I couldn’t help but think that after watching Julie Chu wiping away her tears in Thursday night’s 2-0 loss to Canada in the gold medal game at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, that the 27-year old Fairfield resident just might have played in her last Olympic game ever.
I hope I’m wrong here and that Chu, who’s now won two Silver medals (2002, Salt Lake City) and a bronze (2006, Torino, Italy) in her three Olympics will keep on playing and take the captaincy of Team USA for the 2014 Games in Russia but we have to remember that A): she is 27, B): has been a part of the National Team for over a decade, and C): does she want to commit to another four years of training?
“I really don’t know what I want to do in the next little bit. I’m going to wait until after the Olympics,” Chu told me in a pre-Olympics interview at her parents’ home in Fairfield in January. “I’m going to take two or three months off after that (the Olympics) anyway, so I can ponder and re-evaluate what my body’s doing, how I’m feeling, if I’m still loving what I’m doing. Right now, I’m feeling great and still loving it. I can see myself at least playing year to year but … am I going to go right into coaching and try and get a job, I’m not sure yet.”
In 2007-08 Chu worked as assistant coach for the University of Minnesota-Duluth, which won the NCAA Championship. She has expressed a strong desire to continue coaching at some level.
My Two Cents
Archive for February, 2010
Was this the last Olympics for Julie Chu?
Fairfield-Manhattan: a recap
In what is undoubtedly becoming one of the most exciting seasons in Fairfield men’s basketball history, the Stags posted their 18th ‘W’ of the year Monday night at Draddy Gym, pounding (and I repeat, pounding) the Manhattan Jaspers 74-56.
Mike Evanovich came off the bench to lead the way in scoring with 15 points (making 4 of 6 from 3-point range) as four Stags scored in double figures.
Anthony Johnson: 14 points, 11 rebounds – his 12th double-double of the season.
Colin Nickerson added a career high 13 points on 4 of 5 from the floor and 5 of 6 from the free throw line.
Derek Needham had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
But that’s not all …
Ryan Olander scored six points and had two great roll downs from the high post for a layup and a big-time dunk.
Sean Crawford scored eight points, making two 3-pointers.
Lyndon Jordan (occasionally wincing in pain from that ankle injury) scored 5 points gutting out 11 minutes.
The bench scored 39 points. That’s right … 39 points.
Fairfield (18-8, 11-5) is now again tied with Iona (19-8, 11-5) for second place in the MAAC standings. Mark down the date, Feb. 26, when these two teams play at the Arena at Harbor Yard. Should be a great one.
TEAM CONF. OVERALL
Siena 15-1 22-5
Iona 11-5 19-8
Fairfield 11-5 18-8
St. Peter’s 9-6 14-11
Rider 8-8 15-13
Niagara 8-8 15-13
Canisius 7-9 12-15
Loyola 5-10 12-13
Manhattan 4-12 9-17
Marist 1-15 1-25
Ed Cooley’s opening post-game comment:
“Just to open, I thought our defense today was really good. Our defense and our transition game I thought in the first half dictated the entire game. We got after some loose balls made some timely shots, I don’t know what we shot … 55 percent. I just through the ball was being moved. We played inside out. I thought it was, overall, one of our better performances for the year from start to finish. We had a lapse to start the second half but once we, you know, once we were able to clean that up, I thought it was a good performances the rest of the way. One of our better games with a win from start to finish.
(Getting a spark from the bench)
“Again, I don’t know what our bench points were (39) … 39? That’s unbelievable from the bench. Colin, probably his best game of his career with respect to the offensive side. Defensively, we still have to ways to go with gambling and swiping at the ball. Mike Evanovich making some timely, timely shots. Again, having that senior moment. Lyndon Jordan came in in the first half and made a big 3 to get the run going, what a performance by all the guys that came off (the bench). Sean Crawford in the first half with some timely three’s and Anthony (Johnson) once again, another double-double, having a dominating presence in the interior, really playing as a Player of the Year candidate right now.
(on Needham)
“When we recruited Derek we knew we needed a point guard who could be physical, who could score, who could drive it and he was exactly what we were looking for. He was a dream come true for us and our program. His leadership skills are something that just comes natural to him. As you can see when he makes mistakes I don’t get too worried because I think he’ll get himself back in the moment. He’s a really mature young man and I can’t tell you how proud I am to have him on my team. Very, very good player.”
Colin Nickerson
(On providing a spark)
“He (coach) relies on me, well, not just on me, on the whole team, when people get in foul trouble or get hurt. We have three players out and since they’ve been hurt, he’s been preaching to me that I’m going to have to come through for the rest of the season. So today, my number was called and I delivered.”
Derek Needham
(On Anthony Johnson’s inside presence)
“Nobody can stop Peanut that I’ve seen in our league yet. So we try to get him the ball with his two feet in the paint and he scores most of the time. We love that.”
“Pink Zone Defense” day coming to Yale this weekend
This note from my good friend and associate head women’s basketball head coach at Yale, Dianne Nolan …
On Saturday (Feb. 20) Yale will host it’s WBCA “Pink Zone Defense” day with “Bulldogs Guarding Against Breast Cancer” at the Payne Whitney Gym.
The Mammography Van from Yale-New Haven Hospital will be there from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. (Call 203-688-6800 for an appointment) and there will a bench press competition at 10 a.m., a Yale gymnastics meet at 1 p.m., a free health fair from 3 to 6 p.m., followed by the Yale women’s BB game against Penn at 7.
The flier says that there will be food, games, fun, raffles, giveaways and a silent auction.
Payne Whitney Gym is located at 70 Tower Parkway, New Haven.
Free admission with a pink t-shirt. Donations are welcome. All proceeds will go toward the Smilow Cancer Center.
“An embarrassing” incident
Calhoun during the Cincinnati game (Associated Press)
I didn’t really want to get into this but apparently, I have no choice. When the Hartford Courant writes about an incident that involves … well, me and then quotes from that story suddenly appear in the Philadelphia Inquirer, you probably should respond in some way, so …
After UConn’s 60-48 loss to Cincinnati Saturday afternoon, head coach Jim Calhoun was not a happy camper and rightly so. His team played with no emotion in what he called “an embarrassing” defeat. In fact, in his opening comment in his post-game press conference, Calhoun used the word “embarrassed” probably a half-dozen times, adding the “lack of effort” kicker just as often.
When he finished his opening statement, I started to ask a question that was going to be: “Coach, under the circumstances, you coming back (Calhoun had missed three weeks due to an undisclosed medical condition), a very important Big East game, why don’t you think you team played with that effort you spoke about?”
I never got to finish.
All I managed to say was, “Coach, under the circumstances, you coming back …”
Calhoun suddenly cut me off, answering:
“I’m coaching. I’m not trying to be a jerk, but I can be and I will need to be if I have to. Very simply, I coached the game today. One has nothing to do (with the other.) I didn’t die. I was around. George (Blaney) did a magnificent job coaching the team. The only thing I can do is speak about today. I can’t speak about tomorrow, yesterday. I can speak about, you probably want to know what happened, at least what I think happened, in the 40 minutes. Me coming back, not coming back …”
When I said, “That’s what I was asking you about. Why did your team not play with any fire today?”
Well, that’s when the coach decided he wanted to pick a fight with me.
“They didn’t want to play for me,” Calhoun said sarcastically. “If that’s the loaded question you want, fine.”
First of all, I didn’t want, or ask, a “loaded” question. I never got to ask a question, period. I was trying to ask the coach why his team didn’t play with the effort he spoke about in his opening statement. Instead, Calhoun decided to go on the warpath.
Apparently, he feels that over the 22-plus years I’ve covered the UConn men’s basketball program, that I have an agenda against the Huskies. Nothing could be further from the truth. Have I been critical at times of Calhoun and his program over the years? Heck, yes, I have. But I’ve been just as positive and supportive. And I have the stories to prove it.
But that didn’t stop Calhoun from doing his best to put words in my mouth and question my professionalism on Saturday, telling the assmebled media that I said his players “quit” on him.
Here’s that gem of a quote: “I came back because I had a job that I feel I needed to finish. I came back because I want to coach. I guess one gentleman thinks (my players) quit on me, which is fine. That’s his terminology, a twist. But he’s been known to do that on occasions, or set up a question that way.”
I don’t know how to respond to that other than the fact that if I wanted to ask a critical or tough question, I would just go ahead and do so. I don’t need to “twist” anything. But after Calhoun said that I said his played quit (which I didn’t), I wasn’t about to just sit there and let him say those things, so I asked him: “Coach, did you hear the word ‘quit’ come out of my mouth? Because that’s not what I said.”
Rather than answer, Calhoun continued to berate me.
“You need to go see a therapist. He’ll help you out. I’m just being honest with you. You set the question up, ‘How come they didn’t play for you?’ (I said, why didn’t the team play with any fire?) I don’t know, really, what you want me to say? Do you want to have a one-on-one dialogue? There are other guys here who might want to hear the answer to that, but I don’t.”
I need to see a therapist? Wow. That’s a new one. I never realized I was so far gone.
I tried to let this issue pass but there was a story in the Hartford Courant Sunday that accurately told what happened, so I was told by my editor that I should share my side, so there you have it.
The coach not only questioned my credibility, he did his best try and embarrass me in public.
The TV cameras and the tape recorders all caught it. All coach Calhoun did was embarrass himself. Again.
All-Time winningest Stag BB teams
With six games left in the regular season, the Fairfield Stags men’s basketball team has an outside chance to win 20 games for only the fourth time in school history. With 16 wins already under it’s belt this season, head coach Ed Cooley’s team now has Fairfield’s seventh best wins total in the university’s Division I era.
Here’s a breakdown of the best win-seasons since Fairfield went Division I in 1964-65:
1. 24 (1985-86)
2. 22 (1977-78)
3. 20 (1995-96)
4. 19 (1965-66), 19 (2002-03), 19 (2003-04)
5. 18 (1972-73)
6. 17 (1973-74), 17 (1978-79), 17 (2008-09)
T7. 16 (2009-10), 16 (1976-77), 16 (1967-68)
Rating the Super Bowl ads
First things first,
The Super Bowl halftime show with the (half)Who was OK. Not good. Not great. Just OK. The song list of “Pinball Wizard,” “Baba O’Riley,” “Who Are You” (a quick snippet of “See Me, Feel Me” from “We’re Not Going to Take It”) and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” was solid, not spectacular, and Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend showed that at least they could make it through a 12-minute set. I wasn’t overly impressed.
Now, on to the commercials …
The McDonald’s Lebron James vs. Dwight Howard dunk contest to see who eats a Big Mac and Fries wasn’t anywhere close to matching the fun of Larry Bird and Michael Jordan (“Off the expresway, over the river, off the billboard, through the window, off the wall, nothing but net”) that first came out in 1993. Putting Bird back in there to watch — and eat the lunch — was a good touch, though.
The Bud Light ads …
The house made of full cans and bottles of Bud Light — stupid
The Asteroid Party — really stupid
The Voice Box/Party Mix — really, really, stupid
Plane crash — beyond stupid
Book Club — Best of the worst
The Doritos ads …
The dog shock collar — Witty. I liked it.
Play Nice — Would have been a lot better if it had been the kid from “Role Models.” Still, it was OK.
It’s a Miracle (A guy fakes his own death to be buried in a casket full of Doritos) — To quote Comic Book Guy, “Dumbest Commerical Ever.”
Ninja — Watchable. Barely.
The Bridgestone tire ad with the guys returning a killer whale to the ocean, “That was some bachelor party” was a total “Hangover” rip-off. But it worked.
I loved the “Late Night with David Letterman” ad with Oprah sitting between Dave and Jay Leno.
Dave — “This is the worst Super Bowl party ever.”
Jay — “He’s just saying that because I’m here,”
Dave (high-pitched whiny voice) — “He’s just saying that because I’m here.”
The Budweiser “Human Bridge” wasn’t bad.
Career Builder.com “Casual Friday” (everyone in underwear) — hilarious.
Hundi with Brett Farve in 2020 still contemplating retirement — smart.
Kiss and Lil’ Kiss for Dr. Pepper — KISS ROCKS!! (Oops, did I give away that I’m a Kiss fan?)
Punxsutawney Polamalu (sees his shadow and there’s “six more weeks of football”) — excellent.
Meghan Fox in a bathtub for Motorola — what was the ad for again? I couldn’t take my eyes off the bubbles.
The screaming chickens for Denny’s free Grand Slam breakfast — Two eggs sunny side up.
Homeaway.com featuring the Griswold’s (Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo) stuck in a tiny hotel room — If you haven’t seen National Lampoon’s Vacation, you didn’t have a clue about this commercial.
Coke’s “Sleepwalking Guy” — I slept through it.
E-Trade’s baby, jealous girlfriend — “Was that milkaholic Lindsay there?” “Milk-a-what-ic” — Classic. Almost as good as last year’s “Shankapottmus.”
The E-Trade “Red eye” ad was good too.
Google Parisian search ad — Simple and wonderful.
Budwesier’s friends with the Clydesdale pony and calf — touching. Not as good as Bud’s “Rocky” ad, though.
Boost Mobile Shuffle Song with Jim McMahon — After 25 years, McMahon still can’t sing or dance. Awful.
Monster.com with the violin playing beaver — Maybe it’s just me but I liked it.
VW: Punching game — Stevie Wonder even gets invloved. Ingenious.
As for the others (or, at least the ones I wrote down) like, Kia’s: “Toys” or FloTV’s: “Spineless.” Intel’s: depressed robot, The Simpsons: Coke, Dockers: “I wear no pants,” Flowers.com: “Dead Flowers,” Taco Bell: “Barkley rap,” I can describe them all in one word … whatever.
All in all, not a good year for Super Bowl commercials. But if you want to see any (or all) of them again, here’s a link:
http://superbowlads.fanhouse.com/
Where was Don Draper when you need him?
Hawkins, Edney, Jordan talk about injuries
The three of them, Lyndon Jordan, Warren Edney and Yorel Hawkins leaned up against the far end of the press table at the Arena at Harbor Yard Friday night, watching their Fairfield Stag teammates warm-up for their game against St. Peter’s.
All were in street clothes.
Jordan suffered a sprained ankle against Iona on Jan. 24, has missed three games, including Friday against the Peacocks.
Edney, who underwent Achilles surgery before the start of the season, has not played at all.
Now, Hawkins has been added to the list. The 6-foot-5 junior forward, “felt something pop” in his knee coming down off a dunk against Rider and an MRI on Wednesday revealed bone fragments inside the knee. Hawkins is expected to have surgery early next week to clean out the knee and fix any damage. His season is over. He was wearing a brace on his right knee and was using crutches to keep the weight off the knee.
“I felt something when I came down after dunking and I went ‘Oh, something’s not right’ but I kept playing,” Hawkins said about his injury. “I feel bad because we were doing so well this season.”
Hawkins was averaging 14.6 points and 5.5 rebounds before the injury.
He isn’t exactly sure when the surgery will take place and where. “The doctors have to determine where the (bone fragments) are and how deep they’re in the knee.”
This is the second injury this season for Hawkins, who missed the Stags forst three games of the season while recovering from appendicitis surgery. In his place, Shimeek Johnson started those games and played very well in two of those games with 9 points and 9 rebounds against Central Connecticut, 13 points and 10 rebounds against Fordham.
“I’ve been talking to Shimeek all week, telling him this is his time,” Hawkins said. “He’s got to step up.”
Edney has been working (and rehabbing) without the cumbersome boot he had to wear after the surgery for about three weeks. He has been doing some running in place on a trampoline and weighlifting.
“It feels great. A lot better then it did,” Edney said. “It’s still sore at times but not nearly as bad as it was. I’m even walking differently now because before I couldn’t put any weight on it, it hurt so bad.”
He also said that he spoke with Greg Nero by phone at his home in Red Hook, N.Y., about a week about and said that Nero was “doing fine.”
Contrary to earlier rumors, Nero is not back on campus going to classes.
“He’s doing as well as he can, just sitting at home,” Edney said. “I don’t if he’s able to do anything.”
As for Jordan, he is progressing and he said that he hopes to be able to play Monday night in Albany when the Stags face Siena. If not, Jordan should be back to 100 percent for Rider on Feb. 12. “Definitely, I’ll be back for that,” he said. “But hopefully, it’ll be sooner.”
