BASKETBALL NOTES

## Syracuse - Georgetown in a few minutes. Annie-O is fluffing out her pom-poms in preparation.

## I watched the Notre Dame game for about 10 minutes until my eyes started to bleed from staring at the Irish uniforms too long.

## During the Boston College - Miami game in the ACC tournament, a BC player was inadvertently fouled - hard. While he was sitting on the bench recovering, the Miami player came over and shook his hand. The announcers made a point of mentioning what  good sports both players were. That's probably the last time you'll see that in an ACC game. Next year, a number of Big East teams join the ACC.  In the Big East, they stand over the fallen player beating their chest. I think the ACC is going to have second thoughts about this move. I'm sure they thought that pads and helmets were only going to be needed by the football teams.

## Most sports run in cycles: a team is cold today and hot tomorrow. James Southerland is a good example. For two games, Southerland was in such a shooting slump, that if he dropped the ball, he only had a 50% chance of hitting the floor. Now the basket seems as big as a kiddie pool to him.

## I watched the end of the Charlotte-Richmond game, won by Charlotte 63-63, when Charlotte ran off the last 8 points at the free throw line, without Richmond ever getting the ball. How? Technicals, double technicals and dead ball technical fouls. Were the refs right? Wrong? Drunk? Most of the broadcasters thought the calls were correct...for the most part. But, as Digger Phelps said, usually the refs let the players determine the outcome. Two other analysts almost came to blows right on the air arguing about the calls. If these guys ever refereed a Big East game, ALL the points might come from the free throw line.

## The Yanks got beat yesterday, 17-5. I think pitching coach Larry Rothschild was the starter.

## The Mets have to be pleased. David Wright is out of the WBC with a rib problem. No word yet if he'll be available to start the season.Thank you, WBC!

***THEY SAID IT***
 "San Diego police believe burglars stole a jukebox from a Hooters restaurant thinking it was a cash machine. So in this case, crime does play."  -- RJ Currie
"Just last year a judge in Forsyth County was caught watching the game on an iPad while he was on the bench. He would've gotten away with it if not for the fact that he kept yelling 'Shoot the three!' during a triple-homicide trial."  -- Dwight Perry
"Liberty University has qualified for the NCAA men's basketball tourney despite losing 20 games. Some are calling Liberty the worst team to quality for the tournament. Selection Sunday isn't for two days, but I think I already found Duke's first-round opponent."  -- Brad Dickson"
" The Broncos' Elvis Dumervil may be traded. Denver media is torn. On the one hand, Dumervil has been a good player. On the other hand, this would give them an opportunity to use that 'Elvis Has Left The Building' headline they've sitting on for years."  -- Brad Dickson
" Japanese tsunami debris has been discovered washed up on the Hawaiian Islands this week. This is not to be confused with former MLB player Manny Ramirez who will be washed up in Taiwan in under 2 weeks.”  -- TC Chong
"Riddle of the morning: What’s the difference between a dirty play and a good hard aggressive play? Answer: Whether or not it happens to YOUR team."  -- Janice Hough

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