For non-basketball fans, it was a game that probably did not win the sport many converts. The first installment of Bedlam was not an aesthetically pleasing affair. Neither team could get into the flow of their offense, there were no sustained runs, and Sean Sutton did everything in his power to keep the crowd out of the game -- to the point that he had one timeout left with more than 12 minutes left in the game.
Through all of the ugliness, one hero rose from the crowd. I speak not of Obi Muonelo and his amazing first half, nor Taylor Griffin and his career high 20 points. I am talking, of course, about David Godbold.
He refuses to square up to the basket when he shoots, he makes decisions with the ball in his hands that make you want to tear your hair out, and I'm fairly certain that Al Eschbach leads the fast break better than him, but David Charles Godlbold wins the Bedlam MVP Award.
For all of the (well-deserved) praise that Marcus Dove gets for his defense, the transformation of Godbold into a defensive stopper has flown under the radar. OSU spent the better part of the first half trying to get James Anderson free for some open looks, but he couldn't even catch the ball, much less get shots off. When Sean Sutton made the shockingly coherent move to give Byron Eaton the ball and simply let him abuse Omar Leary, it was Godbold who Jeff Capel switched to Eaton.
And then, when Marcus Dove fouled out, Godbold, in a gesture that -- if there is justice in this world -- should go down in history as among the awesomest in Bedlam basketball history, flashed the trademark Dove hand sign which, as I've said before, is one of the most obnoxious things in history.
Godbold is a senior, and will not play professional basketball. But he did intern at KOCO (BTW, conflict of interest much, KOCO? I'm just saying.) so perhaps we'll meet again down the road. Until then, I raise my (non-alcoholic) glass in honor of one of America's greatest heroes, David Godbold.
Unrelated: Anyone knowing the location of Tony Crocker's offensive game, please contact the authorities. It has disappeared. Also, I sincerely hope Sean Sutton can start enjoying the game again soon. He does not look well.
