After 138 Points, Why Is Deadspin Being A Spoilsport?
Forbes.com
Jack Taylor, a 5’10 guard from Grinnell College set the all-time record for points scored in a college basketball game with 138.
This amazing performance last week surpassed all previous NCAA records (as well as the NBA record) and Grinnell went on to win 179-104 against Faith Baptist Bible. The record-setting achievement made national news, NBA players expressed awe, and the national limelight fell on both Taylor and Grinnell, the prestigious liberal arts college in Iowa better known for its academics than its athletics. But then, as inevitably happens, the chorus of haters weighed in.
The most raucous was a scathing and scurrilous attack from Barry Petchesky, on the sports blog Deadspin, who derided Taylor’s achievement as “a sham record” and an “empty and artificial” achievement that was “the latest incarnation of Grinnell’s decades-old strategy of seeking media attention for records achieved through a complete bastardization of basketball.” Not only was the record repulsive to Petchesky but the school’s very system of playing basketball (relying on constant fast breaks, three-pointers and a tough full-court press) seemed to strike him as a malevolent incarnation of the Harlem Globetrotters or in Petchesky’s words, “some freakshow designed to make SportsCenter.” Needless to say–and I’m not just speaking as a Grinnell alumnus–this is hogwash.
Grinnell plays a system designed to maximize the talents of players like Taylor—who is undersized even by Division III standards. It may not be orthodox but it’s been successful for the school, which has set numerous NCAA scoring records in the process. Petchesky, though, doesn’t like it. Too bad.
It’s a shame that not all records in college basketball can be set by one-year-wonders from Kentucky or the latest insufferable Duke star. But every once in a while, an otherwise unknown kid from a good college in the middle of nowhere can have a special night. And when it happens, it’s worth appreciating, not being a cynic.
Share this article
You might also like:
Comments
Latest Posts
Facebook Studies Marriage Decisions
May 18th, 2013As a twentysomething woman, I’m always interested to see–when female friends get married–if they make the name change or keep their maiden name.
These days, that decision is usually announced by making it “Facebook official,” by simply changing the relationship status, or changing the last name along with it.
Using these data points, and women’s birth dates, Facebook analyzed what percentage of women from different age groups are taking their husbands’ last names, hyphenating their names or keeping their maiden names. The results were announced on the Facebook Data Science page this week.
Tumblr to Yahoo: Make My Day
May 17th, 2013Is the social blogging site Tumblr about to sell out?
Ad Week’s Mike Shields has the story that Tumblr has been having negotiations about being acquired by Yahoo.
As Shields reports, a deal could make sense for both companies:
“Yahoo is in serious talks with Tumblr to acquire the social blogging site, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks. The deal is not done, but could reach as high as $1 billion, Adweek has learned. Allthingsd.com was first to report on the talks between the two companies.”
Trial By Facebook: A Dangerous Virtual Path
May 17th, 2013I’m a criminal for being a woman, a journalist and someone with the temerity to walk into a bar.
In a fascinating study of both Facebook and freedom, Amnesty International New Zealand launched “Trial by Facebook,” which examines your profile, scours your timeline and “interrogates” yourfriends to find out what you’d be punished for posting, all around the
world. The app came out several months ago, but it’s been making waves
online this week.
Using my own Facebook page as a guinea pig, I found myself convicted 161 times, in 73 countries, for 13 crimes. Literally dodging a bullet, the
contents of my profiles weren’t tawdry enough to get me beheaded or shot dead, but I would be killed by extremists 22 times, sexually assaulted 16 times, imprisoned 58 times and beaten 73 times–and that’s just the beginning of the terror.
Google Plus Pointers, Twitter Fools
May 16th, 2013Tatiana Aders of Social Media News has made my day. If you don’t quite get how to use Google Plus, help is here:
“Google Plus has some of the most robust posting & sharing capabilities of any social network. From rich snippets to photo editing to individual circles, there are so many features that can make your post stand out from the pack. Here are some highlights from a cheat sheet that I built to get the most out of Google Plus posts.”
LinkedIn’s Latest Edict: Hookers Not Welcome
May 16th, 2013Attention ladies of the night and other interested parties: LinkedIn is taking a harder stance against prostitution.
As Mashable noted this week, the job-networking site has altered the language of its user agreement to expressly prohibit people from promoting escort services or prostitution on its pages.
