Monmouth's Bench is Less Than Impressive

Sportscenter glorifies them, high school teams emulate them, fans applaud them. Monmouth's bench has made their way into national headlines this season for their well-thought-out and supposedly-comical celebrations after one of their teammates scores. The first time I saw a highlight of them I laughed. It was funny, it was new, it was creative, yet now we're almost three months into the season and they're still at it. Every game. Every made bucket. It's old and it's time for these players to call it a day and cut the celebrations.

First things first, I will give these guys respect simply because of creativity. There's no doubt that these guys have great ideas, but it's the timing of these celebrations and the message it sends that doesn't sit well with me. There's nothing wrong with celebrating and supporting your teammates, but there is certainly a mature and professional way to go about it. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm not a fan of the touchdown dances in football, big bat flips in baseball, and hand signals that are thrown up after a made three-pointer in basketball. Why? What's the point? Is it a shock that you did what you are supposed to do in your respective sport? Whether it's scoring a touchdown, belting a home run, or hitting a clutch three, that's the point of the game and that's your job as an athlete. Hand the ball to the ref, round the bases, and sprint back to play defense. It's simple, no choreography needed.

Though creative, Monmouth's celebrations are disrespectful

With that in mind, what Monmouth's bench is doing is disrespectful not only to the opposing team but to their own teammates. This has been a very successful season so far for the Hawks; they've taken down UCLA, Notre Dame (who was ranked 17th at the time of that game), and Georgetown en route to a 14-4 overall record and a 6-1 conference record in the MAAC. Why shouldn't these players be excited? They're racking up win after win and enjoying plenty of success, but the issue is that they're not being recognized for their success. Monmouth's bench has taken the attention away from the success of the season with their childish celebrations. The guys who are on the court aren't receiving the praise they deserve for delivering one of the best starts in school history because the TV networks are so infatuated with the bench's celebrations. In no way am I saying that the only players that matter are the ones on the court, but the attention Monmouth receives should most certainly be focused on their wins, not their bench.

Anyone that follows baseball at any level understands that there is a "code" that players follow. If you throw at my guy, I'm going to throw at your guy. If you take your sweet time rounding the bases after a home run then you're going to hear from the pitcher about show boating. That's just how it is, it's about respect for the opponent and respect for the game. Monmouth shows neither of those in their actions and, if they did this in the game of baseball, there would be a whole lot of high-and-tight fastballs being thrown. There just isn't a place for that type of celebration in any sport and it makes you wonder if these guys are more dedicated to their celebrations or to finding their way onto the floor.

I'm sure this is the unpopular opinion, seeing as ESPN and Bleacher Report (among a list of other networks and websites) drool over this group on a nightly basis, so maybe I'm too old-fashioned for my own good. However, I think it's unfair that those guys are taking the attention away from the success their team is enjoying. I think it's unfair that those guys are making a side show of themselves rather than allowing their teammates who are doing the dirty work to enjoy their time in the spotlight. I get it, kids will be kids, but I'm in college and played multiple sports for the 17 years and not once did I play on a team or for a coach that felt celebrations like that were necessary. You show up, you take care of business, and you celebrate in the locker room after the game. Maybe society is changing and the culture around sports is changing with it, but I'm not willing to support a group that jeopardizes the professionalism of one of the most popular sports in the world. It's not funny anymore, it's not cute, it's not necessary. Feel free to pump your fist, high five each other, or yell all you want Monmouth, but the extracurricular activity on the sidelines isn't a good look.

Missouri Inflicts Punishment on Wrong People in Wake of Haith Violations

It's nothing new in the world of college athletics: a coach gets a program in trouble then bolts from the school before he can be disciplined. Guys like Pete Carroll and John Calipari, among a list of others, successfully executed this maneuver a few years ago and now sit, untouched, in their new coaching positions. And now, while Missouri's men's basketball program faces multi-year discipline, former head coach Frank Haith is sitting at Tulsa with, at this point in time, no discipline coming his way.

This shouldn't shock anyone. Everyone knew when Missouri hired Haith that he was a dishonest cheater, yet in 2011 the Tigers brought in the guy who was already gaining national attention for stirring up trouble at the University of Miami. When the investigations settled down, it was discovered that Haith oversaw a $10,000 payment to a recruit while also paying a booster to remain quiet when asked about the topic. Perhaps the biggest issue in all of this, besides Haith's idiocy, was the fact that he had already left Miami in the dust in favor of Missouri, where he received only a five-game suspension. The suspension, in retrospect, wasn't much of a punishment considering the first five games of Mizzou's season that year were against Southern Louisiana, Southern Illinois, Hawaii, Gardner Webb, and IUPUI. Not exactly your list of powerhouse schools, right?

Haith has bolted from two schools at which he violated NCAA rules

Well now here we are, with Haith causing more trouble. This time, however, Missouri is the school that's paying the price while Haith, once again, is avoiding the situation thus far. That's where the NCAA and Mizzou are wrong in where their discipline was placed. They vacated the 23 wins from the 2013-2014 season, took away two scholarships, and self-imposed a postseason ban. Why? The only punishment that could possibly make sense is the decision to strip the scholarships. As for the other two, what purpose do those serve? You can't go back and grant the losing team in those 23 games a win, and the postseason ban is now imposed against kids, and a coaching staff, who have done things the right way. Mizzou is making head coach Kim Anderson's rebuilding project even harder than it has to be, and that's not right.

It's not a secret that Mizzou's athletic department isn't exactly a well-oiled machine, but surely there's at least one person in that department with some common sense. More importantly, where is the NCAA on this? This has become Kim Anderson's problem when he, nor his players, had anything to do with the season(s) that Haith caused trouble in. Yet Mizzou's going to make them pay the price for Haith's violations and the NCAA is going to allow it while not disciplining Haith? You're going to keep this coaching staff and these players out of the SEC and, potentially (though not likely), the NCAA tournament because of something that happened when the majority of these kids weren't even at the school? That's a joke, and it's a bad look for both Mizzou and the NCAA.

What's even worse is that the NCAA allows guys like Haith to stay in a head coaching position. This is his second offense and, I'm sorry, but this isn't baseball. You shouldn't get three strikes. I can understand second chances, but guys like this have no place in the NCAA, especially without any serious discipline. Haith should be punished while he's at Tulsa, but no punishment should fall on their athletic department or on the players on the roster. This is about Haith and his lack of integrity, and the people who are being punished are paying the price for Haith's actions have no control over that.

I had the chance to shadow Mizzou's strength and conditioning coach, Matt Herring, this summer and I was able to see Mizzou play Illinois in St. Louis back in December. This isn't the most skilled team I've seen, but this is a program that has done what it can to rebuild and, from what I have witnessed, has worked extremely hard. These coaches and athletes have a work ethic that should serve as a frame of reference for anyone that wonders what NCAA Division I athletics should be about, and that's why it's impossible to understand why this is the group of individuals that are being punished. This situation that Haith put Mizzou in cannot be changed, but it certainly could be addressed more effectively and it starts with the NCAA targeting Haith with disciplinary action. It's sad to see the wrong people pay the price for a sub-par coach's stupidity.

Witnessing Taylor University's Not-So-Silent Night

It's a tradition that's been going on for nineteen years now, but it only recently came into the national spotlight. Taylor University's "Silent Night" basketball game, which takes place the Friday night before finals week each year, has become one of college basketball's most popular traditions. On Friday December 11th I had the chance to witness it live.

My school, Anderson University, is about 45 minutes away from Upland, Indiana where Taylor University is located. The game started at 6:00 and, like any organized college student, my friend Alex Baker and I made the decision to go at 4:45. After having to make our own parking spot due to the packed parking lot outside TU's Odle Arena, we made our way into the gymnasium with about thirty minutes to spare before tip-off.

I knew a little bit about the tradition. I knew students dressed up and that they sit silently until the Trojans score their tenth point, but I didn't realize how great the atmosphere was. On our way into the gym we noticed that even the little kids who are either family members of the players or just viewers from the community were even dressed in costumes. It was then I realized just how big this tradition had become. We paid for our tickets ($10 but totally worth the price of admission) and walked into the gym in search of two seats. Keep in mind there were still thirty minutes before the game even started but the gym was already packed to the gills. I would venture to say the place could seat about 2,000 people yet there were probably closer to 2,600-2,700 people in the venue. Not to mention EVERY student was dressed up. Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, it didn't matter. There were costumes everywhere, most notably:

The Teletubbies headlined a long list of phenomenal costumes

The four Teletubbies
Jackie Moon from Will Ferrell's "Semi Pro"
Buddy the Elf
The aliens from Toy Story
The Grinch
Yoshi

It put any Halloween party I've ever seen to shame and it was hilarious looking across the gym at the student section and pointing out all the different outfits. As far as finding a seat was concerned, that was a lost cause. We paced up and down the sideline for about ten minutes just looking for the tiniest hole in the crowd where we could squeeze in but had zero luck with that. The majority of the seats behind the benches were reserved for the families of the players, and rightfully so, but that left very little room for the general public. We finally settled for standing on the baseline about six rows deep in the crowd.

Once warm-ups concluded, the public address announcer came over the speaker and asked that any kids that were present to come down to center court for a dance party while the teams had gone back to the locker rooms. Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" came over the sound system and about thirty little kids danced for all they were worth. The student section sang along and went especially wild when one little guy started break dancing. The kids were then joined by the Teletubbies, the Easter bunny, and a number of other Taylor students as the song continued to play.

The dance party ended and everyone returned to their seats as Taylor returned to the floor to the sound of thunderous applause from the crowd. Once the National Anthem had been sung, the crowd sat down and got extremely quiet. When it was time to announce the starting lineups for the visiting team, Chillicothe, about twelve guys dressed like farmers came out of the student section and lined up in front of the students as if the starting lineups were for them. They had about four guys on each side making the tunnel, with one guy at the end doing the chest bumps and hand shakes. With each Chillicothe player that was announced, a farmer would go through the tunnel at the same time. I couldn't tell you anything that happened during Chillicothe's starting lineups because I was too busy laughing at the farmers being "introduced".

Then it came time for Taylor's starting lineups, and the farmers took their seats. Rather than clapping and cheering for the TU players, the students would raise both hands and do the "spirit fingers". It then dawned on me that that was the substitute for clapping even when the game had started. Once the ball was tipped, it was really odd watching the game in complete silence. Even the parents and other fans were dead quiet at the start. You could hear the squeak of the shoes and the voice of each player and coach with ease. It was like watching a scrimmage only there were about 2,700 people there to watch.

Just to give you an idea of how dedicated the students were to being silent, there was a play early in the game where a Taylor player and a Chillicothe player were both going for a loose ball at half court in front of the students. The ball appeared to be off the Chillicothe player but the ref signaled that it was off Taylor. The Taylor student who grabbed the ball stood up and threw both hands up in the air in disgust before animatedly pointing at the Chillicothe player, signaling that he thought the call was wrong. Yet through this animated display of disagreement, not a single sound was made. It was impressive to say the least.

Crowe's three sent the gym into absolute chaos

All of this happened in the first 35-40 minutes we were there, and the most exciting part of the night hadn't even happened yet. It was when the Trojans scored the seventh point that the atmosphere started to change. As soon as the ball went through the net and the scoreboard showed the number seven under Taylor's name, there was quite a stir in the student section, which I failed to mention earlier, covered both baselines and one sideline. The students who were seated on the floor moved into a crouching position almost in unison and the anticipation of the next Taylor possession could be felt throughout the gym.

Sure enough, on the next possession, freshman guard Evan Crowe buried a three from the baseline right in front of the students. I have never in my life heard a gym explode the way Odle Arena did. Hands went up and screams rang throughout the building. I couldn't hear myself think but I had chills like never before. There was an immediate timeout and "GDFR" by Flo Rida came over the speakers and the students jumped and danced and yelled for every second of that timeout. From then on, you just knew Chillicothe didn't stand a chance (Taylor would go on to win 100-50).

After the timeout, Chillicothe had the ball and their possession resulted in a blocked dunk attempt courtesy of Taylor big man Vivian Aiken. "Spirit fingers" from the crowd were not necessary anymore. They roared their approval almost as loudly as they did when Crowe's three-pointer went down. It was almost as soon as the students began to settle down (and I use that term loosely) that Aiken threw down a two-handed dunk on the ensuing possession. It was absolute pandemonium in that gym and it was a beautiful thing to see.

What struck me the most about the night was the discipline of the Taylor students. I don't mean that to sound like the administration was real strict or anything, I mean that as a credit to how the students handled themselves and the event. Nobody acted stupid and made noise before the tenth point and, as I said earlier, every student I saw was dressed up. And when the tenth point was scored, the students stayed off the court. They jumped around and hugged but they didn't storm the court or do anything to take away from the event. It was handled very well and I think that's what makes the event so great. The students respect the tradition and do everything possible to make it better every year.

Upland, Indiana isn't exactly a tourist destination. But if you ever get the chance to attend the "Silent Night" game at Taylor University I would strongly encourage you to do so. I've been in 17 MLB ballparks, three NBA arenas, and I've been to two NCAA Final Fours, but I have never seen an atmosphere quite like Taylor's. That's a tradition that can't be copied or matched and TU has a phenomenal thing going with that idea. So props to you, Taylor, and thanks for giving an avid basketball fan an experience to remember.

MLB's Stubborn Attitude Towards Rose Sends the Wrong Message

Another year, another failed attempt at reinstatement by Pete Rose. It's an on-going saga that is not likely to stop any time soon and it's beginning to get extremely old. With everything that goes on in sports today, all the criminal acts and cheating, it is unbelievable to me that Pete Rose is still banned from the game.

Sports are by no means a clean environment in today's world. It doesn't matter what level you're talking about, someone somewhere is doing something they shouldn't be doing whether it violates league rules or the law. We have professional athletes beating their wives and testing positive for illegal drugs, yet not a single one of those guys have been banned by their league for their actions. Even Ray Rice, who was shown on video knocking his fiance out cold, has been reinstated by the NFL. What's wrong with that picture?

No one will ever play as hard as Rose played

I think it shows a serious lack of priorities not only on Rob Manfred's part, but professional sports as a whole. If you want to keep Pete Rose out of the Hall of Fame for a rule he violated that is not even a federal crime, then they need to crack down on the idiots that are breaking laws as well. What message are you trying to send to the world? That beating women, doing illegal drugs, and driving drunk deserves a slap on the wrist while betting on the outcome of your team's games deserves a full-blown expulsion from the game? That's absolutely pathetic in my mind and I feel genuinely sorry that the MLB sees it that way.

If you think back to the Mitchell Report, and all the names that were brought to the forefront as cheaters and steroid users, it goes to show how unclean the game of baseball was and probably still is. Yet we saw guys like Barry Bonds, Andy Pettite, and Roger Clemens who were allowed to continue playing even after they were found guilty of PEDs. These are guys who took drugs to improve performance in an attempt to gain an edge on the competition, and obviously it worked. That is not to say that these guys were not Hall of Fame caliber before they began "juicing", but the fact that they blatantly went against league rules and the integrity of the game and were still allowed to play and appear on the Hall of Fame ballets while Rose continues to be shunned is a crime.

So when you compare all of these things to Pete Rose, how significant is his gambling? There is no evidence that he was betting against the Reds, and nobody was hurt or jailed during this whole ordeal. He did not commit a crime, he violated a rule. And in today's world where we let professional athletes get away with just about anything, it blows my mind that Pete Rose is still banned from baseball. This is a guy who played the game the way it was meant to be played. He out-hustled and out-worked every single player on the field every single day. He took pride in what he did and he took pride in his teams. That's something you don't see as often in today's world. It has become about the money and the individual as opposed to the team and the passion. Pete Rose is the perfect example of how a professional athlete should handle themselves and yet the MLB is choosing to make him the bad guy while other guys cheat and break laws while receiving no long-term punishment.

I personally believe that Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame and, if you want my honest opinion, I think he will get in someday. But the day Pete Rose gets into the Hall of Fame is a day that he won't be around to witness because he'll probably be reinstated after he passes away. I would not be the least bit surprised if that happens and it will make the MLB look like more of joke than it already does. I hope the day that Rose is allowed into the Hall comes soon because, quite frankly, he deserves to be in. It's been over 25 years of punishment for one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. It's time the MLB quits trying to look tough and lets "Charlie Hustle" have his day.

Warriors are Great in Their Own Way

Ever since this season started and the Golden State Warriors have taken the league by storm, I have found myself rooting against them. Call me a bitter Bulls fan, but I don't think this team is as good as that '96 Bulls team that went 72-10. That team had three Hall of Famers and arguably the greatest coach of all time while the Warriors have one future Hall of Famer in Stephen Curry. Yet after having the pleasure of watching this Golden State team play in person last night, I'd like to put this Warriors team in their own category not because they're better or worse than the '96 Bulls, but because they have a style and personality that differs greatly from that Bulls team.

Thompson led all scorers with 39 points tonight against the Pacers

The game started out slow for the Warriors, with the Pacers jumping out to an 11-4 lead. The crowd in Bankers Life Fieldhouse was energized and the momentum was clearly with Indiana until all of the sudden the Warriors stormed back to take a 17-16 lead. It happened so fast and that's because this team doesn't use a lot of shot clock and they get out and run at every possible moment. It's all about transition and finding the open shooters whereas the '96 Bulls played under Phil Jackson's very structured and methodical triangle offense. With Golden State, they aren't bothered by opponents knocking down shots because they simply take the ball out as quickly as possible and catch the other team jogging back in transition. At one point early in the game, Paul George hit a three and before the PA announcer could even finish saying "Triiiiifecta! Paul George!", Klay Thompson had already knocked down a three to answer at the other end. It happened so quickly that the PA announcer actually stopped saying Paul George's name because he had to announce the Thompson basket so quickly. The offense this Warriors team runs is fast-paced and relentless and they don't care if you can't catch up.

While fast-pace offense has been implemented into a number of systems over the years, this Warriors offense, quite honestly, doesn't look good. Sure it's sexy to look at when Curry and Thompson are knocking down three after three, or when they're lobbing alley-oops to their big men off pick and rolls, but that's all it is. Their shot selection isn't great, it just works out that they have the two best shooters in the game with a bunch of physical forwards that fight for every rebound should Curry or Thompson miss. For example, Thompson once had the ball on the left wing and was pressured by Paul George. George knocked the ball out of Thompson's hands and the two fumbled with it for a good two, maybe three seconds before George over-committed on an attempt to knock it away and Thompson grabbed it with his back to the basket. Without a second thought, he turned and hoisted it without even looking to drive or see where the defense was. A horrible shot selection on what was a broken possession but the shot went in, so the Warriors look good for it. It's not necessarily the textbook definition of "good" basketball, but the shots fall and it has clearly worked for the Warriors in the recent years.

The '96 Bulls' record of 72 wins may be broken this season

Moving away from the more critical side of my opinion of the Warriors, I can honestly say I have never had more fun watching a basketball team play. It's constant excitement, it's more of a form of entertainment than it is basketball to be honest. They make it look easy and they make their opponents look stupid doing it. There were times where the Pacers fans around me weren't even mad after a made basket because they, along with myself, just had to sit there and literally laugh in disbelief. It's THAT impressive how easy it is for this team to score.

 Whether it was Andre Iguodala going behind his back and sending George Hill flying past him on a fast break or Steph Curry taking on both of Indiana's big men en route to a fancy reverse layup, the Warriors had their way with the Pacers. The most telling moment of the night, and the moment that proved this Warriors team is nearly impossible to rattle, came in the fourth quarter when the Pacers hit a three to cut the lead to ten after being down by thirty at one point, only to have the Warriors answer with a three on the very next possession. I have never heard a crowd go from being so loud to almost completely silent so quickly in my life. It was as bipolar a moment as I've ever witnessed, and it just cemented the thought in my head that if you're going to beat this team you have to play a perfect game because comebacks are not something the Warriors allow to happen.

After tonight's experience, it made me realize that the comparison between this Warriors team and the '96 Bulls just isn't necessary. I understand the similarity in records and the excitement over a historical season, but I wish the media could appreciate this Warriors team as they are, not for who they are compared to. This Warriors team does not have nearly the same makeup as that Bulls team and the playing styles are about as different as they can get. That Bulls team was special, as is this group from Golden State, and because of that we should notice the differences, take note of the history, and enjoy the fun. After all, it's apparent that teams this good only come around every twenty years.