All posts by seedyk

U of L CardFile: Ohio University

Basketball,

Fortunately for the University of Louisville Cardinals, they were not mired in a letdown after their last encounter, a resonant stupendous W over Arch Rival.

Unlike my compatriots, a bleary eyed crew along Media Row.

At least those who had covered the pigskin disappointment Friday night. An anecdotal survey indicated bedtimes ranging from 1:30 at the earliest to 4:00 am.

The Cards were out of the gate early against the feisty Ohio Bobcats, scoring on 6 of their opening 7 possessions. The other resulted in a turnover, the first of many many many strange calls by the Less Than Final Four quality crew of zebras.

Consecutive Isaac McNeely treys. 3 of 4 at the stripe. An ORB by Ryan Conwell, ending with a couple more FTs. Then just one more immaculate pinpoint Ali Khalifa dime to Conwell for deuce.

13-7 begat the first double digit lead at 19-9.

U of L kept the green clad visitors measured the rest of the way.

The final: 106-81.

It is a testament to the potential of this edition of the Cardinals, who playing a C+/B- game still beat a not awful foe by 25. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Ohio University →

U of L CardFile: Clemson

Football,

This shall be short, not so sweet.

No inclination here to go into detail.

Not going to sleep on it. Knock it out and move on to hoops.

Clemson 20, Louisville 19.

I can sense part of the narrative, given the buzz heading into this one about U of L’s QB situation. Which would be to place the L on Miller Moss’s shoulders.

Especially for the late sack, eliminating the possibility for a reasonable, makable FG.

My opinion: I don’t blame Moss.

That one play was the fault of the Offensive Line. Clemson’s defenders were all over Moss in less than two seconds. He didn’t have enough time to throw it away.

The second misdiagnosed villain will, of course, be Cooper Ranvier.

He doinked an extra point.

He missed a long FG attempt.

It happens. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Clemson →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: One Last Look Back

Basketball,

My name is Seedy K and I am a hoopaholic.

I’ve had a major relapse this week.

But I am jonesin’ no more for a win, a definitive win, a no questions about it domination over That Team. (Whatever mysterious pregame “distraction” Mark Pope might have been alluding to on Thursday that he may or may not have been using as an excuse.)

I am far from alone.

How do I know the town’s still buzzin’ about the Cards W on Tuesday night?

Other than all the red clad shoppers at my grocery stops, and not the usual number in blue?

The morning after, on really short rest — I couldn’t sleep very well from the emotions — I took my normal pre-dawn walk on Frankort Avenue.

Where a woman in a Cardinal jacket waiting at the bus stop, notices my Cardinal knit cap, and calls out “Go Cards!” Followed a block later by the same greeting from a fellow in Denver Broncos garb.

“Go Cards.”

I’ve been adorned mostly in red since the W over Arch Rival, and the shoutout has repeated itself several times. Often I’m the instigator. It’s been the singular conversation where I work out.

So, yeah, this one does mean more. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: One Last Look Back →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XII

Football, Gaming, , ,

Somewhere along the way, I obviously did something to perturb Wageranius, the Greek God of Betting.*

*Who actually ran a book in Athens during the glory years. Remnants of his parlor still stand right near the Parthenon. His website advert is almost in tact, “BetYourAss.cae” Yes, I’m advised they had some sort of computer thingie back then, with pulleys and magnets and dripping water or some such, invented I believe by Digitales, Socrates’ nephew. 

Not exactly sure how I got on his bad side, but my recent predictioneering has taken a turn for the worse, and something’s afoot beyond my lack of foresight.

U of L as everyone is aware couldn’t close. Iowa came with seconds of taming the Quack, but didn’t. UCLA is firmly back to its norm of mediocrity.

IU, IU, IU just does it. And UK continues its uptick as predicted.

2-3. Meh. 41-25 for the year.

Bigger slate this weekend.

In a state of sleep-deprived delirium because of some little basketball game last evening I present . . .

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

U of L CardFile: Kentucky

Basketball, ,

I guess I really didn’t mean what I said.

Sorta.

To one and all in extreme anticipation for this edition of U of L vs. UK, I was adamant.

I wish they didn’t play the game.

Too much emphasis is placed upon it.

I am really looking forward to Wednesday morning when it will be over and I/ we can move on.

And then Game Day arrived, I mall walked until my legs ached. The new quarter zip arrived from Rally House, me hoping it had a W woven in. I washed it to wear. An hour before leaving for the game, which itself was over two hours before tip, I was walking in circles in my condo. I did a couple of laps in the concourse before tip.

Which is to own that this particular battle, to me, was the most important one since the one and only Dream Game in Knoxville.

All the marvelous upticking that’s been going on since Pat Kelsey arrived, all the enthusiasm and hope and ReviVille stuff would have been clouded had the Cards fallen.

Wednesday morning’s coffee breaks would be the same ol’ same ol’.

This was a game U of L had to win.

The oh so proverbial Must Win.

There I said it. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Kentucky →

Gridiron Gab: Quotes + A Smidge of Hoops

Basketball, Football,

It’s that binary time of the year.

When we try again to watch football with one eye, basketball with the other.

Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

Oh for the days of picture in picture. OK, not really. There are laptops and iPads and phone apps, and we seem to be able to manage.

First, football.

It was a typical November Saturday in Kinnick Stadium.

Full house adorned in black and gold. And rain gear this time around. Hearty folks, those Hawkeye pigskin fanatics.

And a defensive slogfest, even though the visitors were the high powered O minded Oregon Ducks. It’s a Ferentzian imperative. Lots of ground game, not much aerial.

Such that Gary Danielson, whose verbosity may transcend mine, at one point observed, “This is Army/ Navy.” Continue reading Gridiron Gab: Quotes + A Smidge of Hoops →

U of L CardFile: California

Football,

I played but a single year of organized football, as a JV DL at Atherton HS.

More than a half century ago, when players wore hip and knee pads and helmets that were a concussion waiting to happen, in the age of the Straight T-Formation, when they still gave us salt tablets in the August heat to prevent sweating.

I claim no expertise.

But I watch a lot of football. And have attempted to get some sense of the game beyond my abject fandom of the sport.

During the Louisville Cardinals games, I monitor the stats as they accumulate, attempting in my feeble way to detect trends. To discern what may work or not in any given situation of consequence.

So, at 10:46 pm Saturday night, in overtime with winter afoot both meteorologically and pigskin-wise, when the singular play will present itself that shall define the entire campaign, here’s what I am thinking:

The Golden Bears essentially have three ballers who have been the main perps of this upset about to come.

Do everything possible to see they are not the guys to beat you. Continue reading U of L CardFile: California →

U of L CardFile: Jackson State

Basketball,

Two exhibition seasons in — one literal, one figurative — and, like 99 44/100% of the programs in the land, the University of Louisville has a few things figured out, and a lot more questions left to find answers to.

The latest laboratory work performed Thursday night concluded with a 106-70 taming of the Tigers from Jackson State.

This squad from the SWAC, while way overmatched, is significantly better than U of L’s previous victim from the MEAC. More talented, better coached.

(Beware of mixed metaphors. It’s not 5:00 in the a.m. yet, and I’ve consumed but a few gulps of joe.)

So, what I’m throwing out here this early morning after are random observations.

The good, the bad, the ugly, the beauteous, the subjective. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Jackson State →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XI

Football, Gaming, , ,

It didn’t take long for my winning streak to evaporate.

Tulane’s Green Wave fell at the Alamo midweek.

An omen before I was even able to greet anyone with “Joyeaux la veille de la Toussaint.” The script was written. I didn’t need any admonition from Father Brennan, something like, “You’ll see me in hell, Seedy, there, we will share out our sentence.”  The Waves’ L was enough to warn me my weekend was going to be a rafting adventure down the River Styx. No meet up with Damien necessary.

Auburn’s Plainsmen lost to UK — Stoops said it was a comin’ right? — which was such an embarrassment that they fired their coach.* Harsh.

*There are guys eyeing these jobs with extreme longing. Like a one-eyed cats peepin’ in the seafood store.

Vanderbilt visited the Burnt Orange just as they caught fire in Austin. A late surge wasn’t enough.

Utah bopped the Satterfields. Indiana is a season long killer, not just All Hallow’s Eve weekend. Ask the Terps, who suffered the Hoosiers fifth fiftyburger of the campaign. Louisville escaped thanks to the UPS RBs.

Hello mediocrity, my old friend.

3-3 for the weekend. 39-22 for my less than desirable season.

But the calendar’s flipped to November, Grantland Rice/ light the fireplace weather. When the days are colder and grayer and I’ll feel less guilty spending all day Saturday eating popcorn and pizza while watching football.

My stretch run of correctitude commences.

Honoring the sorority sisters at Bama, who take dressing up for football seriously. At least according the prexy of the Tri Delt’s:

“The football players, they’re walking in doing the Walk of Champions,” says Tri Delta president Finley Lowe, a Louisville, Ky., native. “They’re all suited up, they take so much pride in that. And in the same way, we take pride in how we look.”

While not dressing up, I’m taking pride in this week’s winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XI →

U of L CardFile: South Carolina State

Basketball,

I want to dive into the difference between the American goal tending/ basket interference rule and that for the rest of the globe.

That was in play in the singular “controversial” moment of U of L’s draw and quartering of South Carolina State, 104-45.

Because there wasn’t much tension after this:

On the Cards’ opening possession, rookie phenom Mikel Brown Jr. tried to connect with J’Vonne Hadley for a thirty foot alley oop. The pass sailed high over the outstretched arms of the receiver.

Next five possessions:

Hadley assist to Isaac McThreely for a triple. (Yes, it’s trite. Too obvious. Too cute perhaps. But gotta be.)

McThreely bomb. Assist Ryan Conwell.

Sanny Fru stopfer. Assist Brown.

Hadley threeball. Assist Brown.

Hadley fast break deuce. Assist Brown. Continue reading U of L CardFile: South Carolina State →