Pitino: The Media is a Bunch of Rudipoo, Candy-asses

Since details of his dirty nasty affair with local skank Karen Sypher have been made public, the …drip…drip…drip… of negative press coverage has quickly overwhelmed Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino’s carefully crafted image as a successful basketball coach and community leader.

Clearly Pitino has had enough. At a hastily called press conference yesterday afternoon, Pitino had a simple message for everyone covering the story:

"Know your role...and shut your mouth."

I think Rick Pitino just tried to have his own "Rock" moment.


For those not following the story, the Louisville police department earlier Wednesday made public more taped conversations they made of their interviews with Sypher. This obviously remains big news locally because 1) Rick Pitino is one of the most recognizable figures in the state, and 2) we just don’t get good sex scandals like this everyday in Kentucky. And everyone loves a good sex scandal.

The problem is that Pitino would just rather you not hear, read or see what is included on those tapes. So he came out breathing fire against reporters for repeating "lies" about him, told the press how to do their jobs, and basically tried to intimidate the media into not releasing the details of what Sypher had to say about him in the tapes.

At least it’s clear to me that Pitino understands the first lesson of public relations: when your penis gets you in trouble, blame the press.

In spite of that, it’s hard to lose sight of the fact that it was Pitino who had after-hours sex on a restaurant table with a woman he had just met, gave that woman money which apparently was used for an abortion, and then the same woman turned around and married his close friend and longtime staff assistant. Whether they would admit it or not, I think most people are dying for more juicy details on the case whether those details are truthful, somewhat truthful, or complete bald-faced lies. Basically we’re all a bunch of hungry little gossip mongers that love a scandal.

So I ask: How could the media not cover this story?

Nonetheless, I took away from the presser that Pitino still feels he needs to reassure a jittery fan base and wavering recruits that he was going to fight, leaving no question he intends to stay on as coach. My personal favorite quote from this afternoon: "All of this has been a lie. It’s a total fabrication of the truth - except what I’ve told you."

I wonder if that’s what he told his family.

It was Pitino – not the press – that created this mess in the first place. Only time and a forgiving, forgetful public will get him out of it. No matter how bad this situation has been on Pitino personally or how hard it is for his friends and family to cope with his indiscretions, raking the media over the coals for doing what they are paid to do seems pretty foolish and self-serving at this point.

-Posted by Rev. Shaw Moore

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Louisville's Angel McCoughtry Has On-Air "O-Gasm"

Doesn't she know he has no interest in women's basketball or the mentally challenged (both of which she appears to represent)?

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Have You Gotten Your BlogsWithBalls Tickets Yet?

Rev Picks 'Em: Week 13

WEST VIRGINIA (-7) at Louisville: Since joining the Big East just a few short years ago, this game has turned into one of the premier rivalries in the conference. Ok, I know it’s Big East football and you could probably care less. But seriously, even though both teams carry less than lackluster records into this matchup, you can bet that this will be a very hard-hitting game. If anything, the post-game shenanigans should be interesting:


By the way, Louisville needs a win against the ‘Eers to reach 6 on the season, and most likely will need a win against Rutgers next week to receive any bowl consideration. My guess? They’ll lose both to finish 5-7. He may be Satan incarnate, but things seemed a whole lot better just two short years ago when Bobby Petrino was at the helm for the ‘Cards …

Tennessee at VANDERBILT(-3): Consider this: It is entirely likely that Tennessee could close out the 2008 season with back-to-back losses to Vandy and Kentucky. In case you’re keeping score at home, that would leave the Vols at 3-9 for the year. Which, speaking of …

Michigan at OHIO STATE (-20 ½): Michigan is DEFINITELY going 3-9. Even Vegas has given the proverbial bitch-slap to Michigan - the Buckeyes are laying 20 ½ points to the Wolverines. By some accounts, that’s the largest spread ever in this rivalry. But hey, if you’re a Michigan fan, don’t dare complain about it: coach Rich Rodriguez thinks you should “get a life”.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE (+11) at North Carolina: Upset alert: I’m calling this game for the Wolfpack. Led by Russell Wilson, one of the best passers in the ACC, NCSU has gotten on a bit of a hot streak of late. Plus, the Wolfpack sport a stellar 3-0 record against in-state opponents, having beaten East Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest. A win vs. the rival Tarheels would do wonders for the folks in Raleigh, and leave them just one win short on the season from bowl eligibility.

Stanford at CALIFORNIA (-9): Stanford hung tough for a half last week vs. USC, but that may be because they are apparently kryptonite to the Trojans. Otherwise, Stanford is just another pedestrian team in the PAC-10. Cal really isn’t that much better, but I’m taking them here since the game’s in Berkeley. Really, this pick ‘em thing isn’t that scientific.

#17 Michigan State (+15 ½) at #7 Penn State: How dreadful can this game shake out for Penn State? Several weeks ago, they were looking at this matchup as their ticket to the national championship game – now they need a win just to keep their spot in the Rose Bowl. I think two touchdowns is too much to spot the Spartans, so I’m going to take the points here, but I still like the Lions to win the game. And for their sake, I hope they do – they’ve had a great season, even though the rest of the Big Ten is atrocious this year.

FLORIDA STATE at #22 Maryland (+1 ½) (as described with by Rusty): Trying to pick the winner of this game is like trying to pick the winner of a butt kicking fight between Rambo and Rocky. Maryland's been a solid football team in College Park this year, having amassed a 6-0 record, but the Terp's face quite the superior opponent this coming Saturday. Florida State has the best offense and defense in the ACC, statistically. Although, they've struggled at times with a two QB system behind a weak offensive line, they are a solid football team and improving. Maryland on the other hand has got one of the best running backs in the leauge with Da'rel Scott (that's not a typo). The Seminoles might look better on paper, but Maryland's on top of the ACC and a win tomorrow followed by a road win against BC next week would send the Terps to Tampa and help cool the embers under the big boy's seat. This all means, this game will come down to heart. Who wants it more. This may give Florida State a slight edge with it's off-the-field story this week. Safety Myron Rolle is being interviewed for a Rhodes scholarship Saturday afternoon before flying to join his team for the 2nd half of the game. The fact that FSU has a positive academic story could do wonders for the team's motivation, or the world could implode because the team known for 5 finger discounts at Dillard's has recruited smart kids. Regardless of the outcome, it'll be a hard fought game in the chilly DC suburbs, but look for a close Seminoles victory.

#16 Brigham Young at #8 UTAH (-7): Utah, the original BCS crashers, would be right back in the major bowl picture with a win against rival BYU. Interestingly, I like that these kinds of rivalry games have kitschy nicknames: For instance, this game is dubbed “the Holy War.” That would probably raise hackles for some reason or another in more politically correct corners of the country, but this is Utah. No one really knows – or for that matter, wants to know - what goes on in Utah, so I guess we can all collectively shrug it off.

#21 Oregon State (+2 ½) at ARIZONA: People are still dogging USC for losing to Oregon State, but consider this: OSU’s tied with the Trojans atop the PAC-10 standings. And if the Beavers win this week and next week against rival Oregon, Oregon State would be the team to get the conference’s spot in the BCS. Of course, you could just as easily consider that last sentence the kiss of death for Oregon State and watch them drop their last two to finish 7-5.

#20 Pittsburgh at #19 CINCINNATI (-6): Needless to say, this is the biggest game in the history of UC Bearcat football. Of course, they don’t have much of a history aside from a crumbling relic of a stadium, but that’s beside the point. A win against Pitt would clinch the Big East conference championship for the Bearcats, not to mention a spot in the school’s first ever BCS bowl game. Cincy’s really no joke – they have 6 starters on D that likely will get drafted, and it doesn’t really matter who they put in at QB (they’ve played 5 QBs on the season), they always get the job done.

Interestingly enough, if you were ever wondering what a “bearcat” is, try this on for size:

"A Bearcat resembles somewhat to a bear in physical appearance, though on closer observation it looks like a small bushy dog. Its average length is about 60-96 cm and weighs around 9-14 kg. It has small round ears and black round eyes. The body of the animal is covered with thick black fur. Its most attractive feature is its long bushy tail, ranging as long as 55-90 cm."

One of life’s great mysteries solved. I’m glad I looked that up.

#2 Texas Tech (+7) at #5 OKLAHOMA: (courtesy of Big XII expert Greg in St. Louis) This week’s Big 12 “Game of the Year” will directly affect the outcome of the Big 12 South, The Heisman Race, and who claims the Big 12’s slot in the National Championship game. Tech has put the points on the board this year, they have a solid O-line, major skill at QB and WR, and their “bend, not break” defense has done the job when called upon. The Sooners are trying to buck their trend of bad play in big games over the past few years and even in the Red River Shootout this year. However, since that loss to Texas they have destroyed their opponents to the tune of 63.3 points per game. One more stat in the Sooners favor, 60-2 at home under Bob Stoops – simply put, you don’t go into Norman and come out victorious. In the case of two hot teams that are evenly matched, go with the home team for sure. Boomer Sooner!

Rev Picks 'Em: Week 11

LOUISVILLE (+6) at Pittsburgh: Were this game played a week earlier, I'm not so sure that the Cards would be getting six points here. But that's what happens when you lose to Syracuse - people, and more importanly, people who bet, tend to lose faith in you. On a side note, at least UofL is coached by the commissioner of the More Taste League.

OHIO STATE (-10 1/2) at Northwestern: Northwestern's had a nice season. But they're not going to come within two touchdowns of the Buckeyes. Let's move on, shall we?

#22 Georgia Tech at #19 NORTH CAROLINA (-4): UNC is coming off a bye week and is looking to knock of GT, which sits just above UNC atop the ACC Coastal division. With aspirations of playing for the ACC championship, I think this game sets up very well for the Tar Heels at home.

Kansas at NEBRASKA (-1): Flip a coin time. Guess I'm a Husker fan this week.

Cincinnati at #20 WEST VIRGINIA (-7): After demolishing UConn last week, West Virginia's starting to run away from the rest of a truly awful pack in the Big East. Which is a good thing for the Big East, because the Mountaineers might be the only team in the conference this year that would be remotely competitive in a BCS bowl game.

Notre Dame at BOSTON COLLEGE (-3 1/2): After losing in four overtimes to Pittsburgh in South Bend, you can bet the Irish would much rather be facing off against upcoming opponents Navy or Syracuse. Instead, they get BC, which like the Irish sports a 5-3 record entering this contest. BC has been a major thorn in the side to ACC opponents thus far, and you can bet this will be a very tough bounce back game for the Irish. The Irish haven't won a game on the road so far, and I don't think they will reverse the trend here.

#21 California (+22) at #7 USC: Pete Carroll is right - how do you beat a team (Washington) 56-0 and drop a spot in the polls? And for the record, why is Cal ranked? They will be smoked by the Trojans. That said, I'm a sucker for the line, so I'll gamble with the points in hand and hope USC doesn't beat the Bears by too much.

#3 PENN STATE (-7 1/2) at Iowa: A trap game if there ever was one. Common sense tells me to take the Lions because they've been so good all year ... but for some reason I feel this game has evil written all over it.
#8 Oklahoma State at #2 TEXAS TECH (-3 1/2): Color me impressed. Texas Tech achieved the impossible last week in knocking off Texas, doing so in last-minute dramatic fashion. Now, of course, they are the new front runners. This game screams "LET DOWN!", but I've got to think they'll get by the Cowboys. If I were a Texas Tech fan, it's the matchup against Oklahoma that I would be worried about.

#1 ALABAMA at #15 LSU (+3 1/2):

Welcome back to Baton Rouge, Coach Saban. Enough said.

Last Week: 5-5

Crank That Louisville

In tribute to the Rev's outstanding running diary from Freedom Hall last night, ladies and gentlemen, "Crank That Louisville" via Card Chronicle:

Running Diary: Louisville vs. Syracuse

Loyal reader and fellow Card fan Neil had tickets for last night's Louisville v. Syracuse game at Freedom Hall. Since we have a couple other Card fans who visit HHR, along with some Syracuse fans, ol' Rev put together a running diary of last night's events at the Hall:

Pregame: Neil and I wait in line for a beer. A $4.75, 16 oz. beer. Folks, that's a steal. Not only does it make the game enjoyable, but it's help turn Louisville into one of the most profitable athletic programs in the country.

This is they seven o'clock game, so I'm thinking we'll have an A-list announcing crew. And I'm right - Bill Raftery is in the house. It's too bad I'm not watching at home because I love his commentary.

Tipoff: The Cards and 'Cuse come on the court for the tip. Damn, 'Cuse looks big ... that's a whole lot of orange-colored fabric out there ...

20:00: ... and 'Cuse wins the tip. They pump the ball into the middle, but blow a bunny layup. Cards on the break - and promptly Earl Clark records the first bucket of the game. 2-0 Cards.

18:30: The Cards defense looks good in the halfcourt, forcing a confused offensive possesion by the Orange. Cards come down the court, and its .... THREEEEE, Mc GEEEEE!!!! 5-0 Cards.

17:59: Jim Boeheim has that bad seafood look on his face, hands on his hips. Hoping that look continues for another 35 minutes or so.

17:22: Syracuse scores in the halfcourt, but promptly yields another Andre McGee three at the other end. 8-2 Cards.

17:10: Dontae Green has the answer - 3 for Syracuse. Let's hope he doesn't explode tonight. 8-5 Cards.

16:13: The home crowd is still filing into Freedom Hall. For a nationally televised game and first place in the Big East on the line, I'm surprised by the relative lack of passion or concern.

15:45: Syracuse goes to the line and hits a free throw. 8-6 Cards.

We go to the under-16 timeout and the cheerleaders start to go crazy, throwing T-shirts into the crowd emblazoned with the logo of a local grocery chain. For a home crowd not that interested in the game, people are clawing for these cheap T-shirts they'll probably never wear. Never ceases to amaze.

15:15: Syracuse breaks the Louisville press, get an easy dunk - and a foul on David Padgett! Free throw good, 9-8 'Cuse.

14:59: Derrick Caracter enters the game for Louisville. He looks like a refrigerator. Seriously, wheel this guy in on a dolly. Still no help, 'Cuse scores again - 11-8 'Cuse.

14:34: THREEEEEE, SO-SA!!!!! We're tied at 11.

12:30: During a time-out, we're encouraged to visit rickpitino.com. Probably a whole site devoted to media double-speak and fashion tips on how to wear white linen suits on national TV. Cult of personality is alive and well in Kentucky.

11:11: Sloppy game to this point - neither team seems to know what they're doing out there, so mercifully we go to the under-12 timeout.

Unfortunately, during the under-12, we learn during a public service announcement that 41% of all babies born in Kentucky are born to unwed mothers. I am flabbergasted.

Kentucky. Doing our best to bring the third-world to America.

10:35: The refs blow an obvious goal-tending call against Syracuse. Pitino explodes off the bench, waving his arms like an electrocuted madman to no avail. The Orange extend their lead to 17-14.

9:00: Three-point specialist Will Scott enters the game for the Cards. He promptly misses a 3 to tie the game. Since he's worthless on D, Syracuse is now playing 5 on 4 in the halfcourt.

8:10: Syracuse brings the ball up against the Louisville press with obvious difficulty, alternately carrying the ball and portraying some form of the Olympic triple-jump across the halfcourt stripe. Neil senses a Big East officiating conspiracy; I concur.

5:45: Great sequence: Caracter gets a tough rebound in traffic and puts the ball back up for 2. The Cards press rachets up a notch, forcing a 10 second violation against the Orange. DC closes it off with another putback, putting the Cards on top 22-20.

Coach Boeheim has that sour look on his face again. Timeout, Syracuse.

4:14: UofL's press is still causing major problems for the Orange. They barely get it across halfcourt, and then kick the ball around in the halfcourt for a shot clock violation.

2:56: The Cards are collecting a lot of small change fouls, keeping the Orange within striking distance. 2 'Cuse FT's are good, 24-22 Cards.

2:04: And in a recurring theme, it's another Louisville foul and Syracuse trip to the line. Two more FT's tie the game at 24. In all, Syracuse has shot 13 out of 17 from the line in the half. It's beginning to look like one of those terribly officiated Duke vs. anyone-in-the-ACC games.

49.4: Finally, a foul against SU and a well-deserved Bronx cheer for the refs. Juan Palacios hits two FT's for the Cards, putting the home team up 26-24.

20.0: But the good times don't last - Paul Harris comes back down the court to answer for the Orange with a 2 of his own. Jerry Smith misses a shot at the buzzer, and the teams go into halftime tied at 26 a piece.

Halftime: Freedom Hall is one of the great college basketball arenas in the country and a great place to watch a game (see $4.75 beers earlier). However, it is over 50 years old and definitely showing its age.

And like any good arena built in the 50's, it seems like it has exactly two restrooms, one on either side of the facility. All the desperate looks on the faces around me, it looks like a UN refugee camp trying to break through the gates here.

It takes a good 15 minutes to get through the restroom because apparently everyone else has discovered the $4.75 beers. I wouldn't dwell on the restroom story other than to note that as I am walking out, some brave soul with a blue "I AM WILDCAT" shirt comes walking in. Judging by the reception he receives, I'm assuming a fistfight is about 0.3 seconds away from taking place.

... Back to the Game: We open the second half with more of the same sloppy play with missed shots on both ends. Seriously, both teams must be shooting below 20% for the game. Not good.

16:30: After a made bucket by UL, Jerry Smith hits a three for for the Cards. The lead is 31-26. Freedom Hall is starting to shake ... and we get our first big C-A-R-D-S cheer of the night! The 'Cuse better not let this thing get out of hand.

16:15: Spoke too soon - Paul Harris drives against Padgett, scores the bucket and gets fouled. Just when it looked like the Cards might be making their run, we're back to a two-point game, 31-29.

13:30: U of L's press continues to cause problems for the Orange - they look like they're playing way faster than they want to. Cards keep scoring, extending their lead to 41-36. Paul Harris looks frustrated - off comes the orange headband.

11:55: It's the Louisville Lady Lacrosse team! And they have t-shirts for the crowd! Seriously, I give the U of L athletic department a lot of credit for helping to clothe thousands of Kentuckians tonight.

11:30: Caracter forces a Syracuse turnover at halfcourt! He throws it right to ... ugh, Syracuse guard Jonny Flynn who calmy buries a three from Reggie Miller's tittie. It's 41-39. It's beginning to look like upset city on Big Monday.

10:00: Cardinal freshman Preston Knowles enters the game. He hounds Flynn into a 'Cuse turnover, passes ahead to Edgar Sosa ... and buries a three of his own! After two free throws the previous trip, the lead is back to 46-40.

8:30: Highlight of the evening: Terrence Williams breaks out down the left wing, crosses over to the right, and throws down monstrous dunk over Dontae Green in transition! That one is definitely going up on the top ten plays of the night. Grown men are jumping out of their seats as Freedom Hall gets as loud as it has been all night. Boeheim quickly calls for a timeout, but this place is rocking.



8:29: C-A-R-D-S! C-A-R-D-S! C-A-R-D-S!

7:00: Referee Jim Burr whistles Derrick Caracter for a foul 30' away from the play. The boo birds have returned for the referees. Meanwhile, Syracuse has rebounded from the mental shellacking of the Williams dunk and trimmed the lead to 50-44.

5:30: Greg Paulus must be wearing a Syracuse jersey tonight, because the Orange defender just flopped pathetically just like the esteemed and aforementioned Duke "actor". Jerry Smith gets whistled for a charge, easily the worst call of the night. Referree Jim Burr doing his best to keep this game close. He needs a security escort out of this place tonight.

3:45: Caracter gets dunked on inside. Coach Boeheim nods approvingly. It's 52-48, and I'm officially nervous. I tell the Syracuse fan in front of me that I'm glad Gerry McNamara no longer has any eligibility. He laughs maniacally. Pitino calls a timeout. We need a play.

3:37: The play doesn't work. 'Cuse scores again, 52-50. Bad thoughts are running through my mind.

1:30: The Cards come down in the halfcourt and work the ball around the Orange zone. Terrence Williams is open on the baseline from 12 feet ... and he buries it! A sigh of relief from the crowd, 54-50 Cards.

0.50: Now a steal! Cards come up court, go inside out ... and find a wide open Andre McGee for three!!! 57-50, and that's the ballgame!

33.9: Syracuse hurriedly runs it up court, loses the ball, and Jerry Smith coasts in for an uncontested dunk. Cards up, 59-50!

13.1: Apparently realizing the line on the game is UofL -10, Syracuse hands another gift turnover to the Cards, and it's another Jerry Smith dunk. Now 61-50. The miraculous 9-0 run has saved the game and covered the line. A lot of red-clad people are very happy in here.

Next up, Cards at Pittsburgh. See you all on Sunday afternoon.

Extreme Inspiration

We spend a lot of time on this site skewering athletes, coaches and their hangers-on for doing dumb things on- and off the court. We always get a big laugh out of it, and we hope you do to.

But as the sober voice of reason here at HHR, I felt it appropriate to take a break from the sarcasm – albeit, a short one – to draw some very well deserved attention to a person in the world of sports who continues to do all the right things and serves as an inspiration to many.

By now, many people have heard the story of Patrick Henry Hughes, a student at the University of Louisville and a member of the Cardinal marching band. Usually we wouldn’t spend too much time lauding the efforts of band members, but we definitely take a notable exception in Hughes’ case.

You see, Hughes is blind and confined to a wheelchair. Yet with the help of his father - who is also named Patrick - Hughes has been a full participant in the band, playing in the Cards’ halftime shows. It’s a truly remarkable story that has attracted media attention across the country.

Late last year, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition came to Louisville and refitted the Hughes’ modest home to be completely wheelchair accessible. And while they were at it, they managed to add some other very nice cosmetic touches to the house, which you can see here.

Listening to Patrick speak, he would be the first to say that he doesn’t want or deserve all of the attention he has received over the past year. Yet in a sports media cycle dominated by headlines of athletes who cheat, selfish trade demands, sexual harassment suits, criminal arrests and the like, I - along with many others - continue to find his story inspiring.

I wouldn’t bring all of this up again but to mention that Patrick will be on Extreme Makeover again this weekend when the show airs Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern. If you haven’t had the opportunity to hear his story, I strongly encourage you to watch the show this weekend.

Also, a special thanks to the Louisville Courier-Journal for their continuing focus on Patrick and the Hughes family. If you don’t get a chance to watch the show Sunday, I encourage you to read columnist Tom Dorsey piece in today’s edition of the C-J.

Panic Button Pushed, Rev. Picks 'em: Week 4

To put it lightly, I’m still in a bit of shock over the precipitous fall from grace that has befallen the Louisville Cardinals football program.

I don’t know how many times in college football history a program goes from 12-1, winning the Orange Bowl, and a top-10 national ranking … to suddenly dropping 2 of your first 4 games (one as a 37 point favorite at home), giving up close to 40 points a game and racking up more personal fouls than were committed all last year.

At the beginning of this season, people were confident that this team would again compete for the Big East title. Funny how things can change so quickly! Right now, a 5-7 record looks very generous for this bunch.

Suffice it to say, the atmosphere around the program is downright toxic right now. It looked like Veterans Stadium’s heyday on Saturday, with insults and objects being hurled onto the field and fans fighting each other to the death in the parking lot. To think that the entire city would be burned down by an angry mob is not an overstatement after watching that display this past weekend.

On top of everything else that is happening on the field, reports came out late yesterday that star-crossed linebacker Willie Williams has been dismissed for the team for trying to scarf down a bag of marijuana after being pulled over by Louisville’s finest earlier this week.

Photo from The Courier Journal

You might remember Willie Williams during his recruitment out of high school. After a recruiting visit to Florida in which he set off fire extinguishers in his hotel and allegedly and inappropriately groped a girl at a bar, it was revealed that he had already tallied 11 or 12 arrests on charges ranging from burglary to assault. I guess this would be lucky number 13, right?

Predictably, all this negativity coming out of the Louisville football program is destroying my ability to competently play Pick-Em. I went a disastrous 4-6 last week. That is inexcusable, and the Rev’s wife is threatening to take over the picks if I can’t get my act together.

I just keep reminding myself - basketball season is just a few weeks away.

Photo from uoflsports.cstv.com

Here are this week’s picks:

10 points: Mississippi State (3-1) at SOUTH CAROLINA (3-1)

9 points: USC (3-0) at Washington (2-2)

8 points: Pittsburgh (2-2) at VIRGINIA (3-0)

7 points: ALABAMA (3-1) at Florida State (2-1) * neutral site

6 points: California (4-0) at OREGON (4-0)

5 points: Kansas State (2-1) at TEXAS (4-0)

4 points: CLEMSON (4-0) at Georgia Tech (2-2)

3 points: Michigan State (4-0) at WISCONSIN (4-0)

2 points: Air Force (3-1) at NAVY (2-2)

1 point: PENN STATE (3-1) at Illinois (3-1)

Season Record: 24-16

-Posted by Rev. Shaw Moore

Rev' has his finger on the button

Louisville was a 37 point favorite against Syracuse this weekend. It’s fair to say that I’ve been pressing this repeatedly since Saturday.

-posted by Rev. Shaw Moore

Believe in Getting You’re A** Walked On

As you drive north on Interstate 65 in Louisville, about 1 ½ miles from the University of Louisville and Cardinal Stadium, you’ll see a brand new billboard on the side of the road. It bears the image of a serious looking Andre Woodson, quarterback for the University of Kentucky Wildcats football team, with the slogan attached:

“Believe In Blue.”

First, this is kind of a cheap rip off from the Indianapolis Colts, who also employ the same “Believe In Blue” slogan. Aside from that, however, is the backhanded swipe this billboard seems to take.

You see, this is pretty close to the heart of the city, steps away from where the Cards play their home games. It’s like a big, wet fart right in the middle of town –any self-respecting athlete, let alone any fan who follows sports, couldn’t interpret this as anything less than an insult.

That said, going to billboards is a step up from UK’s most recent statewide media campaign. At least a few more people will see these. I imagine a website could be coming in the next couple of years.

The thing is, I think this is a pretty ballsy move on UK’s part - yet there’s not much merit to back it up. Granted, UK posted a winning record (8-5) and won the Music City Bowl last year, the school’s first bowl win since 1983. They return several explosive players, including a potential top-10 draft pick in quarterback Andre Woodson, all SEC wide receiver Keenan Burton, and hard-hitting linebacker Wesley Woodyard.

Despite the talent they’ve assembled, they dropped every regular season game they played against good competition last year: a 59-28 blowout loss to UofL; a tepid 26-7 loss to Florida, a score that is much closer than the game tape would indicate; a 49-0 no-show against LSU, and; a 17-12 loss to Tennessee to extend their winless streak against the Vols to 22 games.

An eight point victory against an indifferent Clemson in the Music City Bowl does offer some glimmer of hope going in to the 2007 season, but it’s hardly justification for all the brash talk of beating UofL, Florida, Tennessee that’s been coming out of Lexington lately. Local sports columnist Eric Crawford may have said it best – "...maybe it will be tantamount to a puppy barking at a passing tractor trailer."

We’ll have to wait until the third week of the season to find out if the billboards inspired UK fans to have any more faith in their team – that’s when the Cats and Cards meet up to renew their rivalry in Lexington. (Incidentally, this game used to be the first game of the season for both teams. UK begged to have this game later in the year so they could be better prepared …)

The smart money says Louisville will win this one again, and they’ll probably win it big.

I’d expect those billboards will be coming down soon after.

- posted by Rev. Shaw Moore