Tag Archives: John Calipari

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Tipoff Has Arrived

Basketball, , , ,

b-ballArriving just in time as soothing balm in this time of anxious trepidation: College Hoops.

Can I get a witness?

Can I get a Hallelujah?

Because . . . well, just because it’s our beloved college basketball, and . . .

Because even though consensus #1 Duke has a bench that would probably be a #6 seed, Coach K’s “best” teams recently have faltered come March.

Because thanks to a rule tweak, The Rick will again be able to call a TO from the bench when Ray Spalding can’t get the ball inbounds.

Because when it’s late, and our eyes are shutting, and we figure it’s time for bed, there will be Bill Walton’s delightfully bloviating non sequiturs to energize us for another little bit.

Because of Monmouth’s bench. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Tipoff Has Arrived →

Hump Day Hoops Report: Will Coach Cal Ink New Contract?

Basketball, , , ,

b-ballI had some funky dreams again last night. Got to stop that late night snacking.

But, hey, they’re nothing like the recent nightmares of UK AD Mitch Barnhart. Who, I must suppose, is waking up periodically in a cold sweat.

Dreading this scenario:

John Calipari is in his office, pen in hand, getting ready to sign that new contract for $8 mill/ season until death do us part, plus membership at Valhalla, Augusta National and Tiger’s new course in Dubai, a Rolls, a Bentley, Donald Trump’s slightly used private jet and mineral rights in his choice of 20 of Kentucky’s 120 counties.

Cal’s smiling. Mitch’s smiling.

Then, before ink hits paper, Cal’s phone rings.

Mitch hears this: “John, Tom Benson here. You know, we just fired Monty Williams. I was talking with Anthony — he’s our future — and he sure would love for you to come down to New Orleans and coach the Pelicans. I’m ready to make a deal you can’t refuse.” Continue reading Hump Day Hoops Report: Will Coach Cal Ink New Contract? →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Cramping & Conference Conflicts

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b-ballA bump in the suicide rate from Prestonsburg to the Purchase was avoided the other night, when the buzzer finally sounded and the Cats had finally finished off upstart Ole Miss, a 22 point dog. That the impending defeat was at Rupp in the SEC opener had the good ol’ boys hanging ropes from the rafters, figuring life might not be worth living if the Johnny Rebs hung on.

The circumstances of the game are a great excuse to share one of my favorite bits of shtick from comedian Robert Klein:

One of the most interesting of the ironclad safety measures was that my father insisted I wait one hour after eating before going in swimming; something about dangerous cramping. This was probably derived from some myth about a kid who drowned in the East River in 1924 after eating an entire pot roast. Waiting a bit after a meal before swimming is not a bad idea. But with true Ben Klein hyperbole, I was warned that if I didn’t wait one full hour and not a second less, I would instantly sink like a rock and die a choking, gurgling death. “You’ll go right to Davy Jones’s locker,” my father would say ominously.

I was therefore scrupulous about waiting the full amount of time, regardless of the hot sun and the sight of other kids swimming happily ten minutes after eating. Their parents were evidently irresponsible. The idea of waiting exactly one hour was etched into my brain like a mental tattoo, as if the food would know precisely what period of time had passed since I ate it. One hour – okay; fifty-nine minutes – dead. When I got a little older, my father explained that I really didn’t need to wait a full hour. The actual amount of time a child would have to wait before swimming depended on what the child ate, and my father was the arbiter at the pool or beach who would decide such things. “What did you have, a tuna-salad sandwich? With a pickle?” Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Cramping & Conference Conflicts →

Louisville Card File: Kentucky

Basketball, , , ,

joaniecardDecidedly Defensive. Yesterday’s smackdown was no place for the meek.

The game was a proverbial defensive bloodbath.

Despite that, one guy’s opinion, it was not the most intense defensive game Louisville has played. At least in my lifetime. But it’s a close second.

The Cardinals 46-50 L to Georgetown in the ’82 national semis topped it. The Hoyas outscored U of L 25-23 in each half. Patrick Ewing swatted away the Cards’ first three shots and, along with Ed Spriggs, Eric Smith and Mike Hancock battled the Brothers McCray and Charles Jones belly to belly, butt to butt, bump to bump, elbow to elbow in skirmishes that couldn’t have been more fierce in the paint had they been CGI enhanced.

Okay that’s for perspective, but enough history.

Yesterday, Montrezl Harrell, Chinanu Onuaku and Mango Mathiang finally wore down against the talent and length of UK’s bigs. Terry Rozier, Chris Jones and Wayne Blackshear, after giving all they had on D, were gassed at the end, after taking hits from Kentucky depth charges all day. Continue reading Louisville Card File: Kentucky →

Seedy K’s Hoopaholic Gazette (11/12)

Basketball, , , ,

hoopgaz3My name is Seedy K, and I’m a hoopaholic.

And, to all of you similarly situated, we are, as you surely know, but hours away from six months of satisfaction, starting Friday with the opening tip off of the ’14-’15 college hoops campaign.

In addition to following my beloved Louisville Cardinals in separate posts of their own, with recaps of every game, team updates and anything else that might be required to fill my/our addiction, I shall be providing these periodic journals. They shall be jampacked with perspective, facts, rumor, innuendo, opinionation, putdowns and shoutouts.

Come back often.

Let’s get the party started. Continue reading Seedy K’s Hoopaholic Gazette (11/12) →

Louisville Cardinals Decommitment; Mars Blackmon, the Culprit?

Basketball, Recruiting, , ,

dunikcard“It’s gotta be the shoes.” — Mars Blackmon

Because, in these parts, basketball recruiting trumps all news — other than hoops itself — we are now obsessed with ***** Antonio Blakeney’s abdication of his intention to matriculate for his higher education on the Belknap Campus of the University of Louisville.

ISIS. Ferguson. McConnell vs. Grimes. The Who Is The Baddest Boy Ray Rice vs. Adrian Peterson Pay Per View Smackdown. Reappearance of the Polar Vortex.

Fuhgettaboutit. If local reaction is a gauge, Blakeney’s decommitment is bigger than all that. And tomorrow’s vote for Scotland’s independence too.

So, U of L fans are looking for a culprit.

Why else would a kid come for a visit, say yes, he’s wanted to be a Cardinal forever, and then, ten days later, say, uh waitaminute?

If one were playing “Clue,” there would be an obvious guess.

Coach Cal. In the Blue Room. With a fistful of Nike®Bucks. Continue reading Louisville Cardinals Decommitment; Mars Blackmon, the Culprit? →

Sunday’s Short Shots: Fútbol, Cycling, Tennis, Announcing, Baseball and, of course, Hoops

Announcing, Baseball, Basketball, Cycling, Soccer, Tennis, , , , , , , ,

animated_sportsLost in all the current sports hoopla, America’s new love affair with fútbol, the culmination of Wimbledon, Joey Chestnut’s less than stellar W, Tiger’s return to the links, Kentuckianians, including Nerlens Noel,  competing in the NBA summer league and Fourth of July cornhole smackdowns is this red, white and blue reality.

In the national pastime, that would still be baseball, kids, LA Dodger Clayton Kershaw has pitched 38 consecutive scoreless innings.

Which is, like, four consecutive games worth of shutout hurling. Plus a couple frames.

Which is awfully impressive. Yet, still 21 innings short of the MLB record, held by another guy who took the mound at Chavez Ravine, Orel Hershiser.

By the by, Tiger Rick Porcello, who hurls tonight for Detroit against the A’s, has pitched two complete game shutouts in a row.

* * * * *

As I write, Roger Federer has just won a back and forth first set tiebreak against Novak Djokovic.

This Gentleman’s Final looks like it could be, might be a classic. Continue reading Sunday’s Short Shots: Fútbol, Cycling, Tennis, Announcing, Baseball and, of course, Hoops →

Monday’s Sports Musings: Baseball, Basketball, $$$ & More

Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, Soccer, , , , , , , , ,

reporterLast weekend was a special one for baseball fans around Kentuckiana, if not quite as memorable for IU and UK fans, as those who bleed red & black.

There’s something about competition where the elements are involved. (Tell me true, I know you never click away from a football game, played in a snow storm.)

And the rain that played havoc with the Louisville NCAA tourney regional, as well as many others, added to the drama of Kentucky vs. Louisville to advance in the post season.

WDRB columnist Eric Crawford was on top of his considerable game with this marvelous column about Sunday night’s battle at Third & Central, and those wet fans who stuck it out to the end.

* * * * *

The NBA Finals have all the makings of great theater. Continue reading Monday’s Sports Musings: Baseball, Basketball, $$$ & More →

Sunday’s Snippets: Triple Crown Edition (Plenty of Hoops Included)

Baseball, Basketball, Horse Racing, , , , , , , ,

joeyLet’s get the Triple Crown possibility, about which the C-J shall be foisting a dozen articles a day for the next three weeks until the running of the Belmont, so then I can move on.

As I’ve mentioned early and often, I’m not big into the horses. But I am a Kentuckian and would love for California Chrome to close the final mile and a half of the deal.

And I say that, even though lovey dovey feel good story about Dumb Ass Partners lost more than a bit of its luster yesterday. Co-owner Steve Coburn, who was probably in his cups — He seemed to have a libation in hand throughout the pre-race period — chose the Preakness trophy presentation ceremony on national TV to diss Churchill Downs for a lack of hospitality during Derby time.

His post-race “explanation” seemed a bit diffused, and, frankly, overblown.

Trust me, I’m the last guy who is going to apologize for Churchill Downs, which has gone corporata maxima in recent years, in an attempt to suck every last ha’penny from any soul, who would dare venture within a half mile of 4th and Central Derby Week.

But Coburn’s comments, as generalized and pissy as they were, seemed certainly out of place, and mighty ungracious. Continue reading Sunday’s Snippets: Triple Crown Edition (Plenty of Hoops Included) →

UConn Huskies Mush to Title over Kentucky

Basketball, , , , , ,

b-ballFrom the get go, let’s make a couple of things clear on this Tuesday morning, always the most bittersweet one of the year.

Today’s story is not whether John Calipari shall, as former Wildcat star Rex Chapman says, leave the real and true, forever and always la la land — the Big Blue Nation — and hobble off with a bad hip to LA LA to coach Kobe and whoever those other guys are that wear Lakers unis these days?

The story is not how many of the current Cats shall be one and done, if not “Succeed & Proceed,” and jump into the NBA draft?

The story is not whether today is the last we’ll hear the name of Tyler Austin Black, or how long it will take for him to be just another vaguely remembered anecdote to Wildcat lore like Humsey Yessin?

No, my fellow hoopaholics, this morning’s story is the University of Connecticut Huskies. Continue reading UConn Huskies Mush to Title over Kentucky →