After my Fighting Illini came out in the second half and shoved Northwestern into their lockers after being down 15 at half, there is finally a Rothsteinism for Brad Underwood's boys. Obviously tweak it to "Here comes the paign," and we're in business, but for the first time since '05 there is palpable National buzz for the Illini.
I am not going to be slotting this on the top 5, because quite frankly, it doesn't even come close, but before I get into ranking my top 5, I'd be remised to not mention the positivity that Rothstein radiates. For those of you unaware, for years, he would tweet "Stay hungry, stay humble," every morning at 7am, and has since pivoted to fit with the times by tweeting, "Stay Positive. Test Negative." While the whole country is rightfully up in arms about the Capital Building being breached, Rothstein was tweeting about COVID cancellations, hand surgeries and mid-major scheduling changes. His love for college basketball is so pure that it rivals what other's have for their own children. When it comes to College Basketball, there is no one better than Jon.
5.
Life, death and Villanova making the tournament under Jay Wright. Set your watch to it and see you in March, it's like investing in Amazon at this point, you know you've got a solid foundation for your portfolio and you're a fool if you don't toss a few bucks on a Nova future every year, because you know they'll be in the mixx.
4.
Just a gentle reminder that Jon has never had a cup of coffee or wine, never golfed or never been to Europe. This one ironically started being tweeted out by Rothstein in 2016, the Rams first season without Shaka Smart who thrusted VCU into the National Spotlight. For reference, the Rams are currently 5-0 at home during the 2020-21 season. As for Shaka Smart, I think it's safe to say that 6 years of VCU home games led to his European trip having him doing more than signing his emails off with cheers:
A little hair dye and styling, Shaka completes his transition into Krusty the Clown
3.
Look at you go, Jon! I imagine the first time he tweeted this one out, he had the biggest belly laugh of his entire life because he knew the anarchy that would ensue in his replies. Most people enjoy the flashy play of teams like the Dukes, Dunk City Florida Gulf team and the dorks from Loyola a few years who made the Final Four a few years ago, but I enjoy watching the slow, methodical approach of teams such as Virginia, UNC and Wisconsin. Maybe its because I love watching teams grind it out with long possessions and defense. there's a high possibility that this is the result of watching exclusively Big 10 athletics for a few years of my life and cheering for the Bears, but there's nothing like winning ugly and UVA does just that.
2.
For Jon, it's because he's watching the 11 PM CST tip of Long Beach State and Cal Poly for the love of the sport. For the rest of America, it's because you're down bad and have convinced yourself that the under is the play because it's too late for these kids to pour in a combined 153.5 points. You sit up late at night, either watching a Reddit stream or watching the live scoring feed on the ESPN app, only to have the over hit with 6 minutes left in the game. All you know is pain, but you know that tomorrow's a new day and you'll be back to doing the same thing the next night. You'll need an extra cup of coffee in the morning, but not Jon. Never once.
1.
Undoubtedly, my favorite Rothsteinism. Quite possibly my favorite Dad joke of all-time, and you know that any guy who has married into a family with less than ideal in-laws sees this tweet and nods his head in approval while simultaneously having a shiver down his spine. Dreading the day where this becomes my reality, but until then, I can laugh and bet on the Mountaineers at home.
Honorable Mention
The edit is too much for me to handle. Having seen a children's Goat Rodeo out in Wyoming a few summers ago, I am able to confirm that college basketball scheduling in 2021 is in fact, wilder than a goat rodeo.
Stay Positive. Test Negative.