Garbage Time: Charleston, Guns, and the Mavericks

Teach: The washing machine in my apartment is an old clunker. As it goes through its spin cycles, one can hear it bang against the dry wall and linoleum, like a Wright Brothers contraption it longs to fly, and while my washing machine turned the dryer into a passionate lover by rocking and swaying, Kentucky and Louisville slugged it out against one another, in a sloppy game made appealing only by the soap opera plot lines of Pitino and Calipari's lives, that is until John Wall took over with about nine minutes left, propelling Kentucky into full-fledged flight.

As Wall mounted the run that took the game out of Louisville's grasp, my washing machine finished dry humping the dryer, except it wasn't that dry--the water was still running. I got a pair of pliers and cut off the supply, but I was too late. I could already fill my gym socks absorbing the half inch of water that now sat on my laundry room floor, running under the door and soaking into the carpet and floorboards of the hallway. I used every towel in my apartment to control the flood, but the damage was done; and I felt as foolish as a Cardinal defender trying to keep John Wall from being John Wall.

By the time one feels the flood, it's probably too late.

Yes, College of Charleston upset Carolina, giving them their fourth loss this season, but this loss only puts this season into context. A team with ten freshmen and sophomores, that's lost only to top ten teams so far, lost on the road while missing two of its starters, who happen to be a junior and a senior. Yes, College of Charleston is only 8-6 on the year now, but Carolina teams have suffered much more embarrassing losses and turned out alright by March. Santa Clara anyone? And, if any of that didn't help UNC fans to relax, then check out Adam Lucas' portrait of a young team still learning "how to win."

Langston:

On the last day of 2009, the Tennessee Volunteer basketball team appeared to be headed towards a deep run in the NCAA tournament. They were ranked 14th in the country, coming off a big 66-59 win over in-state rival Memphis, and about a week away from hosting the #1 Kansas Jayhawks. Then it all unraveled in a late night traffic stop on new years, all due to speeding. The end result; 4 players facing misdemeanor drug, alcohol, and gun charges. All four scholarship players, all four indefinitely suspended. Leaving the police, coaching staff, university and fans with a lot of questions. Not really about the pot or alcohol, because, well, it's college. But why in the world did they have guns, especially guns with altered serial numbers? I have lived in almost every living situation in Knoxville from dorms to apartments to off-campus houses. And do you know the one thought that never entered my mind? I need a gun. Yet, I guess that's why these stories are so interesting to those of us lacking the talent and ability to play major college sports, as we can't imagine why any of them would risk the opportunities presented to them.

I sometimes imagine myself in their position as a scholarship athlete, thinking I would never make the same mistakes. Leading myself to believe that I would embrace everyday as the most grateful person alive. After all, my only job would be to get good grades, play a game, stay in shape and not get arrested. But who am I kidding? If I was told how awesome I was by everyone I met from the age of twelve to twenty, I would be insufferable and just as likely to get popped by the cops for some idiotic mishap.

Game of the Week:

Dallas @ San Antonio, Friday, 8:30 PM

San Antonio went into December having won five games in a row. The Spurs then lost three in a row to Boston, Denver, and Utah, dropping their record to 9-9. Since that losing streak, they've won 11 out of 14 games, climbing to 21-12 and within two games of the Dallas Mavericks. This game matters not only because the Spurs can pull a game closer to the Mavs, but because the Spurs need to beat a quality opponent. All last year, I said the Spurs role players, not their Big 3, needed to play well against quality teams so they would have the confidence to win in the playoffs. Well, now, the role players and the Big 3 need to win against a quality opponent in order to have the confidence to remain relevant. In their December surge, the only winning team Duncan and company have beaten is Miami, which means this surge sounds more like a whimper than a bang.