Tony Bennet Croons in Pullman, No More

Wazzu Men's Basketball Coach Tony Bennet has been confirmed as the new head coach at the University of Virginia. This comes as a blow to a 'Zu program that had been on the rise the past few years, making it to the NCAA tourney Bennet's first two years and falling just short after going on a late season run this year.

There was a hard-nosed, blue-collar, slow-down defensive style cultivated in Pullman that was a stark contrast to the up-tempo pace of their western counterparts. This boring methodical style may be on the outs now with Bennet's departure. A new coach means installing a new system and getting current players to buy into said system.

Even with quality young players like Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto, the retooling of the program will take time. At a time that the Dawgs strong core of young players are preparing for another year in Romar's system and are being bolstered by a strong recruiting class, the Cougs will be playing catch-up.

I could go on about how this move weakens the division; that it is better to have 3 good teams in state not just 2; that a healthy rivalry with WSU can only help the Dawgs. But I will spare you these banal truisms and merely say this: BAHAHAHAHA! Suck it Cougs!!!! That's what you get for blocking funding for Husky Stadium renovation you mouth-breathing, in-bred, Eastern Washington fucks!!! *ahem* I mean to say: Sorry, Cougs. Buck up, the sun will shine on you again.

The timing of this move proves a little questionable for Bennet. Last year at this time he had offers for the head coaching position at both LSU and Indiana. To take Virginia's offering now is just baffling. Which-HAHAHAHAHA! Oh shit, you guys are screwed! HAHAHAHAHA!- must make this move all the more puzzling for Coug fans.

On a more serious note, let this be a lesson to sports fans everywhere. Don't believe the head coach of your favorite sports team when he assures the media and the fans that he'll stick around to build a solid program there. That statement is about as true as the stripper that claims she doesn't do house-calls. Flash enough money and they get amnesia, quick.

Please sweet baby Jesús, don't ever let Romar leave us!!!!

It was only yesterday...

Watching Ray Allen set the 3 point record in game 6 the other night brought me back a few years. It seems like only yesterday shortly after turning 21, that I got the chance to watch the Supes pwn the Spurs - live at a bar, it was great.

I got completely belligerent with my fellow Seattleites, yelling, clapping, drinking, and chest bumping as the Sonics went on to win their first game in the 2nd round of the playoffs. My Dad and brother were at the game, so we all met up afterward as the arena was emptying out. Everyone was totally stoked and rowdy. Fans from all molds - skinny, fat, black, white, bald, dreaded, stoned, sober -- you name it (we're a diverse bunch); we were all together as one, basking in the short term glory of a 2nd round playoff win. None of this would be possible without #34 Ray Allen.

I spent the long walk to the car cheerfully chanting with my bro, "FUCK THE SPURS, FUCK THE SPURS, FUCK THE SPURS." Clearly we were drunk off of our asses, but nonetheless, the feeling of winning in the playoffs and pure inebriation overcame me like a 200 hundred dollar bar tab and a last-call whore.

I attended the rally on Monday, chanting Save our Sonics, Gary, Super [pause] Sonics!, and whatever else the crowd felt like yelling. It reminded me of the comradery I shared with these otherwise total strangers shortly after becoming 21. The day after rallying in front of the court house, I got to see Ray Allen win a ring with a team that has also had a similar terrible stretch minus an unexpected playoff run 2 years ago (17 Championships is another realm of glory). I have also had the pleasure to see Gary play for the Heat and win their Championship in 2006. Through them, I have felt like a winner and a Champ as well. It fills me with great pride that my heroes who've escaped the shitty decade of Wally Walker have gone onto winning it all with another team (And Gary getting it without Malone and the Lakers is even sweeter!!!!!).

Isn't it ironic, that a man who was a minority owner for the team that took our hopes of a championship in the 2nd round only a few years back, manifests into the creeper that conspires to take our very team away?

I have more respect for a man who let's me know where he stands, even if he's wrong. Than the one who comes up like an angel and is nothing but a devil. - Malcolm X

Snitch three and you go free... not so all of a sudden!

For better or worse, a liar and a cheat ought not be trusted- or listened to for that matter.  However the latest coming out of the Tim Donaghy circle must be atleast read, and rejected if you so please.  

I'm a big believer that big time sports can be rigged.  The Black Sox did it, why cant officials?  Hell, Tim Donaghy ADMITTED to doing it; and now, with sentencing looming, he's alleged that the Celtics vs Lakers series is rigged.  Thats where it ends, it really starts out playful and innocent- a la referees using team facilites (not the bathrooms doofus), playing tennis with owners, and receiving rim jobs from star athletes on the roster (sans jelly).

I was disregarding nearly everything said like a Steelers fan when the subject of "officiating" and "superbowl xl" comes up, but the responses from NBA executive vice president and general counsel Richard Buchanan and Lamell McMorris, head of the NBA referees union made me reconsider my viewpoint.  Maybe it wasn't in relation to what Donaghy specifically said, because he's a jerkoff anyway, but it made me think of the people above him, the even bigger jerkoffs whose sputum can be directly linked to David Stern's gold member.

From ABC7

"According to Mr. Donaghy, all of his allegations have previously been made to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney, and they are clearly being disclosed now as part of his desperate attempt to lighten the sentence that will be imposed for his criminal conduct," the statement read. "The NBA remains vigilant in protecting the integrity of our game and has fully cooperated with the government at every stage of its investigation. The only criminal activity uncovered is Mr. Donaghy's."  ~ Buchanan

Lets run through this one sentence at a time.

According to Mr. Donaghy, all of his allegations have previously been made to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney, and they are clearly being disclosed now as part of his desperate attempt to lighten the sentence that will be imposed for his criminal conduct

  I can understand that the NBA doesn't want its diapers rubbed in national news programs.  That statement is fine by me, though funny that he needs to TELL US that Donaghy is only trying to lighten his sentence, if this was really non-news, I'm sure a statement would not be necessary.  But because these allegations ARE news, the following is brought to you by Vice Czar of the NBA:

The NBA remains vigilant in protecting the integrity of our game and has fully cooperated with the government at every stage of its investigation.

 

Of course, because the NBA  does have integrity issues.  And I'm not just talking about the plight of our beloved Sonics, the best team to ever touch a basketball until fucktard Schultz sold the team to fucktard Bennett.  I'm talking about Lakers v Kings game 7, the new basketball, Tim Donaghy himself etc... Remember after the Tim Donaghy scandal came out?  We only heard two things; He's guilty (he confessed to it, duh) and that Tim is an isolated event, nobody else who calls fouls in a game is guilty or associated with violating the integrity of a The Game, PERIOD.  And if there were a shred of doubt, I'm sure we'd all hear about it, because after all, the NBA is vigilant about their integrity crisis.

The only criminal activity uncovered is Mr. Donaghy's.

Thats just a slap in the face.  This is like last throes Hillary rhetoric.  Its a garbage statement, and if were in email form, I'm sure Mr. Buchanan would say that what he meant to say was "The only criminal activity uncovered is Mr. Donaghy's if it were deemed no other officials have mob connections" but we havent heard anything about that, and I'm sure we wont, unless somebody outside the NBA says so first!

"Tim Donaghy has had honesty and credibility issues from the get-go," the statement read. "He is a convicted felon who has not yet been sentenced for the criminal conduct he has already admitted to. He may be willing to say anything to help his cause and he may believe these most recent allegations will help his agenda. I'm not aware of any improper conduct by any current NBA referee in the playoffs six years ago or any conspiracy by the NBA to affect the outcome of any game then or now. Frankly we're tired of Tim Donaghy's cat and mouse games."  ~McMorris

What a load of jesus jizz!  And we're expected to lap it up like hungry hungry whores!  Fizzuuuuck  Thaaaaaat!  Look McMasterbate, once the Brooklyn Bridge is doubled in length, eight lanes wide, retrofitted to service light rail, connects Bellevue to Seattle, and all on Clay Bennetts dollar semicolon I'm going to take that statement with a grain of salt.  You're fucking nuts to believe we are going to just accept what you're saying here.  

Tim has about as much honesty issues as a drug dealer whom when approached gives the cops 3 names, and ... those people don't get arrested?  I know a few people who wished everybody went with your logic on this one.  While I'm sure Saddam would say before the Military Tribunal  "Well North Korea actually has a nuke, Genocide is actually occurring right now in Darfur, and Iran is a bunch of imbeciles" only a fool wouldn't believe him and it wouldn't help his sentence one bit.  

While I'm sure Tim would say anything to make his situation better, your tone comes off more as an accomplice, than a witness.  And for that, one more fan has to wonder, wtf is going on in the NBA?  Because even with your efforts made in good faith to all fans of the NBA, Seattleites know what they're worth.