A Chronicler’s Mea Culpa

Baseball, Sportswriting,

“Or, so it seemed.”

If only I’d read the tip from a wiser scribe than myself, you my ostensibly loyal readers might have read something here about the Louisville Cardinal Nine’s loss on Saturday.

But . . . well . . . I didn’t hear the advice . . . and you didn’t get a gamecap. Which you probably wouldn’t have read anyway, because the Cards lost, which generally is the proximate cause of fewer views among the fan base.

So here as Paul Harvey would intone is the rest of the story.

For some inexplicable reason, I wrote a lede to my planned Saturday game recap in advance. In which I used the term “CWS-bound Cards” even though the game had not been played yet. Continue reading A Chronicler’s Mea Culpa →

Super Duper: Cards Omaha Bound

Baseball,

The easy take, one arguably misinformed, is that the now once-streaking-until-they-weren’t CWS-bound Louisville Cardinals limped into the NCAA.

Uh, guilty.

The harsher view, the Stephen A-ish knee jerk bloviational rant: The Cards backed into the tourney. Hard, but one that got a few clicks, given how nastiness is a default character trait in these social media days. Negativitude seems to be an aspiration for many.

U of L lost 6 of its last 7. The coup de grace, a 13-11 L to lowly Pitt in the squad’s one and done appearance in the ACC tourney.

The promise of those two Ws (out of 3) in that season opening showcase near JerryWorld, kickstarting six and eight game winning skeins, seemed to have died on the vine.

Taking of season series against Super Regional participants North Carolina and Florida State were just, who knows. baseball luck. That the win over #1 seed VandyBoys in May was simply a midweek aberration.

Recent late season meltdowns fueled the dismay among fans of the Cardinal Nine.

Now, looking back with fresh eyes, and documentation that those takes were if not illformed at least of zero consequence, there might have been a hint of what was to come from that loss to the Panthers in Durham. Continue reading Super Duper: Cards Omaha Bound →

Seedy K’s GameCap: Cards 8, Canes 1.

Baseball,

The cleaning crews were scurrying about on Thursday (Practice/ Media Day) at the Jim. It was obvious the Cards from nowhere sweep of the Regional had caught the powers that be off guard.

The place was getting hosed down from stem to stern.

Snack bars were swabbed down and replenished with Cracker Jack and brewski in advance of crowds that bought out the joint within hours of when tickets went on sale.

It appeared that the effort had been going on for awhile.

Some tasks take time.

Like getting the interweb connection to Miami to work for the visitor’s meet and greet.

Some tasks turn in the proverbial blink of an eye.

The Cards fashioned the latter in the twice rain delayed Super Regional opener against Miami Friday. Continue reading Seedy K’s GameCap: Cards 8, Canes 1. →

GRC: The New Now: Hoopaholic’s Gazette

Basketball,

In my already sports-obsessed yout, I tried to emulate a few years older similarly addled neighbor friend across the street.

He collected game programs.*

*For those readers who might not understand. Once before the dawn of time in a world long ago far away, they’d sell programs at games. Rosters. Scorecards. Bios. Stories. Ads from the local dairy. Often a very cool cover graphic. Hence the origin of a no longer heard huckster cry, “You can’t tell the players without a program.”

His vast collection was pretty robust.

Mine, meager.

Somewhere along the way, a relative got me program from a Michigan football game. Underneath the roster list there was a pronunciation guide.*

*Not unique to the Wolverine squad — most schools, even today in media guides, provide such info if there might be a name hard to pronounce. 

Michigan football, at least back then, had more than a fair share. And not just players from nearby Hamtramck, then an enclave for Polish Americans. Evashevski. Oosterbaan. Skrepenak. Lazetich.

Which peripheral, actually legitimately related to the topic at hand meandering leads me to this, the rebirth of an era in college hoops when pronunciation guides are not only de rigueur but mandatory.

Which has led me to coin a new acronym, which has received the approval of fellow hoopaholic Smarts. Continue reading GRC: The New Now: Hoopaholic’s Gazette →

Diamonds and Pearls: Cards Sweep

Baseball, College Sports,

A 2 nil lead notwithstanding, worry wort that he is, your inveterate chronicler Seedy was seriously stressed after the top of the 1st Sunday night, when the Louisville Cardinals were facing surging Wright State.

Two plate crossings on the scoreboard, and the Cards still had the proverbial three ducks on the pond. With three outs left to work with.

Strike out swinging.

Inning ending 1 > 2 > 3 double play.

Coulda woulda shoulda been a Rocky Marciano first round knock out over Jersey Joe Walcott in ’53.

But nooooooooooo! Continue reading Diamonds and Pearls: Cards Sweep →

Seedy K GameCap: Louisville 8 , ETSU 3

Baseball, ,

Transparency here is imperative.

I have not paid as much attention to Cardinal baseball this season as I wished, as I have in years past.

It happens. Too often real life gets in the way.

Which is to say, I harbor zero belief that anything you read in this recap is anything approaching astute. Much of it many readers will already know, say “Duh” to themselves wondering why I’d dare to even comment. Others who watched the telecast on ESPN+ will go, “Hold on, Seedy’s just parroting stuff they mentioned during the game.”

Guilty. As. Charged.

If you decide to bail on the rest of this “insight” here and now, have at it. I might were I not actually writing to fulfill my contractual obligations with Glorious Editor.

 * * * * *

This first oddity I noted to myself, which wasn’t odd at all really, is that Dan McDonnell started the Cards quest for Omaha with Patrick Forbes on the mound. 4-4. A period of arm trouble kinda recently. And less than 40 innings of experience hurling at the collegiate level.

Well, as Seedy learned, Forbes was the Cards opening day starter. During which outing, he Ked 12 Texas Longhorns in an eventual 4-3 10 inning W over the SEC regular season champs. Though he didn’t have any Ws since March. Continue reading Seedy K GameCap: Louisville 8 , ETSU 3 →

Revival for Cardinal 9?

Baseball,

Because it’s how we roll here, let’s start this shoutout to the Cardinal 9, returning to a Quest for Omaha for first time in three seasons, with a concert last Saturday evening.

Music informs sports, one might say. Me. Or, vice versa?

“This is It”, right? What legit U of L fan doesn’t identify that ditty with a most special moment.

Mandolin maestro Sam Bush played that sweet little festival in Paristown over the weekend.

He who sort of invented newgrass music, and sort of adopted our burg as his hometown after growing up in Bowling Green, appropriately opened his ever energetic set with Grandpa Jones’ “Eight More Miles to Louisville.”

Then did Tim Krekel’s “All Night Radio.” Which could very well be the anthem for those of us who were 12 year old insecure chubbies, but found succor listening to WLAC through an earplug on his transistor radio beside his pillow.*

*God bless Mom and Dad, who never minded. 

Where was I when the lights went out?/ Up in my room listening to twist and shout
Hot summer nights by the window fan/ Out on the airwave, a big dance band/ On the all night radio…/ I gotta hear the new sound/ From across the ocean/ All strange and soulful,/ Full of new emotion

Now to the point — Louisville baseball is in need of a restart. Too many late season meltdowns in recent years. Continue reading Revival for Cardinal 9? →

Thursday’s Some Ado About . . .

Baseball, Basketball, College Sports, Fandom, Football, Media, Recruiting, Sportswriting

For a short while during my LEO stint, I had a copy editor with whom I had a, shall we say, testy relationship.

Not talking about then editor Cary Stemle, a friend and fellow sports/ music obsessive who totally understood and approved my modus operandi.

I forget the fellow’s name. My breezy, verbose, culture reference-laden style was obviously an anathema for him. He was prone to the pedantic. In extremis.

Along the way, I noticed some tweaks to my submissions that were becoming more vexatious. But, in a fit of maturity, I let them go without complaint.

Then, an issue came out in which he’d put a header over my column, which read to me anyway something like, “Here’s Another Stupid Nonsensical Article About Nothing.”

Pissed, I went to Cary, who given his other duties really hadn’t paid attention before the issue was published. I specifically recall we took a meeting with the guy, and a shouting match ensued. A new sports piece I’d submitted was during football season, and I inserted the totally cool acronym AFROS, which the Cardinal receivers had dubbed themselves at the time.

*America’s Finest Receivers On Saturdays. 

The fellow, totally clueless, did not understand, did not inquire and 86ed the reference. Continue reading Thursday’s Some Ado About . . . →

The Tortuous Path of a Sports Fanatic

Baseball, Basketball, Fandom, Football

If only I could heed my admonishment to my very own self.

To wit, Chuck, you care too much, this is not healthy.

But noooooooooooooo!

Oh, the ups and downs that can determine one’s state of mind.

On Tuesday, the Cardinal nine was upended by hapless Bellarmine.

Then my Detroit Tigers were down two going into bottom of 11th against the BoSox. This, after St. X grad Trey Sweeney kept them afloat in bottom of 10 with a game-tying RBI single.

Resurgent Javy Baez hit a walk off three run tater to win the game. His second three run shot of the night.

On Wednesday, the NFL released next season’s schedule. Continue reading The Tortuous Path of a Sports Fanatic →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Monday Evening PG

Uncategorized

U of L vs. UK hoops.

I’m on record as saying I’m not a fan of the game.

I hate it but accept that Kentucky has been the far more successful program during my lifetime. I’d just as soon not have to get all worked up annually, as I am inclined to do. Always grateful the day after, when it’s over win or lose.

Both schools have won nattys in a season when they lost to rival.

For me, the game is a nuisance. I realize I’m in the minority. And that it’s not going away. Though a tip on November 11 indicates some don’t consider it in the realm of Blue Devils/ Tar Heels or Hoosiers vs. Boilermakers.

Still I’ve been ruminating about the very strange timing of next year’s meeting between a couple of highly ranked squads on the uptick.

Early November. Middle of the week.

Most odd. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Monday Evening PG →