basketball

One of those days….in a good way!

Life, Randomness

Have you ever had one of those days… where everything goes right?

I know, people usually remember the opposites, but I guess the small things make me happy. I didn’t have a whole day, but I did have an amazing little stretch last night. I was meeting Laurel at her work before I went to play basketball with Travis and Nigel. When I turned right out of my street the car almost died because it was almost out of gas. Which happens a lot because there’s not a gas station that’s not located on the opposite side of a long light around me… and I’m a lazy bastard. So anyway the guy behind me almost runs into me because I’m going a little slow and then he gives me the brights… and I proceed to give him the finger… and the slow down… and the eat me… and pretty much just flip out. So this is how my good luck starts, with anger.

I get to the gas station, fill up, then decide to take care of my low air pressure in the tires. After filling those bad boys up I thought, well I still have a minute or so left from the air machine I might as well try to fill up this flat basketball, without using a needle… and a couple seconds later it’s done… I didn’t even know that was possible.. but it is. It’s like I’ve been lied to my entire life… all you have to do is lick the needle hole and then press down flat and hard.  This is a fact that the air needle industry doesn’t want you to know!  So after this little detour I’m a little late so I get going and on the way there I hit 5 or 6 green lights in a row. This includes two times when I was sure I was making a wrong turn only to come out in exactly the right place. So after a quick kiss from Laurel I was out playing basketball in Alexandria. Where I felt good, made a few open jumpers, and shockingly… I can still dunk.

(Bill Walton voice) – THROW IT DOWN BIG MAN!

It just surprises me how little it takes to make my day.

The Beat-down of the Beltway

Life, Trips

Going into the game we did not know that two of our players were suspended, so I’d say that we were a little too optimistic. I guess we should pay more attention. Jesse and I met at “The Froggy Bottom Pub” which was turned into “the Mason Bottom Pub” for about 2 hours before the game. Everyone there was in high spirits hoping for a good outcome. I still think Mason fans are still getting used to pregame festivities, but we’re learning. On the walk to the stadium it was great to see all the Green and Gold. Walking into the gym I could tell that the fans had really showed up.

Mason fans to the Left

Mason fans to the Left

Mason fans to the right

Mason fans to the right

and then the game started.

It was a turnover filled beating of a game. It’s not like GW started out very hot either, but Mason couldn’t hit any shots. Long must have missed 5 straight runners in the lane. In the first half Hancock was awesome. The GW fans behind me kept saying “just don’t let the white guy get it!”. Which would have been a pretty good strategy in the first half. At halftime I went to the bathroom, in what seemed like the locker room, and then came back to talk with Jesse. “I hope they come out hot in the second half”….

They did not.

GW started the second half on a 14-2 run and the game was pretty much over with 10 minutes left. We almost left at that point because we were so frustrated. But we stuck it out to the end to see them pull a little bit closer, mostly due to sloppy passes by GW subs. On the way out I heard a Mason fan say “These guys aren’t worth traveling to Wilmington for”. They are not… yet.

GMUHOOPS.COM analysis

If I were a horse, I'd be dead now.

Life, Randomness

20080109_00252.jpgOh it looks bad!20080109_00254.jpgZombie Toes20080111_00256.jpg20080117_00260.jpg

What do Rice Kispies and my ankle have in common?

Well the first one has a cute slogan that has a new horrific meaning to me.

The first pictures are about 3 weeks old now, so my it’s significantly better now. I’ve actually played 2 games of basketball on it. It’s still bigger than the other foot, but I hope that will come down with time. This is by far the worst sprain I’ve ever had, I could barely walk on it for the first 3 days. Now I just have to keep it wrapped up for the games and try to be aware of it.

RIP Barbaro, my homie.

Later!

I guess we knew it couldn’t happen every year.

Life, Randomness

But that doesn’t mean that we didn’t hope it could! Going into this weekend we knew that it had been a disappointing season. Not just by comparing it to last season, but our team has been pretty good for a couple years now. It just seems that we can’t handle the pressure of having the bulls-eye on our backs all season. We lost a lot of tough games along the way to VCU, ODU, and (dear lord) William and Mary. But this is March. This is Mason time.

Not really expecting much I couldn’t even find the first game on tv on Friday. Then I had a wedding to go to on Saturday so I missed that one too. On a lazy Sunday afternoon I found the ODU game on Comcast Sportsnet, that was a good Mason game. Our defense was solid, Dre Smith was lighting it up from outside, and Campbell was leading the way. But then Monday, the pressure started.

I’m not going to give play by play or anything but lets say that it was a great game until the last 3 minutes. That Maynor kid from VCU took over and won the game with steals and from the line. We (without our first option point guard) just kept giving them points. It’s sad… but we can’t be Cinderella every year. Hopefully we’ll make a strong showing in the NIT and we have almost all of our players coming back next year.

G! M! U!

ESPN Boxscore