Category Archives: Olympics

Seedy Takeaways: Five Rings is a Wrap

Basketball, Olympics

Last call before football.

Some things to tidy up before I turn my attention to pigskin.

Those of you with some sense of pop cultural history dating back before the advent of Instagram should understand the somewhat elusive reference of the photo here.

The Coneheads you see advised the Farbers before dinner, “We come from France.”

It was an SNL thing.

In case you haven’t noticed, USA and the French have developed quite an international hoops rivalry.

Given that sooner or later the generally acknowledged next GOAT Victor Wembanyama is from Gaul, as well as a bunch of other up and comers, this thing is not going to end. Folks are already contemplating LA28.

The last two men’s gold victories have been over the French. America’s only L since early in the century was to that country in group play.

Plus the women’s team oh so barely survived the home country on Sunday, by a single digit, in a game frankly not deserving of any more ink, despite a comeback from 10 down in the 3d.

Motto: Anything the men can do against Serbia, we can do too. Continue reading Seedy Takeaways: Five Rings is a Wrap →

Diss & Dat(a): NIL, 5 Rings, Media ++

Media, Olympics

Some curious friends who are not as obsessive as I am often ask me to explain NIL.

Where does the money come from?

How much are the kids getting paid?

How involved are the schools and coaches?

All of which remains somewhat mysterious. Even for those of us trying to stay up to speed.

It would take Endeavour Morse teamed with the Bletchley Circle to truly figure out what’s behind every padlocked door or taped under a drawer somewhere in the Yum!.

A few clues do exist. Such as . . . Continue reading Diss & Dat(a): NIL, 5 Rings, Media ++ →

Seedy K’s Huzzahs & Harangues: 8/16

Basketball, Media, Olympics, Swimming, Track & Field

vanindex

Note: If you are viewing this article on a smartphone, the photo in the body of the post might appear upside down. Not sure why. My apologies for any inconvenience.

Media Misses Mark. Oh how we in the media can hype.Were your ready, I mean, really ready for Katie Ledecky’s triumphs? Usain Bolt’s post posturing after his sure to come W? Another gold for USA in Women’s Futbol.

Okay, we don’t always get it right, but even if we don’t, there’s always a Hope Solo to say something really, ingratiously stupid.

So, Ledecky, and that guy swimmer, you know whatisname Phelps, gave us what we wanted. In record time a lot of the time, thank you very much.

Bolt took care of biz too, prevailing in the 100 meters as he’s done twice before. Then dominated in the headlines as he’s wont to do.

Just one problem. Bolt’s scintillating come from behind W to secure yet again his title as “fastest man in the world” was not the best performance in track & field so far this year in Rio. It wasn’t the best that very evening. Not the best consummation of expectation. His three Golds over eight years in the same event notwithstanding, not the best storyline.

The morning after, all we saw in the headlines was Bolt this, and Bolt that.

You had to dig to read about the night’s real star. Continue reading Seedy K’s Huzzahs & Harangues: 8/16 →

Sports Shots 7/08: Hoops? Of course it’s Mostly Hoops

Announcing, Basketball, Boxing, Football, Olympics, Recruiting, Soccer, Tennis

b-ballYeah, I’m back. Miss me?

You think I’m really going to try and talk European soccer with you, France vs. Portugal for the title, or Tour de France,  or Wimbledon?

Of course not. Though I’ll reiterate, NBC bike race announcers Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen remain my favorite announcing duo in any sport.

What you care about is who’s hot at the Peach Jam? You know, basketball recruiting. Well, I’m not going to talk about that either.

Golden State with Kevin Durant. Of course, the buzz is, how many titles are the Dubs going to win with their New Death Lineup?

And all I’m thinking is, how come you guys never listen? Have you not learned yet that the best conglomeration of players does not necessarily the best team make.

Let me remind you once again, as if I haven’t already ad nauseum every time talk of a super team comes up.

Lesson #1. Los Angeles Lakers, three seasons from 1968-71.

Three players on that team were among the very best in the NBA at the time. In fact, those three players remain among the Top Ten guys who balled in the 20th C.

Wilt Chamberlain.

Jerry West.

Elgin Baylor.

They never won a title. Continue reading Sports Shots 7/08: Hoops? Of course it’s Mostly Hoops →

Hump Day Hits & Misses

Announcing, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, Olympics, Soccer, , , , ,

cards✔︎✔︎✔︎Hit: Louisville Cardinal Athletics. For the second year in a row, cbssports.com has recognized the transcendence of U of L sports.

The Cards, of course, dominated the ratings for the ’12-’13 school year.

You know, the old NCAA hoops title, BCS bowl W, CWS appearance and womens’ hoops runner up quadrafecta.

It was, you might say, a good year.

By the site’s point rankings, Louisville bested second place Oregon by a hefty 113 points, 625-512.

Think Secretariat in the Belmont. Continue reading Hump Day Hits & Misses →

Monday Morning Musings

Announcing, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Olympics, , , , ,

bballGiven that I possess the attention span of a house fly (musca domestica) flitting about a porch bulb in August, I love the McNuggets of McNews that now come in my morning paper.

So, I pass along with my favorite from this a.m.

In January ’55, Minnesota topped Purdue in the longest Big Ten game ever. Six OTs. Final tally: Golden Gophers 59, Boilermakers 56. 115 points total in 70 minutes of action. Musta been scintillating. No Sominex™ necessary.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

* * * * *

Led by Asia Taylor, the U of L women’s basketball team looked solid yesterday, besting a legit Top 25 Rutgers squad.

Despite those two championship appearances, this looks to my undiscerning eyes like Jeff Walz’s best squad.

But, until he can recruit some big uns, the Cardinals shall remain wannabes as legit title contenders.

* * * * *

Two things remain elusive, uncertain as we wend our way to those magical days ahead, known as Championship Week and March Madness.

1. The whereabouts of Viktor Yanukovych?

2. The NCAA tournament favorite? Continue reading Monday Morning Musings →

Thirteen Thoughts for Thursday (Rockin’ Video Included)

Announcing, Basketball, Hockey, Olympics, Recruiting, Sports, , , , , ,

animated_sports1. Boys Will Be Boys. So The Rick, as he is wont to do from time to time, pontificated about his feelings on the social media phenomenon.

Essentially, he called all of us who might, from time to time, tweet or post on Facebook or any other of our ilk, uh, “crazy.”

Which is, frankly, a really stupid thing to say, but of little consequence in the realm of human events.

Except to Coach Cal, he of the you-say-potato-I-say-tomato mentality, when it comes to his rival down I-64.

And so it goes.

Boys, go to your rooms, each of you, and don’t come out until called for dinner. Continue reading Thirteen Thoughts for Thursday (Rockin’ Video Included) →

Trending — Up⬆: Gators, Eagles, Billikens, Orange & Down⬇: The Cats

Basketball, Hockey, Olympics,

b-ballThat the two best contests of the day had already played out by mid-afternoon on Saturday was of little consequence.

At least, in these parts.

That the Russkies went down — with Putin in the house no less — and Boeheim’s boys pulled another one out of nowhere, and that St. Louis remains America’s most unappreciated club . . . no biggie.

At least, in these parts.

It was that heralded and anxiously anticipated nightcap in Rupp that had everybody in the commonwealth’s attention. Lovers. Haters. The few in-betweeners who apparently exist, though I’ve still never met one.

Digger was in the house. So too his bloviating compadre, Dickie the V.

And, of course, She Who Would Be Ashley, UK’s biggest, bestest, most famousest fan of ever.

So, let’s start with the end of the day, in Rupp, and work our way back. Continue reading Trending — Up⬆: Gators, Eagles, Billikens, Orange & Down⬇: The Cats →

Thursday Report: Hoops & Hockey

Basketball, Hockey, Olympics

b-ballBreaking News: Just discovered in that sinkhole in Bowling Green, along with those classic Corvettes, hidden in a container, the soul of Indiana University basketball.

According to spokesperson Rascoe Diddle, grandson of the famous flag waving former Hilltopper coach, Uncle Ed Diddle, the box contained a bust of Branch McCracken, Jimmy Rayl’s Chuck Taylor All-Stars, Dick and Tom Van Arsdale’s student IDs, the chair Bobby Knight threw across the floor, Kent Benson’s jock strap, a photo of Calbert Chaney leaning over while Knight pretends to whip him.

Despite their dismay, many Hoosier fans are relieved, having wondered what happened to the soul of their beloved hoops program.

I didn’t watch IU’s game last night, until turning over after Tyler Ennis sank Pitt. The game in Bloomington was apparently just completed, since the teams were walking to their dressing rooms, the one in white with heads hung down. The 66-65 score was at the bottom of the screen.

What struck me was how eerily quiet the arena was. Way more subdued than one might expect, despite a loss to the dreg of the conference. Continue reading Thursday Report: Hoops & Hockey →

Monday’s Musings: Olympic Downer, Downhill & Down for the Count

Basketball, Football, Olympics,

animated_sportsBecause I knew that Bode Miller hadn’t medaled, and figured I had seen enough Snowboard SlopeStyle, I decided to concentrate on the Beatles TV special last night, instead of Sochi.

So, at this juncture, I want to give a shout out to the lamoid rock outfit known as Imagine Dragons, which pretenders some how got the gig to sing “Revolution” on the CBS special.

So soulless, so God awful, were they, I flipped over in time to watch some of that downhill. For that I give thanks to Imagine Dragons, whom I hope never to encounter again, unless I happen to take a cruise in the future to Middle Earth, neither of which I’ll ever do.

We in Kentucky Derbyland are prone to refer to our signature sporting event as “the most exciting two minutes in sports.”

I beg to differ. Continue reading Monday’s Musings: Olympic Downer, Downhill & Down for the Count →