All posts by seedyk

Tuesday Noise & Nonsense: 12/23

Football, Volleyball

I recently happened upon a truly quirky, unique, irreverent, seriously funny short series on Peacock.

“We Are Lady Parts.”

It’s about a group of young Muslim women in a punk band.

Like I said, unique.

Anyhow, in the last episode of S1, the group — Lady Parts — is playing a gig at what appears to be an industrial dump of some sort. Like I said, quirky.

Along with their usual tunes about killing their sisters, Voldemort hangin’ out under their head scarfs, they cover “We Are The Champions.”

Which brings me to this: One last tip o’ the chapeau to the U of L Volley Girlz.

The University of Louisville volleyball women are not NCAA champions.

Technically. Continue reading Tuesday Noise & Nonsense: 12/23 →

Anna Denied

College Sports, Volleyball

It is the yin and yang of life.

It is the the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat.

It is yet another reminder of reality, the randomness of circumstance.

It is a tale twice told.

The final pages do not read the same.

It is life telling us yet again, enjoy this instant, carpe this diem, one never knows what the next shall bring.

Anna DeBeer was not able to compete at the moment she’d dreamed of years ago, that she’d been pointing to forever.

Playing in her home town, for her home town team for supremacy in the endeavor she chose.

She is not the first.

Darrell Griffith made the same vow.

Playing for his home town team, leading his home town school to national supremacy.

The tales differ.

Life in chaotic, coincidental, haunting corrective balance.

Grif won his title a few miles north, though Cardinal red-drenched Market Square was Freedom Hall North that glorious ’80 March weekend.

But, what would the outcome have been had the Cardinal star gone down in the semi against Iowa?

Happily we will never know.

Sadly we do understand for certain what happened with Anna.

Without their their leader, their catalyst, their soul, their star who was injured in the semi, Louisville was game against long time power Penn State but mustered not quite enough for victory.

It was frankly too much watching DeBeer holding back tears in an interview.

She normally has an eerily mature demeanor.

Her look on the court, determined, stoic, focused.

Who among us doesn’t understand that the exigencies of the day sometime present a breaking point?

Anna DeBeer’s came on the biggest stage, at a long awaited pinnacle.

Anna DeBeer, Long May You Run.

— c d kaplan

 

U of L CardFile: Florida State

Basketball,

Love, reign o’er me/ Love, reign o’er me/ Reyne on me, Reyne on me

Have I mentioned before how much I love the Louisville Cardinals?

Of course, I have.

In defeat as much as victory.

But ya know with performances like Saturday afternoon’s in Tallahassee, the heart is even more full.

Louisville 90, Florida State 76.

This is a game U of L needs to win.

Cardinals did just that.

A conference W on the road is always to be admired, regardless of the foe. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Florida State →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: CFP, R1

Football

There’s one reason and one reason only why this post, this predictions exist.

Joey the Vig.

Real name: John Wagner. May He Rest in Peace.

It was his annual bowl pool which I’d banter about yearly. And enter with some success and way more failure.

Until it ended a few years back after his way too early, way too young, and therefore untimely demise.

He was just a good damn guy, a former HS math teacher who loved spread sheets and being an interlocutor for various wagering endeavors among his ever increasing cadre of guys and gals who loved some action. Bowl pools. Baseball pools. In season football pools.

John would take a minimal slice off the top for his efforts. What he loved more was the interaction of his acolytes. The keeping track.

And he loved that somebody a few states south of his Michigan home had turned him into a fictional mythical icon.

So, John, with tears in my eyes, I advise these picks, as silly as they may be, are for you, my man.

This weekend’s Round Uno winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: CFP, R1 →

Volley Girls Reach Final

Volleyball

Volley Girls, yeah, I know, like some folks are going to be, like, offended.

As if.

What . . . Ever.

It’s at times like these when your team is playing for a natty that all is tubular.

After gunning down Pitt in the semi final Thursday night, the University of Louisville women shall compete for the NCAA volleyball title on Sunday against Penn State.

No way.

Way.

 * * * * *

There’s the thrall of victory shtick.

Here’s the disclaimer I always start with when weighing in on another sterling moment for Dani Busboom Kelly’s charges. Continue reading Volley Girls Reach Final →

Fun is Bowling

Football

This time of year is ever the moment to memorialize one Claude Poulan, who while supervising German prisoners cutting pulpwood in East Texas in the 40s sorta kinda mighta actually developed/ invented the chainsaw.

Then in Shreveport, started a company producing chainsaws.

Then, in a perhaps logical, more than likely circuitous progression the company began to sponsor the Independence Bowl.

At least for awhile.

While I am loathe to provide adverts when not being paid to do so, so marvelous is the monikor, Poulan Weedeater Independence Bowl, I can’t help myself.

May the name R.I.P..

That particular encounter is now sponsored by Radiance Something or Another. The funkiest tie in these days, one dude’s opinion, the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl.

Though it hardly stands out that much from the various and sundry scrimmages named for tax prep apps, insurance companies, cities, vacation housing providers, financial institutions, TV services, gas stations, tire brands, some doohickeys or another which remain elusive to define even after googling them, and of course most famously these days, food stuffs. Continue reading Fun is Bowling →

Monday Noise & Nonsense

Basketball, Football

Here’s where the mind of a certifiable thrice-diagnosed hoopaholic goes.

Down an absurd peripheral rabbit hole.

Eventually to a challenge for you my loyal readers.

Sunday night I get an email from inveterate cheesehead Bookstore Billy, weighing in on the unis of the Seahawks who are playing his beloved Packers.

“There is and has never been a uniform as ugly as the Seattle Seahawks tonight. Beyond Gawdawful.”

Neon lime green.

Who am I to disagree?

But . . . and here we go . . . I seemed to recall how at the end of maybe the ’12 hoops season, some yahoo idiot at adidas decided to outfit that company’s sponsees with some pretty absurd outfits. With but a peripheral connection to actual school colors.

Notre Dame wore unis, the color of which was mighty close to what BB was referring to viz a viz Seattle.

And now fully in pursuit of Alice down that rabbit hole, I recall how U of L was ordered to wear unis that were, uh, orange. I believe it was that foretelling but surprising season when the Cards ended up in the Final Four, falling to the eventual national champs.

Plus those unis, if memory serves, were t-shirt style. Continue reading Monday Noise & Nonsense →

U of L CardFile: Kentucky

Basketball, ,

There is one thing I honestly hate more than losing to Kentucky.

Playing Kentucky.

Too much stress. You know seeing THAT guy in the coffee room or the gym.

It’s an annual reminder of reality: That arch rival’s program has been better historically, and certainly better in recent times.

I accept that. But, geez, it would be nice not to have it reinforced just about every year.

Besides for all the store the teams’ fanbases hold in this battle, both schools have won a natty after losing in the regular season.

So, as I sit and provide this brief — very brief — review of UK’s hard fought 93-85 victory, my main takeaway is . . .

. . . I’m glad it’s over.

 * * * * *

As for the actual basketball, one thing is clear. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Kentucky →

Seedy’s Thursday Noise & Nonesense

Basketball, Football,

You don’t need me to remind ye fellow bronconagurskians that the sport we cherish, college football, has gone wack a mole cwazeeee!

It’s like walking down the midway of the Shelby County Fair, that sideshow ping pong ball souvenir in your jeans’ back pocket, and all of sudden the place goes William Castle nutsarama.

The Tilt A Whirl flies off its bearings. The Bearded Lady starts running amok wanting to kiss everybody carrying four foot stuffed bear in their arms. The corn dog you bought actually has some taste to it.

Nothing makes real sense anymore.

But nothing, nothing at all, nothing we could have ever fathomed is as cockamamie as this, which I shall dub The Great Tar Heel Experiment.

72 year old Bill Belichick, who has never coached a college football game in his entire vaunted HOF career, whose bestie Nick Saban said “I’m outta there,” has taken on the task of being North Carolina’s football coach.

Uh, what?

You fuggin’ kiddin’ me?

No.

Wilkommen to berserkamania, fans. Continue reading Seedy’s Thursday Noise & Nonesense →

U of L CardFile: Texas Western

Basketball,

Yeah, Texas Western.

If for some reason you don’t know the reference, there’s therapy for that.

Ask you grandpa.

And, while not the ’66 national champion Miners, this rebranded  school did come into the game leading the land in steals per game and forced turnovers per game.

When U of L coughed it up five times way early on, it took me back to Cole Fieldhouse  in ’66, watching in person Bobby Joe Hill pick Little Louie Dampier’s pocket repeatedly at mid court.

At any rate, in this one, an inelegantly contested basketball game we must admit, it was the Miners who gave it away more on the night than the Cards, who steadied (at least somewhat). 15 giveaways for the visitors, only 11 for Louisville, which ended up +3 points off of stat.

U of L escaped by the hair on their chinny chin chins.

77-74. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Texas Western →