Villa’ and Toddzilla — Villanova easily wins their 2nd NCAA Basketball Championship in 3 years, right after it was reported that ex-trojan Todd Marinovich had been arrested not once, but twice last month for probation violations, and is still in jail, right now, where he belongs
According to legendary u$c Quarterback Todd Marinovich, he did not play a single game for the trojans while SOBER. Let that sink in for a moment. All those games, all those teammates, and all those coaches, and no one noticed or cared that their star player and field leader was WASTED during every single snap. Such is the legacy of Todd Marinovich and USC Football.
Who knows if Todd is referring to alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, or heroin. He has been arrested so many times, with so many different illegal substances, it’s impossible to keep track. He has been arrested in 1990, 1997, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2016, and now, 2018.
These most recent arrests, on March 19th and again 4 days later on March 23rd — “The Todd Couple” — are due to unspecified “probation violations.” Wanna guess if it was drug-related?
What makes it even funnier, or more pathetic, depending on your point of view, is that last year, at the age of 48, he made a miraculous comeback to Football! He threw 7 Touchdowns in his one game, a 73-0 victory, in some semi-pro bush league, before never playing again. They claim he injured his shoulder, but I bet you might be thinking it was something else entirely that sidelined him. A victory celebration that knocked him WAY off the wagon, perhaps?
Not only was he on the path to redemption, but he told the Press proudly that he was totally sober now, and that he was doing it for his two little children. I guess that inspiration wasn’t strong enough to keep him from humiliating his family yet again. I guess it’s not always wise to believe in Todd.
After his arrest two years ago, when he was found naked and holding drugs in his neighbor’s back yard, he avoided extended jail time on the condition that he stay out of trouble for 36 months. Alas, I guess he couldn’t stay on the straight and narrow for that long. So, he’s currently back in custody, in lovely Santa Ana, CA.
Despite this laundry list of repeat offenses, some people still see him as a sympathetic victim, of the disease called “addiction.” How many chances does this guy get? EIGHT arrests, repeated stints in rehab, plenty of financial support and family support, yet Todd(ler) Marinovich still elicits empathy? I say, save your love and encouragement for someone who won’t squander it. Some people are heroes, and some are just born villains, like Todd Villainovich.
Speaking of heroes, Villanova RESERVE Donte DiVincenzo came off the bench to score 31 Points and spark the #1-seeded Wildcats to a 79-62 laugher over 3-Seed Michigan. The Wolverines started well, taking a 21-14 lead (Football score for a Football school), but then a huge run by Nova turned the game around. Villanova took a 37-28 lead into Halftime, and never lost control of the game in the 2nd Half.
Michigan shot a miserable 3-for-23 from 3-Point land, and plenty of those shots were uncontested. After the shaky start, Villanova concentrated on shutting down Wolverine bigman Mo Wagner, who scored 11 Points in the first 5 minutes, but only 5 more all game, all in garbage time. That defensive strategy left UM perimeter shooters open, but they could not capitalize.
Villanova’s star player, National Player of the Year Jalen Brunson, had a horrible game, missing 4 out of 5 Three’s, going 4-of-13 from the floor for only 9 points (4 of those points coming in the opening minute of the game). That should have opened the door for Michigan, but Big East 6th Man of the Year DiVincenzo hit 5-of-7 Treys, scored 18 in the 1st Half, and 13 more in the 2nd to send the Wolverines home.
So Head Coach Jay Wright and Villanova cut down the Championship nets for the 2nd time in 3 years. Only a few teams have done that since John Wooden’s UCLA Dynasty. These Wildcats didn’t even win their conference this regular season, finishing 2nd to Xavier in the Big East. But they won the Big East Tourney, and got a #1 Seed (as did Xavier), and CRUISED through the Tournament, winning every game by at least 12 Points, and breaking all the records for most 3-Point shots made. But it wasn’t their hot shooting from downtown in this game (37%) that won it, as much as it was Michigan’s ice cold shooting from long-distance (13%), that LOST it. You can’t win if you can’t shoot. Live by the 3, die by the 3.
In a few days, the City of Philadelphia will enjoy its 2nd Championship Parade in 2 months, but I’d rather live in L.A., and here are 50+ reasons why…
UCLADal wrote,
Great pics T-H. As I’ve said before, some of your best ever! Well done.
As for Todd, I don’t know about a “villain”. More like pathetic considering all the chances he’s been given. For whatever reasons, responsibility has never been his thing. Some get it, some don’t. I hope his loved ones are coping as best they can.
| Link | April 3rd, 2018 at 8:34 am