." Let the record show the Gheorghe: The Blog officially began supporting the Wrens as W&M's new mascot on November 20, 2007. Sure, we said it was a hideous idea smacking of political correctness and William & Mary's notorious tendency towards bland inoffensiveness, but we came around pretty quickly. Especially when the Wrens started winning basketball games.

W&M lost twice to JMU this year, but that was before we rejuvenated the Fear the Wren campaign. No mercy tonight - we're beaking the Dukes all the way back to Harrisonburg. We leave you with this inspiring, if completely misguided quote from W&M Dean of Admissions Henry Broaddus:

Most usefully of all, The William & Mary Revolution serves as a double-entendre for both a central mascot and an ongoing campaign for the College to open minds, to build leaders and to challenge orthodoxies.

That's what's done at William & Mary. It's what's been done at William & Mary for five centuries, and the Revolution would be an effective shorthand for it.

Viva la Revolución!

Yes, well, that's 100% wrong on a number of levels, but I'm all for the double-entendre part. Viva le Wrens.