Karen Sypher is a Gold Digging... \/\/|-|0r3!

So apparently if you stand outside the courthouse and hold a sign up - you make the news. Maybe the "Shame, Shame, Shame" guys who are always protesting construction in downtown Louisville will be next.

My favorite part of the news story is the 'viewer comments' at the end.

Karen Sypher Trial Day 5: Karen Sypher has her own currency

So early in Karen Sypher's trip to this week, she fired her first attorney, Dana Koulter, or he stepped down or whatever. People called her crazy then and that this was just another sign of those lights not being on. Well Tim Sypher, Rick Pitino, the random LG&E guy she let hang around, and now Dana Koulter have testified to that fact. After those statements, she'd been showing those signs for the last decade.  

Today was just another brick on the heavy load the defense attorney should be making for a criminally insane plea. Dana Koulter was a man Sypher met in a parking garage. They hit it off immediately, as she seemed to do with many men.

Here's a summary of Koulter's testimony:

• Sypher gave Koulter oral sex during an event at a "Hoosier Daddy" motor cycle event at which Sypher was hired to model.

• Sypher hired Koutler as her divorce attorney.

• Koulter recommended Sypher find another attorney since he was her lover but she declined and he proceeded to be her representation.

• Koulter then was asked by Sypher to represent her during her pursuit of a claim against Pitino.

• Kolter admitted that he had oral sex with Sypher when she came to ask for his help pursuing the claim against Pitino and warned Sypher that if she had made threatening phone calls to Pitino, she could be charged with extortion.

• The court was then shown a picture of Sypher giving Koulter oral sex. 

Not Guilty by reason of insanity looks pretty darn plausible.

This is just the beginnings of the gory details concerning Koulter's testimony that will be leaked out. We'll update when the rest surface. But after one week, this thing has gone from boring, to WOWing, MORE WOW, to sad. I don't know who I feel worse for, Sypher's kids who get to hear (and see) all of the sex acts their mother did when she was in her 40s, or Pitino's wife who gets to hear the things her husband did to this woman.

We kid on Sportsthat about Pitino and STDs due to his deteriorating appearance and weight loss, but after finding out the things we have found out this week... AND THEN learning he had unprotected sex with her??? Maybe CurryFlurry's uncle was on to something 10 years ago.

Dirty Baby Birds...

So Boogiewoogie must be working and has come across the latest inventory of Louisville Cardinal football  tees that have arrived. Thus, Charlie Strong and the Baby birds have thrown back to the times of Morten Anderson and Gary Player with the single cross bar.

Anyways, rush out to the stores to grab yours! You Card fans will need something to burn on those cold November Saturdays when you choose to not go into the stadium but stay and tailgate and curse your wretchid team.

RED ALERT! News of the Day

The text that Rick Pitino sent to Tim Sypher when he found that this Karen Sypher issue was hitting maximum danger levels said: "Red Alert". How awesome is that? The jokes, the taunting, the signs and all of the punishment that the young men on the basketball team are going to have to deal with should be grounds enough for Rick to be fired or for him to at least man up and resign. Swallow your pride Rick, whatever pride you have left, and step down.

The CJ's Eric Crawford wrote an article about the jokes that are being spawned from this comical trial ("Quick Rick", at least he beat the shot clock, he can teach you to dribble between your legs) and how they are not funny. Sorry Eric, they are very funny. The mob has spoken. On to the news:

• Overpaid defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has been getting grilled by Redskins head coach Mike Shannahan. He is not happy with Albert for complaining about his position and threatening to hold out of camp. Haynesworth showed up but will not be able to practice with the team until he passes a conditioning test. He failed it-twice. He has to run 3 100 yard sprints and has yet to do it.


• Roy Oswalt joined the Phillies and puts them in prime position to be the favorites to win the National League championship on the way to a third consecutive World Series appearance. As long as the bats keep hitting.


• Terrell Owens missed his first flight to Bengals training camp in Georgetown, Kentucky but made in enough time for the last practice of the day. He said that many people were calling the pairing of himself and Chad Ochocinco "Batman and Robin". He said that right now he was just "Clark Kent". LAME.


• Brett Favre has not made a decision. FYI. Just Sayin'.


• The X Games are going on and by the looks of the crowd in attendance you didnt know nor did you care.


• Speaking of crowd attendance, raise your hand if you know what the second most attended All Star game was. Give up? It was the MLS All Star game and it was second only behind the NBA All Star game which was held in the new Cowboys stadium. Go figure!

Karen Sypher Trial Day 4: Tim "The Toolman" Sypher

Tim Sypher, Rick Pitino's personal tool and Karen Sypher's ex-husband, was on the stand yesterday. This was shortly after Rick Pitino took the stand to talk a little, and we mean a little, more about his short lived sexual encounter with Karen Sypher.

Here's a summary of Rick's morning testimony:

Rick Pitino said he had told his son Richard Pitino to move on with his career to avoid the humiliation

Rick Pitino finished "on his leg" after the realization that he did not have any condoms and Sypher was very 'fertile'

He was unaware of a meeting his lawyers and other 'people' may have had with Sypher and her attorneys. In the meeting, they may have offered Sypher $500,000 for her silence.

He asked Tim Sypher to take Karen to a Cincinnati doctor in order to seek an abortion

He gave her $3,000 for "health insurance"

After the lunch break, Pitino was finished - ok, it was a lot sooner than that - but Tim Sypher testified:

He took Sypher to the doctor for her abortion

When dropping Sypher off at her home after their trip to Cincinnati, she asked him to 'check her pipes' literally, and while he "is not a plumber" he looked at the leak.

It was then that he found Karen attractive and he then sought the permission of Pitino to start dating

One week after the abortion, Tim Sypher and Karen Sypher began to date

They were married 8 months later

He delivered a list of demands Karen made 7 years later to Pitino at the West Virginia game in Morgantown where Pitino said "This is blackmail"

Tim Sypher will be cross examined today and will be followed by Karen Sypher's lawyer, who sent Pitino a demand for $10 million dollars on Sypher's behalf. I would imagine that the trial has climaxed which is quicker than Rick, but I couldn't have imagined half of the things that have come out as quick as they did. The trial is expected to last until the end of next week.

Stay tuned for more information as the casualty count continues to mount.

Return of the Boogie Man

Update: Here is an article from the Courier-Journal highlighting more of Boogie's stay in Lexington. Jay Bilas should already feel like a total ASS. Something he is used to.

DeMarcus Cousins has made his triumphant return back to the Blue Grass State. He made some great comments on a couple of videos seen here on KSR. He talks about how much he misses it Kentucky and even stated that he wished he was still there going to classes.

He also said that he, John Wall, Patrick Patterson and Eric Bledsoe were planning on paying against the new boys in blue and he was looking forward to "bangin' with Enes". I hope that there is a camera there and an interview to follow. I would love to see Boogie go head to head with the Istanbull.

P.S. Cardchronicle.com finally decided to do a blog on the Sypher trial. But they limited their coverage to just copying and pasting Matt Jones' notes. Props.

Twitter Update: #Rick Pitino... embarrassing

If Louisville basketball wasn't the butt of all jokes after last season, it will be after this trial is finished. As testimony to the beating Rick Pitino and the Cardinals are going to take over his court room appearance, here's the best Twitter mentions for "Rick Pitno"... and while your checking it out, make sure to follow us @SportsThat on Twitter!

• @sportsguy33: Red Sox 7, Angels 3, heading into bottom of 9th. Game just hit the 3:38 mark. That's 878 sexual encounters with Rick Pitino.

• @SportsThat: So it takes 3 seconds for a lane violation, 10 seconds for a half court violation, and 15 seconds to violate Karen Sypher???

• @sportsguy33: If Rick Pitino tweeted: "Hey everyone, it's Rick Piti"

• @GreatestQuotes: "Excellence is the unlimited ability to improve the quality of what you have to offer." - Rick Pitino

• @MrMichael_Smith Tate diggs lasted about long as Rick pitino in that fight against christen bale

• @jamieoverocker Is it safe to say Rick Pitino's "shot" clock expired after 15 seconds? #QuickRick #Pitino

• @shirtsbyguy: He beat the shot clock, so that's good

• @mgeoffriau Breaking news: Rick Pitino plans to unveil a D'Antoni-style offense. Its name? "15 seconds or less"

• @BobFuton In regards to Rick Pitino's length of intimacy, I think the women just asked what it was like to be President of the Celtics

And that's all before the information from Rick's Cross Examination... it'll only get better (or worse) from here...

Daniel Orton is MIA from Cal's Procamps

Aaaahhhhh...those were the days.

John Calipari is hosting a string of procamps in Lexington this weekend and there will be four very special guests: John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson and Eric Bledsoe. All four former players, all four current NBA ballers. What's missing from this picture? Daniel Orton. What is not clear is whether or not: A). Orton was invited and declined or B). Orton was not invited due to other circumstances like dropping out of school and acting like an all around jerk.

What we know for sure is that Orton has pretty much alienated himself from Big Blue Nation due to his dumb decisions, his big mouth, his father's big mouth and his bad attitude. It's sad but true. The other four players may have left early but they are all die hard Wildcats and will be around the program as long as they are breathing. They truly appreciate what it is to be a Cat and the fans in turn appreciate them.

USC Continues to Erase Reggie Bush and Other News of the Day

No more beating around the Bush. You have been...Erased.

Reggie Bush was once the love of every USC fan in the world. Women wanted him, men wanted to be him and wanted the women that wanted him. He was flashy, well spoken, likable and, most importantly, he was a winner. And a cheater. Like, big time cheater.

USC has already returned his Heisman trophy and has taken his retired jersey down from their ring of honor. In another move to erase the Regster, USC has printed that there have been only 6 Heisman trophy winners in their school's history as is evident by their new USC football media guide featuring Lane "I'm going to be fired in 2 years" Kiffin on the cover.

It's ok Reggie! At least you have a Super Bowl ring and you once dated a Kardashian. The one that dumped you and is now dating Miles Austin. It's pretty sad when you lose your Heisman at USC but OJ's is still there. On to more news:

• Since Monster Mash is doing a bang up job reporting on Syphergate, I will limit my input to a comment or a post every now and then. Pitino gets cross examined by the defense today. This should be HOT!


• The media day for the Governor's Cup game between the Cats and the Cards was yesterday and I found out some cool things about Charlie Strong and Joker Phillips. They both coached at South Carolina in 2002 and even lived on the same street. They are friends for now but expect that friendship to end abruptly on September fourth at the pizza box. Somebodies debut is going to be ruined and the other will be lauded as a hero. Let's just hope the good (blue) guys win. I already have my "Beat Loserville" shirt on order.


• Former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is going to be an Ole Miss Rebel. He is set to transfer and enter into one of their graduate programs. Even though Masoli has had 2 brushes with the cops and was kicked off of the Ducks, he is a really good student. He led the Ducks to a Rose Bowl where they were spanked by the Ohio State Buckeyes. Head coach Houston Nutt had previously rejected Masoli's transfer but then made an about face when his starting QB left the team. I guess you can say those morals and high standards went out the window.


• Now that TO and CO are teammates, I can't be more excited to watch the Bengals this year. I am not even a Bengals fan and I will now gladly watch them play on Sundays. The one upsmanship or the arguments that will ensue are going to be delightful. I want to see Carson Palmer's head explode. Chad Ochocinco said that if they don't win a Super Bowl it would be "G*d Da*n shame".


• Special Congrats to former Wildcat and current NBA point guard stud Rajon Rondo for making the final cut of Team USA. It would be great to have a former Wildcat take the gold in a second straight summer Olympics. The last time the Red, White and Blue beat the rest of the world, the great Tayshaun Prince was on the team. GO BIG BLUE!


• Sorry Sportsthat readers, no Ron-Ron news today. I know, I'm sad too.


• Finally...still no Sypher trial coverage on Cardchronicle.com. Hacks.

Karen Sypher Trial Day 3.5: Rick Pitino's Reputation on Trial

In a case that is just bizarre full of characters that Law and Order SVU couldn't have created - although when they got Chevy Chase to play a Mel Gibson racial ranting pedophile, it was close - Louisville's head coach took the stand.

As expected, his reputation was doing it's best Karen Sypher impersonation and took another massive shot. Pitino explained how he was approached by Sypher and how he became her baby daddy.

Here's a summary of what Pitino had to say:

•  Pitino said Sypher approached "The Boys" - a group of frequent Porcini visitors including Reggie Theus and Pitino
• Sypher flirted with the group and as the night closed, she told Pitino that the two should venture to a back booth.
• Pitino followed where Sypher unzipped his pants and asked if he had a condom
• Sypher then informed Pitino she was "very fertile"
• Despite haunting him for the rest of his life, the sexual encounter lasted "all of 15 seconds"
• Sypher drove Pitino home after the fun and she was very talkative
• Pitino admitted that he gave Tim Sypher the near 6 figure job because of the extortion. Sypher had asked for money, cars, college funds and Pitino said he couldn't do that but he could get UL to give Tim a raise.

Other people took the stand to say they didn't hear or see anything during sexy time. Others said they witnessed people flirting with Sypher by "flipping up her skirt."

Pitino is likely to be on the stand again tomorrow so we are sure to get more dirt and dirty details.

Why 600 is now Irrelevant

This picture makes me smile every time I see it. This is how I will always remember A-Rod.

As I am watching the Mets play the Cardinals, ESPN broke in to show A-Rod's final at bat against the Indians to see if he finally reaches 600 home runs. I hate the Yankees and I hate A-Rod, so I was not happy to say the least. And I got to thinking, does 600 homers really matter or has that number lost it's luster?

Let's look at the members of the 600 club:
Barry Bonds- Age at 600, 38. Year of 600, 2002
Hank Aaron- Age at 600, 37. Year of 600, 1971
Babe Ruth- Age at 600, 36. Year of 600, 1931
Willie Mays- Age at 600, 38. Year of 600, 1969
Ken Griffey, Jr.- Age at 600, 38. Year of 600, 2008.
Sammy Sosa- Age of 600, 38. Year of 600, 2007.

Ok, so from 1931 to 1971 (a span of 40 years for all of you mathematicians) there were 3 players that hit 600 homers. Then, all of a sudden, there were 3 more from 2002 to 2008 with 600 and there is about to be a fourth in 2010. Out of those four, three of them have the stigma of performance enhancing drugs attached to them and one of them, A-Rod, has admitted his usage of PED's.

Looking at all of this I think that 600 homers does not mean what it used to. There is not much trust in hitters in the steroid era. Now that Major League Baseball has cracked down on the use of steroids, I can bet that the number of players hitting 500 to 600 home runs will decrease dramatically and return to the numbers that we have seen in the past.

Pitching has made a resurgence and this year is a great example. With two perfect games and multiple no -hitters this season, it looks as if the crack down is working and players are cleaner than a decade ago. This is why what A-Rod is doing is no big deal. The guy had a lot of help reaching this lofty milestone.

Guys like Ruth, Mays and Aaron will remain immortalized by their feet. They did it the right way, the clean way. It is too bad for Griffey because there are no indications that he ever did anything to cheat, his latter years and their lack of productivity's proved that. But thanks to Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, A-Rod, Manny, Ortiz (yes, I am throwing you in there Big Papi), and a a host of others, this era will always be looked at with a skeptical and spiteful eye.

The Ramifications of the Trial of the Century: Louisville Addition

Right from the jump I am going to admit that it is going be difficult for me to remain unbiased during this story but I am going to do my best. As I have been following the Sypher trial on television, through the Courier-Journal and through the updates and views right here at Sportsthat, I have been trying to get straight exactly what is going on and how this is going to effect not only Rick Pitino, but also the Louisville basketball program as a whole.

With words like "rape", "murder", "abortion", "extortion", and "affair" being used on a daily basis one can't help but think, in the simplest of terms, this ain't good. Today Rick Pitino is going to have to take the stand and do something that he has pretty much refused to do; answer questions. As Monster Mash has already pointed out, there is no ducking and dodging anymore, and while Pitino may not be directly on trial he is on trial in the court of public opinion.

Extra-marital affairs happen all the time, I'm not downplaying it, but it's a fact. Abortions are legal and they happen on a daily basis as well. I think what is going to harm Pitino the most, and what he really has to answer for, is the cover up that ensued to keep Sypher's mouth shut. Pitino had already been paying her off in the form of having an arranged marriage and financial agreement between her and his former equipment manager, Tim Sypher. Tim went from a job where he was making about $28,000 a year to a job paying him close to six figures and this coincided with the marriage with Karen.

Pitino has been dishonest with this from the start and did his best to cover it up. The only reason that he came forth and admitted his wrong doing was because he realized that Karen Sypher was not going away, ever. No matter how much money he gave her, she would always be back with more demands. He had painted himself into a corner and there was no way out. He had already extorted himself.

If Rick Pitino would have come clean from the start, then this would not have been as big of a deal. Yes there would have been angry fans and non-fans, but this is a forgive and forget society and people would have forgotten about it in a year. Now Pitino has the stigma of cover up and the word rape attached to his name, even if a rape did not occur the word is still there.

In a business where selling a program to kids and their parents, this does not bode well. When a mother and her son are looking at choices of where to go to school and they come across Louisville, you can't tell me that these events, no matter how they play out, will be recognized and noticed. That is why this 7 year extension baffles me. This is not going to go away any time soon. Pitino is going to have to live with this the rest of his life and the University of Louisville is going to have to deal with it as long as he is the head coach there.

Even if Pitino is cleared of rape (no chargers of rape have been filed) and Sypher goes to jail, there will always be that cover up. There will always remain the fact that Pitino paid someone to marry his lover to keep her quiet. There where always remain the fact that he was dishonest from the start. There is a lot left to come out of this trial. This is only the beginning and I am surprised that this wasn't the end for Pitino at Louisville.

Ron Artest is a Mets fan

Because Ron Ron Artest is a huge hit among the SportsThat followers, here's a little number from "Artest the Artist" so you can keep up with him in the off season.

Jump to 3:10 if you don't want to listen to these annoying guys talk.

Karen Sypher Trial Day 3: Rick Pitino's Reputation on Trial

So it's day 3 in the Sypher trial. News hasn't released yet, from the trail but since people from around the world are tuning in and scouring the web to find any information they can, here's what to expect later today.

The big story today is that Rick Pitino, the victim and accused rapist, is expected to take the stand.

Yes, it's true that Pitino is not on trial. Yes it is true that he is being called the victim of the extortion plot. Yes it is true that Pitino will not be found guilty of anything... wait that is false. He will not be sentenced by the court of law, but he will be sentenced by the court of public opinion.

Cards fans seem to point out that Pitino is the victim, focus that Sypher is crazy. They fail to see that to get 'involved' with a crazy woman, you have to be a crazy yourself. Pitino will be on the stand today and you have to think that if Pitino is crazy enough to have sex in public with a woman he just met, while married, he is crazy enough to do some other crazy things which will be brought up.

While on stand, he wont be able to divert attention towards Ted Kennedy. He won't be able to refuse to answer questions. This is a court and not a press conference. He can rant, rave, and get upset, but will have to answer.

Undoubtedly, Sypher has probably told many falsehoods. But I imagine Ricky P has told a few as well. The person that knows those things will be asking him to talk about them - so get ready for some juicy things. 

Hopefully, while he is a superstar in Louisville, he has realized his star is fading and he, like other superstars, isn't above the law anymore. So tell the truth Ricky - otherwise you'll be on trial next....

LEGGOOOOO

Karen Sypher Trial Day 2: "I'll never forget that booth"...

Welcome to the greatest show on Earth! The Karen Sypher extortion trial continued today. Here are the highlights or the lowlights if you're a Cardinal fan, of what your coach has brought upon his team, university, and self.

Highlights of the man they call "Goetz":

• Lester "Goetz" Goetzinger describes himself as Sypher's On-again-Off-again lover.
• He was the scapegoat for Sypher as she put him up to making the phone call to Pitino.
• He never asked for anything in return for making the call.
• Prosecutors asked if Sypher knew his name as she had told FBI agents that she thought a guy name "Goetz" had made the call.
• He had received oral sex from Sypher the day before the call was made where he asked for $10 million dollars.
• Goetzinger said she had never called him his name and she never called him Goetz, only "Sweetie."
• Goetz did think Sypher knew his name since he often wore his LG&E name badge when he came over.

An edited version of the hour long WDRB interview with Candyce Clift was aired for the jury. Here's a summary:

• In it Sypher claims she was raped twice by Pitino
• One rape occured at Porcini's in a back booth after everyone left. Remembering the night she confirms that she "will never forget that booth."
• She tells how Pitino threatened her childeren with concrete boots.
• During her mourning of her aborted Pitino baby , she fell in love with Tim "The Muscle" Sypher and married him.
• She was soon knocked up by Sypher and he pressured her to abort that baby.
• She said she waited so long to press charges because she was a "Double Murderer"

No word yet on Pitino's testimony. He is expected to testify today or tomorrow.

NCAA Basketball is a Dirty Business

ESPN.com's Dana O'Neil wrote a fascinating article on what coaches like, dislike and think about recruiting in the NCAA. 20 coaches were interviewed under anonymity and gave brutally honest answers to some very tough questions. The complete article is here but I will highlight some important points:

• Coaches hate spending time at the summer high school basketball camps because it keeps them away from their own players and the campus. One coach was quoted as saying, "You walk into a living room and promise a mother that you'll be there for her son and as soon as they get to campus you're gone."


• The consensus thoughts on the NCAA rule book is that it is garbage and needs to be "thrown out" or completely revamped. There are too many rules, there is no way to enforce all of them and coaches sometimes don't even know if they are breaking any rules.


• Most of the coaches have little to no trust in their peers. They are paranoid when it comes to recruiting and strategy.


• Most coaches feel that the majority of Division 1 programs are not knowingly breaking any rules. Most rules are broken unknowingly and without malicious intent.


• The Big 10 is considered to be the cleanest league while the SEC and the Big East are tied as the dirtiest. One coach had this to say about the SEC, "Everyone says the SEC but that is because of the football thing."


• 12 of the 20 coaches have had players, parents or agents ask for things directly and all of them knows it happens. It seems that most ask for jobs. Remember when Rick Pitino gave a job to Marquis Teague's AAU coach? Yeah, stuff like that. One coach remarked, "It happened to me this morning. I had a guy hand me a resume, get him a job." Another coach added, "I almost cringe when I have a job opening. Here it comes. I used to get calls from other coaches. Now it's AAU coaches trying to place their guys."


• All coaches said that the biggest problem concerning the game is agents.


• 15 of 20 coaches feel the game is on the way to improvement.

Wow. What an eye opening read. College coaches are under a tremendous amount of pressure to win, recruit, keep grades up, produce graduates, keep the stands filled, and do it all clean. A college basketball coach has to be one of the top 5 most stressful jobs in America. This sheds some light on what John Calipari and Rick Pitino go through on a daily basis. And Rick Pitino also has a sex trial to worry about. No wonder his season was terrible and his recruiting suffered.

Demarcus Cousins on ESPN's Frist Take

As I was watching ESPN's Firs Take this morning I was pleasantly surprised to find that one of the call in guests was none other than Boogie. In the interview he explained how he got his nickname and what it felt like to get drafted. Here is a synopsis of the Q&A session:

Q: You were named Rookie of the Month at the Summer League. How would you grade your performance?

A: I played well but there were a lot of rookie mistakes that I need to correct. Overall I played pretty good.

Q: Our very own Skip Bayless predicted that you will have a better career than John Wall. How would you react to that?

A: (laughter) I hope we both have good, long careers. John's my brother, so I'm not really going to speak on that.

Skip Bayless: I don't wish John the best, I wish you the best. You better not let me down big fella!

Q: What was your first thought when you found that the Kings had drafted you #5?

A: I couldn't believe it was happening. It was a dream that I had been dreaming of for a long time and it finally came true.

Q: How do you think playing with Tyreke Evans will compare with playing with John Wall?

A: I haven't really had a chance to play with Tyreke but I think we could be a really good combo. Tyreke's a great player, a willing passer, and a young player at that, so I think we can build some nice chemistry and do some damage.

Q: Before you were drafted it was reported that you did not have a driver's license. Any progress on that front?

A: (laughter) I'm actually working on that right now. As we speak I'm down in Mobile working on my driving, I'm working towards that.

Q: Have you bought a car yet or are you going to wait until you have a license to buy a car?

A: I'm going to wait until I get a license and then I'll buy one.

Q: What kind are you going to buy?

A: I'm not sure yet. I gotta find something that can fit me.

Q: (laughter) That's very good. How did you get the nickname Boogie and how do you think it stuck so far?

A: Coach Rod Strickland at Kentucky gave me the name. I would be playing ball and I would do moves that guards would do and coach Strickland said, "Man, you got a lot of Boogie." Every time I walked into the gym he would say, "What's up Boogie!" and it just stuck.

Q: As you get into the NBA are you going to try to find some new kind of nickname?

A: Right now a lot of people in Sacramento are calling me "DMC", it's whatever the fans like.

Q: Give us some expectations you have coming up as your first season as a rookie in the NBA.

A: Hopefully I can help my team get to the playoffs and we can push from there. And my own personal goal is that I'm trying to win rookie of the year.

And there you have it. The usual DeMarcus Cousins: honest, humorous, witty, and humble. No signs of the alleged "bad attitude" was heard. Jay Bilas will be eating his words when Boogie becomes a force in the NBA. They may call him DMC is Sac-Town, but he will always be Boogie to us in the Big Blue Nation.

T.O. + Ochocinco= Diva Destruction

There is actually a ton of news out there today but the most intriguing story comes out of the NFL. Mike Brown, the owner of the Bengals, has reportedly discussed the possibility of a contract with Terrell Owens' agent Drew Rosenhaus. QB Carson Palmer has worked out with T.O. and has publicly expressed his desire to have him as a teammate.

The Bengals already have a colorful wide receiver on the team in the form of Chad Ochocinco. The player formerly known as Johnson loves him some attention and spots on Sports Center. What will head coach Marvin Lewis do with two divas barking in his ear about wanting the ball? This could be a great idea and this could also be a disaster waiting to happen. Both players already have terrible shows on VH1 and the combination of the two would be grounds for another reality series. I pray that this union happens. On to the other news:

• After an investigation into a shooting at his birthday party, the NFL has decided not to discipline avid dog lover Mike Vick. It is yet to be seen what the Eagles will do with the model citizen. There is a suspect but the victim and other witnesses have refused to work with police because snitches get stitches.



• Former Buckeye Maurice Clarrett is making his return to an Ohio State classroom. The troubled running back has just returned from a 3 year stint in the Big House (and I don't mean the University of Michigan's stadium) and is looking to finish his degree. I am rooting for the guy. He got thrown under the bus by Jim Tressell and has made some really bad decisions. Here is to hoping he gets his head straight.



• Matt Garza threw the first no hitter in Rays history last night. Good for him.



• Dallas Cowboys rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant is not giving in to the tradition of hazing during NFL training camp. He has refused to carry the pads of rival player Roy Williams. Bryant claims that he was hired to play football and not carry some other player's pads. I for one think this is awesome. Bryant came in to be the #1 receiver and is refusing to let an older guy boss him around. That takes some major stones.



• It's like Christmas here at Sportsthat! Rick Pitino is scheduled to take the stand today and I can't wait. I was not issued a press pass into the trial because of media bias and miles of red tape. We will still report on Ricky 3 Stacks' lies during his testimony. The wheels of justice are turning R3S!


• A-Rod is still stuck on 599 home runs and with any luck he will take a monumental dive and never get there. The chances of that are zero and he will eventually get it. He is an admitted cheater and doesn't deserve any accolades as far as homers are concerned.

More Good News on the Cardinal Basketball Front

OK, I admit it. I missed bashing Louisville.

As if Rick Pitino's Penthouse Forum trial wasn't enough to keep Card fans happy, senior guard Preston Knoweles will be suspended for the first two exhibition games and maybe even the opener at the KFC YUUUMMMMMY IN MY TUUUMMMMY! CENTER (AKA the Bucket) against Butler. According to this article by the always horrible Cardchronicle.com Knoweles was in Pitino's whorehouse, I mean doghouse, before the Bullit County beat down. Preston Knoweles seems like a class act and an all around great guy.

Speaking of class acts, Little Eddie Sosa's hoop dreams in the NBA might be gone. The former UofL guard/a-hole has signed with an Italian team. He is moving as far away from DeMarcus Cousins as possible due to the death stare he received from Boogie when the two played against each other in a summer league game. Go get'em Boogie! Maybe Lil' Eddie will learn to speak Italian better than he learned to speak English.

P.S. Why is there no story about the Sypher trial on the Cardchronicle? Just asking!

Karen Sypher Trial Day1: It's finally here but I can "make it go away for $10 mil"

Shoooooooooou. FINALLY I can let that deep 1 year long breath out, it seems like I've been holding my breath for ever... but it's here and I can quit waiting. If you what you know about the court system is from the various "Law and Order" or the time you had to go to court for public indecency, we've got the dumb and dumber version of what's going on in the court room. So to start, we're well beyond the Lenny Briscoe stage of the show. Today kicked off the court room portion... daa dun... opening ceremony statements being made and a FBI agent testifying.

Prosecutors Statement Summary: They have staked their claim that Sypher to tried to destroy Pitino's reputation. They are seeking charges against Sypher for 1) Attempted Extortion, 2) Retaliation against a witness, 3) Lying to FBI. They began their case by calling agent Steve White to talk about phone records and recordings.

My take - They have to walk a thin line to make sure they don't make a case for Sypher being crazy. While she's nuts, they have to show she simply likes them and hasn't become one.

Defense Statement Summary: They are claiming Pitino raped Sypher twice, once at Porcini's in Louisville and again at a private residence. Sypher was forced to have an abortion and was threatened with "concrete shoes" if she talked. He husband Tim was the muscle and Pitino was the Godfather running the show. As for the charges of extortion, they say that it was Sypher's jilted lover turned stalker, Lester Goetzinger, that was extorting Pitino. Goetzinger made the calls to Pitino on his own and he is the sole person resposible for asking for the $10 million dollars.

My take - We've learned about another guy Sypher has allegedly had sexual relations with --- go figure. If Ricky P didn't know where that cold sore came from, he's going to have a few guesses over the next couple weeks.

Here's a summary (with a little help from the Courier Journal) on the Key Players you will come to know over the next 2 weeks (the expected length of the trial). It is just absent Tom Jurich and Dr James Ramsey the people in question as to the reason Pitino was kept despite violating his 'morality' clause. And if you missed the timeline, feel free to get a little background information.

The Accused
Karen Cunagin Sypher , 50. Blonde woman known for her one-crayon short of a box/brick short of a full load/sandwich short of a picnic demeanor. She's a former car-show model and auto-glass saleswoman. She's has four kids and is the ex-wife of University of Louisville athletic-department employee Tim Sypher.

The Defense
James Earhart , 50. He's the poor sap that was appointed counsel for Sypher after she fired her previous attorney and couldnt find representation.

The Victim
Rick Pitino , despite his appearence he's 57 and the men's basketball coach at University of Louisville; former coach, Boston University, Providence College, University of Kentucky, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.

The Prosecutors
John E. Kuhn Jr. , 52. Prosecuted 301 federal cases. The US Attorney's office has a 90% conviction rate.



The Judge
Charles R. Simpson III , 65. Soon to be known as the Judge Ito of the Southeast, Simpson is a Graduate, University of Louisville and U of L law school; appointed to U.S. District Court in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan.

The Witnesses:
Dana Kolter , 55. Attorney; instructor at Louisville Martial Arts Academy, he holds black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and was a leading man behind Jackie Chan for Karate Kid; is five-time winner of the Bluegrass Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament, and recently started line of martial-arts clothing called “Poison Hands.”

Lester Goetzinger , 50 Friend of Karen Sypher for 15 years; charged with aiding and abetting Sypher's alleged extortion attempts, the charge will be dismissed if he completes a one-year federal diversion program and pleads guilty to being criminally insane for having sexual relations with Sypher.

Tim Sypher , 50. Ex-husband of Karen Sypher, former U of L basketball team equipment manager; now runs the Yum! Center practice facility; was a firefighter and an investigator for the state of Massachusetts for 10 years before becoming Pitino's personal assistant when he was Boston Celtics coach;

What's Next: Pitino expected to take the stand tomorrow in what is sure to be a spectacle.

Lane Kiffin is a Douche: Exhibit 11C

Lane Kiffin and smokin' hot wife. Proof that douches get hot chicks.

Ahhhh...Lane Kiffin. What else can he do to top his latest transgression in the world of sports? Kiffin has gained notoriety in the past for accusing Urban Meyer of cheating without any evidence, saying that the best job that a South Carolina grad could get would be pumping gas, arguing continuously with Al Davis about Jamarcus Russel's suckiness (Kiffin was actually right in that instance) and leaving the University of Tennesee in a lurch by leaving the program in the dead of night, causing the students to riot.

Now Lane has done it again by poaching the Tennessee Titan's running back coach Kennedy Pola by hiring him as USC's offensive coordinator. The Titans are now suing Kiffin. According to the Titans, Kiffin and USC persuaded Pola to breach his contract with the Titans. Also, they claim that neither Kiffin nor USC called to ask the franchise if it would be alright to talk to Pola, which is a customary courtesy in the NFL.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher, a USC alum and avid supporter, claims that Kiffin did not call until Pola had already accepted the job as offensive coordinator at USC. Kiffin gave this lame-ass quote to the media: "We realize that the timing of this isn't perfect for all parties, but this is a great opportunity and promotion for Kennedy."

It is obvious that Kiffin breached a code of ethics and that Pola did breach his contract. We shall see what happens to "The Boy Wonder". I doubt this is the last we hear from this jack-ass since he finds it appealing to be a weasel and as controversial as possible.

Ron Artest Joins L.A. Dodgeball League

Everyone's favorite NBA player is up to his old tricks again. Ron Artest joined an L.A. based dodgeball team for a day and let's just say that he is MUCH better at basketball. Ron-Ron never fails to amaze. QUEEEEEENNNNNN"S BRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIDGE!

The Top Five Sports Stories I Missed

My official return post is about the major sports stories that I missed while I was away. Everybody knows what number one is going to be. I found that there was a new drinking game created in honor of the top spot. The 2 hours leading up to The Decision on ESPN was full of LeBron talk. Every time the word "LeBron" was said you had to take a drink. Too bad I wasn't able to participate in it. Oh well! Here is the list:

1. LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade form Megatron- Yes it happened and the rest of the NBA is shaking in their boots. The King took some major "Heat" (haha!) from David Stern and the owner of the Cavs for his ego maniacal ESPN special. But LeBron is going to be laughing while wearing his multiple rings. In related news the Cavs decided to replace James with Samardo Samules. Ouch.

2. Darth Vader Died- The head of the Evil Empire passed away and I for one was rather sickened by all of the hoopla surrounding it. I'm not saying that Georgie boy didn't deserve it for his major contributions to the MLB. I'm saying he didn't deserve all of the "George was such a nice guy and caring person" crap, because he wasn't. He was a prick and was actually banned from Major League Baseball twice for offenses worse than Pete Rose's but was allowed back in because the Yankees are big business and he knew how to win in New York.

3. John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins went Beast Mode in the NBA summer league- The two former Cats were arguably the most impressive rookies in the summer league. Wall made the ESPN Top Plays on a monster ball off of the backboard slam and put up 31 in one game. Boogie averaged a double-double and looked like he should have went #2 to the Nets. If only those guys could have come back for one more year...(single tear).

4. The reason that Kentucky can't make it in football is...- There is apparently a lot of cheating going on in the SEC. There are four teams, including Georgia and Florida, under investigation for NCAA violations. I am not one to make excuses but this is an excuse. It doesn't matter if there is cheating going on! Joker needs to find a way to cheat better!

5. The World Cup is mercifully over- I was in an airport in Seattle when Spain was battling that other team for the title of World's Best at Kicking a Ball. There was cheering and whooping going on at various sports bars in the terminal but I declined to join in. I sat there and read a book, quietly thanking whatever supreme being is running the show that this event is only once every four years. I hate soccer.

There you have it. Five short synopsis on five pretty big stories. If I had been in town you could have expected longer posts with even more radical views and outrageous claims. Now that I am back I will be happy to return to my old form.

Guess who's back? Back again...

Well, I'm not fully back but I am on my way. After this short stint in Chicago I should be back with a fresh new blog and insight on the major stories that I've missed writing about since my wedding and honeymoon. Be prepared Sportsthat Nation!

HullababubbabaLOU and News

So Boogiewoogie will be gone through tomorrow. He has been texting me saying he is enjoying his new Billy Idol experience of holy matrimony mony yet can't wait to get back to his loyal readers. So until his return, which I am sure you are all awaiting, here's the latest and greatest from around the world of sport.

• Since my experience at the Nelson County Fair, I have been excited for the next chance to play "On Meth or On a Diet?!?!" With my purchase of Boogiewoogie's ticket to Hullabalou I will get my first chance since the invention. If you'd like to play along, follow me on Twitter for the latest pictures and if you 'out' anyone for being on meth, you can have the pictures of their arrest shared with everyone!
• The Louisville Football team has new hopes of one day reaching their second Orange Bowl... well at least until the Big East loses their automatic bid... DeMarcus Smith.

• The first round pick of the Houston Rockets, Patrick Patterson,  is throwing out the first pitch for the Houston Astros today. Here's hoping that 2Pat makes it to the plate without any dirt involved.

• One week before the start of the Tennessee Titans training camp, the team is looking for a new running backs coach. Where did Kennedy Pola go? To become the offensive coordinator at USC under Layne Kiffin. Where's the news in that? It's right behind the words Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher had for and about Kiffin and his ... ugh... 'tact.'

Vandy's Robbie Caldwell At Least Wins Media

It was the start of football this week. The SEC hosted Media Day(s), where the head coaches speak, rivalries intensify, and legends are born.
Last year Tennessee's Lane Kiffin and Florida's Urban Myer got into a below the belt sword fight. This year, Robbie Caldwell, the first year head coach at Vanderbilt, spoke and received rave reviews. With that DEEP Southern Twang that leaves you on the edge of your seat waiting for a "Well, Hot Dog" - style of speech, Caldwell talked about all things open and honestly. He gave some great stories and apparently great fodder for the press. Here are some of the things National Media members had to say about Caldwell afterwards:

Brad Locke, NE Miss. Daily Journal:

Caldwell, on his anonymity: “Last night I was opening a door for people, they gave me a tip.” #sec Dude is killin’ it.


Caldwell: “I speak from the heart, and it gets me in trouble sometimes. I am what I am and can’t change, and won’t change.” Please don’t.


Says @SEC_Chuck, “Sadly, we are out of time.” Applause as Caldwell exits. #sec 

Pat Forde, ESPN:

Caldwell volunteers that he grew up in broken home. Talking about pouring concrete, pipefitting, working a turkey farm. May get standing O.


Forget the standing O. Caldwell might get a group hug from the hacks. Fabulously unguarded and Deep South funny.


First time I’ve ever said this: Steve Spurrier will be a letdown at the mike. He has the task of following the great Robbie Caldwell.

Elvis has entered the building

Jessica, save me!!!

Elvis Dumervil from...LOUISVILLE, has signed a six-year deal with the Denver Broncos that is reported to be worth $61.5 million and includes between $41 million and $43 million in guarantees. Dumervil was selected in the 2006 NFL Draft during the 4th round and earlier this spring signed a one year restricted free agent deal with the Broncos worth about $3.5 million. The deal was in good faith and allowed Denver the chance to work out the longer deal with the Pro Bowler Dumervil.

Elvis recorded 26 sacks through 2009 broke through with 17 sacks and a trip to the Pro Bowl last year.

Samardo Samuels signs with the Cavs

Well, Lebron is gone but don't worry Cleveland, you've replaced him. Samardo Samuels has agreed to a multi-year deal with the Cavs according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Brian Windhorst.


The terms of the contract weren't immediately released, but Windhorst tweeted that

"deal has partial guarantee in the first year, which means Samuels is likely to make the team. Cavs liked him before draft, didn't have pick."

Samuels, who played with the Chicago Bulls in the Vegas Summer League, averaged 12.6 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 57% from the field in five games in Vegas.

Eye Hate Vodka... but college kids are loving it

Well keeping in the spirit of SportsThat illustrating stupid uses for drugs, rather its smoking infants, codine syrup Dranks, or laughing gas high preschoolers. Yes, this is what you get during the summer when I don't care about sports and nothing of interest is going on.

Tonight, I was witness to a new trend in alcohol among college students, Vodka Eyeballing... what is that? That's shooting Vodka through your eye. Just poor yourself a shot, tilt and poor it straight in. You can skip the shooter, cause it's going to just burn even more. Apparently, it gives an instant buzz and nearly as instant permanent eye damage, but that's the price you pay for legal behavior right? Stupid, just stupid and just another reason I don't want kids.

In other news, Boogiewoogie says hello as as he's been in Kentucky, Illinois, Hawaii, and Minesotta over the last 3 weeks, I'm sure you're wondering what's he been up to? Well, in other bizarre news of what people are doing with alcohol... here's Boogiewoogie's latest hobby.

David After Dentist

So there's Purple Drank and then there's the dentist's drugs...

Kings Island Owns Stacey Poole

So with Boogiewoogie back from Hawaii and now venturing into the great Minnesota abyss, I've been holding down the fort. What does this mean? This means the articles probably suck since our UL faithful don't have anything to complain about in the comments. Well, allow me to increase your level of content and enjoyment that Boogie wont be back for a little longer.

This past weekend the 2011 Kentucky Basketball Draft Cats made a trip to the regionally known Kings Island. Led by point guard Brandon Knight's navigating, the Cats ventured into lower Ohio and back unscaved except for one casualty, Stacey Pooles pride. His fear of roller coasters was embodied when his preconcieved excuse of being too short to ride the ride failed.

Don't worry Stacey, Boogiewoogie doesn't ride "roller coasters that go upside down" so at least he'll have your back. Besides, the next trip you have planned is in Canada - and we all know there's nothing exciting up there except the mounted police.

Florida's 2010 Sugar Bowl may bitter soon

Just the two of us, we can make it you and I... ok that and $100,000

Florida is being investigated for former offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey's involvement with an agent. Pouncey was an integral part of the 2010 Sugar Bowl winning Gator team and is said to have accepted $100,000 from a person representing an agent. If he is found to have accepted the money, he would most likely be ruled retroactively ineligible and Florida would then forfeit their BCS win.

Pouncey entered the NFL draft and was taken in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Twiticate #1: The Gary Keller Principle

So Twitter was a flutter today when an old guy got upset that Darrius Miller has been RTing some foul language (RT is retweet for you silver fox types). Gary Keller, or edsol1, called Miller out on his language. So when Darrius RTed the old man's response - $#!7 got real. Below is a recap of the action, including the initial RT, Daniel Orton's Response, and responses from other Miller followers, but this will mark the first in a series of SportsThat post of Twiticate. Lessons on how to use social media.

Twiticate Rule #1: The Gary Keller Principle - If someone puts something on social media that offends you, just stop following them. You aren't that important for them to change so don't ask.

There's Drake and then there's J. Cole

Drake became known as a Kentucky basketball fan this year and Kentucky basketball became a fan of Drakes. He was featued as the special guest at Midnight Madness, attended games regularly during the season and hosted the team on his tour bus when in Lexington. During all this, his fanbase grew as he became part of Big Blue Nation.

Following in his footsteps, rapper J. Cole seems to have realized that Wildcat fans like listening to music about their boys in blue, but they LOVE listening to people bash their team and will tune in religously to bash back.

While there isn't much available on what Cole's issue is with Kentucky or Cal, Cole is from North Carolina and went to school at St. Johns. He should know his basketball and who's success to be jealous.Thus, his song "Higher", J Cole sings to a girl's exboyfriend and how she "caught him down in Memphis, cheatin like Calipari."

Cardinal fans, I think you just found your new favorite rapper.

Samardo Samuels Posterizes Cousins

I figured I'd sneak this in while Boogiewoogie is out galivanting in Minnesota with his new bride.

So while John Wall has started to take summer league games off, Demarcus Cousins is still out banging. I've documented that Cousins' summer has been a great start to his career with the Kings. We've seen his staredown of past rival Edgar Sosa and domination of Cole Aldrich and Greg Monroe. Well, Cousins faced former Louisville big man, Samardo Samuels and the Bulls today in their rematch of the Louisville v Kentucky game last year.

Needless to say, Samuels got the better of Cousins. Samuels put up 17 points (6/8) and grabbed 7 rebounds while limiting Cousins to 10 points (3/15) and 7 rebounds for the game.

Rick Pitino was quoted after the game as saying "oh, sure, NOW he remembers how to play basketball."

Summer League Recap

Demarcus Mr "I'm gonna get someone in New Jersey and Minnesota fired" Cousins shined in the NBA Summer League

The NBA Summer League allows a first chance to see what type of NBA player might come from the NBA Draft crop selected week earlier. Some players shine and show full potential, others show flaws, and when the flaws and rough diamonds line up in certain ways, it shows future cause for GMs to be fired. While the Summer League is kind of like college summer pick-up games, in that it definitely won't make a player a star, it can definitely be the first sign of a bad draft pick. So here's a roundup of the top draft picks and those other players in the league of local importance.

1. John Wall - Washington D.C. - Wall showed the quick foot speed, the go-go gadget scoring, and his effective rebounding and assist. However, Wall also showed his weakness in his high turnovers and limited jump shot. I fully expect the jump shot to get better as he ages but while the turnovers will get better, we should expect that from the style of play.

2. Evan Turner - Philadelphia 76ers - Turner had a sub par summer. His college m.o. was to be an on-ball scorer. He makes his own shots off the dribble and playing off the ball showed to be a limitation in his time in Orlando. He described his summer league as "struggling badly" and needs to improve his game when not playing point-forward for success in the league.

3. Derrick Favors - New Jersey Nets - Favors was a 'project' player at the draft. His skills are undeveloped and it showed during his time in the summer games. Favors  doesn't look to make an impact in his first year. Russian Billionaire owner passed on Demarcus Cousins and was passed up by Lebron James, making his promise of the playoffs next year seem iffy at best and a long way away from his championship in 3-5 years.

4. Wesley Johnson - Minnesota Timberwolves - Johnson couldn't get a shot off on his own. As the fourth draft pick, you'd like to see a sure thing, and Johnson looked far from it. With the sheer volume of bad decisions (Darko?!?!) , it seems like Johnson is just another mounting measure of unsuccess.

5. Demarcus Cousins - Sacramento Kings - Cousins was the gem of the Summer League. He lead all players with 11.5 rebounds a game and average 17.8 points and 3 assist. Showing inside game, outside shots, passing, and quick feet, he showed everything he displayed his talents among top tier players. What remains to be seen is how Cousins will compare to the best big men and solid defense, but he looks certain to make the T'Wolves, 76ers, and Nets  regret their draft.

14. Patrick Patterson - Houston Rockets - Patterson was the rock of the Kentucky teams for the last three years. He showed that same consistency during his summer league, averaging 9 points and pulling in at least 7 boards a game.

19. Eric Bledsoe - LA Clippers - Bledsoe had an awesome game against the Wizards and John Wall putting up 17 points but was plagued by turnovers. He managed 9 assist to 20 turnovers and MUST improve the 1:2 ratio if he is going to challege the guards ahead of him on the roster.

29. Daniel Orton - Orlando Magic - Orton was ugly, in his game and attitude during his summer experience. He racked up more fouls than rebounds and points and his ejection during his first game will leave a bad taste in management's mouth until he's able to get back on the court and do something. The main question is when that will be as he is deep on the depth chart behind All-Star Dwight Howard and company.

Undrafted - Samardo Samuels - Chicago Bulls - Samuels has the best chance of any Cardinal to make a team this summer. He managed 11 points and 7 boards during his three game stint and the Bulls have lots of roster room after a failed attempt for Lebron James.


Undrafted - Edgar Sosa - Detroit Pistons - A longshot to make the team, Sosa managed 6 points and 3 assist with the Pistons. Some time in the D-League may give the former Cardinal a chance to join a team in a season or two. Sosa's time this year will be remembered more for getting stared-down by Demarcus Cousins. `

Undrafted - Jerry Smith - Milwaukee Bucks - The Bucks gave the hometown kid a chance and he did little with it. Smith failed to find his shot like he did with the Cardinals and managed a mere 1.7 points in his 10 mins a game.

Get Lucky Friday's Shot of the Night

Not too shabby...
 

Don't mention Darko and Me in the same sentence

So everyone is trying to figure out what in the world the T'wolves were thinking when they signed Darko (the guy selected behind Lebron James but before Carmelo Anthony) to a new multi year multi million dollar deal. Well during one NBA Summer Game, Chris Webber asked the T'wolves VP of basketball operations David Khan what they were thinking... apparently he thought Darko was Chris Webber/Vlade Divac rolled into one.

A Wildcat Summer League Recap...

Have you ever noticed that when you look forward to something it takes forever to arrive, but when you dread doing something it seems like it's there when you open your eyes after rubbing from an oil soaked beach. Never fear, some things have sneaked right up on us and there here! The first thing, the news!!! So let's get to work:

One of those things you may be waiting for this summer is an invitation to a pool party. You can keep looking as the city of Louisville is finished scouring the town to find people eligible to sit on the Karen Sypher jury. They recently sat 16 jurors and during the selection, one man was dismissed for... wearing a UL shirt. My question, is it better to have a UL fan or a UK fan on the jury? Anyways, things will just get better as the trial goes on - I can't wait! It's the thing blogs are made for!

I mean really it's summer time, so with pictures of the 2011 Draft Cats on campus also comes pictures of these guys doing their thing on the beach. If these pictures keep surfacing, Big Enes won't just be a monster of the court he'll be known as the loch ness monster of Kentucky!

Vegas was 112 degrees yesterday, but Demarcus Cousins still managed to heat up the court with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Cousins has been praised as the best performer of the preseason and he's at least making the T'Wolves rethink their choice of Greg Monroe.

While Eric Bledsoe started the Summer league off with a bang against the Wiz (17 points and 6 assist in his debut), he halted last night with a mere 4 points, 2 assist and 7 turnovers. In the same game Samardo Samuels put up a nice rebounding performance with 9 boards. He coupled that with 6 points and 8 fouls and a Karen Sypher jury pool invitation that he declined as he doesn't swim.

NL stands for No Loss tonight

The NL wins their first All-Star game in 13 years. That's 7 straight loses (yes there was the tie), including 4 straight come-from-behind wins by the AL. This means that the NL will have home field advantage in the World Series, a huge swing in momentum for the NL representative in the Fall Classic.

Brian Mccann, voted MVP of the game, hit a go-ahead bases clearing double in the 7th to put the NL up 3-1. Despite a bottom of the 9th inning starting with a Big Poppy Ortiz single, a great play by Right Fielder Marlon Byrd coupled with shaky base running skills by Boston's slugger, saw the second out instead of the game winning run at the plate.

George Steinbrenner, 80 Passes Away

Loved by Yankee fans for the turnaround he brought to the New York team, he was hated by the fans, rivals, players and coaches for the same reasons. Often a man to not let anything get in his way of his goals, a World Series Championship and making money, he would easily say farewell to Yankee legends, raise ticket prices to enormous heights, give a good blurb and hand out championship rings even easier.


Steinbrenner was known for making outlandish trades (The series "Seinfeld" once showed George Castanza, a Yankee employee, being traded to Tyson Chicken for a few fried birds), free agent spending sprees (The Yankees signed Alex Rodriguez to a 10 year contract for $260 million ), and penny pinching (Steinbrenner was banned for life from baseball (1990-1993) after paying Howie Spira, a small-time gambler, $40,000 for "dirt" on Dave Winfield). This outspokenness and spending made him one of sports most controversial figures.

And while he was never short with his pocket book to acquire players, he was always short with his staff and his temper. For his tenure at the Yankees from 1973-Present, only three other employees remained on the payroll for the entirety.

George Steinbrenner passed away today at age 80 of a heart attack at his home in Tampa. The Yankees will continue to be run by Hank and Hal, George's sons.

NBA Summer League Heats Up in Vegas

As it has been well documented, Boogiewoogie tied the knot this weekend in Chicago. So of course the entire fellowship took the journey from lovely Louisville to Chicago to witness this neutering  glorious occasion and the site may be the only thing suffering more right now than Mrs Boogiewoogie.

So for the week, it's likely to be me and a random blogger or two to give you your sports fix, but let's look at what we missed this weekend.

-- In an event that seems to take longer than the NBA Playoffs, the World Cup finally ended this weekend with a Spanish win over the Dutch. It was a barnburner 0-0 match that went into a shoot-out.

-- A reemerging Favre4Ever detailed Lebron's "Decision 2010" Friday. However, the news continues to roll with LBJ aftermath. This includes

-- Before Boogiewoogie left for baby-making, he wrote a piece on the puzzle of Daniel Orton. Orton displayed the same game he showed at Kentucky during his debut in the NBA Summer League - minimal PPG, Rebounds, and maximum fouls and attitude. But that was Orton, this weekend the other Draft Cats went to work. Demarcus Cousin battled Cole Aldrich and gave a bit UK back to Edgar Sosa, while tonight John Wall, who showed why he is THE face of Reebok with his 24 points and 8 assist in his debut, faces off against Eric Bledsoe.

-- At this point, I'd rather watch the Bobby Knight field balls during the celebrity softball challenge than the Home Run Derby seeing as the homerun leaders never participate, but David Ortiz took home the title of Home Run Derby winner in the MLB All-Star celebration.

Lebron drops a Cleveland Steamer on the Cavs

Okay, so I realize I've not written anything in a while on this site, which really might only be a month or so...but the way that Boogie and Monster post like 6 articles a day each, that ends up being probably almost 200 posts since my last article. I know I've been sorely missed, but the reality is despite all the posting going on, there really hasn't been a lot of news going on. Well...not a lot pertaining to stuff I care about. U of L news has been slow aside from Charlie Strong picking up a few recruits, and a couple offseason basketball signings here and there. And unlike 98% of the UK fanbase when the team is good, I honestly don't give a crap about basketball recruiting (and really I don't care about football recruiting but since it's the next season I care about in line, I follow it until the season starts). The World Cup is terrible as is the whole sport of Soccer (if you can call it a sport without laughing), and baseball pains me to watch this early in the season (aside from the fact my Reds are hanging on to 1st place so far).

Those that know me well enough know that I really couldn't give a crap about the NBA, but I do kind of follow it here and there. I've never really had a "team" I liked...as a kid, like everyone else, I liked Jordan and the Bulls, he was just amazing to see. I'll say that Lebron has really impressed me since he came out of high school, and other than coming up short so far in winning a title, he's really lived up to the hype that surrounded him at such a young age.

Clearly his move to South Beach shows that his interest and ultimate goal is in winning a title in the NBA before his career is done. However, I think he really just took the easiest way out to win that title. The thing I like and respect most about what Jordan did, is that he stayed with the team that drafted him, and took that team to greater heights, without really any other "superstars" on his team. I realize he had some good supporting talent, but I don't care what anyone says, Scottie Pippen was only a star because he played with Jordan, as was John Paxson, and whatever other good shooting white guys played with him, along with Horace Grant, BJ Armstrong and Bill Cartwright. Take Jordan off the team and they aren't championship material, as evidenced in his "retirement" the first time.

Lebron could've done the same thing in Cleveland with another player or 2 I believe. I don't even care about the whole, "he dissed his home state" or whatever arguments the sore Cleveland fans are probably throwing out; he basically is on an All-Star team now in Miami with D-Wade and Chris Bosch. Plug me in that roster and it's still an NBA Final caliber team, and in the game of basketball, I couldn't hit water if I fell out of a boat. I mean I get the guy wants to be a champion and that's cool, but to me it makes me think that he doesn't have enough confidence in himself to be "the man" on a team and have a good supporting cast around him to lead to glory. I guess you could argue that it makes him unselfish to share the spotlight with Wade and Bosh, which is admirable in it's own right, and I couldn't really argue against that either though.

All in all, I just thought it was too much of a circus for what it was. Wade and Bosh declared the day before Lebron and didn't need an hour long "special" on ESPN to showcase where they were going. It's free agency, I don't give a crap who goes where in ANY sport until the season begins. The guy didn't really show any emotion be it joy in going to Miami or sadness for leaving Cleveland. He looked like he didn't really want to be there at all, and neither did the kids in the backround at the camp or boys home or whatever it was. As much respect as I've had for the guy for basically coming out and being a millionaire and basically an Icon at age 18 and not messing up in his personal life so far, I lost a lot of respect just the whole way the circus went. It reminded me a lot of the Brett Favre sagas every offseason in football honestly, which has gone on for like 6 years now...the media makes a huge circus of EVERYTHING when it's slow.

I'm sure many will disagree with my opinion as a lot of readers on this blog do, and that's your right and I always enjoy reading others opinions, so post them up on how you feel about the "Big 3" ending up to play for "Los Heat."