by Chris Ello on December 24, 2009
Dick Vitale wouldn’t think too much of it. Nor would any of the other talking heads in college basketball. San Diego State 76, Drake 73. In overtime. In Des Moines, Iowa. On an otherwise lazy and quiet Tuesday evening.
But make no mistake Aztec fans. This victory was a big one. Down six with four minutes to play. On the road. Solid opponent. A young team coming together down the stretch to force overtime. And then winning in overtime.
Not easy to do in college basketball. The second time this season that Steve Fisher’s team has won an overtime game away from home. Games where every play counts, and nobody in the arena is counting on you to make the plays.
Due credit should be given. But will it be? Or put another way: has San Diego State done enough during this non-conference season to put itself in a position to grab an at-large berth for the NCAA Tournament come March?
The unfortunate answer: probably not.
Sure the Aztecs are a solid 9-3, and with expected victories next week at home over UC Riverside on Tuesday and Pomona-Pitzer on Thursday, SDSU will finish up its non-conference with a heady 11-3 mark.
But what if the Aztecs don’t win either the regular season Mountain West Conference championship or the MWC Tournament? What then? Another Continue Reading →
by Chris Ello on November 4, 2009
Well, Chargers fans…guess what that old fuddy-duddy Norv Turner did on the first play of the game Sunday afternoon against the Oakland Raiders?
You know ol’ Norv, don’t you? He’s the fella down the end of the block there, drives about 15 miles per hour below the speed limit, politely sends away the girl-scout-cookie kid without a sale, and rolls up the sidewalks every night ‘bout 8:30 p.m.
As head coach of our beloved Bolts, he always runs off-tackle left to open every game, and you all know what that means…the Chargers go three-and-out and never, ever score on their first possession. Hadn’t scored a TD to start a game in nearly a season-and-a-half, as a matter of fact.
So perhaps, you say, that couldn’t possibly have been Norv down there, letting his Pro Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers let the ball fly 60 yards down field on the very first snap from center. But, unless he was taking a quick game-opening cat-nap, I’m sure I saw the old ball coach send in the play-call.
And, guess what? The ball came fluttering down into the hands of wide receiver Malcolm Floyd for a 53-yard pickup for the Chargers. Now, that’s the way to start a game!
First-and-goal at the Raiders six! And now Norv was really feeling his oats. All of sudden stepping into the role of a Riverboat gambler on a roll of sevens…“Tricky” Turner called for a Wildcat formation, with his Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson taking a direct snap from center.
The result, as you and I could have told him months ago, was predictable. Another seven — or in this case six, as Tomlinson waltzed into the end Continue Reading →
