Demo

Having the teams floating down the Seine for the opening ceremony seems like an interesting idea, but it’s not really working. The distance from the crowds is pretty dampening of the energy. As in, there’s none.

https://x.com/ByDanielFlick/status/1816862086552600599 Penix continues to be an effortlessly awesome kid.

https://x.com/ClifMarshall/status/1816866411798519976 Oh, to be 22 again……

I don’t love the mercenary element here, but that kid needed to get away from OTE. That style of play and “development” was doing him no good at all. It encourages the exact stuff he needs to be coached out of.

Did I miss this rumor in the spring? I’m sure that there’s at least a nugget of truth here because it would be such an outlandish thing to assert otherwise, but I find it almost impossible to believe that it reached the point of Walsh quitting without that stuff ending up all over the place. Feels way more likely that there were some conversations that went only so far and that was the end of it. But even if it is true, those guys utterly suck for breaking the seal and bringing that thing to light now.

I think you’re mostly right here but the thing I’m curious about is if they go on, say, an Elite 8-type run, and contrary to some post a few back that suggested otherwise that’s pretty obviously within this team’s ceiling, I’m not at all sure everyone would be happy about it. I’m sure you’re right that some would suggest it was in spite of the coach, which is just bone stupid, and they have such a visceral personal dislike of the guy that his failure outweighs the team’s success. It’s not enough to be able to say at the end of the year, “Congrats on a great season, guys and thanks for the fun you gave the fans. Glad I was wrong about this team. Now let’s talk about whether this is a sustainable path forward.” They’d rather be able to shame that smug SOB out of town with his arrogant tale between his legs. Hope I’m wrong because it would suck to be a long-suffering fan of a program but not be able to bring one’s self to enjoy success. I don’t wish that on anyone.

Don’t know about Anthony’s side of it, but it’s pretty clear that the staff’s gone all in on Mullins.

Not that this hasn’t been super interesting, reading the same roughly 15 thoughts restated for 1100 pages, but I am genuinely curious about 1 thing and if it’s been discussed in any depth I must have blown by it. If you’re in or sympathetic to the camp of “I want this team to underachieve so Woody goes away for the long-term good of the program”, a defensible position, here’s my question: Do you have a Rubicon moment and if so, what is it, where you cry uncle or just get caught up and root for this team’s success? Example: Say this team competes for the B1G title down to the last weekend, gets a top 4 tourney seed and gets to the sweet 16. That’s comfortably within range of outcome. If so, Woody ain’t gettin’ fired. He’s just not. Are you the rooting for them in the Sweet Sixteen? How about the Elite 8? Doesn’t matter, is there a point when you’re rooting for them or have you made the judgement that you’re simply not rooting for this program while that guy’s here, regardless of success?

https://x.com/FanaticalIUWBB/status/1811809916841030067 Obviously a touch misleading, but this looks so cool in print.

https://x.com/adamhoward0/status/1816505310384623769 This is a better than average endorsement. Hollinger’s a smart guy. Are you listening, Malachi?

Just turned on the USA-France game. Jesus, the officials. Maybe I’m just used to officials looking like guys who couldn’t play, but, man, these guys look like they need to be tested for PED’s. Love it.

https://x.com/ClifMarshall/status/1816167702287052962 Congrats to Vijay

https://x.com/wojespn/status/1816096386485465595 The Pacers get Nembhard done. Interesting that he went a year short on his deal, though that means he hits the market again at something like 27 and he’ll get a giant deal at that point. All you need to know about the Monopoly money in the NBA: I read that he signs for 19 mil/yr and the 1st thing I thought of is that’s a solid deal until he gets to his BIG contract.

Handball’s great. I love Olympic Volleyball. Those guys are unbelievable.

https://x.com/Coach_Ya/status/1815897749117698398 Love it, but KC’s haircut is really throwing me.