• Beautiful Hoops; M downs Illini 74-64

    What a classic basketball game today as Beilein and hoops recover from the tough Wisconsin loss to get their first conference win, 74-64 over Illinois. It certainly wasn’t a must win, but losing the first two Big Ten games at home would have caused a bit of a shiver. On hand for the game was once again coaches Carr and Rodriguez, each with their wives. BTN color man and Buckeye Jimmy Jackson couldn’t help but admit that he was sorry that Lloyd Carr hung up his whistle, saying as a Buck, Carr was his favorite coach. Some forget that Carr crushed the Buckeyes early in his coaching career and despite the struggles against Tressel was 6-7 lifetime. But he certainly finished on a down note and Jackson’s comment would be excusable if Carr and his wife Laurie weren’t sitting right next to him on the end of the press table. Come on man. But I thought Jackson did a good job for BTN and today, and man, was he awesome at Ohio State. When they panned over to Fab Fiver Jimmy King chilling in the tunnel JJ talked about some of their battles (Ohio State won two during the regular season with Michigan winning in the NCAA tournament). I was at the game at Crisler his senior year and Jackson…

  • Chris Webber stole one of Charles Barkley’s shoes

    Check this out from Sports Illustrated this week [12/29/08 issue]. On the Dan Patrick ‘Just My Type‘ page, Chris Webber talks about his time on the practice squad for the 1992 Olympic Dream Team while he was at Michigan. IT’S NICE to know that even stars get nervous around their idols. Before the 1992 Olympics, Chris Webber was one of the players on a practice squad that provided opposition for the Dream Team. He shared a limo from the airport in Barcelona with Larry Bird. “I was shaking, calling him Mr. Bird,” Webber said. “He was very nice. It was a 10-minute car ride. I said, ‘It was nice meeting you.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, you can grab my bag.'” Webber left with more than just memories: “I got autographs, I stole socks out of their bags, I took everything, even jockstraps. I took one of Charles Barkley’s shoes. I was just a kid in a wonderland.” That’s good stuff (as long as we’re way outside the statutory limit) and you can’t blame him for grabbing everything in sight. I remember reading about C-Webb working out with the team but I didn’t know he actually traveled to Spain. And how big of a pisser is Bird? I wonder if it was just a little reminder to Webber not to get…

  • A little thing called Style

    As part of their NBA draft coverage, SI.com took a look back at some of the highlights and lowlights of draftee fashion. Unquestionably the freshest, Jalen in 1994 in his candy stripes: SI also signaled out Maurice Taylor’s icey blue suit in 1997.

  • Webber, our Bill Buckner?

    ESPN radio’s Mike & Mike discussed Bill Buckner’s painful legacy this morning and brought up the topic of other names in that conversation. Specifically they wanted athletes that were instantly associated with a disastrous play by the mere mention of their name. They mentioned Bills kicker Scott Norwood and then former Notre Dame lineman Mike Golic brought up another name: Golic: Let me throw one more name at you…Chris Webber Greenberg: Well, I don’t think of the time-out that he called is the first thought you think of, do you? Golic: Yes, it is one of. Greenberg: His whole career?…He played until this year. Golic: I understand that. It’s one of. I don’t think it is on the level of certainly a Buckner or a Scott Norwood, those are the two that immediately jump to mind. Somewhere in the first few thoughts of Webber you think of that. Greenberg: What was Webber when that happened, 19 years old? You give a college kid more of a break. That isn’t the first thought I have when I think of Chris Webber. Golic: OK Greenberg: I’m sure for many people it is. I’m sure for many people in Michigan it is. (chuckle, chuckle). When I think of Webber I don’t jump immediately to the time-out, but like Golic tried to say, it’s…

  • eBay Watch: 1976 NCAA Finals Ticket Stub

    Sitting a Fraser’s pub for lunch on Thursday watching Michigan State take on Temple, it sure made you miss the days when Michigan basketball figured prominently in the tourney. My wife, a Michigan State grad, actually had the stones to ask me if Michigan was ever involved in these “brackets”. Yes, Michigan’s been more than involved in fact the Wolverines have appeared in six Final Fours (four according to the NCAA record books after wiping the records of the Fab 5) and have made it to the NCAA finals in each of the four decades prior to this one. Not looking good for the 2000s. This installment of eBay Watch takes a look at a ticket stub from one of those appearances, in this case the 1976 NCAA Finals. That season remains one of the most notable seasons in college hoop history as Bobby Knight’s Indiana ’76 squad are still the last to finish undefeated. Most Michigan fans know that it was the Wolverines that were the final obstacle to IU’s perfection, falling 86-68 on Monday March 29, 1976 at Philadelphia’s Spectrum. Here’s the ticket stub that’s on eBay right now: Michigan had a rocky path through the field of 32 [full bracket] that season, squeaking past Wichita State 74-73 in the first round, then past Notre Dame (80-76) and…

  • Borseth Goes Bob Knight

    Thanks to reader Kelly for passing this over. Check out women’s head hoops coach Kevin Borseth going bananas after the game. Here’s the video: I missed the game and the press conference because I had a sock drawer to straighten out. I liked this guy when we hired him and I back the passion and the borderline John L. Smith loonyness you get here. I’d like to get Borseth and Mike Barwis together at a cocktail party. UPDATE 2/29: Jim Rome got wind and broke this down on his radio show..for about 10 minutes!. Rome noted that Borseth “Got his Mike Gundy on”. Rome added “I love this guy, whoever he is.”