Go Tigers Go

Hey Everyone...

As many of you know, I live in Memphis.  In fact, I am a graduate student at the University of Memphis.

How about them Tigers?

They looked good this weekend, didn't they?  It is the best they've looked all year (the only regular season game nearly as good as the wins against Michigan State and Texas was the home win against Gonzaga in Feb)...

I'm not sure who you guys are cheering for, but unless you are an alumni from UNC, UCLA, or KU, I hope you are cheering for Memphis to bring the Championship Trophy home to Tennessee, which by the way proved to be THE BEST state for college basketball this year....more rambling and gloating in the extended copy....

For anyone that follows college basketball, you know that most pundits and talking heads didn't give Memphis much of a chance.

All season long, they were dogged for being in C-USA and not playing enough good teams.  Or after it is noticed we played the hardest non-conference schedule, they said we didn't play enough good teams on the road.

ESPN had a poll asking which #1 seed was the weakest.  The Tigers were overwhelmingly voted to be that team.

Some people picked Mississippi State to beat Memphis.  They were suppose to be as athletic and physical.  They weren't. And since they played in the SEC, they had that mysterious BCS advantage.  Then after the game, they suddenly became just another scrub team.  The nawsayers then said, well Miss State just were obviously overwhelmed and wait until the Tigers play against a good team, like Michigan State.

So then Michigan State was the next BCS school that was going to upset Memphis.  Their coach was better.  They had size.  The play in the physical Big 10.  Everyone from Dick Vitale to Mike Freeman said Michigan State would win.  Freeman even wrote on CBS that the Tigers don't play real basketball and aren't coached very good, and simply throw out uncoached thugs and gangbangers on the court and then just "roll the ball on the court"....idiot...

Then the ball was tipped.  After the first 20 minutes of basketball the Tigers were leading 50 to 20.  50 to 20, are you kidding me?!?!?!  That was hands down the best half of basketball I've ever seen in college.  wow....

After the game, it was clear, the analysts said, Michigan State just simply had no chance against the Tigers athletes.  Michigan State was just another scrub team.  Wait until we have to play a good team, they say.  And even more, wait until we play Texas in Houston, then we would be exposed.  My unofficial count showed a 4 to 1 advantage for Texas in who was being picked to win on ESPN/CBS/etc....

Then the ball was tipped.  And the Tigers simply killed the Longhorns.  The Tigers led from start to finish.  The game was never in doubt.  UT didn't look like they even belonged on the same court as Memphis.  What happened to that home court advantage?  What happened to the BCS advantage?  What happened to being prepared because of playing superior competition (UT coach barnes said no team this year played the defense memphis played).  The 18 point loss for Texas was the most for the season.

I expect to see a whole lot of talking heads apologizing for dis-respecting the Tigers this much during the season and tournament.

Michigan State and Texas looked like C-USA scrub teams playing against Memphis.

Are we still just a bunch of thugs and gangbangers that aren't coached?

Great time to live in Memphis.  I'm going and picking up my Final 4 T-shirt tomorrow.  Campus should be fun to walk around.

If you don't have a team left in the tourney, join me in cheering on the Tigers!!!!!!!!!