I Love the Smell of UK Basketball in the Fall

The countdown is over...Kentucky basketball's season has begun! I love college football, but let's be serious, UK football isn't anything to write home about. UK basketball, on the other hand, is the most important thing in the world. While other kids watched cartoons or other shows, I was glued to the Kentucky basketball games. Yelling, cheering, crying, high-fiving...Kentucky basketball has always been my obsession.

Tonight marks the start of a new season. Our team in no way compares to last year's squad, but a team like that only comes along once in a Kentucky blue moon. However, being a true fan does not entail cheering solely during the victorious stretches, but rather it demands loyalty through thick and thin.

Midnight Madness is a great tradition in NCAA basketball, especially at UK. I remember going every year to watch it in Memorial Colosseum, after camping out to get tickets for it (which are free, but sell for hundreds). I remember witnessing Rajon Rondo win the dunk contest during that year's Midnight Madness, and I was blown away by his explosiveness. I knew right there that he was destined for great basketball endeavors (he is now probably the best point guard in the NBA).

I wish I were able to be there tonight, but thank goodness for espn3.com. In honor of the tradition that is Kentucky Basketball, I watched the 1998 NCAA Championship game vs. Utah. Yes, I frequently watch the classic games that took place during my lifetime, and it never gets old. I love seeing Utah crumble and the Comeback Cats triumph. Envy our past, fear our future.

UK basketball stirs in me emotions that nothing else can. A combination of pride, enthusiasm, hopefulness, and love fill me to the core. Some call it over the top, I call it passion. And life without such passion, is no life at all.

So until the next post, I'll leave you with some highlights of that glorious 1998 championship game:

-Doleac struggling to get down the court towards the end of the second half, as his bowl cut is matted to his forehead.

-Wayne Turner never making two consecutive free throws (consistent with his 56% free throw average).

-Scott Padgett and Jamaal Magloire always looking Bad A with some sort of bruise or cut near the eyes.

-Rick Majerus rumored to have burned his "lucky" sweater after the game due to its failure to bring luck as well as its pungent odor and yellowed armpit regions.

-Cameron Mills being the man and making two threes when UK was, up until that point, 0-7 on three point attempts. As the final buzzer sounds, he then becomes the man that falls to the ground in tears (prompting pal Jeff Shepard to follow suit).

-Kentucky wins its seventh NCAA title. 'Nuff said.

The Hunt for a Reds October is a Success!

FINALLY!!! 1990 was that last year in which the Cincinnati Reds won the World Series, and 1995 was the last year they made it into the post-season. Now the fifteen year drought is over!

I have many fond memories of going to the Reds games and eating soft serve ice cream out of the plastic helmets. Some real greats have played for them over the years, like Ken Griffey Jr., Sean Casey, Adam Dunn, Austin Kerns, etc. Although many times they started out the season with a bang, they always trailed off in the NL Central race, and year after year failed to make it to October.

But this season was different! They have remained in the lead, or a few games off the lead, for a while...and have stayed at the top! I hope they can make the most of this long awaited post-season appearance and win the World Series in what has seemed like a long twenty years!

College Football!

Ah, the leaves are turning, the air is getting cooler, and the helmets are being strapped on...it's college football time! There's nothing quite better than sitting in front of a t.v. all day Saturday and flipping back and forth from one great game to the next. Grilling out bratwursts, hot dogs, and hamburgers, popping the top on a Barqs Root Beer, and only moving to go to the bathroom or get more food. Get ready, folks. Saturday is about to become your favorite day of the week.

The Best part of college football and the BCS system is that every Saturday counts. There is no room for error, and with every yellow flag you can't help but cringe and wonder if they can make it through the game without five more off sides. Many teams may come out of the starting gate at top speed only to be left behind during the last stretch. It's fourth and inches, and you're biting your nails and trying to help the next Knowshon Moreno get that crucial first down. You hold your breath as the star receiver is smashed to the ground after a gruesome tackle, or you lean forward to see if the helmet rolling on the field still has a head in it-for surely the impact was impossible to survive. Behold the ups and downs of football. The high fives for a victory, and the tears of sadness that coincide with the truth of the trophy slipping away. It's all part of the emotional ride, and it's all worth it.

The first weekend was a great one! UK beat Louisville, the SEC fared well in general (however, that LSU vs. UNC game was too close for comfort), and the Boise St. vs. Va Tech was a thrill! Oh poor Beamer and his goiter. But this is only the beginning. The noise from all the conference shifts has died down, and now we can all focus on the war zone that is about to ensue. Ready, set, HIKE!

The Not Fantastic Five

So I think I'll start my own Friday tradition of the Not Fantastic Five-a numerically lesser spin-off of Sports Center's Not Top Ten.

In descending order:

5. I love the Celtics, so I'd hate to throw my team under the bus completely. However, signing Shaq? That's definitely not fantastic.

4. USC Football. Kiffin is trying to promote his program and how they are as focused as ever this season despite not going to a bowl game. Let's face it, they might as well not even play this year, we don't like them anyway.

3. Brett Favre. Again we have to deal with his decision of whether or not he will still play, as if we didn't already waste a month of our time awaiting LeBron's decision.

2. The Red Sox losing 9-1 at their home stadium. That just sucks.

1. Coach K. Need I say more?

DeMarcus Cousins

Out of the five UK players that were drafted during the first round to the NBA, I think DeMarcus Cousins is my favorite. Don't get me wrong, I love John Wall and he deserves to be the first pick. He has a finesse unlike any other, and he makes incredible plays in crucial moments. But how often do you find a big man with the skill and agility of Cousins? Let me give you a hint-rarely.

Cousins is already dominant in the NBA summer league, and he's one year removed from High School. People talked about his "questionable" attitude, but compare him to other 19 year olds and I'd say he handles himself very well. He gets it done on the court.

As the fifth pick in the first round, there were plenty of skeptics, but it seems everyone has finally jumped on the D. Cousins bandwagon. Everyone loves him! He should have gone sooner in the draft, but that's all water under the bridge now. It's been a while, probably since Shaq, that we've seen such a dominant big man. He will shine against the man-to-man defense of the NBA, because no one can stop him. I usually only watch the playoffs since the season is so long, but I may watch more of the regular season now. I am greatly looking forward to seeing a Wildcat out there showing the other players how to play real basketball.

What Kind of Tennis Player Are You? Real or Recreational?

Answer the following questions and find out what kind of player persona fits you!

1. Do you ever bring more than one tennis racquet to an informal game? Do you bring them in a bag that could double as check-on luggage?

2. Do you own a Wimbledon towel that you got when you played at the Junior Championships in England?

3. Can you serve the ball over 50 mph without it sailing fifty feet over the fence?

4. Is your second serve more than a light tap over the net just to get it into the box to avoid a double fault?

5. Can you hit a drop shot?

6. Do you open a new can of balls halfway through an informal match to ensure you don't play will balls that have become slightly flat?

7. Do you return home with all of the balls with which you started?

8. Can you play a match while others are playing on an adjacent court without interrupting the other players' game at least ten times to retrieve a ball from an errant hit?

9. Does your racquet have an actual grip instead of worn-down duct tape?

10. Did you take Pete Sampras to five sets in the French Open?

If you answered "yes" to three or more of these questions, you are a legitimate tennis player. As my dad puts it, you're either good or you're not, there's very little in between in tennis. If you answered "no" to all of these questions, join the rest of us in a world where we play for fun and still have a great time.

A Sticky Wicket Special: The Decision

At nine o' clock I sat in front of my television to see where in the NBA LeBron James would go. Half an hour into the most dramatic coverage of any sports story, the truth was out-the Miami Heat will add another superstar to its stacked lineup. LeBron will join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in pursuit of his first championship.

In my opinion, it will be most interesting to see if the newest big three can equally share the spotlight, or if egos will attempt to rise above the others. LeBron is the man you want to give the ball to in the final minutes and seconds of a game for a winning shot...and so is Dwyane Wade. Now the quandary is, who do you give the ball to in those final seconds? Maybe they can shoot it together by each putting a hand on the ball. Go team!

I'm not one to sit here and criticize his decision, isn't it blasphemy to disagree with the King? However, I just don't know if it's going to work, at least not for a little while. Major adjustments will have to be made to all three players' game. Another question: how will the other players and the Heat bench fit into the picture? Will they achieve that championship combination?

The only question that remains is will Cleveland ever get out of this long slump of disappointing sports teams? That poor city just can't win! I truly do want the best for Lebron, and I'd love to see him win a championship. As the free agent season comes to a close, it will be exciting to see how it all plays out on the court.