GO TIGERS GO

***** I LOVE WATCHING THE MEMPHIS TIGERS PLAY BASKETBALL. I HAVE BEEN AT IT FOR ALMOST 45 YEARS . I WATCHED BACK IN THE CHANNEL 10 DAYS OF DELAYED BROADCASTS .

HUNTER BRECKMAN & BOB NEAUMAN WERE PLAYING & BIG JACK WAS CALLING THE GAMES .

NOW I MUST CONFESS, I DON'T CARE MUCH IF THE TIGERS WIN OR LOSE . I JUST WANT TO SEE CLOSE COMPETITIVE GAMES .

BUT THE REAL FUN IS OBSERVING THE MEMPHIS FANS . YOU KNOW ,THAT BUNCH LIVING ON FANTASY ISLAND .

THOSE THAT BELIEVE THAT MEMPHIS IS AN ELITE NATIONAL PROGRAM . THOSE THAT LINE UP FOR THE FREE ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFALO CHIPS .

PLEASE ! MEMPHIS IS A GOOD PROGRAM THAT HAS ENJOYED MODERATE SUCCESS .

HOW CAN I SAY SUCH A THING ? LETS US CONSIDER SOME NUMBERS . MEMPHIS HAS NO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS . THERE ARE AT LEAST FIVE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE WON THREE OR MORE .

MEMPHIS HAS BEEN TO THREE FINAL FOURS , ALL IN THE LAST 40 YEARS . YOU CAN'T HARDLY SAY THEY ARE A FREQUENT FLYER .

12 TEAMS HAVE BEEN TO TWICE AS MANY FINAL FOURS AS THE TIGERS . 13 OTHERS HAVE BEEN TO MORE FINAL FOURS THAN MEMPHIS .

THERE IS NOTHING IN THOSE NUMBERS THAT SAYS ELITE NATIONAL PROGRAM .

NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND CORSO WOULD SAY . MEMPHIS IS TIED FOR THE LEAD NATIONALLY WITH MICHIGAN IN VACATED FINAL FOURS WITH TWO .

MEMPHIS HAS HAD FOUR COACHES WHO HAD GREAT IMPACTS.

GENE BARTOW WAS ONLY HERE FOUR YEARS BUT LEFT A HUGE FOOTPRINT .
CLEAN GENE WAS A GREAT GUY BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW HE CREATED THAT MUCH GOOD WILL IN THAT SHORT OF TIME .
MEMPHIS STILL LOVES BARTOW .

DANA KIRK WAS THE BEST X & O MAN THE TIGERS EVER HAD . THE ONLY PROBLEM DANA DID SOME OF HIS BEST SCHEMING OFF THE COURT . BUT DANA COULD GET THE PLAYERS & COACH THEIR BRITCHES OFF .

LOCAL HERO LARRY FINCH WAS A GREAT GUY WHO LOVED FRIED CHICKEN .
LARRY USED HIS HERO STATUS TO GET SOME FINE PLAYERS BUT WASN'T THE BEST BENCH COACH AROUND .
MEMPHIS FANS USED TO FRET THAT ANOTHER SCHOOL WOULD STEAL LARRY . TRUTH WAS LARRY COULD NOT GET A JOB OUTSIDE THE MEMPHIS AREA .
STILL FINCH WAS A GREAT POSITIVE FOR THE PROGRAM .

THEN THERE WAS CAL AKA AS THE LITTLE LIZARD .
PEOPLE STILL HATE CAL FOR TAKING OFF FOR KENTUCKY , A REAL ELITE NATIONAL PROGRAM .
COURSE CAL DID RAID THE MEMPHIS CUB-BOARD ON HIS WAY OUT THE DOOR .
CAL WAS THE VERY BEST AT GETTING PLAYERS BUT WAS NOT MUCH OF A FLOOR COACH . SEE THE KANSAS FINAL FOR REFERENCE .

SO THAT IS TIGER BASKETBALL . SUPER ENTERTAINMENT BUT NOT AN ELITE PROGRAM .

***** I AM PULLING FOE ELI & THE GIANTS SUNDAY .

IF YOU HAD A PERSONALITY CONTEST BETWEEN TOMMY C. & BILLY BELLS IT WOULD BE CALLED FOR LACK OF ACTION .HOW THESE TWO ARE FATHERS MUST BE AN AMAZING STORY .

THESE TWO LIVE WIRES COACHED TOGETHER AS MEMBERS OF BILL PARCELLS STAFF . DON'T YOU KNOW THAT WAS A JOLLY JOLLY ENVIRONMENT .

***** ANOTHER BIT OF FUN IS THE REPUBLA - BLOOD PRIMARY .

WE KNOW ROMNEY BELIEVES IN STATES RIGHTS . MITT BELIVES HE HAS THE RIGHT TO PROMISE DIFFERENT THINGS IN EACH STATE .
I THINK NEWT SUFFERS FROM REPRESSED ANGER . IS THERE ANY WORD ON WHETHER NEWT WAS A BED WETTER AS A CHILD OR YOUNG ADULT ?

UNTIL NEXT TIME !