Why is Digger Phelps an analyst?

[hoyatown5168]

I just listened to Digger Phelps denounce Georgetown in every way possible, saying they had no desire when they played at ND and everything else imaginable. Then he gets to Notre Dame and says how great it is to have a 9-7 record in the Big East and how it will carry them to a NCAA bid. He then goes on to break down every player on Notre Dame, what they need to do to win, and analyzes them for about 7 minutes. Previously he trashed G-Town for all of about 45 seconds. If we all just listened to Digger, we might as well pencil in the Irish for the final four right now.

[FOTP]

Just mute it when he talks. THe guy is senile just like Vitale and has lost all sense of reality in his old druken Irish rage.

ND is a decent team and by no means an NCAA lock. No matter what the old man says.

[hoyatown5168]

He's easy to tune out most of the time, but when the Hoyas played at Notre Dame, for some reason he did that game on ESPN classic. 2 hours of hearing of how much the students love him and of his immaculate coaching career was not easy.

[FOTP]

I just watched the game in a noisy bar with no sound for just that reason.

He's an old fool who can string thoughts together.

[ShimmyJr]

dude don't forget his soliloquy on Pol Pot

[Cambridge]

Digger is insane. I totally agree about WV having a better resume. Here is Notre Dame's...I broke it down earlier:

CambridgeHoya said:

I'm not sure how that would be the case Digger...

A loss to Rutgers would definitely destroy the ND RPI, as it would count as a full neutral court loss (1) to a team with an RPI of 171 and a record of (8-18). I mean, I could be wrong, but I would think that that would drop them about 15 points in RPI, placing them around 75-80.

That coupled with their dismal away game/neutral court record of 4-7, with their only road victories coming against Seton Hall, West Virginia, Providence and Indiana...I would find it VERY difficult to believe that the committee would pass them through.

I'm not saying they would take us instead, nor should they, but I think the Big East would lose the bid altogether.

Interestingly enough, if we beat Seton Hall and Notre Dame lost to Rutgers, our resumes would be surprisingly similar. That's why I'm pretty sure, they would not go with a loss to Rutgers, because at that point there would be very little separating us from them and that is not a good thing for ND.

Here are our resumes, if ND falls to Rutgers and we beat SHU and loose to UConn:

Records:
Irish -- 17-11 (9-8)
Hoyas -- 17-12 (9-9)

RPI:
Irish -- 70 est.
Hoyas -- 80 est.

Away (Neutral) Record:
Irish -- 4-6 (0-1)
Hoyas -- 4-6 (2-2)

Good (Top 50 RPI) Wins:
Irish -- Nova, UConn, BC
Hoyas -- @pitt, @nova
I would argue, two away is the same as three at home...

Bad (100+ RPI) Losses:
Irish -- @michigan, Rutgers*
Hoyas -- Temple, @st. John's

Just, saying, I don't think we would deserve to be in, but it would be real, real, real hard to say that Notre Dame is a lock with a loss to Rutgers. I mean, they would be about as bubbleliscious as you can get. Their resume would be nearly identical to ours...and I don't think anyone would argue we should get the birth.

However, should Notre Dame loose to Rutgers and we beat SH and UConn then lost to whomever, then I think we have a shot at the dance. Look at this resume:

Record:
Hoyas -- 18-12 (10-9)

RPI:
Hoyas -- 65 est.

Away (Neutral) Record:
Hoyas -- 4-6 (3-2)

Good (Top 50 RPI) Wins:
Hoyas -- @pitt, @nova, UConn(N)

Bad (100+ RPI) Losses:
Hoyas -- Temple, @st. John's

[hoyatown5168]

exactly....they have done nothing on the road, and hardly anything OOC. A loss vs Rutgers and it will be real tough for them to get in. Especially after the Hoyas knock off UConn

[FOTP]

The ND resume is throughly unimpressive. I have no idea what everyone things they're a lock right now.

They have some nice wins at home, but historically the committee needs a team to do SOMETHING away from home.

We'll see...

[Cambridge]

Precisely. If they don't take care of business they will be a wallflower just like us.

[AustinHoya03]

Generally, I think Digger does a pretty good job. I've liked him more than ESPN's other talking heads in seasons past, and he certainly does a better job than Jarvis, who they usually have on with him. However, I can't remember Digger Phelps being such a Notre Dame rooter before this season. Sure, there were always references to his being the former Irish coach, and he tended to exhibit a Big East bias (which often resulted in Georgetown receiving his praise), but I can't recall him ever lobbying for the Irish like he has for the past six weeks or so.

There are two possible explanations for this. One, Digger has always been a Notre Dame freak, and ESPN isn't holding back his reins anymore because he has been there for a while and has done a pretty good job as a talking head. Kind of like Nicholas Kristof at the NYT: they let the man go anywhere to report on anything he finds personally important. Two, Notre Dame's PR machine is crazy good, and Digger is particularly susceptible to being drawn under its influence by virtue of being a South Bend resident/former Irish coach. I've seen this "but Notre Dame had the toughest schedule in the Big East" argument he keeps using mentioned by others (in print and on TV) as well. So unless other college basketball media types get all their ideas from Digger, which seems unlikely, I have to think the ND athletic department has been at work telling reporters how tournament-worthy the Irish are.

Most likely, its a mix of both that has made Digger more than a tad annoying over the past few weeks. He's been tainted by ND, and ESPN isn't telling him to tone it down.

Like I said before, I generally like Digger, and his infuriating ND lobbying this season probably won't change that too much, but it's pretty sad that someone who is supposed to be an objective analyst can be such a tool for the ND PR department.

[HoyaSox04]

Well, when your PR department has very thorough experience in putting a positive spin on hiring a coach that blatantly LIED on his resume, I would think that they could easily corrupt an old, crotchety alum like the Diggler...

[SFHoya99]

Dick Vitale is openly mocked by reporters and college coaches alike and ESPN hasn't told him to tone it down. Lute Olsen is widely given credit for "Dukie V" -- and nothing.

Digger's gonna get a wide berth. Too bad JTII only comments on the pros.

[coachmcguirk]

1. He's more telegenic that a lot of what they've got (Katz, Majerus, Jarvis, etc).

2. Nice ties.

3. ND partisanship aside, his analysis is usually pretty bland -- complements Bilas, who's a little sharper.

4. Having a decent nickname helps -- doubt "Scooter" Phelps would be working now. ;D ;D ;D

[Cambridge]

Suck it Digger.

[SoCalHoya]

He seems like a nice guy. But he's a nice guy who talked trash about our Hoyas and pumped up ND. So I hope he had a good time watching the Irish fade at MSG.

[Cambridge]

I was begging for them to send it back to Digger in the studio...but they chickened out and went to sportscenter.

I can't wait to see a sheepish Digger...try to talk them in now...I dare you.

[RBHoya]

CambridgeHoya said:

I was begging for them to send it back to Digger in the studio...but they chickened out and went to sportscenter.

I can't wait to see a sheepish Digger...try to talk them in now...I dare you.

LOL Ive been watching ESPN waiting for the same thing but no sign of him yet. All hes done all weak is talk up ND, and he always makes the same argument about how they had the toughest Big East Schedule, playing Syracuse, UConn, Nova, Georgetown twice and all that.

I cant wait to hear him now... My guess is he STILL says the Irish deserve to be in, even though they really havent beaten anyone away from home.

[hoyatown5168]

Don't expect Digger to discuss Irish basketball on ESPN again until November. THANK YOU RUTGERS.

[nychoya3]

You guys missed him on gamenight? It was a sight to behold. Let me try to recreate it for you:

Host: So, Digger, how about Notre Dame?
Digger: (looks visibly shaken) Well, they deserve to be in. (starts tearing out hair). I mean, they beat West Virginia this year. (starts sobbing uncontrolably.) I mean, I know I said WVU was in, but now, ND is in, and WVU is out for some reason. (bites head off of live bat). Finally, in conclusion, I really hope BC beats WVU tommorow. (this part, he actually said.)

Look, the guy is gonna be loyal to his school, but why bring him on if he's just going to shill for the Irish. There was not a dollop of objectivity in his analysis, just the anguish of a fan who's team probably played their way out of the NCAAs tonight against the worst team in the conference.

[FHillsNYHoya]

I don't think I've ever rooted so hard for another team in the BET................I LOVE RU tonight. At MSG, the Garden was so hard for RU (excepting those Domers who are fake fans) it was amazing. Stayed for the entire game even though I had no intention to do so after we pulled out that miraculous comeback. Please, please keep the Irish home on Selection Sunday ( I understand some might find this to be petty and not a good BE fan, but I don 't care......I don't like that Dukie Mike Brey or any of those guards. Have fun in the new ABA Chris Thomas....