Garbage Time: Carolina Shaq and The Comebacks

Teach:
I could easily spend garbage time spitting words onto a burning paper bag of frustration that sits right outside my door due to Carolina's 2 game ACC losing streak, but instead, I'm going to just let the bag burn for the time being and hope that Al-Farouq Aminu (pictured below) steps on it tonight. Yes, the North Carolina season right now rests on hoping that other team's players step in dog poop, or Carolina could just stop turning the ball over every other time down the court. Carolina tries to halt its losing streak tonight against Wake Forest.

-Shaquille O'Neil is now the 5th player with at least 28,000 points.

-An analysis of what an American-born Asian superstar would mean over at FreeDarko.

-Somehow someway the Portland Trailblazers and their injuries and their ability to carry on despite injuries begs one to make an analogy between them and God's chosen people--the Israelites. Seriously, one minute it's Palestine. Then, it's a ceasefire. And, then it's Lebanon. Get well, Brandon Roy's hamstrings, the Promised Land awaits you.

-We tried to tell you the Celtics are old.

-Does anyone else feel that Brendan Haywood's play adds insult to injury with what's happened to the Wizards this season? He's averaging 9.7 ppg, 10.7 rpg, and is fourth in the League in blocked shots per game with 2.18. Aside from Jamison and Butler, is he the Wizards' most marketable piece of trade bait?

Langston:
While Teach is trying to find any glimmer of hope in UNC's season, I am trying to understand how UT is playing so well. Since the last garbage time, they have had three games against SEC opponents and won all three despite playing with a shortened bench. Each game had one thing in common, second half domination by the Vols. Last Thursday, they entered the second half against Auburn down by one point and won by 26. Last Saturday against Ole Miss, their biggest deficit was 12 points yet they played well enough to outscore the Rebel's in the second half helping them force an overtime in which they won 71-69. And then there is last night's game against Alabama. Down by one at the half, they proceeded to outscore the Tide by 8 to win 63-56.

For any basketball team, this would be quite the feat. But for a team with just 6 scholarship athletes and 3 walk-ons, it's rather remarkable. Now how is it that a team with so little help off the bench can repeatedly take the game over in the second half? Maybe it's the elimination of cold players being forced to come off the bench late in the game. Maybe the team feels closer after the recent events. Maybe the bench players are eager to prove they have always deserved this much PT. Or maybe Bruce does his best work with less talented players.

Actually, scratch all of that, the reasons don't really matter. It's the progression of this team that deserves the attention and admiration. After all, it was just two weeks ago that this team was dead in the water. Now they sit at 15-2 (5-0 since the Tennessee Four got locked up), are climbing up the polls, and appear to be primed for a deep run in March.

Garbage Time: Duke, Detroit, and the Volunteers

Teach's Story: The Georgia Tech win against Duke last week was huge, not because I personally love seeing Duke lose, but because the ACC desperately needs a third team to be involved in the conference race, which over the last few years has been dominated by Duke and Carolina. This two team domination not only makes everyone else at the table feel awkward because all the drama centers around the Devils and Heels, but it also eats away at the idea that the ACC is the premier basketball conference.Insert a joke about the auto industry. Make a call for compassion about the state of Michigan's economy. Offer up a cliche Motown reference. Any of the above will work as an analogy for what's happening this season with the Detroit Pistons, but after watching them against the Wizards yesterday, a game that Detroit won 99 to 90, I can't help but look at Rip, Tayshaun, and Big Ben and think about General Zod, Ursa, and Non from Superman. It just feels like these three have seen better days and are just wasting time in the Phantom Zone. If you listen closely, you can even hear Rip yelling, "You will bow to me," but it's unclear whether he's speaking to Joe Dumars or the opposing team. On the bright side, Rodney Stuckey, the reason Billups seemed expendable, does lead the team in scoring with 18.2 ppg on 41% shooting; of course, the team he leads is only 12-25 and fourth in their division.

Lastly, how does John Hollinger have San Antonio number two in his Power Rankings? I'm a great hyperbolizer (word?) of the Spurs, and even I have a hard time comprehending what formula he plugged into his T-81 that backed up this claim. For the record, his number one team is Cleveland.

Langston's Story:
For much of the past two seasons, it seemed as if the rest of the basketVols stood around waiting for Tyler Smith to lead them to victory. Not unlike the Lakers before landing Pau Gasol, but all that changed when the Tennessee Four got locked up. The rest of the squad was forced to stand up and try to fill the shoes of their discarded teammates, and somehow, they managed to come out as a better team. This was never more evident than on Sunday, when they upset the Kansas Jayhawks playing with just six scholarship athletes and three walk-ons, with the biggest shot coming from freshman walk-on Skylar McBee. I'll let Bruce take it over from here:



Yesterday it was announced that Melvin Goins and Cameron Tatum passed drug tests administered shortly after their New Year's Day arrests and could be reinstated within the next two weeks. But after the way they played against Charlotte and Kansas, should they even want them back? Or do they just keep the chemistry they've built and bring them back next year?

The Vols move into SEC play against Auburn at 7:00 on Thursday, it can be seen on ESPN2.

Game of the Week:
#11 Georgetown vs. #4 Villanova, Sunday, 12:00 pm
Last Saturday, Austin Freeman had the best game of his collegiate career. One that saw him score 28 of his career-high 33 points in the second half, leading the Hoyas to a come back win over No. 13 Connecticut 72-69. On Monday, Scottie Reynolds scored 30 of his season-high 36 in the second half. Carrying his team from being 17 down in the first half to defeat Louisville 92-84 at Freedom Hall during a “white out." If this game is anything like these two splendid comebacks, it will be must-see TV.

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.

Time Waster: OOHHH MYYYYY!

Link Scrap

One of the many poor souls who had their cars recklessly flipped after the World Series started a blog. He is trying to recoup his losses from the city of Philadelphia and the Phillies. You can help his cause by visiting his blog and donating.

The Oakland Raiders cut their losses by releasing two-time Pro Bowler DeAngelo Hall, meaning Hall made $8 million for eight games.

Knoxville CBS affiliate WVLT catches up with Johnny Majors to ask him his thoughts on the ousting of his successor.

San Diego Charger left-tackle Marcus McNeill sing some Jonas Brothers. Finally giving Charger fans someone to blame for their terrible record other than Norv Turner and the decline of LT.

Woman collapses and dies at Blackhawks game, just as her mother did 22 years ago

Thanks Coach

Thanks for the memories, good and bad. Thanks for all the wins over Bama, the Dawgs, and the Gators. Most importantly thanks for the 17 years of service to the school and state of Tennessee.

The firing of coach Fulmer

It was announced yesterday that Phil Fulmer would be stepping down at the end of the season. The real story is that Phil was fired and will be getting one of the biggest buyouts in college football history. Last year Fulmer signed a new seven-year contract worth $2.4 million, and he's owed a $6 million buyout payable over 48 months as part of that contract. His staff is owed an additional $3.55 million, however that figure could decrease depending on how many of them get jobs next year.

I don't really know how to take the news. The past four seasons has been soul draining but Fulmer means a lot to the team, institution, and the fans. He's been at Tennessee for more than 30 years as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He guided Tennessee to a 45-5 record from 1995-98 and back-to-back SEC championships (3 total), and he also led the team to a national title in 1998 with an unbeaten 13-0 record. The man is UT.

Recently the program hasn't been able to match the magic of the 1998 season. The Vols have lost 31 games since the end of the 2001 season, 19 of those have been by double digits. They haven't been in a BCS game or won an SEC championship since 1998. Along with the mounting losses, the program has had numerous arrests. So many in fact, that it spurned the Fulmer Cup on Every Day Should Be Saturday (EDSBS).

Although it worries me to see the only coach I have known for the Vols headed out the door, it was time for Phil to go. Now the Fulmer Farewell tour begins, hopefully giving the team enough incentive to take Phil to a bowl one last time as the leader of Tennessee.

AD Mike Hamilton wrote an open letter to Vol fans letting us know that the national coaching search will begin immediately. He also included that the Kentucky game on Nov. 29 is when we celebrate "Phillip Fulmer Day" in Neyland Stadium. It will be a sad day on Rocky Top and the mixed emotions will get more convoluted as time moves on. I just hope that Hamilton hires someone with half the heart and dedication for the Vols as Fulmer. Good luck Phil and thanks for the ride, it wasn't always smooth but it was fun.

I leave you with this photo made by the wife of Hooper from Rocky Top Talk. Edited from the original painting of Death of Julius Caesar by Vincenzo Camuccini. The picture is a good representation of Phil's firing, as the angry mob finally caught up to him.