Second thoughts
Hamilton’s interview was only foul
The final 11 seconds of Florida State’s Elite Eight loss to Michigan on Saturday and the immediate aftermath were not a good look for the Seminoles or Coach Leonard Hamilton.
With the Seminoles trailing 5854, Florida State’s PJ Savoy missed a three-pointer with 13 seconds left, and Michigan’s Duncan Robinson secured the rebound. While Seminoles’ fans and bettors who wagered on Michigan (the line went off at most places as Michigan -4.5) alike screamed foul at the TV, Florida State’s Terance Mann stood inches from Robinson with his hands in the air.
TV cameras seemed to capture a Florida State assistant indicating not to foul. Mann seemed to follow orders as the clock ran out.
While overcoming a four-point lead with your opponent at the free-throw line for two shots seems like insurmountable odds, remember that Virginia found a way earlier this season to beat Louisville when down five points with 0.9 seconds left.
Anything could happen, but only after a foul is committed.
Reporter Dana Jacobson asked Hamilton after the game the question on all of our minds: “Why didn’t you guys foul?”
Acting slightly annoyed, Hamilton responded: “What are you talking about?”
When Jacobson started to reiterate the question, Hamilton’s response raised a few eyebrows.
“You think that the game came down to the final seconds of the game?” he asked.
When Jacobson clarified that she meant the decision not to foul, Hamilton said: “The game was over.”
Jacobson asked whether he didn’t believe that the players could get back into it with 15 seconds, and Hamilton responded, “You mean with 15 seconds on the clock? What were we down?”
“Put them on the line, they miss a few shots,” Jacobson responded, at which point Hamilton abruptly turned away, looking like he was walking off. However, he stayed, and Jacobson added that it was a “four-point ball game,” and the question was one that “the guys were asking at the end of [the] game.”
At that point, Hamilton diverted the conversation to Michigan, saying that they did a “great job” with a “great gameplan.”
After having several hours to cool down, Hamilton released a statement through the university’s Twitter account Sunday.
He said he wishes he “could have done better” in making postgame comments. He also said he was “impacted” by the emotions as he answered questions from Jacobson.
Hamilton also said Sunday that Jacobson was “doing her job” in asking the questions.
Props to Hamilton for recognizing an error in his ways, but the questions remains: Why didn’t you guys foul, coach?
Flipping out
Winning your first ever mixedmartial arts fight is a fantastic cause for celebration. But Drew Chatman’s choice in celebration cost him the victory he’d just achieved at LFA 36 on Saturday.
In some of the most bizarre scenes ever inside the cage, Chatman won his first bout after opponent Irvins Ayala knocked himself out.
As Chatman lay on his back, Ayala tried to throw a hammerfist, but his chin caught the knee of Chatman on his way down and turned his own lights out.
After the referee waved off the fight and awarded the victory to Chatman, he stood on the back of a knocked-out Ayala and attempted a front flip.
The completely unnecessary and disrespectful act got Chatman a disqualification and handed the victory to Ayala.