Results of the Al Golden poll:We don't usually talk Temple basketball here.
Question: Of all of Al Golden's good qualities, what ONE does he do best?
Running the show (CEO) 40 (42%)
Recruiting 30 (31%)
Public Relations 22 (23%)
Coaching during games 2 (2%)
(Note there were two votes for coaching during games. Thanks, Alfred, and Kelly for voting.)
Not because I don't like the sport (I do, I used to play lunchtime fullcourt for an hour every day at the Doylestown YMCA in my 20s and 30s) or Temple basketball (I do), but because I don't enjoy the sport nearly as much as I do football.
I like playing basketball.
I like watching football.
That's the difference.
For me, Temple basketball is no more than a diversion between the end of the football season and the Cherry and White football game. I understand for a lot of the university it is much more than that and that's cool.
I bring up basketball today because both the Temple basketball and the football teams had something in common during this calendar year.
They both got hosed.
I did watch the A-10 basketball championship game with Richmond last year from the comfort of a treadmill in the gym.
Afterward, all the talking heads gushed all over Temple.
One of the guys, I forget his name, said: "This means Temple is a three (seed) and I think you can even make an argument for a two." The other three agreed that Temple deserves no worse than a three.
On the ride home, I thought three, dreaming of a two.
I wasn't the only one, as this story from the 700 Level indicates.
Then I got to the Liacouras Center and saw it was a five.
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| ESPN led its 3 p.m. show Monday with Temple. |
As Muhammad Wilkerson would say on his Facebook page, smh.
(That's Shaking My Head for anybody over 30.)
Everybody said Temple got hosed. Nobody said Temple deserved a five.
I thought about Temple getting hosed while on the stairmaster yesterday afternoon, watching ESPN. The tease to the college football show at 3 p.m. was:
"They beat a BCS Conference champion, finished 8-4, and nobody wants them in their bowl. We'll tell you why in a few minutes."
Ugh.
I couldn't wait.
I had to get off the stairmaster and get to work.
I pretty much knew what the story was anyway.
After I got home last night when reading all the reaction across the country, pretty much agreeing that Temple's football team got hosed out of a bowl bid.
What is this about Temple and getting hosed?
It wasn't the only time Temple's got a big-time hosing on the national stage.
Speaking about UConn, remember UConn?
Instant replays in 2007 clearly showed Bruce Francis catching the game-winning touchdown, yet a Big East replay official, Jack Kramer, let a call on the field stand instead of doing the right thing, the proper thing, and overturning the call.
Oh yeah.
UConn was in the Big East.
Temple was kicked out of th same conference three years earlier.
I'm sure that had nothing to do with the decision.
Yeah, right.
Hosed?
What about Navy, 2008?
Temple's defensive front wall stopped a Navy ballcarrier cold. A whistle was blowing loudly, so Temple stopped playing and a pitchout resulted in a game-winning touchdown.
Everybody heard the whistle (from a Navy fan in a white T-shirt) except the officials, who said it wasn't them.
I guess those same officials would have flagged Temple for roughing the ballcarrier if they put him to the ground.
Temple lost in OT.
How about UCLA last year?
Apparently on the way to a big bowl win, Matt Brown gains two yards on third-and-one. All the replays confirmed this, but Temple was out of challenges. Oh wait. The officials rule him down inches short. Temple gets stuffed on fourth down.
Hosed.
Now this.
They said what won't kill you will make you stronger.
If we're not dead, we're getting awfully strong.
I think we're strong enough, thanks.
