Monday, March 23, 2009
The Breakdown No One Who Reads This Blog Cares About: Kentucky vs. Creighton
Well, tonight is the night. I get to witness 16,000 Creighton fans have their little Bluejay hearts broken IN PERSON! The University of Kentucky Basketball Wildcats are in town ready to do battle with the Creighton Bluejays.
It actually could be a interesting game. I know the opening line had Creighton actually favored by 3.
Let's start with a breakdown of the starters and bench...
PG: Josh Doltzer (3.1 PPG) vs. Michael Porter (4.0 PPG). Ugg. This matchup SUCKS. Porter, whether fairly or unfairly, has been on the receiving end of a whole lot of blame as to why Kentucky is playing in the NIT as opposed to the NCAA's. The problem is that the guy is not a point guard. He is the type of player that...well, that shouldn't be playing at UK, frankly. In fact, I would say he is the type of recruit that embodies why UK fans were fed up with Tubby Smith. He can hit an open three from time to time, and he absolutely plays his ass off. He was also recruited by Pete Carroll to play cornerback, and played at the same high school as UK favorite and Houston Rocket Chuck Hayes. In other words, this is about all I can say about the guy...not good.
As for Doltzer, you can say a lot of the same things. The difference being that he runs an offense alot better than Porter.
Advantage: Creighton
SG: Booker Woodfox (15.7 PPG) vs. Jodie Meeks (24.0 PPG). Booker is the nation's second-leading 3-point shooter this season. He really explodes into his jump shot, and it is a thing of beauty to watch when he is on. Booker is usually Creighton's advantage any game they go into.
That said, Booker usually doesn't line up against 2nd Team All-Americans. Jodie Meeks is an explosive player that is constantly active on offense (think Rip Hamilton). He is equally effective slashing to the hoop as he is hitting his outside jump shot. Not to mention he is a relentless defender and has a solid 3 inches on Woodfox. Oh, and he owns Kentucky's single-game scoring record. I think he scored under 20 points in only 3 games this season.
Advantage: Kentucky
Wing: P'Allen Stinnett (12.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG) vs. Razor Ramon Harris (5.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG). Normally, I love P. As Pete always says, "P is a wild horse that cannot be broken." And on paper, this matchup probably favors Creighton.
With that said, I'll pull the Corso and say "not so fast, my friends!" There are two reasons why I believe this could be--COULD--an advantage for UK. Razor is a very good defender who busts his ass every play on both sides of the court. P'Allen is, needless to say, the opposite of this. The other thing to consider is that P sometimes plays with his eyes bigger than his stomach...and this is the biggest matchup Creighton has had since at least the early 1980's. So it very well could be a situation where P tries to do too much and gets not only himself out of rhythm, but the whole team.
Advantage: Push, leaning towards Creighton.
Wing: Justin Carter (8.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG) vs. Perry Stevenson (7.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG). This is a tough one to call. UK's Stevenson has 5 inches on Carter. But, Carter will play quck and move around a lot, whereas Stevenson sometimes has a tendency to disappear from games. However, when he's involved, he plays good defense (and can block the hell out of some shots). Not to mention he can hit the 15-footer, plus usually has a ferocious dunk or two every game.
In other words, this is a post player vs. a wing player. If I'm Dana Altman, I'm doing everything I can to exploit this matchup. That said, same with Billy Gillispie.
Advantage: Kentucky, barely.
Center: Kenny Lawson (8.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG) vs. Patrick Patterson (18.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG). According to Creighton's media notes, Lawson is the MVC shot block leader, while Patterson was "HS teammate of OJ Mayo."
Here's what Creighton's media department left out for Patterson: 5 Star recruit, McDonald's All-American 1st Team All-SEC (2nd Team as a frosh), Co-SEC Freshman of the Year, All-American candidate, and currently on the NBA Lottery bubble according to many outlets. Oh, and he averaged 22.3 PPG after coming back from a early/mid-season ankle injury.
Kenny Lawson...well, Kenny has 10 pounds on Patterson, and gets winded 3 minutes into games. Patterson averages 34 minutes a game.
Advantage: Uh, I'm pretty sure that's Kentucky.
Bench: There's no question that Kentucky's bench is more athletic than Creighton's. UK has a freshman 6th Man named Darius Miller who is going to be a very good player, and has really come into his own over the past month. He can hit the outside shot, plus is very good at breaking down a zone defense with his pull-up 15-footer. He will spell Ramon Harris.
Creighton, on the other hand, has been using mass substitutions for a while now, with Altman replacing his starting 5 sometime around the 15 minute mark of the first half. That group is highlighted by Antoine Young. In fact, Young could be the key to this game. He is precisely the type of player that has killed UK this season, meaning a slashing point guard who can also hit an outside shot. If Dana is smart, he will play Young early and often.
That said, there's really no one else off Creighton's bench that overwhelms me.
Advantage: Creighton, if only because they play more people. Gillispie is known for a 7- or 8-man rotation.
Coaching: Dana Altman vs. Billy Gillispie. Hmm. Well, Dana Altman is the king of the MVC hill. He's a great coach. However, we've seen what he can do in a major conference (hello, Kansas State!). Billy Gillispie is widely considered a great coach, has 4 different "Coach of the Year" awards. However, we find him in a spot where he is probably not going to be the head coach of Kentucky next season. However, that has more to do with off-the-court issues. And to be quite honest, some of his coaching decisions this year have left me hurling profanities at the television screen.
Advantage: Meh. I don't know that it will matter that much in this game.
Overall: Athletically, Kentucky should be able to shut down Creighton. While doing a position-by-position comparison makes it appear to be a close matchup, Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson are such overwhelming advantages that it skews the entire deal.
That said, Kentucky has struggled with teams who can get hot from the outside. Creighton fits into this category, although their past two games would not give me much confidence if I'm a Creighton fan. If Kentucky takes care of the ball--which is by far the biggest problem they have had this season--they should win pretty easily.
Of course, there's the whole "the biggest name to ever play in the Qwest Center" deal, and the home crowd should be pretty solid. Creighton is going to be sky-high for this game and they're going to give them all they've got. Not to mention Kentucky has lost to some poor teams this season, for several different reasons.
Thankfully, every away game is like this for Kentucky. This environment should be absolutely nothing new for them. I think Meeks has a nice game, and Patterson just goes off.
Kentucky 78, Creighton 67.
GO BIG BLUE!!!!!!!!!!
Labels: Creighton, Kentucky Basketball, Suck it Creighton, University of Kentucky
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Creighton vs. KENTUCKY
Well gentlemen, my dream scenario has come true. My University of Kentucky Wildcats will be playing at the Qwest Center Omaha Monday night!
And not only that, they get to play Creighton.
Creighton fans, it is going to be one hell of a long night.
A proper preview of the game will be up sometime soon.
For now, I'm going to say this one--and only one--time: Creighton, GREAT WIN LAST NIGHT!!!!
If you guys hear any rumbling here in Omaha, it's the shockwaves that are following Patrick Patterson to the rack against Creighton. He just might dick around and have a career day against these fools.
And not only that, they get to play Creighton.
Creighton fans, it is going to be one hell of a long night.
A proper preview of the game will be up sometime soon.
For now, I'm going to say this one--and only one--time: Creighton, GREAT WIN LAST NIGHT!!!!
If you guys hear any rumbling here in Omaha, it's the shockwaves that are following Patrick Patterson to the rack against Creighton. He just might dick around and have a career day against these fools.
Labels: Creighton, Kentucky Basketball, Suck it Creighton, University of Kentucky
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Creighton Fan: "I'd Probably Rather Have Doc"
Whoa, Nellie!
That was an actual quote I got from a Creighton fan tonight. And not just any Creighton fan: a graduate, multi-season ticket holding Creighton fan.
The conversation came about after I told him that someone who he offered two tickets to last Saturday's Creighton game replied something along the lines of "I can't go, but tell him that Doc says 'hi.'"
After laughing about that for a minute, he said that at this point, he probably would rather have Doc Sadler as a coach, because he "gets more out of less, especially compared to Dana." Upon hearing this, I asked him what Doc would do with Creighton's current roster. His reply:
"Oh, man..."
So there you have it. A die-hard (and I do not use that term lightly with this person) Creighton fan admitting that he would take Doc Sadler over Dana Altman.
I sincerely hope that Bluejay Cafe gets a hold of this post, then whines about it and claims that we made this story up.
Doc's your daddy, Jays!
That was an actual quote I got from a Creighton fan tonight. And not just any Creighton fan: a graduate, multi-season ticket holding Creighton fan.
The conversation came about after I told him that someone who he offered two tickets to last Saturday's Creighton game replied something along the lines of "I can't go, but tell him that Doc says 'hi.'"
After laughing about that for a minute, he said that at this point, he probably would rather have Doc Sadler as a coach, because he "gets more out of less, especially compared to Dana." Upon hearing this, I asked him what Doc would do with Creighton's current roster. His reply:
"Oh, man..."
So there you have it. A die-hard (and I do not use that term lightly with this person) Creighton fan admitting that he would take Doc Sadler over Dana Altman.
I sincerely hope that Bluejay Cafe gets a hold of this post, then whines about it and claims that we made this story up.
Doc's your daddy, Jays!
Labels: Bluejay Cafe, Creighton, Dana Altman, Doc Sadler, Nebraska basketball, Suck it Creighton
Sunday, January 20, 2008
It's now a lot harder to make fun of Creighton...
...after this. This is really a fantastic idea. And I tend to agree that since the bar closes at 10 and won't serve shots, binge drinking on the premises will be fairly difficult, though thankfully not impossible.
What I would really like to discuss is how ridiculously biased this article is. The Weird Herald really went out of their way, I felt, to interject exactly how they feel about the idea (shockingly opposed, sarcasm) at several points throughout the story. Nothing this fucking blight on the journalism world does at this point surprises me, but this was absurd.
Look at the last quote.
Look at how much attention was given to UW-Madison compared to the little private school in Kansas that is probably a hell of a lot more comparable to Creighton and supposedly doesn't have very many problems.
Etc.
I'd like to open it up to discussion. Was this article pushing an agenda? This bar is a pretty awesome idea, right? Does the World Herald even need to exist with the exception of Tom Shatel and Robert Nelson? Should Mike Kelley be writing for the Lexington Clipper instead of making my brain melt bi-weekly? Suck it, Creighton?
What I would really like to discuss is how ridiculously biased this article is. The Weird Herald really went out of their way, I felt, to interject exactly how they feel about the idea (shockingly opposed, sarcasm) at several points throughout the story. Nothing this fucking blight on the journalism world does at this point surprises me, but this was absurd.
Look at the last quote.
Look at how much attention was given to UW-Madison compared to the little private school in Kansas that is probably a hell of a lot more comparable to Creighton and supposedly doesn't have very many problems.
Etc.
I'd like to open it up to discussion. Was this article pushing an agenda? This bar is a pretty awesome idea, right? Does the World Herald even need to exist with the exception of Tom Shatel and Robert Nelson? Should Mike Kelley be writing for the Lexington Clipper instead of making my brain melt bi-weekly? Suck it, Creighton?
Labels: Creighton, Mike Kelley=bad...Tom Shatel=good, Omaha World-Herald, Sad Panda, Suck it Creighton
Friday, November 16, 2007
You ask, You shall receive
Husker Basketball '07-'08
It's Doc-ball year 2, and i promise you all that Nebraska basketball is on the up and up. Doc is that good, I think you all owe it to yourself to take an hour out of your schedule sometime and go watch one of his practices (yes he opens them to the public). It's intense, it's exciting, and you can't help but come away from one not thinking Doc is the type of coach that will always succeed.......even at a football school. Add in the fact that outside of KU the Big XII is very average and the future looks incredibly bright. Did i mention that possibly the biggest recruit since Andre Woolridge just resigned (stupid NCAA clearinghouse or he'd be starting this year as well) and will be playing on the wing for the next 3 years. Roburt Sallie is going to be a stud, i'd go out on a limb and say that if he was playing this year you would have an NCAA tourney team.
On with the predictions..the squad looked great in the first half and poor in the second half against some school with a mascot of the Blue Hose....i shit you not, and came away with a less than inspiring 15 point win last saturday. Tomorrow, Alabama A&M comes to the Bob, after that you get to see them take on Norfolk State. See a pattern? Yes the non-conference schedule is pathetic (insert Creighton jab) and our RPI is going to be attrocious, but i think Doc put toghether this schedule to get some confidence and build for the future, but with this schedule it will take 10 conference wins to get to the dance, and boys that just ain't going to happen. This should be an NIT team, which will be a step for next year.
The Squad:
5-spot: Maric, The big Aussie is back for his senior year (only sr. on the team), will be dominant again and should have more shooters to take off some pressure than he had around him last year. He will get close to 18ppg and 10 rpg. He is far and away our best player and the team will go as he goes. Chris Balham is back again but still isn't healthy. Maric's main backup will be a JUCO transfer named Shang Ping. He's about 6'10 and has very good touch around the rim out to 15 ft, has a decent build but is not a banger. Will be a serviceable replacement and should give Doc more options to play with 2 bigs.
4-spot: This is a weak spot again this year. Ryan Anderson is a great player and ideally would be starting at the 3, but it again looks like he will star t at the 4. He's great on the offensive end and is a tough matchup, but extremely undersized and slow on the defensive end. Alonzo Edwards is a newcomer with a very high ceiling but hasn't looked good in the games so far. If he comes on it would be a great help as Anderson could move back to the 3.
Guards: Much improved this year...Sek Henry and Jay-R Strowbridge are both back and look to be greatly improved but the newcomers are why i'm excited. Ade Dagunduro (yep, Ola's brother) looks like a Div-1 player. 6'5, 190 and long. He's great defensively and is a slasher. Cookie Miller is a 5'7 bug in a jar, he should be the starting PG in my opinion. He's Charles Richardson, but much quicker. He's fun to watch and could be the key to a successful season. Finally their is Steve Harley, came in as the most highly touted recruit in the class but has looked fairly avg to this point. He's a great talent offensively but won't see the floor until he learns to play D.
Here's my fearless prediciton:
I'm saying 11-2 non-conference, wins @ Creighton and @ W. Kentucky but losses to 2 of these 3: Oregon, Rutgers, Arizona State
In conference i'm hoping for 8-8:
Wins - @CU, Baylor, ISU, Tech, Mizzou, OU, @OSU, CU
Losses- KU, @ KU, @ Mizzou, @ KSU, @ aTm, @ OSU, @ Texas
8-8 would get us a favorable seed in the conference tourney, 1 win there and you are looking at a very successful 20 win season and being on the tourney bubble but not getting a bid.
There it is boys, give me yours....
PS...Creighton sucks, Kentucky Blows
It's Doc-ball year 2, and i promise you all that Nebraska basketball is on the up and up. Doc is that good, I think you all owe it to yourself to take an hour out of your schedule sometime and go watch one of his practices (yes he opens them to the public). It's intense, it's exciting, and you can't help but come away from one not thinking Doc is the type of coach that will always succeed.......even at a football school. Add in the fact that outside of KU the Big XII is very average and the future looks incredibly bright. Did i mention that possibly the biggest recruit since Andre Woolridge just resigned (stupid NCAA clearinghouse or he'd be starting this year as well) and will be playing on the wing for the next 3 years. Roburt Sallie is going to be a stud, i'd go out on a limb and say that if he was playing this year you would have an NCAA tourney team.
On with the predictions..the squad looked great in the first half and poor in the second half against some school with a mascot of the Blue Hose....i shit you not, and came away with a less than inspiring 15 point win last saturday. Tomorrow, Alabama A&M comes to the Bob, after that you get to see them take on Norfolk State. See a pattern? Yes the non-conference schedule is pathetic (insert Creighton jab) and our RPI is going to be attrocious, but i think Doc put toghether this schedule to get some confidence and build for the future, but with this schedule it will take 10 conference wins to get to the dance, and boys that just ain't going to happen. This should be an NIT team, which will be a step for next year.
The Squad:
5-spot: Maric, The big Aussie is back for his senior year (only sr. on the team), will be dominant again and should have more shooters to take off some pressure than he had around him last year. He will get close to 18ppg and 10 rpg. He is far and away our best player and the team will go as he goes. Chris Balham is back again but still isn't healthy. Maric's main backup will be a JUCO transfer named Shang Ping. He's about 6'10 and has very good touch around the rim out to 15 ft, has a decent build but is not a banger. Will be a serviceable replacement and should give Doc more options to play with 2 bigs.
4-spot: This is a weak spot again this year. Ryan Anderson is a great player and ideally would be starting at the 3, but it again looks like he will star t at the 4. He's great on the offensive end and is a tough matchup, but extremely undersized and slow on the defensive end. Alonzo Edwards is a newcomer with a very high ceiling but hasn't looked good in the games so far. If he comes on it would be a great help as Anderson could move back to the 3.
Guards: Much improved this year...Sek Henry and Jay-R Strowbridge are both back and look to be greatly improved but the newcomers are why i'm excited. Ade Dagunduro (yep, Ola's brother) looks like a Div-1 player. 6'5, 190 and long. He's great defensively and is a slasher. Cookie Miller is a 5'7 bug in a jar, he should be the starting PG in my opinion. He's Charles Richardson, but much quicker. He's fun to watch and could be the key to a successful season. Finally their is Steve Harley, came in as the most highly touted recruit in the class but has looked fairly avg to this point. He's a great talent offensively but won't see the floor until he learns to play D.
Here's my fearless prediciton:
I'm saying 11-2 non-conference, wins @ Creighton and @ W. Kentucky but losses to 2 of these 3: Oregon, Rutgers, Arizona State
In conference i'm hoping for 8-8:
Wins - @CU, Baylor, ISU, Tech, Mizzou, OU, @OSU, CU
Losses- KU, @ KU, @ Mizzou, @ KSU, @ aTm, @ OSU, @ Texas
8-8 would get us a favorable seed in the conference tourney, 1 win there and you are looking at a very successful 20 win season and being on the tourney bubble but not getting a bid.
There it is boys, give me yours....
PS...Creighton sucks, Kentucky Blows
Labels: Creighton, Creighton sucks, Doc Sadler, Nebraska, Nebraska basketball
A Blast From The Past...
So I thought I would follow up our discovery of how influential we are by re-publishing a couple of posts that were two of our most popular writings since we started Heavy Soul. I thought I would do this as it is basketball season again, and after a brief Dana Altman scare, Creighton-itis is back with a vengence.
It probably doesn't help that Nebraska was so bad in football, either.
Anyways, on with the show. First, the one that really started it all from Sambuca. This was posted on Huskers Illustrated, and created quite the firestorm on that message board and on this blog. It was written March 15, 2005:
West Virginia; Do Your Job...
Other than any Nebraska Football Game day, my favorite time of year, hands down, is March Madness.
So many teams, so many stories, so much fun. Seriously, is there a better time to sit in front of a TV for 4 straight days than this weekend?
I'm getting excited just typing this nonsense. This leads me to the subject of this post, which might have confused you. OK, here it is:
Dear Mountaineers,
My name is Sambuca84Proof, I am a 25 year old male, and a HUGE Nebraska fan. Over the years I've been fortunate enough to attend countless college sporting events at Nebraska. Let me repeat that for you WVU fans, I meant Nebraska, NOT Creighton. Please don't confuse. Nebraska has the football team that the whole state talks about year 'round, not Creighton. Red is the color that Creighton fans wear during the fall, not blue.
Growing up in Lincoln, I became a die hard NU fan in every sport. Most specifically in football and basketball. Over the years I took advantage of the poundings that the NU MBB team would lay upon Creighton. Year after year, Danny Nee and his group of athletes would wreak havoc on those slow honkies down I-80. It was beautiful. Then I went to college. Danny Nee got fired. Barry Collier took over, started recruiting average (not good) mid-major athletes, and Creighton started winning. Since then, my college basketball life has been at the satisfaction level of a below average mid-major school. (See Creighton: Tony Beroni Years.)
As you can probably guess, WVU fans, Creighton lives in a dream world. In Omaha, the MVC is greater than the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and SEC, COMBINED. Now that's hard to imagine. But if you live in Omaha, read the OWH everyday, live by the words of Dom Shittell, and praise former Big 8 failure, and current Mid-Major Savior - Dana Altman, imagining becomes easy.
So please West Virginia, I beg you. If you only win 1 more NCAA Tourney game the rest of your school history, just make it on Thursday night. Show the world what you're made of. A big east school, playing top notch teams all year long. You crazy Mountaineers can single handedly shut the door on the hypocrisy of Creighton fans. Well, at least until next season starts.
Thanks & Sincerely,
Sambuca84Proof
Proud NU Basketball Fan
God, that pissed people off. Then there was this one, that also seemed to hit a blue-blooded nerve:
Where Do You Stand?!? (February 3, 2006)
In anticipation of the big matchup between Creighton and Drake tomorrow night, I thought I would get something off my chest:
I hate Creighton.
I'm serious. It is one of those deep, passionate hates. The "makes blood rush to your head and impair your judgment when you hear the name" hates.
Why do I care about Creighton? That, dear reader, is a great question. Because let's not kid ourselves--Creighton is nothing. Creighton vs. Drake? On a Saturday? The sound of that does not exactly wake the echoes of greatness, does it? I would rather stay at home and hit myself in the balls with a rubber mallet than watch a glorified high school game like that.But I do care. I have to care. I live in Omaha. I'm surrounded by it. And it is sickening. For several reasons:
1. Creighton fans are frauds. Yeah, I said it. Total frauds. Creighton fan is the guy who lives in Omaha and says things like "they play the game right," "Dana Altman is so much like Tom Osborne--he resonates with people in Nebraska," and "I really think Creighton can make some noise in the Big Dance."
First of all, don't say "the Big Dance," ever. Second of all, Dana Altman is nothing like Tom Osborne, other than the fact that he speaks in monotone during interviews--last I checked, he did not win two National Championships and is not considered one of the greatest college coaches of all time. All this aside, the biggest reason Creighton fan is a total fraud? Because every fall, they break out the red shirt and drive down to Lincoln every Saturday...because they're the biggest damned Husker fan in the world. Pick a side, asshole. Now, I am a member of a similar conundrum: I am a Husker fan through and through, but similarly, I am one of the biggest Kentucky basketball fans in the world. Big difference, though: I have always been extremely open about this fact (probably too open for most people around here), and I, as much as I make fun of Husker basketball, genuinely want them to succeed. Creighton fan inexplicitly hates Nebraska--during basketball season. This is horseshit. Bonus fraud points: Creighton fan similarly hates Nebraska baseball. However, as soon as the Huskers make their way to Omaha to play in the College World Series (yes, Creighton, it's true--playing your joke baseball team is not Nebraska's biggest game of the year like it is for you. It is a speed bump, at best.), there's 20,000 Husker fans running around Rosenblatt. Where do all these people come from? You guessed it: Omaha.
2. Creighton basketball games are a "place to be seen" here in Omaha. *gag* Ugg, I just puked in my mouth. For anyone who has been to a Creighton game, you know exactly what I am talking about. It is where the lawyers and doctors parade their happy ass little family around and drink $30 beers while the kiddies eat Thai food or whatever the fuck they serve at the Qwest Center. Get over yourself! These games are unbearable. There's 15,000+ people there, and you can hear a fucking pin drop. Because everyone is too busy glad-handing and talking about the kick-ass options they have on their new Lexus. Here's a thought: put down your Dippin' Dots, sit down in your cushy seat, put away your Kyle Korver Barbie-inspired bobble head that you paid $200 for on eBay, and watch the goddamned game. Yeah, the game! Remember--the reason all these people are at the arena? That's right! Yes, you absolutely can clap your hands! Feel free to get involved with the game!
3. Nate Funk and Kyle Korver. Sweet Jesus. Get these frat guys out of here. "Those guys are gutsy leaders who are just great shooters." Translation: we like it when pretty white boys are our best players. All you (still!) hear about is how great Nate Funk is and how unbelievable it is that they're still winning without him. "It's Dana's best coaching job yet!" Yet you don't hear Creighton fan talk about the fact that ol' Johnny Mathies is carrying the team this year, and is a better player than Nate Funk (and, weird--the guy is from Kentucky). I guess those cornrows scare the Omaha crowd a bit too much to acknowledge how good this guy is.
There are many, many more reasons to hate Creighton. And even though it is Friday, I do have to get back to work at some point, so I will leave it at three. Please, feel free to add to the madness in the comments!
Ah, memories. Anyways, enjoy. And add more if you feel like (and I really don't want to hear anything about my graduate studies status, by the way).
And in order for us to maintain our lofty #59 standing, I'm going to need a Nebraska Basketball season preview out of ezt or sambuca.
It probably doesn't help that Nebraska was so bad in football, either.
Anyways, on with the show. First, the one that really started it all from Sambuca. This was posted on Huskers Illustrated, and created quite the firestorm on that message board and on this blog. It was written March 15, 2005:
West Virginia; Do Your Job...
Other than any Nebraska Football Game day, my favorite time of year, hands down, is March Madness.
So many teams, so many stories, so much fun. Seriously, is there a better time to sit in front of a TV for 4 straight days than this weekend?
I'm getting excited just typing this nonsense. This leads me to the subject of this post, which might have confused you. OK, here it is:
Dear Mountaineers,
My name is Sambuca84Proof, I am a 25 year old male, and a HUGE Nebraska fan. Over the years I've been fortunate enough to attend countless college sporting events at Nebraska. Let me repeat that for you WVU fans, I meant Nebraska, NOT Creighton. Please don't confuse. Nebraska has the football team that the whole state talks about year 'round, not Creighton. Red is the color that Creighton fans wear during the fall, not blue.
Growing up in Lincoln, I became a die hard NU fan in every sport. Most specifically in football and basketball. Over the years I took advantage of the poundings that the NU MBB team would lay upon Creighton. Year after year, Danny Nee and his group of athletes would wreak havoc on those slow honkies down I-80. It was beautiful. Then I went to college. Danny Nee got fired. Barry Collier took over, started recruiting average (not good) mid-major athletes, and Creighton started winning. Since then, my college basketball life has been at the satisfaction level of a below average mid-major school. (See Creighton: Tony Beroni Years.)
As you can probably guess, WVU fans, Creighton lives in a dream world. In Omaha, the MVC is greater than the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and SEC, COMBINED. Now that's hard to imagine. But if you live in Omaha, read the OWH everyday, live by the words of Dom Shittell, and praise former Big 8 failure, and current Mid-Major Savior - Dana Altman, imagining becomes easy.
So please West Virginia, I beg you. If you only win 1 more NCAA Tourney game the rest of your school history, just make it on Thursday night. Show the world what you're made of. A big east school, playing top notch teams all year long. You crazy Mountaineers can single handedly shut the door on the hypocrisy of Creighton fans. Well, at least until next season starts.
Thanks & Sincerely,
Sambuca84Proof
Proud NU Basketball Fan
God, that pissed people off. Then there was this one, that also seemed to hit a blue-blooded nerve:
Where Do You Stand?!? (February 3, 2006)
In anticipation of the big matchup between Creighton and Drake tomorrow night, I thought I would get something off my chest:
I hate Creighton.
I'm serious. It is one of those deep, passionate hates. The "makes blood rush to your head and impair your judgment when you hear the name" hates.
Why do I care about Creighton? That, dear reader, is a great question. Because let's not kid ourselves--Creighton is nothing. Creighton vs. Drake? On a Saturday? The sound of that does not exactly wake the echoes of greatness, does it? I would rather stay at home and hit myself in the balls with a rubber mallet than watch a glorified high school game like that.But I do care. I have to care. I live in Omaha. I'm surrounded by it. And it is sickening. For several reasons:
1. Creighton fans are frauds. Yeah, I said it. Total frauds. Creighton fan is the guy who lives in Omaha and says things like "they play the game right," "Dana Altman is so much like Tom Osborne--he resonates with people in Nebraska," and "I really think Creighton can make some noise in the Big Dance."
First of all, don't say "the Big Dance," ever. Second of all, Dana Altman is nothing like Tom Osborne, other than the fact that he speaks in monotone during interviews--last I checked, he did not win two National Championships and is not considered one of the greatest college coaches of all time. All this aside, the biggest reason Creighton fan is a total fraud? Because every fall, they break out the red shirt and drive down to Lincoln every Saturday...because they're the biggest damned Husker fan in the world. Pick a side, asshole. Now, I am a member of a similar conundrum: I am a Husker fan through and through, but similarly, I am one of the biggest Kentucky basketball fans in the world. Big difference, though: I have always been extremely open about this fact (probably too open for most people around here), and I, as much as I make fun of Husker basketball, genuinely want them to succeed. Creighton fan inexplicitly hates Nebraska--during basketball season. This is horseshit. Bonus fraud points: Creighton fan similarly hates Nebraska baseball. However, as soon as the Huskers make their way to Omaha to play in the College World Series (yes, Creighton, it's true--playing your joke baseball team is not Nebraska's biggest game of the year like it is for you. It is a speed bump, at best.), there's 20,000 Husker fans running around Rosenblatt. Where do all these people come from? You guessed it: Omaha.
2. Creighton basketball games are a "place to be seen" here in Omaha. *gag* Ugg, I just puked in my mouth. For anyone who has been to a Creighton game, you know exactly what I am talking about. It is where the lawyers and doctors parade their happy ass little family around and drink $30 beers while the kiddies eat Thai food or whatever the fuck they serve at the Qwest Center. Get over yourself! These games are unbearable. There's 15,000+ people there, and you can hear a fucking pin drop. Because everyone is too busy glad-handing and talking about the kick-ass options they have on their new Lexus. Here's a thought: put down your Dippin' Dots, sit down in your cushy seat, put away your Kyle Korver Barbie-inspired bobble head that you paid $200 for on eBay, and watch the goddamned game. Yeah, the game! Remember--the reason all these people are at the arena? That's right! Yes, you absolutely can clap your hands! Feel free to get involved with the game!
3. Nate Funk and Kyle Korver. Sweet Jesus. Get these frat guys out of here. "Those guys are gutsy leaders who are just great shooters." Translation: we like it when pretty white boys are our best players. All you (still!) hear about is how great Nate Funk is and how unbelievable it is that they're still winning without him. "It's Dana's best coaching job yet!" Yet you don't hear Creighton fan talk about the fact that ol' Johnny Mathies is carrying the team this year, and is a better player than Nate Funk (and, weird--the guy is from Kentucky). I guess those cornrows scare the Omaha crowd a bit too much to acknowledge how good this guy is.
There are many, many more reasons to hate Creighton. And even though it is Friday, I do have to get back to work at some point, so I will leave it at three. Please, feel free to add to the madness in the comments!
Ah, memories. Anyways, enjoy. And add more if you feel like (and I really don't want to hear anything about my graduate studies status, by the way).
And in order for us to maintain our lofty #59 standing, I'm going to need a Nebraska Basketball season preview out of ezt or sambuca.
Labels: #59, College Basketball, Creighton, Suck It
Friday, August 31, 2007
Rick Morrissey: Slightly Humorous Chicago Columnist Makes Light Of Creighton, MVC
Rick Morrissey is a decent columnist for the Chicago Tribune, and I saw this little gem in today's column:
Here's the catch: is he making fun of Creighton and the Mo Valley? Or Cub fans?
I would guess probably a little bit of both.
The Cubs might be only four games above .500, good enough for the nether regions of the other two NL divisions, but they're in first place in the Central. They could be in first place in the Missouri Valley Conference, and Cubs fans would be excited about Creighton coming to town.
Here's the catch: is he making fun of Creighton and the Mo Valley? Or Cub fans?
I would guess probably a little bit of both.
Labels: Chicago Cubs, Chicago Tribune, Creighton, Missouri Valley Conference, Rick Morrissey
Term Papers
