Score » Fighting

Sunday Morning PG: Covering a Wide World of Sports

c d kaplan — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:01:43 +0000

I ran into former Cardinal pigskinner Pete Compise yesterday at the Yum!

Of course, we chatted about the tumultuous but glorious last ten days. I asked if, back when he played in the late 60s, he could have conceived of the school’s station in the world of college sports, if he could have conceptualized playing in the Sugar Bowl?

He shook his head no, and laughed.

He agreed we were just excited when they put stands on the empty side of Fairgrounds Stadium.

That’s but one measure of how far U of L football has come.

* * * * *

I’ve spent Sunday morning watching the Manchester Darby.

It is not a horse race.

It’s what they call the incredibly intense soccer rivalry between Man U and Man City. Not only do these neighboring clubs hate each other, they also stand 1 and 2 in the English Premier League table. (Table = Standings.)

U took a 2 nil lead into halftime on a couple Wayne Rooney goals. City fought back to knot it in the second half. Then, with just a few moments to play, Man U tallied on a free kick for the W, to increase their first place lead in the EPL.

This being soccer in England, matters got testy in the stands. A projectile hit one of the Man U players above the eye, opening a gash. A fan ran on the field, apparently toward the referee, though it wasn’t shown on the telecast.

And hundreds of bobbies surrounded the Man U cheering section.

* * * * *

The antithesis in terms of intensity was yesterday’s UCLA vs Texas basketball game played in Reliant Stadium in Houston.

The crowd in the football venue, which seats 71,000 + for that sport, was announced at a hearty 2,797.

Dickie V was distraught.

It was an underwhelming game, won by the underwhelming Bruins, who outscored the Longhorns 12-2 to capture the W by a deuce.

* * * * *

Sam Houston State won in Bozeman Friday night, upsetting Montana State in the NCAA Div I-AA quarterfinals. Yesterday, Georgia South won at higher seeded Old Dominion. Several favorites also won.

Here’s my point. Division I-AA will have a legitimate national champion. The school that prevails will have won it on the field. Every team with a legit claim to the crown will have had an opportunity to prove its worth on the gridiron.

Unlike, well, you know. Division I-A. The Football Bowl Subdivision.

The upcoming four team playoff. Not even close to being fair to all contenders.

* * * * *

I need a show of hands.

Who out there, other than Kirk Herbstreit, cares who wins the Heisman Trophy?

* * * * *

I know about as few of you could give a shit about hockey as care about soccer, but . . .

. . . it sure would be nice if the NHL could settle it’s labor dispute, so we could see some pucks.

* * * * *

Not much of a boxing fan these days.

But I must admit. I just watched a video of Juan Manuel Marquez’s knockout of Manny Pacquiao last night.

I feel so guilty. So, I’ll bid you adieu until later.

– Seedy K

Monday Musings: Devils, On the Diamond, In Group D & Mo’

c d kaplan — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 17:15:42 +0000

Let’s start with a shout out to my Detroit Tigers. They played three one-run games against the Reds this weekend in Cincy, winning two. Last night they came back big in the top of the 8th with an improbable shellacking of Aroldis Chapman.

Hopefully it will provide impetus for a rejuvenation. Detroit’s been falling in the standings as of late. Injuries.

I’d settle for a Cincy/ Detroit World Series.

* * * * *

My new favorite baseball team (Other than the Tigers): The Stony Brook Seawolves.

The upstart nine from the America East Conference bested long time collegiate baseball behemoth LSU in Baton Rouge to become only the second #4 seed ever to make it to Omaha for the College World Series.

Where is Stony Brook you might ask? In New York, I think I’m safe saying that. Exactly where in the Empire State, I’m not sure.

Anyway, the hot hitting Seawolves — They got 50 base knocks in 3 games to LSU’s 15 — will join many of usual suspects as 8 schools battle it out for the national crown at that new stadium that has supplanted iconic Rosenblatt in deepest, darkest Nebraska.

The Bayou Tiger players and fans looked shell-shocked.

* * * * *

There are heated rivalries. BoSox/ Yankees. Packers/ Bears. Cards/ Cats.

And then there are really really really heated rivalries, with histories that hearken back as far as the 11th century. You know, William the Conqueror, 1066, the Norman and French Conquest of England. I mean, it’s not Trinity vs. St. X, but France vs. England does run deep.

Anyway, in the world of futbol, they are contesting the EuroCup these days. Which, I think, is like the World Cup for Europe only. Thus the name. Anyway, each country fields a Dream Team of its best footballers.

Today is Group D’s opening day.

France vs. England.

You may not be paying attention, but two countries have stopped their business to tune in.

France just tied it 1-1 in the 38th minute.

* * * * *

U of L’s Silent L Harrell made some USA national team.

I can’t remember the last time a Cardinal made one of these squads.

It’s a good sign for Louisville. If not for Stephan Van Treese.

* * * * *

There are probably only three or four more of you who care about hockey than do about soccer.

But, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention tonight’s fascinating Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. LA’s Kings skated to a 3-0 lead, but the New Jersey Devils have won the last two, causing, I’m sure, trepidation in the hocky hotbed of Hollywood.

* * * * *

I think tennis analyst Mary Carillo is as good a commentator as there is for any sport.

In case you never watch tennis, that’s her sport. She and bad boy John McEnroe were a joy to listen to during the French Open.

* * * * *

Manny Pacquiao — He’s a boxer — was apparently jobbed big time by the official scorekeepers in his fight over the weekend with Timothy Bradley. He lost a split decision in a match that apparently every objective observer felt he won easily.

Which I mention simply to emphasize that boxing is one of two former major sports that have significantly lost their luster in the last half century.

The other that few care much about is . . .

* * * * *

. . . horse racing.

Generally sports fans around the land could care less for the “Sport of Kings,” except around here, where the Derby is the social event of the year. You don’t see Trish and Cyb having a big soiree the night before Selection Sunday, do you?

Which is to say, it’s really only mildly annoying that I’ll Have Another was scratched from the Belmont, and retired from racing. (At the height of his breeding value, I might observe.)

Given the shady rep of the horse’s trainer, one wag I heard wondered whether the thoroughbred needed to enter drug rehab, like some equine Lindsay Lohan.

– Seedy K

Tennessee Tsouris, ‘Dores Closed & Local Docket Talk

c d kaplan — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 01:53:36 +0000

Once again, just to remind those of you not of the Hebrew persuasion, tsouris is a Yiddish word that means trouble, distress and the attending hassle and heartache. More or less.

Anyway, they got some down in Tennessee.

Just today at lunch with some fellow sports fans we were opining that the Tennessee Vols seem poised to ascend back to the upper echelon of college pigskin.

Assuming, of course, that my Pakistani Graduate Student Theory is valid. (Quickly stated again. Any college that aspires to a BCS title must have a squad with at least some key players willing to whip the tar out of any geeky student walking across campus with a laptop . . . just because they don’t like how he looks.)

The Vols have had enough off season turmoil to assure them BCS status for seasons to come. The latest, of course, when several pigskinners stomped the crap out of some patrons and a cop at a drinking establishment.

After the lunch discussion I came home to read Eric Crawford’s blog with a link to a story about the whole situation, focusing on the fact that the victims of this and other recent Big Orange imbroglios haven’t let their whuppings and injuries get in the way of their love of Rocky Top.

Does SEC football exist in a parallel matrix or what?

* * * * *

Meanwhile down the road in Nashville, the school that aspires to nothing more on the gridiron than collecting those checks from the SEC office — that would be Vanderbilt — lost its football coach.

Just weeks before summer practice, Bobby Johnson upped and quit.

Odd timing, eh?

Well, I’ve now had a couple of sources advise that he’s been planning this for quite awhile. Seems the handful of Commodore fans who care about what happens at Dudley Field were starting to grumble that BJ didn’t raise the level of Vandy pigskin they way they wanted. Johnson, a smart fellow, realized he was never going to satisfy this posse. (As if anybody could win there where the school doesn’t even have an athletic department.)

As the story goes, he waited until now, so the school would have to name his buddy Robbie Caldwell as interim mentor, giving him this upcoming season to prove his mettle enough to be named to the position permanently. Had Johnson quit last winter when he first contemplated the move, Vandy would have surely named somebody from outside.

Which anecdote is probably the last time you’ll ever read about Vanderbilt football here except during the week they play UK.

* * * * *

I also heard some illumination on the Johnny Patrick situation from a source who swears he heard it from folks involved in the situation.

Apparently after Patrick and his (former?) girlfriend had their tussle over what was on Johnny’s phone, resulting in some very minor injuries for the lady, and after Patrick was arrested, he called her. According to the source, he told her how the arrest would probably cause him to get kicked off the team. In so many words.

I’m now advised that the prosecutors are considering whether that call met the requirements for the crime of Intimidating A Witness, and are contemplating adding those charges against Patrick.

I also understand that Patrick’s attorney has not yet discussed the situation with Coach Charlie Strong, in order to determine what needs to happen for the defensive ace to remain on the squad.

* * * * *

Look who is tearing it up in the NBA summer league?

DeMarcus Cousins.

And some fellow named Derrick Caracter. Didn’t a guy by that name used to play for The Rick?

* * * * *

George Steinbrenner turned an asset for which he paid $8.7 million (Only $1 mill of which was his own.) into a gold and diamond minet valued at $1.6 billion.

Blowhard he may have been, but a saavy businessman also.

* * * * *

My hope for the weekend: Watching John Daly accept the British Open trophy while wearing pants in the same pattern as that psychedelic sport coat he wore to the former winners banquet the other night.

– Seedy K

Monday Snowflakes: UK’s Magic Number, NFL Stupidity & A Place to go for Sun

c d kaplan — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:06:25 +0000

Kentucky is an unblemished 19 games into the Big Blue Nation’s Winter of Content. But, in this era of if a little is good, more must be better, the Cats in the last week of January are less than halfway to their goal.

If UK makes it to the final Monday night of the season, it will be the Cats 40th tip off of the campaign. That’s right, my fellow hoopoholics, the Boyz from the Bluegrass have shot at the Big Four 0.

There are 12 more tilts in the SEC schedule. Plus 3 games in the SEC tourney. Plus the Magic Six to make it to the Last Dance of the Season. That totals 21 in case you’ve misplaced your calculator.

Kentucky’s chances of finishing the regular season undefeated? 40/60 I’d say. They’re certainly better than anybody else in the league. But the C-USA this is not. It’s hard to believe that this group of youngsters won’t slip somewhere along the way. Baton Rouge, Starkville, Nashville, Knoxville, Athens aren’t your most bucolic winter visits during league play. And that’s assuming the Cats lose a cockfight tomorrow night.

Here’s an interesting wager. Are UK’s odds greater to win the whole shebang, but suffer a loss along the way before the NCAA? Or, to go undefeated and then lose in the Dance? You tell me.

* * * * *

I no longer think the BCS is the stupidest thing in the football. That crown belongs to the NFL’s overtime rule.

Listen I probably hate Brett Favre more than the next guy. And I’ve got yesterday’s blog to prove it.

But it still wasn’t fair for him and his fellow Vikings to watch New Orleans win the coin toss before OT, then march down the field, aided by penalties, and kick a field goal for a ticket to the Super Bowl. Without the prima donna QB even getting a chance to tighten his chinstrap.

In overtime, each team has to have a chance to play on both sides of the ball. Period. End of argument.

* * * * *

Speaking of the BCS, did you see that the five major non BCS leagues were bequeathed a record $24 million this year?

Of course, the SEC and Big 11 grabbed a few farthings over $22 million each.

The rich get richer. And the poor eat yesterday’s bread. Figuratively speaking, of course.

* * * * *

It’s been so gray around here that I not only have been ordered by my internist to take Vitamin D tablets, but to also watch at least a half an hour of the Aussie Open every night before I go to bed.

Hey, if I buy an iPhone, is there an app to get a tan?

I’ve been to Australia this time of year. What I can tell you is that it’s plenty sunny and warm. Right now I’m staring out my window at snowflakes and gray. But I’m thinking Bather’s Pavilion at Balmoral Beach in Sydney. And, if you’ve been there, you know what I’m talking about. It’s the paradigm of bucolic.

Watching a little tennis each night from Melbourne helps. At least a little.

* * * * *

Who do I like for the Final Four today?

I thought you’d never ask.

Kentucky, Syracuse, Michigan State and Ohio State.

* * * * *

As you stock up on chips and beverages for the upcoming Winter Olympics, remember this: Figure Skating is NOT a sport. Except for the one year Tonya Harding and her seconds went martial arts on Nancy Kerrigan.

Speaking of Kerrigan assault, this news would be interesting and ironic if not so sad. The Olympic medalist’s father died over the weekend. After getting into a fight with Kerrigan’s brother, who has criminal charges pending because of the incident.

The spirit of Jeff Gillooly and Shawn Eckardt lives on.

– Seedy K

Kentucky 71, Louisvile 62: Considering the Carnage

c d kaplan — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:42:35 +0000

Okay, let’s get a few things out of way from the get go.

Best team won.

Most talented team won.

John Wall confirmed forever and always that he’s a transcendent player. One who can take over a game when it’s needed. Which he did, scoring six in a row after the Cats fell behind by a point in the second half, assuring the W for UK.

U of L showed grit and guts few figured it possessed.

UK can play some stalwart D.

Best Shot of Day. Bill Luster proved yet again why he’s one of the great sports photographers. He captured for posterity DeMarcus Cousins’ flagrant forearm to Jared Swopshire’s head during that first minute scrum. You can view it on page C9 of Sunday’s C-J.

Worst Blown Call of the Decade. Cousins should have been ejected. Don’t take my word for it. Clark Kellogg thinks so. Seth Davis thinks so. Tim Brando thinks so. First of all, the refs should have whistled a jump ball to stop play several seconds before that first minute scrum got out of hand. They did have the presence of mind to view video of the wrestling match. That they didn’t send Cousins packing after watching the replay is incompetence.

The Difference in the Game. Notwithstanding the fact that John Wall took over the affair when the Cats fell behind, Cousins was why UK won. 18 points. 18 boards. 2 blocks. A steal. Total intimidation of Samardo Samuels. His replacement Daniel Orton played eight inconsequential minutes. His line was zeros across.

So you tell me, might the game have played out differently had the refs sent Cousins packing? It is way more than plausible.

Astonishing Numbers of the Day. UK led at half, 27-19. It is hard to conceive that Louisville could have played worse at the offensive end than they did in the first half. The Cats nabbed every loose ball. No Cardinal field goals for the opening ten minutes. No assists, for heaven’s sakes. Yet the Cards scrapped and never stopped playing D. And tallied 5 points in the last 7.7 seconds of the first stanza.

Most Duplicitous Post Game Quote. John Calipari: “Did you see how the game was played? There were things, grabbing, kicking, grabbing, punching, eyeball-dragging, fish-hooks, nose drags. There was everything in the game.”

Check out the second best shot of the day: Mark Stone’s photo on C8 of today’s C-J. Daniel Orton has both Preston Knowles and Samardo Samuels hooked. The next time you hear Coach Cal use the term “double team,” you’ll know what he means.

Looking ahead. Okay, this one’s done. Both teams can move on to conference play. Which figures to be a more daunting task for U of L. The BEast is tough pretty much from top to bottom. Kentucky could easily sweep through the SEC. Calipari’s teams have been known to do that.

UK’s goal is a W on the last Monday of the season. The Cats are good, but have yet to show they will have the maturity in April to overcome Texas or Kansas, who are equally talented but more experienced and mature.

U of L’s focus is more modest. Make it to the Dance, then maybe get to the second weekend. At this point, neither is a given. But — a big but — if the Cards continue to contest with the eye of the tiger, those are not unreasonable accomplishments.

One Last Question. Where does John Wall rank among the many greats who have balled for the Big Blue? One guy’s opinion: #1, even if he’s surely one and done.

– Seedy K

Tuesday Night Fights

c d kaplan — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:11:14 +0000

Comin’ up tonight at, oh, about 9:50 on a TV near you: Round Three.

In one corner, ladies and gents, the ever irascible Lone Star Cowboy, the Pride of the Big Blue — Billy Clyde Gillispie.

In the other corner, ladies and gents, sideline reporter, agent provacteur, apparent nemesis to He Who Sits In Rupp’s Seat, Ms. Thorn in Billy Clyde’s Side — Jeannine Edwards.

You think Blair vs. Thabeet was rough and tumble. Hah. It’s a pillow fight compared to Gillispie vs. Edwards. Don’t miss the Nashtown Smashdown!!!!!

– Seedy K

In Case You Haven’t Heard . . .

c d kaplan — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:33:33 +0000

. . . Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy was arrested early Thursday morning after an altercation with a cab driver in Cincy.

Okay, I’m being facetious. Of course, you’ve heard because you’re a sports fan and ESPN felt compelled to tell the story every five minutes throughout its basketball coverage Thursday night. I think Dan Shulman is one of the better play by play guys, but he brought it up over and over and over and over again.

I wanted Bobby Knight to, well, go Bobby Knight on him. Maybe throw a chair at him or something.

Talk about beating a dead horse. Geez.

– Seedy K

Cardinal Smackdown

c d kaplan — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:51:48 +0000

Are you ready to ruuuummmmmmmmmmble????????

In this corner, wearing his Sousaesque U of L marching band uni, Patrick Henry Hughes. In this corner, wearing a signature mock turtle, U of L Athletic Department. No hitting below the belt.

I’m not sure what’s going on with the increasingly petty tiff between U of L’s most famous band member and the Athletic Department. For reasons not really clear the latter took over the pep band awhile back from the School of Music. I’m not sure that it even has anything to do with sports (which is the subject of this blog). But, hey, we all gather when there’s a school fight, right?

Truth is I don’t have any insight, am not sure what the real issues are and don’t understand why it’s escalating? But, of course, I’ve got an opinion. Sort of.

The current, eminently successful regime of U of L Athletics can be, ahem, heavy handed. There’s a kind of love us or leave us attitude that vexes fans who have been Cardinal supporters since long before the current guys took over and shall be Cardinal supporters when they’re gone. Which doesn’t mean the red & black faithful don’t love the state of the department (with the exception I guess of the freefall of the football team). It’s just that loyalty through the years is now less important than how much money you give.

Anyway, for whatever reasons, there’s a new pep band, now in its second year, and, one guy’s opinion, it sounds a lot better than the old one. The change pissed off Music Dept students, including the famous Mr. Hughes, whose statements about the situation have been, frankly, plenty pissy and petulant.

Hughes is internationally famous, which his website points out again and again. So why this fight? Why now? Why does the extremely capable and competent Julie Hermann feel compelled to respond? I dunno.

It’s time for this one to be ovahhhhhhh!!!!! Give it up, kids. We all love the Cards.

– Seedy K

PGST Player of the Week

c d kaplan — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:48:20 +0000

You remember the Pakistani Graduate Student Theory, right? Briefly stated, for a school to contend for the national pigsking football title (Such as it is with the ersatz BCS tomfoolery), it must have lots of players willing to mug a Pakistani grad student just because he/she is walking across campus with a laptop and penholder.

This week’s potential PGST Hall of Famer is Maryland linebacker Rick Costa. Seems he was at a bar early Sunday morning — hmm, that has a familiar ring to it — where he was charged with punching out a cop at 2:25 a.m.. This was after he got in a brawl with a bouncer.

Costa gets extra credit for his resume — he’s a criminology major.

– Seedy K

Professional Fighting Fixed? Never Say It.

c d kaplan — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:16:00 +0000

I am no expert on the ever more popular sport of extreme fighting, or martial arts or whaterver they call it. Heck, I’ve never been much of a fan of the Sweet Science, save for my allegiance to homie Muhammed Ali. But I have seen this Kimbo Slice character now and again on the tube and admit he’s one scary ass dude because of whom I’d cross the street to provide wide latitude.

So I was as surprised as anybody when I saw the now widely seen video of 14 second demise the other night to one Seth Petruzelli, a stand in I believe for KS’s actual opponent.

In post-victory comments, the winner is now insinuating that the promoters of the fight “kind of hinted” that it would be in his best interests to stand up and trade punches with Mr. Slice. Petruzelli actually said he was given money to do so. Instead, he pummeled his victim from the get go, getting him to the mat where he battered Slice until his face was, well, sliced actually.

All of which is to imply that the promoter — EliteXC — wanted to, ahem, dictate the course of the proceedings, rather than allowing the athletic endeavor to play out naturally. That is, they tried to put the fix in.

All I can say is that I’m shocked, shocked I say, that such “sport” might be tainted.

Kelly Kahl of CBS, which televised the event, said “I don’t believe there was any impropriety whatsoever.”