Vegas has, unsurprisingly but irresponsibly, made UCONN a 4 point favorite over Butler tonight. All but two brave souls (Hubert Davis and Doug Gottlieb) at Connecticut-based ESPN picked the Huskies to beat the Bulldogs. Until the VCU game, I do not know ANY ESPN jerks who picked Butler.
I know Duke alum Seth Davis — one of the worst prognosticators on earth, despite spending every hour of his privileged life obsessing about 19 year olds bouncing an orange ball –  and others at CBS have picked against Butler every time this and last March (until perhaps Saturday, since BU played another so-called “mid major”).
Butler won every game – sans the three inch decision versus Duke one year ago tonight. (A game I attended)
After Kentucky & Connecticut set basketball fundamentals back 50 years with one of the most undisciplined, schoolyard style, poorly-played, terribly-coached second halves in tourney history Saturday night, the cliche elites are saying “Kemba Walker is too good for Butler.”
Seth Davis, who’s never missed a chance to pick against Butler the past two tourneys, told Sporting News Radio this morning, ”Kemba Walker won’t let Connecticut lose.” Yeah, Sethy, because Shelvin Mack, Ron Nored and Matt Howard have definitely proven they’re willing to let Butler lose over the years.”
Foolish.
Yeah, I guess Kemba Walker is just too darn good. Maybe Butler should go home? After all, Duke was supposed to beat Butler by 30 last April, as was Michigan State before them…and Kansas State, Syracuse, UTEP, et al.
Then, three weeks ago, Seth and the gang told us all that ODU was easily going to take out Butler this year in round one. They were “too big and tough.”
Do these pompous “experts” ever show contrition and apologize? Never. That’s who they are. No doubt Charles Barkely will say, for the 6th time, “Butler is going to get worn down in the second half.” And for the 6th time, Chuck will be WRONG.
Apparently, Ashton Gibbs/Gary McGhee (Pitt), Jordan Taylor/Jon Leuer (Wisconsin), Parsons/Tyus/Walker/Boynton (Florida), and Jamie Skeen (VCU) weren’t good players either… that’s why Butler beat them!?
I bet Butler has absolutely no idea how to stop a tremendous player from “having his way” on offense. They cannot contain “talented, athletic bigs.” They “just got lucky.” One year wonder…er…two year wonder!
Butler is “too small.” Oh yeah, they’ve outrebounded EVERY team this tourney — despite the “size disadvantage.”
Bullocks. I’ve watched this team for five years.
This morning, another ESPN Duke grad, Jay Bilas, said Butler was “going to have a hard time stopping UConn’s fast break…’ Dick Vitale (honorary degree from Duke & UNC) was coming on “Mike and Mike” next to “tell us who will win.” Yeah, he has a great track record of predicting winners in March. Thankfully I arrived at work, so I missed Dukie V.
I guess when you have a job for “The World Wide Leader in Sports,” research and facts are completely irrelevant. Guys, did you bother to notice VCU had 0 fast break points against Butler. Z-E-R-O!?!?
So that’s why I ONLY read sports (and news) blogs, especially local ones. They have honesty, insight, depth and (usually) objectivity…and amazingly, most bloggers like me and those I know have other full time jobs, yet report more accurately than those who “work” in the industry, making six and seven figure salaries.
These same ignorant, arrogant, mean, wrong-headed coastal elites who run the “news” media’s sham operations (with their pretentiousness, condescension and intolerance toward anyone in any part of “the other part of the country” who dares disagree with them (and be correct factually!)) clearly run the sports media too. Can you imagine all the Northwestern/Syracuse/Maryland/Columbia grads working in Bristol tonight, trying to be “objective”?
These guys were all “boys” when they were classmates as undergrads at those “J-Schools.” They probably knew New York Post’s Jay “Yankees-Phillies 2010 World Series battle seems inevitable” Sherman or Yankee Broadcaster Michael “this 2010 ALCS is over” (after New York’s Game One win at Texas) Kay. So don’t expect any apologies or contrition from these losers. They were never taught humility in school or as adults, and they’ve certainly never been friends with anyone “outside their circle.” I know their ilk all too well.
It’s pathetic. The only story they keep running is “Why doesn’t Stevens want to go to a bigger school?” (How about another “Hickory Hoosiers Hinkle” article, Andy Katz?)
Listen for ONCE, and learn something at last:
Brad Stevens is at the BEST program in college basketball the past two seasons! Did anyone else make the national finals two years in a row recently? How many tourney games have your beloved “big time coaches” won recently? And yet the humble Stevens (wrongly) lauds them — because he has something you’ll never have: CLASS. That’s what comes from being a hard-working, unselfish, pious Midwesterner.
It’s not about the money for everyone. Some people have pride, dignity and morals. You clearly don’t get that with your Pitinos, Boeheims, Lavins, Caliparis, Calhouns, John Thompsons, Jay Wrights, Roy and Gary Williamses, and other “get me the best athletes at any cost” crooks.
Re the article linked above, imagine the audacity (and hilarity) of some Yahoo Sports editor in his New York City office assigning that article AGAIN & AGAIN.
“Dan, we have to keep writing about it. It’s appalling that he’d stay in Indianapolis when he can come be an (overpaid corrupt) coach in the (overrated) Big East or ACC.”
Butler will win. ESPN and the east coast media schmucks can mutter cliches and falsehoods that most of their audience will nod along too, but here’s actual rationale based upon FACTS as to why
Thus UCONN, like their annoying, whiney and cocky women’s team/coach — with their pseudo “streak” — that was ‘upset’ by a team from INDIANA last night, will lose. And if I’m wrong, for just the second time in 12 tourney ganes, unlike Seth Davis, ESPN and the eastern media, I’ll admit it.
Period. The guys here at Midwest Sports Fans have been correct far more often than ANY of you this season. You’all in the media (and along the coast) wrote them off in January. Nice ‘journalism’ there. Dan Rather, NewsweekMagazine and NPR, among others, would be proud.
Screw the east coast media. (And I rarely swear, but they have it coming. They disgust me.)
About AJ Kaufman
