I have two rules that I run by. (1) Don't let anyone pass you. (2) Finish strong. By finish strong, I mean finish the last 80-100 yards in a hard run and the last 40-50 in a sprint. Now, I get passed, more these days than in the past, but when I do, I push myself to pick up the pace. Its just my nature. My goal is to catch 'em. Now that we have some context, lets get to today.
Today, my pace was terrible. My time was bad. I got passed by a paraplegic couple! You don't know me, but the fact that I have rules that I run by should tell you enough to know that this was unacceptable. I was on the Tobacco Trail in about mile 2.25. Now, I am cruising along cussing myself for not eating, Coach K for being Coach K, and Karl Hess for sucking at his profession (check out his rate if you click the link) when I hear a weird noise creeping up on me. While the Tobacco Trail is relatively flat, I was on a gradual decline and this paraplegic couple comes cruising by in these murderball chairs. Okay, I made that last part about the murderball chairs up. So when they go cruising by, Rule 1 kicks in and I've got to catch them. Turns out, up hill isn't that easy and get them relatively quickly a quarter of a mile later. Haha. Don't judge me. Well, as I said, I am running low on fuel and might have pushed myself a little too hard because I cramped up. I have to walk it off. And you know what. While I am walking, I hear that same weird noise and they go right by again. Motherfucker! Its not enough that things didn't go well in Greensboro, but I am literally getting passed by paraplegics on my skinny-fat 5k. Twice! What the fuck! Rule 2, finish hard. Of course, this can't stand and I get them. I dig in and beat them in the last 80 yards in a race they didn't know they were running. They were having a casual conversation and I was digging deep . . . to WIN! And I got 'em. Don't judge me. You know it is a good story when it has two "don't judge me" lines . . . . Don't judge me.
So why was I pissed?
Oh, you know!
First of all, the more aggressive and focused team to start the game and set the tone won the game. I love this team, but Roy Williams had it right. Today, experience beat talent. dook came out attacking on both ends. They got a comfortable lead after another slow start and it caught up with us. Okay. I am done being politically correct. PC is the shit I want to hear from the coaches, players, and (in this case) a former player.
DeweyBurke Dewey Burke
Refs may b bad but good teams beat bad refs. Duke played way, way, way harder than us. That's what matters. Play harder & good things happen
I'm not a player. I'm a blogger and I'm (charge)d up!
Tweet of the Day
College hoops needs charge circle. No way that Strickland's dunk is a charge. Defense does not need more help; offense does. NBA gets it.
This is not a charge!
This is a POSTERIZATION and one!
I don't know what it is about dook that gets refs so excited about calling charges, but it is ruining college basketball. Just ask Jay Bilas. Charges are too freely given. The benefit of the doubt should go to the offensive player unless it is a blatant charge. Blatant is defined as very obvious. That means, if it is a close bang-bang play, it is a blocking foul! Unless the offensive player goes through the defender, it is a blocking foul. By through, I mean straight through, not off to the side with minimal contact. THAT IS NOT A CHARGE!
Now, today this particular charge hurt. First of all, it was Dex's second foul. The first charge was questionable in my opinion as well, but not as egregious as this one. I've notice a trend. When Dex picks up questionable charging fouls that limit his minutes against dook, dook wins. Funny how that works. Our best on-the-ball defender is taken out of the game and dook gets the advantage.
I know what some of you are saying, "Dex needs to adjust to the officiating and not pick up those fouls." NO OFFENSE, BUT YOU COULDN'T BE MORE WRONG IF YOU WERE TRYING TO WIN AN IMAGINARY FOOT RACE WITH A COUPLE IN WHEEL CHAIRS.
What is the strongest part of Dex's game? His ability to get to and attack the rim off the bounce. If you take that away from him with questionable charge calls, advantage dook. It is a damned if you, damned if you don't situation that gives dook the advantage because the officials are enforcing the rules incorrectly.
In my opinion, that call was the difference in the game. It came with 14:26 remaining in the first half. That play is a momentum changer. After another bad start, that dunk would have made the score 13-8, pulling us to within five and setting the crowd on fire. I am a believer in momentum in sports, especially basketball, and Karl Hess stole not only the momentum with a bad call, but put Dex on the bench, eliminating our best on-the-ball defender. Sure there are other moments and one play doesn't win or loose a game, but one call can cripple your chances. That call was crippling.
I was angry after the game. I just felt cheated out of the game. We weren't allowed to decide it on the court. The best officials are anonymous. Karl Hess and Bryan Kersey are not. Karl Hess is just a bad official (awful), Bryan Kersey is scared of Coach K, and we suffered because of it. I feel like the officials robbed us of our opportunity to win the game and nothing anyone can say will change my mind. The officiating was so bad that even Rece Davis commented about it after the game during the coverage before the NCAA selection show. The ACC should be embarrassed that it cannot procure better officials for its Championship game. EMBARRASSED!
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