Weekend notes…
Drake/UNI
* UNI shot lights out again, this time against Drake at the Knapp Center Saturday. Beyond the hot shooting, UNI played in your jersey defense a la’ Southern Illinois and was able to take Drake totally out of their rhythm. Josh Young only gets 2 shots the whole game? Credit UNI’s harassment and physical play.
* Why stay in a zone? UNI shot almost 50% from three point range in the first half and 42% for the game. The Bulldogs sat back in zone defense the whole game while UNI threw skip passes over the zone and got wide open looks. Come on coach mix it up. Drake was getting pummeled from the outside. Drop back to man-to-man a few series and get physical. When you are getting punched in the mouth on the offensive end, return the favor with a little belly up man-to-man of your own. Knock a shooter of his shot once or twice. Get in their heads. Drake sat back and got burned repeatedly.
* There were still open seats at the Knapp Center. I understand that the economy stinks and dollars are tight, but pound for pound your sports dollar buys more at Drake. Good basketball (at least your got to see a great performance from one team Saturday), cheap concessions and a nice family atmosphere.
Iowa/Iowa State Basketball
Ummm…..ummm…226 days until Coach Rhoads debut and 228 days until UNI at Iowa.
Iowa Chops
* I hit the Chops game Saturday night and I think the morgue might have had more excitement that night. Something needs to be done with that building. There is no life.
First place Milwaukee was in town taking on second place Iowa. I am guessing no more than 20% of the building knew that fact. The loudest the crowd got during the game was actually during a timeout when the scoreboard was showing the Kiss Cam. (Still a great gimmick, but for the love of Moses Malone could the camera operators zoom in on people – wide shots during the kiss cam are pointless).
* The hockey product is very good, but man does that building need some life. Why not try a dollar night – just one night. Every ticket that isn’t sold goes on sale 2 hours before the game for $1. Special $1 concessions. Try to fill the place. I guarantee more people would go to games if there was life in the building.
* Towards that end – it is too expensive. I understand the ticket prices are set at a certain level, but the prices at the concessions need to be adjusted. If someone is trying to take a family of four to the game you can very easily rack up $100. A few beverages, a few snacks and a novelty item and pretty soon you could buy out a bank or two.
Spending $100 for a Chops’ game is crazy in my book. I think if you ask most people they would spend $100 on 10 others things before a night out at the Chops.
* Last thing on the Chops. I am not sure who the timeout talking head is, but at least for me, when you are trying to get the crowd excited and pumped up for the game – don’t tell me to cheer louder because you are taping this for a promotion. You job is to have things in place and put out a decent product so I will be excited – not to tell me to cheer loud so your TV commercial will look good.
Random Items
* The Cubs “quick centerfield, good defense” Craigslisting was purchased…again. Seems like Baltimore loves the Cubs sloppy seconds in center. Corey Patterson never fulfilled the hopes of the Cubs brass and was sent packing to Baltimore and now Felix Pie is doing the same. The Orioles signed Pie after the “next big start” struggled to make it out of Des Moines. Good luck in Baltimore. Hey MacPhail, the Cubs will have another center fielder for you in a few years. Just wait.
*Zach wins outside of Georiga. Ok, he has won once in Texas, but Georgia seemed to be the only place Zach could win with wins in the AT&T Classic, BellSouth and the Masters.
A quick look at the 2009 money leaders:
1 Zach Johnson $1,161,250
2 Geoff Ogilvy $1,149,237
3 Adam Scott $552,867
It is early, but still fun to be on top. Not a bad start.
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