Where have all the Cupcakes gone?

[jimmykc]

Washington beaten by Stony Brook, Huskers by Incarnate Word, Michigan by The New Jersey Institute of Technology, Michigan State by Texas Southern...you get the picture. Does anyone have an explanation? My own theory is that today's kids don't really get in the right frame of mind for these matchups any more since they are not "marquee" games on national tv and are not going to make highlight reels. Since every measure of success depends upon the postseason now, the team's motivation to beat these "lesser" opponents never develops until the outcome is in jeopardy. On the other hand, this is the "postseason" for the unknown teams, and voila, Upset City, Baby! (as Vitale would put it.

[hhcmatt]

It's a lot easier to scout teams than it used to be.

[bobcat402]

with more games on TV (Cable, Internet) players dont worry about getting exposure and if you can find a coach that can sell, and scheme a game plan around those players, you can win some ball games. 

[hal9000]

"....Long time passing."

[cipsucks]

"....Long time passing."

 

For all you young-uns, Pete Seeger wrote the song.  I always thought Johnny Rivers version was best...

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foX7ofJE7Go

[HuskerFever]

Sorry guys, I ate them all...

 

[colhusker]

 

"....Long time passing."

 

For all you young-uns, Pete Seeger wrote the song.  I always thought Johnny Rivers version was best...

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foX7ofJE7Go

 

I like Peter Paul and Mary's version better!

[jimmykc]

Me too. Time for someone to embed the PPM version here. Which of course ignores the basic premise of the thread, i.e. why so many god awful upsets this year. Or as Homer might say "Cupcakes....mmmmm!"

[AuroranHusker]

Advent of AAU basketball has many H.S. basketball players competing in hundreds of 'games' which dilutes the meaning of W's & L's; thus, no real stigma to losing to programs these top-tier teams have been falling short against. A theory, anyway. Another possibility is the abundance of video games that kids have been exposed to, and they can easily reset the game to change the outcome; in real life, no such good fortune for poor performance in an actual game. And, I think 'good' players are playing throughout college basketball rather than sitting on the bench of other top-tier, well-funded programs. I'd lean toward the latter than the former 2 theories as a primary culprit. I do believe all 3 theories are relevant to a certain extent...

[hhcmatt]

Also the better teams used to have better players that stayed for 4 years.

[AuroranHusker]

Also the better teams used to have better players that stayed for 4 years.

 

Definitely that on elite teams as players rarely stay more than 1 or 2 yrs at the very best programs like UK, KU et al.

[atskooc]

 

 

"....Long time passing."

 

For all you young-uns, Pete Seeger wrote the song.  I always thought Johnny Rivers version was best...

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foX7ofJE7Go

 

I like Peter Paul and Mary's version better!

 

Kingston Trio.

[hskr4life]

This was the title of a thread on every Big 10 Board after our run last year!

[AuroranHusker]

This was the title of a thread on every Big 10 Board after our run last year!

 

 

MSU, for sure...

[MitchMcGaryMunchies]

Sorry guys, I ate them all...

 

 

YOU ATE THEM ALL?!?  But not the cupcakes labeled, "Mitch's Special Cakes" right?  I hope not, because I was saving those in hopes of making my NYE viewing of The Interview more tolerable.  Also, they each contain enough THC to bring down a horse...

[HuskerFever]

 

Sorry guys, I ate them all...

 

 

YOU ATE THEM ALL?!?  But not the cupcakes labeled, "Mitch's Special Cakes" right?  I hope not, because I was saving those in hopes of making my NYE viewing of The Interview more tolerable.  Also, they each contain enough THC to bring down a horse...

 

 

I just took the labels off and started to eatadfljhdskf ssjdfjkacnxzzclg nlrjfnadssnvrfd cfajdglthobscmfgr bmpojnmcnhtshwr jabtgdjlbmsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

[jimmykc]

I thought I would bump this one since I noted in my morning perusal of the LJS that famous sportswriter and author John Feinstein got the same idea as yours truly and wrote his own piece on the subject. Either he visits HHC or his mind is about a week behind old Jimmy. Our game against Incarnate Word was prominently mentioned and he got to interview coaches such as Coach K , while I was forced to rely on kidney for my expertise. At any rate, the conclusion was about like the one expressed at the top of the page, and that players begin to "tune out" their coaches mentally after they hear the old mantra about staying focused on their next game enough times.

[jimmykc]

Cip: I finally got around to watching the 3:52 clip of Johnny Rivers. It is definitely not my favorite version. By the 1:00 mark I was wondering if Johnny was lip synching the song or if something was wrong with my new recycled monitor. By the 1:30 mark I was captivated by what appeared to be his plastic, sprayed on hair. And by the 2:00 mark I was just wishing it would stop. I now have time to ruminate on these things because for the first time in the past 40 years I have no workplace to visit. This feels peculiar.