A Holiday Poem Redux

Long after Christmas,
Santa'd got all his rest.
It takes a few months
To get back to his best.

The toy making over,
And gifts all delivered,
He now had some time
For TV and Twitter.

He remembered he'd predicted
Way back in December
That one group would be
A team to remember.

"I can't quite recall
What I said at the time"
But the elves were there
And quick to remind.

But Santa was ready
For such loss of spirit
“Don’t be so whiny!
I don’t want to hear it!”

“So do not despair
As all will be fine!
It’s not 2008 that counts
But April 2009!”

At that, Santa laughed
And he jiggled like jelly
"I guess I should check them
Out on the telly!"

So then Mrs. Claus
Brought some snacks and a brew,
And Rudolph tuned the tube
To ESPN and ESPN2.

Over the next two weeks
The North Pole embraced March
And followed the Cardinal
On their way to the Arch.

They watched the team focus,
Their intentions precise and clear
As they worked hard together
Like eight tiny reindeer.

As each team was conquered
The elves made a scene
They changed to wearing Cardinal
Instead of red and green.

While Santa was happy
and cheered with each hoop
He offered a caution
To all in the troop.

"It's been a great ride
Of that, I am certain!
But let's not plan to celebrate
Until the final curtain!"

"For this is a team
With much more to do!
They're off to the Midwest
And need to win two!"

With that, the room hushed
And, after some thought,
"Santa's right!", they cheered
"There's more dreams to be caught!"

And then Santa chuckled
And let out a Ho Ho Ho
And packed the sled for St. Louis
While cheering "Go Stanford! GO!"

On to the Sweet 16!

What an interesting tournament so far! Big wins, big upsets, big stories.....it's all there.

Let's Talk Conferences

The PAC-10 is holding strong with all 3 tournament entries still in the hunt. The SEC and ACC? Not so much. These perennial powerhouses are down to just 1 team each. Here is the breakdown--

Big East (4)--Louisville, Pitt, Rutgers, UConn

Big 12 (4)--Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M

PAC-10 (3)--ASU, California, Stanford

Big 10 (3)--Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue

ACC (1)--Maryland

SEC (1)--Vanderbilt

Interesting that Stanford has played 6 of the teams left in the tourney this year--Baylor, Rutgers, Iowa State, ASU, Cal and Purdue--and beaten 5 of them. Now that's strength of schedule.

Let's Talk Upsets

OK, Ball State--what a story. From the PreGame dance (see it here) to their spirited play against a monumental opponent to their level headed coach, it is just special. Added bonus for Stanford fans--we may not hear the Harvard thing year after year after year.

MSU over Duke--a perfect NCAA set up, bringing the old coach back to face angry fans and players. Still, one would have thought that Duke would be able to overcome the Spartans, but lacked the punch to push through in crunch time, going stone cold at the end. And are MSU coach Suzy Merchant and Sissy Spacek sisters?

Rutgers over Auburn--if I were an Auburn fan, I would be pretty unhappy. Playing on the other team's home court is one thing, but against a team like Rutgers, who has players with Final Four experience, that is quite another. But Auburn could not stop Rutgers, who typically is not a high scoring team, so there you go.

So what about those pre-determined sites? The idea sounds fine--generating interest and ticket sales prior to the seedings. But in practice, it didn't work well. Any casual viewer could see the oceans of empty seats and the Cal-Virginia game at the Galen Center drew less than 1000. It is hard to understand a system that places number 1 seeds at home (UConn, Maryland), on a neutral court (Oklahoma) and in a hornet's nest (Duke).

Let's Talk Brackets

Did you fill one out with your predictions? How's that workin' for you? I do mine on ESPN.com and it is SO wrong that I don't even look at it anymore......

--UConn vs. the PAC-10? That's the Trenton bracket. Cal will be an interesting match up, with their inside strength. They must continue the all around game they showed against Virginia. It should be fun to watch.

--ASU and Texas A & M should also be a good matchup as both teams are built in the scrappy mold. One X factor is how Brianne January's ankle holds up.

--Duke and Tennessee's losses changed the look of the Berkeley bracket dramatically as many probably had these 2 penciled in for a Sweet 16 match-up.

--ACC vs SEC so those 2 conferences will be down to only 1 in the Elite Eight. Vanderbilt has been flying a little under the radar, but has some quality wins.

--Baylor had better shift into another gear after two close shaves if they want to beat Louisville.

--Courtney Paris' bank account is still in tact. Perhaps in Oklahoma City she can put out a tip jar?

--The team nobody want to play? Rutgers.

Let's Talk Stanford

--Remember that December road trip? Where are Duke and Tennessee now? Home. Where is Stanford? Very much alive and well.

--We knew Nneka was good, but holy cow! She just flies to the ball--never have really seen anything like it.

--When will the national media understand that Stanford is a team in every sense of the word. When there is foul trouble, it is just another opportunity for someone else to shine. Not that we like foul trouble, but those were PAC 10 officials, after all.

--I can recall horror when watching past Bigs dribble the ball up court. Now, when I see Kayla Peterson, I just think "point guard!"

--How hard can it be to check the teams you are covering before the broadcast? How hard can it be to say Onwude? Where's Mary Murphy when you need her (covering Cal in LA)?

--I bet other fans just don't get our coaching staff. There they sit, talking calmly, making adjustments, planning. Other coaches appear to have their hair on fire from the opening buzzer. I like the approach of Tara and Company!

--Fun to see ESPN talk about Stanford's nationwide recruiting. I wish they would have had one of our Cardinal Nation t-shirts to use!

Big weekend coming up.........hope that everyone is in Berkeley and screaming real loud! Let's show everyone what the Cardinal Nation is all about.

Bracket Musings and Other Stuff

Some thoughts about pairings and the Selection Show--

--Could Carolyn Peck really not know what Stanford's point guard situation is? Could she have maybe watched one half of a Pac-10 tournament game?

--That wacky NCAA committee! Since they have grown tired of putting Stanford and Oklahoma in the same brackets to rehash the Susan King incident, now they give us:
---Duke going to East Lansing so Coach P. can take the rath of her former fans
---Stanford potentially playing former staff member Beth Burns on her home court, potentially playing Amy Tucker's alma mater (Ohio State) and/or potentially meeting Tennessee in a rematch of last year's championship game

--why are ASU and Cal in the same bracket? And could it be any harder for them? ASU will play Georgia in Duluth. Cal will play in LA, but could meet a very seasoned Marist team in the second round. And then, in the end, there is UConn. I read somewhere that this bracket may be like driving in Thelma and Louise's car if you are not the Huskies. The visual works!

--Stanford finally got into some of ESPN's commercials, though Tara's appearance is a subliminal message compared with the time given Pat and Geno .

--who is Trey Wingo and why won't he go away?

--no one from Stanford will ever promise to pay back their scholarship at current tuition prices.

--first round games that I am eager to see are:
Villanova vs. Utah--'Nova s-l-o-w-s everthing down, so this should be interesting
Louisville vs. Liberty--how will the Cardinals bounce back from the drubbing they took in the Big East tourney from UConn
Notre Dame vs. Minnesota--2 teams going in opposite directions
South Dakota St vs. TCU--are the JackRabbits for real?
Rutgers vs. VCU--The Scarlet Knights have been sputtering but get to play at home

--can't complain about the Final Four picks of Kara and Carolyn, now can we? Hope they're right!

--Since I can't get to San Diego, I am ready to assume the full couch potato position for this weekend! How 'bout you? Is there any better time of the year?

--As our Team starts on the March to the Arch, here's wishing:
--Jayne keeps getting double teamed while Nneka is standing alone under the basket waiting for her usual assists. Then they give up the double team and we know what happens then.
--Jeannette and Kayla keep up their steady and heady play.
--Sarah keeps inspiring "B-O-O-O-O-T-H-E"s.
--Ros keeps hitting those 3's.
--Jillian keeps being Jill the Thrill.
--Lindy keeps making those hustle plays and rainbow shots.
--Mel and Michelle keep contributing valuable minutes .
--Ashley gets in the books.
--Grace and Morgan are worn out from celebrating 3's.
--JJ keeps smiling.

GO STANFORD!!

Who Had the Hot Hand?

We had a great time at the Shootathon Monday night. It sure was a lot of fun to see the players in a relaxed atmosphere! And it sure was good to see Morgan out there shooting! She was the "designated shooter" for Hannah and did a great job.

So who was the top shooter?

GRACE MASHORE!

She totaled 269 out of a possible 300 points--WOW! Congratulations, Grace!

Here are the other scores--

Jayne Appel 234
Sarah Boothe 266
Ashley Cimino 262
Hannah Donaghe 262 by Morgan
Jillian Harmon 262
Michelle Harrison 259
Lindy La Rocque 259
Melanie Murphy 217
Nneka Ogwumike 250
Kayla Pedersen 260
Jeanette Pohlen 246

Ros will be shooting at a later date as she was not available on Monday.

If you pledged, you will be receiving a notice in the mail as to the amount you owe. If you didn't, you still can! Use the form here to pledge.

We always mix a little pleasure with the Shootathon business. Moonshots reigned as the 3 point shooting contest was won by Lindy. After many, many tries by everyone (Coach Amy was afraid everyone would be sore the next day!), Kayla sank the Half Court shot.

All $$ raised at the Shootathon this year will be used for the upcoming tour to Italy--I'll keep you posted later on how we did.

Shootathon on Monday!

Our next event is coming up on Monday, February 23--The Shootathon! This is our 2nd biggest fundraiser of the year, so we hope you will join in by pledging and attending. Lynne Klaeveman and Nancy Sabbag are doing a terrific job in putting this event together.

How does it work? You select the player(s) that you want to support with your pledge amount. Each player will take 200 shots with a maximum total of 300 points awarded. Players receive 2 points for a made outside shot (200 possible points) and 1 point for a lay-up (100 possible points). So as an example, if you pledge $1.00 per point and your player scores 245, your donation will be $245. Easy stuff! You will be notified after the event of the amount due for your pledges.

The funds raised by this year's Shootathon will go a long way in support of a Team Trip to Italy this year--see Tara's letter here for the details.

The event will begin at 7 pm with the players shooting for their pledges. While that is going on, we will be selling raffle tickets for the 3 point shooting contest. You pick the winning class and you will have a chance to win a picture of you with the entire team! A once in a lifetime opportunity with this terrific group that we have this year.

We'll also have a few Silent Auction items--hopefully, something for everybody to bid on.

This is a great time to see the Players in a relaxed setting--bring the kids and your camera!

You can find the pledge form here. We hope that you'll participate in any way that you can and that the nets are on FIRE so we maximize the pledges! If you cannot attend the event itself, feel free to pledge anyway!

Can We Sellout Maples?

VS

As of this morning, 4,086 tickets have been sold to this

Saturday's game at Maples vs. Cal.

Let's face it, folks, if this game isn't a sellout, it will be a great disappointment!

What more incentive is needed than--

--it's the Battle of the Bay
--both teams are ranked in the Top 10 nationally
--first place in the PAC 10 is at stake
--Stanford would love to avenge a loss from last month
--it's Pink Zone night in support of breast cancer research
--it's a chance to boo Oski
--it's Valentines Day
--it's Candice Wiggins birthday




Cal drew 10,126 in their home portion of the Rivalry series. Obviously, we can't do that, but we can do all that we can to show a national TV audience that Card Fans are serious about their team.

I know, many of us have our tickets in hand. So what can we do?

--if you don't have tickets and you were on the fence about going, get off it! Do yourself a favor and go to the ticket office this week instead of waiting in what may be a huge walkup.

--if you can't go, make sure your tickets are used.

--if you ever wanted to introduce someone to the sport, there would be no better time. It is sure to be a great environment. And I've always found, once you get someone there, they always come back! So invite your friends and neighbors. Heck, even invite your enemies as long as they are Stanford fans!

--take a group! Call 650-736-8191 and check for special discounts for groups of 10 or more.

--it is a little unfortunate that it is the Pink night, so we can't show off our Cardinal. So, let's just flood the place in pink and consider that our color for the night. It would be a great tribute to Coach Yow as well.

--we all know that Maples can ROCK like no other place once we get it going. Commit yourself to a maximum effort, even if you are voiceless on Sunday! Remember the Tennessee game at home last year? Yep, like that!

--signs? goofy attire? beads? Pom poms? You know what to do!

This is our chance to pull out all of the stops.......LET'S DO THIS, PEOPLE!

Don't Wait---Nominate!

This season is flying by, isn't it? Seemed like just yesterday that we had an Auction--which was before Thanksgiving! Coming up real soon is the annual Fan Appreciation day on Saturday, February 21. This is a day to honor FBCers and volunteers at the Post Game tent.

There is always one very special presentation of the Margie Santillian Fan Spirit Award. This award was established in memory Margie, one of the original Uber Boosters for the WBB program. Margie was supremely dedicated to all things Cardinal and it is SO fitting that this award bears her name.

I have told this story before, but here is an example of Margie's fandom--we once traveled to Oregon State for the game. We were quite rushed and only had time to pick up tacos from a drive-thru before the game. This was when OSU was our main competitor in the PAC 10 and we were tense. But the Cardinal prevailed! After that, Margie insisted that we all eat tacos before every game until there was a game was lost. Wouldn't you know that a long winning streak would follow? It took me a long time before I could look a taco in the eye!

So what's the award all about?

This award is presented annually to a member of the Fast Break Club who has enthusiastically supported the team and coaching staff during the basketball season, participated in some volunteer aspect of the Fast Break Club, promoted camaraderie among the boosters,
solicited new game attendees, season ticket holders and Fast Break Club members, and
attended one or more away games (not including Cal or any other Bay Area locations).

Do you know someone deserving of this award? Let the Selection Committee know before February 6th! Submit your nomination by email to Jackie Anderson, or speak to her at a game or post-game tent before the 6th.

Last year's winners, Dave and Marian Cortesi, are pictured above. And I am proud to say I am a past winner as well. Nothing has ever honored me more.

Tara's Coaching Tree

With last week's visits by the Washington schools and their respective head coaches, it got me to wondering about how many coaches are a product of Tara's teachings. Spending a little time with the FBC Alumni site and remembering some stuff on my own, I have compiled a pretty impressive list! Any way you look at it, our Hall of Fame coach continues to have a large effect on the Game!

Former Players

Jennifer Azzi owns Azzi Training, a company that offers online personal coaching, basketball training camps, and Wellness Days around the country

Ann Adkins Enthoven was an assistant coach at Stanford

Christina Batastini was an assistant coach at Brown University for a season and is the president and head instructor of the Batastini School of Basketball in Providence, R.I.

Leslie Crandell was an assistant men's basketball coach at Westmont College for two seasons

Milena Flores is an assistant coach at Princeton and has been assistant coach at University of Pacific, Lehigh and Yale

Regen Freuen is coach of the girls' basketball team at Mead High School in Spokane, WA.

Molly Goodenbour is head coach at UC Irvine, after two years as head coach at Chico State, a year as assistant coach at the University of San Francisco and three years as head Coach at Santa Rosa Junior College

Tara Harrington was an assistant coach at Cal State Northridge and Montana State-Bozeman

Anita Kaplan was an assistant coach at Santa Clara

Bobbie Kelsey is an assistant coach at Stanford and has coached basketball at Virginia Tech, Western Carolina, Evansville, Florida, and Boise State

Vanessa Nygaard is an assistant coach for the WNBA Washington Mystics after coaching with the San Antonio Silver Stars and Pepperdine

Kate Paye is an assistant coach at Stanford and was assistant coach at Pepperdine University and San Diego State

Martha Richards is head women's golf coach at the University of Texas

Olympia Scott is the founder of A Wonderful Life! Coaching, a life coach, motivational speaker and author

Charmin Smith is an assistant coach at Cal, after three years as assistant coach at Stanford, and a year at Boston College

Katy Steding is an assistant coach of the WNBA Atlanta Dream and was head coach at Warner Pacific College

Trisha Stevens was head coach at Boise State for six years, after being assistant coach for three years

Angela Taylor is Vice-President and General Manager of the WNBA Washington Mystics and was an assistant coach at Texas A&M, the University of Arizona, and at Stanford for two seasons

Charli Turner Thorne has been head coach at Arizona State since 1996

Val Whiting owns GameShape, a sports performance training facility

Lindsey Yamasaki is head women's basketball coach at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco

Jill Yanke coached basketball at Boise State

Former Assistant Coaches

Beth Burns is head coach at San Diego State

June Daugherty is head coach at Washington State after a long stint at UW

Tia Jackson is head coach of the Washington Huskies

Carolyn Jenkins is an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx

Julie Plank is the head coach of the Washington Mystics

Karen Middleton is an assistant coach at Illinois

Julie Rousseau is head coach at Pepperdine

In the Tarasphere

Dawn Staley is head coach at South Carolina and has attributed much of her coaching success the lessons learned as a member of the 1996 Olympic team

Nikki McCray and Carla McGhee are both assistants to Dawn at USC

Teresa Edwards has coached in both the ABL and WNBA

Heidi VanDerveer is head basketball coach at Occidental College

Did I miss anyone? I thought about Marianne Stanley too,

but she pretty much stands on her own as far as coaching is concerned!

So how lucky are we to watch as each season unfolds with

this Legend on our sidelines?

A Holiday Poem

Twas the night before Christmas
And in Cardinal Town
Everyone was feeling
A little bit down

“We lost to the Dukies
And those darned Lady Vols
We certainly don’t feel much
Like Decking the Halls!”

But Santa was ready
For such loss of spirit
“Don’t be so whiny!
I don’t want to hear it!”

“You’ve Ros, Jeanette, Jayne,
Lindy, Hannah and Mel
And you shouldn’t forget
Kayla, Jillian and Michelle!”

“Add Sarah, Ashley, Morgan,
Nneka, JJ and Grace.
Now that is a group
To bring a smile to your face!’

“You’ve got the best Coaches
In all of the land
And then not to mention
The Tree and the Band!”

“So do not despair
As all will be fine!
It’s not 2008 that counts
But April 2009!”

With that the skies opened
And all did rejoice
We can’t help but love them!
We just have no choice!

So get ready for wins galore
They’ll soon be in sight
Merry Christmas to All
And to All a good night!

Greetings from Charleston, SC

Have been spending a couple of days here in Charleston between games. It is 78 degrees here and 90% humidity--a fact I am all too aware of having packed a suitcase full of turtlenecks and sweaters. This is such a lovely city. What a difference from Durham, NC!

Durham was dark, foggy and depressing--and that was before the game! While I am sure it is lovely at times of the year, right now is not one of those times. Some of the buildings on campus are magnificent, including Cameron Indoor Arena. There is one major flaw for spectators, however, as there are no aisles in the lower stands so you are being crawled over continuously. This was no so bad when we were ahead, but my crabby quotient kept going up exponentially as the game moved on.

We had a hearty group of parents and FBCers on hand--we sat with Grace's dad and loved his upbeat attitude and major lung power. Cameron gets REALLY loud--think Mac Court loud, tin roof and all. The game was really ugly as you saw, though I suspect you didn't get to see some of the "finer" moments. Right in front of us, Jill shot a three and got clobbered--Dee Kantner was withing 3 feet of her, but was watching the shot and didn't see it. Jill hobbled down court and had to go out for a significant period of time--scary, scary stuff considering her back issues.

But the story was free throws, as we all know. So onward and upward. Off to Columbia to take on the other USC, a day in Asheville and then to Knoxville.