Monday, February 14, 2005

Terps Beat Duke: A Familiar Refrain

The Terps triumphed for their third win in a row over the Blue Devils on Saturday night, in a game that could not have been hyped any more by ESPN. I hate to say it, but this just isn't a big deal anymore. There's not a disparity in talent between these two programs, when you look at the teams as a whole. Might their starters be better than MD's? Maybe. But as a whole, since Koach Konsonant insists on recruiting only the top-rated HS players, he's left with a 1 or 2 player bench when those players leave early for the NBA. Meanwhile, Gary recruits very good players as well, but he seems to recruit those who for the most part are going to stick around for 3-4 years. And given roughly equal talent, Gary has been able to out-coach Konsonant pretty regularly. Speaking of the Koach, I was under the mistaken impression that all the students in Durham loved him. My bad.

Now, is this the beginning of the Terps' run to the tournament this year? Perhaps. One well-played team game with many contributors is certainly a good sign. There may be more hiccups along the way, time will tell. I was wondering 2 weeks ago why a team with so much talent could play so poorly, and often without the requisite effort, against teams like Clemson and Miami. I forget that these players are in their late teens and early 20s; given the hype of certain games, and the disinterest from media and fans for other games, asking them to play with the same level of intensity for every game is probably the most difficult thing they're asked to do as players. It simply runs counter to human nature.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that today was Valentine's Day. Jenny decries this as a greeting card holiday (I agree), and therefore we do not observe said holiday. But most relationships could use a little bit more romance throughout the year, so with that in mind I give you the Onion Love Coupons. Enjoy!

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