My Two Cents

The other day I wrote that the Fairfield women’s basketball team wasn’t getting any respect in the Top 25 Mid-Major poll. Despite a 20-7 record, the Stags received just two votes last week’s poll (hey, they got eight this week!) and I commented, saying: “No offense, Pioneer fans, but the Northeast Conference isn’t exactly as strong as the MAAC.”
SHU women’s coach coach Ed Swanson — who’s Pioneers (20-7) are No. 18 in this week’s poll — e-mailed me, telling me that the 2011-12 RPI ratings for the Northeast Conference was 15 and the MAAC’s was 21 (according the RealTimeRPI.com website).
True.
But if you dig a little deeper and check back over the last decade, something else pops up – the MAAC has been more consistent. (dare I say better?)
According to the past standings on RealTimeRPI.com, the MAAC went seven straight years having a better overall conference RPI than the Northeast.

Season Northeast MAAC
2011-12 15 21
2010-11 18 25
2009-10 23 21
2008-09 26 17
2007-08 23 13
2006-05 21 18
2004-05 28 21
2003-04 18 14
2002-03 24 17

If you simply add the numbers and divide them by the last nine seasons, the MAAC averages out to 18.5
The Northeast Conference averages out to 22.77
So, over the last decade, which conference was stronger? It seems the MAAC was. The numbers point that out.

But … it has been the Pioneers that have the better individual RPI over their next door neighbor five of the last six years, according to RealTimeRPI.com. Congrats, Ed!!

Season SHU FU
2011-12 76 109
2010-11 110 232
2009-10 157 170
2008-09 82 165
2007-08 171 87
2006-07 103 214

If the basketball gods touch the foreheads of the Fairfield Stags this weekend and allow them good fortune against Iona Friday night (9 p.m. ESPN U) and let that momentum carry over to a Sunday regular-season ending win over Rider, it looks like a coin flip would determine the top seed in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament.
Both the Stags and the Gaels would clinch a share of the regular season title with 14-4 conference records (if Iona beats St. Peter’s on Sunday) … I’m also assuming (yeah, I know) that Manhattan will sweep its last two, including Sunday’s showdown with Loyola (who will split its last two) leaving the Greyhounds and the Jaspers at 13-5 … that brings the tiebreakers for first place into effect. However, no matter what you do, the tiebreakers don’t break the tie.

Head to head, Fairfield and Iona spilt. Still tied.

Both teams lost once each to Loyola, Manhattan and Siena. Both teams swept all the other MAAC teams. Still tied.
That leaves a coin flip to see who gets the No. 1 tournament seed.

A sweep this weekend and a win the MAAC quarterfinals would give Fairfield 20 wins, marking the first time in program history (dating back to 1948-49) that the Stags had three straight 20-win seasons.
2009-10 23-11
2010-11 25-8

It would also mark four consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1963-68.
1963-64 14-11
1964-65 14-7
1956-66 19-5
1966-67 12-9
1967-68 16-10

Last week. I wrote in my Sunday column how I felt that Fairfield men’s and women’s programs were being slighted in the Mid-Major Top 25 poll. This is what I said about coach Joe Frager’s Stags:
Fairfield received two votes — just two — in the latest top-25 poll, while Sacred Heart (no offense, Pioneer fans, but the Northeast Conference isn’t exactly as strong as the MAAC) stands 19th in the poll.

It didn’t take SHU coach Ed Swanson long to bang the drum for the Northeast Conference via this e-mail:
Hey Chris,
In response to your article on no respect for Fairfield; I agree, but your facts are incorrect. The NEC in women’s basketball is rated a 19 in the RPI, the MAAC 23. In the Sagarin ratings the NEC is rated 21, and the MAAC 24.

Appreciate the heads-up Ed, now get these Northeast coaches that vote on the poll, especially Jenny Palmanteer of Monmouth, to give a shout out top the Stags. Two votes last week? With a 20-7 record? Come on.

Oh, the Fairfield men’s team, who got five votes in the Mid-Major Top 25 poll last week … got none this week. Just sayin’

Wow.
I just took a good look at Thursday night’s Sacred Heart at Long Island University men’s BB box score.
Pioneers lost 103-91 in overtime.

To say that the Pioneers were victims of some “home cooking” would be an understatement.

Bet it tasted terrible.

For the game, Long Island went to the free throw line 39 times, making 28
Sacred Heart went to the free throw line 11 times, making all 11. That’s a 17-point difference.

Long Island was whistled for 12 fouls.
Sacred Heart was called for 27 fouls. That’s a 15-foul difference. Two players for SHU fouled out and two more had four fouls. Only one LIU player had four foules.

I’m sorry but I’m just not buying the Pioneers played that physical of a game.

The three referees, Moe, Larry and Curley, aka … Brian O’Connell, Donnie Eppley and Robert Barker, should be embarrassed for calling such a one-sided game.

By Chris Elsberry
NEW HAVEN – After being the CEO for the Women’s Tennis Association for four years and watching the sport grow by leaps and bounds into a world-wide phenomenon, Anne Worcester decided it was time for a change. She said goodbye to the WTA and its 60-plus tournaments and decided to work for just one, the Pilot Pen International.
Why? Because of Mike Davies.
Over the course of his 50-plus years in tennis, both amateur and professional, Davies has been widely recognized as one of the game’s greatest innovators. Blue courts? That was Davies’ idea. Yellow tennis balls? That too was Davies. Thirty second intervals between points and 90 seconds between changeovers. Again, Davies.
The tiebreaker? Davies’ idea.
But it’s not just those additions that have made him a renowned figure in the sport. He was the executive director for World Championship Tennis, a forerunner of the ATP – Association of Tennis Professionals – and was one of the first people to push tennis for television. He sold marketing rights and promoted the sport, taking it around the world.
And for all those things, Davies will be part of the 2012 class that will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I. on July 14.
Davies was the Hall’s first formal announcement at a press conference Thursday morning. The other five entrants will be announced at various times over the next month. Finalists include, Jennifer Capriati, Yevgeny Kalelnikov, Gustavo Kuerten, Randy Snow, Thelma Coyne Long, Manuel Orantes, Nick Bollettieri and Eiichi Kawatei.
“There’s no one more deserving than Mike Davies to join the Hall of Fame,” said Mark Stenning, CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, who joined Davies at a morning press conference.
Davies, 76, is the tournament president and CEO for the New Haven Open at Yale, formerly the Pilot Pen International, and has been working that event since 1997.
“There is no higher award than the Hall of Fame. I’m very thrilled,” said Davies. “This is a great achievement in my life. I thank the Hall of Fame for doing such a great job in keeping the sport alive and keeping the history of it alive.”
It was 1998 when Worcester, said goodbye to the glitz and glamour of the WTA and became the tournament director of the Pilot Pen.
“When I did that, there were a lot of raised eyebrows but I did it because I had two young children, plus I wanted to work with Mike,” Worcester said. “Think about it, all the things we take for granted in the game today, he was the one that basically created them.”
It was 1968 when Davies took control of the newly-created World Championship Tennis and took tennis to the masses. The WTC played tournaments all over the world, with such names as Rod Laver, Tony Roche, Ken Rosewall and Butch Buchholz (the New Haven Open at Yale’s tournament chairman). He also worked as the executive director for the ATP, the ITF – International Tennis Federation and has been credited with revitalizing the Davis Cup.
Davies was Britain’s No. 1 ranked player in 1957, 1959 and 1960. He reached the Wimbledon men’s doubles final in 1960 – the last time a British male has reached the finals in either singles or doubles – and afterwards, decided to turn professional. Because of that, he was banned from playing in any of the Grand Slam events. At the time, international tennis was still strictly amateur and his pro status made him ineligible.
“We were banned from the Grand Slams and the Davis Cup,” Davies said. “I was banned for eight years.”
In the meantime, eight other tennis players – Buchholz, Nikola Pilic, Dennis Ralston, Pierre Barthes, Cliff Drysdale, Roger Taylor, Tony Roche and John Newcombe – nicknamed the “Handsome Eight” signed with Lamar Hunt (who later signed Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall) and created the WCT.
“We did a lot of one-night stands,” Davies said. “We played in small towns all over the world.”
But after just a couple of months, the WCT had lost close to $20,000 and Buchholz called Davies and asked if he could help the struggling group. “For the good of the game,” Davies remembers Buchholz saying.
So Davies met with Hunt, got the WCT on track and the rest is history.
“When I look back, it’s incredible,” he said. “We changed the face of tennis.”

Jim Calhoun said on Tuesday that he plans to return to coach the UConn Huskies this season as soon as he can get some treatment on his condition, spinal stenosis, which has been causing serious pain in his lower back.
That’s good news.
The problem I have is … why did he only tell Andy Katz?
Katz is one of ESPN’s and ESPN.com’s college basketball reporters. He’s a good guy and I have no problem with him calling Calhoun and getting the scoop. What’s disappointing is that, I’m betting several of the state’s beat writers also probably tried calling Calhoun – either directly (I’m sure some of the guys have his cell number) or via the athletic communications department — and he didn’t talk to them.
A couple of days before, when the story broke of Calhoun taking a medical leave of absence, guess who had the only quotes from Calhoun … Jim O’Connell of the Associated Press. Nothing wrong with that. O’Connell has been on the college basketball beat for what seems like forever and is good friends with Calhoun.
But that doesn’t mean that the head coach should play favorites.
Why couldn’t UConn’s release have a quote from the head coach to give everyone equal footing? Instead, every paper in the state had to say “Calhoun told the Associated Press” if they used a quote from O’Connell’s story.
Why does the state’s media always get the short end of the Calhoun straw?
Well, because Katz and O’Connell are national beat writers and speaking to them puts Calhoun in the national spotlight. Guys like Dom Amore (Hartford Courant), Kevin Duffy (Connecticut Post), David Borges (New Haven Register), Gavin Keefe (New London Day), Ed Daigneault (Waterbury Republican) and Neill Ostrout (Manchester Journal Inquirer), the main beat writers – guys that travel to road games and cover every open practice – don’t get the same courtesy that Calhoun gives Katz and O’Connell.
It would be nice if just once, a state guy, who busts his backside covering this team, gets the scoop. But that can only happen if Calhoun answers the phone.

In any event, here’s Katz’s story:

Jim Calhoun vows return to coaching
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun plans on getting through the latest health crisis with his back and returning to coaching when he is physically able.
The Hall of Fame coach was diagnosed with spinal stenosis last week and took a medical leave of absence. He missed last Saturday’s win over Seton Hall and Monday night’s crushing loss at Louisville.
He won’t coach Saturday at Syracuse.
Calhoun told ESPN.com Tuesday that this is just another obstacle that he will get through. The three-time national championship coach also had a bout with prostate cancer and various stomach ailments over the years.
This is his latest setback, but he said it’s not going to force him to retire.
“There’s no question,” Calhoun said by phone. “I’ve talked to the people at UConn and president (Susan) Herbst. I just want to get a resolution on my back.”
Calhoun said that he has appointments in Boston and New York to get further MRI testing on his back. Those results will decide what the correct course of treatment should be before any decisions are made on how long he will be gone from the team and program.
“It’s something I’ve got to get through,” Calhoun said. “I don’t think it changes my mind one way or another about next year or the next two years. I just want to get the pain gone from down my leg so I can walk right. Getting onto planes and coaching — I can’t do that right now.”
Calhoun said that he had a hard time with his back when the Huskies were in the Bahamas in November playing in the Battle 4 Atlantis. He said he was in pain, but medication helped over the next six weeks.
However the pain increased dramatically in Washington D.C., last Tuesday before the Huskies played at Georgetown.
“I made it through the game, holding on,” Calhoun said. “I had a tough time getting out of there, on the plane ride back. There’s no way I could coach the next couple of days.”Calhoun was bedridden Thursday through Saturday, but did get up and around the past few days. He’s well enough now to go out of town to see the specialists.
Calhoun said he watched the Huskies’ 80-59 loss to Louisville on Monday night. But he declined to comment on the performance and didn’t want to overstep associate coach George Blaney coaching the team.
“I’m doing my best to fight this thing,” Calhoun said. “I’ve had couple of other obstacles before and this is another one. I’ll fight through this.”

This Saturday, the University of Bridgeport is hosting its second “Donate Life” basketball doubleheader at the Harvey Hubbell Gym as the UB men and women take on Queens College. All proceeds from the day (all tickets sales and a variety of raffles) will be donated to the Donate Life Connecticut organization to help raise awareness about organ and tissue donations to help save lives.

Here’s the rest of the UB release:
This event is the second annual UB Basketball “Donate Life” games, and it is the brainchild of second-year Bridgeport head women’s basketball coach Stephanie Del Preore to honor her late father who passed away in 2002 after a courageous battle with liver and kidney disease.
Stated coach Del Preore, “I’m so proud of how thing went at last year’s inaugural “Donate Life” event as we raised over $1,600 for Donate Life Connecticut. This year things are going to be even bigger and better as we have a great selection of items to raffle off. The community support both on and off campus has been great. Now we just need to get some folks in the stands. In 2002, I lost my father to a battle with liver and kidney disease. In 1996 he received a double liver/kidney transplant which prolonged his life six more years. I was fortunate to have him at every basketball game I played from middle school to high school, and then my freshman and sophomore year at Marist College. Losing him was the worst thing I’ve ever went through, and basketball was my outlet. I always said that when I became a head coach I was going to do something to honor my father, my hero and my inspiration.”
Action will get underway this Saturday with the women’s game at 1:00 p.m. followed by the men’s game at approximately 3:00 p.m. Tickets, which are available at the door, are $5 for adults and $ 2 for senior and children. All tickets sales from the afternoon will benefit Donate Life Connecticut
Representatives from Donate Life Connecticut will be at the game to answer any questions fans have about their organization and about how to become and organ and tissue donor.
Throughout the day, fans will also have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets with all monies raised going to Donate Life Connecticut. Prizes, which will be drawn at both the women’s and men’s game, include New York Yankees tickets, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets and Bridgeport Bluefish tickets, a variety of hotels stays throughout New England, gift baskets plus many gift cards to both local and national retailers and restaurants.
For more information on the University of Bridgeport basketball “Donate Life” games, please contact head coach Stephanie Del Preore at 203-576-4728.
For more information on the Donate Life program and how to register to be an organ and tissue donor, please visit the Donate Life Connecticut website at www.ctorganandtissuedonation.org

Have to admit I loved “Fumble” in Puppy Bowl VIII. That dog rules!!

Super Bowl XLVI. Giants 21, Patriots 17
What a game, huh?
What a spread … at the Elsberry house were platters of Pigs in a blanket, sliders (both burger and chicken), chips and salsa, chicken wings and oatmeal/chocolate chip/walnut cookies (made by the Mrs.). Yum.

First things first, I’m done bashing Tom Coughlin. Never again. Don’t care if the guy goes 0-16 next season. All he has to do his hold out hand, show off those two Super Bowl rings and go, ‘You were saying?”
Nothing, coach, nothing at all.
If you remember (and I’m sure many of you do) Santa Chris told Coughlin to go get some Staples gift cards so he could print out copies of his resume when he went job hunting after his imminent firing when the Giants were floundering at 7-7.
What the heck do I know?
Not much, apparently.
All Coughlin he did was coach the team to six straight wins, two (over the Jets and Cowboys) to make the playoffs and then rolled past Atlanta and then won at Green Bay and at San Francisco to reach the Super Bowl against the Patriots, who had pretty much rolled over everyone en route to going 14-2.
Defenses were solid on both sides (the Giants hounded Tom Brady more), Eli made a case for the Hall of Fame and Mario Manningham decided to channel his inner David Tyree and make a catch for the ages and stoked the Giants to that winning (ahem) touchdown drive.
Stop! Ahmad Bradshaw … STOP!
Whatever. It worked out.
As for the commercials … I admit I didn’t see all of them but the ones that I did have been ranked in order of what I thought was funny.

Doritos – the dog burying the cat’s tags, offering the master a bag of Doritos with the note, “You didn’t see nuthin’ “

Tax Act – the kid in the pool, has to go to the bathroom, can’t find a place to go and then goes back in the pool (what can I say, I’m a sucker for toilet humor)

M&M’s — the Brown M&M’s sexy dancing

Audi – the car’s headlights exploding the vampires when it pulls up to the party.

Pepsi – King Elton John surrendering a soft drink to a singer, who sends him to the dungeon … where he finds Flavor Flav.

Other than that, there wasn’t anything else that I thought was remotely funny (sorry, E-Trade baby)

Didn’t see the halftime show but … Madonna?? Black Eyed Peas still hold the award for WORST HALFTIME SHOW EVER but a lip-synching 53-year old pop diva who’s way, way past her prime? Come on NFL … wake up and smell the Red Bull. What about Nickelback? What about Carrie Underwood? What about Beyonce? What about Faith Hill and Tim McGraw? What about Metallica? What about AC-DC? What about Taylor Swift? What about Rihanna? What about Queen? What about Billy Joel? What about Bon Jovi?

Bring back Bruce!!

Just think … in four years it will be Super Bowl L.

Here’s a release from UB Sports Information Director Chuck Sidowski …

The University of Bridgeport women’s basketball team has joined the “Play 4Kay” team in an effort to raise breast cancer awareness and funds for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund in support of research to combat the disease. This Saturday has been designated as UB’s “Play4Kay” contest as they host C.W. Post at 1 p.m. at the Harvey Hubbell Gym.