My Corner of the World

Monday, March 20, 2006

For the first time since 1995, the University of Memphis is in the sweet 16. What a long road back to glory it has been for this basketball program. None of us would have ever believed that year it would take 11 to make it back.

We took 41 phone calls on the postgame show yesterday, not quite a record, but close. It's really satisfying to see the city come alive in support for the Tigers. Business have "Go Tigers" on billboards & painted in store windows. Every other car you see has a Tiger windsock or the magnets on the door.

Tipoff against Bradley is Thursday at 6:27 p.m., with the pregame show starting at 5 p.m.

---

What are folks around the country saying about the Tigers? Take a look:

Calvin Watkins, The Dallas Morning News - Defense proves Memphis belongs

Joseph Duarte, The Houston Chronicle - Memphis displays top-seed attitude

Joe Biddle, The Tennessean - Top seed Memphis sprints to Sweet 16

Gary Parrish, The Commercial Appeal - Tigers' quickness, athleticismmay have made believers of Bucknell

Thayer Evans, The New York Times - Memphis Continues to Silence Doubters With 2nd Easy Victory

Pat Forde, ESPN.com - Memphis' biggest problem? Two great guards (Is this really a problem? Seems like Forde is fishing to find a problem where one does not exist.)

Roger Rubin, New York Daily News - Andre the giant

Mark Schlabach, The Washington Post - Tigers Wear Down Bison to Advance

---

So far in the NCAA tournament 10 teams have beaten competitors seeded at least five spots higher, tying a record set in 1986 then matched in 1990 & again in 2002.

---

Fans of the Dallas Cowboys are not sure how to feel over the signing of troubled WR Terrell Owens. Sure, the guy brings a lot of baggage, but if he helps them win & keeps his mouth shut they can quickly forgive. Honestly, I believe it will be almost impossible for him to shutup & win. Quite frankly we should set the over-under for how many weeks into the season it takes for him to start whining.

How will coach Bill Parcells handle it? Will Jerry Jones let him handle it? We wil surely know the answers to these questions this fall at a stadium near you & then re-played on ESPN until we are sick of it.

---

Is Mississippi looking to Mobile for their next basketball coach? Today's Mobile Register reports South Alabama head basketball coach John Pelphrey will be interviewed today by the Rebels.

He's a former Kentucky player who began his coaching career as an assistant with Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State from 1993-94 before joining Billy Donovan's staff at Marshall in 1995-96, then moving with Donovan when he took over the Florida program through 2002, before accepting his first head coaching job at South Alabama.

Pelphrey joins Cincinnati interim head coach Andy Kennedy & Murray State head coach Mick Cronin on the rumored short-list of candidates.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home