Everybody in Minnesota is excited about Tubby Smith. He's a big name coach that gives the U of M basketball program some legitimacy and relevance. Gopher basketball hasn't mattered since Clem Haskins, and now there's a chance it can be interesting again. Even as a UCLA fan, I'd rather have the local team be interesting, since that's the team I'll get the most news about. It's an exciting turn of events.
It's also the High School state basketball tournament time in Minnesota. When I was in junior high and high school, my dad and I would come to the Twin Cities and go to games Thursday afternoon and night, Friday afternoon and night, and Saturday afternoon. When we went back to the hotel, we'd turn on the TV to watch the NCAA tournament games. It was one of the highlights of the year; I watched sickly amounts of basketball in three days (it is partially the state tournament experience that makes me constantly remind the Beav that I've forgotten more about basketball than he'll ever know). Now I live in the Twin Cities but rarely make it to the games. Ce la vie, it's still a fun time.
Congrats on getting Tubby! I think he will help turn around Minnesota considerably! Also, I imagine he stays there for more than just a couple of years.
ReplyDeleteI hate the signing. But only because I'm a Penn Stater and now I have to add two more guaranteed losses to the schedule.
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction to the hiring of Tubby was, "no freakin' way! WooHoo!!" After giving it a few days to sink in, my reaction is, "no freakin' way! WooHoo!!"
ReplyDeleteWhat a great hire for the Gophers. It's really interesting how the Gophers football and BB programs appear to be heading in such a great direction, while the professional franchises appear to be off-track to many fans. There is even talk of blackouts during the Viking games and our consecutive sellout streak coming to an end.
Maybe now you should cheer for the Gophers instead of your existential choice of UCLA. Although I doubt you are now going to turn your back on the greatness that is UCLA Basketball.
ReplyDeleteI am excited to see Tubby in Minnesota if only for the fact that it will make my experience in Minnesota even more devastating. At least before the Duke hate on me would easily have been thrown back in most of their faces by saying oh yeah and how are those Gophers? Or at least our Final Four appearances still count. But now if Tubby does what he can do I might be doomed to a sad existence of even the Minnesota fans chiding me anytime that Duke loses.
Yeah!