Play-In Game Open Thread/Live Blog
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
I figured at least some of you would be around for tonight's play-in game, so I'm going with the OT/LB for tonight. Sure it's not called the play-in game anymore (they somehow are trying to call it the "Opening Round" game), but we all know what it is....
An excuse to check out Erin Andrews and make fun of Lavinburger! It's a clash of Maryland schools only 60 miles apart, one being 18-14, and the other is 16-20. Can it get more fun than this? I submit that it cannot! (Until Thursday)
Here's what you need to know....
Mount St. Mary's at Coppin State
7:30 PM ET, March 18, 2008 (ESPN)
University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OH
MSM's Leaders: Chris Vann, G- 14.4 ppg, Markus Mitchell, F- 5.9 rpg, Jeremy Goode, G - 5.5 apg
CSC's Leaders: Tywain McKee, G- 16.6 ppg, Robert Pressey, F- 5.5 rpg, Tywain McKee, G- 3.1 apg
Spread: MSM -7
Over/Under: 126
See you around 7:30!
________________________________
Okay quick note. Rece Davis just classified a sleeper as a four seed or worse. How does that make sense? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!!!
Pregame Quotes:
"Am I the only one who thought the spread was "Mainstream Media -7"?" (Via Matt
"I appreciate the love you give to Brian Regan. It truly is awesome." (Via Anon)
The big yellow one is the Sun!!!!
"Just a few things I've noticed today:
1) I wish I would've DVR'ed Black Magic.
2) ESPN Radio's Jason Smith was on Jim Rome is Burning and he's borderline transparent.
3) I think Steve Lavin's luggage got lost, because on a 'Pregame Extra' on ESPNews, he was sans hair gel." (Via RJBO)
I wish I had the picture of Lav, Black Magic is amazing (more on that tomorrow), and Jason Smith is pretty good on the radio (very white on TV...much like yours truly).
Your other TV choices for the night: American Idol, Beauty and the Geek, Biggest Loser, NCIS, Dancing with the Stars, Big Brother, One Tree Hill
(You better watch this game with me)
"You don't love me you just love your Ear, Nose, and Throat Pavillion"- Steve Lavin (I might have messed that one up)
7:27- Okay everyone I'm going to be keeping me eyes on about 17 different Sporting Events tonight. Help me out as best as you can. Let's have some fun....Cheers!
Final Four Predictions:
Kara- UConn, MD, UNC, Tenn
Stacey- UConn, MD, LSU, Tenn
Oh crap....that was womens.
"Madness folks....wonderful March Madness."- Brent Musburger
Hahahahaha. Lavin's bag was seriously lost today. Whoever called that gets a free shirt. No hair products for Stevie!
"Hey AA before you went pro in Blogging what collegiate athletic did you play?" (Via GJFG)
I assume you mean what Sport? It done did Cross Country/Track....I was a runner. Not so glamorous but I got to run against the Big East regularly.
4-0 Coppin early.
Ohio State up 10 at halftime over King George and UNC Ash. I think I'd rather watch him play than these two teams.
Mike Miller banks in a three for Coppin followed by a three from MSM. Not that Mike Miller. Brent and Steve bring up EBAY for some reason, and Coppin is up 7 with 13 minutes to go.
"That's the blood jersey."- Erin Andrews
"You know Erin I have an NCAA cup I have to use too."- Brent Musburger
Here we go.
"So you need an NCAA patch to play in the game? As if we didn't know what we were watching...and I thought Disnergy was bad"- Sam
Hi Erin!
"I took MSM -7 what'd you take AA?" (Via Brett)
Sorry Brett....Coppin +7 too many points
"Really Lavin? U dare call one of these teams " A Well Oiled Machine" ? He must really miss his hair gel" (Via Marc)
Too funny. Steve and Brett go into a "Bow Tie" homage in reference to MSM's old Coach Jim Phelan. I had Phelan coach me at Navy Basketball Camp once and he was the best teacher I've ever met. Steve Lavin make a Bocce Ball joke and I die a little on the inside.
Steve Lavin and his hair products....The Video!
21-18 Coppin under 8 to go. And Lavin seriously needs to stop that "Beep Beep" every time a team goes on the break. Roy Williams is on the horn right as the game starts to pick up. Over/Under is set at a five minute call.
Good question by Brett asking if they break the tape down from both the 8/9 teams before the game.
"Roy, I know this is a tough question but how are the hot dogs, the popcorn and jujubes and hot tamales at the Baseball game tonight?"- Steve Lavin
Great question. Amazing play that Lavinburger didn't catch....Coppin player was dribbling over the half court line and lost possession. He boxed out every defender so another Eagle could pick up the ball. Great play.
Coppin up 29-22 with 4:30 to go....
"This game has a nice tempo to it."- Brent Musburger
Riiiiiight.
Brent Musburger is so confused with Basketball these days. Oh well....I used to hate him, but I can't get enough of him now. Halftime.....
34-33 Coppin State.
"Fang may have the pipes Erin, but you've got the tubes."- Anon
That's just not riiiiight.
"Today I'm in the workout room on the recombinant bike."- Steve Lavin
Didn't want to hear that. MSM has taken the lead.
"You think?"= Brent Musburger
"Really Lav? Shocker!"- Steve Lavin
These moments are priceless. Neither of these two will be on College broadcasts next year.
"You have been mounted!"- Steve Lavin and Brent Musburger in unison
44-42 MSM....I really have nothing to add at this point. One Tree Hill is on if you're bored (I'm going to flip back and forth). Steve Lavin then compares the Committee to Henry Miller's "12 Angry Men"...nice.
"How are Lavin and Brent supposed to carry on meaningless conversation with these kids playing basketball all over the place!"- Mal
It's gotta be tough.
"They need some protein bars."- Steve Lavin to the Coppin Band.
Picks:
Brent: UNC, Wisc, UCLA, Texas
Lavin:Lou, GTown, UCLA, Pitt
Erin: UNC, Kan, UCLA, Tex
"Erin is chalky."- Steve Lavin
Ewwww....
"I picked the winner the last two years!"- Erin Andrews
"You drank the Gator Kool Aid!!!"- Steve Lavin
"Erin Andrews and I have the same Final Four. Clearly we were meant for each other."- Wilmott
Yes you are.
54-51 under 8.
Lavin: "Interesting fact to share at your next cocktail party. Mount St. Mary's is actually close to Camp David". How many cocktails do you have to have, Steve, in order for that to be interesting? (Via Mal)
Seems like we won't get to see most of the 1st half of our Terp game AA. I am so sad... NOT. I still am taking them +3 versus any terrible B10 team. Oh wait that is every B10 team. (Via Brett)
I don't even want to think about that until this game is over.
"Do these teams know what set offenses are? I know I should show some more love to my home state (my high school graduation and prom was at MSM), but this game looks at times like they picked 5 guys out of the crowd to play." (Via Anon)
Well if one is from you home state I think both are.
60-55 MSM with 3:11 left....
We're nearing the end of our foray into the "Play On" game and if you're expecting me to talk about Maryland then you're sadly mistaken.
"Maryland is winning 1-0 with a minute gone by...GET TO THAT GAME QUICK ESPN!!" (Via Marc)
Hahahaha. 46 secs left.....4 point game.
"Coppin has been mounted."- Steve Lavin
Well there you have it. Your Final is MSM 69- CSC 60. Good times had by all. I'm moving on to the MD-Minn game and drinking away my sorrows in N.I.T. land. Cheers!
91 Comments:
Am I the only one who thought the spread was "Mainstream Media -7"?
Also, am I the only one to pick "MSM / Coppin St." in my bracket because it doubles my chances while everybody else picks just one winner?
I appreciate the love you give to Brian Regan. It truly is awesome.
I can't cry a river for Mt. St. Mary's. Sorry, j.j.
Just a few things I've noticed today:
1) I wish I would've DVR'ed Black Magic.
2) ESPN Radio's Jason Smith was on Jim Rome is Burning and he's borderline transparent.
3) I think Steve Lavin's luggage got lost, because on a 'Pregame Extra' on ESPNews, he was sans hair gel.
"Sorry, MSM. You're better than Mississippi Valley State and you deserve to play in the REAL tournament. But we don't want some crackpot to say we're racist. So too bad."
I have no allegiance to MSM, but that is flat-out wrong.
Ha Matt....I think that spread would be in the UNC/Play-in range of -33.
if you can't wait until 7:30 for erin andrews, she did an interview on sr950.com today and addresses the bruce pearl hug.
Hey AA before you went pro in Blogging what collegiate athletic did you play?
GusJ- I believe he was the Captain of the Competitive Keyboarding Club..who the hell cares....BTW- AA came up with the phrase for Mt ST Mary " THE MOUNT "...look it up
What collegiate athletic? Did Emmitt Smith invade the comments section?
So you need an NCAA patch to play in the game? As if we didn't know what we were watching...and I thought Disnergy was bad
You know what i never understood..How these teams are chosen for the Play In / Opening Round / Play Out game.
do you hear the crowd? they are even pissed to be watching this. Coppin State vs Mt St Marys in Dayton OHIO. WOW.. a real draw..
why dont they change these games to more exciting games with better teams. Cop State has 20 losses!
imagine how much better this would be if it were Arizona State vs Virginia Tech.
Hahahahaha. Lavin's bag was seriously lost today. Whoever called that gets a free shirt.
I called it, but I cheated ('cause I saw him on ESPNews earlier). Send it to the dude sitting next to Jason Smith on Jim Rome is Burning in 'The Forum.' I could've sworn it was Goat Boy (but it turns out to be someone named Matt 'Money' Smith).
Really Lavin?
u dare call one of these teams " A Well Oiled Machine" ? He must really miss his hair gel
I took MSM -7 what'd you take AA?
Wow, thanks for the link to the site, what a disaster that ended up being. I'm actually (as of today) helping out Extra P and OMDQ over at Bus Leagues, their minor league baseball site.
/cheap plug
HAHA... Look at the guy over Erin's left shoulder.
that guy spent money on making that shirt " UNC youre next"...at a kinkos...guaranteed
I always love the Enterprise commercial. Why is the female soccer player acting like Horshack? The teacher's not even looking at her!
11 points in the last 8 minutes total, Yikes! Both teams are ready for UNC.
Feel sorry for anybody that is agonizing with the over right now. Still on track though.
Good thing they called Roy Williams instead of telling us what was going on. They missed the one exciting play so far!
I'm surprised Brent didn't call Roy "the Pete Carroll of basketball coaches"
" This game has a nice tempo to it " Following 3 plays.. Turnover, Bricked 3, Foul, TV Timeout.
Yes Brent. I cant keep up with this.
On the tube opposite the MSM vs CSU game some skunk haired girl just tried to sing Back in the USSR, ugh.
I don't think we're breaking any commenting records, but thanks for helping me out tonight folks.
Brett....I will disown you if you continue to watch Idol
I'm just saying.
Is it COppin State or KAppin State?
Don't worry AA it's set for "23 in a Row" in an hour and 15 minutes. With three tv's one can always handle some trash reality tv.
Not gonna lie an exciting first half. I mean 77 points and all, pretty nifty.
That last posession completely sums up the play-in game: "the mount" blew their shot at taking the lead by missing a layup. Ugly first half
Fang may have the pipes Erin, but you've got the tubes.
Beatle week on Idol.
I HATE MICHAEL JACKSON
Was that Bill Cosby being interviewed?
At least I can watch the Nuggets and Pistons...and the resurgence of Jarvis Hayes!
A non-related NBA gem on Pistons radio by Rick Mahorn about the Nuggets: "After scoring 168 points, it looks like they really shot their wad."
Obviously I can add 67, still a entertaining half for me at least. Sloppy, yet entertaining, aka Tenn vs Memphis
No. Hillman College lost in the MEAC semis
/obscure A Different World references
Band!
Coppin St- 45
MSM - 26
Oh, college basketball.
Not funny JJ, but 80s references will always get me.
All of this hardwood talk from Erin....and now she just mentioned nail and "he shook me off".
Nice little run to start the half by MSM.
Lavin with that Mountaineers shriek....what the heck?
P.S: I've got Mt. St Marys to indeed upset Coppin State by 20.
Lavin sucking up to Musberger on his call on a nat'l championship game from 1987.....and now they're having a discussion.
Can we just file this one under comedy?
"It'll be a foot longer for these players" - BM
You have been mounted!
not going to touch that one
oh and play-on game instead of play-in game? Lame, Brent.
I was just looking at the women's tournament info on the Bottom Line. Geez. ESPN even gives Duke the cushy primetime spot in the women's tournament!
Am I all alone?
UNC Asheville 66 Ohio State HOLY BUCKEYE 84
Brent needs to go to that retirement home where Emmitt Smith was in the Just For Men's commercial.
How are Lavin and Brent supposed to carry on meaningless conversation with these kids playing basketball all over the place!
Watching this game I have to wonder: Which of these teams is from the Big Ten?
Once again: Duke beat Wisconsin by 24
and Lavin was just way too excited to toss it down to EA
Erin Andrews and I have the same Final Four. Clearly we were meant for each other.
Lavin: "Interesting fact to share at your next cocktail party. Mount St. Mary's is actually close to Camp David". How many cocktails do you have to have, Steve, in order for that to be interesting?
Sam, Arizona State swept Arizona. What's your point?
If by "chalky" you mean jaw-dropping hotness, then, yes she is the most chalky babe around.
Seems like we won't get to see most of the 1st half of our Terp game AA. I am so sad... NOT. I still am taking them +3 versus any terrible B10 team. Oh wait that is every B10 team.
jj: I think Arizona St. got robbed, too. The point is, people keep stating that Wisconsin deserved to be ranked over Duke without looking at the result on the floor.
This is spread is going to be right on the money.
Do these teams know what set offenses are? I know I should show some more love to my home state (my high school graduation and prom was at MSM), but this game looks at times like they picked 5 guys out of the crowd to play.
Anybody else dislike the high cameras that Dayton's arena and others have like Gallagher-Iba for OK State? It's tough for depth perception in my mind.
"banana peel specials"? I think I like the term "cinderella" better, Lavin.
" There is a foul and he'll go to the free throw line ::pause:: going the other way. Traveling called " - Brent
My head just exploded
" Mount St Mary's staying alive down the sretch. You know how big that is Lav " - Brent
Yes Lav. Dont you know how big it is to not be losing at the end of the game?
AHHHH!! HELP ME!!
wait...dide Musberger really just say "the Play-On-Game"?
yeah he's been using that line all game
It is almost like Brent Musberger is not watching the game about half the time.
This is going to get close for my $10 on MSM. GL AA.
AA, personally I feel better watching the Terps in that little box on the right hand corner of the screen instead of the whole HD feed.
Maryland is winning 1-0 with a minute gone by...
GET TO THAT GAME QUICK ESPN!!
Your other TV choices for the night: American Idol, Beauty and the Geek, Biggest Loser, NCIS, Dancing with the Stars, Big Brother, One Tree Hill ROCKETS - CELTICS ON TNT
That's some chunky thighs on that MSM cheerleader. That is NOT what elite college athletics is all about.
This could be an amazing cover by MSM, COULD BE
Never in doubt. Sorry AA. Your CSU could only do so much.
Mount the Coppin? Is that what Lav just said?
"Mt. Saint Mary's 1st ever NCAA Tournament victory" ..lol bs- no one considers this to be an NCAA Tourney game, more like just an exhibition
Good night, AA. Get some help no need to watch crap basketball on ESPN. Or just turn on TNT.
can we still comment on things NIT?
Syracuse is having trouble with Robert Morris.
Suffice to say that on the play-in game:
Lavinburger > Mike Tirico & Len Elmore
BTW, I still was baffled by the love the Nuggets were getting over scoring 168 against Seattle: 134 points allowed Denver? Against the Pistons?
@ marc: I get the feeling that in an Open Thread, anything goes.
So, how about Virginia in that CBI, eh?
what's the deal with the celtics uni's tonight?
Wilmott: Lucky you. My Final Four picks are the same as Musberger's, which makes me think I should change them immediately.
On the other hand, seeing Lavin take three Big East teams makes me feel a lot better about my decision not to pick any of those three to the Sweet 16.
I can't watch this shit. None of them even care. This is painful....how many rebounds is Minnesota going to pull down?
FUCK!
I didn't even realize the Celtics-Rockets game was on TNT.
@sam:
Those were the unis they wore for St. Patrick's Day yesterday in San Antonio. Still better than the Knicks , Bulls & Raptors wearing green jerseys.
A win. No collapse. Yippy! I would actually really like to beat 'Cuse. I am kind of excited to watch that game.
And good night Houston. Down 16 to Boston = DONE.
Finally a well played game Brett.....I'm looking forward to Cuse.
From the ASU-ASU game (I know you like what I did there), but it must be mentioned:
Steven Bardo: after a steal "Ali Baba and the 40 thieves in the backcourt!"
Oh yeah, AA - no NCAA/NIT Pammies?
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/13289--Projecting_the_Field_of_65_Committee_Nails_It_
This is an interesting read. Go about 2/3 of the way down. It talks about how Mt. St. Mary's might have got jobbed because the NCAA didn't want two historically black colleges in the play-in game.