The Stakes

It's an important year for Bluegrass basketball. Sure, when isn't it? But the upcoming season is going to be carrying extra juice for both UofL and UK.

By any measure, Calipari has bested Pitino in every way since he took on the UK gig. He's beat him twice on the court, taken his teams further in the tournament, and staked his claim as the best recruiter in the land, and perhaps most importantly, hasn't attached his program's name to one of the most humiliating scandals in college basketball history.

So why do I have a small sense of optimism? I dunno, maybe it is misplaced. But it's still there, it's genuine.

Maybe it's because despite all the slings and arrows suffered in the last 3 years, Louisville is still looking ahead towards a Top 10 team, the likely favorites to take the best conference in college basketball. Maybe it's because I like the guys, and feel actual respect for people like Peyton Siva, Kyle Kuric and Gorgui Dieng. While I won't pretend to know any of them personally, the affection for Louisville fans towards their team feels more real and genuine than the pretentious "love" UK fans already lavish upon the next crop of stars they've yet to see play.

The pressure is on Rick Pitino, well, as much as it can be for the Jurich-tenured coach. If we have a three-year losing streak against Cal/UK, and if a promising season doesn't extend beyond the first weekend of the NCAA tournament, then I think the pressure put on Pitino to step aside will be large. No firing, nothing like that, but a Dennyesque, quiet request for a transfusion of new blood will likely be forthcoming.

That's the worst case scenario. But if Pitino beats a Cal-led UK team, the Miami Heat of college basketball, if he marshals his talented squad towards some Big East hardware and a tournament run, well then that's a horse of a different color.

I think Pitino's "Louisville First" mantra becomes less of a contrivance, and will take on more substance. I think Cal's savant-like recruiting begins to become a liability for the first time. The margin between "best recruiter of all time" and "well, he can't coach a lick" is thin.

Next year matters. It matters a ton. Trajectories for the next decade will be set, and I'll be the first to admit it if we don't hit ours.

Ali reaches out to Dirk

Louisville's patron saint sent the reigning NBA champion a very cool present post-Finals, a boxing glove inscribed with the phrase "You are the Greatest". According to this interview with a German newspaper, the gift tickled Nowitzski to no end...

SPIEGEL: Did any German politicians call to congratulate you?
Nowitzki: I think that (German Chancellor) Angela Merkel called my adviser. I'm not totally sure. But do you know what made me the happiest?
SPIEGEL: What?
Nowitzki: Muhammad Ali sent me a package.
SPIEGEL: What was in it?
Nowitzki: A boxing glove with the inscription: "You are the greatest." Please don't ask me immediately about the political meaning of the gift. I was simply happy and sent Ali a golden basketball with a similar inscription.

In related news, former pugilist Peter McNeeley sent LeBron James an autographed mouthguard, with the simple message: "We'll get 'em next time, champ".

Here's a grainy video of Ali's introduction to the German people, ultimately figuring out and punishing the German-leftie champion, Karl Mildenberger, in Frankfurt in 1966. 

Is Rodney Purvis the most annoying man on the planet?

There's two interesting case studies to consider today. One, how someone I don't really know, in this instance former Cardinal-commit Rodney Purvis, can immediately become insufferable the moment he's no longer going to wear my preferred-laundry.

Two, having admitted my bias, is Rodney Purvis the most insufferable recruit on the planet?

Twitter has provided us an unprecedented glimpse into the minds of young basketball players. And, studies show, 87.9% of it ain't pretty.

I followed Purvis' twitter once he appeared on the Louisville radar, and out of morbid fascination I guess, have continued to follow him even afterwards. And for better or worse, I have a window into what appears to be one of the most vapid, manic, emotional, talented, intelligent, cliche-ridden-christian, egotistical minds I've ever encountered.

A sampling, just from a small, small time-frame mind you...

     I'm gonna write a book


     You learn alot about yourself when you to yourself alot !


     Yo i cant stand people who believe everything they hear


     2 people to give up on me recently #great


     Deleting anything that reminds me of you ! Forget it all.


     Tried waiting around, but it's over for that!!!


     W A L K I N G A W A Y

(two minutes later)

     Focused now!

I'm not sure if this sampling quite captures it, and Purvis certainly isn't the only one, but in my limited twitter experience, he's the worst vapid-ness offender.

Anyone that goes through that many highs and lows in a 24-hour period truly frightens me.

Unless he decides to re-open his Louisville commitment, in which case I'll reevaluate. Maybe that's what's truly frightening.

W A L K I N G A W A Y...

Quote of the Day

We have one of the premier commissioners in athletics, but whoever's doing our scheduling must be doing it with a Ouija board. How can you play two of the top three (projected) teams in the league twice and have to play another top team that's a rival game (at Cincinnati) on the road for a second straight year? It just doesn't make any sense to me.

-Coach Pitino, on UofL's draw in the 2011 Big East schedule. You really do have to respect his unrelenting gamesmanship. It's quite impressive in its own way.

Thoughts on the QB situation

In trying to make sense of the present and future of Louisville quarterbacking, I've only come to the conclusion that it doesn't make much sense, but that's OK. It's nonsensical in a good way. It's a mindset I think Cards fans need to adopt quickly, or myself anyway, that the transfer of QB power isn't always going to be neat and seamless, where the beloved veteran passes the torch off to the young heir after a successful season.

I still remember being furious during the Petrino years (oh, what sweet, simpler times) when Coach inserted freshman Brian Brohm into the lineup, stealing snaps away from the admired and gritty veteran, Stefan Lefors. It just didn't seem right.

But it was right, or at least more reflective of the way successful programs run. Sometimes it'll be messy, sometimes feelings might get hurt, sometimes promises made during recruiting will be broken. It's a new paradigm, and so long as everyone is given a fair shake on the practice field to earn a spot, it's in the best interests of everyone.

Other thoughts...

* The strangest thing about the Gabbert transfer is that he's leaving Missouri after getting beat out by a dual-threat QB, James Franklin, in practice. Gabbert's father called the move a "business decision". But now he'll be going up against another dual-threat QB that was actually more highly-touted than Franklin coming out of high school.

It makes you wonder what UofL's new QB coach, Shawn Watson, the man primarily responsible for Gabbert's transfer due to their preexisting relationship, might have said to him to make Gabbert so confident in his "business decision".

Is it perhaps a sign of doubts that Teddy B can get it done?

* The forgotten fact in this discussion is that Will Stein is only a junior. He's adored by his head coach, and if he has another promising season, if Louisville football takes another step in the right direction, is it that far fetched to think that he keeps his job in 2012? I know all the oxygen is being sucked out of the room by Bridgewater and Gabbert, but I've learned to never count out Short Fry. If you could bet on these sort of things in Vegas, and say, get 10-1 odds on Will Stein starting for Louisville in 2012, I'd jump on that in a heartbeat.

* Let's go easy on Dominique Brown, everybody. Drew Deener and Howie Lindsey blasted the kid this morning on radio, shuddering the thought that Brown is only two injuries away from the starting role.

Geez, give the kid a break. He's only attempted one pass so far in his college career, and I know, said pass was picked off. But remember, Brian Brohm's first pass as a pro for the Packers was also picked off, and look how that turned out. Wait, bad example.

But the point is let's not totally overact to one bad pass. Of course, Brown appears to be more athlete than true QB, but as far as 3rd stringers go, I'd say the Cards are pretty lucky to have a raw talent like Brown. Go down the depth chart at 98% of college programs, and you're not going to find many Tom Brady's as the 3rd QB.

* I gotta Bridgewater nickname! It just came to me, you heard it here first. Teddy "Cagey" B. Get it? Like the KGB? Screw you, I like it.

* Scanning the websites and blogs from the Missouri Tigers to get a gauge of their reaction is pretty interesting. I know the Tigers had a decent season last year and are riding high after sending a QB in the first round of the NFL draft, but they sure have outgrown their britches pretty quickly.

In between the typical "good riddance" transfer stuff, here's a sampling of fan opinion. Even the ones that are supportive are condescending, applauding the move as the best option for a kid that likely couldn't cut it at a powerhouse like Mizzou. A sampling...

     Good choice, he should be able to start for them. Good Luck TG.

     Louisville? I understand the Watson thing but come on Tyler...Louisville?

     In Gabbert's defense, maybe the UL blogger overestimates how good their current QBs are or underestimates how good Mizzou’s are (in response to Cardchron's take. Teddy Bridgewater, as I mentioned, was a higher ranked prospect than their own new QB, James Franklin).

     Makes sense. never could have cut it at Mizzou

Perhaps the Tigers need to focus efforts towards winning their conference, something they haven't done since 1960, before climbing onto their high horse.

* Can Gabbert beat out Bridgewater? It's another forgotten question, as it was immediately assumed that Gabbert was brought in to bring depth to the position and pressure Teddy in practice. But I dunno, the kid can flat out fling the ball.

He has a beautiful compact throwing motion, and though he lacks size, appears to have good scrambling ability. At the very least, it seems very possible we could be looking at a split-time situation again in 2012.

* The Gabbert transfer, to me, is akin to the Bridgewater commitment in that its importance goes beyond just the football field. When Bridgewater committed, it carried symbolic importance; it was a significant shot across the bow that Charlie Strong and Clint Hurtt could walk in and pluck a promising talent from under the noses of some major programs, ones that had been following Teddy's progress for years.

It gave Louisville instant credibility in the minds of many of Bridgewater's teammates and local star players. Perhaps to a lesser extent, but Tyler Gabbert's transfer is similarly symbolic. His family name looms large, his recruitment was followed very closely in many circles.

You can pick up the surprise and condescension in the snippets from the Mizzou fans above. Louisville. Really, Louisville??

It matters not that fans nationally may be slow on the uptake. What matters is that under Strong and Hurtt, the Louisville name is carrying considerable cache at the moment with players. The Gabbert transfer news made ripples on ESPN yesterday, and was added to the litany of reasons of how Strong is successfully changing the culture around here. It's the first thing mentioned whenever Louisville's name now comes up in a national conversation. Things are changing there.

And if we keep getting players of this caliber, soon it'll be Cardinal fans getting the last laugh.