Why hello again Hog fans. Have you missed us much? I know I've missed the blog, and after reading through some of our past posts I'm not sure why we let this thing die. I know I've said it before, and I know we've promised to bring back the DSD, but this time we mean it -- really and truly!
Razorback fever has eluded me thus far in 2011 because there have been plenty of distractions along the way. The basketball team was who we thought they were, but with a few more bounces and a little more tenacity they could have pulled off a slightly less mediocre season. The highlight of the hardcourt came a few weeks after the season was over, when 40 Minutes of Hell v 2.0 was introduced to the Hog masses. I watched that press conference on an old computer in my bedroom, and it managed to give me goosebumps several times. Welcome aboard Coach Anderson! We can't want to see what you can do.
Then, baseball got us thinking that a trip to Omaha might be in the works... but as soon as we were sent to Tempe, AZ for the regionals, I felt our season was over. Still, major props to Dave van Horn's squad for a solid season with such a young squad. There is very little doubt in my mind that the Baum Squad will be traveling to TD Ameritrade Park next June, this time hopefully taking home the ultimate prize.
Somewhere in the middle of all of that it came to light that the NCAA and Ohio State had done a royal screw job on the 2011 Sugar Bowl, and that the Hogs got beat by ineligible players that shouldn't have played a down all season. I refuse to get worked up over this, as it is done, and it's time to move on. My only hope is that somewhere down the line OSU receives what they deserve, and that the NCAA grows a pair and nails these cheaters (and other more prolific cheater) to the proverbial cross for their offenses. As far as the Hogs go, what's done is done.
And low and behold, here we are. Slowly, the news in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette has included more and more about the upcoming season. Nightly sports segments have focused on Coach Veltkamp's physical training sessions (holy s*** these guys are pushing trucks!). SEC media days are right around the corner, and apparently the coaches of the SEC respect our team... A LOT. Coach Petrino is doing constant press junkets about what he expects from our team, our fans, and our season... It's a really great feeling.
It's the middle of July. From all that has been shown to the media, it appears as if our team will certainly be bigger, stronger, and faster than any team we have seen in the Petrino Era. We have a coaching staff that expects to win. We have players that know how to win. We have fans that thirst for wins.
It's crazy to think, but this time 6 months from now we could truly be in Hog Heaven -- but we will leave those predictions for later.
Until next time,
- Crown Pub
And if for some reason you're not excited merely thinking about the 2011 Razorback football season, check out this video of a dog attacking a shark.
http://bit.ly/nA0pz4
Monday, July 18, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
A Tribute to the Glory Days of March Madness
It's been a while since the old interwebs have called my name, but today, I feel I must write.
What has happened to March Madness? Why do I no longer care? Why is it that when bracket time comes around it is merely an afterthought, and the games don't even excite me any more?
Recently, ESPN premiered their 31st documentary of the 30 on 30 series which featured the Fab 5 of Michigan. Aside from some of the ridiculously race driven commentary that was associated with the show, it made me miss what college basketball once was. Honestly, what was not to love?
I can still vividly remember when I gained what my brother calls basketball "consciousness." It's the exact moment when you realize what's going on in the world around you. It's when you finally understand what something really means. I was in a hotel room in Orlando watching Duke play Kentucky in the 1992 NCAA Tournament. The game was incredible, and in true March Madness fashion ended with a remarkable shot by Christian Laettner that put Duke on top. That was it. I was hooked.
There could not have been a better time to have realized what the game of basketball would soon mean in my life. As a Hog fan, there was no better time to be in love with the game. For the Razorbacks, the goal wasn't to make the NCAA Tournament, the goal was to win the thing. A season without a Final Four meant nothing. A season without a banner was a failure.
But the Hogs would not have been as special as they were had the landscape of college basketball not been so phenomenal. The Fab 5 defined Michigan's dominance. Duke's 4 Final Fours in a row will likely NEVER be matched. Larry Johnson at UNLV, fantastic. Corliss Williamson, Scotty Thurman, Dwight Stewart, Cory Beck, Al Dillard... need I say more? Those were the days that defined college basketball. Those were the days I fear we have left far behind.
Without getting into the complete landscape of everything that has changed (as I obviously don't have the answers), I'll just say that it's not as good as it used to be. We don't get to know teams anymore. Rather, we get to know players. Coaches don't build programs, they influence recruiting classes. And the tournament simply isn't the "One Shining Moment" that it once was. For two teams to win their conferences to not even make it to The Big Dance is a disgrace by any definition.
For the next two weeks college basketball will hold center court in the ESPN landscape. There will be some upsets, and some breakout players. I hope there is a Cinderella team that makes a deep run, but I'm not holding my breath. Then, just as quickly as the tournament started, it will all be over.
As I filled out my bracket this year, I couldn't help but think about the teams that made me love the sport, and I couldn't help but remember what once was.
Thank you 1994. You are sorely missed.
- Crown Pub
What has happened to March Madness? Why do I no longer care? Why is it that when bracket time comes around it is merely an afterthought, and the games don't even excite me any more?
Recently, ESPN premiered their 31st documentary of the 30 on 30 series which featured the Fab 5 of Michigan. Aside from some of the ridiculously race driven commentary that was associated with the show, it made me miss what college basketball once was. Honestly, what was not to love?
I can still vividly remember when I gained what my brother calls basketball "consciousness." It's the exact moment when you realize what's going on in the world around you. It's when you finally understand what something really means. I was in a hotel room in Orlando watching Duke play Kentucky in the 1992 NCAA Tournament. The game was incredible, and in true March Madness fashion ended with a remarkable shot by Christian Laettner that put Duke on top. That was it. I was hooked.
There could not have been a better time to have realized what the game of basketball would soon mean in my life. As a Hog fan, there was no better time to be in love with the game. For the Razorbacks, the goal wasn't to make the NCAA Tournament, the goal was to win the thing. A season without a Final Four meant nothing. A season without a banner was a failure.
But the Hogs would not have been as special as they were had the landscape of college basketball not been so phenomenal. The Fab 5 defined Michigan's dominance. Duke's 4 Final Fours in a row will likely NEVER be matched. Larry Johnson at UNLV, fantastic. Corliss Williamson, Scotty Thurman, Dwight Stewart, Cory Beck, Al Dillard... need I say more? Those were the days that defined college basketball. Those were the days I fear we have left far behind.
Without getting into the complete landscape of everything that has changed (as I obviously don't have the answers), I'll just say that it's not as good as it used to be. We don't get to know teams anymore. Rather, we get to know players. Coaches don't build programs, they influence recruiting classes. And the tournament simply isn't the "One Shining Moment" that it once was. For two teams to win their conferences to not even make it to The Big Dance is a disgrace by any definition.
For the next two weeks college basketball will hold center court in the ESPN landscape. There will be some upsets, and some breakout players. I hope there is a Cinderella team that makes a deep run, but I'm not holding my breath. Then, just as quickly as the tournament started, it will all be over.
As I filled out my bracket this year, I couldn't help but think about the teams that made me love the sport, and I couldn't help but remember what once was.
Thank you 1994. You are sorely missed.
- Crown Pub
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
