Familiarity breeds contempt

Even in sports. In the all name game of the day, the N. Texas "Mean Green (Eagles) " tangle with the Louisiana Lafayette ''Ragin Cajuns" for the 3rd time this season and 6th time in the last 13.5 months. 6? That's right, and L/L has won 4 of those, including both this season. Truth be told, I haven't see either one of these teams, there are many people who I'm sure are more insightful about these teams than I. On paper, they appear to be about equal, both RPI'S, 233 L/L and 240 N.T. exemplify that. So why North Texas?

L/L won the last game between these 2, 105-74, and put up 60 in the second half. I sense a "little salt in the wound" inflicted by the Ragin Cajuns that game. Embarrassing a team can come back and haunt you, look around, last night FSU payback vs UVA after losing 56-36 there. Marshall, after losing by a number higher than I can count, bounces back and beats USM. And there are more. Now I'll grant you those paybacks were on their home floors, but I think the result would have been the same if they played on a 6th grade playground with 8 ft rims. Pride. Today's game is on a neutral court in Arkansas. This is the first game for L/L on a neutral court, while the Mean Green check in @ 2-1 at a neutral site. N.T. closed out winning 3 of their last 4, and 4 of the last 6. That's a team heading in the right direction.

It's still difficult to beat the same team 3 times in one season and apparently the oddsmakers agree. Not a game I would bet the bank on, but North Texas looks like the right side to me.

Mean machine, mean machine, er, make that-

Mean Green -2, (and not the kind you smoke, get your mind out of the gutters)

Good luck to all!

Wiz, that's what it's all about. Muggsy Bogues had a writeup about the USM/MARSH game. There are so many games out there, it's hard to be on top of them all, in fact for me, impossible. In any event, I opted to play MARSH in the first half and won. He brought the game to my attention though.

CAP, Thx