Thinking out loud ... while realizing it takes patience to listen, and real skill to pretend to listen ...
The temptation is there to be hurt, disappointed. The players coming off the floor after the handshake line at the Dunk Tuesday night clearly had a look of discomfort about them after a battle with 10th-ranked Villanova.
It wasn't so much the Wildcats' blue blood pedigree as it was their uncanny ability to hit big shots that did the Friars in. We tend to forget, when it isn't right in front of us, that other teams also have age, experience and wisdom like Providence has this year.
Especially a program that has won two of the last six natty's. Even though this team probably isn't as good as those, culture certainly played a role in that win. They've been there, done that. And they did it again, too.
We're still looking for the Friars' defense we've seen earlier this season. Couldn't see much of it Tuesday night. Sometimes, you simply need to clap your hands for the other guy.
Collin Gillespie was, and is, the Big East Player of the Year. Give him the trophy now. And Justin Moore isn't far behind him.
All is not lost, not by a longshot. If Providence holds up their end of the deal, March 1st in Philly should decide this years' Big East regular season championship. There are three games looming large, still to play before then.
Big game much? Every night out. Isn't this what you wanted?
- It's a two-horse race. Quick peek at the slate sez Nova hosts Georgetown Saturday and must travel to Hartford next Tuesday. Friar fans, you ready to root for the Huskies?
UConn, you ready to do a solid for your self-proclaimed lil' New England step-brothers?
- ICYMI, PC junior Jared Bynum is the first Friar to win back-to-back Player of the Week awards in the Big East in the 43-year history of the league. Bynum has scored 94 points in his last four games.
- Rhody had a real shot at injecting enthusiasm back into their season, had they come up with a home win against A-10 contender Dayton this week. But a defense that allowed 11 three's (Providence, hello!) couldn't ground the Flyers.
- The URI women's team received votes this week in the AP Top 25, gaining some recognition long overdue. They were also long overdue to beat Dayton themselves this week, having lost 17 straight (!) to the Flyers and without a win against them since 2004.
Ouch. Make it 18 straight. Still can't beat Dayton, the Rams lost 47-37 Wednesday. The URI women are 20-4 overall.
- Bryant's nine-game winning streak was snapped last weekend at LIU, but another one started Thursday night at home against Central Connecticut.
- Bryant lacrosse opened with a 19-7 win at Providence last weekend, and the Bulldogs found themselves nationally ranked in all three polls this week…as high as 18th in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Magazine poll.
- Another nationally-ranked local team – 17th ranked Providence men's hockey – has a home-and-home series with UMass-Lowell Friday and Saturday this week, after losing to Beanpot champ Boston University last weekend.
- Maybe you've heard that high school athletes can also profit from the new NIL rules governing 'amateur' athletics? Some in high school – HIGH SCHOOL – stand to make millions. But not in New England, they won't.
LeBron James' son Bronny could make more than $5 million, whether he's any good or not. HS QB Arch Manning (nephew of Peyton and Eli) could be worth about $2 million, so sez On3.
But not every high schooler can participate in NIL. Opendorse reports some states are giving it the 'thumbs up,' but Rhode Island and the RI Interscholastic League have no law or regulation to govern such decisions – therefore it is currently prohibited.
Same deal in Massachusetts and the MIAA. In Connecticut, the CIAC has a law to follow on the books but says it doesn't apply to HS athletes. Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont do not have governing laws on their books.
Sorry, kids. Back to Dunkin' for you.
- My buddy "Big E" sez he was shopping for ammo to get in a little target practice. At the checkout counter, the cashier shouted at him, "strip down! Facing me!" Realizing much of the anti-gun sentiment that exists these days, he complied.
When the shrieking stopped, he realized she was talking about his credit card strip. He told me he thought he looked pretty good for an old guy.
- Football is over. It's been over for a few weeks around here, but damn. The finality of it all hits you like a cold paddle to the rear end.
Got USFL?
Not for nuthin', but the spring league will play ALL regular season games in Birmingham, AL then move to Canton, OH to play their playoffs and championship game. Cost cutting, sure…but smaht-thinking, that last move.
- Patriot moves? For the Pats and everyone else, the scouting combine kicks-off the 'off-season' beginning March 1. Free agency and the legal 'tampering' period – which is one of the dumbest things going in football – present themselves two weeks later.
"Legal" tampering? If it's tampering, it's not legal. If it's legal, it's not tampering. So, what is it?
Stupid is as stup…oh, you know the drill.
By my count, there are (at least) 14 players on this past season's roster heading into unrestricted free agency. Who is needed, and/or worthy, of returning?
I'll take Ja'Whaun Bentley, Trent Brown, Nick Folk, JC Jackson, Ted Karras, Devin McCourty (yes, one more round), James White and Matthew Slater. Finances notwithstanding.
I'mma takin' a pass, however, on Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins…and keeping Brandon Bolden and Brian Hoyer on my speed dial just in case we need binkies for White and Mac Jones.
As for draft needs – it's early. But yes please, let's have a draft. Oh, and I'll go with LB, WR, DB and DL as primary areas of New England attention.
The pages just keep on turning…Matt Groh led the Patriots in their collegiate scouting department, last year as their director of college scouting. Now, he's the Director of Player Personnel, replacing Dave Ziegler.
It's the way the Patriots conduct their bidness – wherever possible and whenever possible, promote from within. But in terms of last years' college scouting bounty – you'd have to say Matt and his crew did well in pegging Christian Barmore and Rhamondre Stevenson.
Groh is from Hingham, MA and is a one-time QB at Princeton. He also has some Patriots history in his family, as the son of one-time Patriots' assistant coach Al Groh.
- Does Bill O'Brien return in some way, shape or form? And what about Brian Flores? Don't scoff at either one.
The Globe's Chad Finn beat me to the punch on it this week – so kudos to his thought process – but with the brain drain of this coaching staff through the recent departures, bringing one or BOTH of those guys on board would be a stroke of genius.
Not to mention great PR. Could you imagine 2, 3, or 4 former NFL head coaches on the same staff? Revitalizing and rehabbing their own careers? It could happen. And potentially be a real shot of fertilizer for the BB coaching tree.
- ICYWW…this year's Super Bowl delivered a total audience of 112.3 million viewers across all platforms…which makes it the most-watched TV program since the Patriots' win over the Falcons in 2017.
One more nugget for you – Buffalo (47.6 rating) was the highest-rated local market to watch the Super Bowl, and they didn't have a horse in the race. Boston ranked 11th (42.6 rating) and Providence ranked 16th with a 41.1 – better than NFL team markets Indianapolis, Charlotte, Minneapolis, Dallas-Fort Worth, Baltimore, and Tampa.
I know, we're part of the Patriots' market. Duh. But Providence is a (much) smaller city than the municipalities mentioned above. Thought that was significant.
- Is it just me, or do the LA Rams still seem like the second or third best team in the NFL even though they won? Not dominant. But they had the most (healthy) toys at the end.
- Remember last week we mentioned an upcoming game in Germany for the Patriots at some point over the next few years? Don't be shocked if the 2026 Super Bowl game gets played in London. That's the next one up for discussion.
Why all the fuss over the halftime performances? Did anyone really believe Dre, Snoop, Eminem and company would be anything else other than what made them who they are? C'mon, man.
Some loved it. Others hated it. Me? Meh.
I'm into football and the food at halftime, that's about it. Give me dips or give me death.
And the TV ads? Gotta give it up for Coinbase, the crypto company that did nothing but show a QR code bouncing on the screen like a 1980's Atari "Pong" video game screensaver. 20 million viewers hit that code, and crashed their site, too.
Think the $7 million rate for a 30 second spot (Coinbase's ran 60 seconds) was worth it? Damn skippy it was.
- Speaking of big bucks…TB12's afterlife to football is all set, thank you very much. He's reportedly earned $293 million in his career for football…and his production company "Religion of Sports" is looking to raise $50 million in capital, making it worth around $100 million.
Wanna bet he'll get it? His other production company, "199 Productions," has a wide range of projects that also reach outside the sports world.
Haven't even mentioned TB12 Sports. If he really decides he needs football again, with all he has going on after his retirement…let's just make him King of the World and get it over with.
- As long as we're talking about NFL owners who should be forced to sell their teams – looking right at you Stephen Ross (Miami) and Daniel Snyder (Washington) – let's make sure we throw Jerry Jones into the pile for consideration.
Dallas just settled a cheerleader voyeurism case for $2.4 million, against a team exec accused of filming cheerleaders as they undressed at AT&T Stadium. Yeah, good culture there for sure.
But those NFL owners, you know…thicker than thieves.
- Just when they get things rolling, the Celtics stop at the Alll-sSar break. Not a fan of Tatum and Brown together and still believe this is a tandem that will split – but for now, give 'em credit where it's due…despite the Wednesday hiccup against Detroit.
Big for the C's – not settling for jump shots. Kinda like what we saw Villanova do so well the other night in the Dunk…they get into the paint for easier shots or create free throw opportunities.
Winning 15 of your last 20 games overall should grab some attention. And in an Eastern Conference devoid of a powerhouse (Heat? Bulls? Please.) even Brad Stevens' cost-cutting measures look like they could be building toward something worthwhile.
- Still got game? NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady is launching Ones Basketball Association – a nationwide one-on-one basketball league. They'll hold a seven-city tournament with a chance to win $250K in the finals in (where else?) Las Vegas this summer.
- Congrats to PC assistant women's hockey coach Alison Domenico – an assistant with the Canadian women's Olympic team. Even if they did beat the USA for the gold medal.
Guess I'm like a bunch of us – haven't gotten into the Olympics. Forget the politics of it all…no, we shouldn't be there in the first place. But because it seems like the summer games from Tokyo just ended a month ago…I'm over-stimulated by this Olympic spirit.
And the Russian teenage figure skating doping story. I mean, 15-year-olds' doping? Her grandfathers' medicine? C'mon, man. I'm insulted because the Russians think we'll fall for that.
Walks like a duck, talks like a duck…it's a duck. Or maybe a Russian 'Olympic' athlete.
Seriously though. The real victim here is a 15-year-old girl, Kamila Valieva. Think about that for a second. Where in the world have Russian morals gone when they victimize a young, star athlete in a vain effort to prove international superiority?
- Baseball can't get out of its own way right now. They want to eliminate jobs? In their latest CBA proposal to the players, the league wants to cut out about 800 minor league players' positions. What in the world would they offer up to compensate for that?
This is after MLB slashed 42 minor league teams a year ago and hundreds of player (and non-player) jobs as a part of system reorganization. You may want to take cover, baseball fans. This spring is still nuclear winter for the sport.
After Covid crushed the sport in the summer of 2020, the longer this spring takes to get going? MLB won't have any issue with cutting minor leaguers…their teams may be out of business. Just sayin'.
- And just when we're getting ready to swing ourselves – 'cuz it feels like golf weather's comin' – comes news that the new "Super Golf League" has reportedly lured up to 17 players from the PGA Tour to jump ship and begin playing in June.
Including some big names. Investors are willing to pay up to $2 billion to draw the top players. Hey, I'll listen for only a small slice of that. Emphasis on the slice.
Interested in having your questions on local Rhode Island sports (and yes, that includes the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? It's your chance to "think out loud," so send your questions, comments and local stories to jrbroadcaster@gmail.com. We'll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Would appreciate the follow on Twitter, @JRbroadcaster…and join in on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke.
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