A SportsThat Belmont

The Belmont is today and since there's no Triple Crown possibility, no one cares. So on this trip to Nashville, we are approaching the finish line. The teams are split into two cars: 5 in the Red Blazer and 4 in the Grey Fox. The race card for today include:

1) Helen'sKeller
2) DirtysBarber
3) MyraFirst
4) The Niece
5) Aunt Wont Tel
6) FishWicks
7) Cowboy Cougar
8) League of her own
9) Ginger
10) Cry if I want too
11) PapaBreakfast

So pick your horse... we'll let Boogie name the jockeys and later I'll be back on to tell you who he thinks is the winner... tonight we'll be doing a live blog from the Nashville bars including pictures.  

Stay Tuned!

SportsThat Road Trip

The ol' Ball and Chain strikes the best and most Super of Men... today it's Boogies turn

The SportsThat crew, well most of us, are headed off to Nash-Vegas today to mourn celebrate BoogieWoogie's loss of testicles  holy union. So the site will be a little slow.

But I thought "what is an expensive cell phone good for if you can't surf the internet and blog while driving????" We will be making a 1 hour detour on the trek from Louisville and shall visit Fort Campbell for me to pickup a car loan check from Navy Federal Credit Union. So 500 miles of driving in the next 24 hours with 9 drunk mid-to-late 20 something gentlemen, halarity should ensure.

So while we may not have much sports news coming out of the Music City, you can expect some debauchery and fun stuff to appear on the site this weekend.

Note: If you want to see BoogieWoogie do something, now's the chance to ask. We'll take request and I'm sure in his drunken stuper we can get him to do just about anything (i.e. urinate in mailboxes, eat hole garlic cloves raw, kiss dead road kill, etc.).

John Wooden, Dead at 99

This time it actually appears to be real. The Worldwide leader has reported that Hall of Fame coach John Wooden has passed at the age of 99 years old.

Wooden brought the game to a whole new level and did to Men's College Basketball what UConn is doing right now in Women's. It's a sad day in the sport, but one that will live on with his records and legend. We wish his family our fondest thoughts.

And the USC Decision is...

Nothing, nada, zilch. It was reported that the NCAA would have a decision on the USC football scandal today. New reports on ESPN's Oustside the Lines are saying that the report will not be issued until Monday. And maybe even later than that.

What is surprising to me is the total, utter lack of outrage in the media. As I scanned espn.com, Google, Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports and other media outlets there is nothing on this story. Again, it seems apparent that certain schools get a pass on their conduct while other schools and coaches are held to the highest of standards and are subjected to endless scrutiny.

The NCAA has had months, actually they have had years, to follow up and rule on this decision. The NCAA is dragging it's feet on what looks like a cut and dry case. USC should receive drastic sanctions but it keeps looking like they are going to be let go with a slap on the wrist.

Lakers vs. Celtics Could be Revenge for Kobe

"ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!!" Everybody remembers that phrase that Kevin Garnett screamed when the Boston Celtics won the NBA Championship back in 2008. Well, Mr. Granett, is it possible to guard Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol?

The biggest knock on the Lake-Show when they lost in 2008 to the Celtics was that they were soft. ESPN's Skip Bayless likes to call Gasol, Gasoft. The Lakers were called a finesse team while the Celtics were the knitty-gritty, down and dirty, old school guys that like to play tough defense and mix it up with intimidation. The Lakers looked like the tough guys in their 102-89 victory last night.

The Lakers have now scored 100 points or more in 11 straight playoff games. Phil Jackson is 47-0 all time when leading a series 1-0. The Celtics were the team that was held below 90. Odom and Artest looked like beasts offensively and defensively. Rondo was guarded by Bryant and was pretty much held in check, although he was close to a double-double. Uh-oh.

All of the experts, including yours truly, have been picking the boys from Beantown to put the beat down on Phil and his boys. Why not? Boston almost swept the seemingly unstoppable Magic. They put LeBron on the road to free agency a little earlier than expected. And the Lakers beat a completely over matched Jazz team and an extremely defensively flawed Suns team. The Celtics looked like they had proven themselves against tougher opponents.

Never underestimate Kobe Bryant. The guy is in a zone and he wants to beat Boston worse than Magic Johnson ever did when he played for L.A. Kobe holds grudges and plays with a chip on his shoulder. That's what sets him a part from LeBron James: killer instinct. If James had a quarter of the intensity that Kobe shows every night then the man would have his ring already. Kobe Bryant's talent and focus is what puts him in the same league as Michael Jordan and he could eclipse Jordan as the greatest ever with a second straight title against his most intense rivals.

Boston needs to dig deep and play nasty. The Lakers played Boston's game better than they do.

John Wooden Hospitalized

John Wooden has been hospitalized at the UCLA medical center for what has been reported as dehydration. Early on Thursday, erroneous reports surfaced that Wooden has passed away.

Wooden is 99 years old and is the legendary UCLA coach that lead the Bruins to 10 NCAA championships and 88 consecutive games from 1971-1978.

Eric Bledsoe Cheats in NBA Workouts Too!

In the next big John Calipari Friday night infractions special, The Indianapolis Star broke a story today outlining Eric Bledsoe's chance at the NBA. Upon closer inspection, the New York Times discovered that the person performing in the combine wasn't actually Eric Bledsoe!

Expect the NYT to hint, use 'unnamed sources', and lots of speculation... but SportsThat can confirm that this is in fact NOT Bledsoe... John C's got some 'splainin' to do!