Odds and Ends, Part5
Things seem to be going well with the basketball team and we should be
undefeated when we meet the Deacons on December 20th. Just for fun, I checked
with one of the prominent ticket brokers the other day to see what tickets for
the Wake game were going for. I thought this would be a good barometer for
measuring interest in the Carolina team this year, at least to "fat cats" who
can afford tickets through this medium. In accordance with my belief that "
nothing means anything until it's compared to something" let me say that the
highest I have ever heard of tickets being sold outside the Smith Center was
several years ago when both Duke and UNC were in the top five, they were going
for $600 a piece. The broker informed me that the lowest priced ticket they have
for the Wake game is $200 each and seats near mid court are going for $600 each.
It will be interesting to see if the interest will wane when we suffer our first
defeat. I am not saying we are going to lose to the Deacs.
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Interesting occurrence in the UVA-Va. Tech basketball game the other night. I
have never known what the guidelines are for technical fouls based on verbal
utterances, but apparently it is a combination of what is said, how it is said
and whether body language is involved. Todd Billet was hit with a technical for
saying to the official "I'm not going to let him run over me." This came after
Billet had been charged with a foul for the defense he was playing. The best
idea might be to not talk with the official at all, especially when one is upset
over something that has gone on in the game. Recently, I saw a player put his
arms around an official which is certainly blurring the line between official
and player. Touching should be a no no unless it is an accident, period.
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It's worthy of note that the two top players in the UVA-Va. Tech, one from each
school, are from the same town in Pennsylvania. Jones from Tech. and Schaub from
UVA are both from Chester, Pa. The announcer did say something that I didn't
catch about one of them being from West Chester but it still speaks very well
for athletes from that community to have two such prominent individuals playing
at the highest collegiate level. It's even more unbelievable that they would be
playing in the same game so far from home. The world seems to shrink more and
more with each passing day.
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A small section appeared in the Richmond-Times Dispatch before the UVA-Va. Tech.
game, entitled "Hear The One About" and contained jokes about the two schools.
One hit my funny bone and I am passing it along with full anticipation that some
ingenious Tar Heel will substitute the names of the Virginia schools with the
names of UNC and the individual's most hated rival. Reminds me of when "Aggie"
jokes were the rage.
Everybody had an "Aggie" joke they had modified to fit their needs. With modern
communications being what they are, nothing stays local anymore if it holds any
interest for people in other parts of the country and can be easily modified.
Here goes. "There was a first grade teacher who asked her class one day 'How
many of you are Cavaliers?' Not really knowing what a Cavalier was and wanting
to be like their teacher, the children's hands went up like a flash of
fireworks. Except for one.
'Katlin.' the teacher asked, 'Why didn't you raise your hand?'
'Because,' Katlin said, 'I am not a cavalier.'
The teacher, quite perturbed, asked, 'Then what are you?'
"Why I'm a proud Hokie,' she replied.
The teacher, infuriated by this comment, said, 'What makes you a Hokie?'
'Well', Katlin said, 'My Mom is a Hokie and my dad is a Hokie, so that makes me
a Hokie, too.'
'Well', said the teacher, 'What if your Mom was a moron and your Dad was a
moron? What would that make you?'
'Then' she said with a smile, 'I'd be a Cavalier."
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Has anybody, other than me, noticed the big white guy on Duke's basketball team
who is the spitting image of Matt Christianson. Good Lord, weren't we saddled
with having to look at that creep long enough?
Seemed like he was there forever and never did make a contribution to Duke
basketball other than to continually shout "Let's go." He was lucky to have
gotten off so light for the incident after the Indiana game where he accosted a
game official for not calling a foul on Indiana which would have given Duke a
chance to tie and possibly win the game.
I know people shouldn't be held accountable for the way they look, but I think
if I had been this guy, I would have chosen another school. Of course, there are
probably some people who view Christianson as a hero.
The same as with another Duke player by the name of Buckner. Isn't it odd that
the players who seem to involve themselves in these kinds of incidents are often
reserves and not the major players in the game involved.
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I think the most frustrated I have ever been while watching a basketball game on
TV was during the UNC-Illinois game when someone decided that we fans would
rather see and hear John Swofford and Jim Dulany be interviewed rather than
seeing what was transpiring on the floor. I'm sure there was a reason for doing
it, but the interview was not all that informative and certainly was not very
entertaining. I should have expected something like this, though, because it
seems like every time I get a new TV, the first game on it is something less
than pleasurable.
My first game on my first color set was a terrible loss to Maryland in the ACC
Tournament in the early 70s. I have had my 54" wide screen TV for over a year
waiting for High Definition but the ACC-Big 10 Challenge was the first game
available after I got the new control box and expanded stations. I can't believe
they left a new remote without saying a word to me about how to operate it. In
fact, I spotted it on top of the TV after the installer had left the house and I
thought he had mistakenly left it behind. I raced out to his van only to be told
that the remote was for me to use. No instructions whatsoever. I have struggled
with it for several days now and I have finally gotten to where I can access
anything I want to but I have to use a total of four remotes to do so. In the
process, I think I inadvertently clicked on the Playboy channel and I can't wait
for Mrs. Ramfanatic to inquire as to what the hell a charge for pay-for-view is
doing on our bill.
Honestly, I thought it was one of those free preview things I have seen on the
movie channels, but I have reconciled myself to the fact that I'm going to have
some serious explaining to do in the near future. Worst part is that I watched
only about 5 minutes of the selection and I'm sure I am going to be charged for
the entire thing. Other than the above, HD is pretty good. Now, all I need to do
is get surround sound.
If I keep on, maybe I'll soon be in the 21st Century.
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Sorry for so much material being about Virginia teams. I'll try to watch that in
the future.