Hoping to see more shots of Kim than Archie during the Super Bowl.
If you’re a fan of crazy prop bets, then today is like Christmas, Easter, Hanukkah, The Fourth of July, and Festivus rolled into one.
You can check out some of the weird wager opportunities that come out for Super Bowl Sunday for yourself here (scroll down to the bottom for the crazy ones).
My favorite I’ve seen so far – “What color top will Kim Kardashian wear to the game?” Although I’m a little disappointed there isn’t a “none” option.
So since NU is also in action on this sports holiday, we’re rolling out the purple carpet for some Super Bowl-esque props of our own.
- Number of times Big Ten Network announcers mention that Northwestern has never made the NCAA Tournament. (11 1/2)
- How often will Kevin Coble’s mom be shown in the crowd? (2 1/2)
- What color tie will Bill Carmody wear for the game? (Purple 9/5, Red 7/1, Any Other Color 4/1, No Tie 1/1)
- How many slam dunks will Northwestern players throw down? (1 1/2)
- Which player is the first to miss a layup? (Kyle Rowley 6/1, Luka Mirkovic 21/10, Jeremy Nash 1/1, Any Other Player 15/4)
Let’s hear your own outside-the-box props in the comments. OK…go.
Cake Boss do that?
At least for me.
As I mentioned last week, I hate signing day. This picture by Lou V of Rivals at Kain Colter’s signing day press conference seems to show how crazy these things are.
I understand why it’s a big deal for the kid, for his family, and for his community. Playing college football is a sign of “making it.” Whether you actually play is another sign of “making it,” but I still get it. I guess for background, you should read this column by ESPNChicago.com’s Jon Greenberg.
So we have this issue of players being built up to be saviors of the program, coaches and alumni forgetting what college football is all about (somewhere these smart, rich people forget the word “college”), and thus a spectacle (see Big Ten Network’s signing day show, ESPNU all freakin’ day!) of epic proportions. However, what is the NCAA going to do about it? Nothing.
The NCAA is the biggest example of hypocrisy in the book. I could go into why it is a joke in basketball, but I’ll stick to football. They have all these guidelines, which all have loopholes, but they LOVE signing day. It’s a chance to create buzz for a week about college football even though the season is more than seven months away. They love what college athletics have become, simply, athletics. They’re taking the word “college” out of it.
I like what Fitz is saying. He’s saying all the right things in my book. Recruiting services (Rivals, Scout, etc.) are all wrong. The majority of recruits are three and two star recruits. Like Fitz has said, guys that get 20 D1 offers are a three star guy? I don’t think so. Teams are fighting over that guy. Beyond that, why do the stars even matter. It’s about what these guys do down the line.
As a Northwestern fan, one reason why I hate signing day is because it’s stupid for us to argue over not getting this guy or that guy and be happy with the guys we have. These are 17 of the brightest young individuals in the country. Classy gentlemen that have the fine skill of being able to play football at the highest collegiate level. They are now one of us. I think it’s important to not lift up these high school kids. It’s important for them to “have a piece of humble pie,” get in the gym, get stronger, get their ass chewed out by Fitz (I once heard him yell at Marshall Thomas in words I didn’t even know at the time, and look how Marshall turned out), go to Kenosha, enjoy the lovely Evanston community and win games.
However, let’s not forget what is most important for this “ninth-ranked in the Big Ten” recruiting class – representing Northwestern University, the school we love, and graduating from one of the best universities in the country.
Dear National Collegiate Athletic Association,
What the hell are you thinking?
96 teams in the NCAA Tournament? At long last, have you no sense of decency?
This is the worst idea since Plaxico Burress thought it would be fun to bring a loaded gun into a night club.
You’re going to wind up shooting yourself in the proverbial leg.
Right now, it’s an honor for teams to be one of the select 65 of the 347 D1 basketball schools to be chosen for “The Big Dance.”
Expanding it to 96 teams would turn “The Big Dance” into “The Bloated Dance.”
According to Dictionary.com the second definition of bloated is “excessively vain, conceited.”
March Madness has been so successful, you think you can capitalize on America’s love of sports by expanding the tournament so you can make more $$$.
Sorry, but even Americans have their limits when it comes to indulging in super sized stuff. There’s a reason why Burger King hasn’t made anything bigger than the Quad Stacker.
Do we really want to see #1 Kentucky play #24 Podunk University? It’s bad enough watching 1 seeds destroy 16 seeds every year. Americans love rooting for the underdog, but expanding the field to 96 teams would completely eliminate the 1st round upset.
Even if you gave the top teams byes to avoid such public executions, it would still rule out any huge upsets early in the tourney.
If you had a bunch of so-called play-in games to narrow things down, no one but alums of the schools involved would watch. Right now you have one play-in game that no one watches, creating more isn’t going to do much good.
The current format is perfect, with the exception of the 1-16 game, anything can happen. Northwestern State, the 14 seed that stunned #3 Iowa a few years back? With 96 teams, assuming no byes or play-in games, they’d be slight underdogs against the #11 seed.
That’s not fun at all.
Now, you might assume that because I’m a fan of the only school in the so-called “Power Six Conferences” that’s never made the NCAA Tournament that I’d be a supporter of this expansion idea.
Nope.
Northwestern making a 96 team field would not be special at all. This isn’t tee ball, you don’t get a trophy for participation. Plus, the stigma of having never made the tournament back when it meant something to make the tournament would forever be tattooed on our logo.
Also, you think the regular season is ignored by most of America now? Wait until you expand the tournament.
Now, my friend Stephen Woldenberg thinks this is much ado about nothing, and ESPN’s Andy Katz seems to agree.
Katz makes the point that the commissioners of the “Power Six” conferences would have to approve your crackpot idea. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, bless his heart, has already come out against expansion (of the tournament, not the conference, that is a whole different story).
But the fact that it’s even being seriously considered by people as high-up as the Vice President of your organization is an outrage.
Put a stop to this insanity now, so we can still enjoy March Madness in the years to come.
Sincerely,
Rose Bowl Dreaming
Co-signed by NCAA Tournament Dreaming
The neck fashion model that is Bill Carmody.
That is the question.
At the risk of approaching the delightful creepiness of the lady that blogs about the neck apparel of newsman/SNL host/superhuman Brian Williams, we are left to wonder what Coach Carmody will go with Sunday versus Indiana (Bow tie, perhaps? We can only dream).
The return of the tie helped the ‘Cats end their first two-game losing streak of the season (although Michigan’s suckitude didn’t hurt).
As you may know, Carmody made the switch to the commando collar look prior to last year’s epic upset of Michigan State in East Lansing because he claimed he needed to increase blood flow to the brain. And you know what? It worked.
So are we to believe that Carmody had too much blood flowing to his head the last couple weeks? (I hear you need to call a doctor if the problem persists for more than 4 hours.)
Perhaps his crimson foulard brought him back to a happy blood to brain equilibrium. Or maybe he was just sending a message to his team that things needed to change heading into the home stretch of must-win game after must-win game if Northwestern wants to make the Big Dance.
Whatever it was, it got the job done. The Wildcats looked hungry and passionate on their way to the 67-52 victory.
And guess what? John Shurna was not your leading scorer. Go figure.
The classic question from Principal Richard Belding is one that must be asked regarding the mystery that is John Shurna.
This may have been discussed already, which I’m fine with, but when “Johnny,” as Bill Carmody likes to say, is the ‘Cats leading score, Northwestern is 0-6.
@ Ill-annoy – 27 pts / vs. MSU – 29 pts / vs. Wisconsin – 15 pts / @ OSU – 22 pts /@ Minnesota – 19 pts / @ MSU – 31 pts
Could it be that Shurna needs to do less in order for Northwestern to win? No, that’s not it at all. When teams try to take away Shurna, they leave other guys open. The thing is this. Shurna is so good that he has an impact on the game even when teams key on him. He gets his share of points and opens up everything else for the other guys.
The sad thing is that Shurna might be the Big Ten Player of the Year. Yes, I think he’s often better than Evan Turner. However, his team doesn’t win when he plays exceptionally well.
So now something real to contemplate. Next year, who do teams key on? Coble or Shurna?
Pick your poison.
Is it worth it?
The talk about the Northwestern-Illinois game at Wrigley Field is starting to heat up. According to an AP and Tribune report, Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther (also known as a lame duck) approved to play NU at Wrigley on November 20, 2010. He said he is not willing to give up a home game to make it work.
There are many, many potential problems with this game. First of all, let’s go into the motivation behind the game. I’m told from various athletic department and football office sources that Jim Phillips is pushing this game through to create buzz for the program due to his lack of marketing expertise in 2009, where Northwestern averaged just above 24,000 fans in the stands. It was a disaster for Phillips, who was touted as a marketing guru and able to put butts in the seats.
Many people believe this game at Wrigley would be about 25,000 people in purple and the rest orange (roughly 15,000 – Wrigley holds around 39,000). I believe it would be less as Illinois fans can always get their hands on tickets. I have a friend who calls Northwestern’s ticket office and says he is an alum, so they give him better tickets for the game, even though he is a proud Illini. I just don’t buy that Northwestern fans will have a major presence there.
Next, what about ticket prices? Sources tell me the school will surely lose money on the game unless the ticket prices are higher. Rental fees and changes to the stadium to make it a safe playing field could be more than the amount the athletic department would make. Are you going to charge students? Are you going to charge more for Young Alumni, like myself? How do you determine where people’s seats are? It could create a massive mess for an already disheveled ticket office.
What if the game doesn’t sell out? (It will, just throwing it out there though) Northwestern hasn’t proven how to sell out games in the past, even against Penn State on Halloween with a massive marketing blitz.
Next, this may not be the best year for the Wildcats to be doing this. Illinois is an upcoming team, even though they are handicapped by an idiot coach. Quarterback Jacob Charest will be comfortable in the spotlight after experience last year. Northwestern is losing a lot of talent. If Northwestern loses, it could be a big hit to their potential bowl resume. It’s basically a neutral site game, not necessarily a home game. In a year where the ‘Cats only have six home games, why would you want to lose another?
Finally, and probably most importantly, is the timing of the game. November 20, 2010 is a very important day for college football. That’s because the Northwestern – Illinois game will not be the top game of the day. That same day is the Notre Dame – Army game at Yankee Stadium. You tell me which will create more buzz. You tell me which game will be pushed aside. If I’m Pat Fitzgerald, I tell Phillips the only way I sign off on this game is if he can guarantee a prime-time game on ABC. If the whole game is about buzz for the program, you’re not going to overshadow Notre Dame, especially this year. Discuss.
Who cares what hat you have on?
That’s right, you read that correctly. I hate Signing Day.
The thing about Signing Day is this. It doesn’t freakin’ matter. It’s just a way for people to get excited about college football when they’re going through a nicotine-like withdrawal and they have to get their panties in a bundle over a bunch of 18-year-old kids that haven’t done crap.
My experience with signing day is that “experts” “rank” schools based on their recruiting classes with absolutely no regard for the needs of a team, etc. So let’s say Northwestern needs some defensive tackles. Pat Fitzgerald goes out and gets three defensive tackles, and those three fit into the scheme as far as body-type and how they fit the program. However, those three guys are only three-star recruits. Therefore, Rivals, Scout, and ESPN are going to rank Northwestern lower than another team because he is a “three-star” recruit. It’s like a bad video game. It’s about needs, not about wants.
In addition, signing day is just a bunch of hoopla. You have 40 or 50 old timer rich dudes (aka donors) that sit in ESPN Zone or the press conference room and listen to Fitz rave about this guy and that guy. I remember when they even cheered last year because Northwestern recruited a guy from Arrowhead in Wisconsin named Jeff Budzien. He was a kicker. You’re cheering a high school kicker. What has your life come to?
Case in point. Illinois brought in a top 10 recruiting class in 2007. Granted, that team went to the Rose Bowl, but what have they done since with those players? Martez Wilson, heralded as the top linebacker in the country that class, has played three years (albeit one injured) and has a total of 111 tackles. One overrated player is what he is.
Let’s give these guys some time. Roughly 70% of a recruiting class doesn’t pan out to be stars. You might be excited now, you can wet your pants all you want, but these guys have to want to play and Fitz and the coaching staff have to develop them.
Sure it’s exciting to hear about some new players that are choosing our alma mater to play football, but that doesn’t mean they’re any good. So just hold your horses on Signing Day, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Experts believe Schiller's 'stache alone is responsible for at least a couple hundred wins.
I get it.
You were busy watching Mike Kafka cement his status as an NFL draft pick in the East-West Shrine Game. And then there was the first win over Illinois on the hardwood in six years. The atmosphere, the student section, getting that much closer the Big Dance.
But get this guy to the left on your radar of big things in NU sports over the weekend. Fencing coach/Civil War reenactor/facial hair enthusiast Laurie Schiller is just the second ever in the history of fencing to lead his team to 1000 wins in a career.
That’s kind of a big deal.
I know, I know. The revenue sports are what matter. After all, they’re the face of the athletic department. And honestly, I’d prefer to watch football or basketball any day over women’s fencing.
But what other coach has facial hair like that? (Nerd Alert: I hear it’s inspired by the Battle of Gettysburg hero Joshua Chamberlain.)
What other Wildcat was hired first to be a professor, second to be a coach, and still teaches seminars from time to time?
I think it’s time for Northwestern fans around the world to grow that facial hair out in honor of this feat.
Because a ’stache like Schiller’s is the way to go. Definitely better than Fitz’s “sh*tty-ass beard” he sported during his playing days.
Look at Jeremy Nash.
Look at him hit some of the biggest shots of his life.
Look at him snarl at the Illinois Fighting Illini’s players as he tenaciously defends them and forces turnovers.
Look at him pound his chest in jubilation after hitting a three-pointer with 5:22 left in the game to put NU ahead for good.
Look at him run around like a maniac after drawing a charge on the other end of the floor.
Look at him score a career high 22 points.
Look at him refuse to let his team lose.
Without Kevin Coble and Jeff Ryan, Jeremy Nash is Northwestern’s lone senior in the rotation.
On Saturday night at Welsh Ryan Arena, he played the best game of his career, and kept Northwestern’s NCAA tournament hopes alive and well.
He could not have chosen a better game to unleash the scoring ability that he’s been building slowly but surely during his time in Evanston.
Welsh Ryan Arena’s atmosphere was the best I’ve ever witnessed as a NU fan. The Illinois fans were there in force, but they were oddly quiet.
That wasn’t the case with the student section, which arrived about an hour before game time, and was rocking from start to finish.
But for one scary time frame in the second half, it appeared Northwestern would fall short against the Illini.
After Nash hit a three-pointer at the 18:27 mark, NU converted exactly two shots from the field until Shurna dunked on a back-door cut with 7:19 to go in the game.
That’s not good, but Northwestern’s defense held tough and kept them in the game.
The Wildcats cut the lead to one, Nash hit his gigantic three, and the Wildcats never looked back.
He nailed clutch free throws and contributed a beautiful put-back down the stretch as well.
On a night when both Juice Thompson and John Shurna suffered from early foul trouble, it was the senior who picked up the slack.
Look at Jeremy Nash.
Look at him as he keeps everyone dreaming of March Madness.
Hey, Lurch! What are you looking at?
This Tisdale guy killed Northwestern down in Cham-bana, also known as the pimple on the State of Illinois’ ass. Mike the Moron had 31 points and 11 boards. It’s easy to do that when the Wildcats clearly can’t defend. That game was seriously one of the worst defensive games I have EVER seen Northwestern play in the Carmody era. (Notice I say “one,” because believe me, there have been many)
Tisdale is a foul machine, and the magic refs of that game, most notably one of SFTF’s least favorite refs, Ed Hightower, thought Tisdale just liked to touch men. They were okay with that.
If Northwestern wants to beat Illinois, they have to take Tisdale (not related to Ashley Tisdale) out of the game the way they did with JaJuan Johnson of Purdue. Get him in foul trouble early and make him uncomfortable.
The number one reason why Mike Tisdale is not liked throughout the Big Ten, and even many Illinois fans that I talk to, is because he taunts the opposing team, even though he is an awkward white dude. The way he stared at Jeremy Nash down in “Chicago’s White Trash Cousin” was just something you don’t do if you are tall and pasty white. I hope that Nash posterizes him, but then again, that is a pipe dream.
Among the other reasons why I would love to see Northwestern win tonight is to shut up the dumb Illini fans that pack Welsh-Ryan Arena because our season ticket holders are typically braindead enough or sipping too much fine English tea to not give the tickets to people with a 217 area code. They look like glorified oranges, women dye their hair that color, and then you have Bruce Weber.
Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man. Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Which brings me to my next point. Bruce Weber. I think everyone and their mother that is an Illini fan is spoiled. They want Weber gone. I mean, run out of the Land of County Markets with a pitchfork prodding his prostate all the way up I-57. The guy is a good coach people. He just needs to wipe that goofy look off his face when a call doesn’t go his way. You know what I’m talking about. His mouth is just open and looks through his beady eyes at the ref and doesn’t know what to say.
For the sake of the State of Illinois, Northwestern needs to win. Save us from these hicks to the South.
