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1) Some days sports seem really unimportant. Yesterday was one of them. I didn't know or cover Kobe Bryant, wasn't really a fan of the NBA or him in particular. But there's no questioning how well known and impactful he was worldwide. I'm not going to write a eulogy for Bryant or his daughter Gigi or any of the other seven people who were aboard that helicopter. But what I'm going to do is link to a whole bunch of people that are more qualified to do so and did a far better job than I'd do:
Michael Rosenberg on The Athletic
The Athletic: How Southern California grieved
Bill Plaschke in the Los Angeles Times
Kent Babb in the Washington Post
The Athletic: Remembering Gigi Bryant
A couple of other Kobe related things to watch/see:
2) Sorry to continue on tragic notes, but it kind of follows here. Today is the 19th anniversary of the plane crash that gutted the Oklahoma State basketball team on January 27, 2001.
I was working at a TV station in Rapid City, South Dakota then. I remember the story coming across the wire (this was pre-Twitter and when we didn't know a million things instantly--yesterday proved there are a lot of positives to those days). It was shocking and sickening. I know plenty of people who knew people on that plane. The next game Oklahoma State played was a home game against Missouri on February 5th. It was an unbelievable atmosphere and even though the final score was only 69-66 it never seemed like Mizzou had any chance in that game. And even though I was just a fan watching from afar that night, it seemed right that Missouri should lose that game. I've been to the memorial they have in Gallagher-Iba for the ten who died that night leaving Colorado and it is harrowing and inspiring. It's a thing college sports fans should try to see some time if you can.
3) In the last non-Mizzou note here, I think this is going to be the longest week of my life. Some of you may know the Kansas City Chiefs play in the Super Bowl on Sunday. Last week was pretty easy to get through quickly because you knew it was going to be a long week and there wasn't all that much talk about the game. But media day is tonight and it's going to be wall to wall Super Bowl coverage for the next six days and WHY CAN'T THEY JUST PLAY TONIGHT? I'm sure I'll have some thoughts on the whole thing next Monday morning, but since this is the last time I'll probably write about it until then, my pick is Chiefs 33, 49ers 31 and of course Patrick Mahomes is going to be the MVP.
4) I guess we'll start the Mizzou portion of this talking basketball. The Tigers lost 74-51 to West Virginia on Saturday and the depressing part about it is that it wasn't surprising at all. Mizzou fell behind 20-6 and looked like it might not get to 20 points in the game. Then the Tigers made a run and got it back to 24-23 at halftime which was almost worse because it probably gave some of you hope that Missouri had a chance. I have to be honest that I did not share that optimism. Mizzou then gave up a 21-0 run and fell behind at one point by 29 in a game it trailed by just one point at halftime. That's really hard to do. But you have to admit, this team has a way of doing things that you don't really think are possible like making 54 consecutive free throws over two games...and losing both games. Losing to West Virginia in and of itself isn't bad. Getting blown out by West Virginia in and of itself isn't necessarily the worst thing. But when it drops you to 9-10 in the middle of year three that started with talk of returning to the NCAA Tournament, well, yeah, that's bad.
5) Of all the stats that you could pick out of Saturday's game that would illustrate the terribleness of it all, to me there's one that stands out above all the rest. Missouri's starting five scored 14 points. Those five players shot 3-23 from the field and 1-13 from three-point range. In 115 minutes (that's 57.5% of the available minutes) Missouri's starting five made three shots. Mark Smith had two points, five rebounds, an assist and no turnovers in 16 minutes. And he was probably Missouri's best starter. Dru Smith had seven turnovers. Javon Pickett did make a field goal. Mitchell Smith led the way with five points, but took all five of his shots from three-point range, apparently mistaking himself for Steph Curry at some point during the flight to Morgantown. The first thing you want to say to this is that Cuonzo Martin has to shake up the starting five. I guess. But who are you going to put in? Torrence Watson, who scored 14 of his game-high 19 points in the final 6:30 when Missouri was down 25 points and has struggled as much as anyone all season long? Xavier Pinson who was 3-11 from the floor and has also struggled mightily for the last few weeks? Tray Jackson, who fouled out in a Jeremiah Tilmon-like nine minutes? I'd give Kobe Brown more playing time, but other than that, I'm not sure where the solutions are on the current roster.
1) Some days sports seem really unimportant. Yesterday was one of them. I didn't know or cover Kobe Bryant, wasn't really a fan of the NBA or him in particular. But there's no questioning how well known and impactful he was worldwide. I'm not going to write a eulogy for Bryant or his daughter Gigi or any of the other seven people who were aboard that helicopter. But what I'm going to do is link to a whole bunch of people that are more qualified to do so and did a far better job than I'd do:
Michael Rosenberg on The Athletic
The Athletic: How Southern California grieved
Bill Plaschke in the Los Angeles Times
Kent Babb in the Washington Post
The Athletic: Remembering Gigi Bryant
A couple of other Kobe related things to watch/see:
2) Sorry to continue on tragic notes, but it kind of follows here. Today is the 19th anniversary of the plane crash that gutted the Oklahoma State basketball team on January 27, 2001.
I was working at a TV station in Rapid City, South Dakota then. I remember the story coming across the wire (this was pre-Twitter and when we didn't know a million things instantly--yesterday proved there are a lot of positives to those days). It was shocking and sickening. I know plenty of people who knew people on that plane. The next game Oklahoma State played was a home game against Missouri on February 5th. It was an unbelievable atmosphere and even though the final score was only 69-66 it never seemed like Mizzou had any chance in that game. And even though I was just a fan watching from afar that night, it seemed right that Missouri should lose that game. I've been to the memorial they have in Gallagher-Iba for the ten who died that night leaving Colorado and it is harrowing and inspiring. It's a thing college sports fans should try to see some time if you can.
3) In the last non-Mizzou note here, I think this is going to be the longest week of my life. Some of you may know the Kansas City Chiefs play in the Super Bowl on Sunday. Last week was pretty easy to get through quickly because you knew it was going to be a long week and there wasn't all that much talk about the game. But media day is tonight and it's going to be wall to wall Super Bowl coverage for the next six days and WHY CAN'T THEY JUST PLAY TONIGHT? I'm sure I'll have some thoughts on the whole thing next Monday morning, but since this is the last time I'll probably write about it until then, my pick is Chiefs 33, 49ers 31 and of course Patrick Mahomes is going to be the MVP.
4) I guess we'll start the Mizzou portion of this talking basketball. The Tigers lost 74-51 to West Virginia on Saturday and the depressing part about it is that it wasn't surprising at all. Mizzou fell behind 20-6 and looked like it might not get to 20 points in the game. Then the Tigers made a run and got it back to 24-23 at halftime which was almost worse because it probably gave some of you hope that Missouri had a chance. I have to be honest that I did not share that optimism. Mizzou then gave up a 21-0 run and fell behind at one point by 29 in a game it trailed by just one point at halftime. That's really hard to do. But you have to admit, this team has a way of doing things that you don't really think are possible like making 54 consecutive free throws over two games...and losing both games. Losing to West Virginia in and of itself isn't bad. Getting blown out by West Virginia in and of itself isn't necessarily the worst thing. But when it drops you to 9-10 in the middle of year three that started with talk of returning to the NCAA Tournament, well, yeah, that's bad.
5) Of all the stats that you could pick out of Saturday's game that would illustrate the terribleness of it all, to me there's one that stands out above all the rest. Missouri's starting five scored 14 points. Those five players shot 3-23 from the field and 1-13 from three-point range. In 115 minutes (that's 57.5% of the available minutes) Missouri's starting five made three shots. Mark Smith had two points, five rebounds, an assist and no turnovers in 16 minutes. And he was probably Missouri's best starter. Dru Smith had seven turnovers. Javon Pickett did make a field goal. Mitchell Smith led the way with five points, but took all five of his shots from three-point range, apparently mistaking himself for Steph Curry at some point during the flight to Morgantown. The first thing you want to say to this is that Cuonzo Martin has to shake up the starting five. I guess. But who are you going to put in? Torrence Watson, who scored 14 of his game-high 19 points in the final 6:30 when Missouri was down 25 points and has struggled as much as anyone all season long? Xavier Pinson who was 3-11 from the floor and has also struggled mightily for the last few weeks? Tray Jackson, who fouled out in a Jeremiah Tilmon-like nine minutes? I'd give Kobe Brown more playing time, but other than that, I'm not sure where the solutions are on the current roster.
