Dealing With It

Basketball, ,

On the way to workout Tuesday, I heard Dolly Parton’s righteous version of Bob Seger’s “Night Moves,” with help from Chris Stapleton.

More than a half century on, it still cut to the core.

Still now I’m “tryin’ to lose those awkward teenage blues.”

Almost fresh, the missed moments of “tryin’ to make some front page drive in news” roiled through me.

I dunno, you’d think I’d moved on by now.

Apparently not.

But one of the lyrics resonated more presently on Wednesday morning after.

“Workin’ on mysteries without any clues.”

I mean, where do the if-it-wasn’t-for-bad-luck-they’d-have-no-luck-at-all Louisville Cardinals go from here? Continue reading Dealing With It →

U of L CardFile: Mississippi

Basketball,

Let’s start with that drawer.

The one in the kitchen that might contain what you need in the moment.

Flash light. Screwdriver. Grandpa’s rusty pliers. Tape. Scotch. Duct. Maybe some packing. A stray bobby pin. Rubber bands. Gorilla Glue. Some usable. Some already opened which won’t reopen. Box of matches. Tape measure. The Buc-ees fridge magnet your kid may you buy which you and her forgot about. A couple of screws from something or another. Church key. 18 tool Swiss Army knife. Wooden shim. Those spongy plastic things you put under an appliance so it won’t slip on the counter. A BandAid too grungy to use. A AA battery, and three AAA batteries. A spare handle to the outside water spigot.

THAT drawer.

I think I read somewhere that it was a Southern thing, those drawers. But we had one when I was growing up, and we moved here from Detroit.

Of course, I’ve got one now. To which I visit once a day at least.

The place you go to get the thingamajig to fix the issue at hand.

With Kasean Pryor and Koron Johnson out for the year, and Kader Traore out for at least another month, Pat Kelsey has needed to rifle through the equivalent.

 * * * *  *

Sometimes what you need for the task at hand is not in the drawer. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Mississippi →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Title Week

Football

One might have thought that playing with 12 vs. 11, and with the solemn but sacred spirit force of the Aggie Bonfire tragedy 25 years ago, that A&M would have taken down their hated rival Longhorns on home turf in College Station.

I did.

But these Aggies didn’t have the intestinal fortitude to prevail, like say The Bear’s Junction Boys.

So, I missed that one.

But . . . and it’s a mighty But . . . that was the only game I got wrong.

NC State over Mack Brown, mes freres, that was a gimme. Sayonara Coach, we really appreciate all you did and wish you and yours all the best in the future.

Tennessee over Vandy. It was tough, but predictable.

That Curt Cignetti would keep the pedal to the metal until the final gun: I-N-E -V-I-T-A-B-L-E. The Hoosiers went all Phillips 66 on the hapless Boilermakers.

U of L over Arch Rival. SMACKDOWN.

4-1 for the last weekend of the regular campaign. 61-22 for the season, my BOAT predictioneering.

And, now for Championship Week . . .

. . . this week’s winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Title Week →

U of L CardFile: Kentucky

Football, ,

It is said that the word “defense” derives from an Old French term, which originated around 1300 give or take a year from the Latin “defensus.”

The French term “defense” it is also reported by those who know etymology is a past participle “defendre.”

What, you wanted me to get right to it.

Pshaw.

If Fun is Bowling to those mired in a traffic jam along Shelbyville Road, Fun is  Giddiness for Cardinal fans, who finally have reached a state of exorcism on a frigid Saturday afternoon at Kroger Field.

Louisville 41 , Kentucky  14.

Demons be gone.

And, harkening back to the lede . . .

. . . Game Ball to U of L’s Defense.

Which brings us to my personal Play of the Game. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Kentucky →

U of L CardFile: Oklahoma

Basketball,

Had seriously short-handed Louisville — down two key contributors to start with, losing another on the first defensive possession of the 2d — somehow swept its way through the Bahamas, it would have been the greatest holiday gift since . . .

. . . I dunno . . .

. . . since you were nine years old and there’s a spanking new black 3- speed Schwinn Corvette sitting outside your apartment door. (Trust me it made one kid I’m really familiar with very very happy in 1954.)

Alas, it was not to be.

But be absolute certain of the paramount takeaway: This was no lump of coal.

The Cardinals fell to the Sooners 64-69 in the title game.

The Cardinals have zero to be ashamed of. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Oklahoma →

U of L CardFile: West Virginia

Basketball,

For any type of an attempt of astute analysis of U of L’s  79-70 OT W over West Virginia, I may have to get back to at some point later when I come down.

No, truth, I will have to get back to you. I’m sure that turkey-makes-you-sleepy thing will help.

For the moment, minutes after the Cardinals outlasted, outstrategized, outplayed when it mattered and outscored a plenty fair Mountaineer team, I am still more than a bit verklempt.

The victory was Winthropian.

Meaning ugly, hard fought, a slog of sorts, not a classic. Plus this one was in doubt until Pat Kelsey eschewed the motion, pass and cut offense, and put the game in Chucky Hepburn’s hands.

It’s the hair, Seedy, it’s got to be the hair.

 * * * * *

I had forgotten. Continue reading U of L CardFile: West Virginia →

U of L CardFile: Indiana

Football, ,

There have obviously been improbable results for Louisville Basketball through the years.

Either by the final result, or the manner of victory (or defeat), or the margin of said score at 00:00.

But, for the life of me, I simply at this juncture, about a half an hour after the buzzer, cannot remember one as beautifully dumbfounding and improbable as what happened this Day Before Thanksgiving 2024.

Louisville 89, #14 Indiana 61.

Louisville 89, #14 Indiana 61.

One more glance at the official box to make sure that is not a typo, that I am remembering correctly.

And one more repetition . . .

. . . because my fingers are so happy typing it out.

Louisville 89, #14 Indiana 61.

And the absolute truth, to use a well worn cliché, which absolutely is apropos, The Game Was Not Nearly That Close.

At 5:45 left, Kasean Pryor stole the ball, streaked down for a fast break slam, making the score 82-45.

+37.

 * * * * *

Game Ball to Pat Kelsey. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Indiana →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Rivalry Week

Football, , ,

Last weekend was one where I was pretty pretty pretty bold with my picks.

Kansas has been playing well of late. I’m still not sold on the whole Sanders shtick in Colorado. Although son is a fine QB. So, picking the Jayhawks seemed logical. Which proved a correct assessment.

Plus, as with interest rates, it’s fun when Prime goes down.

North Carolina has been reeling. BC in November is not a nice place to play. And I’ve had Mack Brown atop my Dead Man Walking list for weeks now. BC won. Tar Heel AD Bubba Cunningham finally had enough of Brown, saying sayonara a few days after my pick played out.

Ohio State, Texas and Louisville were all pretty easy choices. But hey.

In the PAC2 title game, I came thissssssssssssss close to tabbing Oregon State. But I didn’t. Had the game finished 20 seconds earlier, I would have registered my second perfecto of the season. But it didn’t. A truly back and forth affair was my miss of the weekend.

5-1 for the weekend. 57-21 on the season.

Not bad.

This week’s winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Rivalry Week →

U of L CardFile: Pittsburgh

Football,

Mea culpa.

I was not at the RR Yard for the game. Watched in the SeedyDome. With a couple of pals, one of whom — Bookstore Billy — I haven’t seen for awhile and is in from out of town. And Smarts. Then Billy’s son came by.

Given that the game got out of hand in the good guy’s favor early on, our distractions and bon mots and diversions and rehashing of tales told many times over took over the afternoon.

Usually, as odd as it may seem, I take copious notes from which I cull the swill I pass along as a game report.

Saturday I jotted down less than 20 words after the half, at which time Louisville led 27 zip.

Here they are quoted in toto.

In the 3d:

“Bell 68 y bobble sideline TD”

“FG”

In the 4th:

“Corey Thornton pick”

“3 QB 3 picks”

“TS still in game?”

“Dan Furman RB” Continue reading U of L CardFile: Pittsburgh →

U of L CardFile: Winthrop

Basketball,

There are games which must simply endured during a season, when everybody — team, coaches, players — just want to get to the buzzer with more points than the other side.  Then get outta there.

Friday night was one of those nights.

Louisville 76, Winthrop 61.

Don’t sweep the floor. Save the showers for back in the DennyDorm. Turn off the scoreboard, turn off the lights, get out, lock the doors before somebody dictates there’s more time to play.

A W is a W is a W is a W. (OK, it only counts as one, but you catch my drift.)

But that’s about it.

 * * * * *

It wasn’t so long ago I opined that several of the players reminded me of Dwyane Sutton. Not an alpha dog, but the glue guy who does the stuff a team needs to win games. Like Herb Crook back in the day.

J’Vonne Hadley is the fella I mostly see in that role. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Winthrop →