Morning: ONE RING TO RULE THEM ALL

It's Opening Day in the Bronx, and the Yanks are getting their rings! Here's a picture of our last World Series ring, from 2000:


Pretty nice. And a lot more team-oriented than the strange Red Sox ring from '07, designed by Beckett:


Weird choice.

Dandy Andy will be on the hill this afternoon, facing Irving Santana (I know his name is actually spelled 'Ervin,' but my way makes him sound more like a 90-year-old man) and the Angels. In a happy coincidence, this means Hideki the Hit Monster Matsui will be on hand to receive a ring. Hopefully he's allowed to come out for the ceremony; sometimes when players are on a new team, it's deemed inappropriate. Either way, the Yankee faithful will give him a nice ovation, and he'll be treated as the reigning World Series MVP should.

A few asterisks:

*In case you missed it, I'll be attending UNC this fall. This should not change the blog in any significant way, except that I may become a UNC football fan.

*The Seattle Mariners, darlings of baseball junkies everywhere, are off to a 2-6 start. I'm inclined to believe smarter baseball minds when they tell me that Jack Zduriencik is one of the savvier GMs in the game, but this Milton Bradley business is a huge mistake. I mean, we're 8 games in, and the guy's already flipping fans the bird and angrily destroying bats and requiring special meetings with the manager? To top it off, he's batting .045 and dealing with the same mental/pressure problems he faced while batting clean-up for the Cubs.

This won't end well. My friend Spike is a huge Mariners fan and a main source of information, and the justification he offered was that the organization hoped Griffey could act as a big brother/mentor and curb Bradley's bad behavior. Which seems kinda like a prayer to me. Two of my stepfather's favorite expressions come to mind: "you can't teach brains" and "you can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit." Guys like this always seem to become even bigger problems when the team loses, so Ms fans better hope the ship gets turned around.

A lot of words to spend on a team that isn't even in the AL East, you say? Well, for whatever reason, the Mariners have a solid presence in the blogosphere. Every morning, I like to read two Ms blogs in particular: Lookout Landing and USS Mariner. High quality baseball writing, right there. It's a fun team to follow, especially with the way they've tried to gear up for a big run this season. Again, I have Spike to thank for the links.

*This is old news, but Bill Simmons wrote a solid article about sabermetrics a week ago that might finally deliver these stats to the masses. Personally, I love looking at sites like Fangraphs, and I can spend hours reading about WAR and VORP and especially UZR (seriously, the people who came up with UZR- a defensive metric- are awesome). I find this stuff really valuable, and I've made a vow to study it even more this year, so I gain at least a slight understanding of how each one is compiled.

*Off topic: why is it that people in offices feel the need to say "good morning" in weird, theatrical, or annoying ways? It's become like a fucking coat of arms, or something. This is how you know me! I'm the lady who sings "good morning" with an obnoxious, high-pitched lilt! Please don't confuse me with the other lady who manages to hit like four different octaves with her incredibly slow rendition! That's Jennifer! The thin Jennifer! The fat Jennifer is the one who repeats it three times fast while waving her hands around!

It's the worst possible way to start my day. It does the opposite of its stated intention; it makes the morning bad. I want to post a sign that says "please stop saying 'good morning' like an asshole. If you're unclear on how to manage this, please stop by my office. I'll say 'good morning' like a normal human, and you can imitate me until you have it right." But that would be a long sign.

*I was listening to Mike Francesa yesterday (not by choice- I was in a car), and he actually made a good point: screw Lebron. The NBA sucks anyway, but I'm getting awfully sick of hearing New Yorkers beg him to come. Francesa brought up the fact that Knicks fans were starting an e-mail campaign, thinking it might woo him. It's pathetic, and unbecoming of the Big Apple. At this point, I would rather he didn't come. I would rather he stayed in Cleveland and continued not winning championships, and the Knicks put together a good team and owned him for the next ten years or so. Screw Lebron. Give me Stephen Curry.

*DID I MENTION IT'S OPENING FUCKING DAY!?!?! For the next two afternoons, I get to listen to baseball games on the radio at work. Which isn't as nice as getting to watch them in person or even on tv, but it will make the day go by faster. I'll take it. Get in the mood, baby!

A Seth Curry Saves Duke! Special Announcement

(SCSD now has multiple daily posts. Don't miss the others below.)

Readers, I never thought this day would come. But it's here. Without further fanfare, it's time to declare my intentions:

I'm going to the University of North Carolina.

You may suspect a trick, but this isn't some April Fool's joke by a dude with calendar difficulties. Starting in August, I'll be attending graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill.




But I'm still going to be a Duke basketball fan. Obviously.





However, I was thinking of becoming a UNC football fan. The whole UConn thing didn't pan out, and I only ever went to a handful of Duke games. There's no loyalty or passion there. I couldn't even tell you the coach's name, unless Krzyzewski runs that program too. So if this kind of thing is allowed, I'll jump on board with the football Heels.


Finally, something they can agree on.

So, fellow Carolina football fans, what do you think of our quarterback? I mean, is he a chump, or what? Or is he actually good? That'd be nice. And how about that defensive line? I hope those sallies came to play this season! Otherwise, I want to seem them all wearing dresses! Like a bunch of ladies! AM I RIGHT?! AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THAT OFFENSIVE LINE! GIVE 'EM SOME LIPSTICK AND THESE CLOWNS WILL FIT RIGHT IN AT A DEBUTANTE BALL!*^

*Note to future Carolina football friends: most of my football discourse is just me comparing players on our team to women.

^Debutante ball jokes are still huge in the south, right? I made my living on those from '01-'05. Let me know.

Anyway...see you at the old well.

Morning: Phil Mickelson is Insane

Yesterday, after the 13th hole at Augusta, I did something I've never done before: I cheered for Phil Mickelson.

I never liked Phil. He always seemed like a blue-blood choke artist to me. I preferred Tiger, with his no-nonsense ball-breaking style, or someone with a fun personality like Ernie Els. But not Phil. In my head, he was the weak, privileged dandy, the all-talent no-heart country club cream puff. And for a long time, his play seemed to confirm that opinion. He lost majors on disastrous shots, and kept finishing second or third under intense Sunday pressure (8 times, actually, before his 2004 Augusta breakthrough). At best, I saw him as an heir to Greg Norman.

When he finally won the Masters, it annoyed me. He'd broken the fourth wall. He no longer inhabited the character I'd constructed for him. I was so attached to that old storyline that when some radio personality suggested he'd taken mood-enhancing drugs in order to fight off the final-round nerves (with zero evidence to back it up), I was on board. Unfortunately for me, Phil went on to win the PGA in 2005, and then another green jacket in 2006.

Yesterday, I finally realized what should have been obvious all along: Phil is not weak. He's nuts. He's a gambler, a maverick, an all-around fucking loon. One shot in particular led to my epiphany. The situation: 13th hole, par 5, and Phil's leading the tournament by a stroke. His tee shot finds the pine straw near the woods, and is semi-obstructed. Of Mickelson's many talents on a golf course, his greatest is his short game. He's an absolute genius from inside 100 yards, and his touch is unrivaled by anyone alive. Needless to say, the smart move was to lay up and try to go up and down for a birdie. If he had to settle for par, no big deal; again, he was leading. On Sunday. At Augusta.

Furthermore, the green is guarded by a creek that snakes just in front of the putting surface. The hole on Sunday was perilously close to the embankment running down to the water, and hitting from the woods to that pin placement was a formal invitation to disaster. Phil's actual quote when he spoke to his caddie Jim Mackay (who tried to talk him out of the shot, like a good bagman should) is amazing:

"Listen, there's an opening in the trees and it's just a 6-iron," Mickelson said. "All I have to do is execute. It's not like I have to hit a big hook or big cut. I have to hit a 6-iron on a big ol' green."

"There's an opening in the trees." I love it. So he talked himself into the shot like a true gambler, and pulled out the six. He took a vicious hack, tracked the ball with his maniacal wide-eyed stare, and watched it land about five feet past the danger zone. He came that close to utter disaster. Instead, the brilliant shot set him up with a short eagle putt, which he missed. But that's a footnote; he got the easy birdie, and he went on to win the Masters handily.

After that shot, one of the announcers, either Lundquist or North, offered some pretty telling analysis. Speaking of Mackay, they said "he knows Phil would rather take a shot he's happy about and fail than take the safe shot and succeed."

That's when it hit me: those near misses early in his career weren't because he was a choker. They happened for the same reason he succeeded yesterday: he's a nut. He's a demented madman. He always, always, always takes a crazy chance. He seems to live for the thrill of a big risk on a bigger stage. And very often, he fails. Golf is typically a game of caution. You win by playing consistent, hitting the fairways, getting hot with the putter, and avoiding big mistakes.

Phil does everything except the last. He won't avoid a big mistake, because that would mean avoiding risk. (Ironically, he's sponsored by KPMG, an auditing and tax advisory firm whose mission statement includes the phrase "working closely with clients, helping them to mitigate risk." Can you imagine Phil working at KPMG? He'd definitely be the accountant who took huge liberties with tax returns...ever shoot a gun or wear camouflage? Take the military credit! Your kids had their friends over for a sleepover? Claim the extra dependents! With Phil at the helm, you'd either get a huge fucking return, or get audited and spend 15 years in jail.)

Phil's not about to avoid risk. I was going to compare him to a poker player, but the truth is that Phil would stink at poker. Great poker players have to be masters of strategy, but there's no real talent involved. Golf suits Phil's mentality perfectly (to a tee, you might say); he has the natural physical and mental gifts to take those ill-advised chances and sometimes succeed.

When he fails, he fails big. We've seen his hangdog look when that happens. He'll trudge down the fairway, eyes looking a little frantic, a little dazed, like an itinerant gambler who just got called out on a huge bluff and lost way more than he ever intended to risk. The failures have cost him multiple majors. But the fact that he's had so many chances to live or die by his guts speaks to an incredible, undaunted talent; the Jean Van de Veldes of the world only get to screw up once. Phil lives to fight another day. And when he succeeds, he does it on his own terms.

His own wild, lunatic terms. So yes, he could have laid up on the 13th yesterday. He might have managed the exact same score on that hole, even. And he definitely could have won the tournament. But he wouldn't have won as Phil Mickelson. Phil Mickelson goes for the green in two. Every time. If he's not taking the enormous risk, he's not himself. And why would he ever change? At the end of the day, he's just playing a game, and the creek ain't nothing but water.

Saturday: Pedroia Props

Just a quick one today. "Pedroia Props" is a new feature where I say something nice about Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. It is also a feature that will never, ever appear again. Before I begin, just let me get something out of my system...

FUCK YOU PEDROIA, YOU LITTLE ELF BASTARD! YOU DIDN'T DESERVE THAT MVP! I HATE YOU! I HATTTTTEEEEEE YOU!

Ahem. Thank you. Now, some of you may have seen umpire Joe West's criticisms of the Yanks and Sox. His main point was that their play was too slow, but instead of saying that in a polite manner, he called both teams "embarrassing," "pathetic," and "a disgrace to baseball."

Yesterday, Dusty struck back:

"To call the Yankees and Red Sox, two of the best teams in baseball, 'pathetic' and 'embarrassing,' that's just ridiculous," Pedroia said while sitting in the dugout before Friday night's game against the Royals.

"If he doesn't want to do Red Sox and Yankee games, he should tell the umpires' union. Then when we're in the World Series, he'll be out of that assignment, too."

Mariano wasn't taking no shit neither:

"If he has places to go, let him do something else," Rivera told the New York Post. "What does he want us [the players] to do, swing at balls? ... We don't want to play four-hour games, but that's what it takes. We respect and love the fans and do what we have to do, and that's play our game."

Well said by both. Nice job, Pedroia.

NOW WHY DON'T YOU GO TODDLE AROUND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, YOU OOMPA LOOMPA SON OF A BITCH!

Scheyer Gets Prankish, and Tiger Ain't Vanishing

(SCSD now has multiple daily posts. Don't miss the others below.)

*Through 14, Tiger is -5 at Augusta, 4 off the lead. That link is to Jason Sobel's Masters blog, which is making this lengthy Friday slightly more bearable. You can also watch Tiger live by clicking his little red camera icon on the ESPN leaderboard.

Meanwhile, Lee Westwood is scorching. He's -4 through 7 holes and threatening to build himself a nice big lead going into the weekend. Couples and Watson seem to be fading, as old men are wont to do.

*Jon Scheyer hatched a pretty nice prank on his buddy in the wee hours after winning the title. Like most good pranks, this one took place on Twitter. Scheyer tweeted his phone number, and told everyone to "holler" at him. Except it wasn't really his number; it belonged to his high school friend Zach Kelly, who went on to receive over 2,000 text messages. Luckily, all of them were from congratulatory well-wishers.

*On a semi-related topic, my aunt and I made a bet before the Final Four, and now she's welching. She's a WVU alum, so we decided that the loser of Saturday's game would have to post a facebook profile picture of them holding a sign. I think mine was going to be "Huggins for President," and hers was "Coach K is my hero." But she's not doing it! How do I handle this? Should I press it, or just be happy with the win? I want to see that picture!

*Butler coach Brad Stevens wants to play us in the regular season next year. Bring it on, bitch! Anytime, anywhere!^

^Cameron Indoor Stadium, noon, the day after you play a night game in Indiana.

*Tiger just birdied 15! -6! And he did it with a long putt, just like on 13. He's getting hot. Look out world!

*Coming Monday: a Seth Curry Saves Duke! announcement that will shock, horrify, and titillate you! Prepare to be left gasping!

*Tonight is our first chance to see Vasquez in a Yankee uniform. (What? He pitched for us before? In an important situation? Hmmm, doesn't ring a bell.) Saturday, Hughes takes his first start. And we're playing my least favorite team: The Tampa Bay Rays. Yes, I hate them even more than Boston. They were always annoying even when they stunk, and since their runner-up year they've become real pests. In the final series of the regular season last year, they plunked Teixeira hard to send a message that he wasn't going to win the home run crown over Carlos Pena. Meanwhile, their sorry souls were going home when the weekend was over. The fact that they'd risk hurting one of our top guns before the playoffs sealed the deal: Tampa gets the black cross.

Have a spectacular Master's weekend.

2010: The Year of Robinson

(This is an annual feature where I predict big things for my favorite baseball player, Robinson Cano. I'll be using many of the same words and formulations as last year's post.)



Robbie Cano is a 27-year-old Dominican who's played second base for the Yankees since 2005. His dad Jose, who played six games for the Astros back in the day, named him after Jackie Robinson. Here's a quick rundown of Robbie's accomplishments to date.

*.307 lifetime batting average.

*Second place in Rookie of the Year voting in 2005.

*AL Silver Slugger Award in 2006.

*AL player of the month in September 2006.

*Third highest league batting average (.342) in 2006.

*6th highest league batting average (.320) in 2009.

*Owns the final game-winning hit and final RBI in the old Yankee stadium, as well as the new stadium's first home run.

Unfortunately, the early shine came off Robbie in 2008 when he finished April batting .151 and struggled all season to bring it up to a year-end .271. It didn't matter to most that he hit .300 from May to August and showed considerable toughness rebounding from an atrocious start in the world's least forgiving media market; in the public perception, he went from one of the game's rising stars to a questionable talent.

It didn't help that his on-base percentage dropped 50 points from '08, due largely to the fact that he had only 26 walks, an abysmally low total for a full-time player. Also, he seemed to be dogging it on occasion, especially in the field. Call it laziness, or call it frustration carried over from his offensive struggles. Whatever the cause, the lackadaisical attitude didn't endear him to fans.

Watching Robbie last year was a hot-and-cold experience. I've loved the guy since day one. Witnessing his batting prowess is very satisfying not only as a Yankee fan, but as a baseball fan. He's got one of the smoothest swings in the game, he hits to the opposite field with unusual frequency, and he can still pull for power. But his walk totals and OBP remained low, and he couldn't hit with men on base.

At his best, he seems like a lithe hitting machine who covers the entire plate and coordinates his flexible rhythm to the pitcher's style. He's all over the ball, as though he has a sixth sense that enables him to anticipate the location and speed of every fastball, curve, slider, or change. An instinctual pitcher's nightmare, and a very difficult out. The only thing keep him from true greatness is difficulty hitting under pressure. That weakness was glaringly showcased by his .207 average with men in scoring position.

But deep in my heart, I know 2009 was a learning experience for Robbie. He'll emerge from his clutch woes to deliver the goods from the 5th spot in the order. He'll become the game's greatest second baseman, even better than Utley. And then he'll become president of the Dominican Republic. And America.

To come back to Earth for a brief moment, it's obviously too early to tell what the season will bring. But watching Cano through the spring and the Boston series, it's beyond obvious that he's taken the next step. He already has 3 RBI, 2 of them with RISP. That means he's on pace to drive in 162 runners, which is high. And if he can maintain the patience and calm, his on-base percentage and average will shoot to the moon. So far, he looks phenomenal. Dynamic, even. They invented the term 'locked in' for performances like this. Every at-bat brings the humming anticipation of something great. This is when it really pays to be a fan- we're blessed with a rarefied brand of optimism and excitement each time he steps to the plate. It's a far cry from our usual stance, cynical and wary, designed to preserve the remnants of a tenuous sanity.

Bottom line: Sweet Robbie is finally reaching his potential. It's going to be an amazing year, and I have zero reservations about the following predictions:

1) An OBP above .390.
2) An All-Star game appearance.
3) A Silver Slugger award.
4) A fielding % above .990.
5) Top 5 in the MVP voting.

Crazy enough for you? No? Then brace yourself for #6:

6) An AL batting title.

Feel free to throw these numbers back in my face when he's hitting .260 in mid-May. And yeah, I'm aware that I've jumped off the deep end. You may not be ready to join me. We've been conditioned to stand poised on the edge of full commitment, eyes averted from the abyss. But it's time to overcome our fear and take the leap. Heed the inspiring words of Delmar O'Donnell:

"Come on in, boys. The water is fine."

Tiger Woods Sexual Humor, Part 894

Our old pal Eldrick has teed off at Augusta, and he already has one birdie.

TIGER'S ON THE PROWL!

That should be the icon they use on tv every time he makes a birdie. For an eagle? This:

That's a real picture, by the way. The tiger got the zebra pregnant, and this was the result:


I'm definitely rooting for Tiger to succeed this weekend. Not only will it make things way more interesting, but it will also infuriate every female in the country. I'm no misogynist, and I think girls are great, but any time you can see an entire subset of people get pissed without anyone getting hurt, you have to root for it. It's like how every affluent white man stared angrily into his stone fireplace after the OJ Simpson verdict (minus the murder part). If you want to add fuel to the ire, and you're a dude, say something like "Look, I get that what he did was bad. But it wasn't that bad."

To be serious for a moment, everyone wants to scoff at the "sex addict" stuff. The general opinion seems to be that he was just a horny dude, not a victim of some mental illness. But if you look at those text messages he sent, it just seems so out of character. For a guy known for caution and privacy, it's like he was trying to get caught. It's a mistake that Tiger in his right mind would just never make. Maybe I'm being naive, but I think he has a real problem, and I think it's good he's coming back to golf so soon. He needs to press on with life.

Some quick other stuff:

*Big Papi is already throwing tantrums with the media. Should be another strong year for the game's biggest cheat.

*If you didn't see Mark Buehrle's phenomenal defensive play from Monday, you need to. It's available here. On that site, they call it a "backhand flick," which is totally inaccurate. Must be seen to be believed. Top 5 I've ever seen, easily.

*Tom Watson is the clubhouse leader at -5. I'm sure this won't happen, but can you imagine a Tiger vs. Watson final pairing on Sunday? Holy shit.

See you tomorrow.

Yankee Talking Talking Yankee Talk

(SCSD now has multiple daily posts. Don't miss the others below.)

While Duke was busy winning a national title, the powers-that-be couldn't stand to give the team the limelight for even a minute, so they pulled the classless move of starting the baseball season a day before the championship. TYPICAL.

Anyway, the 2010 Yankee campaign started with a three-game set at Fenway, and MLB featured the first game as the Sunday night season kick-off. I'm sure the rivalry helped them nab some nice national ratings, and on paper leading with two heavyweights was probably a good idea. As a Yankee fan, though, I don't like it.

Don't get me wrong; Yanks-Sox is always exciting. But I like to build up to that excitement. Opening day is great enough on its own without having to ratchet up the intensity by casting us into the lion's den. Last year, starting in Baltimore was perfect. We got to re-acquaint ourselves with old faces, meet new ones, and gradually settle into the year. The atmosphere was festive without being overhwelming. And when we lost, no big deal. It was Baltimore. It's a long season.

It can never be like that with Boston. On Sunday night, the game got close (surprise surprise), and all the sudden IT'S STRESS TIME! It was like sitting by yourself thinking "you know what, it might be fun to try boxing some day," and then a trainer and a cut man and an agent break down your door and whisk you off to a boxing ring, where in the opposite corner an angry muscled dude is chewing his mouth guard and staring at you like you kicked his pit bull.

MLB SCHEDULERS: I'M NOT READY! THIS IS TOO MUCH. YOU HAVE TO LET ME BUILD TO THIS! I DON'T CARE IF WE LOSE! GIVE THEM THE GAMES, JUST GET ME OUT OF FENWAY!

IF YOU NEED ME, I'LL BE IN KANSAS CITY, WORKING ON MY CONDESCENSION.

I think Red Sox fans would agree. Give us a few weeks, please. That being said, we won the series two games to one, withstanding some strong pitching by the Sawx along the way. Here were the great moments:

*CC didn't look terrible. After a rough spring training and a history of slow starts, I thought his outing on Sunday was fairly strong. He faded in the sixth, but what can you expect. At least his stuff was there. The fat man always abides.


*When Jorge hit the Pesky Pole in the second to give us an early lead, my girlfriend was already asleep. Up until last year, she'd never been a sports fan, but she caught on fast with the Yankees. She came to like baseball so much that she actually teared up when I played a mean joke in January and told her that Mark Teixeira (her favorite) had been traded. So I decided to give her an early season test. "Hip Hip" I yelled. She sat up straight, bleary-eyed and dazed. "Jorge," she mumbled. Then she collapsed on the couch and went back to sleep. The next morning, she didn't remember.

Success! If I can condition her so thoroughly in less than a year, imagine what I can do to children.

*The long-awaited John Sterling home run call for Curtis Granderson is official. When Grandy went deep on Sunday, the Yankee radio man yelled out "Oh Curtis, you're something sort of grandish!" Apparently this is a reference to a song from a musical called "Finian's Rainbow" that debuted in 1947. Fair enough. He want back to that line last night, and then tacked on a more recent musical reference: "Grandy Man...the Grandy Man can!" A lot of people around the internet seem to hate this, but I think it's kinda hysterical. As a favor to Sterling's genius, I'll even write a couple verses for him:

Who can take a fastball?
Drill it to the seats?
Crush a hanging curve
and a hundred other feats?

The Grandy Man!
The Grandy Man Can!
The Grandy Man Can when the fella on the mound
throws with his right hand.

Who can make a change-up
go soaring through the sky?
Hit a slider so far
that it makes the pitcher cry?

The Grandy Man!
The Grandy Man Can!
Unless the other team brings a lefty in the game
and then he kinda stinks.

*Andy and AJ get good marks too, Andy in particular. He kept the Sox at bay while Lackey got strict with the Yanks, and gave the offense a shot to even things up against the Boston pen. AJ was AJ- the nastiest curve in the game, moments of brilliance, and then a lot of walks and poor pitch selection. 12-14 wins and an awesome performance in 1 out of every 2 playoff games, anyone?

*I fucking love having Nick Johnson and Nick Swisher on the same team. It makes it virtually impossible for an opposing pitcher to make it through five innings without throwing 100 pitches. Johnson is quite the anomaly. Last year, his OBP was the second highest in baseball at .426. This year, he's alerady rocking a .400 OBP, and he's yet to manage a single hit. These two guys have never seen an early strike they liked. That has to be annoying. I bet when they go to restaurants together, they just study the menu until the waitress gets frustrated and gives them a free meal.

*Victory over Crapelspoon! Y'all know me, and you know I'm typically not a hater. But Papelbon is the worst. I would hate him if he was a Yankee, I promise. He's dumb, obnoxious, and arrogant at the same time. A failure for him is a win for good people everywhere. Every time Papelbon blows a save or takes a loss, something fortunate happens in a really hardscrabble place. Like North Korea, for instance. The rice crop doubled after Granderson's home run. It's a cosmic karma thing. Trust me on that one.

More later.

Morning: Base-a-bol...Been Berry Berry Good to Me

Yesterday, I had my first softball league game on the upper, upper west side. Or so I thought. I took the train to 145th street, wandered around the Colonel Charles Young fields, and found nobody. I finally called the manager, and it turns out the game happens next Wednesday. I wandered off, but in lieu of sulking to the train for the long ride back to Brooklyn, I struck up a conversation with a few Hispanic dudes who were about to play a scrimmage. Some of their teammates were delayed, so I agreed to step in for a few innings.

The skipper put me at second base, and the first batter for the bad guys was a thin lefty. Watching him go through the pre-pitch ritual, I knew he was going to hit it my way. The certain future hung in the dusty air. I could only hope for the best. This was the first time I'd played any variant of the game since 2005. It's a tough sport to play in the city, and while basketball and football remained constant companions, the national pasttime faded. Now, the dirt was swirling, the lights had come on, and let me tell you: the goosebumps arrived. Baseball!

On the fourth pitch, the batter ripped a grounder to my left. Instead of planting myself securely in front of the ball, I decided to try and rediscover my old flair by charging, fielding from the side, and using a sidearm flip. Robbie Cano style- the only way to roll. The ball took a weird hop, but still hit my glove. It trickled forward, I picked it up with the bare hand, and flicked on to first for the out. 4-3, if you're keeping score at home.

After five years away from the game, it was a pretty groovy feeling. But even that rush was eclipsed when I stepped into the batter's box. The old tingle of nerves danced around my stomach. I bobbed and weaved, twirled the bat in quick circles, let it linger on the pitcher when he started his wind-up, and then crouched in the old stance, bat tilted lazily back like Rod Carew. First pitch, ball. Second pitch low, but I swung away. Grounder to third, fielded cleanly, but the throw's in the dirt, and I'm on! E-5, baby!

I ended up scoring, and in my second at-bat I was one pitch away from an undesirable walk, so I swung at a low pitch again. This time the shortstop made a clean play and threw me out by two steps. 6-3. The next inning, the rest of the team arrived and my day was done. Final stats: 1 put-out on one chance, 0-2 at the plate with a run scored. I'm back in the show!

And now the time is right to get pumped about professional baseball. The Dukies monopolized my attention, and rightly so, but I'm starting to take the first tentative steps toward the boys of summer. Today, I'll be talking Yankees. And some Masters, too. It's good to see Tiger Woods back in the news; I feel like we never hear from him in the winter months.

The Devils hold the title. The Yankees hold the title. Fandom may never be so fine. It's spring, and someone in my dictionary's up to no good.

So About That Game...

(SCSD now has multiple daily posts. Don't miss the others below.)

After yesterday's hoopla and this morning's denouement, it's time to look back at that beauty of a national title game. Let's hit the asterisks, and let's hit 'em hard:

*First and foremost, this was the best tournament I've ever seen. From day one- no, scratch that- from game one, it's been full of close contests, upsets, and knuckle-biting drama. The excitement didn't skip a single round; it was consistently amazing. Starting next year, the greatest event in sports will be ruined by expansion. Despite common sense ringing down from every side of the canyon, the NCAA is grasping for green. It's practically a foregone conclusion, and to whine would be to waste a lot of breath. So 2010 was the last hurrah for the perfect 64-team format, and man, was it good. We'll remember this one while we suffer through 32 play-in games in the coming years. We got lucky.

*I underestimated the hell out of Butler's defense. In my little keys to the game post, I said that I couldn't imagine Butler topping 60 points. Well, Mack and Heyward were contained just like I predicted, but Jukes played the game of his life, and they came a halfcourt prayer from reaching that total. But where I really went wrong was on the flip side. Butler held every tourney opponent under 60 coming into the title game, and I insisted it couldn't be done against Duke. Maybe they'll hold us under 70, I said, if we have a bad shooting night. But 60? No way.

Well, they almost made it happen. And we did have a bad offensive night, but Butler gets a lot of the credit for that. They're a team with incredible grit and toughness, and on the few occasions when it looked like we might pull away, they got big stops to make sure it stayed close. Trying to score on them was like running up against a steel wall. The scary part is, they might be even better next year.

*Kyle Singler is our savior. Scheyer had a nice game, but not a spectacular one. Nolan could never get his bearings, and struggled right up to the missed layup that almost buried us. But Sing wouldn't let us lose. And he played all 40 minutes. Yeah, the last shot came up way short, but his courageous effort against an intensely physical defense is the only reason we maintained a lead in the first place. A well-deserving MOP.

*I never thought I'd say this, but if you gave me a choice between keeping either Jon Scheyer or Brian Zoubek for another year, I'd take Old Snowshoes. And I bet Coach K would agree. He turned into a selfless, brutal sledgehammer of a human this season, attacking the glass with elbows raised and muscles bared. He set bone-shattering picks, he found the open man, and if opponents got too close, they felt the pain.

My proudest moment was watching him slowly break down the Baylor big men in the Elite 8. Those robust, athletic specimens were slouching around the lane like timid dogs by the end. On a related note, Matt Howard deserves congratulations. He's the first big man I saw who stayed with Zou til the very end, exchanging blows and exploring the rough interior terrain without fear.

*Did you guys notice that Duke mostly played the style of our opponent in the tournament? The only exceptions were Arkansas Pine-Bluff and West Virginia. We blew both teams off the court. Otherwise, it was like we chose to beat the other team at their own game. Against Cal, we ran with a fast and loose style. Against Purdue, we ground it out the Big 10 way (and it drove me nuts). Baylor was another up-and-down game showcasing individual ability and athleticism. And Butler, of course, quickly became a man-to-man war of attrition. In those games, there wasn't even an attempt to assert any kind of personal style. "This is how you want to play?" we seemed to say. "Fine, we're on board."

That's a risky way to do business, and it's both testament to and criticism of this team. Testament because we managed to succeed. We hacked and clawed and won by their rules. Criticism because historically great teams don't screw around like that. UNC last year comes to mind. Remember how Michigan St. wore out everyone with that relentless D? How nobody could crack their interior, how every possession was a chore? Not for the Tar Heels. Lawson and Ellington and company came out and sailed through. The Spartan defensive effort was akin to throwing a bucket of water at an advancing shark. And they were the best the nation had to offer.

But the Dukies had to do it the hard way. They didn't have flash or flair. Nothing was ever going to come easy. And really, that's why we came to love this team. They trudged out of the locker room every night ready to do battle. They came to get wounded, and hoped to wound the other guy more. I wouldn't change a thing.

*Nolan is staying, and Kyle is unsure. More here. If Sing does stick around, next year's team will be a lot of fun.

*A nice piece on Zoubek from his hometown paper, the Philly Inquirer. And by the way, happy birthday to Zou. He turned 22 on Tuesday.

*One more article on Nolan and his dad, from the Times. These always get me.

*You can watch the team's return to Cameron here. Great video, great atmosphere.

I still can't believe we're champions. I get goosebumps every time I remember. When I wrote a season preview back in November, I had this to say:

There's no way this team contends for a title, which in some ways is a positive. Unlike last year, we don't have to squirm in our seats and worry about the inevitable collapse, yet still harbor an insane hope that the Devils will live up to expectations and make a final 4 run.

That little bit of soothsaying looks pretty embarrassing in hindsight. But there weren't many who expected the kind of growth this team underwent. I might even call it unprecedented. They seized every opportunity that came their way. They didn't have a quitting bone in their collective body. They withstood doubt and hatred and the memory of past failure without blinking. And by season's end, they became an improbable absolute: the last team standing.

That's what it's all about. Duke will win more titles in the future, and they'll do it with better players and better teams. But I can't imagine any championship being more special.

Post #300: Seth Curry Saved Duke!

When this blog was birthed, in late March of 2009, Seth Curry had just made the decision to transfer from Liberty to Duke. I was inspired to cast my lot with the teeming blogosphere, and in that maiden post, I implored Curry the Younger to save our foundering program.

Now, one year and three hundred posts later, he's done it.

Seth Curry has saved Duke.

Did I expect it to happen this fast? Did I ever guess, in my wildest dreams, that he'd accomplish the stunning reversal without ever playing a single minute?

Yes. Such is the magic of Seth Curry.

Okay. Yesterday, I decided to go a bit negative. I sent a crude but meaningful message to the hater universe. It struck a chord, and I'm happy to report that by day's end, we established a new record for hits and oblitered the previous high mark for comments. Let this be a lesson to other bloggers, or just people in general (especially children): if you want attention, use the word "fuck" a lot. Especially in a confrontational way. It even spawned a t-shirt:


I love it! I'm always annoyed at how long it takes for my words to be made into commerce, but this turnaround was lightning-fast. My only two problems:

1) Where's the Duke logo?
2) Where's the credit for Seth Curry Saves Duke!? LOL, JUST KIDDING! HEHE!*

*Seriously, you infringing motherfucker, I will sue you blind. I will have my lawyers so deep in your fucking pockets that you can't afford one of your own cheap-ass t-shirts.

The good people at Deadspin were nice enough to give me a link, a few message boards picked it up, and the people responded. Some were reasonable, some were juiced, some were pissed. That last group is, of course, the most fun. Here's a smattering of quotes from the haters who got in on yesterday's commenting action, along with my responses in bold:

"In the large scale of time and the universe, dook is nothing more than a pin sized pimple on its ass."

I'm unclear...which ass are we talking about? Time's ass? The universe's ass? Or even dook's ass? That last one really messes with my head.

"Lastly, there are people that take this stuff far too seriously. This "blogger" (blogger = hack writing and large ego) being one of them. Did you play for the Duke team? Were you "hated" by people when you were a duke student? If you were, it probably has more to do with you than the fact that you were a duke student. You seem like an angry fella. Seriously? Do you not get how lame that is?"

ANGRY?! I'LL SHOW YOU ANGRY! (three minutes pass) Hey, guys, just out of curiosity, does anybody know a discreet place in Manhattan that fixes bullet holes in ceilings?

"Fuck PUKE! And to those ignorant puke fans tooting their horn about tv ratings being so high, it was ALL because the whole country (- dookies) were routing for the underdog! To those of you that want to tell everyone else to "go fuck theirselves," FUCK OFF! This year was another anomaly in puke's typical fashion. Come get some!"

This total RETARD doesn't even know how to spell our university's name! It's Duke. With a D, you COMPLETE IDIOT!

"You stay classy. Your post could be a study of why Duke is hated. Go fuck yourself? Save me your whiny b.s. and appreciate your championship. Quit being a little bitch."

But then I'd have to get a new nickname!

"Go fuck yourself, you arrogant snob."

PISH POSH!

"Your justification for choosing to be a smug a*hole instead ("the b*tch made me do it") is just a weak excuse not to grow up, or else a lame grab at page views."

Can't it be both?

"The smugness and the insecurity just take over sometimes, huh?"

Can't it be both?

"Furthermore everyone at Duke is either a medical student or likes to rape prostitutes. Know what I mean?"

Can't it be both?

"What are all you dookies going to do when Ratface goes off to an NBA team. What a bunch of f***!"

WE SHALL HIRE A COACH WITH THE FACE OF A MIGHTY GORILLA! THEN WE SHALL SEE WHO IS HURLING EPITHETS, MY FRIEND. WE SHALL SEE INDEED!

"Right back at you, you fucking worthless piece of shit."

Right back at you, you fucking worthless piece of shit!

I await your response. Respectfully yours,

Shane

"We'll just assume you weren't a big star on the debate team."

That debate team was nothing more than an old boy's club. I barely even think about it anymore.

"Believe it or not, there are actually people who have money and still chose not to go to Duke. Why? Because they didn't want to dress like a Laettner 90's throwback, wanted to actually meet girls, and didn't want to be perceived as a fag."

"A comment above refers to dookies as fags, and I think thats unfair and am certain the Duke lacrosse players would be extremely offended."

Mike Nifong, on the other hand, would kill to be called something that tame.

"Yeah, fuck Brian Zoubek, and fuck you all."

Seriously, did you have to mention me separately?

-Brian Zoubek

"You're still Duke and you still suck. Why? because you year in/year out play the dirtiest brand of basketball in the NCAA. And kchwqtrsplmnvxzd is scum."

I can't argue with this. Singler routinely covers himself in infectious bacteria before games. (See how I just twisted the meaning of 'dirtiest' from its original intent? That is called good writing.)

But somehow, the most disturbing comment of all came from a Duke fan. It was really the cherry on top of the whole sundae. Behold:

They're gonna pay for this for the next eight months. I've put up with so much shit from these cumguzzlers over the last few years and it's time for Daddy to have some time in the bathroom.

Whoa! I like to think that even the angriest Duke haters saw that comment and were taken aback for a moment. And I also like to think that the Duke PR department saw it, and knew they'd found next year's team slogan.

Duke Basketball: It's time for Daddy to have some time in the bathroom.

Man, that is a creepy sentence! And it follows so hot on the heels of 'cumguzzler.' The whole thing is just a masterpiece of skeeve. Really nice work, commenter. I'm going to imagine your name is 'Terrence.'

Anyway, I'm totally thrilled that my treatise on the strained discourse between Duke and their detractors ended up destroying any remnants of civility. Later on today, I'll actually get into the national championship game, and I might even talk a little baseball. I think the New York Yanky team will be good again. When does that season start, by the way?

Morning: The Champs!

Here's the problem with all the Duke haters: they don't allow for any gray area.

That may seem like a strange sentence to lead off a post in the immediate aftermath of Duke's first national championship since 2001. My words should be pure joy, right? My thoughts should be pure elation. And believe me, joy and elation exist. I'm on cloud nine. This is epic, this is fantastic, this is inspirational. I'm proud, too, if that kind of sentiment is allowed.

But after withstanding weeks of rabid hate directed at our team, the two main emotions I feel right now are relief and swagger.

The problem with relief is that you spend entire games on a knife's edge. You root for your team, and your players, but a big part of you is concerned about the haters. You do not want to give them what they crave. They have the luxury of watching every game, hoping and praying for Duke's failure, and they're always ready to pounce if that failure comes to pass. So instead of just hoping for the win and being able to accept the loss like a normal sports fan, you spend absurd amounts of mental energy holding off an emotional tidal wave from your enemies. A fan of any perennial winner has to deal with that, and it is what it is, but the Duke hatred goes a step beyond.

Last year, when UNC was on its title run, I wrote an admiring piece about Tyler Hansbrough. I enjoyed his character, and I wanted him to win a title. Whatever, right? No big deal. I'm just a fan of sports and a fan of interesting people and stories. So I wrote what I wrote, UNC fans responded positively, and then everyone forgot about it. But at least everyone was being fucking honest.

You know how many UNC fans, or folks from the anti-Duke crowd in general, said something nice to me about this year's Duke team? A team that had been through a lot of adversity, and featured one of the more inspirational players ever in Nolan Smith?

A big goose egg. Zero.

Lesson learned. In the future, when I have the impulse to say something nice about Carolina, I'll fight it down and write more Nolan Smith fan fiction.

The problem with swagger is that it's a reaction to hate. I constantly hear a chorus of voices tell me that everyone who ever went to Duke is a smarmy elitist asshole. There are many times, particularly when I'm meeting someone new, when I honestly feel the need to prove I'm not one of their kind. Do those type of people exist? Of course. Were there smarmy elitist assholes at Duke? Yes. At a higher rate than the average population? Probably, yeah.

But is every single Duke grad like that? Are there no good people that graduated from the school? Is there no gray area here? Are we that simple and mean that raw generalizations are going to suffice? Give me a break.

But when nobody ever does give you a break, you react in one of two ways. You either capitulate and become a total pussy, and say "yes, you're all so right, I should be ashamed of myself and my program and my school, because everything associated with Duke is corrupt and unlikeable." Or you get sick of it, and you say "go fuck yourself."

My ideal reaction would be this: "You raise some fair points, but we can agree that despite the shortcomings of the basketball team, the school, and the student body, there's a lot to admire." But that reaction is forever met with a cacophony of hate speech. Coach K is a cretin! The players are arrogant! The students are self-righteous upper middle class snobs!

So, fine. Here's my new response: go fuck yourself. Consider that the reaction for the near and distant future. I know it's not a great one, but I'm painted into a corner here.

Hey, remember JJ Redick? Remember how smug he looked on the court? Well, here's something you didn't know about JJ Redick:

He wasn't hated because he was arrogant. He was arrogant because he was hated.

It's the exact same process I described above. When he came to school, he was wildly talented, but his personality was muted. Nobody remembers that. It's true, though. He was actually kind of quiet. But when enough people call you names, or insult your family, or threaten to kill you, or whatever else, you either break down and spend the rest of your life in a mental hospital, or you tell them to go fuck themselves. If you're Jon Scheyer or Nolan Smith or Brian Zoubek, you take that last option by working hard and coming together and sticking it to everyone the quiet way. If you're JJ Redick, and you're all alone out on that limb, you assert yourself by smiling at the hate; by putting on a cocky demeanor to show you can't be rattled.

And because nobody wants to see the gray area in Duke, the divide becomes wider. On a smaller and much less important scale, it's exactly what's happening in our country's politics. If you call someone the worst thing you can think of, and things get too personal too fast, and you won't allow for any intricacy in the argument, you can bet they won't feel overly eager to give you the benefit of the doubt. So both sides become more extreme, the hate grows, and ideals like decorum and respect are thrown out the window. When you extend an olive branch and have it slapped away, that's the natural reaction.

Well, I'm no better than the average dude. So I have a sincere message for everyone who hates Duke and isn't intelligent or sanguine enough to see the positive side:

Go fuck yourself.

To every idiot who said Duke had an easy road:

Go fuck yourself. Cal and Louisville were the toughest 8/9 teams on paper in the entire tournament. Even without Hummel, Purdue was a physical brute of a team that could play with anyone. And hey, you know who would have had a really good shot to win the national title if Duke didn't? Baylor. And we beat them on the road! We beat them in the second largest regional crowd in history, with everyone and their mother rooting against us! Oh, and remember that team that was supposed to have been the 4th #1 seed, who was from a far superior conference and was clearly better than Duke by leaps and bounds? We buried them. And then we won the championship on the road.

To every idiot who said the refs were in Duke's pocket:

Go fuck yourself. If Heyward's shot had gone down last night, I would have considered it the stolen national title. Between the phantom travel call on Singler, the touch foul on Scheyer when the Butler guards were grabbing and holding us on every play with no consequence, the Bulldogs getting bailed out on weak fouls when they couldn't make a field goal to save their lives, Zoubek getting ripped to the floor after Singler's miss, the blocked/held shot on our defensive end that mysteriously wasn't called a jump ball, and the egregious, dirty pick that Howard set on Singler just before Heyward launched his halfcourt shot, we got absolutely jobbed. For most of the game, the refs were horrible for both sides. But in the last five minutes, following in the footsteps of insecure, awful referees everywhere, they began to sway toward the team with the loudest crowd.

We still won. We won despite having the nonsensical David and Goliath canard shoved down our throats. We won with Jim Nantz bringing up Milan and underdogs every five seconds. We won despite CBS actually playing the theme from Hoosiers before a late tv timeout.

But this morning, when I checked out the front page of a UNC basketball forum, they were blaming Duke's win on the refs. Classic. They've actually gone blind. Go fuck yourself.

To every idiot who paints Coach K as a demon with no redeeming qualities:

Go fuck yourself. Coach K can be a hypocrite and a control freak, and sometimes he makes really questionable game decisions (he can justify it all he wants, but having Zoubek miss that last foul shot was mind-bogglingly stupid). But he's also a kid who grew up poor on the streets of Chicago, and worked hard to become one of the most successful basketball coaches in history. And he has four national titles (double the total of the infallible Dean Smith and the irreproachable Roy Williams), and he cares about having his players graduate, and he's remarkable in a lot of ways. It makes me sick to see an abusive bully like Bobby Knight revered while Coach K gets trampled.

I can already imagine the responses to this post. They'll remark on how atrocious it is for me, a Dukie, to play the role of the embattled victim. After all, I must be from a fabulously wealthy white suburban family, right? Like everyone else who ever attended the school, I must have never experienced hardship. I must be a total prick. I must be half nerd, half elitist. And how dare I pose as anything other than apologetic! How dare I bristle at anyone else's complaints, no matter how ridiculous and misplaced!

So conclusions are drawn. And the sad part is, it's all inevitable. They were drawn beforehand, and by now we're just playing into each other's hands. Let the cycle of hate go unbroken. Call us reactionary, call us entitled, call us smug. But guess what? You set the terms. And as of last night, around 11:30pm, there's only one difference between us:

We're national champions. Go fuck yourself.

National Title: Keys to the Game

This will be much shorter than the WVU version, because tonight's game is pretty simple.

1) Will Howard play / can Butler get any boards?

Let's get one thing out of the way: Butler has to play a perfect game to beat Duke. Yes, they beat Syracuse, and yes, they beat K-State. But they haven't faced a defense like ours, and our rebounders will be among the best they've seen as well. So if Matt Howard, their best big man and the victim of a mild concussion on Saturday, can't go, they're in a really tough spot. You can expect Duke to rake in the second chance points just like they did against WVU, a much better team on the glass. At the moment, ESPN is reporting that Howard has been cleared for a shootaround, but not for the game.

2) How will Smith-Mack and Singler-Hayward play out?

Personally, I don't doubt for even a second that Nolan Smith will effectively shut down Shelvin Mack. He reduced Carter and Mazzulla to shadows of their former selves, and I expect the same outcome. The second is more tricky. Gordon Hayward is probably the best player on the court, and after his play against Michigan State, it's doubtful he'll be easily cowed. But if Singler can just do a so-so job, it could be enough. Hayward needs to have a monster game, not just a good one, if Butler has a chance.

3) Can we carry our offensive momentum into tonight?

I won't make the mistake of underestimating Butler's defense. They've won 25 games in a row, and their D is the primary reason. But they haven't faced an offense that looks as good as ours in that entire time. Still, if Duke has a poor shooting night, or can't execute against a tough man-to-man whose modus operandi is wearing opponents down and triumphing at the end, they could easily hold us under 70 points. And if the game is close with five minutes left, that might spell trouble for the Dukies.

4) How will Butler score?

This is a great mystery to me. I cannot see them topping 60 points tonight against what I consider the best defensive team in the country. The only way it happens is if they get really, really hot like they did against UTEP in the first round. But they also benefitted from wide open shots in that game, and they won't find as many of those tonight. So if they're not getting very luck from three, and Hayward isn't scoring 45 points on his own, how do they possibly generate offense?

5) Can Duke put them away when it counts?

There will be a juncture in tonight's game when Duke has Butler reeling, and will have one or more possessions where a basket would be absolutely back-breaking. Can we capitalize on those times? Against West Virginia, we finished the job. Against Georgia Tech in the ACC final, we didn't. That's the difference between an easy win and a game that turns into a grind where a flukey loss becomes possible. Butler wants the grind. If Earth, Wind, and Scheyer do their job, it won't come to that.

I might end up kicking myself for jinxing us, but I really can't see Butler winning this game. We're so close to the end, and everyone wants it so bad, and we're so good. When you look at the efficiency numbers, this one should be Duke all the way. In fact, it reminds me of Michigan State-Carolina from last year. The Spartans were feel-good home-town stories, a group of fighters who slugged their way to the final. But against UNC, they were totally outclassed. All the moxie and local support in the world didn't mean a damn. That's how I see tonight playing out.

Forty minutes, and a national title nobody believed in will be ours. It doesn't get much better than this.

FIGHT, FIGHT BLUE DEVILS!

FIGHT FOR DUKE

AND THE BLUE AND WHITE!

MARCH ON THROUGH!

FOR THE BASKET'S

THERE FOR YOU!

GO DEVILS!

Morning: Championship Night

Here we are, guys and gals. After a great season and a tourney run that can almost be called improbable, the Dukies are heavy favorites to win the national title tonight. Very few people believed in this team, and the sheer amounts of Duke hate became the primary news story leading up to the Final Four. But we came out and whipped West Virginia, a team that was supposed to be our toughest opponent yet, by 21. And we out-toughed them in the process, a common and unexpected theme over the past month.

Duke was supposed to be the over-hyped and weak, full of guys who could shoot 3s and not much else. But the legions of fans who stopped paying attention sometime in the middle of 2008 had their beliefs rocked for good on Saturday. Zoubek and Lance Thomas dominated the boards again. Scheyer and Smith proved they could drive at will. Singler triumphed over 'better athletes,' carrying the team in the first half. And the team defense made West Virginia look truly awful.

There will be much more today, but for now I'd like to go over the checklist from Saturday's post and see how it played out.

Defense

1. Can we stay with them man-to-man and not get killed by cuts and screens?

A resounding yes. WVU only managed 57 points, and they looked utterly lost for the entire game. Afterward, Coach K told Clark Kellogg that he was grateful they had an entire week to prepare for WVU's complex offense. That time certainly paid off.

2. Their shooting: will Butler go off like he did against Kentucky? People forget, but that came could have been a first half romp if not for Da'Sean getting hot. If they hit contested shots against us, things get tough.

This never became an issue. The Mountaineers shot pretty well (41% from both 2 and 3), and this let them stay in a game that was very close to being a first half blowout. But they could never get enough open looks, or even realistic contested looks, to go on a lucky run. Butler only attempted two shots from three point range before his injury, and he missed both. And by the way, that fact that he has an ACL tear is extremely sad. I saw that news yesterday on the ESPN bottom line, and they followed it up with something like "Chad Ford now projects Butler as 2nd round or undrafted." Way to stick a spike in our hearts, Worldwide Leader.

3. Can anyone stop Mazzulla from penetrating? If he gets into the lane, can we at least contain him there? If Nolan guards him, can he hold him like he's done against other quick opponents?

Nolan has become a defensive machine. Mazzulla had 4 points, 3 assists, and 2 turnovers. Nolan got into his head and never left. In a night of great performances, this was one of the best. The WVU guard, who mocked Duke the last time they met by slapping the floor, had absolutely nothing to offer.

4. Do we start Singler off guarding Butler? A similar strategy in the last game, when he guarded Dunn, resulted in two quick fouls and threw him off his rhythm for the rest of the game.

Different night, different result. Singler did guard Butler, and did a spectacular job. Da'Sean looked completely out of sorts, and before his injury had only ten points on 2-8 shooting.

5. Can Old Snowshoes and Lance and the Plumdogs keep WVU off the boards? They've been successful all year, but WVU will one of the best and most athletic rebounding teams we've faced so far. A key offensive board here and there could be quite demoralizing, especially if we're playing from behind.

The Mountaineers pulled down 9 offensive boards to our 11, but they couldn't capitalize on any second chances until the middle of the second half. The combination of pretty good defensive rebounding and outstanding perimeter defense rendered this a non-factor.

Offense

1. Can Scheyer handle the heat? I still think Huggins would be crazy to come out in a 1-3-1 zone, but even if that's the case, the top man will probably extend out and put pressure on the point. We know Nolan is up to the task, but Scheyer is a step slower and will sometimes turn his back to the defender in the Paulus mode. If he gets stuck in a retreating mindset, it'll affect our entire offense. He needs to attack like he did in the second half against Baylor. If he doesn't, Coach K will have to have Nolan run the point.

As I thought, Huggins had them in man for most of the game, including the first 15 minutes. But the intense defense did nothing to faze Scheyer, who ended with 6 assists and 0 turnovers. Considering how he had been cooped up by quick guards in the past, those stats are really remarkable. A fantastic game from Jon. He attacked, never got caught in high traps, and created offense on his own when it was necessary.

2. Will our shooter knock down shots? This one is pretty simple. A cold night will send us home in a hurry. The open 3s have to fall.

We were on fire. Just like against Kentucky, WVU gave up a lot of open threes. Unlike the Wildcats, we weren't missing. 13-25 from long range was the final total, tying a final four record.

3. Can all Earth, Wind, and Scheyer all produce points? We're past the point where having two of three show up will be good enough. I'm not saying they each need 20, but a repeat of Singler's Baylor performance won't fly.

Simply put, they saved their best game of the year for the biggest stage. 21, 19, and 23 were the respective totals, and they were 22-45 from the field. When all three have strong games, Duke goes from very good to great, and the nation saw a great team on Saturday.

4. Can we get at least a little point production from the bigs or Dawkins? Andre's 3s were huge in the Elite 8, and it'd be so nice to have him contribute a couple more. Down low, Zou, Lance and the Plumlees will have to be able to hit some short ones, especially if they zone up, and good interior passing is a must.

Zoubek made 3 open layups, Lance hit an open jumper, Mason had a bucket, and Miles turned his only field goal into a technical (the proper call, by the book, but also dumb and unnecessary. Hey look, everyone, it's the referee! He needs attention! He's part of the story!). Together, the four big men were 6-9 with 12 points. Not fantastic, but we didn't need them.

5. Boards. Same as #5 above. We'll need second chance points.

Needed 'em, and got 'em. We had 17 second chance points before WVU got their first. At one point, Zoubek ripped a board and literally had a wide open dunk. Instead of taking it, he passed back to Nolan, who hit the 3. Pretty selfless stuff from Old Snowshoes. That kind of player is invaluable.

Intangibles

1. Foul trouble. Probably won't kill us with the bigs, but if any of the big 3 have to sit early, that's very bad news. Same for WVU with either Butler or Mazzulla. They don't have a second option at PG.

Never an issue in this game. Nolan had 3 by halftime, but he played smart in the second half and didn't have to miss much playing time.

2. Coaching. Will the 1-3-1 blow up in Huggins' face? Will Coach K screw us with a late stall offense?

After Butler went down, the stall was the right move. The Mountaineers didn't have the fire power to come back, and it was wise to drain clock. Kudos to Coach K.

3. The crowd. Who will they be pulling for? No, strike that question. They'll be pulling for WVU. The question is, how hard? We've shown we can handle adversity in a hostile 'neutral' site game, but it'd be nice if the Duke contingent was strong.

As expected, the Mountaineer fans were loud, but they didn't have many chances to really explode. At this point, I don't think there's much fear left to exploit in the Dukies. That will be put to the test tonight, but there's just enough neutrality and noise absorption in these big domes to render it a non-factor.

4. Refs. If they call a tight game, advantage Duke. If they let a lot go, advantage WVU.

They let almost everything go in the first half, and it favored Duke. They called a really tight game in the second half, and it favored Duke. Nice how that works.

5. Heart. You would not expect either of these teams to get overly frustrated or to quit on their coach or themselves. But the most intense pressure can produce some strange results, and it's worth keeping an eye on.

Duke was never losing this game. West Virginia looked really disheartened in the second half, even before Butler went down. Though of course that particular straw really broke the camel's back. I don't think they suffered from lack of heart, and they never quit, but there was nothing to be had against the Duke defense, and that takes its toll.


Bonus:

1. My dream last night. In it, West Virginia ran us off the floor. The score was something absurd like 32-4 almost immediately. Is this a good omen (getting the demons out in dreamland) or a bad one (vision of the future)? Or was it maybe just a dream that won't have any affect at all on the game's outcome?

So hard to tell.

Meaningless! Back later with more national championship thoughts. This is a great day.

The Keys To The Game

Here's the checklist. I'll go over it after the game to see how we fared.

Defense

1. Can we stay with them man-to-man and not get killed by cuts and screens?

2. Their shooting: will Butler go off like he did against Kentucky? People forget, but that came could have been a first half romp if not for Da'Sean getting hot. If they hit contested shots against us, things get tough.

3. Can anyone stop Mazzulla from penetrating? If he gets into the lane, can we at least contain him there? If Nolan guards him, can he hold him like he's done against other quick opponents?

4. Do we start Singler off guarding Butler? A similar strategy in the last game, when he guarded Dunn, resulted in two quick fouls and threw him off his rhythm for the rest of the game.

5. Can Old Snowshoes and Lance and the Plumdogs keep WVU off the boards? They've been successful all year, but WVU will one of the best and most athletic rebounding teams we've faced so far. A key offensive board here and there could be quite demoralizing, especially if we're playing from behind.


Offense

1. Can Scheyer handle the heat? I still think Huggins would be crazy to come out in a 1-3-1 zone, but even if that's the case, the top man will probably extend out and put pressure on the point. We know Nolan is up to the task, but Scheyer is a step slower and will sometimes turn his back to the defender in the Paulus mode. If he gets stuck in a retreating mindset, it'll affect our entire offense. He needs to attack like he did in the second half against Baylor. If he doesn't, Coach K will have to have Nolan run the point.

2. Will our shooter knock down shots? This one is pretty simple. A cold night will send us home in a hurry. The open 3s have to fall.

3. Can all Earth, Wind, and Scheyer all produce points? We're past the point where having two of three show up will be good enough. I'm not saying they each need 20, but a repeat of Singler's Baylor performance won't fly.

4. Can we get at least a little point production from the bigs or Dawkins? Andre's 3s were huge in the Elite 8, and it'd be so nice to have him contribute a couple more. Down low, Zou, Lance and the Plumlees will have to be able to hit some short ones, especially if they zone up, and good interior passing is a must.

5. Boards. Same as #5 above. We'll need second chance points.


Intangibles

1. Foul trouble. Probably won't kill us with the bigs, but if any of the big 3 have to sit early, that's very bad news. Same for WVU with either Butler or Mazzulla. They don't have a second option at PG.

2. Coaching. Will the 1-3-1 blow up in Huggins' face? Will Coach K screw us with a late stall offense?

3. The crowd. Who will they be pulling for? No, strike that question. They'll be pulling for WVU. The question is, how hard? We've shown we can handle adversity in a hostile 'neutral' site game, but it'd be nice if the Duke contingent was strong.

4. Refs. If they call a tight game, advantage Duke. If they let a lot go, advantage WVU.

5. Heart. You would not expect either of these teams to get overly frustrated or to quit on their coach or themselves. But the most intense pressure can produce some strange results, and it's worth keeping an eye on.


Bonus:

1. My dream last night. In it, West Virginia ran us off the floor. The score was something absurd like 32-4 almost immediately. Is this a good omen (getting the demons out in dreamland) or a bad one (vision of the future)? Or was it maybe just a dream that won't have any affect at all on the game's outcome?

So hard to tell.

TIME TO GET PUMPED, BABY!

TURN ON THE STEAM, TEAM!

GO BLUE DEVILS GO!!!!

Saturday: Oh Jesus

So, remember the Francona post from yesterday, when I said he was a diva and a douchebag and what-all for the way he treated my friend? If not, you can read it here. It got quite a few hits, and 16 negative replies from mostly Boston fans (to be fair, Yankee fans reacted about the same way on a fan forum). The main points they hit were:

1) It was probably not as bad as it sounded.
2) It's a total non-story either way.
3) I'm a douchebag for posting it.
4) I was just looking for hits.
5) Duke sucks.

Well, my friend just sent me the audio. Unfortunately, it now seems clear that points #1-4 were all correct.

Crap.

I mean, this shit is worst case scenario. I'll post it at the end, but basically I could detect almost no animosity on Francona's part, and the exchange was far less involved than I thought. Nick said "coach," Francona gave him a quick shot about whether he was covering the Red Sox or Patriots, and then he said "this should be good, go ahead." From hearing it, it certainly doesn't sound menacing or arrogant or even slightly bullying. I think Francona is even laughing.

So, to mimic the format of the last post, here's what we've learned:

1) I jumped on a gossipy bit of news because I thought it would be interesting and funny and, yes, because I wanted to drum up some traffic. It worked for that last purpose, but I do not feel awesome about it. This has not been my modus operandi in the past, and believe me, it won't be in the future. It's a bullshit way to do business; I was taking the chance that the audio would be vicious, and I got deservedly burned for it. I should know the story before it's posted.

2) Nick made a small mistake by calling Francona 'coach,' and didn't appreciate the little jab he got in return. The incident probably blew up in his head a bit between the time it happened and when he listened to the audio. Which is totally understandable; I would've felt the exact same way. I have, actually, under different circumstances. The fault here is 100% mine. And by the by, Nick is not "Nick Masuda," whoever that is.

3) Francona is, in fact, not a dick or diva or douchebag, or any other derogatory term beginning with "d." (Except perhaps 'depraved'...I'm looking into a rumor I read on the internet...this could be BIG!)

4) I fucked up large, and I owe Francona a huge apology (even though, thank God, this story will never reach his ears). I also owe an apology to anyone who read this post. This is not my proudest moment, and rest assured that I feel properly chastened and ashamed.

5) DUKE IS IN THE FINAL FOUR! I'm going to try to forget about this shit, play some ball today, have a drink, and enjoy the games.

I'll leave the old Francona post up for a while. That's called taking my medicine, and it's got to be done. By Monday, though, expect it to be taken down. Here's the audio:



If you need me, I'll be scrubbing myself down obsessively in the bathtub.

In 24 Hours, I Will Be Vomiting

(SCSD now has multiple daily posts. Don't miss the others below.)

I'm going to do a Saturday post again this weekend, so don't consider this the definitive pre-game entry. In the meantime, a few more Duke articles have surfaced around the web.

*ESPN has a feel-good article about the connection between Doug Collins (Duke assistant coach) and Scheyer. They both went to the same high school in Chicago, both won Mr. Basketball in Illinois, and now both are in the Final 4.

"We have a nice, close relationship," Collins said. "I kind of view him as a little brother. I didn't have a brother growing up. Just watching his career and his journey and being a small part of it has been an amazing experience for me. We've been linked in so many ways. It's been incredibly special to win something together."

Scheyer has felt the same. "For me, I've had lonely moments throughout college and hard moments as many people do," Scheyer said. "Most people aren't lucky enough to have an older brother or coach who has gone through the same experiences, came from the same community, same high school. He's the first one to talk to me calmly or yell at me. He's just really been that person for me.

*Deadspin's Ben Cohen, a Duke senior, tries to defend Duke from the haters. Unfortunately, his only real points are that Duke has no villains, and that he's seen some of the players around campus. Not incredibly convincing, especially to the likes of...

*Andrew Sharp at SBNation. His "Anybody But Duke" article pulls no punches, and except for a brief section where I'm pretty sure he blames Coach K for the economic meltdown, it's a fun read with a lot of good points.

*I'll leave you with some words from Nick, our resident research expert. He's got some thoughts on the offense-defense matchups with WVU, with particular focus on WVU's 1-3-1 zone. I agree with most of it, though I have to say that if Huggins has paid attention at all, especially to the Baylor game, I wouldn't be surprised if the Mountaineers came out in man-to-man. It's worth a shot, right?

The zone leaves us with open looks from three, while man would force our ballhandlers to showcase their one-on-one dribble drive skills. I don't know that Singler and Scheyer possess those skills in sufficient quantity, especially against a team of superior athletes. We've seen Scheyer be forced backward by uber-quick guards, and Singler sometimes looks out of sorts against stronger defenders. That would leave Nolan as our main (lone?) option, and that burden might be too strong to shoulder.

Nick:

Their 1-3-1 zone. Because I find it contemptible that I’m at work on such a beautiful day, I spent all day researching how they do it. First of all, I don’t like the fact that every person on their team is an interchangeable defender. Our offense usually prospers when we set enough screens to create the mismatch we want. We won’t be able to do that against this team. Secondly, their zone will force a lot of traps on the wings. I think we can agree that aside from Smith, Scheyer and Singler are really not the best ball handlers. I’m going to trust that they’ll be smart enough to avoid getting trapped on the wing, but it’s going to be difficult to break them down if they get caught deep.

On the positive side, the best way to break this zone is to keep the ball moving and make the man under the basket guard both baseline corners. I think we’re tall enough to get some long passes going to open things up, but it will be difficult. Another positive thing is that K is a master teacher and those Duke kids are hella smart – expect total focus in practice and at least a solid game plan. They wont be surprised (in this way, I’m glad that we play West Virginia before potentially playing Butler or Michigan St). Finally, we just played 40 minutes of zone against Baylor, so they’re used to pulling people out of position and finding the holes. Thomas and Zou also did a great job of accepting the ball at the high post and distributing.

West Virginia offense. According to Jay Bilas, the moonshine brewers run a "five-out, open post, motion offense. It is a ‘cut and fill’ offense that features diagonal cuts, back cuts, slips, shuffle cuts, curls, flex cuts, duck-ins and screen-for-the-screener action.” Obviously, I’m having nightmares about the Georgetown game. Our main defense relies on guarding the passing lanes and wings and helping down under. If they pull our guys out of position in the paint, it leads to a lot of easy buckets off cuts. Think of an even worse version of the oft-discussed 1-in 4-out that seems to kill us. In this regard, I can really see the Plumlees getting more time than the Zoukeeper. Additionally, Sir Lance will have to have the best defensive game of his career and keep them off the glass.

End Nick

Thanks, Nick! Francona-being-a-dickhead audio goes up tonight!