BEVERLY HILLS (MI) — I kinda got called out a little bit on the UD Pride MB last week when “rudytooty” posted an article from The Washington Post on HS hoops recruiting and decided to put “Swampy Back Off” up on the MB as the subject. Here is a link to the Post piece:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/24/AR2009082401795.html?sid=ST2009082401807

The kind of shenanigans reported in the article are things that I would never even consider ever doing. For the record, I have done profiles on a grand total of six, count ‘em six, high school basketball players in the past ten years. Hell, that’s a slow day for someone like Brian Snow at Rivals.com, a guy whose work I happen to really respect. Two of those six players (Devin Searcy and Paul Williams) had already signed binding LOIs with UD when I spoke to them. It appears quite likely that none of the other four (rising Detroit area seniors Isaiah Sykes, Matt Kamieniecki, Kyle Vinales and Roy Marble, Jr.) will be coming to Dayton anytime soon. Just shows to go ya what a powerful influence I had on their recruitment, eh?

Here is another viewpoint on the subject from the National Hoops Report:

http://nationalhoopsreport.blogspot.com/2009/08/12-12-journalistictipscom.html

Justin Young has some great pointers at the end of the article. While I abide by most of them, I have to disagree with Young on point #2. Any kid I’m talking to has both a first and last name and I prefer to use them interchangeably, purely for the sake of variety. Sue me.

— Gary Parrish from CBS Sportsline has the final answer on why the A-10 HQ moved from Philly to Virginia — M-O-N-E-Y:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/12137764

If that’s the case, then why is the A-10 tournament still being held in AC instead of someplace like Dayton or Cincy where it would actually make some $$$?

— College Chalk Talk on 10 sophomores to watch in the A-10 this year. If I’m Chris Johnson, Paul Williams or Luke Fab, I’m taping this sucker to the inside of my locker door at the Arena so I’ll see it every time I suit up:

http://collegechalktalk.com/general/10-sophomores-to-watch/

— The unconscionable recruiting saga of Brett Roseboro, who basically got ‘uninvited’ to play for Marquette after he showed up on campus:

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer/the_intelligencer_news_details/article/120/2009/august/26/roseboro-saga-demonstrates-flaws-in-recruiting-process.html

Note to Marquette Head Coach Buzz Williams: if you’re gonna sign a kid, you maybe, just maybe, wanna try to see the kid actually play before doing so. Just a suggestion Buzzy, mind you.

— Scratch Jim Larranaga, coach of upcoming UD foe George Mason, as a twittering fool:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2009/08/how_blogs_and_bagels_killed_co.html

He’s got a point: players can have bagels but no cream cheese? Seriously?

— According to Andy Katz at ESPN.com, OP is trying to get a handle on this Twitter thing:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4434581&name=katz_andy

You have to scroll down past the item on overseas trips to get to the piece about Ollie.

— Another profile on the AAU powerhouse that is the All Ohio program:

http://www.jjhuddle.com/news/articles/2009/8/25/all-ohio-aau-program-known-as-nations-best

— TSN Mike on the granddaddy of them all, the Five Star Camp:

http://www.sportingnews.com/college-basketball/article/2009-08-28/five-star-camp-continues-carve-niche-college-basketball-circle

— If you are like Bucky Bockhorn and just can’t get enuf of those Bud Light “Real Men of Genius” commercials, here are 110 of those bad boys, all in one place:

http://thefuntimesguide.com/2004/10/bud_light_real.php

— An article on Dustin Pedroia’s biography “Born to Play” that reveals how Shorty dropped his first F-bomb at the ripe old age of 7 when he got hit by a pitching machine in a batting cage:

http://blog.masslive.com/redsoxmonster/2009/08/slights_perceived_scores_settl.html

— “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!!!” It’s time for the world championship of gravy wrestling!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/8230545.stm

— What kind of goofy things can you see on Google Earth? The Loch Ness Monster, for one:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2606683/Loch-Ness-Monster-on-Google-Earth.html

— 5 bada$$ movie characters that you didn’t know were real:

http://www.cracked.com/article/99_5-badass-movie-characters-you-didnt-know-were-real-people/

— A trailer for the greatest movie sequel ever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9t6NHlPJHA&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Erottentomatoes%2Ecom%2Fm%2Fh2%5Fhalloween%5F2%2Fnews%2F1840170%2F2%2Ftotal%5Frecall%5Frespectable%5Fhorror%5Fsequels&feature=player_embedded#t=89

— 2nd worst media merger of all time, behind the fustercluck that I lived thru known as AOL/Time Warner:

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/31/breaking-disney-to-acquire-marvel-entertainment-for-4-billion/

That’s it “From the Swamp.”
You can email me at: [email protected]