A silent revolution...

[upan8th]

A late nite bi**h thread about GU Bball that transcends the game. Are y'all as bored and increasingly puzzled by the now required phantom hand shake, low five, air five ritual that's become de riguer for free throw shooters these days whether they make the shot or not? Where did this nonsense start? And why? It's come to my attention especially because da Zags are missing so many free throws and from what I hazily remember from my Jesuit teaching, there should be consequences, and remonstrances, for doing wrong as opposed to doing right.

Here's the antidote. Let the Zags be the first, on the bleeding edge, to jettison this meaningless basketball version of the air kiss, and start a new tradition.

The deal: The Zags learn rudimentary American Sign Language. When a free throw is either made or missed, his teammates along the lane, instead of stepping out to air slap the shooter, simply stay where they are and sign, nonchalantly, on a make: "Nice shot", or "All right!", or "Dude!" or "Guess you just got lucky".

On a miss: "Dude, they're free!" or "C'mon, help us out here, hey?" or "When did you join the bricklayers union chumpster?" (ok that last one is probably a little too tricky for rudimentary American Sign).

See what I'm saying? Not only could the Zags start a trend that would eliminate an unnecessary, time wasting, un-American, absurdity in the game. But they would be known as the originators of a whole new dimension to basketball, from the Y to the pros, that has flummoxed BBall rulemakers for many years: Restoring interest in the woebegone free throw.

So why not? Be heroes. Go for it. Believe me, there's nothin' to lose.

[alaskazagnut]

It think

it is just a common sense way for the guys to show mutual support as well as a habit that evolves because the free throw is so routinely habitual anyway. They do it even in scrimmages against each other if the victory is meaningful in some way.

It is better than the butt slap. Now there is a nonsensical show of mutual support.

[FrahmfortheWin]

.

I think the sign language idea has merit but then we would miss out on such gems as this. Somebody else previously posted this link but I think it deserves a spot in this thread as well given the subject.

Adam Morrison High 5

[Birddog]

Where did this nonsense start?

It's a solidarity thing, it's "you're not on the line alone" gesture. And you forgot the wiping of the shoe bottom part, although I haven't noticed it that much this year. Blake Stepp perfected that part of the ritual.

It would be kinda funny to see the guys "sign" though, and the other teams would be going WTF?. I wonder how Gallaudet players handle the ritual?

Well here are some links, but no good shot of their ritual.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93eGmsxVazY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn-y80JKI7Q

[bballbeachbum]

It is better than the butt slap. Now there is a nonsensical show of mutual support.

no doubt! many many many years ago, when younger and naive, I once did that only to have the guy turn around and poke/punch me in the nose. I started laughing at him, serioulsy, so what did he do? he punched me in the nose again, broke it, and then, well, etc. etc. etc.

have never done that again

[gamagin]

good thread, thanks

I think it ought to be a rule that whenever a Zag makes a free throw, he NOT move. He keep his toe on the now "magic" spot, he NOT break his concentration, he stays in that zone and he repeats the motion & the shot.

If he misses, he can do whatever he feel needs to be done because clearly the spot and the concentration isn't there yet & perhaps some encouragement is in order.

But if someone is on, leave him alone, or, at the very least, he should never give up the spot and the zone he is in, walk around bumping high and low and grinding, only to take him out of the zone and off he spot. Ever.

How would you feel if your boss was high fiving everyone before giving you an inadequate raise, or no raise at all; or your realtor/banker was high/low fiving his fellow realtors/bankers before the counter offer is put in front of you. Or your in-laws are high fiving while you are waiting for her to arrive at the altar . . .

My answer would be: you'd feel weird. Or at least you'd wonder about it. Eventually.

Go TEAM Zags !

[sonuvazag]

I think it ought to be a rule that whenever a Zag makes a free throw, he NOT move. He keep his toe on the now "magic" spot, he NOT break his concentration, he stay in that zone and he repeats the motion & the shot.

That was what Jim McPhee did, exactly. I still remember the main points of his instructions at camp. He always did one dribble. Always focused on the front two rings on the hoop. He visualized the ball going through the hoop. He also had a trigger word, "Net," or something like that which he said to to himself before every shot.

I didn't realize it at the time, but it sounds like self-hypnosis.

[CaZagAlum]

The problem is, it seems many of them use the first shot to measure and then make the second one (when given two).

[LongIslandZagFan]

I say they blow kisses at each other when they make the shot, and when the miss, they drop their head in shame and fail to make eye contact for at least three minutes.

IMHO, for a make, it should be a wink, blown kiss, and a "Nice shot sexy".

[zaguarxj]

Maybe Snapco can develop an athletic training jockstrap that works on the same principle as a dog training collar. That way, coaches can apply immediate negative feedback for missed free-throws. In this case, the hand-slaps will be an expression of sympathy for the shooter who misses. Snapco may also find a large market for this product among women who have a hard time getting their husband's attention.

[a13coach]

Maybe Snapco can develop an athletic training jockstrap that works on the same principle as a dog training collar. That way, coaches can apply immediate negative feedback for missed free-throws. In this case, the hand-slaps will be an expression of sympathy for the shooter who misses. Snapco may also find a large market for this product among women who have a hard time getting their husband's attention.

Who would voluntarily put that on?

[Zag365]

A late nite bi**h thread about GU Bball that transcends the game. Are y'all as bored and increasingly puzzled by the now required phantom hand shake, low five, air five ritual that's become de riguer for free throw shooters these days whether they make the shot or not? Where did this nonsense start? And why? It's come to my attention especially because da Zags are missing so many free throws and from what I hazily remember from my Jesuit teaching, there should be consequences, and remonstrances, for doing wrong as opposed to doing right.

Here's the antidote. Let the Zags be the first, on the bleeding edge, to jettison this meaningless basketball version of the air kiss, and start a new tradition.

The deal: The Zags learn rudimentary American Sign Language. When a free throw is either made or missed, his teammates along the lane, instead of stepping out to air slap the shooter, simply stay where they are and sign, nonchalantly, on a make: "Nice shot", or "All right!", or "Dude!" or "Guess you just got lucky".

On a miss: "Dude, they're free!" or "C'mon, help us out here, hey?" or "When did you join the bricklayers union chumpster?" (ok that last one is probably a little too tricky for rudimentary American Sign).

See what I'm saying? Not only could the Zags start a trend that would eliminate an unnecessary, time wasting, un-American, absurdity in the game. But they would be known as the originators of a whole new dimension to basketball, from the Y to the pros, that has flummoxed BBall rulemakers for many years: Restoring interest in the woebegone free throw.

So why not? Be heroes. Go for it. Believe me, there's nothin' to lose.

hilarious, upan8th. you should be posting at theonion.com or thebrushback.com.

[LongIslandZagFan]

Who would voluntarily put that on?

That post assumes that us husbands have free will... we do not.

[zaguarxj]

Who would voluntarily put that on?

Combine with the Snapco codpiece and anyone would be proud to wear it.

[FuManShoes]

I propose stickers. Much as football players get stickers for doing good things, our Zags should get stickers for making FTs.