Well, this update covers more than last week. It's been about a month since I have done an update - I've been here, I've been there, I've been in Northern Virginia the day Sarah Palin was, and I got married. So this is me, catching up and also letting you know what's been going on.
So, college basketball season is almost upon us, but college football's élites are putting up good shows... even if this observer was cheering hard for a Missouri team that looked just inept for stretches of Saturday night's game, which was more of a massacre than the score indicates. Even worse, Roger Clemens was on the U of Texas sideline with Derek Jeter and Friday Night Lights' Minka Kelly. It's like an Axis of Evil has Minka Kelly hostage.
Wired opines that the next presidential candidate needs to spend/ bring in people to fix the coutry's old infrastructure with a Works Progress Administration style program, which I completely agree with. I wonder how Colin Powell will be smeared for breaking ranks and endorsing "That One?" Learn about your Phillies and Devil Rays, position by position. Times are hard - even champagne sales are down.
And Dolemite died. You need to see that movie, it's ridiculous. So let's get to talking about basketball.
* The Red Storm's practice season has started - first with the Storm Fest event, well-attended by high school prospects, and then with interviews about last year's debacle, which is about not having enough sprinkles and cherries. I'm not mocking much, I get what he's saying. Jeff Goodman gets some quotes from Coach Roberts on the changes in this year's team. The prognositcators don't agree with his optimism.
* The big question for the early part of the year - you know, before North Carolina or Michigan State or U Conn lays a stinker in a non-conference game - will be the effect of the new three-point line, now a foot farther from the basket. With unreliable shooters who don't shoot from distance anyway, St. John's can win without the three-pointer in their arsenal if they play better defense, and if the team's statistical profile emulates coaches Norm Roberts has worked with in Bill Self and Billy Clyde Gillispie.
* A couple of "where are they nows" with former phenom point guard Omar Cook, now playing in Europe, and Ricky Torres, who has transferred to Norfolk State.
* The big recruiting target has been Jordan Williams, who got hurt, and is still deciding between St. John's and Maryland, whose staff is competing for some other New York area prospects.
* Speaking of hurt, St. John's commit Omari Lawrence came back from injury... and is hurt again.
* A former recruit, the high-scoring Sean Kilpatrick, warranted a note on the blog. I did not follow up with his commitment to Cincinnati, of all schools, ending his bumpy road to a commitment.
* St. John's is taking a good hard look at Iranian Arsalan Kazemi.
* There was also a post about the Mets' collapse, but I don't wanna talk about it. Maybe that's why Mr. Met got his head taken off.