OPINION

The NCAA Men's Basketball Jason Awards

Written by Jason Middlekauff
Published March 15, 2007

Now that we're on the eve of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, I'd like to take a look back on the season that was, recognizing true greatness and utter ineptitude alike. The Jason Awards not only honor (or jeer) players but also coaches, teams, commentators, and analysts.

Best Unintentional Comedy - Mike Patrick, ESPN play-by-play guy

No one gets as excited about routine plays as Mike Patrick does: "I don't believe what I just saw! That was incredible! Taurean Green caught the in-bounds pass, dribbled up the court, and then had the presence of mind to make a 15-foot pass to a wide open Brewer on the wing! Unreal! That guy has the heart of a lion!"

Because Patrick gets so wound up over ordinary plays, he doesn't have an extra gear for when something genuinely remarkable happens. I've thought, though, that having Mike Patrick announce everything you do throughout a work day would make your job sound decidedly more enthralling: "Middlekauff tallied up the students' test scores without even using a calculator for basic subtraction! Amazing! And then he had the presence of mind to enter the grades in the computer! Lots of teachers grade things, but nobody makes it look as easy as Middlekauff! That guy is special!"

The Erin Andrews Award - The Memphis Tigers

For those of you who may not know, Erin Andrews is a courtside reporter for ESPN that has developed quite a cult following for her looks. Now, Andrews is a pretty attractive woman, but I don't think under normal circumstances that most men would deem her a bombshell. So why all the fuss about her? Simply put, although she may not look like a Hollywood starlet, she's certifiably hot compared to most female sideline reporters.

And that brings me to Memphis. Memphis has a good team — lots of athletes, an imposing shot blocker, solid team chemistry — but they amassed their 30-3 record by feasting on woefully undermatched Conference USA opponents. I suspect Memphis won't come out looking as beautiful after the NCAA Tournament.

Best Human Interest Story - Greg Oden

No story this year was as inspiring as Oden's. Forced by his high school's administration to stay in school until he was 40 years old, Oden did not allow their cruelty to break his spirit. Throughout his 25-year high school career, Oden led his team to 17 State Championships, set all-time records in every major statistical category, and drove the team bus for 15 years. This year as the oldest freshman NCAA athlete ever, Oden dominated the opposition despite being twice their age, and many NBA scouts project him as the #1 pick in June's draft.

What? Oden is only 19? I'm revoking his award. (Although I'm tired of hearing about Oden, he's definitely an imposing presence in the paint. And, while he looks older than he is, he seems to act older as well. He's calm and soft-spoken and strikes me as quite level-headed based on what I've read about him.)

The Scarface Award - Josh McRoberts

Points per game - 12.8
Rebounds per game - 7.8
Expletives shouted per game - 54.6

page 1 | 2
Jason Middlekauff makes a living teaching high school English. When he's not extoling the artistry and power of literary classics or attempting to mold young minds, he enjoys reading (go figure), writing (ditto), listening to music, performing his own music, and traveling. Jason has a wonderful wife, Janet, with whom he shares the affection of their loyal basset hound, Baxter.
Keep reading for information and comments on this article, and add some feedback of your own!
The NCAA Men's Basketball Jason Awards
Published: March 15, 2007
Type: Opinion
Section: Sports
Filed Under: Culture: Humor and Satire, Sports: Basketball, Sports: College
Writer: Jason Middlekauff
Jason Middlekauff's BC Writer page
Jason Middlekauff's personal site
Spread the Word
Like this article?
Email this
Submit to del.icio.us Save to del.icio.us
RSS Feeds
All RSS Feeds (240+)
Comments on this article
BC articles by Jason Middlekauff
Culture: Humor and Satire
Sports: Basketball
Sports: College
All Sports Articles
All Opinion articles
All BC articles
All BC Comments

Comments

Want comments emailed to you? No spam, promise! Address:

Add your comment, speak your mind

(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/61061)

Personal attacks are not allowed. Please read our comment policy.





Remember Name/URL?

Please preview your comment!

Fresh
Articles
Fresh
Comments