Sunday, March 26, 2006

how it was justice served

there probably never has been a greater upset in college basketball than george mason defeating uconn to get into the final four. and, before anyone writes in, please keep in mind that villanova was a big east team defeating georgetown in 85, and nc state was and is an acc team when they won the championship. it was unlikely that they would win, but it could have been imagined

george mason plays in the tiny colonial athletic association playing the top team in the country with at least four probable nba players.

yeah, it's the biggest college basketball upset ever - especially with the stakes.

and what makes it even that much greater isn't that they beat michigan state and north carolina on the way - even though that's remarkable in itself, because that means beating tom izzo and roy williams along with jim calhoun (and mark turgeon from wichita state). or that there was much debate about them being in the tournament in the first place.

it was great because it was justice served.

behold uconn coach jim calhoun, long renowned for not being the most ethical couch in the business - from rumored misdoings in the recruiting of caron butler years ago to him stealing doug wiggins from st. john's this year. and it only stoked the fires this season when he allowed convicted thief marcus williams to rejoin the basketball team while his cohort, backup point guard a.j. price, was suspended for the whole year. all-american guard allowed to return, backup guard suspended. yeah, squint your eyes however you want, but it sure looks like he blackmailed ethics for a chance at a championship.

and he lost in the biggest upset ever.

of course, he'll probably throw his players under the bus for this. and he'll probably bitch about the refereeing. and he's already complained about how the #11 seed george mason, from the tiny CAA, was given an unfair homecourt advantage when his team and program has every advantage imaginable.

i loved every minute of it.

and i know i wasn't alone.

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