I don't know if I talked about it at length here, but I think I figured out how my video of Eli and Jawz squaring off in a Battle Royale with Cheese was the YouTube video that would launch a thousand blog entries, TV news stories, ESPN conversations, etc.
I think it all started here and here.
Let's go back to the beginning...
Tuesday
6:30 p.m. CDT: (or so): The mascots got ejected for fighting during a timeout.
6:41 p.m. CDT: I post a one sentence entry about the fight to this blog.
Wednesday
12:35 a.m. CDT: I uploaded my video of the fight to YouTube.
2:41 a.m. CDT: I upload a link to the video on this blog.
6 - 11 a.m. CDT: As I'm waiting for my flight home from Tulsa, I sit in the airport and bump around the Internet on my iPhone. Amidst the bumping, I notice I'm getting lots of traffic to this blog. All the hits seem to be coming from Tulsa.Rivals.com. By the end of Wednesday, this blog received 120 hits...a ONE THOUSAND PERCENT INCREASE!
7 p.m. EDT: After a long day of traveling, I go straight to bed once I get home. I don't re-surface until 7 a.m. the following morning.
And to what did I awaken?
* My YouTube video received more than 40,000 hits in about a day and a half
* I got word the Tulsa World ran a story about the brawl, directly citing (and linking to) my YouTube video: "The incident sparked interest Wednesday after a portion of the scuffle appeared on youtube.com, a popular Internet site for viewing, sharing and uploading video content."
* ESPN contacted me to use the video.
* Several local affiliates across the nation broadcast it or portions of other video captured by IUPUI and a Tulsa affiliate.
* It appeared on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann Thursday night.
* By week's end, the Jawz vs. Eli scuffle has become an all-out Internet sensation...my YouTube video has garnered nearly a quarter-million hits.
Of course, no one knows nor cares about Patient Zero in this entire thing...unless you're Patient Zero. In this case, I am Patient Zero! And I will remind you of that as often as necessary.
Why? Since I stand to gain nary a penny from this whole thing, I feel it's to my best interest to remind the world who broke this thing wide open. This is my Watergate. My Zapruder film. My stained, blue dress. It is my one and only claim to Internet fame and I plan to exploit it so this site may receive more traffic.
Just remember, boys and girls, it was SummitLeague.blogspot.com who broke this story.
EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY followed me on this one.
Let's not let that minor detail escape, eh?
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
of mascot brawls, overnight 'net sensations & credit for breaking the story first.
Monday, March 17, 2008
system didn't reward good teams: ron hunter.
IUPUI Head Coach Ron Hunter didn't hide his displeasure with getting ignored by the NIT and the Biggest Farce in Basketball CBI. From the Indianapolis Star:
Jaguars left out of postseason play
IUPUI doesn't receive and invitation to participate in any of the 3 tournaments despite putting together a 26-7 record
By Curt Cavin
IUPUI wasn't invited to any of this season's basketball dances.
Jaguars coach Ron Hunter believes being from a non-traditional hoops program cost his team a bid in any of the three events: the NCAA Tournament, the National Invitational Tournament or the new College Basketball Invitational.
"A lot of it has to do with what's written on our chests," Hunter said. "It wasn't about the body of our work." Read more.
I honestly wonder how this will motivate IUPUI's returning players next season. I guess time will tell.
college basketball invitational is a big, fat disgrace.
When you hear the term "invitational" invoked for a basketball tournament, you can rest assured it means the best teams will not always get chosen. In the case of the College Basketball Invitational, it didn't matter who was best or even most deserving. In fact, I'm not really sure how the decision makers behind the CBI arrived at their pairings.
The 16 teams selected in the wee hours--after the NCAA and NIT fields were set--all have one thing in common: NONE HAVE A HIGHER RPI THAN IUPUI.
The upcoming games:
Tuesday, March 18
Richmond at Virginia - 7 p.m.
Houston at Nevada - 9 p.m.
Brown at Ohio - TBA
Rider at Old Dominion - TBA
Wednesday, March 19
Cincinnati at Bradley - 7 p.m.
Valparaiso at Washington - 9 p.m.
Miami (Ohio) at Tulsa - TBA
Utah at UTEP - TBA
Ron Hunter's IUPUI Jaguars were screwed not once, but twice today. The CBI proved itself to be a joke, a sham and a fraud. It was developed to reward deserving teams who were passed over by the bigger tournaments.
Well, they left one of the best mid-major teams standing out in the cold.
Without even playing a single game, the CBI already is dead to me.
How is a team that goes 26-7, has an RPI of 71, is ranked 14th on the Mid Major Top 25 gets left out?
Especially when you consider this about the current CBI field:
* Only two teams have less than 10 losses
* Only five teams have 20+ wins
* Four teams are only two games above .500
* Two teams are .500
* One team--Cincinnati--is FIVE GAMES BELOW .500!
This is an insult. The CBI clearly gave up on its mission before it even left the station.
What a shame for IUPUI. What a shame for George Hill. It was bad enough to be left out by the NIT. Being passed over in favor of mediocre and sub-par teams is nearly criminal.
Ron Hunter is right. There is no justice in the NCAA, and the Gazelle Group is guilty of the very crimes it set out to correct. They ignored the best of what's left in favor of...hell, you figure it out, because it makes no sense to me.
What a disgrace.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
oru gets #13 down "south," iupui gets shafted by the nit.
ORU (24-8) got a #13 seed and a date with the #4 Pittsburgh (26-9) in the South Bracket. That game will be played Thursday at Denver's Pepsi Center. Only in the Big Dance™ can a game played in Denver, Colo. be considered "south" by any standards.
As of 9:38 p.m. EDT, IUPUI and its 26-7 record, ranked 14th in the Mid Major Top 25, 72 RPI and a quarter will only get Ron Hunter a phone call. The Jaguars were snubbed by the NIT.
San Diego State, at 19-12 and an RPI of 77, earned an at-large bid. Rhode Island, at 21-11 and an RPI of 79, also received an at-large bid in the NIT.
And where is IUPUI? Sitting at home, done for the year (unless the CBI invites the Jags to play).
No justice, indeed.
Former Valpo head coach Scott Drew guided his Baylor Bears back to the NCAA Tournament as a #11 seed in the West Bracket. Once again defying laws of geography, they will head to that western city, Washington, DC, to face #6 Purdue on Thursday. Seriously, the NCAA needs to either buy a new atlas or re-name its brackets.
Friday, March 14, 2008
ron hunter: 'no justice' if jags bypassed for postseason.
"Take a look at our resume and look what we’ve done. We've beaten some good teams, we’re 26-7. This team has done a tremendous job," said Hunter. "I know it's about money and it's about match-ups, but at some point it's got to be about rewarding what a team does."
What has his team done? Despite losing the Summit League Tournament Championship game to Oral Roberts Tuesday night, the Jaguars have an impressive record (26-7), quality wins (UMass, Western Michigan, Oral Roberts) and Summit League Player of the Year George Hill. But is it enough? Hunter thinks so.
"I hope that people will see that and that we’ve got a marquee kid in George Hill that we know can play with anyone in the country," said Hunter. "We just hope that we get an opportunity to play in postseason play because these kids have worked hard for it."NIT bids will be announced at 9 p.m. EDT Sunday night on ESPN2. The 32-team field begins play on March 18. The 16-team College Basketball Invitation also begins play on Tuesday, March 18. Bids will be announced after the NCAA announces its bids for the national championship tournament.
"I will be heartbroken and really disappointed if this team isn't in postseason play," said Hunter. "There is absolutely no justice if this team is not in postseason play."
Thursday, March 13, 2008
farewell, tulsa: reflections on four days of peace, love mascot brawls & basketball.
Now that we're a full 48 hours removed from Tulsa, the UMAC and the Summit League Basketball Championship tournament, I've had some time to reflect on the four days of peace, love and basketball. Okay, so Jawz and Eli pretty much tossed out the peace and love part of things. But at least we had plenty of basketball.
The UMAC
The venue itself is outstanding, albeit troubling that the UMAC is a high school gym. There are college programs—cough! IUPUI! cough!—that would kill for this sort of joint. The downside: locals who staffed the event patrolled the arena like stormtroopers. I was instructed by an usher I wasn't allowed to shoot video. Never mind I was wearing a media credential. In years past, fans were ordered to take down signs that were neither profane nor obscene. Someone decided they just didn't like it. And now I'm hearing that people were instructed on how to properly sit in a seat.
In the future, I'd like for ushers and volunteers to get a grip and not over-step their boundaries.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
The good people of Tulsa were nothing but kind to me. I've been there twice and found the locals to be pleasant, polite and downright hospitable. I would hope any future host cities have residents as gracious.
The Fans
Fans are fans. They cheer, they boo, they sometimes get overzealous. No team is immune to that. ORU's fans outnumbered all other fans combined because they weren't living out of suitcases like everyone else. Nevertheless I'm going to call out the ignorance of ORU fans chanting "steroids" at IUPUI's Jernisha Cann during the championship game. That's beyond bush league. It's shameful, downright shameful.
Star Spangled What???
I'm not trying to be mean, but is it asking so much for a guy singing the National Anthem before a championship game to get the words right? A representative from the Tulsa Beacon turned to me following the anthem and said with a beaming expression on his face, "he did a great job."
"Didn't he get the words wrong?" I said, somewhat incredulously. My man from the Beacon didn't seem to much care. He was a nice guy, to be fair, but the Beacon's Web site hasn't published a single new article since 5 March.
IPFW
Welcome to the conference, kid. All this ribbing was a hazing ritual of sorts. Yours is a young D-I program and is still learning how to fit in. IPFW's Pep Band was fun to watch at times, though, because they were obviously just happy to be there. But next time stick to standard Pep Band fare. The jazz power trio thing has to go.
Southern Hills Marriott
Great hotel. Salon E will never be the same after being invaded by the miscreants of press row.
Tulsa International Airport
Seriously, could you be any farther away from anything?
Southern Utah University
I'm disappointed in the program not for its on-court performance, but rather for sending their kids to the tournament with as little support as possible. No Pep Band. No cheerleaders. No mascot. No wonder the women's team looked relieved more than disappointed when they were bounced out by IUPUI. Perhaps SUU doesn't have the aforementioned amenities to furnish its program. If not: GET THEM. End of story.
Pep Bands, One and All!
By and large, they all were....LOUD! I still can't get OU's fight song out of my head. And I know this makes me a cornball, but I still love it when a band plays "Hey Baby," because they sing it. I don't know why, but I love that. UMKC got mad props on press row for Super Mario and The Family Guy. But the JagBand is still my first and only love.
ORU Cheerleaders
I admit I was a bit hard on them for their antics toward IPFW, but that's because I'm protective of the new, weaker kid in class. Don't pick on the weak kid, eh? But the lesson was obviously learned and ORU's kids were model cheerleaders on Tuesday.
The Mascot Melee
Yeah, it's all over the place. And yeah, I had more than just a little to do with that. And yeah, I will take some small measure of credit for being the first to post it on YouTube (158,000+ hits, as of today). So, thank you very much for giving me my YouTube moment. I'll re-cap the coverage this pulled in a later entry.
"Neutral" Sites
At least three coaches--OU's Beckie Francis, IUPUI's Shann Hart and Ron Hunter--playing their final Tulsa tourney games took parting shots on the "neutral site" term, calling the UMAC "neutral," pejoratively. While I didn't hear other coaches say it directly, you know the thought isn't too far from stumbling out in a post-game presser.
It's worth noting ORU men played in four championship games in Tulsa, winning three. The women? Three, winning three. Coincidence? You decide.
The coaches are not wrong, but so what. Lots of fans will bemoan it. But if you want to neutralize the another team's fans, bring more of your own. Period. Sadly, though, Summit League fans just don't travel that far. Valpo's fans did, that's for sure. But it's been so long (four years in Tulsa) that we have no idea how well ORU's fans will travel. We'll find out next year in Sioux Falls(!), South freakin' Dakota.
Post Season
ORU is looking at a possible 13-seed right now. Depending on their draw, they could have a puncher's chance at an upset. Let's just wait and see.
IUPUI should get an NIT bid, but we'll have to wait and see.
On the women's side, ORU is probably looking at a 15 or 16. Double digits in the loss column will keep your draw on the low side of the bracket.
2009 Summit League Tournament
...Sioux Falls? I'm going to Sioux Falls?????? It's going to SNOW there this week!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
what i saw at the summit league: mascot brawl!
There is one universal rule in collegiate athletics that proves its own validity every time mortal beings dare test it. That rule? Mascots from opposing teams should NOT be on the floor at the same time.
Don't believe me? Enter, Exhibit A:
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
twenty down, twenty to go.
As poorly as IUPUI played in the first half—getting out-rebounded a thousand to one!—ORU only has a four-point lead.
Golden Eagles lead 31-27.
on the line: one dance card.
ORU won the women's championship over IUPUI 66-53, thanks largely to Rachel Watman going bonkers from three-point land.
That was just the first half of today's Jaguars/Eagles doubleheader. Next up is the heavyweight fight we knew was coming back in November.
In about 10 minutes we tip off...should be a good one.
stay classy, oru.
You know, fans are fans. They're no different in any college arena in America. Nevertheless, the ORU fans proved to be bush-leaguers with chants of "steroids" at IUPUI's Jernisha Cann.
Even the official admonished an ORU cheerleader for saying something in the direction of the court.
First IPFW, now this.
Stay classy, ORU!
oru cheerleaders get (another) thumbs.
Looks like I wasn't the only one to notice the ORU cheerleaders were exuding a less than sportsmanlike attitude during this tournament. Steve Warden of the Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette agreed:
Eagles cheerleaders show pathetic sportsmanship
By Steve Warden
TULSA, Okla. – We weren’t aware that Tulsa is the cheerleading capital of the world, or at least the Oral Roberts cheerleaders think so.
Hate to sound like a “homer,” but the Oral Roberts cheerleaders mocking the IPFW cheerleaders got more than wearisome. The word “classless” comes to mind.
When an IPFW pyramid broke down and there was a tangle of cheerleaders on the floor, the Golden Eagles cheerleaders thought it was quite amusing. They also taunted and even wrote signs on a whiteboard to the IPFW cheerleaders at the other end of the floor.
No wonder several of the Summit League folks I’ve talked with don’t care for Oral Roberts. Read more.
Monday, March 10, 2008
upon further review...#1 band: the jagband.
Upon further review, my conscience, my heart and my head all got together and decided it's not even a close call....
IUPUI JAGBAND IS THE BEST BAND IN THE SUMMIT LEAGUE!!
Hands down, they're the best. They sound great, they cheer loud, they play with heart, and they make me proud (wow, that rhymed...thank you, Guinness!).
Despite what you read previously, I am here to tell you: The JagBand is where it's at.
I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for straying, baby. It was just this once, and it'll never happen again.
That other band meant NOTHING to me. It's you I adore, JagBand.
jags/eagles doubleheader.
Championship Tuesday is the ORU-IUPUI Invitational.
Women's Championship
(4) ORU Golden Eagles vs. (3) IUPUI Jaguars
3 p.m. EDT
Men's Championship
(2) IUPUI Jaguars vs. (1) ORU Golden Eagles
7 p.m. EDT
Game on, yo.
It should be a GREAT day of basketball.
More to come.
crenshaw hits the shot!!
Rakestraw. IUPUI leads Oakland 37-33 at the half.
It's pretty much the sort of game we anticipated: OU is physical and
hitting threes, the Jags are riding on George Hill's back. He's got 16
so far.
Game on.
tulsa, ok umac ushers suck. (but i heart the media relations crew).
Memo to: UMAC ushers in Tulsa, Oklahoma
When one is WEARING a media credential, one has already gotten clearance from the necessary authorities to shoot video inside your high school gym. So let this be an open letter to UMAC ushers and their management: recognize a media credential when you see it.
Bush league jackass.
But the Summit League media crew rock. YOU ROCK! I salute you, Hope Wagner & Co.
mastadons extinct.
Despite a spirited and over-achieving effort, IPFW ran out of gas with about six minutes remaining. ORU won 58-42, heading back to the championship game for the fourth consecutive year.
Jaraun Burrows earned his way to the All Tourney team, but so did Robert Jarvis. He finished with 19 points off the bench.
The difference in the game? Robert Jarvis, second chance points and bench points. I suppose "bench" is too broad a term, since it was Jarvis who did the yeoman's work.
Next up, IUPUI takes on Oakland. The #2 vs. the #3. This should be an absolute grind.
jaraun burrows.
team with his performance against ORU.
iiiiiinteresting.
outset I would have said, "yeah, I figured ORU would jumpout early."
Guess again. It's IPFW out to the early lead.
two down, two to go.
Tomorrow afternoon's women's championship game is set: (4) Oral Roberts University vs. (3) IUPUI Jaguars at 3 p.m. EDT.
The Jaguars won the two regular season contests against ORU, but can they win a third time? Who knows.
Julia Whitted solidified herself as a member of the All Tournament Team with another monster performance—24 points, 14 rebounds, eight blocks. Her eight blocks set a new record for the tournament.
The ORU/IPFW men's game is just about to get underway. Following that, IUPUI vs. Oakland. Should be a good night of basketball.
jags locking down early.
through the first half.
weathering the storm.
storm. OU got it down to a six-point deficit, but the Golden Eagles
pushed it back 16. The Grizzlies are done.
odds & ends.
Best quote of the tournament (so far):
There is a simple philosophy two balls fit through one hole was a little tough tonight. Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in awhile, but quite frankly we didn't do that either.
Southern Utah women's head coach Steve Hodson, after losing to IUPUI 62-34.
Biggest disappointment:
Geoff Payne, Southern Utah. The league's Newcomer of the Year went 0-for-the night from the free throw line in losing to IPFW by four points.
Biggest surprise:
UMKC. Both the men's and women's team ignored their #7 seedings and played their hearts out. While the men's team ultimately lost a heart-breaker, they gave IUPUI all it could handle. We'll see if the women's team continues its Cinderella story.
Best pep band (so far):
UMKC Kangaroos Pep Band (I know, I'm going to get hammered by my beloved JagBand. I love you guys, but the UMKC band impressed me the other night).
Best women's players (so far):
Janae Voelker, ORU
Jernisha Cann, IUPUI
Julia Whitted, IUPUI
Johnna Lewis-Carlisle, IPFW
(I haven't seen too many other games just yet...I'll get back to this)
Best men's players (so far):
Moses Ehambe, ORU
Eric Kangas, Oakland
Austin Montgomery, IUPUI
Dan Brumagin, UMKC
Tim Blackwell, UMKC
Reggie Hamilton, UMKC
Tate Sorenson, SUU (for the simple fact that he took one of the worst spills I've ever seen last night and walked off the court...bloodied and woozy, but still, he walked off)
Best fight song:
Valparaiso's....I know, they're not even here. But any fight song that incorporates "Beer Barrel Polka" into it gets my nod every time!
The hot seat (after the first round):
Derek Thomas, Western Illinois: The 'Necks had chances, but couldn't throw it in the ocean. Five years after getting the job, you have to wonder if Thomas is on his way out.
Leslie Crane, Western Illinois: An early exit this year, which followed under-achieving performances in recent years at the tourney, makes you wonder if there might be double trouble in McComb.
semi predictions.
It's been an fun tournament, so far. Not too many surprises, but enough to make it interesting. On the women's side of things, UMKC pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament. Otherwise, it's been business as usual.
On the men's side, the UMKC men nearly were just as miraculous, giving IUPUI all they could handle. We'll see if the Jags re-group in time for tonight. IPFW technically upset Southern Utah last night, but it really was about as evenly matched as you can get.
Let's take a look at today's action...
Women's Semis
(4) ORU vs (1) Oakland, noon. ORU will be tough, but Oakland will win.
(7( UMKC vs. (3) IUPUI, 2:30 p.m. Jags beat the 'Roos twice in the regular season and are playing at their peak right now. IUPUI wins this one.
Men's Semis
(5)IPFW vs (1)ORU, 6 p.m. The Mastadons might give ORU about 10-15 minutes of trouble, but that's it. The Golden Eagles will win this one going away.
(3)Oakland vs. (2)IUPUI, 8:30 p.m. This will be the most intriguing game of this round. Oakland has a knack for dragging teams into a street fight. So long as IUPUI plays its game and doesn't fall into OU's traps, they should win. But OU poses lots of problems. They're a big, physical team with a deadly perimeter shooter. They played an effective zone last night, but we'll see what they throw at the Jags. Hard to make a prediction on this one, folks, because OU is a problematic team. If IUPUI's perimeter shooters (Montgomery, Patterson) are lighting it up, it'll open up the inside game and I'd expect IUPUI to win. But they have to play better than they did Saturday night.
It's beautiful and sunny in Tulsa...think I'll go enjoy it.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
just between you and me.
...as I sit here, courtside, at the ORU-IPFW game on the women's side, I have to say the ORU fans are typical college fans. They cheer. They boo. They throw some friendly ribbing at the IPFW cheerleaders. All part of the experience. No big deal, right?
However, the ORU cheerleaders could use a lesson in class. Openly mocking the opposing team cheerleaders is bush league.
Just my humble two pennies.
a little video from tulsa.
Here's some stuff I shot during yesterday's men's games.
The big upset on the women's side was UMKC knocking off #2-seeded Western Illinois. The men's team for UMKC also did its level best to give Ron Hunter fits, but the Jags narrowly escaped with a four-point victory.
Who will win today? We shall see.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
umkc hanging around.
Halftime
IUPUI-36; UMKC-31
As Jaguars play-by-play man just said, IUPUI not have an easy time with the Kangaroos. In fact, The 'Roos briefly held the lead tonight.
Here's a stat to keep in mind: IUPUI has turned the ball over nine times. UMKC? Three times. And they've scored 12 points off those turnovers.
Another stat: UMKC started the game shooting 2-of-9 and when 10-of-23 the rest of the way. The only thing keeping the Jags in the lead is 50 percent shooting from the field.
Is it rust? Who knows. Either way, UMKC is definitely within striking distance and certainly has Ron Hunter's attention.
live, from tulsa.
Here we are, courtside at the Summit League conference championship tournament. Day One is nearly over, with one surprise thus far: Seventh seeded UMKC knocked off #2 Western Illinois in women's action. Oakland cruised to victory over Centenary.
Currently, in men's basketball, top seeded ORU is handling Centenary 44-27. If I were Tim Russert, I'd be projecting victory for ORU right about now.
Coming up in about an hour and a half, #2 IUPUI takes on #7 UMKC.
Stick around.
