World Cup Fever has taken over the universe and we here at Casual Hoya are not ashamed to do whatever and whoever is needed to keep our loyal casualites/casualties up to speed on the latest news.  For starters, we have put together a panel of soccer EXPERTS to get you up to speed on the epic USA vs. England match on Saturday. But first, some introductions.

Representing the Tories is SirHoya, who wants everyone to know that despite his US citizenship and immense love of this country (and support for all its teams) - on this stage, for this prize, his corner of this foreign field is, forever, England.  He also cries when watching this: Carlsberg Team Talk TV Ad.  You can easily spot SirHoya at all Georgetown games, he is the guy yelling "Donkey" at all the refs.

Representing the Yanks is Rocktavius, proprietor of Stars and Gripes, the greatest US soccer blog on the planet.  Nothing will get in the way of Roctavius and his favorite sports teams.  He once walked two and a half hours, from Crystal City to the Irish Channel Pub, in the worst snow storm DC has seen in a century, all the while holding his head up high and a cutout of Joe Biden.

Enough with the Introductions, Bring on the Hijinx!

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Maybe we here at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON are taking a little too much joy in Syracuse's loss to Butler, but you know what, who cares!  While Georgetown's season screeched to a halt against the clearly underrated and MAC power Ohio Bobcats, let's face it, that was just so last week already.  So to get you pumped up for Butler's battle with Kansas State, here's a little catch up session with our new best friends.  Once again a special thanks to Kevin Knaus and the Dawg Pound for providing us with answers to our penetrating questions on such short notice.  Kevin, this gratuitous picture of a half naked woman in a bikini is for you.  And yes, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the Hoyas thrashed Butler this season in the Jimmy V Classic. 

So I put my hands up, they're playin' my song, the butteflies have gone away.  It's a party in the USA!  (via cache2.asset-cache.net)

CH: What happens in Indy if Butler makes the Final Four?

First, Butler in the Final Four would be terrible for Indianapolis business. Butler fans aren't going to stay in the hotels, eat in the restaurants, or pay high prices.  They will drive to the games and drive home.  Secondly people will finally realize that, yes, Butler has a basketball team and that they should be underrated and ignored no longer, and we could only attempt to imagine the celebratory chaos that would break out on campus.

What has the atmosphere been like on campus during the Tourney run? Did more people than usual get to make out after the win against Syracuse?

The atmosphere on campus has been nothing short of chaotic.  Classes have been skipped, canceled, ignored, or let out early.  Butler apparel has been flying off the shelves and local television news crews roam campus interviewing students at will.  After the defeat of Syracuse, the main street was closed and hundreds of students poured into the rain, to dance, scream, and yes, one can only assume, make out.

More with Butler after The Jump:

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What, did you think were weren't going to deliver?  Just because you wouldn't know the Ohio Bobcats from the kid that delivers your morning paper doesn't mean that we here at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON are going to ignore them.  Today we're going to the depths of the MAC to unearth everything you need to know about Georgetown's 1st round opponent.  Special thanks to our three new best blog friends, Drew, Oriana and Jack, from Ohio for providing us with the answers to our penetrating questions.  Ohio dudes and gal, this Coors Light is for you

Casual Afro  via i.cdn.turner.com

CH: The only player I know who went to Ohio was Gary Trent, AKA 'The Shaq of the MAC.' What ever happened to Trent?

D: Trent was drafted by Milwaukee in '95 and jumped around a number of NBA Teams before retiring with the Timberwolves in '04.

J: Yeah, Trent was a journeyman pro, but if I remember correctly he played a meaningful role on the Timberwolves team that went to the Western Conference finals with Garnett, Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell. Trent was also a real asshole, according to my brother, who attended Ohio and ate at the same dining hall. You know, third baseman Mike Schmidt also went to Ohio-dude's in the Hall of Fame!

More with Ohio after The Jump:

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Revenge Tour 2010 rolls on tonight with a rematch against the Golden Eagles of Marquette in the SEMIFINALS OF THE BIG EAST TOURNAMENT.  As usual we here at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON are bringing you inside the ropes, outside the lines, and straight upside your head to bring you everything you need to know about our next opponent.  Special thanks to Marquette blog Anonymous Eagle for providing the answers to our penetrating questions.  Be sure to check THIS OUT for our answers to their questions.  Fellas, this Coors Light is for you.

Bring it.   via paganshop1.com

CH:  Who is this Johnson-Odom guy and does Georgetown need to fear him?

DJO is a JUCO transfer who originally hails from North Carolina. He was a junior college All-American and one of the last players to commit to Buzz Williams' '09-'10 recruiting class. He was hobbled by a bum wheel early on, but Coach insisted from Day One: this guy is instant offense. And he's been right more times than not.  You'll know early on whether Georgetown should be afraid of DJO. If he hits his first few shots, he'll keep gunnin', and he can put up points in a hurry. If his shot is off, he'll probably start deferring to Lazar Hayward and Jimmy Butler, and you won't have to be concerned.

Admit it: You're just happy to be in the semifinals and don't really care if you win or lose. The city of Milwaukee is more focused on the Brewers spring training camp and the resurgent Bucks.

We had four overtime games in about 10 days, followed by two BEast tourney games that went down to the wire. At this point, I'm just happy I haven't coded.And isn't Washington more focused on whatever marginal free agent Dan Snyder is going to sign to an 8-year, $100 million contract? He's gotta be like a junkie in an opium den with the uncapped year, right?

Casual Hoya has anointed this Big East Tournament Georgetown's Revenge Tour 2010 since the Hoyas have faced all teams that it hadn't beaten in the regular season (USF, Cuse, now you jerks). No real question here.

So ... you're rooting for West Virginia and Notre Dame in the other quarterfinal games, then? (Casual Note: Yes.)

More Sleeping With Marquette after The Jump:

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Oh, man.  Here we go again.  Georgetown versus Syracuse.  Hoyas versus Orange.  Good versus Evil.  Man versus Food.  The curtain to Act III of the biggest and best rivalry in the Big East rises at noon, but first here's another installment of our feature that brings you inside the ropes, outside the lines, and behind enemy territory to get you all the info you need to know about the Syracuse Orange.  Special thanks to Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician, our biggest rival for Big East blog supremacy, for valiantly stepping up to the plate and answering our penetrating questions.  Be sure to check THIS for our answers to some of theirs.  Troy Nunes, this Coors Light is for you. 

In prison they make you wear Syracuse garb.

CH: Syracuse had 34,000 strong for the big game against Villanova last month. I'll admit it looked pretty casual on TV and it was nice that you had Erin Andrews parading around the Carrier Dome, but why not just move the damn court to the middle of the Dome so that 50,000 fans could have attended? It's not like there's anything better to do in Cuse on a Saturday night!

It's a valid point. We've wondered for a while now why they don't give it a shot. Based on the initial feedback from the Nova game it sounds like it's something SU will attempt in the near future. The only person who seems to be against it is Jim Boeheim...and if anyone has the pull to put the kibosh on things...it's Jimmy. So we'll see. If not for Syracuse games, I think you'll start to see the move made for when the Dome hosts NCAA Regionals in the future. That's the way things are going in general.

What's it like to be ranked #1 and then blow it by losing to Louisville for the 2nd time in 3 weeks?

It was a bummer. It was awesome to be No. 1 and finally get that validation. By losing right away, it sends out the signal that we aren't quite ready for that kind of rep. True or not. Not to mention the fact that it's official...we can't beat Louisville. We hate you guys but at least we can beat you when the time calls for it. With Louisville, they've got some kind of kryptonite that we can't seem to get around. Maybe it's Pitino, maybe it's their three-point shooting, maybe it's their affinity for random bench players having career games against us...maybe it's all three. It's something all Syracuse fans are miffed about. Yeah, I said miffed.

More fun with Troy Nunes after The Jump:

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A weird and scary week for the Hoyas that started with the game against Notre Dame will come to an end with the regular season finale againat the Bearcats of Cincinnati.  As usual we here at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON are taking you inside the ropes, outside the lines, and behind enemy territory to bring you everything you need to know ahead of tomorrow's clash.  Special thanks to The Bearcats Blog for providing the answers to our penetrating questions.  This Coors Light is for you.  Before you dive into the Q&A, please click the below to get a taste of the beautiful city of Cincinnati, Ohio.  Enjoy.

CH:  Lance Stephenson came equipped with the BORN READY nickname. After a year of watching him play, what would you call him?

I would call him PLAYS ERRATIC. He has all the talent, but he hasn't figured out how to put it all together every night. He'll put up 20 one game, and you'll think "Here we go, the light came on." And then he'll score 6 points the next game and you'll wonder if he even suited up. The Louisville game was the best example, as he scored the first 12, then put up 0 the rest of the game.

The Xavier-Cincy showdown has become one of the top rivalries in college athletics (and certainly in hoops), with nastiness even spilling into the stands. What’s the worst thing about Xavier?

I'll skip the fans are [male reproductive organs] who think Xavier's program is holier than thou because they are a Jesuit school and UC players got in trouble. Back in like '94, when Gillen was the coach, the game was really heated. Dontonio Wingfield flipped off the student section during intros, and the players and coaches cussed at each other all game. Near the end, Xavier coaches allegedly grabbed their crotches at a timeout. Bob Huggins famously didn't shake Gillen's hand, and Gillen acted like a [female dog] about it. I hated Gillen before that, but it only made my hate increase. Gillen left Xavier, like all their coaches do, but has since started doing commentary. He is the [bloody] worst, and every time I hear his nasally voice I think back to how much of a [butthead] he is, and blame Xavier for hiring him, making it possible for my hate.

More fun with The Bearcats Blog after The Jump: 

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As much as we here at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON hate that Notre Dame is in the Big East, we nonetheless have to act professionally, do our jobs, and treat Notre Dame's head coach with the dignity and respect he deserves.  Today we're bringing you everything you need to know about the Fighting Irish ahead of the clash with our heroes from Georgetown.  Special thanks to casual Notre Dame alum 'KatieND1' and Notre Dame blog Rakes of Mallow for providing the answers to our penetrating questions.  KatieND1 and Rakes of Mallow, this Coors Light is for you.  Actually, KatieND1 may prefer this beverage.  Onto the Q&A...

       Harangody not quite 5 foot nothin', 100 and nothin'.  via SMH

CH:  Who will be a bigger flop at the next level: Jimmy Clausen or Luke Harangody?

KatieND1:
Without a doubt Clausen. expectations are crazy high, too high. Plus he's a little shit with no real leadership skills and a giant ego. Kind of like Brady Quinn, but with no heart or work ethic.

If Harangody stays healthy, he'll make an impact with some team. Although the last few games with Gody out, the Ewing Theory has been on display full force.

Rakes of Mallow:
Seems like it would be unlikely that Harangody could be considered a flop, considering he's not even projected as a first round draft pick. I think Clausen will be fine, although it's always sketchy projecting any quarterback to the NFL.

Other than Harangody, who should the Hoyas be worried about on Saturday?

KatieND1: 
I wouldn't worry about Harangody too much if he's still on the bench which is likely.

Tim Abromaitis has been ridiculous this year. I think I read that he's scored double-digits in all but 3 games. He's consistent outside and fast. The freshman coming off the bench (Cooley and Broghammer) have also been solid in Gody's absence.

Rakes of Mallow:
The combination of Ben Hansbrough, Tory Jackson and Tim Abromaitis have all been playing well, and it'll be interesting to see how they try to match up with Freeman and Wright.  Abro's probably got the highest upside of anyone in the group, as he's shooting 49% from three and also finding his way to the rim more and more each game.  He's got two years of eligibility left after this year and could turn into a special player.

More with Notre Dame after The Jump:

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This feature would be a lot easier to write if our enemies over at Card Chronicle would be as good at blogging as their head coach is at paying players and bending women over tables in restaurants.  Unfortunately, we have just been alerted that we won't be getting the answers to our questions because the guys over at that blog have been too busy over the past week to get to them.  Too busy? In Louisville?  What, was the barn running out of hay?  Come on!  

Where amazing happens.  via cache4.asset-cache.net

We here at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON have been doing this feature for every single game of the Hoyas season, and there have been only two schools that didn't send answers to our questions.  The first school to earn our eternal disdain was Savannah State, though we chalked that up to the fact that they had probably just received the internet and/or never witnessed anything quite like the Phenomenon before and were scared.  But Louisville is a different story.  The folks at Card Chronicle responded to our inquiry last week saying they would be happy to participate, and yet here I sit trying to fill a blog post feature rooted in a back and forth Q&A yet I HAVE NO ANSWERS.  WHAT ARE YOU HIDING, CARD CHRONICLE!

More hatred for Louisville after The Jump: 

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