So, ya think that Nick Saban guy down in Tuscaloosa wishes he’d gone after the QB now calling signals in South Bend, instead of the one who did so last season?

Asking for Harvey Updyke.*

* Updyke is the rabid Crimson Tide fan, the owner allegedly of a hundred or so Alabama ballcaps, who poisoned the oak trees at rival Auburn’s Toomer’s Corner.

Tyler Buchner (+ Ty Simpson + Jalen Milroe) ≠ Sam Hartman.

Those heralded Dreamland ribs ain’t tastin’ so tasty these days.

 * * * * *

Speaking of QB dismay, ya think Tom Allen up in Bloomington is lamenting the departure of long gone Michael Penix Jr.? Continue reading Pigskin Pundit: 9/19 Edition →

What a revoltin’ development this is.

Chester A. Riley’s punchline is the first lede that came to mind, when considering how to weigh in on the weltschmerz Tilt-A-Whirl that is college football’s obvious money grab.

Another descriptor: Cockamamie.

That’s getting in touch with my inner Paul Shaffer.

I also thought of a 1962 Italian “shockumentary” that I thought was pretty cool when I was in HS. “Mondo Cane.” A Dog’s Life.

(I was better able to tolerate depraved and perverse as a teen. Not so much now. Enamored back then, I just watched a trailer for the flick, a smidge of it anyway, and found it pretty disgusting. Which was the point, but still.)

So, yeah. College Sports = Mondo Cane. Continue reading Whither (Wither?) College Sports →

You got to close the deal.

The Ville did not.

Their run to shake hands with John Beresford Tipton ended Saturday afternoon.

The locals, mostly former U of L Cardinals, led by a penny, 56-55, as the Elam Ending commenced.

First to 64 survived and advanced.

With the crowd at din level on the decibel meter, the locals moved to within a deuce of victory, on a couple Russ Smith FTs, a third chance follow by Chane Behanan and a Smith J. Countered by a lone Gutter Cat FT.

The Ville was close.

But no cigar.

The remaining possessions for the former Cards+ went like this. Four missed hoops, two turnovers. Continue reading GameCap: The Ville 62, Gutter Cats 64 →

In a late move, 2013 Final Four MOP Luke Hancock is now serving double duty with The Ville in The Basketball Tournament.

He’s now a player as well as a coach for the squad.

One must assume it was Earl Clark’s unavailability that was the catalyst for this move.

The presence of another member U of L’s national championship squad is sweet.

Whether he’s in hoops shape or not?

The Ville’s opening tilt is 7:00 PM Tuesday night in Freedom Hall. Tickets are available.

 * * * * *

Gratuitous non-sports plug ahead.

In a recent post, I mentioned I missed Manny Okorafor’s breakout game against that school up the road, because I was in Indy for a Tedeschi Trucks concert.

How good was that show?

Thanks for asking.

Click here for a link to my review.

You’ll be glad you did.

— c d kaplan

CAVEAT EMPTOR: This post contains hopeful news about U of L Men’s basketball. If that might cause indigestion, angina, severe anxiety toward your heirs and assigns, neuritis, neuralgia, lower back pain or psoriasis, consider yourself warned.

Jim Price was in the gym watching workouts and pickup games over the weekend, where he appears periodically even though he lives in Naptown.

As was Chris West, a member of the ’86 national championship squad.

At some point, he looked over at Gym Eyes, and they talked about how different summer practice is this year from last.

Way more talent.

More basic skills.

How the players go  through drills full speed, instead of “loping.”

He is, I’m advised, “impressed.”

The squad, I’m told, goes at each other hard, and with physicality. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Gym Report →

Is that about a generic a title as you can find this side of Glorious Editor’s “XXXXday Afternoon’s Cardinal News & Notes?”

Correct answer: Oh yeah.

Sometimes there’s simply nothing pithy to say.

 * * * * *

Trentyn Flowers did not make the cut for the US Under 19 national team.

It is really cool to see he is grateful for the experience, though surely disappointed not making the squad.

It is my understand that Card assistant Nolan Smith was out in Colorado Springs last week, just to check on the Cardinal prodigy.

I learned a couple things. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Wednesday Edition →

This shall be blissfully brief.

A proverbial quick read.

Tuesday evening at 6:36, this historically horrible season for the University of Louisville Men’s Basketball team ended in an appropriately ignominious manner.

Such that I simply am not going to print out the final score.

Nor offer insight or explanation.

I considered various and sundry ways of expressing how I feel right now. And giving one guy’s take of an overall perspective of what happened over the course of the campaign.

At this time, I demur.

Perhaps I will in the future.

Perhaps not.

It’s time to take a break and just kick back from this.

As a hoops junkie, I’m locked into the rest of the season. I love March Madness.

I understand that many are not. We each make our choices.

Go Cards!

c d k

Do I skip right to the Cruelest Blow?

Or, wend my way there, so you’ll read more of this latest vent about the freefall of the University of Louisville Men’s Basketball Program?

Prepare thyselves, ’tis the latter, because . . .

. . . I had a great opening for this piece on Monday, but was saving for this story after the UVa game, which I now shall use.

(Perhaps I’ve mentioned before, my writing, such as it is, flows better if the opening line comes. Which, in this case, it did.)

So, here goes. Continue reading Louisville Langour: It’s Bad, It’s Nationwide →

Mr. Bunny’s call before U of L’s regular season finale began, as is his MO, not with a salutation, but a leading question.

“You agree, right, the Cardinals are a lock for the NCAA?”

“Uh, no.”

Louisville lost to Virginia, as they most always do, and didn’t look especially good doing it.

Thus, I am fully in touch with my inner Seth Greenberg.

Not the guy in the studio with ‘Phons, who sometime Wednesday night will be discussing the state of the Cardinals amid the Championship Week chitter chatter.

The Cards will have beaten Duke. At which point, the conversation will hearken back to some time in the long distant past when the talking heads will wonder if anybody’s bested the Blue Devils thrice in a season? Like maybe the Tar Heels back in the day of Charlie Scott or Lennie Rosenbluth. Duke will be the focus; U of L, an afterthought. Continue reading A Bubblicious Hoopaholic On Tenterhooks →

How bad a football team is Syracuse?

Very.

One has to wonder how on earth the Orange, for its only victory, bested Georgia Tech? By three scores no less.

The same Ramblin’ Wreck squad which battered U of L its next time out. By three scores+.

The University of Louisville Cardinals are a moderately better football team than its Friday evening foe.

Operative word: Moderately. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Syracuse →