Y2K-U: Cousin Dan's Weekly Update

(Note: Sip will be in with a post later this afternoon.)

Welcome back to Y2K-U, where we’re not too sad about the whole Barry Zito thing. After all, 7 years, $126 million seems like a lot for a guy who throws 88 mph and can’t beat the Yankees. Now, back to where they don’t play for pay that we don’t know about…

1. The SEC is super great, except for Tennessee. And Arkansas. And Alabama.

I’m pretty excited for the national championship game tonight, if only so Urban Meyer shuts up and just coaches a game. It is for that reason that I hope that Ohio State runs them out of the building. A week ago, I would have put my 6-1 record in this blog on the line on OSU, but I’m getting cold feet and probably will not play the game. The lean remains Buckeyes, though.

2. The hat thing is getting old, but HUGE news from the Banks.

Anthony Davis, by all accounts one of the top 20 high school players in the country, chose Rutgers Saturday, pulling that old chestnut of “I’ll pick someone else’s hat and then take it off and then put on the Rutgers hat.” Well, not actually an old chestnut in terms of the fact that he put a Rutgers hat on. Instead of an Ohio State or USC hat. Just read that sentence a couple more times.

3. Don’t cry for USC, though.

At least on the recruiting front, because of the Trojans’ 14 verbal commitments, 8 are of the 5-star variety. Having lived in California for a few years, it gets kind of old seeing Pete Carroll getting whatever players he wants. Well, except DeSean Jackson. We do so love DeSean Jackson.

4. And Coach K’s back is flaring up just…about…now.

You knew this item was coming, as Virginia Tech thoroughly outplayed the Dookies, and even the refs couldn’t take this one away now. Duke should fall all the way to #6 or #7 in the new poll. We also kind told you what you already knew about Greg Paulus, as in he’s horrific, and apparently likes male crotch in his face. And Duke actually plays a road game Wednesday. A Road Game!!!

5. We think Ben Howland will actually gut through the losses and not hand the reins of his team to an assistant coach.

Oregon’s McArthur Court is one of the toughest places in the country to play, and UCLA learned that the hard way in a 68-66 loss on Saturday. My hunch is that the UCLA guys were impressed by the surprisingly excellent talent level in Eugene.

Oh, and also in the Pac-10, Arizona lost in Pullman to Washington State, who is the quietest 14-2 team of all time. If Wazzu is good, Pullman is also a nightmare trip, because it’s 3 hours from everywhere and the students there have nothing else to do but get drunk and cheer on their Cougars.

6. This was going to be the excited Virginia item.

Then Virginia went and did what Virginia does, dropping a home game in which it was a 10-point favorite to Stanford yesterday night.

Knicks fans, remember when Allan Houston would shoot 100% from the line until the final six minutes until he’d miss two backbreakers? My beloved Wahoos have a player named J.R. Reynolds who’s been doing that for four years, and his miss with six seconds left led to the second buzzer-beater loss of the year. What makes this one so irritating is that this one will be squarely in the “Bad Loss” column when the committee explains why Virginia will be out of the Field of 65.

7. The weekly Jayhawk update.

One thing that will marginally cheer me up is seeing the wife smile after her Rock Chalkians walloped an SEC team, on the road, by double digits. Since you couldn’t see the game in 70% of the country, though, I’ll instead comment on actually being in Allen Fieldhouse last weekend seeing Kansas defeat Rhode Island.

Like Yankee Stadium, you walk into Allen and you just feel the history, and it’s rather indescribable. (Yes, I despise the Yankees, and the Stadium is a dump, but there’s still a pretty cool feeling when you’re inside. Sorry if that gets me banned from the site). Anyway, highest recommendation—check out a game at Allen if you ever get the chance.

8. The occasional women’s basketball item.

Tennessee and Connecticut are no longer the two best teams in the country every year, but it’s always exciting when the two teams get together. I mean it, exciting. And Candace Parker is starting to show why she may turn out to be the greatest player in the history of women’s college basketball. At least until Elena Della Donne comes along. And yes, I do believe I am the first male blogger ever to work Candace Parker and Elena Della Donne into a story.

9. This week’s non-college item.

Can’t say I was too sad that Tony Romo-Underwood muffed that snap the other night, because it is simply so great when Parcells loses. Unfortunately, my second favorite NFL coach to watch lose coaches my favorite team (Note: at least today, he still does, right?), which occasionally creates a conflict of interest.

And, of course, lose Tom Coughlin did yesterday. I think his new nickname – after he gets rid of “the Disciplinarian,” obviously -- should be “1st and 30”, to commemorate how the guy drafts his freaking son-in-law to commit 4th quarter penalties.

10. Final question.

After JaMarcus Russell out-out-outplayed Brady Quinn in the Sugar Bowl, can I call it racist when somebody takes the good-looking Catholic kid who will just OWN the Wonderlic over the, uh, much better quarterback?

- Cousin Dan

(Images courtesy of scout.com and voanews.com)