4th-n-Inches

Even Keel Down Under

missann1 — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:59:02 +0000

No threat; just a little sweat this time.

Serena Williams kept her cool and bucked the trend to win the Aussie Open in an even year by finishing off comeback kid Justine Henin in three sets. During the tense match-up, Miss 12-time Slam Champion unveiled a nifty slice to complement her power arsenal. Justine’s game was solid but Serena’s stamina proved too much.

The pairing was a much needed shot in the arm for women’s tennis. Glam girls Sharapova, Ivanovic, and Jankovic are slumping and the Justine-Serena rivalry is as fiery as any other thanks to the infamous hand incident. I predict a rematch in the final at Roland Garros. Justine should be the favorite on clay and Serena expressed a desire to win another French Open so she can have at least a pair of trophies from each slam. It’s nice to see the oldheads running things.

In other news, Roger Federer defeated Andy Murray in straight sets. That’s 16 slams and counting. Gotta love a champion.

Cush League

missann1 — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:58:45 +0000

Right around this time of the season, the disparity in BCS conference quality begins to rear its head. Even in a year when things seem wide open, certain leagues hold an advantage because of lesser competition and lack of a conference championship to end the regular season.

Today’s games only solidified conventional wisdom that the SEC comprises the best teams, and presents a series of landmines each week for the best teams. #1 Florida showed it mettle coming out of Death Valley unscathed by #4 LSU . #2 Bama rolled Ole Miss. Arkansas dismissed previously undefeated Auburn. In a bubble where a lone loss could prove fatal, it all seems a little unfair.

Surely, all SEC teams would love the chance to ram through the Big 10, Big East, ACC, and Pac 10 and recieve and an assured golden ticket. That’s still a distinct possibility for Cincinnati and Iowa who can run the table and shut out some seemingly more worthy opponents. If not for an unfortunate personnel injury at Washington, USC would be favored to finish with no blemish.

So is the solution to court entry into lesser conferences? Hardly. The SEC boasts the last three national champions and has built up such a reputation that voters reward SEC teams with high rankings even after losses. So you see, there’s still honor in earning it the tough way.

Poof! Miner Style

missann1 — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:05:16 +0000

So no sooner had we anointed the Houston Cougars worldshockers, here come those Miners from El Paso to spoil the fun. Devising its own shocker, UTEP outscored to point crazy UH, putting them back in their place -alongside their Conference USA mates.

In other news, we can scratch Oklahoma and Cal from the national title contender list. Both suffered a second loss Saturday, effectively ending all hope for the crystal football. Yet stranger things have happened – think 2007. Isn’t college football grand?

Celebration Aberration

missann1 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:04:41 +0000

So I’m watching the Georgia-LSU game and the refs have effectively determined the outcome with excessive penalty calls. Bulldog receiver A.J. Green acrobatically catches a TD pass and is rushed by teammates. He has his hands down and was moving off the field. He momentarily looks to the crowd. Boom! – flag. Fifteen yards on the ensuing kickoff, when LSU only needed a field goal to win. Huge.

As a make-up call, the refs throw the same flag on LSU 30 seconds later. But the damage was done. Georgia was flagged earlier after a long reception when the receiver was just hyping the crowd a little as the drove down to take the lead.

Lots of new rules this year. The seem to hurt the game more than help, though.

Cougar Town?

missann1 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:51:38 +0000

As expected, we still have three potential BCS busters in October. However the news is that one wasn’t on the initial party crasher list.

In September, the Cougars from BYU looked poised to run the table after a blast-off win against the No.3 Sooners. Fast forward a couple weeks and BYU looks dull while some other Cougars from the south ascend the rankings.

The Houston Cougars defeated two Big 12 foes to smash onto the national radar. First, the Cougs threw all over Oklahoma State in Stillwater. Yet system protocol was evident as the Pokes were still ranked ahead of Houston in the ensuing polls.

Houston vaulted to the 12th spot with a win over lackluster Texas Tech, who had just come off a snoozer loss at UT. The game featured some late heroics and the UH fans stormed the field, but do the Cougs stand a chance? Not really.

Houston plays in Conference USA which means they get to play out 2009 against the likes of UTEP and Tulsa, both of which have been stomped by Big 12 opponents in non-conference play. So there’s virtually no chance of moving up as the season progresses. TCU and Boise State hold a similar fate although the Broncos currently boast a Top 5 perch.

Human voters and BCS insiders have an idea of the way things should be, and party crashers don’t fit the mold.

Jet Court

missann1 — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:17:35 +0000

Many minorities will confess they’d rather encounter overt racism than be the victim of undercover schemes and discrimination. So perhaps some solace can be taken from the Wimbledon and BBC in their proclamation that Centre Court pairings are somewhat based on beauty. To quote, the order of preference is “a Brit”, then “a babe”.

There’s so many issues here. One, this criteria holds only for the women’s brackets. Apparently, the men’s placement is still based on merit. Secondly, pretty to whom. What is attractive? The clear message is “not the Williams sisters” as they were banished to lesser courts as lower-seeded players dueled on the premier stage. There are so many social dynamics at play here, but I digress. At least they’re honest.

I suppose they weren’t too pleased with the Williamses’ semi-final sweep today. Centre Court, anyone?

Jam-Packed June

missann1 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:32:53 +0000

Just when I feel the last smidgen of exhilarating sports had exited with the Kobe’s manhandling the Magic, tennis, golf, hockey and a most surprising competitor raised the stakes. Game 7 for the Stanley Cup proved watchable. Drama filled the women’s French Open final, even if the men’s final was a snoozer. Some newbies and a relative old-timer (Hey Duval!) crashed the US Open and Bethpage Black. What else can I handle?? After all, it’s summer – the greatest lull in sports.

So today brings another tense chapter. This morning, Sharapova is eliminated in the first round of Wimbledon after showing so much promise in the French. And tonight, LSU pummels the Horns for in the deciding game to garner their sixth national title in a relatively short span. Dynasty material?

Traditional Power Surge

missann1 — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:30:53 +0000

Congrats to North Carolina and Connecticut on yet another championship banner to hang from their respective rafters. Their runs were impressive and deserved, neither seriously pressed over the course of the tournament. (Yes, I remember the LSU game on the men’s side; but was the outcome truly in question?) The mismatches dished up painful viewing for the television audience -and those present at the games – unless of course you’re a Tarheel or Huskie.

Michigan State played David to Carolina’s Goliath, but the Philistine didn’t overlook the small guy this time. The size differential was unsettling. How did MSU get past UConn, again? The Spartans tried to run, but Carolina was two steps ahead. They shot from the perimeter; the shot wouldn’t fall and Carolina allowed no second chances. Ty Lawson ruled the floor. It was a clinic.

Kudos to the Lady Huskies also. Perfect seasons are hard to come by, no matter the sport. Intimidation works wonders too. I doubt if any of the other teams truly believed they could beat UConn. The beat OU by 30 early in the season. The pasted conferencemate Louisville twice before the final meeting. You can’t teach confidence and domination like that. They’ve got “it”. Peculiar, because this is at least the second UConn squad to be so untouchable.

Improbable Four

missann1 — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:56:26 +0000

It may just be a first – I failed to pick a single Final Four team. I admit it. I fell for the Big East supremacy argument, not that it doesn’t hold water. I barely glanced at the Midwest before declaring the Louisville that regional’s victor. I had Pitt topping Nova in the East. Syracuse was supposed to rally past OU and Carolina to represent the South. And Memphis would dash by Uconn in the West regional.

After two weeks of madness, parity and grit are truly something to behold. I was shocked, disappointed, and elated (is that possible?) to see Mizzou manhandle Memphis. Although I love the disrespected Tigers, we had a Cinderella – if a 3 seed can ever be considered as such. Two days later Cinderella let the Huskies step in the Big Dance. Awww.

But the shocker of them all is Michigan State. I gotta hand it to the Spartans – they believed. I hadn’t seen much Big Ten roundball this season, but I recall final scores that read like halftime tallies. Color me unimpressed. During the pre-game coverage, CBS showed how the downtrodden state of Michigan was cheering for MSU as their one glimmer of hope in the vast economic despair. Yet, even their masterful coach Tom Izzo seemed to doubt they could keep up with speedy Louisville. Who couldn’t root for the Spartans after that? I kept looking for the Cards to make a run and put MSU away. It didn’t happen. Good for MSU and good for Michiganders everywhere.

Home Sweet 16

missann1 — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:05:37 +0000

A peek into the ladies’ tournament: A not-so-funny event occurred Tuesday night in East Lansing. Ninth-seeded Michigan State upended #1 Duke. A grand feat made all the more possible with a home court advantage – for the lower seed.

In the past, top teams received high seeds and home court in the first two rounds. This system cut travel expenses (not a bad idea in these times) and rewarded good regular season performance. This year, schools – not cities – host the first two rounds and by the luck of the draw several low-seeded teams (Iowa, MSU, Rutgers to name a few) were in a position to post mammoth upsets. Auburn and Duke fell victim.

Surely a better system can be drafted. The NCAA has changed the women’s tournament several times in the past decade. It really runs contrary to seeding tenets to penalize a top seed with a virtual road game. The tide may turn for some in the next rounds as the regional games shift location. Oklahoma will surely have a partisan crowd in the OKC regional, having dodged a road game with Iowa. Still, it’s the principle of the matter.