Old Mo ... fire away!

Back in my days as a sportswriter, I heard it all, ranging from the "we overcame a lot of adversity" to all the other inclusive aspects of team play, hard work and selfless dedication.

Not much has changed since the 1960s and with the addition of the know-it-alls in the ESPN studio, it's actually gotten worse. Pulling up to hoist a J or raking the glass or deviating in the paint ... all new ways of saying the same old thing. It just sounds "street smart" to have a little hip-hop in your tone.

I will watch another NCAA tournament this year with the standard references to dancing, mismatched seedings and overplaying the perimeter. The usual film clip will show 3-point shot after 3-point shot, followed by the coast-to-coast slam dunk, where the guy hangs on the rim.

Then we will cut away to the painted faces of the Duke cheerleaders, who will squeal and wave ... and the band will play the old "dun dun dun dun da da, doot doot doot -- go Big Blue!"

I am amused at how the game is played. Players tend to drive the lane, knowing there's four guys from the other team standing there. They will lose the ball, the other team will fast-break, hit the top of the key, spread and take the dish, loft the dagger and ...

On we go.

What always gets me is the need to gain momentum going into the locker room. How? You score the last basket before halftime. Hold for that last game-changing basket. (But make sure you have enough time to rebound in case you miss.)

I remember seeing a game once where the coach stood up and yelled, "One Shot!" to his minions, who complied, held the ball about a minute and launched a shot that went in. The team went into the locker room -- trailing 42-21.

But they had Old Mo on their side.

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