(Programming note: I will be on The Closers with SleepyFloyd7 at 4:00 PM CT. Listen live here, and consider this your live thread for the proceedings.)
1 - Since the last Roundtable, the Big 12 officially became a two-team race with Iowa State losing and both Mizzou and Kansas taking out Baylor. Give me some percentages: what are the chances KU wins the title, and what are the chances MU wins?
2 - After his silly eruption in Stillwater against Mizzou, how many points does Oklahoma State's Le'Bryan Nash score tonight?
3 - Baseball and softball season start this week! There's not really a question here ... BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL SEASON START THIS WEEK! #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble.
4 - Apparently every person on my Twitter feed watches either Justified, Walking Dead or both religiously at this point. Everybody but me, that is. Do any of you watch these shows? And if not, what shows are you following the closest as we round into the home stretch of TV Season...
RPT: 1. In a universal sense, 60-40 Kansas. Seeing as how the game likely to crown the champion is in Lawrence, 70-30 Kansas.
2. Wow, you're really tempting the gods here, no? Better question: How many times will RMN commenters post Keiton Page's name with an expletive contained within the comment?
3. Don't forget #TremendousSpectacles. That's for you, trrip.
4. I watched the first two seasons of Justified in the last three weeks and so I'm just now catching up on this season. And to quote several friends: All Raylan Givens E'erythang. And, plus, once you've seen Boyd Crowder in action, it's SO much more fun to go back and watch Major League 3 and yell "Fire in the Hole!" every time Billy Downtown Anderson hits a homerun. And if you get that reference, I'm very sorry.
Michael Atchison: 1. Kansas is a half-game ahead, and they’ve lost one game at home in the past five seasons. Given that Missouri has to go there, the odds probably favor Kansas 75%-25%, at least.
2. Nash scores 14 tonight on 5 for 12 shooting.
3. #stubble
4. I don’t know what Justified is and I’ve never seen Walking Dead. Which means that apparently I’m not on Bill’s Twitter feed. Thanks for the un-follow, jerk.
Doug: 1 - Since the last game between the KU and MU takes place in Lawrence, you have to think the percentages favor Kansas, but I don't have an exact number for you.
2 - I could see him getting 20+ against the Tigers again. He's the wrong kind of match-up as a 3 on the wing for Missouri.
3 - Christ, is it really time for college baseball and softball? I just woke up to a couple of inches snow here in Albuquerque and apparently the Lobos have their first baseball game this weekend.
4 - I love Justified. Pretty much every character on that show is fully realized and you never feel like you're being cheated when Raylan Givens isn't on screen.
I gave up on Walking Dead mid-way through the first half of the second season. Even though being on the farm had an ultimate purpose, there was nothing happening and I just couldn't justify an hour every week for the show.
The Beef: 1 - I agree with Atch on the numbers. I think kU has shown just enough cracks to know we can go there and win…but needless to say, we barely ever go there and win.
2 - I think Nash gets some points tonight, but I wont say 20+. I will say he probably drops for about 16 or so, but takes too many shots to get there.
3 - Seems like a bit of a soft open (to make an Ocean’s 13 reference) for the softball team this weekend, so I am curious to see who pitches how much and when. I think we probably still have the best pair of pitchers in the country (meaning I think Nottelmann is the best #2 pitcher in the land), but I am VERY interested in the performance of the frosh as the year gets going. A THIRD arm to help balance some of the wear and tear on the other two could be very important come May and June.
4 - Don’t watch either of them…am not on Twitter…so I guess that is why we are still friends
Bill C.: 1 - Because I'm me, I'll just point out that Pomeroy gives KU a 73% chance of beating Mizzou in Lawrence. So there you go. (This does, by the way, open up the possibility that Mizzou could go 15-3 in conference and not win the Big 12 title. A month or so ago, I thought 14-4 might win it outright. I managed to talk KU up all preseason and still underestimate them a bit.
2 - Mizzou made the mistake of allowing him some early open looks, and it got his confidence up. He settles for jumpers FAR too much, but the first time around, they went in. I don't think they will this time. We'll say he's 7-for-19, 16 points.
3 - #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble #stubble
(And yes, I, too, am extremely interested in Mizzou's freshmen. Pitching will make them a contender, but they still need offense and defense, too, and some young 'ins will have to come through in those departments.
4 - Well apparently you never post on Twitter when I'm paying attention, Atch!
The Beef: You think Nash is going to go for 16 points? Wow…I may have to rethink my number now
I think even though we graduated one of the fastest and most accomplished base stealers in NCAA history in Rhea Taylor, I think the team will still have a lot of speed on it. Marston was extremely efficient at swiping bases and I think some of Bill youngin’s (slightly creepy now that I just typed that out) will be playing big roles and swiping some bases as well. We still have a couple of mashers, but Coach E has rarely built teams around power more than he has speed.
Bill C.: By the way ... very much enjoying Linsanity. And of course SportsCenter has to go and ruin it by comparing him to Tim Tebow within 30 seconds of me turning my television on this morning.
The Beef: Um…where were you before the weekend when they were doing it?
That said, it is certainly fun. The on-going experiment that will soon become Carmelo and his iso plays mixing with Lin and his abilities to score AND distribute will either make for a VERY fun team to watch, or it will all come crashing down, in somewhat-typical New York Knicks style
Bill C.: I try to watch ESPN analysis as little as possible, so I had avoided it until now. And I only had it on because I wanted to watch the highlights in the first place ... so nyeh.
And yeah, Melo could be a perfect pick-and-roll partner, or he could wreck everything.
The Beef: Where I THINK it could work is that he is also a very good spot-up shooter, so if he is OK with the ball taking an extra pass or two to get to him, I think Lin can still work to spread the floor and get Melo his looks. I would have to think Amare likes the idea of the pick and roll all the way to the hoop. Tyson Chandler can just try to get some offensive rebounds and then…um…whoever the other is can just stand back and try to play some defense (I am THINKING it is Landry Fields, but I really have no idea at this point).
Michael Atchison: By the way, despite that Lin has only played a meaningful role in six of the Knicks’ 29 games, he has to be an all-star, right? They’ve gone from 8-15 to 14-15 in that stretch. He has scored more points in his first five starts than anyone in NBA history. Right now, he’s easily among the ten NBA players I most want to see, along with Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Lebron, Rose and Wade.
How big is Linsanity? We’re talking about the Knicks on a Rock M Roundtable.
The Beef: And we’ve managed to rattle off 4-5 emails about it before anyone made a "NBA?"-type comment. The Power of Linsanity compels us
ZouDave: 1 – I’ll say 75/25 in favor of kansas. On a neutral floor, I have no idea who I’d pick. But on ku’s home floor, at BEST Mizzou has a 1 in 4 chance of winning. I know historically it’s even lower than that, but this is a better than normal Missouri team.
2 – He’ll probably score in the 18-24 range, which is fine. We just have to make sure we’re scoring as well. Something in the 78-68 range would be just fine with me.
3 – I haven’t shaved in a week. I have tremendous gray hairs in my beard.
4 – I don’t watch either of those shows, and my TV viewing has gone down rapidly in the past year. I basically watch Archer, and everything else is left to chance. I watch a lot of re-runs of South Park, Futurama, Law & Order, Scrubs, etc.
The Beef: I tried to get into Luck on HBO because the cast is pretty solid, but it just did not take. I have enjoyed House of Lies on Showtime with Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell (I think that is her name) and I have also started to get into Shameless, though I need to go back and watch the first season. I am still giving The River a shot, but have really enjoyed Person of Interest this year.
ZouDave: It’s like you guys reached into a bag called "Things ZD knows nothing about" and are just spraying those results into the air.
I am only vaguely aware of Linsanity, in that it will have been impossible to avoid hearing about it but I just simply cannot bring myself to care about the NBA. I don’t even recognize the names of a lot of the shows you’re talking about. We might as well have Bill and Atch start talking about music at this point…I don’t know anything about the bands they’ll talk about, either.
The Beef: Well…hopefully the 2nd shift of ghtd, Sleepy and D-Sing can help you out once they arrive to the party
ZouDave: Eh, why ruin a good thing? When there’s already like 15 responses by the time I even see the opening email it’s a good thing. So I’ll just sit back here and learn.
Bill C.: Well, Dave, since you brought it up...
Dear Atch: I honestly don't get the Bon Iver love. Pretty, talented music? Sure. But Elliott Smith's music was pretty and well-written, too. That didn't make me want to listen to it.
The Beef: Alright…see everyone next week!
(An hour later…)
RPT: Hey, Bon Iver put the Roundtable to sleep. Who would have guessed...
SleepyFloyd7: (Sorry for the delay, I have some SERIOUS prep to do today with Bill coming on the show).
Well, here goes
1 - I have been in the building for several of the biggest moments in Mizzou sports history. I will be in the Phog on February 25th. I'll stop there.
2 - I think he probably gets his looks again, so I'll say 15. But I don't think Denmon, Dixon, English and Flip will all have off-nights tonight.
3 - Corrin Gennovese - FR 2B from East Amhert, NY. Playa.
4 - I will wait to catch up on Justified on Netflix - just like I did with Breaking Bad. Walking Dead was fun for a while, but I lost my footing there and my face was eaten off.
The only show that I am watching live, as it airs, is Downton Abbey. Actually, I was just interviewed by VOX magazine (will run next week, I think) because I am a guy who watches that show. The wife got me hooked, and I like it.
Make a joke and I will punch your face.
The Beef: Your prep:
"Bill, talk to our listeners about some important things from a statistical standpoint for this game."
Approx 9 minutes, later, segue to commercial.
Approx 5 minutes later, get him to pick up where he left off.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
And like our old trip diaries, all times are approximated
D-Sing: 1. 75/25 that Mizzou wins the Big 12 Title. I'd probably go close to 50/50 if the return game were in Columbia. But since we played them here already, I lean KU.
2. Gut feeling is Nash goes for 17-21 or so. I'll say 6-18 from the field.
3. Yay diamond sports! Seriously. Although I am a bit sad that the old school looking baseball grey uniforms go away after this season b/c of the new Nike arrangement. I liked the look of what Under Armour was doing with the diamond sports.
4. I don't watch Justified or Walking Dead. The scripted show I'm actually addicted to at this point (via the person to whom I'm related by marriage) is Once Upon a Time on ABC. It's by some of the Lost people (even though I never watched Lost) and it's been interesting to see where it goes.
As far as the Jeremy Lin Experience™ goes, the pressure to integrate into the offensive flow is on Carmelo. He has got to break his tendency of being a black hole on offense and actually swing the ball instead of holding it like a sandwich. Amar'e will flourish now that he has a pick and roll partner, and I think Tyson Chandler can do Chandler things (with a few pick and rolls his way too depending on how the opposing defense is playing him).
But Carmelo cannot stop the offense. He is going to have to fight his instincts in being a one-on-one player and actually participate in team basketball. A novel concept for him in the NBA.
And comparing Lin to Tebow is by far the laziest analysis I've ever heard of. It's beyond lazy; it is almost pathetic. Personally, I think if you're going to be lazy and compare him to a devout athlete, his pro career mirrors Kurt Warner's meteoric rise with the Greatest Show on Turf more than Tebowmania.
And hell…I thought their name was pronounced bon EYE-ver until Sunday night. I have no idea who they are or what they do.
ghtd36: Surprise!
1 - I think you have to make Kansas the heavy favorite, something around 75 or 80%, just because the pivotal game is at Allen Fieldhouse. Nobody likes to hear it, but it's true.
2 - After his silly eruption in Stillwater against Mizzou, how many points does Oklahoma State's Le'Bryan Nash score tonight?
I think Nash gets his -- something around 18 or 20 -- but the question is, who else has a big game for Oklahoma State? I mean, let's not forget that Brian Williams -- yes, the NBC anchor -- scored 22 in the Cowboys' win at Gallagher-Iba. If it's just Nash getting his, Mizzou's sitting pretty. If not, it could be tense.
3 - It's funny you mention that, because I was just thinking about the absurdity of the entire #TremendousStubble thing the other day. Do you realize that a throwaway comment in a roundtable on a sports blog has prompted an increased devotion to the softball team, a fundraiser that raised $4,268.34 for a very worthy cause, and, apparently, a nickname that has stuck in the MU softball program? Oh, Internet. You're the best.
4 - I watched the first season of "The Walking Dead" and enjoyed it, but not enough to dive in for season two. Right now, I'm on HIMYM, The Biggest Loser (BACK OFF ME IT'S ENTERTAINING), Up All Night, Modern Family, Parks and Rec, 30 Rock and, of course, Downton Abbey.
Also: Bon Iver sounds like he is crying at the end of Free Willy, and looks like a substitute math teacher.
Michael Atchison: Re: Bon Iver. Why did he send his accountant to accept the Grammy? I’m with you, Bill. It’s pretty, but it doesn’t turn me on. The new Chuck Prophet, on the other hand, is aces. And the new Field Music is on Spinner this week. Love that band.
ghtd36: Watching the Grammys, I kept waiting for the tribute to Heavy D.
SleepyFloyd7: One new song that has lit my fire - from a band that sort of got their start here in Columbia:
Love it.
The Beef: Those award shows always provide a few of those, "Oh crap, he’s dead?" moments. At the Grammy’s, it was Heavy D and Gary Moore. Though somehow I knew Nate Dogg had been regulated to the big crap game in the sky.
Bill C.: Okay, fine, I'll be the one to bring it up:
1) Jennifer Hudson was the one person I would have trusted with a Whitney tribute.
2) How odd is it that Maya Rudolph is hosting the first SNL after Whitney's death? They probably had to nix four skits.
The Beef: You think SNL touches it at all? I guess I would be surprised if there was not some sort of light-hearted mention, even as their way of making a tribute to her
ghtd36: Maya Rudolph, by the way, is brilliance in "Up All Night." Same with Will Arnett, who is brilliance in, well, everything.
Bill C.: She really only has one character (Oprah mixed with Whitney), but that's what she's asked to play on that show, and she pretty much nails it.
The Beef: The Tailgate Queen and I both tried to watch that show, and just thought it was terribly miserable. Perhaps we are not nearly enough hipster to understand any of what was going on in there, but we barely made it through the first four episodes before we stopped subjecting ourselves to it.
ZouDave: Off-topic:
Doug: This is also pretty cool:
Bill C.: So the "student section making giant copies of players' heads" thing has made some positive developments this week...
The Beef: Oh that is just tremendous
SleepyFloyd7: Steve Moore version in 3...2....
Bill C.: YES, PLEASE.
SleepyFloyd7: That's it, Peter. You're done.
ghtd36: By the way: happy belated Valentines Day.
Michael Atchison: Back at you, best Facebook friend.
By the way, the giant UNLV head has moveable arms.
Back in my day, we didn’t have the giant color printers, so we had to painstakingly recreate Norm Stewart’s big old head with tempera paint.
SleepyFloyd7: Boudouir shots?
D-Sing: I was at the UNLV/SDSU game where the "MO-ZILLA" head/articulated arm thing made its appearance. Also the fatheads in the crowd were all Las Vegas/UNLV related, so it was an amazing atmosphere. My ears were ringing, especially at the end of the game. The student section (aka "The Rebellion" has started to get it together, although they need to bring it every game, not just for the big ones.
But yeah...seeing STEVE on one of those would be amazing. Especially because unlike here at UNLV, at Mizzou Arena the opponent shoots into the student section in the second half, right?
(An hour later...)
ghtd36: Can I throw something out there without being Internet-bullied?
The Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue has run its course. Time for it to go the way of the dodo.
SleepyFloyd7: While I can appreciate that sentiment (I mean, if you want to find a picture of a smokin' hot woman in a bikini, it's not that hard), I think it will be around for a while.
I mean, come on.
I think this has a place in the American Zeitgeist.