Deadspin
The most fun part of last night's national championship game? It wasn't one of those awful defensive wars of attrition, in which each team grinds out the shot clock before chucking an off-balance out-of-control shot. (Or, at least on the rare occasions that happened, the shot went in.) On the whole, Kansas-Memphis was a lyrical, smooth, sprinting celebration of tall, fast people doing tall, fast things. It was as enjoyable aesthetically as it was historically.
After a stretch of dull championship games in our sports, we're now back on a roll, with last year's Super Bowl and this national title game. (And we suspect the NBA playoffs have the potential to be epic.) It also brings us little joy that the last two quality NCAA championship games have involved an Illinois loss and a Bill Self title. Alas.
Mostly: What a fun tournament. Even with all No. 1 seeds in the Final Four, we had three legitimate glories: Western Kentucky's last-second win, Stephen Curry's brilliance and Mario Chalmers' massive shot. That's three more than last year. We'll take it.
(Getty Images photo)
Comments
I like the mascot's "I'm so getting laid tonight" swagger there.
@Afino: Costume on or off?
@Afino:
Big Jay does get the ladies.
...and we already have Mario and the Miracles moniker for the rest of time.
After a stretch of dull championship games in our sports, we're now back on a roll, with last year's Super Bowl and this national title game.
I guess the Super Bowl was last year if we're going by the Chinese New Year.
/Will's Chinese masters' conspiracy'ed
@Afino: he (or she) was asked to leave the giant Jayhawk head on too
@theheckle: indeed
@Afino:
"Who wants to sex Jayhawk?"
A BCS win, a National Championship and only 4 losses combined between the two sports. How's that taste Missoura?
It looks like someone shredded Roy Williams tie from Saturday, and scattered it about the Alamodome floor.
I think the mascot is escaping. He's going in the opposite direction from the team. I guess he thinks in all this excitement, he has time to make it to Mexico.
When Big Jay got over the foul line, how come nobody fouled him?
INVIZZUHBLE FLAMING LIPS CONCERT
Don't forget last month's drama in the 2008 World Cup of Tiddlywinks.
"You, uh...gonna eat that confetti? Mind if I do?"
-Mark Mangino
Hard to believe Mrs. Self used to be a cheerleader.
@Lupicas!XofullofBile: My girlfriend couldn't stop laughing at the name Cindy Self.
@Rob Iracane: Fucking steroids.
Is there a parade in Lawrence? Do the players get to ride Mangino down the parade route?
Didn't watch, couldn't watch.
[is handed arbitrary tropical island drink with bamboo umbrella]
@sleepyirv: Hes heading north. I think there are actually 3 Mexicans hiding in the beak and they are trying to make it to a sanctuary city.
No Mangino pics? WTF!
This is all garbage, obviously you weren't in the locker room so your opinion is shit.
@Suss--:
But you are commenting.
@UkraineNotWeak: You're assuming he floats.
Eh, if my Gators had to hand off the NCAA Heavyweight Championship, I'm glad it was to KU, and not, say, another SEC team or Duke or something.
Just wish my Gators could've won the NCAA Intercontinental Championship. Oh well.
DustInTheWind.jpg?
...And I'm walking in Memphis, do you really feel they way I feel...
Nope, you feel like shit, I don't.
The Jayhawk has the casual yet determined look of a Cuban defector at the World Baseball Champtionships. Ain't no way they are getting him back to Lawrence. He has tasted freedom now.
I had absolutely no rooting interest in last night's game, financially or otherwise, so I didn't watch. But congratulations to the Kansas Jayhawks, nonetheless!
The lesson: As with North Carolina and Florida in recent years, if you to want to the national championship you've got to go through Villanova to get it.
/pathetic attempt to make myself feel better
*the
@Get Him A Body Bag, Yeah!:
Georgia came in with a chair shot to allow Ohio State to get the pin.
So... Calipari. How you uh, how you comin' on those free throw drills you've been working on? Huh? Gotta a big, uh, big clipboard there with some end of game scenarios there? Gotta, gotta nice litte play designed there? Your big end of the game play that you've been working on for 3 years? Huh? Gonna, gonna call a timeout there? Yeah? Gonna call a timeout to talk it over with the kids? Huh? Gonna just let them play defense and hope they dont give up the three there? Working on, working on that end of the game scenario for quite some time? Huh?
"if you to want to" = "if you want to get to"
Someday I'll master this language called English.
/stirs the pot
@UkraineNotWeak:
Hey, Pete's a good-looking kid and all, but...
The Jawhawk is obviously listening to the Bee Gees on his iPod.
You can tell by the way he uses his walk.
@tater: Yes, but did he give a shit?
It was nice to have an evenly matched championship instead of a juggernaut against an overmatched, happy to be here opponent.
Looking at you, 2002 Hoosier, 2004 Georgia Tech and 2006 UCLA.
@tater: He was also wearing his Jayhawk underoos.
@Get Him A Body Bag, Yeah!: And to think that it only took Ohio State four tries to finally win something.
@tater: Maybe he went to cheer camp with Bill Self's wife.
@tater: Roy Williams is the biggest egotistical douche in college basketball. He cant take it if he is not apart of the story.
Calipari believes that everything happens for a reason, and it wasn't God's will that he teach his kids how to shoot free throws.
Roy Williams sexed the Jayhawk.
@Lupicas!XofullofBile: that was my exact thought.
How about in the first half, when Nantzy rolled out the "Simon says Championship" groaner he used in the AZ title game a few years back. Once a bad pun, always a bad pun.
And as a Nets fan, since Calipari was the guy who supposedly was the one to pull the trigger on Kerry Kittles over Kobe Bryant and the guy who allegedly made an intern run onto a tarmac to stop a plane because he was late, well lets just say it brought a smile to my face as the we all get to see how big of a fuckwad this guy is on a national stage.
The order of 'bag of dicks' is ready, Coach Cal, please pull around to the first window.
@Crookednose:
If you've ever been to Memphis, you know God is no fan of that city.
It is amazing that Kansas won this despite doing their dammnest in the last 30 seconds of regulation to make sure that Memphis didn't blow it. Shouldn't forget when it was 62-60 with about 25-30 seconds left, Collins did have a layup blocked on a drive in an attempt to tie it. Also, Kansas did allow Memphis to grab the rebound off the miss free throw with 16 seconds enabling them another chance to put it away. Just goes to underline how much Memphis did give this one away in the last couple of minutes. Congrats to Kansas. A lot of teams wouldn't have taken advantage of it.
@martyfunkhauser: Oh! +1.
@TomahawkFlop: I'd say that about most cities.
@TomahawkFlop:
I've been to Memphis once. I don't find it necessary to go back a second time.
Stupid choking Memphis, denying me second place in my office pool.
@Weed Against Speed: +1
Did Penny bring along Brick Anderson to help the Tigers [not] shoot clutch free throws?
@Dead Wrestlers Society: I would have to say "Rock Chalk Championship" is cornier than a bowl of Frosted Flakes.
For the record, I just looked at my original written bracket (I had transferred it to my handy Excel spreadsheet tracking system), and noticed that I had Kansas crossed out for the national champion, instead putting in UNC.
I did that bracket by starting with Kansas as the champ, and worked my way out. Goddamnit.
/I know no one else cares