PUB WISDOM
Tiger Who?Marry Me, Mixu
Mixu's Hibs: Double the drama.
A week ago, I would’ve probably stuck him with a shiv if I saw him in the street. Today, I’d french kiss him and ask for his hand in marriage, so freely does my adoration flow… I’m talking about my main man Mixu Paatelainen, Hibernian manager and restorer of balance in the universe.
With Rangers just clear of the East Enders after their recent Old Firm win, Mixu’s men held the Light Blues to a 1-1 draw, allowing Celtic to retake tops in the SPL table and delivering a crushing blow to Gers fans who remember last season’s stinging goal-differential disappointment. But just when it seemed all was lost, Mixu’s Hibs flipt da script again, holding the other half of the Old Firm to a goal-less draw on the following matchday, thus catapulting Rangers tidily into the lead once more with one game to go.
And a stern test it will be at Tannadice as Levein’s Dundee United side has had pretty impressive form of late and will itself be stinging after three-nil humiliation at Tynecastle. But Rangers’ form has been tight of late as well, so it should be a fun one.
The Hoops will also have their hands full with visiting Hearts looking to make a statement on the last day of their impressive campaign.
Four in a row? Hell no!
No Keeping Up with this Keeper
Score one -- or ten -- for the keeper.
Missed this gem in the fall, but just found it doing some digging in light of recent events involving current Rangers and former Scotland keeper Allan “The Playa” McGregor. This article spotlight’s one of McGregor’s love interests — one of at least 10 women with whom young Allan was romantically entangled during the previous year – promoting a tell-all sexploitation interview. Wonder if that’s aired yet, and how it went over…
Nice to see opinions softening about the Loch Lomond Liquor Lockdown in general. What a mess.
No Longer Funny
Looks like Ferguson and McGregor are the ones in hot water now after antics from the bench against Iceland. Here’s the story. Banned from the side forever. Bad. Sad.
Shocking Development: Scottish Footballers Get Drunk
Fancy a dram, Georgie?
In what passes as news only in a Eugene Ionesco book, it’s been uncovered that Scotland skipper Barry Ferguson and keeper Allan McGregor — both Rangers regulars — posted up in the hotel bar into the wee hours after returning to the team’s Loch Lomand hotel following Scotland’s three-nil loss to Holland on the weekend.
What would actually be shocking is if the Scottish side wasn’t drowning its sorrows after that devastating blow. It’s shocking the entire team wasn’t in there. Apparently, George “Short Timer” Burley caught Ferguson and McGregor in the bar area well after curfew and blew a fuse. A heated argument ensued. The fallout resulted in the pair riding the pine during Scotland’s 2-1 win over Iceland.
It’s water under the bridge at this point, allegedly, and what appeared to be official perturbance over Burley’s handling of it was quickly smoothed but one can’t help wonder how much longer Burley will have the helm. It’s been a tumultuous tenure for Burley, with unfortunate injuries woes, defecting players and more, which makes it hard to make sense of whether he’s getting a fair shake or not. In the end, it’s all about the result, and on that note it has been an underwhelming picture.
Time will tell but I think they’ll can his ass as soon as this World Cup campaign is over if not much, much sooner.
UCR Baseball Team Knocking On the Door of the Top 25
The helpful folks in the sports information department have put together this useful little roundup of just how much the UCR baseball team is turning heads nationally.
With quality wins over UCLA, Cal, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State, among others, the Highlanders are now in the conversation on many of the polls and rankings. Take a look here.
Akognon Dismantles the Big West’s Best Defense
Akognon: NBA bound?
The real John Akognon showed up in Anaheim for this one, and he was wearing his superman underoos, pouring in a tournament-record 37, including nine 3s. The chants of “You can’t guard him” were spot on. No one could, methinks.
At one point, with less than five minutes left and before Bob Burton subbed out his starters, the score was Josh Akognon 37, UC Riverside 35. Yikes.
Javon Borum having to serve a one-game suspension after punking someone in the Cal Poly likely made a big impact — not on Josh Akognon’s ability to score, but on the Highlanders’s own scoring. With him out, and Jalonni Diggs gimpy, Wooldridge came out with a very unordodox lineup. The Highlanders’s offense didn’t show up, save for 17 from Brandon Dowdy in the first half.
Despite the loss, this season has been one to celebrate for Rivi. Big props to the program. Truly an impressive campaign. And the Highlanders return all but two players next season…
Learn to Dance in Four Easy Steps
Take control of the rock, Kyle.
Okay, so it won’t be easy. On the contrary, it will likely be the toughest potential four-game stretch of the season. And it will be even tougher with starting point guard and No. 2 scorer Javon Borum sidelined with a one-game suspension for shoving a Cal Poly player in the regular-season finale.
But the Highlanders, who have gone 8-8 in conference play, have proven they can win in this league. They took a game off their first-round opponent, Cal State Fullerton (7-9 in the Big West). However, with the NCAA bid on the line in what is essentially a home game for the Titans, UC Riverside will have to find a way to raise its game in order to compete. The Highlanders’ defense, tops in the Big West, will have to play to form and the offense needs to come alive.
Still no word as to whether senior leader Aaron Scott will play. That would be a huge lift with Borum on the bench. And Pub Wisdom reckons time is nigh for a 30+ performance from Kyle Austin and also feels potential breakout performances from Brandon Dowdy, Rudy Meo, or Jalonni Diggs (if he’s healthy).
Essentially, only one of their best games of the season will see them through to the quarterfinals. Then they’ll have to do it again. And again and again. Consistency has been elusive, despite the program’s watershed year. Now would be a serendipitous time to acquire some.
Pub Wisdom sees a game much closer than last year’s second-round rout by the Titans over the Highlanders, who will contain the Josh Akognon show to provide some first-round fireworks.
Pub Wisdom Predicts: UCR 69, CSUF 65
Tritons Not Good Sharers
Hells yeah.
What can they say, they don’t like to share. And who can blame them?
The San Clemente High girls’ soccer team brought the CIF-Southern Section hardware back to Thalassa Stadium for the third year in a row. But instead of having to share the title, as the Tritons did last year, it’s theirs alone with a decisive 2-0 win over Los Alamitos over the weekend. Shelby Chambers-Garcia and Frannie Coxe provided the goals.
Last night, San Clemente blanked Chatsworth 2-0 in the SoCal Regionals to set up a rematch with Los Al, which took down Torrey Pines. In the one-sided home game against Chatsworth, Lauren Fryer put the Tritons ahead just two minutes into the match, and Alexis Mahoney backed it with second goal later in the half.
Despite the scoring spree, the clean sheets on the other side are even more impressive. The defense has been downright stifling.
Misery may love company, but dynasties don’t usually share the spotlight with anyone. Keep rollin’.
Locked and re-loaded for Los Al.
King’s Reign Begins as Wolves Topple No. 1 Monarchs
King's Tony Snell and Mater Dei spectator.
And when I say No. 1, I don’t mean in the Trinity League, the OC Register’s hinky polls, all of CIF Southern Section or even No. 1 in the Golden State. The Riverside Martin Luther King Wolves straight prowled on Mater Dei, undefeated and No. 1 from sea to fuggin sea.
And they didn’t steal it at the buzzer or otherwise fluke into it. Twas a straight-up double-digit mauling, the Wolf Pack leaving no questions unanswered in the 71-56 win at the Honda Center.
I like the LA Times coverage better than the Press Enterprise story. You be the judge. And if you were there, chime in on the comments with a first-hand account.
The Wolves went on a 15-0 run deep in the third — 15-0 against the best team in the nation? — and never looked back. Tony Snell and Taylor Cunningham led the Wolves with 16 points each, and Kawhi Leonard had a solid overall game with 11 points, 20 boards (yes, 20), and six blocks.
Much RESPECT to the Wolves, who are following up last’s years fairytale run with a filthy sequel. May the run continue…
Congrats, Dietzer!
Talk of Rangers Demise A Wee Bit Premature
It wasn’t long ago that Caley Thistle had lost eight straight matches and was destined to relagation. More recently, the Highlanders have lost only one in their last seven. Their latest coup, a one-nil victory over Rangers at Ibrox on Wednesday is a potentially mortal blow to Rangers’ title hopes that also sees Inverness off the bottom of the table, pushing Falkirk into the relegation spot. Whatever new gaffer and former Ranger Terry Butcher is doing – it’s working, mate.
Crying now, laughing later.
And none are happier than the Hoops, once again alone at the top of the table after Rangers’ stumble put them three points clear. After getting their asses handed to them more often than not
over the past several weeks, the Bhoys were no doubt stressed to see Rangers pull even on points and ahead on goal differential recently.
Pub Wisdom urges patience in these exciting times, lest anyone gets too hasty in writing off the Light Blues. A quick check of the remaining fixtures before the split reveals stern tests for Celtic against Dundee United, Hamilton, Hearts and Aberdeen along with only one walk-over against Falkirk. Rangers’ road over that stretch is decidedly friendlier with the hardest test against Hearts, with Hibs, ‘Well, and bottom-feeders Falkirk rounding out the fixtures. Much football to be played, ya?
Pub Wisdom wagers there are a few plot twists yet to unfurl this season. Only time will tell if the sloppy play against Butcher’s born-again Highlanders will prove to be the point at which this season’s valiant campaign crashed on the rocks.
