David Nwaba scored a team-high 15 points in the Cal Poly loss. By Owen Main

On Monday night, Cal Poly gave up 61% shooting in Moraga and lost to St. Mary’s 93-63. The defensive difficulties continued for the Mustangs on Thursday in Los Angeles as Joe Callero’s team took another one on the chin in a 101-82 loss in a game that was never really in doubt.

David Nwaba was Cal Poly’s leading scorer with 15 points, but he was frustrated by USC’s length and physical inside play. Nwaba was 5-14 from the field. Joel Awich, Cal Poly’s leading scorer, only played 17 minutes because of foul trouble and fouled-out with just five points.

Luke Meikle and Taylor Sutlive each scored 13 for the Mustangs.

Foulsmanship

Cal Poly was in early foul trouble in both halves. The Mustangs only ended up with three more fouls than the Trojans, but when the game might have still been in doubt, Cal Poly was on the far wrong end. Early in the second half, USC was in the bonus while Cal Poly had drawn a single foul. With 10:23 to play in the second half, USC was in the double bonus. It made for a long game that was never really in doubt, or very exciting for that matter. Everyone is still trying to figure out the aesthetics of the new rules. In the case of this game, it made it really hard to watch in many cases.

Cal Poly head coach Joe Callero said everyone is still getting used to contact rules on drives and away from the hoop. Here’s hoping things get sorted out on all ends by the end of the calendar year and before conference play starts. High final scores are fine, but the clock was stopping a lot in this one… .

Brian Bennett scored in double-figures for the second game in a row. By Owen Main

USC length

The Trojans are a long team, that’s for sure. Only one Cal Poly player had more than four rebounds, and it was point guard Jaylen Shead, who had five. Cal Poly was out-rebounded 41-31 for the game. There were many balls that USC simply jumped higher to get, but Cal Poly has struggled to rebound recently.

In the two games this past week, the Mustangs were out-rebounded by 22 total. Cal Poly may not win every rebounding battle, but if they want to have a shot against teams like USC or St. Mary’s, they’ll have to do better than they did this week.

Martin gets on the court

Freshman Josh Martin, a transfer from Minnesota, was finally cleared to play against USC. Martin played 10 minutes, went scoreless (0-3 from the field), and pulled down two rebounds.

Last week, Callero basically described exactly how Martin would play in his first game back. In the USC game, Martin played the three when Cal Poly decided to play a big lineup. Look for lots of improvement there as the Mustangs barnstorm through Texas before the new year.

Over 50 = a loss

Josh Martin finally got on the court for Cal Poly, but it will probably take him until Big West play to really get his feet under him. By Owen Main

This week, Cal Poly opponents shot well over 50 percent. From behind the arc, St. Mary’s and USC shot a combined 31-54 (57 percent). Overall, the Gaels and Trojans shot 59 percent en route to a combined 194 points. I’m not sure if Cal Poly gave up 194 points in any three-game stretch the last few years, let alone a pair of games.

Yes, St. Mary’s and USC are a combined 17-3. St. Mary’s just beat Southern Utah by 56 points. But if Cal Poly is going to change their outcomes against good teams, they’ve got to figure out a way to build some defensive momentum in a game. Offensive pace will make the Mustangs more fun to watch tonight, but defense and rebounding haven’t got any less important.

Coming into the game against USC, Cal Poly knew Katin Reinhardt was a good shooter, but that didn’t stop the Trojan guard from getting open look after open look and scoring 22 points in the first half. Reinhardt finished with 29. The last time Cal Poly played USC, I think they scored 36. Total. Times they are a changin’.

The stars at night, are big and bright

Armed with three Texas natives and one signee from the Lone Star State, Cal Poly will fly to South Texas to continue their road trip. On Sunday, they’ll visit Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Sunday (noon Pacific time tipoff). On Tuesday, they’ll visit San Antonio to play UTSA.

The team will then be free for the holidays before heading back to Texas to take on Texas A&M in College Station on December 29th.

Photos by Owen Main

Find all photos from this game at photos.fansmanship.com

Day 2 of the NCAA Men’s Water Polo Championships. By Danielle Boyle Melman

As I sit here reflecting on the past weekend, I cannot help but think how lucky I am to have experienced the 2014 NCAA Men’s Water Polo Final Four Championships at my alma mater, UC San Diego, where I also work. Although this is my third water polo Final Four, this time was a little different. Before I begin to reflect on my personal experience as a Final Four spectator and worker, let’s get to the most important part: the results.

Both semi-final games were intense match-ups, but especially in the second game.

In semi-final number one, UC San Diego faced a very experienced and powerful UCLA team, where the Bruins prevailed 15-6. UC San Diego came out playing hard, ending the first quarter only down by 1. The second quarter was a different story: the Bruins had an explosive offense, outscoring UC San Diego 6-2 and leading 8-3 at the half. UCLA ultimately won 15-6, earning a trip to the championship game.

In Semi-Final number two, USC beat Stanford after two overtime periods and one sudden death period.

Stanford controlled the first half, leading 7-5. But the magic of USC kicked in. The Trojans outscored the Cardinal 3-1 in the third quarter, and tied the game up with 14 seconds left of regular time. Two overtime periods later, the score was still tied.

In collegiate water polo, after two three minute overtime periods, the game is decided by sudden death. With 5 seconds left of the first sudden death period, USC Senior Kostas Genidounias (Athens, Greece) scored from the outside to lift USC to a win, earning their 10^th trip in a row to the NCAA Final Championship game. I have seen a lot of water polo but this was one of the most exciting games I have ever watched.

The UCLA Bruins celebrating their 9th NCAA Men’s Water Polo championship. By Danielle Boyle Melman

The next day, Stanford had an easy time with UC San Diego in the third place game, winning 20-11. The championship game, however, did not fail to bring drama, intensity and a passion you only see in collegiate sports.

UCLA came out blazing for three solid quarters, earning a three goal lead holding USC standout Genidounias to no goals.

But USC came blazing into the fourth quarter, scoring three goals in a row to tie the game. With 34 seconds remaining, and the score still tied, UCLA sophomore Gordon Marshall (Newcastle, Australia) fired a shot from inside to lift the Bruins to a 9-8 lead. Great UCLA defense on the next USC possession concluded the game, giving UCLA its ninth NCAA Men’s Water Polo title and 112^th NCAA championship in university history.

But intertwined with the crowning of the national champion, an NCAA National Championship weekend celebrates much more than the first place team. It honors the spirit of the student-athlete. It celebrates the sport and the community hosting the event. It recognizes the spectator, participant and volunteer. Everyone has the opportunity to share in the student-athletes playing for their teammates, for their university, for their families, for their high school, for their club coaches, and never for themselves. The student-athletes’ hearts are on out on display for all to experience  – and it is a feeling like none other.

UC San Diego Tritons take home a NCAA Men’s Water Polo 4th place finish. By Danielle Boyle Melman

Some of that emotion and heart is seen before the championship play even begins. In the spirit of the student-athlete, the National Championship Finals includes an award the NCAA hands out in every sport, in every division: the Elite 89 Award.

The Elite 89 Award is given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average participating in the NCAA Championship Finals. There are 89 NCAA final championships; hence the 89. This year the NCAA honored Stanford junior BJ Churnside – an electrical engineering major holding a 3.786 GPA. Churnside not only excels in the classroom, but in the pool as well: he earned All-American accolades his freshman and sophomore year, and is ranked third on the team for goals this season. Churnside was celebrated at the student-athlete banquet Friday night, and it was a touching moment. Because this award truly embodies the spirit of the student-athlete, it was moving to see him honored in front of his peers and the water polo community. I couldn’t help but think – this is why I got into collegiate athletics.

That theme resonated with me throughout the whole weekend. I am so fortunate to be a part of the growth and development of young adults through collegiate athletics. Being an athletic administrator allows me to have a positive impact on our student-athletes, providing support and guidance through the highs and lows — almost reliving my collegiate career through the eyes of these athletes.

As the championship weekend came to a close, I couldn’t help but be so proud of all student-athletes who participated, my athletics department, UC San Diego and the community who came together to celebrate and champion the collegiate student-athlete!

It was a great collegiate season for men’s water polo and I enjoyed bringing my perspective of the game.  For those who are excited about their next, or first water polo game, you don’t have to wait a whole year for the men’s season to start back up…the women’s collegiate season is just around the corner with the first sprint in January!

With the NCAA Men’s Water Polo Championship Final Four set to commence on Saturday, December 6, emotions are running high. Four teams head into the most important tournament of their season and potentially their career. UCLA, Stanford, USC and UC San Diego are in the lineup to play in the semifinals, with #1 UCLA facing #4 UC San Diego at 1:00 PM PST, and #2 Stanford facing #3 USC at 3:00 PM PST. All games are taking place at UC San Diego’s Canyonview Aquatics Center. Below is a preview of the four teams, many of which have had to face adversity both in the water and out this year.

#1 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES

UC San Diego to host the NCAA Men’s Water Polo Final Four December 6-7.

UCLA is, clearly, the number one seed going into the Final Four. The road was somewhat predictable for the Bruins, who posted a 27-3 record heading into this weekend. The team is consistent when they are winning, but also consistent when they are losing. The Bruins saw their undefeated season squashed on October 12, when they not only lost to USC, but  four hours later to Stanford as well at the SoCal Tournament. UCLA slowly climbed its way back on top of the polls, entering the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) conference championships as the top seed. Surprisingly, UCLA lost to Long Beach State in the semifinals (whom they previously beat one week earlier by 8 goals). The Bruins went on to face USC in the third place game, beating them 10-5.

Although this team faced untimely loses this season, they will be hungry for the national championship final. I like their overall consistent, powerful play, and even though they crept into the final four by being granted an at-large berth, this team is ready to redeem themselves and show they are the number one team in the country.

Keys to victory

UCLA needs to score double digits both days to get the wins and take home the crown. With their outstanding offense and solid defense, double digit scoring will most likely produce a national championship.

#2 STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Stanford has been on a similar path as UCLA this season, posting a 25-3 record heading into the national championships. Two of their three losses have come from the Bruins, most recently losing only by 1 goal in their last meeting. Unlike UCLA, however, Stanford won their conference (MPSF) by beating Long Beach state 9-8, earning an automatic qualifier to the final four. This team will be a contender; however, UCLA seems to have their number every time they face each other. If both UCLA and Stanford make it to the NCAA Championship game, Stanford will have to be mentally tough to overcome this strong UCLA team. Bottom line: this team is a force to reckoned with and will not back down to any challenge. The key to Stanford’s success will be their offense.

Keys to victory

Similar to UCLA, when Stanford scores less than 10 goals, they lose. They need to make sure their offense is on-point and that they are putting up at least 11 goals to ensure a win. If they do that, they will be hard to beat.

Canyonview Aquatics Center-UC San Diego

#3 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

USC has encountered many ups and downs for a team at this stage, seeing six loses over the course of the season. With a record of 26-6, five of their six loses have been from UCLA and Stanford, with the most recent loss coming from Stanford in the semifinals of the MPSF conference championship tournament. The following day they lost to UCLA in the third place game. Although they have endured more losses to teams of higher seeds, USC has a unique past leaving me to believe we should not count them out.

The Trojans have been the reigning national champions the past six years in a row. Since 2002, Coach Jovan Vavic has taken home nine National Championships and two runner-ups back to the USC campus. This team knows how to win – and they know when to win. The Trojans have not only shown how physically tough they are, but emotionally and mentally tough as well.

In January, USC men’s water polo lost a teammate, sophomore Jon Walters, who passed away unexpectedly. As projected, the news hit the team hard. The have recovered both emotionally and mentally and will be wearing #6 on their caps in memory of Walters. Although almost a year has passed, the memory of Walters is very much alive: his younger brother James is a freshman on the USC team. It is absolutely remarkable how these young adults have rebounded from such a loss, and channeled their energy in a positive direction. USC is my wild card in the bunch, being incredibly unpredictable. They are playing with a heavy heart.

Keys to victory

With emotion running as high as I’m sure it is, anything can happen with USC this year — including some really good things. The Trojans will need to control and focus all the emotion that is sure to be there in order to dominate and bring home their seventh championship in a row.

#4 UC SAN DIEGO

This particular Triton team is two years in the making. Coach Denny Harper took a very unconventional approach in the spring of 2013, when he chose to have his top two would-be seniors, including 2012 conference MVP Josh Stiling, redshirt the 2013 campaign. Both student-athletes were supportive of the idea, knowing that it would create opportunity for the incoming juniors. Now, over a year later, this team is one of the best UC San Diego teams I have seen in a great while. With very experienced upperclassmen who have played with each other now for at least three years, this team is extremely close, can read each other well, and are committed to their coaches and to each other.

Although UC San Diego comes into the national championship tournament with a 16-9 record, all their losses have come from top ranked teams. This final four will be a fairly challenging one for the Tritons, but the program has always thrived on being the underdog. In 2000, UC San Diego faced USC in the NCAA National Championship semifinal game, beating the Trojans 9-8 and surpassing all expectations the water polo community had for the them. The Tritons ultimately fell to UCLA in the championship game, but it was the first ever national runner-up the program ever saw. Although a long shot, this Triton team is the host this year and should be up for any challenge. Great defense with a consistent offense from UC San Diego will be the key to knocking off the number 1 seed in the semis. UCLA’s three losses have come when they couldn’t convert more than six goals.

Keys to victory

If the Tritons can somehow hold the Bruins to six goals or less, their chances of winning the semi-final game increases dramatically, repeating their 2000 NCAA efforts.

The future looks bright for USC football. By Bobak Ha’Eri (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

After an extremely disappointing season in 2012, not many people projected the USC football to do much of anything in 2013. Starting off the season 3-2 with losses to Washington State in the Coliseum and a blowout loss to Arizona State, USC’s season looked like it was going nowhere. The Trojans struggled mightily with play calling and leadership and it showed on the field. The offense looked pathetic and the defense looked tired from having to bail the offense out so often.

So Pat Haden decided that it was time to cut ties with coach Lane Kiffin, a move that was a long time coming.

The school promoted assistant coach Ed Orgeron to Interim Head Coach and all of a sudden, the entire atmosphere of the program changed. USC went 6-2 over the last eight games, only losing to Notre Dame on the road and UCLA in the final game of the season. USC even knocked off Stanford, which was ranked fourth in the nation at the time. Led by quarterback Cody Kessler and Marqise Lee on offense, the Trojans under showed how good they really could be. It’s clear that getting a new leader into the locker room (Orgeron) was the right move by management.

Prior to the bowl game, it was announced that USC would not be retaining Coach Orgeron and that they had hired Washington coach Steve Sarkisian. Upon hearing that he would not return as head coach, Coach O resigned from his position did not coach in the Las Vegas Bowl. Without Coach O, and with Sarkisian looking-on from a box, USC took on a tough Fresno State team but easily defeated them 45-20 to become the Las Vegas Bowl champions. It may have not been the bowl game they had hoped for but it was a good win nonetheless. After losing Coach Orgeron, the team could have laid down and had nothing to play for but they came out fighting and dominated from the start.

Trojan fans should be encouraged. The future looks bright for the USC program and hopefully they can regain their position as one of the top teams in college football where they belong.

That being said, I found a few non-sports-related items I thought were interesting early this morning.

One is that a Dutch soccer team signed a toddler to a 10-year deal. I love soccer. Lane Kiffin, where you at?

The other fun thing to read this morning (and hopefully for a while) is the public battle over the Dodgers. While the franchise shouldn’t be fought for like this, in public, what we’re getting now is more transparency than ever before. Us Dodgers fans just want to know what’s going on, even if it’s really bad. Here’s to a fresh start sometime between now and what could be 5 years from now.

I wonder what the Vegas over/under is on the timing of this whole mess being over with. If McCourt wanted to win the hearts of Dodgers fans, he’d take the $30 Million and bet it on the Dodgers winning the World Series. With the 35/1 odds, he could really get the team out of the financial hole they’re in and prove his metal…

NOTE – I know that scenario is impossible, but it would make for a sweet storyline for a movie…

And, finally, an excerpt from Bill Simmons’ article on ESPN.com today. This is why he’s the Sports Guy:

In baseball, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt ran out of money to pay for stuff. There were two big reasons for this: He was going through a nasty divorce, and he never had any money in the first place. How can you buy one of the most famous baseball franchises without any money? It’s a great question. But when McCourt went behind Bud Selig’s back and tried to secure a $30 million personal loan from Fox (his television partner), an enraged Selig seized the team from him last week under the rarely seen edict, “You Can’t Pay For Stuff Anymore.”

Only Southern Californians fully understand what happened to the Dodgers during the McCourt Error. Six decades, Dodger Stadium, Vin Scully, Koufax and Drysdale, Garvey-Cey-Lopes-Russell, Fernandomania, Orel’s streak, Gibson’s homer, Gagne coming out of the bullpen breathing fire, Dodger Blue … the McCourts were crapping on all of it. Desecrating the brand. Maybe it took a sneaky loan and a poor Giants fan getting senselessly beaten into a coma for Selig to finally intervene, but he did. To his credit. When a commissioner keeps siding with owners over fans, he becomes nothing but a puppet with strings trickling out of his back. Selig stuck up for Dodgers fans. He did the right thing.

13 of 16 picks correct on day one.  I’m pretty stoked about that.  Hopefully tomorrow will be just as fortunate.  O, UCLA won.  Sometimes you have to win dirty in a tournament format.  Quit complaining.  Be happy about the Bruins advancing!  – ADS

Thurs. 3/17 8:32

UCLA makes me freaking crazy sometimes. I would press them ALL GAME if I was the other team. They do so many things that good teams don’t usually do – miss free throws, give up open shots when they shouldn’t, have bad body language and questionable ball handling, etc… As a fan, that’s the kind of crap that makes me crazy.  OM

Thurs. 3/17 8:20

Loco- it will be OK. UCLA is a good defensive team. Bruins look so good at times and at times, especially against the press, they look like they don’t have a plan- especially Nelson. He’s my favorite Bruin I think but he doesn’t need to be handling the ball on the press… If Honeycutt stays and Smith stays, then the Bruins might be Top-10 next season. The good thing about UCLA’s future is that they’re all pretty talented, but not uber-talented enough to go to the show next year. Bruins in 2012. OM

Thurs. 3/17 8:10

Steve Lavin! If a team is outrunning and outgunning you, the last thing a team should do is try and run faster. Slow this game down! St. John’s could be another final four pick of mine who loses today.–Loco

Thurs. 3/17 8:08

Without a doubt Michigan St. is the most underachieving team in recent years. Kalin Lucas can go play in Iceland for all I care. My bracket is donzo. Put me in heels. –Loco

Thurs. 3/17 4:58

Wofford missing a lot of easy shots early. Will hurt them later. Count on it.

Thurs. 3/17 4:57

Key to the Bruins/Michigan State will be turnovers and rebounding. How many shots can UCLA knock down from the outside and how many transition buckets do they give up/ get.

If Nelson, Smith, and Lee get going, then the Bruins will be a tough out. If they are all playing bad, UCLA will struggle to stay in games. For my bracket’s sake, here’s hoping they play well. OM

Thurs. 3/17 4:55pm

OK something’s really bugging me so far today. During every game I watch, they’re calling this the SECOND round and saying that teams are advancing to the THIRD round with wins today. This really sets me off. It is the FIRST ROUND. The past two days, while part of the tournament, are not the first round. The first round stated today, and OH BOY what fun it’s been so far. Morehead State’s win was HUGE… Probably the shot of the first day… OM

Thursday, 3/17 – 4:30pm

Through the barrage of the first 8 games, I have picked 7 of the 8 correct, including 2 of my 3 major first round upsets.  Now Belmont needs to take out Wisky.  I consider a major upset a 12 beating a 5 or worse.  Morehead State and Richmond are moving on, and the winner of that matchup will take on Kansas in the Sweet 16.  This was considered in my bracket when I chose Kansas as the national champion.  The fact that they will face a team of Richmond or Morehead State’s caliber in the Sweet 16 means they basically won’t be challenged or won’t have to give a true 110% effort until the elite 8.  This gives them an advantage in that elite 8 game and in the Final Four.  My prediction is taking flight.  So far, so good.  – ADS

Thurs. 3/17 2:50

Doug Gottlieb=Frodo Baggins.–Loco

Thurs. 3/17 2:48

Memories of the little man Princeton beating the big boy popped. Close but not close enough. No consolation bracket in March. Calipari and co. survived a serious scare, 59-57. –Loco

Thur. 3/17 12:55 PM

There goes my bracket. I had L-Ville losing by four in the tournament championship game to Ohio st. Rick Pitino are you serious? I am all for cross dressing yall’, but can I shave my legs first? Damn it.–Loco

Thur. 3/17 12:37 PM

Quick informal poll for those of you with a smart phone: What is more entertaining – Angry Birds or the first day of the tournament? Keep in mind the “staying power” of Angry Birds…

Thur. 3/17 9:52 AM

I woke up really excited this morning. Today the real tournament starts. How long until someone pulls off a buzz-worthy upset or a play that turns the Internet upside down? UCLA’s not playing until tonight, so at least I won’t miss that. I picked them to beat Florida before I looked at where the game was. The Gators will have a home-court advantage in Tampa… Gotta stand by your picks though. Whose brackets are blown up already? — OM

Thur. 3/17 8:58 AM

One game you wont want to miss today? #2 San Diego st. vs. #15 Northern Colorado. San Diego st. is the most overrated high seed I have seen in recent years. Let me make myself very clear, ff they don’t lose today, they will lose in the 2nd round to Temple. Steve Fisher’s Aztecs like to get up the court and pressure teams with their hectic team defense. But Fisher’s team has faced only a couple of half-court squads during the season (BYU), and are 0-2 against them. Reigning Big Sky Conference champion Northern Colorado, is a slow tempo, low possession team, that can hit the three as good as anybody in the country. Look for Big Sky player of the year, Devon Beitzel to make a name for himself today.–Loco

Thur. 3/17 8:47 AM

Luck of the Irish? Does Mike Brey serve his two seeded Irish team green beer on the sidelines? I say yes. No luck needed today. Irish in a blowout. –Loco

Thur. 3/17 8:37 AM

Twenty three minutes and counting until the best playoff format in the world of sports tips off. Unfortunately we are beginning with a grind-it-out poor shooting affair in WV v Clemson. Bob Huggins is 23-18 all-time in the Madness. Better known for his brooding personality on the sidelines then he is a brilliant coach, Huggins has arguably does his greatest job this season.  Without their two leading scorers from last seasons final four squad, the Mountaineers won eleven games in the stacked Big East and come in as a five seed. Can you say overrated? Don’t think so. This is a low possession v high possession game. Usually in the March tournament, a low possession team wins out. WV 59, Clemson 55.–Loco

Thursday 3/17 12:20am

Couldn’t believe the selection committee selected UAB instead of Colorado when they did it, and the Blazers getting curb-stomped in the field of 4 by 18 only re-affirms it.  How can a team that beat Kansas State three times, and Texas not get a bid?  Ridiculous.  Anyways, visions of buckets about to dance in my head!  It’s almost like Christmas Eve!  Good night!  – ADS

Wed. 3/16 8:13 PM

I wonder, what if Brandon Davies had stayed celibate? If so, things would be different. BYU can Fredette going anywhere in the tournament. –Loco

Wed 3/16 8:04 pm

It looks like my ideas about the Pac-10 surprising the pundits might already be crumbling. VCU is fun to watch though. They look better than USC, but I also think USC might have a lot better chance to pull an upset on Friday. They sure could use Bryce Jones’ athleticism out there. Here’s a fun story about Jones’ high school team, Taft High School from Woodland Hills, CA:

When they came to a tournament in San Luis Obispo (Jones won the slam dunk contest and his team won the tournament), there were more adults on the bench than players. Really. It was like every player had their own personal handler. Timeouts were like Chamber of Commerce Mixers. And the fun didn’t stop there. Taft also brought their public address announcer to announce their lineup at the tournament. He was good, but it was awkward and hard to get excited knowing that he wasn’t introducing both teams. It was quite a spectacle.

When that is the world a young player “grows up” in, it’s no wonder that some adversity causes that player to break down and act in a dysfunctional way. That’s the chance a coach takes by recruiting players like Jones who are high risk and high reward. With VCU’s athleticism and length, I’m sure Kevin O’Neill wouldn’t mind another talented athlete to turn to. The way USC is turning the ball over though, having another freshman on the court (no matter how talented) probably wouldn’t help them much. OM

Wed. 3/16 7:35 pm

Yes, the tournament technically started on Tuesday night, but the brackets catch fire for real on Thursday. Follow us here for continuous updates and analysis from the Fansmanship.com crew.

Take the L.A. Lakers for example. The greatest “coach” of all time, Phil Jackson, aka “zen master,” does about as much coaching as a cow. His low gruff voice, and quirky communication style, whispers a total of ten words during your average ball game, while Kobe demands the basketball from every player not named, well…Kobe.

It doesn’t get more awkward than this.

Is it fair to say, in today’s NBA, the central component to winning is rooted in the player of the hour, and less about set, or the God forsaken defense. Jackson’s eleven rings have been pieced together by two mainstays, one of which Jackson would rather not have exposed. The first of these large pie pieces is his “superior” triangle offense. A set that is more simplistic in its orientation than an episode of Blue’s Clues. This equation of basketball has been at the forefront of all his title teams, yet the truth of the triangle offense is that Phil never conceived of it. It was Tex Winter, his long time assistant in Chicago, who stole the set from USC’s great coach Sam Barry, and evolved into the faster paced NBA game.

Too bad Tex is ugly. @owenmain, gotta want it.

The triangle runs through its big man. It’s fond of a point-forward to bring the basketball up the floor, with the guard angled strong side corner, and the big, stationed on the strong side block. The point guard drifts to the weak-side three point region, while the power forward sets up weak-side, ten feet from the hoop, awaiting a possible alley-oop, or offensive rebound.  It is a set that my Junior High girl’s basketball team mastered in a matter of minutes. Not shittin’ you.

The second piece, one of which Jackson would love to leave locked in his coaching vault, is the long list of stars who have driven his ship to greatness: Jordan, Pippen, Shaq, Kobe, and Pau, to name a few. These players define the simplicity of his life; a lack or where-with-all to deliver momentary on the fly operatives, affecting the game as a whole. For Jackson it was simple–give the greatest player in the history of the universe the ball, M.J., or one of the most dominate big men in league history, Shaq. If not, let Kobe create, or Pippen and Pau bail you out.

Yet he has been glorified for every one of his eleven rings.  In today’s sports world money talks more than matter, and world-championships scream dollars signs, endorsements, new arenas, and top notch free agents. Whether or not a coach stumbled into the situation,  he becomes the face of both sporting and economical successes. He’s awarded a heafty contract extension, and his job as a coach, takes on a life of its own. With a multi-million dollar deal, he rivals players for dollars made; the house, the car, the women; and learns to  self-preserve his good-life, rather than coach and govern his club.

That is until he stumbles, ala Pat Riley post- 2006, and thus the coaching is dead.

This is why Jackson won nothing when Jordan retired. In 1993-1994, a season with Pippen at the head of the food of chain, the Bulls were man-handled by the superior Knicksin six in the 2nd round. Jackson’s zen-abilities, would have been better suited for a naked hippie commune in the surrounding mountains of Santa Cruz, then they would (take a breath and ahhh…) coach.  Had it not been for Jordan’s return, Jackson would of periled in defeat, and become the face of self-help healing courses.

His inabilities as a coach–communication and relateability–created a problem in 2004, when his Lakers lost to the Pistons, a group of better coached role guys, in the finals. Jackson’s means of self-preservation were evident when he he stepped down after the finals defeat then wrote a book, “The Last Season,” in which he lambasted the players he’d loved the last three title years. It begged the question, whether or not Phil was saving face for not only a debacle, but one in which he was at the helm of. The poorly written re-telling aimed its attack at Kobe Bryant (who trust me, I know had a part in it, but…) looking to pass the blame toward one of the greatest players this league has ever seen.  Jackson’s book earnings are disputed, but have been placed in the ballpark of five to ten million dollars, not to mention, his ass-kissing gestures in the book, mainly thrown at the Buss family, acted as an incestious form of career insurance, further flowering his enormous life savings.

Funny how, just five years later, a championship, new contract, and the pride of his league best tenth ring, changed things. Jackson is to “the boy who cried wolf” as Kobe is to…Jordan? Hmmm.

Across the country, another hyper clown is making headlines. Eric Spoelstra, otherwise known as “coach Spo” has been ring leading a circus parade, the Miami Heat, with dance grooves, circa drug ring mid-70’s. He’s had the “difficult” job of winning with the likes of three superstars in Bron Bron, D-Wade, and Bosh, all three, who would be the face of a franchise anywhere in the world.

With every win, spunky “Spo” becomes prouder of his club, not to mention his players. I’m sure Juwan Howard, the five minute a night washed up big man feels the love too. Or Eddie “Gan’sta” House, believes in himself because of coach Spo’s love for not only his star-children, but his middle class role guys.

Well…not so fast. During the team’s suprising 9-8 start, D-Wade made headlines when he proclaimed Spo to be “not my guy, but my coach.”  The small statement sent shock-waves through the organization because it proved Spo was not only unable to gain the respect from his players, but had the lack of gumption to move his team in the direction he saw necessary. It also asked the question of whether or not today’s NBA players are coachable? It would seem no, considering the NBA is now more of a drive through of entertainment than it is the patience of fine dining.

Larry Brown is a perfect example of a guy who loves to coach. He expects his players to run his sets, his plays, his defense, and come to practice.  But it is this expectation that has made him a journey man in the world of professional basketball. His puritanical approach to a team sport has led to many of his firings by a league looking for athletic players to excite a crowd feigning for entertainment, and the slick backed hip-hop moguls (dub Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind“) to lead them there.

On February 9th, in a one point win over the red hot Pacers, Bron Bron rose above three defenders to hit a go ahead jumper with thirteen seconds to play. His line: 41pts, 13reb, 8ast, 3stl, were evident of his dominance. But he had Wade and Bosh both wide-open, closer to the hoop. The obvious play was to deliver the ball for a better shot, to two superstars, mainly Wade, a one time champion, top five player today, to win the game. But Bron was feeling it, and took the shot with confidence. As he hit it, Spo could be seen jumping around like a grammar school fan, with eyes as wide as dollar coins. Which was disappointing.

For many of us who’ve watched enough basketball to know what the hell we’re talking about (your cue to exit this article if you don’t), the best player on the Heat the first forty four minutes is Bron, but in the last four, is clearly Wade. He’s led a team to a title, made big plays on the biggest stage, and hits free throws with better consistency. But Wade is now second fiddle to a corporation in Bron Bron, who sells more jerseys, tickets, shoes, and clothing. Because of this, Spo’s ability to coach was tossed out the window, and the entity of El Brondo, ran him over like a freight train.

Lucky for Spo, he delivered. After the game he was quoted, “Bron’s motor was insane tonight.” Really, insane? What a word choice. He sounds like a braces wearing sport’s fan, more passionate about a player, than he is a cool collect coach. I wouldn’t be suprised to see Spo in Cancun this summer, with a Bron jersey slung on his short, stubby white physique,  dropping ‘dope’ and ‘fly’ like a  wannabe ‘partna’.

Get out.

–Luke Johnson

luke@fansmanship.com