Duke was host to Stanford on Tuesday, a game on ESPN that certainly appeared promising. It just didn’t turn out that way. That’s putting it mildly.
By the time the Cardinal had finished clanking free throws (12 of 27), both teams had made the 3-point shot look like scaling Everest (a combined 7 of 32) and had tossed the ball away like Iraqi shoes (combined 37 TOs), and the refs had put the frosting on this cowpie with a crummy call … well, I was tempted to put up this blog:
Headline: Duke vs. Stanford
Blog entry: This game was crap.
Poll: Was this game crap?
But then I decided there was probably a bit more to say about Duke’s 56-52 win. For instance, the fact that it reminded me of one of the stupider things I’ve ever done.
This was when I was in college and not yet a vegetarian, so it pains me to remember it. But here goes: I was rummaging through whatever food was in my dorm room and found a can of tuna fish. Unfortunately for me, it was tuna in spring water. No matter that that’s surely better for you … I preferred the stuff in oil.
Now, either I had no money or just didn’t feel like leaving the room – or both, I don’t remember – but I was lamenting it was in spring water. However, an idea – an idiotic idea – occurred to me. I had vegetable oil, because this was still in the days when we used popcorn poppers.
Why not mix some vegetable oil with the tuna and make it taste better? Yes, I really thought this. Worse, I actually did it.
Of course, you can probably guess it did not taste “better.”
So why did this dingbat act remind me of the Duke-Stanford game? Well, who knows. I swear it’s just what flashed through my head. I really believed my preposterous mixture would be good, but it was putrid. Similarly, I was pretty sure Duke-Stanford would be entertaining. And it … wasn’t.
There wasn’t a whole lot to like about this game … save the fact that if you list the leading scorers for Duke, it reads like this: Black/Christmas.
That reminds me of the one of the dumber horror movies I’ve ever seen – and I’ve seen plenty – which was the 2006 remake of “Black Christmas.”
The plot: A sorority house is terrorized by a killer who makes frightening telephone calls before murdering the sorority sisters during the Christmas break.
At least I went to a matinee and didn’t pay full price.
Now, back to the game … what was I hoping for? Well, maybe not seeing Stanford shooting 38 percent from the field, while Duke shot 30 percent.
Maybe a game that was worthy of two such storied programs represented by such neat, talented kids.
Chante Black had 14 points for Duke, as did Karima Christmas (that was a career-high for her). Jayne Appel led Stanford with 16 point and 10 rebounds, but she was the chief culprit at the free-throw line (4 of 12).
It just wasn’t much of a game for television. Not that it probably looked much better in person.
OK, maybe I’m being overly crabby and harsh after being trapped in the house all day with snow and cold. And, let’s look on the bright side: At least I wasn’t watching Baylor’s 73-27 victory over Texas-Pan American.
How boring was Baylor’s defeat of UTPA?
So boring that the AP has a photo of Rachel Allison, sitting on the bench, nursing her sprained ankle. So boring that Kim Mulkey sat for at least half the game. So boring that Kim’s outfit looked like she borrowed one of Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC-TV pantsuits. (For this I pay $49.95 a year? Sure do.)
You are being overly crabby.
Hardly well played…but still entertaining. Unless you’ve been trapped in the house all day.
My reaction wasn’t anywhere near as negative, but then, the last televised game I watched was RU-Georgia (sorry for reminding you) so maybe it’s all relative.
I watched part of that Stanford-Duke game on ESPN after watching two televised men’s matches (NBA and NCAA), and was kind of surprised by the poor 3-point shooting. So it was a relief to read your article. The second paragraph made me laugh. I love and respect the women’s game, and your writing is wonderful.
I think a big reason for some of the bad 3 pt shooting nights this year among many teams is the two 3 pt lines, forcing them to think about where they are a little more…
There should just be one for ALL men & women….
Plus every women’s game I have watched this season, I have seen 70-75% of the shots taken behind the MEN’s line anyway and they are still making them!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the entertaining article. You made my crappy day a little better.
I watched in horror, having thought, like you, that this should have been a really good game. It was like watching an intersection accident on ice at 5 mph….then the frosting on the cake…the moronic ref call to seal the whole deal! Keep keeping it real MV.
I only caught the last 10 or so minutes of the Stanford-Duke game, and I came away with the same feeling you did. I wasn’t sure if the teams were playing great defense or just struggling offensively, but it really looked like each just couldn’t get anything going.
And yes, that call with about 12 seconds left was atrocious.