On Monday we presented to you the Top 10 Moments of the 2009-10 college sports year in football and men’s basketball. So naturally we had to follow that up with the Not Top 10 Moments of the Year. Taking a cue from SportsCenter, here are the most absurd, zaniest and just flat-out insane moments in Division 1 this school year.
10. James Madison’s Hot Dog-gate
Sadly, this entry doesn’t have an accompanying video. James Madison’s basketball team had cut a 15-point deficit to four with five minutes remaining in the game against George Mason. The Dukes had two free throws and a chance to cut the deficit to two. Then a hot dog splattered on the court just after the first shot was taken.
Yes. Someone threw a hot dog on the court. Once it was determined that a JMU student had done it, a technical foul was assessed. When all was said and done, the Dukes were now trailing five points after going to the line trailing by four. With the momentum effectively killed, the Patriots went on to win easy. Said JMU coach Matt Brady: “It’s silly, it’s unexplainable, quite frankly. I don’t know why anyone would have done it.”
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9. William Buford’s Windmill Fail
Ohio State’s William Buford was having an otherwise great game at Indiana, which really isn’t too hard considering the Hoosiers play defense only slightly better than a sixth grade gym class. He had already made two boring breakaway dunks and felt it was his duty to give the road fans a little show for his third breakaway dunk.
The fans certainly got that and a little bit more when his attempted windmill dunk went skyrocketing into the air. While we think Thad Matta laid into him in private, his measured polite response was classic: “From a guy who wasn’t a great leaper when he played, there’s nothing I love to see more than an Ohio State player dunk one. But at the same time, I’d rather see two points than a fancy dunk.”
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8. Peanut Butter & Georgia
Long story, short: a Georgia student slathers himself in peanut butter. No one really understands why until the game ends and Georgia upsets Tennessee, the Bulldogs’ first home win over a Top-10 opponent since the Jim Harrick era. The kid wants to rush the court and being covered in peanut butter only makes it easier to avoid security. Or more accurately security avoids him.
A Deadspin reader who was at the game wrote: “This charade continued four or five more times, with each floor rushing yielding the same result which was the security guard realizing the $10-per-hour he is making ain’t worth touching this kid who was by game’s end a slippery concoction of sweat, school pride, and Skippy.” Thanks for ruining peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for all of us.
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7. Darnell Dodson’s “Easy” Bucket
Normally Darnell Dodson is just another line on Kentucky’s stat sheet, overshadowed by John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. But with an easy two points staring him in the face on the road at South Carolina, the only thing that could stop Dodson was his sudden realization that he was taking a shot all alone on national television. At least that’s what we think happened to him.
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6. Alabama’s Championship-Caliber Fake Punt
If 2009 proved anything, it’s that coaches are apparently getting their in-game strategic advice from 14-year old boys playing NCAA on PS3. Nick Saban decided to make a boneheaded fake punt attempt, this one on the first drive of the BCS National Championship. The defense sure looked vulnerable after giving up -13 yards on the first three plays.
Based on the Tide’s pitiful result, we’re pretty sure Saban informed his team on the way to the game that they were going to try a fake punt on the first drive. Winning the national championship got Saban off the hook for this colossal blunder. In fact, Texas’ Colt McCoy was injured on the very next drive. So maybe this was part of the master plan after all.
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5. Oh Deer: The John Wall Dance
The John Wall Dance became a phenomenon at Kentucky. But one fan took the John Wall Dance to the extreme by performing it over the lifeless body of a freshly felled deer. Members of PETA: turn away.
Nothing showcases human superiority more than the John Wall Dance. Mother Nature should watch its back. What most people don’t realize is that Wall didn’t come up with the dance. He credits Louisville rapper Kenzo, who calls it The Shizz. We think we see the John Wall Dance precursor in this video but no one does it with the same flair as Wall.
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4. Brady Morningstar’s Fluky Free Throw
Texas fans needed some kind of comic relief while their team was being manhandled by Kansas and they got it in the form of Brady Morningstar. As if the name wasn’t enough to point and laugh, Morningstar’s free throw foul up was YouTube gold. Said Morningstar: “I’m glad I can be a lot of entertainment for people. Maybe I should try to do movies or something.”
We can’t help but be amazed that he still got off a legitimate shot. Shaq’s free throws don’t even look that good and he’s not bobbling the ball as he’s shooting it. We wonder: If he had made the shot, would it have counted? We say it should have counted for two points if he did.
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3. Freeze!
Many offensive lineman are now conditioned not to get out of their stances if the defense jumps offsides. FSU’s Zebrie Sanders is one of them. After all, you want to save all the energy you have left when playing the defending national champion Florida Gators. OK. Fair enough. But when you suddenly see your quarterback running for his life right past you, can’t you at least stand up? The play became instant fodder for sports show across the country since no penalty was called on the play. Our guess is that once Sanders realized his mistake, he was better off not moving until the play was dead.
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2. “Wild Bill” Dresses As Cupid
As college athletes become bigger and stronger and as the playing field levels out, players and coaches have to step up their games to be amongst college basketball’s elite. The same goes for fans who want to distract opposing teams, and not too many bring an A-game like “Wild Bill” Sproat at Utah State. After a Chippendales’ outfit made him an arena celebrity, he blew up after being featured on ESPN wearing a Cupid outfit in honor of Valentine’s Day.
The odd thing about this story is that Sproat says he isn’t even a big basketball fan. He explained on ESPN’s “First Take” why he bears almost all despite not being a big basketball fan: “Once you get into the Spectrum there’s just a feeling … there’s just an atmosphere that you can’t help but go crazy.” Really? We advise making a clever sign.
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1. Yale’s Brain Lock
Apparently intelligence isn’t contagious. Take Yale coach Tom Williams, who made this grade-school level gaffe during a match at one of the nation’s top academic schools. Going for it on 4th and 22 from your own 25, with a late lead no less, is the type of decision General Custer would laugh. Just a week earlier Bill Belichick was hammered for going for it late with the lead – and he was going for it on fourth and two!
The saddest part of this play is that it worked. Of course Harvard didn’t expect a fake punt. Who would? Despite a 15-yard gain, Yale was still woefully short of a first down (seven yards). After gaining possession, Harvard scored and won the game. Said Williams after the game: “We weren’t going to play scared. We were going to keep our foot on the pedal.” They kept it to the medal alright – right off a cliff.
aw man … i can’t even think about peanut butter anymore. thanks a lot jerk
what a waste of a good hot dog
I was at Hot Dog Gate as a new alumni still sitting with some friends in the student section. That kid was like ten away from me…what a dick.