Saturday, May 9, 2009

Friday, March 13, 2009

The Ultimate Truth - Serving up some fried Rice at the ACCs!

AHHH it is tournament time!

The Grande Dame of Conference Tournament Time, the ACC Tournament, is on, and what a barnburner the whole damn thing has turned out to be so far! SUCH close games, such close wins! And the last on tap? Our beloved Duke Blue Devils, looking to prove something now that March is here, versus the ever-classy Boston College Eagles!

* Ouch, those two early HURT. Time for the rest to step up.

* Hm, that camera angle they went to about three minutes in, from behind the arc... very XBox 360, The Ultimate Lord approves!

* Nolan drawing that foul early and being fine for the contact was a tiny relief to see.

* Scheyer and the 3 HAVE become more and more important to Duke as the year has gone on, and this is something that both The Ultimate Lord and His Fellow Tent #1ers have lamented, as it seemed we were not living and dying by the 3 as much in the first half of the year.

* That Thomas put-back was NOT in the cylinder... not even close. Shut your gigantor pie hole, Len.

* Funny when they say there are not a lot of scorers out there for Duke because Singler and Scheyer are the only primary options on the court... uh... that is 2/3s of our options!

* DAMN look at all the press behind the game crew! Rows and rows! Awesome... now it is really feeling like March!

* Eat a pound of chocolate? WTF are you guys even talking about...

* Hm, that one from-beyond-the-arc shot of Jon Scheyer really shows how tricky he is... when he finishes his dribble he swivels on his pivot foot every single time at least twice, checking to see if he can draw his defender into the air or swing under his defenders arm for a good look. Only if this is not an option does Jon pass it. Very, very tricky because he ALWAYS does this end-of-dribble check.

* Man, the refs look like they got a little gun shy with Gerald after those two QUICK first fouls. Some physical play.

* Woof Reggie Jackson looked like he was sporting a dislocated shoulder more than a hurt elbow.

* Hm, that BC player threw a bit of an elbow into Nolan's chops under the basket after Nolan fouled that BC player. Anyone else catch that on that single replay from above?

* 105,000 fans and only 6,500 dogs sold?! Where the fuck is Takeru Kobayashi when you need him?

* In four years (if he lasts that long) could Singler be up there with a guy like Shane? The scoring, the amazing rebounding, and the really phenomenal defense and blocking... could we have that discussion?

* Email is a great rebounded but he still has a habit of playing too fast and not within himself when he has the ball.

* Jesus Rice just smoked Singler at the end of the half... and did Rice turn to the audience and say "I'm black and I'm proud!" twice, or was it The Ultimate Lord's imagination? Those of you with DVR, give it a look.

* HOLY dunk Gerald. That is it; Gerald is Duke's best ever dunker. The ULTIMATE Dunker.

* That Biko Paris, the Eagle with the headband, has got a MONSTEROUS forehead. Apply directly to forehead! Apply directly to forehead! Apply directly to forehead!

* Singler has such an aggressive nose for the ball, much like Scheyer... they never give up on it, and often come up with it in scrambles or when other guys have given up on it.

* Glad to see Singler get the block on Ty's second attempt. Screw you, Ty.

* You know... The Ultimate Lord is sick of guys named Ty.

* Damn, but The Ultimate Lord is MUCH more sick of guys named Marshall and Dudley. What jackasses those two were.

* Love Singler's little duck-back inside move to draw contact. Hasn't been real successful yet, but still...

* AHHH welcome back Nolan, with a 3! Now Elliot... don't ever shoot a 3 again.

* Could Jon really blow up into a First Team All American type next year?

* Wow, in that Coach Cam... does Al Skinner have a strange feed bag/chewing the cud mouth tic or what? It looks like that trick they use in the movies where they give a horse an apple to chew so it looks like he is talking.

* Would LOVE to hear what was said on the BC bench and around it on that wierd non-time-out-whistle. Everyone looked amused.

* Kyle really keeps the ball up well. Too bad he couldn't teach that to Zoubs.

* If K sitting more and more often as the years go by, or is it just The Ultimate Lord's imagination?

* Is The Ultimate Lord the only one who is a bit sorry that Greg has not had a chance to/has not contributed more at the end here?

* The announcers crying for a foul on McClure for that block?! Oh that is just a load of bull.

* Wow... if Gerald had thrown down that one handed dunk attempt, that may have been the nastiest in Duke history.

* One would think that LESS food would be sold in close games as fans don't want to miss a minute of action, but at the same time, when you are tense sometimes you just want to keep chewing. Just ask Al Skinner.

* BEAUTIFUL D by Duke when those three players (McClure, Singler, and Scheyer?) rose up to defend that BC drive... hands up and out, bodies straight up and down, a block and no foul!

* Weird seeing so much Duke blue, Carolina blue, and white all in one section... it makes it hard to figure out which side has the most fans watching.

* WTF was Mr. Ed talking to the alternate officials for? They looked very uncomfortable with it, like when you find yourself right next to the executive at the party who says, real loud, "Yeah I don't know, I just couldn't bring myself to vote for the black guy!" Nod your head and look for someone to come and rescue you.

* Lance was LOUD in the last few minutes.

* Ahhh THANK you Baby Jesus! A steal, and to JON, too! Now please don't let tonight's free throw wackiness on both sidARGGHGGHGHHH!!!! SERIOUSLY?!?!?

* Wow. What an ending.

* Interesting Rice/K moment at the end; you just saw it coming as the handshake line wound to a close... wonder what K said? Wonder if Rice gave a crap?

and finally....

* Great win. The Ultimate Lord wasn't done watching Duke ball this weekend quite yet.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Happy days at Johnny's... thank you, Steve

Happy days at Johnny's

A young couple was walking down Main Street arguing with each other. The young lady got frustrated with her boyfriend and just walked away from him and went into a restaurant. He wanted to make up with her so he went in there after her. He met her inside and they waited for someone to help them find a seat. They where greeted by a young lady who was very kind and friendly. The hostess found them a comfortable booth and told them to have a good time. As they were sitting, they heard a song by Elvis being played throughout the whole restaurant. The couple looked at each other and smiled because they both really liked that song. The restaurant that this couple went to is in Florida and is called Johnny Rockets, a restaurant that brings people happiness.

The restaurant Johnny Rockets is a unique place. The colors of the restaurant are red, white, and yellow. On the outside there are some tables for customers to eat at. On the inside, there is a long bar were you can sit and eat by yourself and even watch the cooks make the food. At each booth there is a juke box for you to put a nickel in and select a song. There is also a straw holder that the waiter or waitress opens for you to get a straw as if you were a five-old kid. It makes many people happy to be waited on so well because you don't always get that. In the article Goodwill Hunting it says "'See?' Udemba says triumphantly. ' The Panthers didn't exist until the 1990s. So you know it wasn't made before that.'". The article tells us how you can tell what the date of something is by looking for something distinctive like the Panther head. By looking at Johnny Rockets you can tell it is resembling the 40s and 50s by the juke boxes. Johnny Rockets is definitely at the top of my list when it comes to service.

One of the main reasons why I like eating here so much is because of the upbeat atmosphere. With the friendly service of the waiters and waitresses and the singing and dancing they sometimes do makes this place just as fun as hanging out with your friends. This is a great place because it is the only one of its kind. I have yet to eat in another place like it. This restaurant takes us back to the 40's and 50's and reminds us how much fun they had back then. Johnny Rockets is like a time machine, it takes us back in time to see what it was like in the past. When you eat there, you realize how much fun you could have had if you lived back then. I think for an older person it helps them to remember what great times they had when they were younger. All age groups go and eat at this restaurant because it brings out the happiness in everyone. By having a restaurant like this, I think it shows how we haven't forgotten about what has happened back in the 40's and 50's.

The first Johnny Rockets opened on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles on June 6, 1986. Ever since they have opened, they have been a big success. The only downfall of the restaurant is that you don't get much food. The burgers are not that big and you only get a small serving of fries. The burgers are about the size of McDonalds but the taste of Johnny Rockets is much better. One thing I do like is that you get a good amount of a chocolate shake if you order one. The prices at Johnny Rockets are a little high compared to a McDonalds or Burger King but are average compared to a Fridays or Applebee's. Like the movie Afluenza, people expect good service and good food from the big food chains, but once the get the service they are not satisfied. At Johnny Rockets your expectations are met. Although the amount of food you get is small and the price maybe above average, the taste of the food and the happiness the store brings you makes it worth it to go there.

I love the way the restaurant looks. The design and colors of the store are just as good as any others. I really like how they use a lot of chrome. I think the chrome makes things look good. Most of the restaurant is red and white which makes the restaurant feel lively. I think the restaurants good looks contributes to having a good time while you are there. One of the main reasons why I like Johnny Rockets is because of the oldies music they play. When I was younger, my mother would listen to oldies while I was in the car and I enjoyed listening to them then. So the only time I really get to hear oldies now is when I go to Johnny Rockets. It makes me happy to hear those great songs again. The other reasons that I like Johnny Rockets is because of the great tasting food, great service, and the dancing they do. All these reasons bring me happiness.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

The Ultimate Truth - Hokie Pokie THIS, Jimmy Dykes!

Hello, Ultimate Faithful!

On this March Eve, Duke traveled down (no Elliot Williams/Jon Scheyer jokes please) to Virginia Pyrotechnical Institute for a game with the Virginia Tech Hokies and their extremely angry coach for BIG ACC game... would Tech pull off an important win, or would Duke continue playing strong after a mid-season letdown? Well, settle down with your favorite drink and allow The Ultimate Lord to wow you with...

...The Ultimate Truths!!

* Uh, okay, that VT cheerleader had HUGE boobs. Is that a terrible way to start The Truths?

* Did anyone else see that ad courtside and immediately think "Sexchange? Huh?!"

* Dykes takes the game REALLY personal. Frustrated? Really? As an announcer? Let's not get carried away, James.

* Gerald didn't woof all *that* much on that tech... it seemed it was just the look. However, his emotions have been a bit more obvious recently, both in post-dunk celebrations (he has come down excited a few times recently) and in yawping at the refs. He should pay heed.

* Really nice to see Jon on track (and as a PG at that!) Everyone knew he would come around, given how damn smart he is. Seriously, when the ball is in Jon's hands The Ultimate Lord has no concern at all.

* Every productive minute for Brian is a positive. And he did get a productive minute this game!

* Great batted-in-tip by Dave McClure!

* The low angle shot of Delaney and Jon really helps one appreciate how much bigger Jon is than many of the PGs he is facing.

* Kind of B.S. about Gerald not being able to beat you with the 3, although The Ultimate Lord understands the point.

* Poor Gilbert the English tutor.

* Nolan with the ear plugs? Heh, was that Jon teasing him about pulling them out?

* Speaking of Nolan... could this in some weird way actually be a positive for him? It forces him away from playing for a few games and away from the frustrations he has had of late, and gives him an emotional "break," which he can come back from as if starting from scratch.

* Brian loves the spin to the baseline. He doesn't suck at it, but unfortunately he doesn't get to use it often (and sometimes when he does gets called for hooking.)

* Hm, rather enjoyed the "blind resume" bit, although it really didn't pay off; expected the team with the better "blind" resume to be Coppin State or something "unexpected." Instead, it just sort of went according to expectations.

* Elliot still makes The Ultimate Lord cringe just a touch when he is handling the ball. Sure he can drive, but at times Elliot still looks a touch out of control.

* Heh... "For those of you who read lips..." Yeah, Seth doesn't hold back.

* You know, for all the folks talking about Duke getting outrebounded... The Ultimate Lord can't help but feel some of this is just residual from the last few years, because Duke is not rebounding that badly this year.

* "Hope that's on ESPN!" Love to see a crack in the corporate armor... and loved the follow up:)

* Geralds dunk at the break near the end of the half was very understated... a little "comment" on the tech?

* Great catch by Lance for the slam... ordinarily (and especially in the years before this one) those go off his hands.

* J.T. Thompson has a LOT of lip. The Ultimate Lord almost wants to send in a quarter towards the guys cleft lip surgery.

* B.S. call on that foul on Email when defending that Delaney drive. You could tell by Elliot's expression that he knew it, too.

* Speaking of Email, glad to see him hit a few threes, and get away from that nervously wild shot he sometimes took earlier in the year.

* Holy christ Jimmy, enough with the damn hokie pokie!

* The Ultimate Lord is enjoying the two-coach reaction split screen shot actually. For once a gimmick actually improves the viewing experience!

* WHOA! WTF is with the game announcers doing a demonstration with the damn game ball!?!? Where on EARTH did that come from!? Seriously?! BTW, anyone else want Nessler to take Dykes to the hole and slam it home a la cheesy "The Naked Gun" special effect?

* Wow what a cheap *** elbow on Singler. Inadvertant or not? Are you kidding? The guy looked at Singler and then threw an elbow in his face. The Ultimate Lord really doesn't buy that the guy was just trying to box out.

* That Pacific Life ad SUCKS. The combo of whales and stupid music... and someone got paid to come up with that. Holy crap.

* "Outstanding by VT!" Argh... is Brad back?! Ah nope, wasn't said with a good ol'boy accent.

* 22% shot and he'll miss it one out of five times? Hey, give The Ultimate Lord a 22% shot all day long!

* Angel Daniel Vassallo? Awesome. He sounds like a gangbanger.

* Hm, you ARE a hokie, and The Ultimate Lord would be happy to kiss you!

* Damn those are some TOUGH close losses by Tech. Too bad Duke is about to hang another one on you, Seth.

* Great cut by Kyle at the end there.

* The Ultimate Lord doesn't understand the guy on the bench yukking it up when his team is down a few points with under a minute to go. Who gives a crap if you have a cold, get your goddamn head into the situation.

* Love Virginia Tech's hot whiteboard carrier there. Why, hellooooo there!

* ARGH that Scheyer walk video will be everywhere now, on the Heels of the Elliot walk video. Do announcers pull this "call them out" crap with other teams, or is it just us?

* 9th best free throw shooter in ACC history? Not bad for Jon.

* Heh, speaking of Jon, he is REALLY enjoying teasing Nolan about those earplugs.

And finally...

* Congrats to the Future Frankels, as a former Tent #1er celebrates a Duke win by getting engaged to a smart girl with big boobs!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Some few select Ultimate Truths

Hello all!

First off, allow The Ultimate Lord to rain His blessings and good wishes down upon all of the Flock. It has been Some Time since He spoke the Truth... to be honest, as things had been difficult recently, and the shadows had been dark, even His Gracious Heart had taken a beating, and the Truth became harder to come by. Plus, there were a lot of late games, and His bedtime is really like 11:00. Once it gets past 11:00, The Truths are usually snored into a very comfortable pillow.

Having said that... given the win against The Saint John's Redmen Johnnies Red Storm, The Ultimate Lord thought He would once again share... some limited Ultimate Truths!


* Love Bob Knight. Between his sharp insights, acidic wit, and fantastic stories (the Cosell one was funny, interesting, and poignant all at once) he is just the best on TV. However... could he have called us "The Dukes" any more often?

* Anyone notice on that Singler drive about 2:20 into the second... as Email came over into the post, not only did Singler wave him off, but Paulus on the bench also waved him off?

* Very nice to see Elliot and Miles get some minutes. The Ultimate Lord has definitely been in the "Give the young guys minutes" camp, and while He realizes some of it was because Dave was unavailable, He still think these minutes, regardless of the stats (good for Elliot, not as superb for Miles) will go a LONG way towards forging a stronger team in the future.

* Speaking of Elliot, it was very refreshing to see him out there early, make two quick blunders, and not get yanked. There is something to be said for allowing a young guy to get his mistakes in and still grow. In The Ultimate Lord's own years in D1 sports and the pros, He has seen a lot of young guys who get the time grow past early fumbles and become important contributors; hope that Elliot is moving that way because he can bring a lot to the table for our team.

* Speaking of Miles, despite his stats being underwhelming, it was nice to see some of his leaping ability, particularly on a block near the end where he went up for the fake, came back down, and got back up in time to block the shot.

* Loved seeing Jon at the point. Very funny timing, too; just earlier today around lunch The Ultimate Lord was talking with a fellow former Tent #1 guy discussing next year, and The Ultimate Lord put forward the idea that Jon would take the primary point responsibilities while they moved Nolan more over to the 2. Who knew it would actually be a discussion about THIS year? Jon is just so smart with the ball, it actually seems like a no-brainer to put it in his hands. Plus his length and D are fantastic.

* Speaking of Jon, he and Gerald have a great connection out there. They look to each other a lot, both in play and after the whistle. Maybe a bit of a roommate connection, maybe a bit more. They really seem to enjoy each other.

* Speaking of Gerald; glad to hear someone else mention his carping to the refs on a missed call. He has a small tendency to do that that The Ultimate Lord has noticed previously; he really should ditch it. It hasn't really hurt us yet, but mentally it is just a flaw.

* Brian seems to be pretty deep in the bench, and unfortunately didn't show a lot of cause to get higher up. Wish he would just stay between his man and the basket and get those hands in the air.

* Loved seeing Chris Duhon in the house! And speaking of Chris and the house, his crib as featured on Blue Planet was pretty understated. Guess a lot of these guys don't spend a lot of time home and so don't get it too lavish... and anyway, he is young, he has time

* That movie with Nick Cage and the end of the world is only PG-13? Maybe The Ultimate Lord is just a post 9/11 softie, but even the commercials seemed R to me.

* Some very chippy play tonight; a lot of woofing. Kyle really got CREAMED on that one screen down low.

* Anyone else notice the girl behind the announcers in the first half. She was so happy to be on TV but trying SO hard not to make it obvious. She was a bit different than that kid a few games back who kept ducking his head into the shot while his dad kept pulling him back up and scolding him!

* Lance has become a lot more vocal... nice to see that. Heck of a dunk there too... and that pass from his tush; wowzers!

* Maybe the rest of this year will be a bit more enjoyable now that some of us have more realistic expectations, rather than over-the-moon type stuff? Those first-half streaks that Duke has gone on the last few years always gets hopes SO high that it becomes more difficult to enjoy what is accomplished... maybe this year we all can just enjoy it for what it is?

* Lastly, The Ultimate Lord liked that we seemed a lot more patient on offense, looked to drive more, and stopped chucking up 3s. We had seemed to settle into a lazy offense during our recent slump, an offense that has made some Duke fans cringe over the years, where we simply toss up 3s. This team seems to feature a lot of good 3 point shooters, but the reality is we are not as good as we seem (or even COULD be) so it was nice to see us move away from that and try to score in a bit more of an old fashioned manner.

Anyway... fellow Duke fans, it is a delight to be back among you, sharing The Truth for all to hear!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

The Ultimate Truth - Wahoooo!

* Oh Josh McRoberts... remember that McDonald's All-American game with Greg Paulus, when the two of you looked like a Title Delivery System? Now The Ultimate Lord just cringes when He sees you.

* "Life begins at 40oz," by the whowhat Freemasons? THAT is the intro music video for a Duke game? Ugh, never thought The Ultimate Lord would say this, but bring back Opera Steve. DUUUUUUUKKE!

* Will Ferrell MUST play the G-Man in the movie.

* That WAS a sick reverse dunk by G at Wake. Very VinceCarteresque.

* Jenn Hildreth has a LOT of mouth.

* Western Kentucky Hilltoppers? Uhhh... is this an inside joke that The Ultimate Lord isn't getting?

* Yes, G-Man! We DON'T give a crap about the Superbowl if there is a Duke game! Thank god someone said it.

* UVa is a YOUNG bunch of Wahoos.

* Great aggressive move by Lance early on. Why can't he ever do that consistently?

* So glad to see Gerald's midrange back in his arsenal; to paraphrase the film Troy, "Gerald, it (the midrange jumper) is yours, take it!"

* Been waiting for a Troy joke ALL DAMNED YEAR.

* Speaking of Gerald, he does have to be a tiny bit careful about harping to the refs after he thinks he is fouled; that has happened a few times, and while it only takes a second, it isn't a great habit.

* That felt like Nolan's first drive to the hoop in a few games. Really nice to see him be more aggressive this game.

* 3:40 in and we get us some Email? Nice! Now where is Miles?

* This Golden Corral "Wrap all our meat in bacon!" thing is righteous. Man, The Ultimate Lord misses the G.C.!

* Real nice block from behind by Kyle on that play where Dave drew the charge; you could see Kyle running down the entire length of the court judging the UVa player speed and momentum and planning, planning...

* Being consistent is SUCH a huge key to being great in ANY sport, and is really one of the hardest things to achieve as an athlete.

* Man Zoubs is so soft. A 7'1 guy should be able to dunk, should not get blocked by guards, and should not try to tip so many damn rebounds. Playing like that should get you on the zench.

* Interesting G-Hill/reluctant star comparison by the G-Man.

* Lots of "G"s in these Truths.

* Cute little blond kid behind the UVa bench in among all those mountain children.

* David McClure must be SO underappreciated by non-Duke fans.

* That UVa flop on the 3 attempt was one of the worst The Ultimate Lord has ever seen.

* Everyone knew that Greg's 3 point percentage last year was an anomaly and wasn't likely to stay that high. This feels more like Greg's realistic level.

* Pizza Hut lasagna? *In a terrible Italian accent* Nooooooo!

* That balding blond 20 year old Crazy is NOT helping out our Dork image. But since he might invent the cure for cancer, it is okay. No pressure or anything, baldy.

* David really does have such an awkward push shot. Having said that, The Ultimate Lord would like to see him shoot just a little more often.

* Heh... "Must have been Virginia fans." Zing, G-Man.

* Wow... even The Ultimate Wife, who doesn't watch anything sports unless there is a birth involved, commented on the Pizza Hut Leading Scorer and asked, in a most dismissive tone, "God, isn't there ANYTHING that isn't sponsored anymore?" No, my dear, there is not. Now go back to "John and Kate Plus 8."

* Is the crowd mic turned down, or are the Crazies a bit quiet today?

* Kyle and Laettner? Uh... as the G-Man said much more nicely, win a few titles and then we'll talk.

* Speaking of 20 point games by a frosh; wonder where Dukies fall in this? The Ultimate Lord would guess "not often," given that K traditionally goes with older guys.

* Man, that Wahoo got that cramp and took that long walk back for help, and NO one on that bench gave a CRAP.

* When did Zoubek start hesitating again? The Ultimate Lord thought he got that out of his system this year.

* Dave Leito's overjoyed look is not quite Gary Williams overjoyed look...
No, Dave's eyes are a lot less clouded-over. Oh, and there is less gnawed chicken wing and college-age titties involved.

* BTW, the G-Man is a funny guy.

* Zoubs seems to have a bit more fire in the second. Still shouldn't be guarding guys at the damn half-court line...

* TERRIBLE push call on Plumlee. TERRIBLE.

* Hm, Miles with a real strong finish in close; stronger than anything Zoubek has done in his career, for sure.

* Plumlee with the alley-oop from Email! Frosh powers activate! Form of... a tall athletic white boy dunking! Shape of... a bucket of water?

* And with that, three Miles Truths in a row. Sweetness. Get that man more playing time!

* UVa has some GREAT names... Farrakhan and and Soroya and Tunji and Zeglinski and Assane Sene and Solomon Tat. Sounds like an African team of superheros... with one guest-star from Europe.

* BTW, of those guys, which is most likely, by name, to play for Duke? One guess.

* FINALLY Email hits a 3. 16%?!?!?!? Well, that is maybe less accurate than Greg's 43%.

* And Greg is at the end of the handshake line again. Love that... last face you see at Duke, is Greg Paulus's mug.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

The Ultimate Truth - Everyone fears a turtlehead...

Hello all, and welcome back to The Ultimate Truths!

Our non-rival but still despised little cousins are coming to town today, and with them comes Sweaty Gary and the second most irritating Venezuelan in the world. To be fair, The Ultimate Lord almost feels a warmness in His Magnaminous Heart for these guys at this point, as it is more fun to hate someone when they really deserve it. Now, having said that... let's crush these morons and send them back to their whining, rioting College Park "fans" post haste!

* Every Gary Williams echoes his drive and intensity... and his love of chicken wings, beer, and teenage girls!

* Elmore stealing Brad's "Outstanding!" line!

* Great first basket by Zoubek... and Singler should eat that little guy guarding him for lunch!

* Oh, wonderful block-with-no-foul by Zoubs on that guard! Two steps forward, big man!

* Love seeing Jon firing away to start; the only way to break out of a slump is to fire, fire some more! And he is hitting them too, early.

* Annnnnnnnddd... cue Gary screaming at his bench.

* K really yelled at them to slow it down there.

* Hm, Waner looking cute. But "More stronger?" Really? Oh well, it isn't as easy as it looks.

* Anyone catch that Stringer Bell is going to join the cast of The Office as Michael's nemesis?

* Kyle is one of our best rebounds, especially offensive, that we've had in a while.

* Nice cheers for Paulus as he comes in. The Ultimate Lord thinks that the Crazies embracing of Greg and support for him this year has been one of the great all-time Crazies/Player stories at Duke... and is remarkably different than the way, say, Maryland fans treat some of their guys.

* Really Hasheem? Smack talking Tyler? While The Ultimate Lord appreciates it, He-of-the-Constantly-Shocked-Look would eat you for breakfast.

* "I wouldn't want to be yanking on Hansborough?" Methinks thou doth protest too much, Mike.

* Interesting to see Neil flop on Zoubek's move to try to take advantage of the big guy tending to get called. Nice to see the refs not falling for it.

* Didn't Lance play a little away from the basket in high school?

* First three on the season? The Ultimate Lord thinks Mike is still daydreaming of yanking Tyler.

* Ahhhh... sorry that Greg didn't hook up with G on that alley-oop.

* "A verbose young man." Yeah that is one word for it.

* Gerald is so good at driving and then bringing the ball up from an awkward position and getting a shot off when he is off-balance and has guys hanging on him.

* Wow... Latta signed the bench with a sharpie? She had a lot of balls for a chick... and The Ultimate Lord is not totally sure that is hot. Then again, He isn't sure Ivory was that hot either.

* The in-Crazy camera blows; the Crazies look at their best when you see hundreds of them all going at once, not when you see one awkward looking girl with glasses waving her hands around.

* Love that the BEST record in the ACC @ Cameron since '99 is still a losing record, and that most teams have won, at best, 1 game there. Our House!

* Where did they get the idea of a turtle as a mascot? Couldn't they have at least made it one of those big, ugly snapping guys that will bite your toe off if you step on one down at the local swimming hole?

* Outside of Zoubek we have no size? Uh... Lance is 6'9, Plumlee is 6'10, Kyle is 6'8 or so... hell, even a few of our guards are in the 6'5/6'6 range... are we REALLY that small, or are we just really white and so they THINK we are that small?

* WHOA WHOA WHOA! Hold the phone! Who is the Chinese guy at the very end of the Maryland bench?

* Like that after hitting that 3, Kyle gave props to Zoubs for a real good screen.

* Ring ring. Ring ring. Rin...

"Hello?"

"Hello, Gerald Henderson?"

"Yes?"

"Hi Gerald, this is the NBA... do you have a minute to talk?"

* Love the Zoubek-to-Thomas, inside man to inside man pass; those usually pay off.

* Man, being an end-zone photographer at Cameron is a dangerous, dangerous job. Almost as bad as being a security guard at Comcast.

* The Ultimate Lord loves this team. This is the first time in what feels like a while that a Duke team doesn't self-identify as a 3 point shooting team, and we are SO much better for it.

* "His body language tells the story." Oh, is his body getting its ass whipped? Hey General Grievas... live by the emotion, die by the emotion.

* Nice to see Zoubek being used as the mismatch, rather than not used because it would be a mismatch.

* Damn ESPN, stealing The Ultimate Lord's point on emotion!

* Wow... holding a D1 team to 15 points at the HALF is ridiculous. The Ultimate Lord loves D more than O, which is why Shane will ALWAYS be The Ultimate Dukie.

* Ahhh and there is the timely foreclosure joke.

* Gary didn't TALK about anything at the half. Yell, maybe, but not talk.

* Like the players on the bench relaying the offensive play.

* Good to hear Coach Collins talking about keeping the intensity up... that is what we need. BURY them.

* So we are crapping on Maryland by THIRTY and they talk about Carolina being the most talented team. You know what? The Ultimate Lord is not entirely sure that is really true anymore.

* Interesting to see Jon give up the wide-open 3 for the pass to Nolan (who did hit his 3.) Is that a good thing?

* Ohhh, the Singler/Gerald lob... poor Maryland. OUCH, and followed by the "Everyone touch the ball!" play? Man.

* Wow... Gary can't even get mad. Wow.

* That Maryland girl looked simply shocked. Cute, but shocked.

* Would love to see Miles and EMail and Marty get some minutes.

* Up 41 and how do you maintain? "Look over at the bench." Too true, Lenny.

* Love to see David shoot and hit the 3; games like this are great to get some roleplayers some baskets, baskets that bring confidence and can really pay off at the right time later in the season.

* Nice! At 13 to go, in come Miles and Elliot!

* Hm, the floor still has the signatures on it? The Ultimate Lord loves that!

* Love to see K talking right to Miles in the huddle. A teacher is always teaching.

* The stage being bigger than he wants? Well, that sort of thing will go by the wayside with some actual game time, which is what a lot of fans have called for.

* Great pass by Greg to Lance inside through a pretty small gap.

* YES!! THE CHINESE GUY!!! Except that he is Korean.

* A 360 degree reach? Ehhh...

* Ohhh MILES! That was a GIMME alley-oop!

* 2nd time in two games that we have flubbed it bad when getting the ball with the shot clock almost expired.

* DEON Plumlee? What, did Miles just turn black?

* The Ultimate Lord is in love with our cute little Terp. She has a real cute, innocent face. Shame about all that red though.

* OLEK! With 8:36 to go?! Nice!

* Greg Pocious. Seriously, come on Mike. It's MARTY Pocious and GREG Zoubek! Get with it!

* "It's not over 'till it's over... Yogi never saw this game." Ouch, even the announce team is talking trash. Everyone gets to talk trash today! Well, everyone but Beavis Vasquez.

* Email is LONG. Love to see that. So many long defenders have tortured us over the years, it is nice to see one on our side.

* Marty P is just full of bad decisions. Has he hit a single 3 this year?

* Man, Email is ALWAYS looking to THROW it down. Aggressive. Hope he doesn't get hurt!

* Seeing the bench guys play a lot really helps you appreciate why they don't play a lot. Having said that, these sorts of minutes, in a real game, are great, and they will help get the sloppiness born of inexperience and nerves out of their systems.

* Wow, Duke has held 11 opponents under 60? Does that include this game?

* Check out the cheer for... er... the blond guy as he is coming in.

* Apparently his name is Steve Johnson. And with that, Duke goes THIRTEEN deep.

* Love the interactions between the starters and the bench. Hey, Crapolina! See that? It is called "chemistry."

* Think the Terp fans will be blaming this one on the refs? 2:1 they do.

* Oh, and Greivis? Nuestra Casa, bitch.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

The Ultimate Truths - Screw you, Greg Monroe

Hello all! Welcome back to... The Ultimate Truths, Georgetown Edition!!

First off, allow The Ultimate Lord to apologize, it has been a few games since The Truth was last shared. However, He hath returned, and with His Return has come Love of Pork, Love of D'Nika, and, of course, The Ultimate Truths!!

* Dear God, it is me, The Ultimate Lord. If you are listening, can you please have Greg Monroe slip getting off the bus and break both his legs, both his arms, three ribs, and his nose? Thank you in advance.

* No Zoubek to start. Not surprised. Let's see how K handles Gtown's size and speed.

* "You have to guard all five against Georgetown!" No prob.

* Duke is averaging 81 a game? Hm, not bad, it felt like less.

* GREAT pass by McClure from underneath to Nolan.

* Love the second unit! Run them into the GROUND; every guy needs to play HARD.

* K was PISSED at that shot clock violation. Marty had a nice pass to try to make up for it in the next possession.

* Maybe Zoubek is starting to rely on that tip-out rebound a little too much recently? Should he just be going up and getting it? Or is he smart and playing within himself?

* OH GERALD!! HOLY CRAP, BATMAN!! G is straight up NASTY.

* And Miles hits a 2! GOOD. Get the young guy some burn, three or four good minutes against a big time opponent early, when it matters, is a HUGE step for this young mans career. The kid is smart and athletic; let him prove himself.

* "He's a good man in there!" Hm. Sounds a touch gay?

* Great draw of the charge by Scheyer way out beyond the 3 point land; hold your ground, Jon!

* Summers is solid early. Watching a confident shooter hit shots is a scary thing.

* Gerald is not only Duke's most effortless-ever elevator, but he has to be our best shot blocking guard as well.

* Woof. Refs going through a rough streak starting with that B.S. Plumlee tie up. Really pissing the Crazies off.

* Nice charge drawn by Nolan to slow down the Hoyas.

* Ahh, and they are looking for Miles! Thank you K!

* Larry Fishburn is a POWERFUL actor! And The Ultimate Lord's neighbor.

* We really have hung with them, despite GTown having a HOT start, and you could feel our confidence growing, as silly as that sounds that we wouldn't have confidence to start.

* GREAT applause for Miles. See? That is a BIG moment for this guy and his development.

* Why did that GTown player get a waiver on his one year wait after transfering from FSU? Anyone know the story?

* Love this teams and the crowds reaction to this game. Nice to step it up.

* Kyle is a PREMIER rebounder.

* Their shooting is returning to earth. It always will, against Duke D.

* Crazies look great, and in real great form. Screw you, Greg Monroe. You could have had THIS, in Cameron. Instead, you have Georgetown. The Ultimate Lord pities you.

* Seth Davis is a man's man? Hm. Sounds a touch... gay? Glad you feel comfortable saying it though.

* Smouldering? Hm. Sounds a LOT gay. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

* WOW #3 on Monroe. Big. Also, totally telegraphed.

* Couldn't hear the chants real well; crowd have any winners? Was that a Greg Paulus chant? If so, GOOD; nice of the Crazies to shower some love on a real Duke guy who might feel a touch down.

* "He's human." Classic call to a missed shot.

* WOW... K REALLY gave orders to Jon before the half; like a little mini conference on the court. Never seen that before.

* Nice drive to start the second by McClure; very smart to go right at Monroe. Imagine if McClure became a real offensive option?

* "When you score the basketball it makes you a better player." Listen, The Ultimate Lord knows what you mean, but it STILL sounds kind of Captain Obvious, no?

* Remember how former Harvard President Larry Summers is tight with Obama?

* "Finishes, fills, finds?" Doesn't that make more sense if you reverse it?

* Hm, what's up with the Crazies/Coke Zero ad? Any info on when it was filmed?

* The Wake highlights from Puerto Rico are funny, because there were NO fans there; it looks like a practice!

* Like the -15 w/out Monroe stat. Go right at him!

* Wow, strange technical on Monroe. Would love to know what he said. Maybe "Damnit, I should have come to Duke?"

* The K/Olympic stuff never gets old.

* Speaking of K... is that a touch of gray hair The Ultimate Lord sees there?!

* Our D is awesome. Good defense is the best part of basketball.

* Love the Greg Paulus chants. Oh, and the Greg Paulus drive and teardrop too!

* That blond makes The Ultimate Lord want to have his OWN Big Bang Theory. Hey-yo!!!

* Hah, Greg with the bump after the steal. He plays so much better with a chip on his shoulder.

* That little puss was holding Singler's damn jersey!

* Smart; the small lineup creates a bad mismatch with Monroe when he has four fouls, because he has to be careful not to foul a Duke guy who is driving past him, and careful that a smaller Duke guy doesn't slip in to draw a charge.

* Smith talking to Summers at the line, and the ref came to check in. Awesome.

* Hm, Singler as a mix of Battier and Dunleavy? Sure, The Ultimate Lord can see that.

* Program your DVR from your PC or your phone? Neat.

* Hm... The Ultimate Lord totally wants to get it on with that sexy little peanut butter cup... hmmm, that's right, you slip that wrapper off slowwwwly...

* It it just The Ultimate Lord, or is that "Touch of Gray" guy going to bang his therapist? Questionable move, brother!

* Someone needs to invent a nap alarm clock that starts to count down to the alarm when it detects that you fall asleep.

* Amazing, the yapper from GTown making it interesting with a 3...

* ... but not that interest. JTIII telling Nolan "You are twice the man that I am" as the game ends.

Awesome game. Duke looked strong and in control the ENTIRE time... no big droughts, no slips. Loved to see Miles play and how K managed the rotation; one of the best rotation managements The Ultimate Lord can remember.

Now, let The Ultimate Lord go over to read HandsofStoneRonnieGarvin spew out homophobic slurs because another Heel fan says that Georgetown is in trouble! Ahhh... Inside Carolina, SUCH a classy place!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

The Ultimate Truth - Will Seth get a Tech-nical?

Ahhh! Had to order the sports package for a day to get the channel for the game, and also to watch the game a bit delayed tonight, and MAN isn't it a nice little treat to turn on ye olde DVR and find Cryolina losing! So much for them being unbeatable. The Ultimate Lord cannot wait to finish The Truths so He can log out and go check out IC! Which player will get tossed under the bus first?! Can't wait to find out!!

* While UNC losing is great, The Ultimate Lord has to admit He likes Ty Lawson's cute little beard. Get yo cheese up... but make sure not to get any in the beard.

* Good start, apparently; all things considered, don't mind missing it.

* Wooo they went to the low angle camera early. Not a great sign.

* A few trios of pricks in red scattered throughout the Crazies.

* Dammit, The Ultimate Lord wanted that Thomas walk to be a Thomas nice-and-1!

* Hm, looking at the Virginia Tech bench feels a lot like watching the first season of "The Wire."

* Why does that Blue Devils graphic look very Cryolina-blueish?

* Greg only gets 7 or 8 minutes a night? That can't be right. GoDuke has Greg at playing 11 games and 218 minutes, so about 20 minutes a game. Wait; is THAT even right?

* Kyle looks a bit more like Mike D. with the hair and the gaunt look now.

* Speaking of Kyle and his gaunt look, maybe the reason so many folks worry about him tiring out is just because he always LOOKS so tired?

* A lot of Crazies ooohing and aaahhing early on with some of the chippy V.T. play.

* The resevoir-tip sweatband style is just stupid looking. Who started that?

* Hm, is this sideline reporter a wussy guy, or a woman with Billy Jean King Syndome? Ahh... apparently a woman. Or a guy with a VERY womanly name.

* Physical game to start. Then again, what would a Virginia Tech game be without a few cheap shots and attempted muggings?

* Where was that "back from commercial" street shot from? Didn't look like 9th Street. It is rare for them not to use a Chapel shot or a Cameron shot!

* Did Thompson deserve a T for that stupid Tyler arm swing celebration? Ehhh...

* Speaking of fouls, how was there no foul called on that Scheyer 3 attempt when the Tech player pulled his arm half out of his socket?

* Vassallo looks like the killer dude from "Ghost."

* Jeez... if Hendo doesn't make it in the NBA, he should join Cirque du Soleil with some of these shots he has taken (and made) recently.

* Hm, seems like the Zoubek of old has shown up in the first. Oh well... 3 steps forward, one step back.

* "I'm Diakite Banana and I've come to say, I am super athletic but have very little in the way of basketball skills... a!"

* J.T. Thompson has a LOT of ink.

* J.T., A.D.... lots of initials on this team.

* Okay Production Truck... get the in-stand view blocked by Crazies once, fine. Twice? Time to switch. A THIRD time? Give The Ultimate Lord a frikking break.

* The nice thing about seeing zone lately is you know the team won't just settle for taking threes.

* Hmph, G has really stepped up. Good, because it makes Duke SO much better. Bad, because that stupid League will be calling...

* Ahh Smith and Paulus together. Neat.

* Love Singler's two attempts at the jump hook! Very Larry Bird/1970s/throwback.

* BTW, G-Man and Brando are a damn fine announce team. Professional, smart, and just the right amount of enthusiasm. You hear that, Dickie V? THE RIGHT AMOUNT. Enthusiasm is not like Medium Amber Grade A Vermont Maple Syrup, where the right amount is ALL OF IT.

* Speaking of maple syrup; The Ultimate Lord honestly likes B grade best. It is the most earthy and flavorful of the syrups.

* Jon Scheyer is a fantastic, loooong, heady defender.

* At the end of the half, liked seeing Kyle so pumped and ready to play D on the last possession against their point guard!

* Oh man... and the Tech player hits the end-of-half midcourt shot. Poor Virginia Tech; when they finally GET some mojo, they waste it after the buzzer!

* Man, there are a LOT of black coaches in the ACC! That has got to be some sort of record.

* You know... when Gary isn't frothing at the mouth and bathed in sweat, he actually can look rather... dignified?

* Does Fox run a TON of commercials at the half or what? Feels like there have been a lot of "And we are back... just in time for this commercial break!"

* No problem with Delany taking that 1-on-3 three pointer, to be honest; if he had hit it, it would have been a REAL momentum shot.

* HATE THE LOW ANGLE SHOT! Seriously, you cannot tell ANY depth from it. Enough already, Fox.

* In very fast forward, the shot of Ted Danson in the "Damages" ad is priceless.

* The Ultimate Lord liked to see Smith get knocked back and then go RIGHT back at the Tech players for the basket.

* Nice use of the body by the Duke players to keep the Tech shotblockers away in the second half under the basket.

* "Touch of Gray" sponsoring the K thing? Dammit, the Carolina fans will love that one. It is naturally black, dammit!!

* Just FYI, it wasn't all 12 medals.

* American Forces Network? Wasn't it the ARMED Forces Network?

* BTW, we should totally go back to the Department of War. Forget this "Department of Defense" nonsense. The world respect us more back then.

* Woof, if McClure didn't get that tip on D at the three point line, the banana guy would have had a monster slam.

* That Singler graphic was HUGE. You know a graphic is huge when it ALMOST completely covers Seth Green's head.

* Speaking of Seth Green, he is really funny in "Entourage."

* Hm, cheap little forearm to take Paulus down. Quick, get him the ball! Greg always plays best after getting wacked.

* Speaking of getting wacked, the finale to the Sopranos SUCKED. When the majority of viewers think that an ending was actually just their cable going out, that is not a good sign.

* Apparently, tonights Ultimate Truths are brought to you by HBO.

* Nothing will EVER surpass "Band of Brothers." Unless, POSSIBLY, it is "The Pacific," which HBO just finished shooting and follows a group of Marines through the Pacific Theater in WWII.

* The G-Man is a great announcer.

* OHHH sweet give and go, although speaking of the G-Man his telestrator picture looked a bit... well... phallic.

* BTW... remember how Jon is, like, the 2nd best free throw shooter in Duke history or something like that?

* Where have Miles and Elliot been?

* Love the ref patting the Tech player on the rump and telling him "Listen, the crowd might be annoying, but they are right; tuck that thing in."

* Speaking of the crowd; it is SO nice to have the REAL Crazies back!

* Tech has just given up. Look at the body language; they are done.

* Man, look at the Duke staff practically rush the floor to praise the players at that time out; nice stuff.

* The Ultimate Lord will close His eyes tight and believe beyond reason that HokieHigh was a real person who really believed what he typed; it makes it SO much more fun to laugh at!

* There is something oddly satisfying and Duke-like about looking in the crowd and seeing a young black guy with glasses and a decidedly nerdy air wearing a Jon Scheyer jersey.

* A bit sorry we saw none of the frosh until it was over... although we DO go like 8 deep, so maybe that is fine. As long as Kyle doesn't get any more exhausted looking...

* Speaking of the frosh; Email has some SERIOUS eyebrows. Has he been taking lessons from Wojo?

* Seth Greenberg would have been excellent in "John Adams." Slap a wig on that fellow!

* McClure is starting to love that little circus reverse layup!

* Greg was last in the handshake line again... is this done on purpose? Honestly, The Ultimate Lord would like that, for the senior point guard the be the final word.

* Kyle with 19/8/7/2... JEEZ what a line. That is insane.

* Whoa, did The Ultimate Wife just make a ball handling joke?!

* Does everyone else laugh at that Steve Wallace "I drank that there stuff, and next thing you know we are out at like five in the morning and we're just fishing!!" ad? This is supposed to make The Ultimate Lord WANT to drink this crap? If anything, He is staying the hell away from it thanks to that. What do they think, this is an N.C. State game?

* And finally, on a somber note, it took almost until the end of the game before The Ultimate Lord remembered the mess at Virginia Tech. A real shame that happened.

All in all, a VERY satisfying day of basketball. This next few weeks is intense, and it was nice to see the guys come out and play really effective, unselfish basketball and intense defense. Go Duke!