tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212126922024-03-05T00:36:11.731-05:00Fired Bill Carmodyrantings and ramblings about the current state of northwestern basketballFire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.comBlogger356125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-56935534033219345142013-03-16T12:18:00.005-04:002023-12-20T15:02:47.156-05:00Bill Carmody has been fired<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">[CharlieMurphymicdrop.gif]</div>Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-38441387296481888092013-03-13T21:28:00.000-04:002013-03-13T21:28:34.601-04:00Fire Bill Carmody - the final chapter?I would consider it a professional embarrassment if Bill Carmody was
actually fired during/following a season in which I posted nothing
here. Don't assume that I no longer pay attention to Northwestern
basketball. I've been watching. Not as closely or as frequently as I
would like to, but I've been watching. And I'm... disheartened.<br />
<br />The past few seasons, while at times maddeningly frustrating, have
at least included sparks of great wins, of athleticism, of hope. There
were blown leads and crushing losses, sure, but there was also a
surprising absence of embarrassing defeats. In the previous two
seasons, Northwestern joined Kansas, Duke, Ohio State, and Georgetown as
the only schools who didn't lose to
an RPI 100+ team.<br /><br />That was not the case this season, as NU lost
to four of those teams: Nebraska (103), Purdue (116), UIC (171), and
Penn State (184). And Northwestern's best two wins - Minnesota and
Illinois - look a lot less impressive now than when they happened.<br />
<br />The only thing that makes me feel better is that fans are aware of
it. This March is filled, as was last year's, with chatter about the
current & future state of Northwestern basketball. That's all I
ever asked for. Just five years ago, BC had just gone 3-31 the previous
two conference seasons and <a href="https://www.google.com/search?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&tbm=nws&gl=us&as_epq=Bill%20Carmody&as_occt=any&as_drrb=b&as_mindate=3%2F10%2F08&as_maxdate=4%2F1%2F08&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A3%2F10%2F08%2Ccd_max%3A4%2F1%2F08&authuser=0" target="_blank">not a whole lot of people were talking</a>
about him. There were no "stay or go" polls on LTP, but now you can't
go anywhere on Twitter or the web without stumbling across a heated
debate over Coach Carmody's future. Even all those who feel strongly that he should stay- at least now there are a whole lot more people
who give a shit.<br />
<br />I came across one of those arguments earlier this week. Part of it included:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
@<a href="https://twitter.com/gillard19">gillard19</a> Two-part tweet: Remember when Frank Solich got fired by Nebraska in 2003? He won 9 games that season. 7-7 in 2002. (continued...)<br />
— Matt Zemek (@MattZemek_CFN) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattZemek_CFN/status/311307289380409344">March 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
@<a href="https://twitter.com/gillard19">gillard19</a> It would have made sense 2 fire Solich after 2002. It was less than honorable 2 fire him after 2003, even if program wasn't elite<br />
— Matt Zemek (@MattZemek_CFN) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattZemek_CFN/status/311307492531531777">March 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> First, no Northwestern fan should ever speak or type the name Frank
Solich without including the descriptor "fucking asshole." How quickly
people have forgotten the fucking asshole Frank Solich <a href="http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=108" target="_blank">gleefully running up the score</a> on our beloved 'Cats. I was there, and I can assure you that it was even uglier in person than on TV.<br />
<br />Second, just because Steve Pederson waited a year too long to fire fucking asshole Frank Solich, <b>it</b> <b>doesn't mean he shouldn't have fired him</b>.
But you didn't come here to read about fucking asshole Frank Solich,
especially since that example doesn't even apply here: Nebraska was
actually <i>better </i>the year he was fired. In our case, it's obvious that Northwestern basketball took a step backwards this year.<br />
<br />
<br />This is where the rest of you jump in and say "But the injuries!"
and "It's not Carmody's fault - he was without Crawford & Cobb!" And
yes, injuries. However:<br /><br />a) Every team and coach deals with
injuries and academic issues. It's not as if no coach has ever been
fired after an injury-laded season.<br />
<br />b) Every November Coach Carmody tells us that FINALLY THIS YEAR WE
HAVE DEPTH. If I was better at this, [here] is where I would link to
previous yearly BC quotes about a deeper bench, more guys getting
minutes, etc. I am not making this up - he's said it at the beginning
of each of the last few seasons.<br /><br />The one quote I do have handy is
that on 12/22/09, he told Andy Katz, "I think we're a little deeper,
much deeper, so you know, our eighth, ninth man is very capable. And
there isn't that big a drop-off to the eighth or ninth man from our
fourth and fifth guy." Check <a href="http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/stats/_/id/77/sort/avgMinutes/year/2010/northwestern-wildcats">the stats from that season</a>:
three guys averaged over 34 minutes per game. I'd say the drop-off
from Crawford & Mirkovic to Rowley & Curletti (both sophomores)
was significant. All this supposed depth hasn't been able to mitigate
the injuries.<br />
<br />c) BC is not completely off the hook when it comes to these injuries.
Let's start with the Kevin Coble clusterfuck. While Coble may have been
kind of a dick and not the best teammate, I don't think there's any
question that Carmody <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/ncaa/11/19/coble.northwestern/index.html?eref=sihp" target="_blank">totally mishandled that situation</a>.
Move ahead to the following season, when JerShon Cobb had hip surgery
in April 2011. He started the season and averaged 17mpg in November,
missed three games, averaged 17mpg in Dec/Jan, then missed eight more
games. Last season Tre Demps suffered a torn labrum over the summer but
kept playing (with a brace). He started the first game and played in
three more before season-ending shoulder surgery in December 2011.<br />
<br />When I heard that Crawford was done in December 2012, my first
thought was, "I can't believe BC screwed this up again." Drew had
aggravated a previous shoulder injury in September and was clearly never
100% in the ten games he played. Carmody explained that Crawford
"attempted to play through it, but it just hasn't responded as we all
would have liked." While I'm not accusing a win-desperate coach of
asking players to put off surgery or rush back too quickly, it's clear
that this coaching and/or medical staff has mismanaged off-season
injuries.<br />
<br /><br />There are plenty of Carmody defenders out there who can come up
with lots of excuses for why he should stay. They're obviously not the
only ones who feel that way, considering BC's bosses have essentially
brought him back twelve times.
In Loretta's <a href="http://www.sippinonpurple.com/2013/2/19/4002928/bill-carmody-northwestern-basketball-firing-coach" target="_blank">well-reasoned SoP post</a> last month, what really stuck with me was this:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<span style="color: #292929; display: inline!important; float: none; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A','Mercury SSm B',Georgia,Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25.59375px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">His
detractors point out, correctly, that at any other BCS conference
program in the country, a coach who failed to make the tournament once
in thirteen years would surely get fired. However, what those people
fail to mention is that a coach at any other BCS program in the country
who made the tournament just once in thirteen years would also surely be
fired. Yet if Northwestern ... had made the NCAA tournament [once], no
one, and I mean no one, would be demanding Carmody be fired.</span>
</div>
<br />We know all parts of that to be true. Hell, Mark
Gottfried took basketball-history-less Alabama to five straight
tourneys, an Elite Eight appearance and a #1 ranking and he got run in
the middle of his eleventh season. Meanwhile, I've said a million times
that I'll shut down FBC if he makes the tournament just once. But the fact
is that Bill Carmody has not made the tournament once. He's had some
tough bounces and a handful of injuries, but no more than anybody else.
You can't look at all the bad luck and consider what might have been
without also considering the good luck that got NU this far. Thirteen
years is a significant sample size. It all evens out over time, and
he's come up short.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />So if Carmody is out, who is in? Teddy Greenstein put together a <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-03-09/sports/ct-spt-0310-northwestern-basketball--20130310_1_nu-alumni-collier-drayton-president-morton-schapiro" target="_blank">comprehensive list</a>
of potential replacements. I'm still not sure who my first choice is,
but I know it needs to be someone who isn't scared. You're competing
against a conference that's really good and has infinitely better
facilities than NU. It's an extremely difficult gig, no doubt. I don't
think you definitely need to get a rah-rah Fitz type, but it certainly
has to be someone who is going to work his ass off while staying patient
at the same time.<br />
<br />I think I would lean towards one of the younger guys. As terrified
as I am by the dreadful Coach K coaching tree, Collins is certainly an
intriguing candidate. Hard to imagine him finally leaving Cameron for
this job. I want no part of Greenberg, Floyd, or
Mooney. I have to assume Teddy included Dakich as a joke. Drew, Jacobsen and the OSU assistants are all interesting
ideas. I would also consider Dr. Brett Reed from Lehigh, in part
because it would be fun to have a head coach who is a doctor.<br />
<br />Shaka Smart is also on Teddy's list, even though he's
way too good and much too expensive to come to Evanston. Of course,
that wasn't the case four years ago, before any of us had heard of him,
when <a href="http://firebillcarmody.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-found-him.html" target="_blank">I had the perfect candidate</a>. WHY DON'T YOU PEOPLE LISTEN TO ME?<br />
<br /><br />I'll be watching with the rest of you on Thursday night. As I
always do, I'll be hoping for a NU win. But I have to think that a loss
might be enough for Jim Phillips to push BC out the door, and that could turn out to be a much more important win for Northwestern.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-37787032384625561462012-03-14T20:11:00.003-04:002013-03-12T16:54:26.630-04:00Time to watch the non-NIT postseason tournamenton a personal level, the only good thing about NU choking their way out of the NCAA tournament is that it means i didn't have to sell my tickets for Thursday/Saturday games in Pittsburgh and buy an expensive last minute flight to Albuquerque or Greensboro. my to-do list for the next four days is as follows:<br />
<br />
1. watch Jared Sullinger get all the calls against inferior competition.<br />
2. watch Jared Sullinger bitch about the scarce foul calls that do go against him.<br />
3. party with Larry Eustachy.<br />
4. stay the hell away from Mr. & Mrs. Bernie Fine.<br />
<br />
in the meantime, <a href="http://firebillcarmody.blogspot.com/2012/03/lets-start-with-this.html?showComment=1331693148809#c3210391285200122663">AC is in charge</a>.<br />
<br />
go 'cats.<br />
<br />
<br />
Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-55658166853905362572012-03-08T19:57:00.004-05:002012-03-09T07:49:15.138-05:00Let's start with thisthere will be oh so much to talk about in the next few weeks and months. but honestly the first thought that came into my head after NU blew it was this: "Kyle Rowley will be in the motherfucking NCAA tournament and Northwestern, again, will not."<br /><br />that got me thinking about all the NU transfers whose teams made it to the dance. feel free to add anyone I forgot in the comments; I'm sure I'm missing some.<br /><br />Kyle Rowley - St. Mary's<br />Steve Lepore - Wake Forest<br />Brody Deren - Creighton<br />Rex Walters - Kansas<br /><br />3/8 edit: thanks James. how could I forget <a href="http://www.sippinonpurple.com/2011/10/6/2473398/ed-mccants-speaks-out">Ed McCants</a>? he led UW Milwaukee to the Sweet 16 in 2005.<br /><br />3/9 edit: yes, coaches count too. KO went in 2008 with Arizona and 2011 with USC.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-45979336230379006102012-03-01T09:30:00.000-05:002012-03-01T09:32:12.051-05:00I'm confused<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:donotshowrevisions/> <w:donotprintrevisions/> <w:donotshowmarkup/> <w:donotshowcomments/> <w:donotshowinsertionsanddeletions/> <w:donotshowpropertychanges/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> 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mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s only been a few hours since Northwestern lost yet another close one, their sixth conference loss this season by five points or less.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In that time I’ve already seen a bunch of writers use phrases like “all-too-familiar” and “not again” and “SO CLOSE as usual.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Uhh, no.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>While the losing is certainly familiar, I don’t think any reasonable person can say that Northwestern always comes up <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">just short</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The lifetime record of NU basketball is 960-1386.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Bill Carmody’s Big Ten record is 65-136.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A team that has lost 59% of its games and over two-thirds of its recent conference games is not always “SO CLOSE.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Most of the time they just flat out get their ass kicked.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, let’s move on to more important matters.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have to admit that after the game I was actually pretty positive (hard to imagine, I’m sure).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I figured that was not a win NU needed to have, and they made a game of it after getting dominated early.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>At this point I’m numb to the rebounding deficiencies, so that didn’t even bother me that much.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Despite <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/danwhite77/statuses/175063634408521729">lots</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/t_i_joe/statuses/175062711892328449">of</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/Loretta8_SoP/statuses/175063617312522240">frustration</a> out there, I was feeling alright.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then I looked at last night’s scores.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Colorado State, South Florida and Cincinnati all took down top 20 teams to nearly lock up spots in the field.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Lunardi has NU as the last team in, which basically means we’re out; you have to assume that there will be at least a couple of bid thieves from the OVC, CAA, WCC or any of the major conferences.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">You have to figure at this point that NU needs three wins.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Iowa certainly is a must on Saturday, and a loss next Thursday would be to a bad team, whoever it turns out to be.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A loss in the quarters would leave the ‘Cats with just the January win over Sparty as the only impressive line on its tournament resume.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As the bubble shrinks, I don’t believe that one big win will be enough.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And this team has shown me nothing to indicate they can win three straight away from Welsh-Ryan Arena.</p>Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-29512116637011862072012-01-30T20:58:00.011-05:002012-01-30T21:56:28.904-05:00BREAKING: Northwestern basketball still sucksi guess it's time to dust off the old blogging machine. it's been much too long since i wrote anything, but Saturday's home loss to Purdue certainly warrants some ranting here.<br /><br />Purdue guards driving right past Sobo (and others). missed free throws plus at least one lane violation. offense that managed to be completely ineffective as well as downright ugly to watch. an extended scoreless stretch that is now seemingly featured in every NU game. an inability to stop the other team's best player in crunch time. even less ability to score in even crunchier time.<br /><br />we've seen this all before. for TWELVE YEARS. i have to think BC has, finally, utterly, run his course. Juice Thompson can't save him this time.<br /><br />both the Carmody bashers and Carmody defenders are at full throat this week. i am fully aware that BC is the most successful coach in school history. i cannot argue that there are obstacles to success with this program that go beyond the head coach. but it also can't be debated that he has fallen short. he's lasted through three athletic directors, somehow skating through as incrementally successful only when contrasted with the previous 100 dreadful years of Northwestern basketball.<br /><br />but surely Jim Phillips has to see it. he has to recognize that it all comes down to talent. perhaps moreso in basketball than in college football, because one or two guys can make so much of a difference. to me, this is where BC has failed more than anywhere else. when i see so many minutes going to guys like Curletti, Marcotulio, and Hearn (his two big buckets on Saturday notwithstanding), i can't Expect Victory. it's not like we're competing against the Summit League.<br /><br />it doesn't help that the two most talented players in the Carmody era were/are unequivocally soft. we all know that <a href="http://firebillcarmody.blogspot.com/2010/07/coble-pusses-out.html">Kevin Coble quit the team</a> on the eve of its potentially greatest season. and John Shurna hasn't shown me an overwhelming amount of heart this year. from where i sit, he appears to lack the desire to demand the ball and take over a game, the ability to convince his teammates to let him do so, or both.<br /><br />the bottom line is that Northwestern's players haven't been good enough to win on talent. and the coaching hasn't been good enough to make up for that talent deficiency. i think twelve years is enough time to figure that out.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-14102825846371270772011-12-29T09:03:00.008-05:002011-12-29T15:45:12.360-05:00Happy new year from ACin honor of Northwestern basketball looking fairly incompetent against any worthwhile competition, i've decided to post some good old fashioned rage. and since i've clearly lost nearly all interest in updating this site, i'll do what any experienced blogger does. when you can't write something funny yourself, just post (or link to) good writing from someone else!<br /><br />presented below in their unedited entirety are four emails FBC received from AC Titticock. these were sent to me during and after the loss to Iowa in October, and i wasn't sure what to do with them until now. enjoy.<br /><br /><br />*****<br /><br /><!--[if !mso]> <style> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:donotshowrevisions/> 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="gi">Sat, Oct 15, 2011 at 8:00 PM<br />Subject: Fitz=Carmody?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dear Bill Carmody, AC Means Pat Fitzgerald,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">WE HAVE THE BEST QB IN NU HISTORY WHY THE FUCK ARE WE ROTATING HIM WITH KAIN FUCKING COLTER????????????????????????<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>and yes, the caps were intentional.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I might have to fucking slum it and post something on laketheposts.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>FUCKING Moronic.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fuck Carmody,<br />AC</p> <p class="MsoNormal">*****<br /><br /><span class="gi">Sat, Oct 15, 2011 at 8:47 PM<br />No subject</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dan persa is fucking good at football. Carshitty should recruit him to play the bottom of the 1-3-1 defense.<br /><br />fuck carmody,<br />AC</p> <p class="MsoNormal">***** <span class="gi"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="gi">Sat, Oct 15, 2011 at 9:26 PM<br />Subject: 3rd and 5</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">AND WE BRING IN COLTER????????????????????????<wbr>??????????????????????????????<wbr> ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME??????????//<br /><br />Persa is like 30 of 36 throwing the ball, no fucking joke, and we bring in cain kolter on 3rd and 5 to run the option which ISN'T FOOLING ANYONE.<br /><br />ugh.<br /><br />Fuck carmody,<br />AC</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal">*****<br /><br /><span class="gi">Sun, Oct 16, 2011 at 11:19 AM</span><br /><span class="gi"> No subject</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >The 3rd and 5 play in the 4th quarter when we were driving and only down 7 is pretty much a microcosm of this season. I’ll try to type this without dropping too many f-bombs, but we have the BEST QB IN NU HISTORY (or at least since Otto Graham was going deep on flappers by the Rock, and apologies to the great Lenny Williams and Brett Basanez, but Persa is better) who at that point in the game had completed like 54 consecutive passes and was something like 98 for 102 and had converted 37 straight third downs (2 thumbs up for Ebert by the way) all while solving the elusive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P_versus_NP_problem" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;">P vs. NP problem</span></a> (and I may have rounded some of those numbers up a bit) and yet WE FUCKING TAKE HIM OUT ON THE MOST IMPORTANT PLAY OF THE GAME FOR KAIN FUCKING KOLTER TO RUN THE OPTION which everyone in the entire mutliverse knew was going to happen? Really????? That was an even worse call than running Jacob Schmidt on third down at the end of the Army game or <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-07-19-flip-flops_x.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;">wearing flip flops to the White House</span></a>.</span></i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >Look, I have sworn to never say a bad thing about Pat Fitzgerald for all the joy he and NU brought me during the Gary Barnett era, and I have nothing against Kain Colter (in fact I think he will give Andrew Brewer a great run for the title as NU’s best former quarterback who is a threat on offense (and look how good <a href="http://www.ufl-football.com/omaha-nighthawks/player-roster/brewer-andrew" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;">it has worked out for Andrew</span></a>)), but you don’t fucking rotate Dan Persa off the fucking field EVER unless his arm is hanging off or he’s late for his own personal dance marathon with NU grad <a href="http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/63T2UE6GDgs/Damiani+Diamonds+Hollywood+Reporter+Power/ksFYhtHZwGs/Jamie+Ray+Newman" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;">Jaime Ray Newman.</span></a> It boggles the fucking mind.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >Kain Colter certainly brings something to the table (and should he ever learn to throw without wearing his purse, he could be a terrific QB), and he is an amazing athlete, but you just don’t take Persa off the field. Shit, it’s like the movie <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who%27s_Nailin%27_Paylin%3F" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;">Who’s Nailin Paylin</span></a>. Did anyone want to have fewer scenes with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lisa_Ann_as_Paylin_2010.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;">Lisa Ann</span></a> just break things up? I mean there’s a time and a place for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_Hartley" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;">Nina Hartley</span></a> (like the 1980s), but when Lisa Ann is in her fucking prime, you don’t leave her out of any scene. It’s a crime against humanity (and even <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Butz" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;">Professor Arthur Butz</span></a> would agree with that) and so was taking Persa off the field on that 3rd and 5 which just makes less sense than the entire Bill Carmody era (or error as it is better known), rugby punting, or <a href="http://www.celebs101.com/gallery/Kate_Shindle/194351/Kate_Shindle.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;">Kate Shindle</span></a> winning Miss America.</span></i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >I am flummoxed, flabbergasted, and every other f word out there about that move and the coaching this season. It’s such a shame, NU may never have another Dan Persa and we’re treating him like he’s Tim Hughes. So Coach Fitzgerald, I implore you to do the right thing and Free Persa.</span></i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >Go Cats!</span></i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >AC</span></i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >PS. This Siemian guy looks like a fucking monster. That TD throw was incredible. I really hope we convert Colter to a wr/rb (where he will be unbelievably effective) and let Siemian shoot it around next year, that guy is impressive.</span></i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ></span></p> *****<br /><br />if that doesn't get you fired up for Texas A&M, i don't know what will.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-28074454716918288942011-05-27T12:45:00.008-04:002011-05-27T13:01:09.833-04:00Pat Forde remains unimpressedAlex Marcotulio and Luka's facemask appeared briefly on ESPN's college basketball page today. unfortunately the picture was paired with "the Northwesterns of the world are downright sad."<br /><br />Pat Forde submitted his <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=6595711">list of college hoops' underachievers</a>, and Northwestern has moved to the #1 spot. (As Loretta already pointed out, three of the top four are Big Ten teams.) here is what he had to say about NU:<br /><br /><p style="font-style: italic;"> <b>1. Northwestern</b>: Being an egghead school is a proven impediment to winning national titles for everyone but Duke -- but plenty of egghead schools have at least experienced some success. Stanford has gone to a Final Four and been a No. 1 seed several times, and Vanderbilt has become an annual contender in the Southeastern Conference. </p><p style="font-style: italic;"> Then there is Northwestern. </p><p><span style="font-style: italic;"> Despite proximity to a slew of talent, the Wildcats are famously still waiting for their first NCAA tournament invitation. Not first victory; first berth. That's pathetic. </span><br /></p><p><br /></p>I'm not posting this because it's terribly interesting or tells us anything we don't already know. i just want to point out that when Forde wrote this column four years ago, <a href="http://firebillcarmody.blogspot.com/2007/05/well-take-pub-even-if-its-bad-pub.html">Northwestern was #5</a> on the list. so while NU has made three straight NIT tournaments amongst its most successful seasons ever, it has somehow fallen even further behind expectations, at least according to Forde.<br /><br />On the plus side, one member of the media thinks <a href="http://eye-on-college-basketball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/29594910">Jimmer Shurna</a> will lead us to the promised land next season.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-28502040209345482572011-03-28T13:30:00.008-04:002011-04-04T09:12:02.859-04:00I found him, reduxin honor of VCU's run to the Final Four (and all the <a href="http://www.sippinonpurple.com/2011/3/28/2075542/ncaa-tournament-recap-schadenfreude-edition">KU fans' souls which were crushed</a> along the way), here is a FBC first: i'm re-publishing one of my own blog posts. please note that by doing so, i'm in no way suggesting that <a href="http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/6265959/vcu-focused-keeping-shaka-smart">Shaka Smart will definitely leave for another job</a>, or, if he did, that <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/GaryParrishCBS/status/51502037975842816">NU would be able to afford him</a>. clearly this dude will be able to choose from any BCS opening he wants, and it would never EVER be a good career move to leave VCU for Northwestern.<br /><br />i'm simply using yesterday's win as an opportunity to pat myself on the back for spotting greatness so early. also, it's much more fun to re-read the comments from Smart and Norwood Teague considering recent events. (the original post is <a href="http://firebillcarmody.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-found-him.html">here</a>, for anyone in the mood for classic AC vs. Anonymous arguments)<br /><br />3/29 edit: <a href="http://mayasmart.com/about_maya.php">Shaka's wife has a Master's from Medill</a>. i can't believe they let this guy get away.<br /><br />3/31 edit: <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=6267599">"Chicago is my favorite city in the whole country."</a><br /><br />**************<br /><br />this is him. this is the guy. the man who will lead Northwestern basketball to the Promised Land. forget for a minute that he was just hired as head coach by another school. NU isn't throwing out Carmody just after they made the NIT. but when BC's contract is not renewed after the 2009/2010 season, this is the coach who should make the leap from a great mid-major job to the Big Ten Conference.<br /><br />his name? Shaka Smart. "hmmm," you're wondering, "i like the sound of 'Smart' but 'Shaka' doesn't sound like the kind of name that would fit in with the Northwestern administration." but wait, i can explain. a brief bio:<br /><ul><li>32 years old</li><li>native of Madison, WI</li><li>coached/recruited for five years in the midwest (Akron, Dayton)</li><li>served as an assistant under Billy Donovan</li></ul><p>and there's more:</p><ul><li>played basketball at Kenyon College, but only after deciding not to go to Harvard, Yale or Cornell. graduated magna cum laude. as a senior was North Coast Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year. was one of 20 student-athletes selected for the 1999 USA Today All-USA Academic team and received a NCAA postgraduate scholarship. </li></ul><p>i dare you to read <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4036632">this article</a> and tell me Shaka Smart wouldn't immediately energize an NU program badly in need of it.</p><p style="font-style: italic;">"WREAK HAVOC ON OUR OPPONENTS' PSYCHE"</p><p>are you kidding me?!?! VCU even had Billy Donovan as part of yesterday's press conference! i'm calling on all NU boosters to put aside some money right now. we'll use it to take care of whatever trifling little buyout will be necessary to get this guy to Evanston in 12 months. mark it down - you heard it here first.<br /></p>Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-90039127608648526732011-03-22T13:54:00.001-04:002011-03-22T13:56:14.311-04:00First-hand account of Saturday's winfrom a friend of FBC:<br /><br /><br />"Our NU contingent at the game was decent (120 tickets sold through the alumni website). Because Boston College did not have a lot of fans there and because Boston College was generally sucking, we were pretty loud. When we yelled for the NU player introductions, the coaches turned around (we were in the upper level behind the bench) in surprise. When Carmody did the shift change with around a minute left to get the scrubs in, one of the assistants grabbed him and gestured towards us. Then he walked along the bench and talked to the players and gestured towards us again. After the post-game handshakes they came over and waved and celebrated with us. I thought it was pretty cool that the assistant recognized that they needed to appreciate the vocal fans who had shown up to support them 1,000 miles from Evanston. Then, in honor of FBC, I decided that it was a sure good thing the assistant thought of it, because Carmody is far too douchey to ever come up with such an idea."Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-68468446408963400832011-03-13T21:33:00.000-04:002011-03-13T21:34:18.444-04:00Juice's career not finished yetNorthwestern will host UW Milwaukee on Wednesday night. i'm not entirely sure how that happened, but i'll take it. let's hope Wildcat fans are not outnumbered in our own building. and thank God NU was invited to the NIT, because earlier the school had announced that it was not interested in the CBI.<br /><br />i generally agree with Loretta8's comments on twitter and SoP that NU is in no position to turn down any chance at postseason basketball. Jim Phillips' competitiveness is well-documented, so i guess i understand how he would look at the CBI as a slap in the face. i also understand there are financial obligations of playing in the CBI, at least at home. but i would look at it as an opportunity to grow the program and take advantage of extra practice time for the returning roster. the cynical side of me thinks that perhaps Jim didn't want to give BC credit for a "third consecutive postseason appearance." but all of that is irrelevant now - call the banner company to get a third NIT in the rafters!<br /><br />in other news, sadly i'll miss the first weekend of the tournament this year due to some (wife's) family obligations in the Dominican Republic. on the plus side, this is the <a href="http://www.sippinonpurple.com/2010/3/16/1362195/yo-me-voy-a-pinar-del-rio-or-how-i">second consecutive year a NU blogger planned a trip to the Caribbean in March</a> with absolutely no chance of missing the Wildcats' first tourney appearance.<br /><br />and finally, how about some dap for Ed DeChellis. for the last few years he has been on more "hot seat" lists than Carmody. the <a href="http://www.centredaily.com/2011/02/19/2531070/nittany-lions-forced-to-adjust.html">support that PSU hoops team doesn't get</a> from the university is ridiculous. and although the Bryce Jordan Center is newer than Welsh-Ryan, <a href="http://blog.pennlive.com/davidjones/2011/01/no_comforts_of_home_for_hot_ni.html">that doesn't mean it's much better</a>. and yet, two years ago DeChellis got an NIT title, and obviously this weekend he did what BC has never been able to do: string together enough wins at the end of the season to get the committee's attention. that plus Ed's absolute ownership of NU makes Bill Carmody look even worse.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-15239415538396936352011-03-11T14:10:00.003-05:002011-03-11T14:19:43.722-05:00So much for thatA second inspiring effort against the Fuckeyes came up short today. My biggest sports fan pet peeve is complaining about the refs, so you won't hear me bitching about any foul calls. As a shout-out to <a href="http://firebillcarmody.blogspot.com/2007/03/7-seasons-95-wins-113-losses.html">FBC's early days</a>, I did think about titling this post, "I hate you Luka Mirkovic." What a miserable two days for him. I hate to admit it, but late in the second half I was thinking it would have been nice to have Kyle Rowley today- five fouls to give, if nothing else.<br /><br />Even if NU had held on, it would have been nearly impossible for them to win two more in two days. With such a short bench the 'Cats looked gassed, and some of those late jumpers were well short. Hate to see Juice go out like this - wondering what could have been - but hopefully he's not finished quite yet. Who knows, maybe NU will even get a home game out of this. See you Sunday on ESPNU.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-42290395791473598082011-03-10T16:26:00.003-05:002011-03-10T16:33:28.118-05:00100% PureJuice is the man. we already knew this, but he has really played out of his mind down the stretch of this season. all week he's been saying: "we still plan on making the NCAA tournament. we're going to Indy to win four games." today there was no way he was letting NU lose. it's great for him that some national media guys - who may be watching their first NU hoops of the season - get a chance to recognize what a tough player he is.<br /><br />who the hell knows what's going to happen on Friday, but it was an inspiring effort all around. with such a short bench, guys stepped up and - for the most part - didn't make mistakes. i do not like NU's chances without Capocci and Cobb playing defense, but maybe we'll get some sweater vest karma working in our favor.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-80831150903509527022011-03-08T07:45:00.000-05:002011-03-08T07:48:17.046-05:00Your Summit League updatesadly the 2011 IUPUI season ended with a loss to Oral Roberts in the Summit League tournament. when i saw the final score, i was reminded of the afternoon of February 17, when a spontaneous twitter attack erupted from <a href="http://twitter.com/redzoneiupui">Michael Hadley</a>: College Basketball fanatic, Summit League aficionado, and IUPUI Jaguar super-fan!<br /><br />Mikey took issue with <a href="http://firebillcarmody.blogspot.com/2011/02/if-not-nit-then-what.html">my discussion about NU's options</a> if the Wildcats are not invited to the NIT. he started off by claiming he doesn't "really care one way or another about @<span class=" twitter-atreply" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">firebillcarmody</span>'s opinions on his (or her) own school/coach/etc" and then proceeded to assail those opinions.<br /><br />it made for high comedy at the time, and of course the most preposterous of his statements is that "Post season basketball is post season basketball." if that were true, sports fans everywhere would be tuning into ESPNU on March 13 for the NIT selection show, a nation of white-collar workers would be scrambling next Monday to fill out CIT brackets for the office pool, and <a href="http://iupuijags.com/sports/2007/12/20/jungle.aspx">IUPUI's own gym</a> would feature a picture of its 2010 CBI squad alongside the 2003 team that made the NCAA tournament.<br /><br />so don't be sad about the loss, Mike. IUPUI finishes the year with a 19-14 record, so they'll likely end up in the CBI or CIT, which according to you, is just as good as playing in the big dance. enjoy the ride.<br /><br />for those who weren't following along last month, here you go:<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tiYB2cG-cNejPyu9EWJSiP3i3-UacgdbpvHODiQtlQa4T9Ya-JsR-w_LBifeJMxKscvycp-LUwfecD_7PmRmVmv0wk7If65sZm5NNGBfKX96Sjt4In4wBlgJReCEC5c63A4G/s1600/IUPUI.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tiYB2cG-cNejPyu9EWJSiP3i3-UacgdbpvHODiQtlQa4T9Ya-JsR-w_LBifeJMxKscvycp-LUwfecD_7PmRmVmv0wk7If65sZm5NNGBfKX96Sjt4In4wBlgJReCEC5c63A4G/s400/IUPUI.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574756589725554290" border="0" /></a>Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-63421397893859050062011-03-07T16:12:00.002-05:002011-03-07T16:13:12.845-05:00Hooray! Championship Week is here!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CoTs-LOoL4c9p2or1XubNHnRQz0DRCzezsMBNuyI08idGnDbPMLIcvkh7m89H5poNbUfLOOafCUQwvQw7Buf9NcGvcHESvZpX-7EBu2r-6F-xrkdJMYIDE4hdN7OlYDTfiW4/s1600/BC+xmas+tie.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CoTs-LOoL4c9p2or1XubNHnRQz0DRCzezsMBNuyI08idGnDbPMLIcvkh7m89H5poNbUfLOOafCUQwvQw7Buf9NcGvcHESvZpX-7EBu2r-6F-xrkdJMYIDE4hdN7OlYDTfiW4/s400/BC+xmas+tie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581449064052862338" border="0" /></a>Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-89566098729057300442011-02-17T09:10:00.007-05:002011-02-17T09:32:21.619-05:00Here are some goddamn factsthe Bill Carmody chatter cranked up this week to levels I've never seen before, not even after 3-34 in conference. the buzz of "HE SHOULD BE FIRED!" was exceeded only by those chastising others for suggesting that he should be fired. <a href="http://twitter.com/WillhiteHerald/statuses/37558270763859968">some people think FBC</a> is nothing more than a rabble-rouser, but let's be honest: FireBillCarmody has always been more of a brand/nickname than anything else. I like to think that I've offered perspective more balanced than the name of this site would suggest. and now, thanks to <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703373404576148511816362614.html">today's Wall Street Journal</a>, here are some <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/WillhiteHerald/status/37553193793765376">facts with a side of context</a>:<br /><br /><p>Since the 1996-1997 season, here are the major conference college basketball teams with the worst 50-game spans of conference play.</p> <table width="100%"><tbody><tr class="odd"><td valign="top" align="left"> <strong> TEAM/CONFERENCE/YEARS </strong> </td><td valign="top" align="left"> <strong>RECORD</strong> </td></tr> <tr class="even"><td valign="top" align="left"> DePaul Big East, 2008-present</td><td valign="top" align="left">2-48</td></tr> <tr class="odd"><td valign="top" align="left"> Washington St. Pac-10, 2001-2003</td><td valign="top" align="left">6-44</td></tr> <tr class="even"><td valign="top" align="left"> Penn State Big Ten , 2002-06</td><td valign="top" align="left">6-44</td></tr> <tr class="odd"><td valign="top" align="left"> Oregon State Pac-10, 2006-2009</td><td valign="top" align="left">6-44</td></tr> <tr class="even"><td valign="top" align="left"> Rutgers Big East, 2007-10</td><td valign="top" align="left">6-44</td></tr> <tr class="odd"><td valign="top" align="left"> South Florida Big East, 2006-09</td><td valign="top" align="left">7-43</td></tr> <tr class="even"><td valign="top" align="left"> Northwestern Big Ten, 2006-09</td><td valign="top" align="left">7-43</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />and guess how many coaches have survived those stretches: exactly 1. check it out:<br /><br />DePaul - hired Oliver Purnell on April 6, 2010<br />Washington State - hired Dick Bennett on March 29, 2003<br />Penn State - hired Ed DeChellis in April 2003<br />Oregon State - hired Craig Robinson on April 7, 2008<br />Rutgers - hired Mike Rice on May 6, 2010<br />South Florida - hired Stan Heath on April 2, 2007<br /><br /><br />from that list only Heath and DeChellis were around for significant stretches, and the other four schools made changes at or near the end of the down years. and yet our boy BC keeps chugging along. unbelievable.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-90856536211575178212011-02-17T07:53:00.014-05:002011-03-03T10:16:19.136-05:00If not the NIT, then what?with all that tedious NCAA talk out of the way, NU fans are faced with the stark reality that NU might not be good enough to make the NIT. Rodger over at SoP has been reminding us for weeks that NU was the last at-large team to make the NIT bracket. this year's NU team is not as good as that one, although the postseason field is probably weaker in general.<br /><br />i generally agree with <a href="http://www.sippinonpurple.com/2011/2/16/1998411/things-to-be-interested-in-as-northwestern-plays-iowa#59380809">this argument</a>, that Northwestern basketball is in no position to decline any invitation to play into March, regardless of how crappy the tournament may be. it would be nice to give Juice another home game or two, and it would give the younger guys additional practice/game time. let's look at the two options:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">College Basketball Invitational</span><br />This will be the fourth CBI, and BCS teams were part of its three previous brackets: 2008 Virginia, Cincinnati, Washington; 2009 St. John's, Stanford, Oregon State (champion); 2010 Oregon State.<br /><br />That's not exactly a who's who of big six basketball programs, but at least it wouldn't be unprecedented if NU ended up there. It's worth noting that not all those major conference teams got home games. This tournament starts on the same nights as the First Four, and it's unique in that the championship is decided by a best-of-three series to be played in the week of the Final Four. 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><s>CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament</s></i></b><s><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></s>*<br />Certainly THIS would be an insult. The two previous tournaments haven't featured anything other than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIT_bids_by_school">mid- and low-majors</a>. The oddest thing about this tournament is that along with several distinguished former coaches - Lefty Driesell, Lou Henson, Riley Wallace - the selection committee includes <a href="http://www.collegeinsider.com/tournament/news.html">Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson</a>!?! This is about what you'd expect from a site that features both head coach and assistant coach brackets for the <a href="http://www.collegeinsider.com/Indy2010/headcoach.html">Fashionable Four</a>. It looks like some of these games would be on Fox College Sports.<br /></p><br />*edit: <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/chicolbball/statuses/38268358067494912">the CIT doesn't take BCS teams, so never mind</a>. but still, that Vincent Jackson shit is weird.<br /><br /><br />The big X factor here is money. When these tournaments were created, I read that teams had to pay. I don't remember the details, and of course now I can't find those details. As I recall, there was a fee to host a game in one or both of these tournaments, but the payout was structured so that if you won at least one game you broke even; two or more wins meant a profit. Assuming the financial contribution is not too hefty, I bet Jim Phillips would be in. To my knowledge NU's only other home postseason game was 1994, so I'm sure the NU marketing department would go all out.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-17159731005867134032011-02-13T21:56:00.001-05:002011-02-13T21:56:00.256-05:00We're fuckedthat's as succinctly as i can sum it up. all the positive (or at not disastrous) vibes from two previous Saturdays are long forgotten. i was certainly frustrated by the collapse at the end of the Michigan game, but today's effort was so much more pathetic. it was something we've seen before from BC's crew, and i'm not even sure if it's a word: <a href="http://firebillcarmody.blogspot.com/2008/03/finding-new-way-to-lose.html">noncompetitiveness</a>. can you believe that the Penn State seniors have never lost to Northwestern? the Wildcats are single-handedly letting Ed DeChellis keep his job. (of course, DeChellis has those five NIT wins in 2009. something BC can't sniff.)<br /><br />nothing good can happen from the rest of this season. the trip to Madison will obviously be a massacre, and the rest of the games were considered virtual locks in January, but now i'll be shocked if NU wins more than they lose.<br /><br />this is the weakest Big Ten we've seen in quite some time. do you realize that the twin dumpster fires of Illinois and Sparty are tied for fourth place?!? at this point no one would be surprised if only three teams made the tourney. the sorry state of the league only reinforces NU's lost opportunities this season. there were a lot of wins for the taking in this league, even more than we expected in December. but instead, Bill Carmody sits in 9th place with his supposed Best Team Ever, and finishing in last is a very real possibility. that certainly discredits <a href="http://blogs.dailyherald.com/node/5161">Lindsey Willhite's defense</a> of BC.<br /><br />and PLEASE don't give me any BS about Kevin Coble. doesn't the head coach deserve some blame for losing his second-best player on the eve of the school's most important season?<br /><br />when i started FBC over five years ago, my first post included this:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">That's all I'm asking. Just the NIT. Beat up on some cupcakes then finish 6-10 in the conference. Play on ESPN once or twice a year. I don't have high expectations. Just stop sucking so much.</span><br /><br />based on that, i suppose the program has met my then-so-very-low expectations. remarkably NU finished that season with a 6-10 conference record (although they lost 31 of the next 34 Big Ten games) and they made the NIT in 2010 and 2009. but fuck that, Northwestern can do better. Fitz has shown us that. but it remains clear to me that Northwestern can't do better with Bill Carmody in charge.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-23972520605519785472011-02-07T13:13:00.002-05:002011-02-07T13:16:14.016-05:00What a clownyes, it was nice for NU to finally get a good win. but it strikes me as incredibly odd and awkward that BC gave a "shout-out" during his postgame interview with Raff. video <a href="http://nusports.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/020511aaa.html">here</a>.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-81763969601552229672011-02-02T13:26:00.019-05:002011-02-02T15:19:52.575-05:00Where do we go from here?there has been a lot of introspection lately from Northwestern fans, so i might as well pile on. (although i really was tempted to simply ride out the rest of the season by writing nothing but updates to my previous post.)<br /><br />last week <a href="http://www.sippinonpurple.com/2011/1/27/1954372/is-northwestern-underachieving-or-finding-just-their-own-level">Sippin' on Purple</a> discussed whether NU is underachieving this year. i have to agree with Loretta8 and say absolutely not. this is part of an email i sent to a friend on November 4, 2010:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">i could definitely see NU beating everyone they should but also not beating anyone they shouldn't. ...end up with a decent W/L record but terrible computer numbers.</span><br /><br />that's exactly where we are with one month left in the regular season. the woefully weak nonconference schedule did nothing but kill off NU's at-large chances and artificially inflate the Wildcats' box scores and fans' expectations.<br /><br />SoP pretty much nailed it regarding the national media stories and defensive problems, but one thing that wasn't touched on was the offense struggling against good teams. i will not pretend to understand or appreciate all the <a href="http://www.kenpom.com/team.php?team=Northwestern">helpful stats</a> out there as well as <a href="http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-college-basketball/">others</a> do, so i'll just take the lazy way out and look at points scored.<br /><br />i fully recognize that total points don't tell the whole story, but it's hard to ignore the obvious, and the numbers are easy to analyze because bad opponent = win and good opponent = loss. the W/L difference in NU's offense is actually bigger (83ppg vs. 63ppg) than the W/L difference in NU's defense (63ppga vs. 76 ppga).<br /><br />all of this speaks to NU simply not having the horses to run with the big boys. whether trying to get a score or a stop, the Wildcats are outmanned in all the contests that matter. that's why i was so confused at the consensus reaction to the departure of <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/FakeKevinCoble/status/31521176001970177">Kevin Coble</a>: "NU will be fine ... last year Coble didn't play and NU won more games without him ... Shurna is a better player ... Freundt can replace his points and rebounds." alright, maybe i made up that last one. but the point is this: Northwestern basketball is FAR from having talent to spare.<br /><br />to me, that's the only thing that will get this thing turned around - better players. sure, it was fun watching NU take the Buckeyes down to the wire. and i've seen at least a few people call for Carmody to return full-time to the style everyone thinks of when they hear <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM40lViQrw4">Princeton Offense</a>. but we all know that's not sustainable. the coaches in this conference are paid too much money to be beaten consistently by a gimmick. i'm not saying that the rest of the Big Ten can't be beaten with offensive wrinkles, and i'm not saying the other guys can't be outcoached, but it's hard to do either when NU's players just aren't good enough.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-16969470513332860262011-01-15T15:47:00.005-05:002011-01-29T23:24:22.689-05:00'Cats drop another one to a good teamNU is now 0-5 against teams that are anything better than terrible. on a key possession late in OT, BC called the good ole throw-up-a-three-at-the-shot-clock-buzzer play. and the AC rant begins in three, two, one...<br /><br />1/24 update: NU is now 0-6 against teams that are anything better than terrible.<br /><br /><br />1/26 update: NU is now 0-7 against teams that are anything better than terrible.<br /><br /><br />1/29 update: NU is now 0-8 against teams that are anything better than terrible.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-5825142605141188082011-01-11T12:59:00.002-05:002011-01-11T13:09:51.238-05:00The extensioni'm not going to get all hot and bothered that Bill Carmody got a new contract. the fact that it was only two years seems that NU found a satisfactory balance between "we can't allow recruiting to come to a complete standstill" and "the program is better than it used to be but we want to see continued progress before we name the court after you."<br /><br />as usual Teddy Greenstein has <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/greenstein/ct-spt-0111-northwestern-carmody--20110110,0,1373565.column">the best insight.</a> however, i don't subscribe to the cop-out theory of "<a href="http://college-basketball-blog.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/26994616">there isn't anyone better</a>." that's what athletic directors (and even the dark and scary coaching search firms) are paid to do- find someone good. if Jim Phillips needs some help, here's a good place to start: <a href="http://firebillcarmody.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-found-him.html">HAVOC!</a>Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-20615113163041059422011-01-07T07:47:00.003-05:002011-01-07T08:26:22.194-05:00Embarrassed.as much as Stephen Bardo annoys me sometimes - and I'm getting tired of him doing EVERY 'Cats appearance on espn - he accurately described Northwestern's performance last night when he said, "They just lack." last night NU looked like boys among men and got run out of the gym by the hot-shooting Illini.<br /><br />as <a href="http://twitter.com/Loretta8_SoP/statuses/23211704976408577">some have already pointed out</a>, starting the conference 0-3 is not the end of the world, and if NU finished fifth behind Purdue, MSU, Illinois (plus OSU) I think we'd all be thrilled. but there wasn't anything encouraging to take from last night's loss. either Bardo, Wischusen, or Dan Dakich<span style="font-style: italic;"></span> must have used the phrase "lack of effort" fifty times, and certainly a lot of fans are jumping on that theme today. it doesn't help that this performance came on the heels of <a href="http://www.laketheposts.com/index.php/2011/01/the-carmody-conundrum/">LTP's thorough post</a> yesterday that included this from a list of BC complaints:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Carmody’s antics on the sideline. Last game he threw his hands at Shurna in disgust after he missed a FT. His pouting and borderline unprofessional demeanor on the sidelines isn’t exactly the type of stuff “leaders” (or is it “legends”?) are made of. </span><br /><br />at least one semi-casual fan asked me last night about BC and his apparent inability to inspire his team. to me, the larger question/problem is: is this team any good?<br /><br />effort or not, Northwestern did not come close to matching the orange's talent level last night. the same was evident in West Lafayette last week. if i didn't know better, i'd have thought i was watching a Wildcat <a href="http://nusports.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2004-2005/teamcume.html">roster from about five years ago</a>; that's how crappy our players looked.<br /><br />Shurna's injury is obviously killing them, and i'm not sure the other players are good enough to make up for his absence. early in the game it was clear that Juice was forcing shots, and i'm sure he feels pressure to make up for the loss of Shurna's offense. the impact of his injury was even more profound on defense. about seven minutes in, McCamey hit an easy three when Shurna was slow to close out on him. on the next possession, Shurna seemed to make an extra effort to get out on McCamey on the same spot on the floor, but a simple pass led to another easy three by Brandon Paul with Shurna well out of the play.<br /><br />i assume Jim Phillips attended the game, which for Carmody is a good thing, since the early part of the second half amounted to a twenty minute bash-fest of NU players and coaches. NU looked like the Washington Generals as Illinois passed circles around them to get seemingly dozens of lobs and dunks. that this was going on while the announcers called out the team for lack of desire and not being ready to play - while on a major network broadcast - is probably an athletic director's worst nightmare.<br /><br />again, i'm not going to lose my mind because NU has lost three games (two on the road) to very good teams. let's remember that what killed NU's bubble chances last year was not losing to Michigan State at home or to Illinois on the road, both of which happened. it was going 2-4 in February against Penn State, Indiana and Iowa. those teams were not any good last year, and they're not any good this year. if NU loses a game next week, then i guess the Wildcats are not any good either.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-19998886332225036212010-12-31T14:31:00.001-05:002010-12-31T14:31:00.135-05:00NU loses first of three tough onesthat was a rough one. look, i would like to see JuJuan Johnson in foul trouble as much as anyone, but having Luka Mirkovic as the offensive focus to open the game is not a winning strategy. yes, he was aggressive, but it would be much more helpful if he could hit a 15 foot jumper. i don't understand how he can hit from beyond the arc but yet not even look at the basket when he's left open at the foul line. Shurna clearly wasn't 100%, and it looked to me like the other guys weren't sure who should take the lead instead. Cobb had some nice takes to the basket, but Crawford was far too reticent. it was disappointing to watch him not go hard after that loose ball in the first half.<br /><br />Purdue plays too strong of defense and passes the ball too well for NU to have a shot at winning this game. Shurna & Luka helped the 'cats hang around in the second half, but short of Curletti bangin' in about six more threes from the top of the key, you just had the underlying sense that today was not NU's day. for me, the biggest positive that came out of today was the bench play. Capocci and Marcotullio made some tangible contributions, so hopefully those guys can help keep these team from wearing down in February.<br /><br />there's certainly no shame in losing on the road against a top 15 team featuring two possible lottery picks. but the overriding theme for NU this season will be whether they beat anyone they shouldn't. so far, it hasn't happened. they'll have another shot to do it at home on Monday and in Champaign on Thursday.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212692.post-28424492115454309592010-11-30T21:32:00.001-05:002010-12-01T08:07:42.989-05:00Wildcats wreck the jacketsanyone reading this likely watched the game, so i'll spare you any detailed recap. here is a collection of my thoughts, in no particular order:<br /><br /><ul><li>i would like an NU booster to donate a fancy new camera to W-R Arena. every time NU plays on HD, i'm frustrated by my TV's crappy picture compared to other broadcasts.</li><li>maybe they were embarrassed by the Rice Jr. dunk, but it was encouraging to see Cobb and Crawford be assertive early with their athleticism.</li><li>certainly didn't look like a full house, for students or the paying public.</li><li>what do you think keeps Shurna from getting more tail on campus: his acne or his jump short form?<br /></li><li>that first half was as close to perfect as you can ask for.</li><li>does NU have a binding agreement with announcers that forces each of them to tell the story of how Juice Thompson got his nickname?</li><li>tonight was the first time i've ever noticed actual muscles on John Shurna</li><li>i'm not terribly concerned with NU's struggles in the middle of the second half against the full-court press. not many teams in the Big Ten are as quick and athletic as GT.<br /></li><li>really the only negative tonight: free throw shooting. just over 50%<br /></li></ul><br />it was obvious early that Crawford and Cobb were focused for this one, and Mirkovic always plays better when he can feed off the crowd. Shurna and Thompson were outstanding as usual. NU was clearly ready to go for this nationally televised game at home. it will be interesting to see how they fare in the dog days of the conference schedule, especially on the road. but we'll worry about that in another month. for now it's hard not to be awfully happy with that performance.Fire Bill Carmodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01324159567277681506noreply@blogger.com1