The Lobos played great tonight and got the win in a close game, 77-71.
But that is not why I am writing this post. I am writing to document one of the craziest moments I have even seen in a college basketball game.
To start out with you need to meet this guy, Utah head coach, Jim Boylen:
I know he looks warm and snuggly in this picture, but don't let him fool you... he is a complete spaz. Freaking out would be an understatement for his antics during the whole first half. Every call got a huge reaction from him as he would scream at the refs and pace up and down the sideline waving his arms. It was crazy.
At one point late in the 1st half, the game was being played at the opposite end of the floor from the Utah bench. Boylen decides that he wants to call a time out and literally runs to half court to call time out. Anyone who knows anything about college basketball knows that you can't run to half court to call a time out. This got the refs attention and they gave them the timeout (he should have gotten a technical foul). The Utah coach starts to walk back to the sideline but Steve Alford, the UNM coach, is none to pleased that this coach had the audacity to run out to halfcourt to call a time out.
So what does Steve do? He charges the Utah huddle, waving his finger and screaming at the Utah coach. He pretty much looked like he wanted to fight him. Steve had his assistants draped on him but he actually got about 3/4 of the way to the Utah bench before he was pulled back. The Utah coach was smuggly waving him on, as if to say, "Bring it!".It was high drama for sure. I have never seen anything like it in a college basketball game.
It's interesting to see what an extreme competitive nature will bring out of a guy. It certainly can bring out the best and/or the worst in all of us. At least I know if can for me.
6 comments:
sooooo good! wish I could have seen it indeed. glad you are able to make it to some games (or a game)!
later bro
were you there? i didn't see you... ;P
Oh yes, I was there in full force baby!
z
Comment on Eric J. Hansen (Spot's) post: Eric -- now I know why my daughter drives a beat-up Ford van!! You need to stop reading stuff like this, get to work, and provide for my daughter and three grand kids!!
Steve Alford ... a bit of a hot head himself, huh?
Glad to hear he's actually winning some games down there. Probably won't last too long! Actually, I've heard he's a pretty good guy once you get to know him.
Anyway, something like this happened during a CF at East Waterloo game when I was in HS ... except it was our assistant coach, Pete Hill, going after East's head coach Steve McGraw ... AT EAST. Not a good idea. I think most of us were just glad to get outta there that night in a school bus instead of an ambulance or a hearse!
Yet another case of athletic officials and their "affirmative action" at UNM athletic events -- always seeming to give the visitor the benefit of the doubt for several bad or questionable calls, even flat out ignoring the rules as happened here. I've seen it in football, basketball, volleyball.... I have seriously considered trying to get the Lions Club to use some of their eyeglasses charity to supply MWC officials with corrective lenses to see if that might help.
I missed seeing this -- was in "Standing Room Only," which meant seeing what I could see from up by one of the stairways by the concession stands. It was an exciting game and an exciting win, though by a bigger margin than most of the recent UNM-UTAH matchups (either OT or 1 point decisions in the previous 6 or more games, I heard).
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