Underworld

A fascinating piece by Dana O'Neil at ESPN, she interviewed 20 high-profile college basketball coaches, under the promise of absolute anonymity, about the state of college recruiting and what takes place in the shady shadows. Yes, that's an oxymoron, I know, but I liked it.

And the thing is, while a terrific read, it's not all that "enlightening" to most fans of college sport. And that's sad. Most fans don't know, and don't want to know what it takes to produce a winning product to prop up our own fan identity. Perhaps the NCAA has been mandated a fool's errand; trying to police young citizens, that are the age of majority, that may be worth millions of dollars. Especially when the "victims" don't even care.

The occassional hypocrisy of the NCAA isn't lost on me. But it was said best by Nick Nolte in Blue Chips: "The rules don't make much sense some times. But I believe in the rules."

And let's not kid ourselves, it's the subject of daily debate in the Commonwealth because of one word: Calipari.

Without accusation, Cal is the posterboy, the vanguard for those that embrace the mogul culture of young athletes rather than resist. Whether he's a con-man or a visionary remains to be be seen.

The rules don't make sense sometimes, but I believe in the rules. I hope all fans of college basketball in the Commonwealth can maintain some intellectual honesty in this landscape, and be willing to call out our own colors when impropriety is spotted.

I will.

Duuuuuuuumervil

Elvis just signed a whopping contract extension with the Denver Brocos, 61.5 million dollars. Louisville fans know very well, but here's a reminder of what they're buying...

Samardo lands with Cavs

The former UofL big man has agreed in principal to a multi-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Considering the rebuilding that franchise is staring at, it's not a bad place for an undrafted rookie to land. Best of luck, Mardo.

If you haven't already

Take a few clicks around the UofL block...

Card Game has a piece on the defensive indentity of former point Andre McGee, especially topical since he's now on staff, and his d-first philosophy must become infectious for the Cards to have success next season.

CardChronicle surveys the buzz around local/future/would-be-king DaMarcus Smith. And while you're at it vote on the Least Cool Poll. I voted for Cal with exceedingly more conviction than I voted for Obama in '08.

Cardinal Couple sums up the scene of the Lady B-ball Cards, including 5 things to look for in the coming months.

And the much-maligned Tom Heiser at the CJ offers his thoughts on our triple-headed QB battle heading into next season. Easy on Heiser, everybody. There's room in Cardinal Universe for even the most magniloquent of die-hards.

Good Vibes

Excellent article in the CJ today on the maturation of linebacker Brandon Heath. Not to beat a dead horse, but the story is as much about Coach Strong as it is about Heath.

We fretted for so long here at Cardinal Laws over the dichotomy between "player's coach" and "disciplinarian". The choice we had to make between Asshole and Pushover; good guy or good football. Petrino's way versus Kragthorpe's.

But Coach Strong is showing us a third way, one characterized by instilling self-respect and the drive to maximize one's potential. It feels as if the players don't fear Strong as much as they fear not living up to his expectations of them.

It feels like something special is happening to this program.

More on Mack

Here's a little more info on the big fella that committed to the Cards last week. Despite his massive frame, he was somewhat overlooked early in the recruiting process, but started gaining interest from the major programs after a stellar showing at a combine earlier this spring. Money quote...

"I would like to get faster. I'm not a big, slow, fat boy or sloppy, whatever they say. I'm looking to improve my pass protection and run blocking and get my (offensive) line better."

Samardo dunks on Cousins