Thursday, March 22, 2012

Randomness -39th Edition - Includes Site Announcement

Before I get into this weeks Randomness, I wanted to get into some site news. As some of you, I am sure, have noticed I am not updating as frequently as I used to. I won't get into what happened, as I am sure no one wants excuses. But suffice it to say I have been a bit more busy than I was when I started this site. 

As such post to this blog will be a little slower than usual for the moment. It doesn't mean I am giving up on this blog. On the contrary, I still love the Generals as much as ever, new name and "Black and Yellow" and everything. Just for the immediate future updates may be a bit slower. 

I don't know how long this will continue. It shouldn't be too long, but I don't want to give a specific time table and then not keep to it. As I know that would be worse. 

I will do my best to make the updates I have count, and will still keep on top of what is going on in Washington General's land and of course update on "breaking news" as fast as I can. I also am working on some new "Top Player" entries which will include some Generals that have long been overdue for one. 

So please, bear with me and keep visiting. In exchange I will do my best to not only get back to more frequent updates as soon as possible. But emphasize quality over quantity in the meantime, and beyond. 

With that out of the way...

I just came across this but a quick congratulations to the International Elite and Harlem Globetrotters for selling out the Florida Atlantic University arena earlier this month. To read about the game CLICK HERE!

A blog called Bringham's Blog did a post on our favorite sports team which can be read HERE!

There was also an excellent article about the Elite's game against the Globetrotters in Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center You can read it HERE!

There was a brief article mentioning the upcoming game in the Washington Generals "quasi home town" of Washington, DC that you can read HERE!

This is Globetrotter related, but here is a list I came across of the "25 Greatest Harlem Globetrotter Players of All Time" from Yahoo Sports!. Unfortunatley none of the Generals to cross over to the Globetrotters made the cut (was holding out hope Gene Hudgins or Clyde Sinclair would make his list. But no such luck), but it is still an interesting list. To read it CLICK HERE!

Friday, March 16, 2012

Game Coverage From The Elite's Game At The University Of Oregon in the Matthew Knight Arena

YouTube user  kwebb121765 posted just under an hour of footage from the February 24th game in the Matthew Knight Arena in Oregon State. (which would sound like the whole game, but he recorded plenty of comedy reams and the like as well as game play). These clips are apparently in 3D also, but someone with 3D capability will have to tell me if it works.

So here is the rundown for you guys...



Features the introduction, which runs down the game being the championship and the losing team not being able to play at the 2013 tour.

The features the INTERTNATIONAL ELITE INTRODUCTORY VIDEO IN IT'S ENTIRETY (which I was robbed of seeing when I went to see the Elite play live. Robbed I tell you!) as well as both teams interance and the "magic circle".

Interesting trivia fact no one will EVER ask you. According to the video, the Elite's tournament wins were against a team called the "Legends" (couldn't read the first name, but there was a team that played the Trotters overseas created by Abe Saperstien called the "Texas Legends") the "Norse Stars" and a team I couldn't read on my small YouTube screen fast enough but was the "Asian (somethings)".

The "Norse Stars" never knew what hit them!
And they were favored in the spread too.
 
It ends with the teams warming up and the refferee explaining the 4-point shot and penalty box.


Starts with the Trotters getting a kid from the audience to spin the ball. The cuts to Big G's dance. 

It's then followed by some gameplay including the fake out they do with the tip off and the trotter sitting on the goal. It then shows the dribble keep away (they must have been behind, cut to that the second the three trotters went to the penalty box).

Then get some footage of the second half warm ups and the start of the second half which includes some nice 3-pointers by the Elite (what they do best, besides lose). Also has a nice steak by the Elite, which I mention because seriously, how often will I get to type that sentence?

The clip ends with the purse ream. 


Starts with the infamous bucket of confetti ream.

It then has some gameplay, including that weird ream where two trotters play keep away with two Elite, then trick them into grabbing the ball out of bounds, then the refferee sends all 4 of them to the penalty box. Ok, I know that the game is "entertainment" but I have seen that ream a dozen times now and I still have no idea why the Elite/Select end up in the penalty box for it. What did they do?

It ends with some nice action at the end, as the Elite manage to hold onto a slim lead for most of the last part of the 4th quarter (which they had for most of the game from what we saw). The Elite were really doing well that night. (the referee even called a clearly unscripted foul on the Elite, to give the trotters two shots to try and narrow the Elites lead, clearly knowing the Elite was one 4-pointer away from making the Trotters have to work hard for their win.)


Pics up where the last clip leaves off, as the Elite are still keeping the Trotters from getting a "comfortable" lead. The referee again calls one of the infamous "partial" calls, calling the ball out of bounds on the elite when clearly it was the trotters who took the ball out of bounds. 

The Trotters call time out to give a kid in the audience a chance to shoot a free-throw. Followed by some more gameplay, including the pantsing. 

The Trotters, to no ones surprise take the lead in the final minutes, due mostly to some good 4-point shots by Dizzy, and the Trotters win and celebrate with the trophy. 

The Elite played a hell of a good game though. Congrads to the Elite for once more making the Harlem Globetrotters "earn it".

Friday, March 9, 2012

Randomness 38th Edition

Military Photo in the public domain.
A gentelman named Rob Roberts posted the following as a comment to one of my post...


I was at the 1PM Nassau Coliseum - Globetrotters vs Global Select game yesterday. Globel Select was up by 6 with 2 minutes left. The Trotters had been missing their shots and the Select was making theirs. My son then noticed that the scorer kept stoping / pausing the clock when he shouldn't have. This allowed the Trotters extra time needed to make some more shots to finally take the lead with a minute on the clock left and win. I think without the help of the clock operator, this is a likely Global Select win.


Glad to hear that the Select did such a good job and made the Globetrotters "earn it", as I like to put it. If you are interested in my comments on the scoreboard issue then you can read it in the original post comments. CLICK HERE!

The Herald Tribune did brief coverage of the International Elite (which they incorrectly called the International Elite All-Stars) playing the Globetrotters. They even briefly acknowledged the Washington Generals name being taken off the schedule. In name only, in body and spirit the Generals have never left. CLICK HERE!

Not really much focus on the Elite themselves, but the blog "Sac and Beyond", posted some nice coverage of the Elite's game against the Globetrotters in the Power Balance Pavilion last January. If you would like to read it CLICK HERE!

In closing here is a video from the game at the game last Sunday between the Elite and Globetrotters at the Convocation Center in Norfolk, VA. Featuring Special K introducing himself to the Elite players at the start of the game, along with some other tom foolery.