SWC75
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Jim Boeheim’s radio show is on Thursdays from 7-9PM on ESPN Radio in Syracuse, which is AM1200 or FM 97.7 on the dial. The show originates from Delmonico’s Italian Steakhouse on Erie Boulevard in Syracuse. The first hour, hosted by Matt Park, the Voice of the Orange, is on their general network. The second hour, which begins with the Big East season, is hosted by Gomez, a local radio personality.
The first hour is eventually, (it can take weeks) podcasted on the SU Athletics website on this page:
http://suathletics.com/podcasts.aspx
You can call into the show locally at 315-424-8599 or nationally at 1-888-746-2873. For Gomez’s portion, use 315-437-7644. Or you can submit questions from this page:
http://www.suathletics.com/sb_output.aspx?form=4
I will be posting my rough transcript of the first hour the night of the broadcast and will probably do the second hour the following day.
MY QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
First hour:
“Coach, in recent years we’ve been excellent at shutting down the other team inside the three point arc and forcing them to try to beat us from outside. Our last two teams allowed only 42.5% two point shooting percentage. Going into the Indiana game, this year’s team, for all its success, was allowing 51.4%. Against Indiana, we only allowed 11 for 27 shooting, (.407). What was the cause of the problem and the turn around?“
Second hour:
“Coach, last year Trevor Cooney struggled all season long with his shooting, (27% from three point range). This year he’s become the weapon we had hoped he can be, (47% from the arc). Again, what was the cause of the problem and what has been the solution?”
COACH BOEHEIM
(I have, in some instances, put together statements from different parts of the broadcast on the same subject)
With Matt Park:
Matt said that four straight wins over “major” teams have gotten people excited. (I guess the term “major” and “Division 1” have now separated into separate meanings.) JB: “Going to Hawaii and winning was good for the team. Going there an coming back is always a concern. Several times we haven’t played well. To come back and play like that was really good. Indiana played 10-11 guys to wear us down but it didn’t hurt us. Both guards played well. Trevor has been here for three years and is getting more opportunities. “
At this point, the radio feed cut out for the first of about 9 different times in the first 40 minutes of the show. We got a few sentences of the talk between Park and Boeheim, some apologies from the guy back at the station, sometimes both talking at the same time, a lot of their crummy “muzak” that plays during technical difficulties and a lot of dead air. Matt joked that “you can either have a good basketball program or a good radio show and we picked the right one.” If the narrative seems even more uneven than usual, it’s because much of it came in snippets. I’ve tried to turn them into conversations by putting together comments that were made in different parts of the broadcast on the same subject, including from the Gomez segment.
In between the interruptions, I somehow got my first question in, about the defense. JB: “It was playing in Maui. It’s a shooter’s paradise where any soft, short shot goes in. The shooting percentages were inflated. Also, we were playing three point teams early and we had to extend our defense to do it. Minnesota, California and Baylor were all offensive teams that were weaker on defense. Part of the better defense is that Indiana doesn’t shoot very well. Indiana is more of a defensive team and they aren’t quite as good as last year. Besides it’s early and we don’t know the real story yet.” Matt noted our incredible free throw shooting in Maui. “They have friendly baskets.” I guess it’s part of the “Aloha Spirit”.
Jim said he went to Maui because of Dave Odom. He joked with Dave about when he’s coming to see a game Syracuse. Odom told him “as soon as I can find it under the snow”. JB said everybody says that.
JB praised Noah Vonleh as “very, very good. They have a lot of young players and weren’t prepared for our defense again.“ Jim said something about “jumping into the passing game. There were some bad reads by Indiana. They were confused and our guys took advantage of it.” Matt mentioned something about CJ having a favorable match-up. Jim: “We’re going to go to CJ whatever the match-up is the guards are finding him. We survived a sub-par game from Jerami Grant for the first time. All four guys played well in Maui, which is unusual.”
Matt lauded our success in “challenge” matches, between the Big East and the ACC years ago, the Big Eats and SEC in recent years and now the ACC-Big 10. We’ve beaten some strong teams like Duke, Florida twice, (only one in a “challenge” match), Arkansas last year and Indiana this year.
The Knicks were playing the Nets on TV. “Not exactly a clash of titans”, per Matt. JB: “It’s injuries, older guys. If you are 36-37, you’re going to get hurt. Those teams just have to get healthy and they will play better. Melo can only do so much. Matt asked about the water spilling incident. Jim: “We used to spill water in the old days before TV. It’s a nice little trick to try. I don’t think he’ll do that again….The league won’t allow that.” About the problems with Lawrence Frank: “You’ve got a young head coach with a guy who has been a head coach and is used to running things. Being a smart player and good coach aren’t
the same thing. ” (At this point some violin music started to play in the background. It seemed appropriate for watching the Knicks and the Nets.) “The Nets have more injuries so the Knicks are probably better”, (they won big, 113-83). “The Knicks still have a chance. It’s early and it’s a weak conference. They are 2-3 games out of the lead.”
Charles Barkley thinks the NBA owes fans an apology for the quality of play in the league. JB: “It’s the young players. The quality of play is down because the young players aren’t as developed as well. . The league wants them and they want to go to the league, which forces veteran players out. In college football it doesn’t matter because the fans root for their team. The NBA is a star’s league.” Jim is impressed with Indiana and Portland, who have some young players who have “stepped up”.
Wes Johnson seems to have found a home with the Lakers. “He wasn’t a highly recruited player and he wasn’t a great player at Iowa State. He made himself into a great college player at Syracuse. He hasn’t taken it to the next level yet. Playing 2 guard negates his size and athletic ability. The Lakers are using him to go to the basket and rebound more.” The Lakers have given Kobe Bryant a new contract. “It’s a reward for what he’s done. But he’s still a good player when healthy. A lot depends on Gasol. Perimeter players fit D’Antoni’s system. The Spurs and the Thunder are the class of the west but Portland is playing extremely well. “
Binghamton won their second game last night- both on the road and are now 2-6. “They are playing a lot of young guys and take a lot of threes”. It will be interesting to check our 2 point defensive field goal percentage after that one. “They have a good young player in Jordan Reed. Cornell had us down by 16 and they are now 0-9. If you aren’t ready to play, I don’t care who you are playing. In the first four games, we had one good half- against Fordham...We haven’t had a lot of easy games. The hard games were easier than the easy games. We have to get better and become a better team. That’s what you do in December. We hope to get the younger players in there….Binghamton has a relatively new building and good support. It’s a pretty good basketball city. They like their sports in Binghamton.”
Reviewing the ACC, Pitt is 8-0, “a very solid team”. Duke and UNC are “great teams”. The Tar Heels have somehow lost to Belmont and UAB but beaten Louisville and Michigan State. “They are down 2 good players, (That would be PJ Hairston and Leslie McDonald), but have 7-8 MacDonald’s All Americans left. The four top teams beat the Big Ten but the others struggled. Florida State and Virginia will be good.”
They had an extended discussion of what Jimmy Dykes had called the “pick and pop” play. I couldn’t follow it. Somebody is both an “outstanding shooter and the best screener on the team” (CJ?) “Either the guard is open or Grant can go by the guy.” Apparently it’s one of our best plays.
DaJuan Coleman is “a presence”, (that he is), and “a work in progress. He showed good footwork vs. Indiana and finished with his left hand- he can use both hands.”
How good is this team? “There are still a lot of flaws. I could show you pictures. Guys missing assignments, not getting rebounds, etc. W e’ve got to get CJ in good positions where he doesn’t have to force it and get turnovers. Minnesota was not that good and yet it was a two point game at one point. St. Francis was tough. Those are the games I think about. Other people think about other games. It used to be that you could not play well and win some games but now it’s not the case in some situations.” In that last sentence, JB seemed to be channeling Casey Stengel.
Matt praised our rebounding. JB demurred, “Holding our own on the boards is not satisfactory with our size.” Matt pointed out that “Indian crashes the boards and that led to some fast breaks.” JB aggressed but it was my observation that we tended to fast break off of steals, not rebounds.
There were “no hard feelings” over Cooney’s foul. “It was a hard foul. He didn’t mean to do that.”
Gomez took over for the second hour, which was not interrupted by technical glitches. He wanted to know if the Coach had had a chance to enjoy bei9ng in Hawaii. “I didn’t get out until the day after the tournament. I walked along the beach and watched the kids. I’m not a swimmer. I’m not in the pool much at all. It wasn’t a vacation at all. One day there was nice. It was a good thing for the team, being together there for 7 days.”
They also talked about the Knicks-Nets, (see above), which led to a conversation about Mike Tomlin. JB didn’t think Tomlin attempted to impede the runner on purpose. He wondered why it wasn’t an automatic touchdown, which it should have been under the rules. “The ref should have handled it.”
They discussed Kobe Bryant’s new contract and whether he might have sacrificed money so the Lakers could get better players. JIM: “Very few, if any people have taken less money to improve a team. It’s not a socialistic system.”
The Spurs and Timberwolves were “smoked out” of a game in Mexico City due to a generator malfunction. “Somebody lost a lot of money.” Gomez asked if SU had ever had to postpo0ne a game. “A couple of times we couldn’t travel. Once the Georgetown game was delayed a day.” I remember Marv Albert saying that “Georgetown is here. We are here…but Syracuse isn’t here.”
Tyler Enniis is off to a great start: how does he compare to other freshmen in the nation? “He was underrated, not usually listed among the top 10-15 players. It takes them a while, (to become aware of such a player). He’s done as much as any freshman in the country in the hardest position to play.” Gomez compared him to Wayne Gretzky who “didn’t look spectacular because everything looked easy- there was no wasted effort”. He added that Tyler “doesn’t sweat”, which drew a chuckle from Jim.
Gomez asked if Jim had ever had a problem with players who didn’t want to play a zone. “They all want to play and they know if they don’t do it they aren’t going to play. We’ve never had a problem there.”
They talked about the death on Nelson Mandella, who used sports in an effort to untie the nation. “An amazing man. Not many like him. Actually, he’s in a class by himself.” Gomez asked if in his travels, Jim had ever met Nelson Mandella. He said not but he has met his daughter and son, or maybe he was a nephew. Very nice people.”
Gomez asked about Jameis Winston. JB: “The prosecutor looked like a very solid guy who knew what his job was and had a fair eye. He’s not swayed by public opinion. He based his judgment on facts and evidence. He didn’t feel he could prove it due to gaps in the woman’s story . Why take him out of football for 6 months or a year? If you think you can prove it, go ahead and do it. The DA in any city is likely a graduate or a fan of the local school. Any state or local prosecutor is going to be fair for objective. I wish they had asked him if this was a close call. I think he would say that it was not. It’s a bad thing either way.“ How much should character matter in the Heisman voting? “I don’t know. It really doesn’t say. I think you have to award the best player. In my mind the best player is Johnny Manziel but he lost his last couple of games. Winston should win. You can’t vote against him on the basis of an allegation.”
Fred in Oneida asserted that Jameis Winston was guilty, even if he wasn’t prosecuted. Jimmy jumped all over him. “Fred, what country do you live in? Everybody has a right to be presumed innocent here.” Fred started talking about the forensic evidence and alleged a “whitewash”. JB: “The whole thing came down to gaps and questions that she couldn’t answer. A blood alcohol level of 1.0 shouldn’t prevent her from remembering what happened and the circumstances. I don’t know what happened but if you aren’t prosecuted, you are innocent.”
Gomez asked who Jim would like to see in the national title game. “Alabama dominated the game at Auburn. Florida State is the bets team. Florida State-Alabama would be the best game but they won’t both get in. Of course Ohio State could lose and if Auburn lost it would be Missouri or Alabama. If Auburn had lost the tipped pass game, Alabama would have been in the SEC championship game they would have won it. I think Alabama would beat Ohio State every time they played. But you have to go with the uneaten team. It would be hard to pick 4 teams this year. * would be OK. With 2 or 4, you’re always going to get controversy.
They talked about the Boston College game. “It was a a really good football game with a great comeback. It’s one of the better games that has been played at the Dome. Our quarterback had a great game with a great drive at the end. The kid has shown real promise and could turn out to be a good player. It’s always good to get in more practices and an extra game.“
It’s Dick Vitale’s 34th anniversary at ESPN. His first game was Wisconsin vs. DePaul. “He knows his job. He keeps up with it. He’s a great ambassador for the game. He raises money for charity. He’s had a very good run.” (Ugh. That was hard to even type.)
Oklahoma State lost. “Smart sometimes doesn’t shoot it well but he’s still a very good all-around player.” Gomez noted that Travis Ford left him on the bench for an extended time to see how his team could play without him. “We kept CJ Fair out for a while and did pretty good without him.”
Rick in Syracuse wanted to know who the best athlete in basketball, football or baseball of the last 50 years was, saying his choice would be Willie Mays. Jim opted for Jim Brown, who was the greatest player in both football and lacrosse, played baseball in high school and was a one man track team.
I called in my second question at this point. But first I added this to the Jim Brown resume: he was asked to go to Melbourne for the 1956 Olympics to compete in the decathlon. The seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere and they were to be held in November. Jim would have had to skip his senior year of football. Ben Schwartzwalder talked him out of it. JB: “He would have done well down there, I’m sure.”
He explained Trevor Cooney’s improvement this year: “Numbers. Last year he was behind Michael and Brandon and knew that if he missed a shot, he’d be out of the game. Now he knows that if he misses, he needs to keep shooting. He’s comfortable. He’s also worked harder, gotten better. He did have 10 points in the first half against Georgetown last year, just as Michael had had some good moments the year before that. In both cases, it was no surprise when they did well.”
Gomez asked how players and referees are adjusting to the rule changes, (really the new emphasis on hand checking, etc.) Jim said both groups had adjusted and that fewer fouls are being called now as a result.
Gomez ended the show by saying there would be some kind of big announcement at 8 O’Clock in the morning. He didn’t say what. Apparently it was this:
http://www.syracuse.com/axeman/inde..._new_radio_home_for.html#incart_flyout_sports
The first hour is eventually, (it can take weeks) podcasted on the SU Athletics website on this page:
http://suathletics.com/podcasts.aspx
You can call into the show locally at 315-424-8599 or nationally at 1-888-746-2873. For Gomez’s portion, use 315-437-7644. Or you can submit questions from this page:
http://www.suathletics.com/sb_output.aspx?form=4
I will be posting my rough transcript of the first hour the night of the broadcast and will probably do the second hour the following day.
MY QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
First hour:
“Coach, in recent years we’ve been excellent at shutting down the other team inside the three point arc and forcing them to try to beat us from outside. Our last two teams allowed only 42.5% two point shooting percentage. Going into the Indiana game, this year’s team, for all its success, was allowing 51.4%. Against Indiana, we only allowed 11 for 27 shooting, (.407). What was the cause of the problem and the turn around?“
Second hour:
“Coach, last year Trevor Cooney struggled all season long with his shooting, (27% from three point range). This year he’s become the weapon we had hoped he can be, (47% from the arc). Again, what was the cause of the problem and what has been the solution?”
COACH BOEHEIM
(I have, in some instances, put together statements from different parts of the broadcast on the same subject)
With Matt Park:
Matt said that four straight wins over “major” teams have gotten people excited. (I guess the term “major” and “Division 1” have now separated into separate meanings.) JB: “Going to Hawaii and winning was good for the team. Going there an coming back is always a concern. Several times we haven’t played well. To come back and play like that was really good. Indiana played 10-11 guys to wear us down but it didn’t hurt us. Both guards played well. Trevor has been here for three years and is getting more opportunities. “
At this point, the radio feed cut out for the first of about 9 different times in the first 40 minutes of the show. We got a few sentences of the talk between Park and Boeheim, some apologies from the guy back at the station, sometimes both talking at the same time, a lot of their crummy “muzak” that plays during technical difficulties and a lot of dead air. Matt joked that “you can either have a good basketball program or a good radio show and we picked the right one.” If the narrative seems even more uneven than usual, it’s because much of it came in snippets. I’ve tried to turn them into conversations by putting together comments that were made in different parts of the broadcast on the same subject, including from the Gomez segment.
In between the interruptions, I somehow got my first question in, about the defense. JB: “It was playing in Maui. It’s a shooter’s paradise where any soft, short shot goes in. The shooting percentages were inflated. Also, we were playing three point teams early and we had to extend our defense to do it. Minnesota, California and Baylor were all offensive teams that were weaker on defense. Part of the better defense is that Indiana doesn’t shoot very well. Indiana is more of a defensive team and they aren’t quite as good as last year. Besides it’s early and we don’t know the real story yet.” Matt noted our incredible free throw shooting in Maui. “They have friendly baskets.” I guess it’s part of the “Aloha Spirit”.
Jim said he went to Maui because of Dave Odom. He joked with Dave about when he’s coming to see a game Syracuse. Odom told him “as soon as I can find it under the snow”. JB said everybody says that.
JB praised Noah Vonleh as “very, very good. They have a lot of young players and weren’t prepared for our defense again.“ Jim said something about “jumping into the passing game. There were some bad reads by Indiana. They were confused and our guys took advantage of it.” Matt mentioned something about CJ having a favorable match-up. Jim: “We’re going to go to CJ whatever the match-up is the guards are finding him. We survived a sub-par game from Jerami Grant for the first time. All four guys played well in Maui, which is unusual.”
Matt lauded our success in “challenge” matches, between the Big East and the ACC years ago, the Big Eats and SEC in recent years and now the ACC-Big 10. We’ve beaten some strong teams like Duke, Florida twice, (only one in a “challenge” match), Arkansas last year and Indiana this year.
The Knicks were playing the Nets on TV. “Not exactly a clash of titans”, per Matt. JB: “It’s injuries, older guys. If you are 36-37, you’re going to get hurt. Those teams just have to get healthy and they will play better. Melo can only do so much. Matt asked about the water spilling incident. Jim: “We used to spill water in the old days before TV. It’s a nice little trick to try. I don’t think he’ll do that again….The league won’t allow that.” About the problems with Lawrence Frank: “You’ve got a young head coach with a guy who has been a head coach and is used to running things. Being a smart player and good coach aren’t
the same thing. ” (At this point some violin music started to play in the background. It seemed appropriate for watching the Knicks and the Nets.) “The Nets have more injuries so the Knicks are probably better”, (they won big, 113-83). “The Knicks still have a chance. It’s early and it’s a weak conference. They are 2-3 games out of the lead.”
Charles Barkley thinks the NBA owes fans an apology for the quality of play in the league. JB: “It’s the young players. The quality of play is down because the young players aren’t as developed as well. . The league wants them and they want to go to the league, which forces veteran players out. In college football it doesn’t matter because the fans root for their team. The NBA is a star’s league.” Jim is impressed with Indiana and Portland, who have some young players who have “stepped up”.
Wes Johnson seems to have found a home with the Lakers. “He wasn’t a highly recruited player and he wasn’t a great player at Iowa State. He made himself into a great college player at Syracuse. He hasn’t taken it to the next level yet. Playing 2 guard negates his size and athletic ability. The Lakers are using him to go to the basket and rebound more.” The Lakers have given Kobe Bryant a new contract. “It’s a reward for what he’s done. But he’s still a good player when healthy. A lot depends on Gasol. Perimeter players fit D’Antoni’s system. The Spurs and the Thunder are the class of the west but Portland is playing extremely well. “
Binghamton won their second game last night- both on the road and are now 2-6. “They are playing a lot of young guys and take a lot of threes”. It will be interesting to check our 2 point defensive field goal percentage after that one. “They have a good young player in Jordan Reed. Cornell had us down by 16 and they are now 0-9. If you aren’t ready to play, I don’t care who you are playing. In the first four games, we had one good half- against Fordham...We haven’t had a lot of easy games. The hard games were easier than the easy games. We have to get better and become a better team. That’s what you do in December. We hope to get the younger players in there….Binghamton has a relatively new building and good support. It’s a pretty good basketball city. They like their sports in Binghamton.”
Reviewing the ACC, Pitt is 8-0, “a very solid team”. Duke and UNC are “great teams”. The Tar Heels have somehow lost to Belmont and UAB but beaten Louisville and Michigan State. “They are down 2 good players, (That would be PJ Hairston and Leslie McDonald), but have 7-8 MacDonald’s All Americans left. The four top teams beat the Big Ten but the others struggled. Florida State and Virginia will be good.”
They had an extended discussion of what Jimmy Dykes had called the “pick and pop” play. I couldn’t follow it. Somebody is both an “outstanding shooter and the best screener on the team” (CJ?) “Either the guard is open or Grant can go by the guy.” Apparently it’s one of our best plays.
DaJuan Coleman is “a presence”, (that he is), and “a work in progress. He showed good footwork vs. Indiana and finished with his left hand- he can use both hands.”
How good is this team? “There are still a lot of flaws. I could show you pictures. Guys missing assignments, not getting rebounds, etc. W e’ve got to get CJ in good positions where he doesn’t have to force it and get turnovers. Minnesota was not that good and yet it was a two point game at one point. St. Francis was tough. Those are the games I think about. Other people think about other games. It used to be that you could not play well and win some games but now it’s not the case in some situations.” In that last sentence, JB seemed to be channeling Casey Stengel.
Matt praised our rebounding. JB demurred, “Holding our own on the boards is not satisfactory with our size.” Matt pointed out that “Indian crashes the boards and that led to some fast breaks.” JB aggressed but it was my observation that we tended to fast break off of steals, not rebounds.
There were “no hard feelings” over Cooney’s foul. “It was a hard foul. He didn’t mean to do that.”
Gomez took over for the second hour, which was not interrupted by technical glitches. He wanted to know if the Coach had had a chance to enjoy bei9ng in Hawaii. “I didn’t get out until the day after the tournament. I walked along the beach and watched the kids. I’m not a swimmer. I’m not in the pool much at all. It wasn’t a vacation at all. One day there was nice. It was a good thing for the team, being together there for 7 days.”
They also talked about the Knicks-Nets, (see above), which led to a conversation about Mike Tomlin. JB didn’t think Tomlin attempted to impede the runner on purpose. He wondered why it wasn’t an automatic touchdown, which it should have been under the rules. “The ref should have handled it.”
They discussed Kobe Bryant’s new contract and whether he might have sacrificed money so the Lakers could get better players. JIM: “Very few, if any people have taken less money to improve a team. It’s not a socialistic system.”
The Spurs and Timberwolves were “smoked out” of a game in Mexico City due to a generator malfunction. “Somebody lost a lot of money.” Gomez asked if SU had ever had to postpo0ne a game. “A couple of times we couldn’t travel. Once the Georgetown game was delayed a day.” I remember Marv Albert saying that “Georgetown is here. We are here…but Syracuse isn’t here.”
Tyler Enniis is off to a great start: how does he compare to other freshmen in the nation? “He was underrated, not usually listed among the top 10-15 players. It takes them a while, (to become aware of such a player). He’s done as much as any freshman in the country in the hardest position to play.” Gomez compared him to Wayne Gretzky who “didn’t look spectacular because everything looked easy- there was no wasted effort”. He added that Tyler “doesn’t sweat”, which drew a chuckle from Jim.
Gomez asked if Jim had ever had a problem with players who didn’t want to play a zone. “They all want to play and they know if they don’t do it they aren’t going to play. We’ve never had a problem there.”
They talked about the death on Nelson Mandella, who used sports in an effort to untie the nation. “An amazing man. Not many like him. Actually, he’s in a class by himself.” Gomez asked if in his travels, Jim had ever met Nelson Mandella. He said not but he has met his daughter and son, or maybe he was a nephew. Very nice people.”
Gomez asked about Jameis Winston. JB: “The prosecutor looked like a very solid guy who knew what his job was and had a fair eye. He’s not swayed by public opinion. He based his judgment on facts and evidence. He didn’t feel he could prove it due to gaps in the woman’s story . Why take him out of football for 6 months or a year? If you think you can prove it, go ahead and do it. The DA in any city is likely a graduate or a fan of the local school. Any state or local prosecutor is going to be fair for objective. I wish they had asked him if this was a close call. I think he would say that it was not. It’s a bad thing either way.“ How much should character matter in the Heisman voting? “I don’t know. It really doesn’t say. I think you have to award the best player. In my mind the best player is Johnny Manziel but he lost his last couple of games. Winston should win. You can’t vote against him on the basis of an allegation.”
Fred in Oneida asserted that Jameis Winston was guilty, even if he wasn’t prosecuted. Jimmy jumped all over him. “Fred, what country do you live in? Everybody has a right to be presumed innocent here.” Fred started talking about the forensic evidence and alleged a “whitewash”. JB: “The whole thing came down to gaps and questions that she couldn’t answer. A blood alcohol level of 1.0 shouldn’t prevent her from remembering what happened and the circumstances. I don’t know what happened but if you aren’t prosecuted, you are innocent.”
Gomez asked who Jim would like to see in the national title game. “Alabama dominated the game at Auburn. Florida State is the bets team. Florida State-Alabama would be the best game but they won’t both get in. Of course Ohio State could lose and if Auburn lost it would be Missouri or Alabama. If Auburn had lost the tipped pass game, Alabama would have been in the SEC championship game they would have won it. I think Alabama would beat Ohio State every time they played. But you have to go with the uneaten team. It would be hard to pick 4 teams this year. * would be OK. With 2 or 4, you’re always going to get controversy.
They talked about the Boston College game. “It was a a really good football game with a great comeback. It’s one of the better games that has been played at the Dome. Our quarterback had a great game with a great drive at the end. The kid has shown real promise and could turn out to be a good player. It’s always good to get in more practices and an extra game.“
It’s Dick Vitale’s 34th anniversary at ESPN. His first game was Wisconsin vs. DePaul. “He knows his job. He keeps up with it. He’s a great ambassador for the game. He raises money for charity. He’s had a very good run.” (Ugh. That was hard to even type.)
Oklahoma State lost. “Smart sometimes doesn’t shoot it well but he’s still a very good all-around player.” Gomez noted that Travis Ford left him on the bench for an extended time to see how his team could play without him. “We kept CJ Fair out for a while and did pretty good without him.”
Rick in Syracuse wanted to know who the best athlete in basketball, football or baseball of the last 50 years was, saying his choice would be Willie Mays. Jim opted for Jim Brown, who was the greatest player in both football and lacrosse, played baseball in high school and was a one man track team.
I called in my second question at this point. But first I added this to the Jim Brown resume: he was asked to go to Melbourne for the 1956 Olympics to compete in the decathlon. The seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere and they were to be held in November. Jim would have had to skip his senior year of football. Ben Schwartzwalder talked him out of it. JB: “He would have done well down there, I’m sure.”
He explained Trevor Cooney’s improvement this year: “Numbers. Last year he was behind Michael and Brandon and knew that if he missed a shot, he’d be out of the game. Now he knows that if he misses, he needs to keep shooting. He’s comfortable. He’s also worked harder, gotten better. He did have 10 points in the first half against Georgetown last year, just as Michael had had some good moments the year before that. In both cases, it was no surprise when they did well.”
Gomez asked how players and referees are adjusting to the rule changes, (really the new emphasis on hand checking, etc.) Jim said both groups had adjusted and that fewer fouls are being called now as a result.
Gomez ended the show by saying there would be some kind of big announcement at 8 O’Clock in the morning. He didn’t say what. Apparently it was this:
http://www.syracuse.com/axeman/inde..._new_radio_home_for.html#incart_flyout_sports
