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The Dagger

Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:34 am EST

Digger Phelps dances like nobody's watching

By Eamonn Brennan

When watching ESPN Gameday, I've often wondered, "Does Digger Phelps really think that tielighter thing is cool?" I mean, we're years -- not months or days, but effing years -- into Digger's use of the tielighter as his on-screen flair. Not only has he not ditched the look, he's come up with ever newer and more inventive ways of pulling it off. It makes you wonder if Digger actually knows people can see him on the television screenie thing.

And then I see this clip of Digger dancing at UCLA this weekend -- and yes, I will call that dancing, because it's roughly at my own skill level -- and I figure it out: Digger Phelps does what he thinks is awesome and he doesn't give a lick what you think, even if what he thinks is cool couldn't be further from it. Digger Phelps is the My Morning Jacket of basketball analysts. Minus, you know, the coolness. 

(HT: Bruins Nation, who calls Digger an "idiot" and a "toolbag." That seems slightly harsh. Oh, and this isn't the first time Digger's done this, either. It appears to be a tradition.)

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28 Comments

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  1. Ummmm
    1. Posted by Ummmm Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:34 pm EDT

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    It was at Cal, not UCLA...
  2. David
    2. Posted by David Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:21 pm EDT

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    Haha, I hate Digger's commentary, but if I were that dude in that situation, I'd be dancing, too. You fellas know what I mean.
  3. luke M
    3. Posted by luke M Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:00 pm EDT

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    Awesome
  4. Bell Curve
    4. Posted by Bell Curve Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:28 pm EDT

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    Uh, the game was at Cal. Yes, there is a school known as Cal with a men's basketball team. They're actually pretty good and they play in this league called the Pac-10. Maybe if you could pull yourself away from the ACC and the Big East (and maybe the NFL scouting combine. Yeah, I know you edit Shutdown Corner, as well) for a little while you could actually watch one or two of their games. Saturday would have been a great opportunity as it was the first time ESPN had televised a game in Berkeley (that's where Cal is located) in more than 10 years.
  5. Chris L
    5. Posted by Chris L Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:16 pm EDT

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    That was one of the funniest videos I've seen in a while.
  6. Bell Curve
    6. Posted by Bell Curve Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:28 pm EDT

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    I just realized this wasn't posted by MJD, so I apologize for the NFL combine remark. The rest of my comment stands, though.
  7. Rick J
    7. Posted by Rick J Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:10 pm EDT

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    He is making movements with his hips and groin suggestively towards cheerleaders who are young enough to be his granddaughters. Pretty disgusting!
  8. Davv
    8. Posted by Davv Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:38 pm EDT

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    Epic fail
  9. A Yahoo! User
    9. Posted by A Yahoo! User Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:01 pm EDT

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    Bruins Nation called him a wimpy toolbag. Get the facts right next time.
  10. tim
    10. Posted by tim Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:11 pm EDT

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    "Yes, there is a school known as Cal with a men's basketball team. They're actually pretty good and they play in this league called the Pac-10."
    Ummh -- I just wanted to point out what you just said versus what he said. He said UCLA. You said Cal. Now, your statement could be taken a little bit better if they weren't, ya know, in the same conference. Considering UCLA is in the Pac-10, I think that means that he does keep up with the Pac-10 as well. He messed up a school. Oh no! That didn't lessen my enjoyment of his article one bit. The point of the article was not about the cheerleaders but about Digger Phelps, whom last I checked does not play for any college basketball team.
  11. Michael C
    11. Posted by Michael C Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:06 pm EDT

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    Well true this article is about Digger Phelps, but get the facts straight the game was at CAL not UCLA. Also to make matters worst there are CAL cheerleaders dancing with Digger thus showing that the game is in Berkeley not LA. So in all get your facts straight before posting things.
  12. angeleyes325
    12. Posted by angeleyes325 Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:54 pm EDT

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    big f'in deal, cal was playing ucla, so either way, it was a ucla game, despite the fact that he got the location wrong, it was still the right state, and the team he mentioned was participating in the game...get over it and actually focus on the story at hand, not some tiny little mistake...or are you too busy climbing a tree in protest of something again in berkley?
  13. lagoogler08
    13. Posted by lagoogler08 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:55 pm EDT

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    great video, but isnt it kind of blatant that those are California cheerleaders. the hint would come from the huge CAL across their "shirts".
    GO HUSKIES
  14. Beter Gladstone Majilang
    14. Posted by Beter Gladstone Majilang Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:10 pm EDT

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    He was the Fighting Irish coach while I was studying at Andrews University in the early eighties.Wasn't into that kind of stuffs then as far as I can remember.How things change!!
  15. Bryan S
    15. Posted by Bryan S Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:05 pm EDT

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    Tiny dancer. Tiny, Tiny Dancer!!!!!
  16. I have to poop
    16. Posted by I have to poop Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:14 pm EDT

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    I don't think his dancing is good by any means but compared to his analysis on basketball he is Fred Astaire. Digger Phelps knows very very little about the game of basketball for how long he has been around it. Just watch his analysis and picks on games. He is wrong 100% of the time. Absolutely pathetic. He has picked every single Saturday primetime game wrong this year. 0-14. Yep 0-14. His analysis before the games on what he thinks will happen is always so far off i wonder if he even knows who plays on certain teams(except for his beloved Notre Dame of course). He can't pronounce anyone's name right either. If i have ever seen someone gravy-train something into a well-paid profession, he is the example. The only thing he is remembered for is being the coach who ended UCLA's 88 game winning streak. That's it. 20 years as coach while having some of the greatest college players on his teams and he went to 1 final 4 when there were much less teams in the tournament. This guy is the biggest joke i have ever seen and i am being nice about this.
  17. Bell Curve
    17. Posted by Bell Curve Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:28 pm EDT

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    I hate trees. A tree killed my father.
  18. thegaffer
    18. Posted by thegaffer Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:04 pm EDT

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    tim r (post #10) err, right. cal / ucla, duke / north carolina, red sox / yankees, what's the difference? they all play in the same league don't they?
  19. Rick J
    19. Posted by Rick J Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:10 pm EDT

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    Good post meatsword.
  20. Rick J
    20. Posted by Rick J Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:10 pm EDT

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    While Digger is dancing, he is thinking about killing two birds with one stone...his fantasies of getting with a college cheerleader and having a threesome being lived out at the same time.
  21. Spartan Court Jester
    21. Posted by Spartan Court Jester Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:57 pm EDT

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    Digger is dancing because he has managed to carve out a career despite having no skills worth mentioning, especially in dancing. Stop it Digger, people ARE watching, unfortunately.
  22. mdickens@...
    22. Posted by mdickens@... Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:46 am EST

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    Can't blame him a bit. Digger - livin the dream! The crowd certainly seems to be enjoying the show.
    A college basketball fan in Kansas City
  23. nkscouting
    23. Posted by nkscouting Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:39 pm EDT

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    Digger Phelps was a great coach. Is he married now? Single? If he's married, why is he dancing with cheerleaders? He should be dancing with the California Bear. Someone Google and see if he's married. Bizarre!
  24. noudidnt
    24. Posted by noudidnt Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:14 pm EDT

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    As if I needed another reason to hate basketball!! .....I just threw up in my mouth a little!!!
  25. Ray E
    25. Posted by Ray E Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:30 pm EDT

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    Digger Phelps = Elaine Benes with a tielighter

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