By Sean Quinn
Looking for someone to aim your anger and cast your finger towards for Syracuse’s first round upset? Don’t dare flap your fingers at Hakim Warrick for his 10 turnovers. And don’t you even think about directing your blame at Gerry McNamara for his 4-18 shooting performance. Don’t blame anyone who was suited up for the loss to Vermont on Friday. Blame Billy.
By Sean Quinn
Bracey Wright, Chris Thomas, Gary Williams are now the equivalent of that group of kids who line the back wall of the middle school gymnasium during a Saturday night. They showed up for the party, but no one is asking them to dance. And they have no one to blame but themselves.
By Sean Quinn
Gerry McNamara hit six threes in the first half of the 2003 National Championship game against Kansas. He was a freshman. Saturday against Connecticut, the junior guard looked like he couldn’t throw a ball into the ocean, let alone the basket, shooting 2-10 from beyond the arc. McNamara should have played better, but it’s not entirely his fault.
By Sean Quinn
People talk too much. People talk too much about the wrong things. People wrongly anoint young talented, yet unproven, stars as the greatest of all time. People smear Michael Jordan’s legacy as if it were a can of finger paint and the new age NBA is a fresh canvas. People talk about Steve Nash, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, and rightfully so. But people don’t talk, and certainly don’t talk enough, about Allen Iverson, and they should be.
By Sean Quinn
If you a measure a team by big games, Syracuse looks oh so small. They have lost to their last three ranked opponents and were outplayed for most of the largest attended game in college basketball history against Notre Dame on Saturday. In the thick of the most critical stretch of the season, with three straight ranked Big East foes ahead of them, Syracuse needs to start finishing strong.
By Sean Quinn
Freddie Mitchell remained silent Sunday night because his play had done all of his talking for him. Number 84 caught one ball for 11 yards, which came during a desperate drive, against a prevent defense, in the closing minutes of a game, in which the outcome had already been decided. So if Freddie Mitchell doesn’t understand what his Super Bowl XXXIX performance is trying to say, we will shout it to him, shut up Freddie!
By Sean Quinn
It’s about winning and losing and Drew Bledsoe can no longer win.
Even though the season is over for the Buffalo Bills and they have returned to their customary form of watching yet another NFL post season from the comfy confines of their couches, the criticizing and questioning has just begun. The first name on the list is Drew Bledsoe. And rightfully so.
By Sean Quinn
IPod’s are hot this Christmas. So is Beyonce. But you’d be hard pressed to find anything hotter right now than the Buffalo Bills. Well, maybe a “Tickle Me Elmo,” but the fact still remains, all anyone in Western New York really wants for the holidays is a playoff spot. And with AFC teams being cleared out of the Bills path like snow off of a Buffalo interstate, every Bills fan has a reason to be tickled about something.
By Sean Quinn
“Citizen Kane” was snubbed an Oscar back in 1941. It lost to “How Green Was My Valley.” Marshall Faulk was snubbed the Heisman Trophy in 1992. He lost to Gino Toretta. Orson Welles’ classic film went on to be called the greatest film of all time by the American Film Institute. Marshall Faulk will probably be in the Hall of Fame someday. I was snubbed, regrettably yet again, by the folks at People Magazine and their list of the “50 Most Beautiful People.” All I’m shooting for is to be remembered for something, but that is neither here nor there. Reggie Bush will probably be snubbed the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, perhaps to his teammate Matt Leinart. Leinart will no doubt have a better career than Toretta did in the NFL. Heck, Ryan Leaf had a more productive stint in the NFL than did Toretta. And by no means is anyone sculpting a bronze bust in Canton for the sophomore USC running back just yet, but if the Heisman Trophy is designated for the best player in college football, Leinart’s backfield buddy should be holding some type of bronze hardware Saturday night.
By Sean Quinn
Tyrone Willingham was not the problem with Notre Dame football. Whoever puts on the headset next in South Bend will have the same difficulties Willingham did. The problem isn’t the coaching. The problem is that Notre Dame’s allure has melted away faster than Joan Rivers’ face.