You survived

Congratulations.

The long, grueling summer without any big college sports is now over. We are back!

I'll be at the Louisville-Kentucky game as part of the College GameDay team across the street from Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on Floyd Street next to the new Cardinal Ticket Office.

Come out and say hi.

So far, my Saturday has consisted of a group meeting going over my new diet/workout regime that I've been going through for the last two weeks (tough, but rewarding), along with grocery shopping, going to Subway (6" turkey), working out, showering off, and watching all the college football I possible can.

So far, Pitt looks like the old Pitt, I'm guessing Carolina Steve will call in to our next show thanks to East Carolina's win over Virginia Tech, and the Hoosiers look solid in their opener.

Tomorrow, I've got Louisville beating Kentucky in a great game, 26-21.

Have fun, and feel free to post below!

Another reason why ratings/rankings are meaningless early

In my humble opinion, some of the best computer ratings out there are Jeff Sagarin's (fellow Indiana University grad) ratings.

But even Jeff Sagarin can have some skewed ratings sometimes. Especially when a game hasn't been played.

His preseason college football ratings have Louisville at 15th IN THE COUNTRY.

That makes them the second-highest rated Big East team going into the season, behind West Virginia (7th).

Compare that to:
23 - Texas Tech
26 - Arkansas
29 - Kansas
37 - South Florida
46 - Kentucky
49 - Pittsburgh
79 - Indiana

Off tomorrow...

Just a couple things I was thinking about tonight as I take the day off from the air.

I'm sorry, but I can't picture Pudge Rodriguez in a Yanks uniform.  I've always liked him, but will I be able to like him as a fixture in Yankee Stadium?

That's about all the baseball I can talk about since I'm finally ready to nail in the last hammer on the Reds and their wild card hopes (my hopes lasted longer than all other Reds fans, for better or worse).  But if you want to read about the Reds, the Red Reporter is always a good place.

So now onto college football.  I'm getting super-excited.  Even though UK and U of L are two teams that will have to fight tooth and nail to get to a bowl, I'm still excited to see both of them play each other.  Here's some more season previews (from CollegeFootballNews.com) on UK, U of L, and IU. And even a little Ohio State for you Big Ten fans.

Can't leave without a little Brian Brohm, who was successfully taught by my man Rocco Gasparro (U of L Media Relations Director for Football) how to avoid any tough questions.  That guy won't crack to the NFL media either.  He's going to represent Louisville great.

Louisville Football picked to finish 7th in the Big East

WOW!

According to the media, Louisville is only going to be better than bottom-feeder Syracuse in the big East Conference this year in football.

That hurts.

What I think is a bit surprising is that it's really not even close.

Louisville got 69 points in the poll. Sixth-place UConn received 97 points.

That tells me that LOTS of Big East media had Louisville this low.

The sliver lining is that no media member picked the Cards to finish last, as Syracuse got the lowest amount of point possible by the media.

If Tom Jurich's statement to the Athletic Association Board wasn't enough, now the expectations are even lower.


2008 PRESEASON BIG EAST MEDIA POLL
1. West Virginia (22) 189
2. South Florida (1) 149
3. Pittsburgh (1) 128
4. Rutgers 110
5. Cincinnati 98
6. Connecticut 97
7. Louisville 69
8. Syracuse 24

Of UK or U of L, which football program is more relevant right now?

I know I've been bouncing around as a guest host or guest co-host on different shows and it's tough to find me sometimes I know (just like I know all you listeners are desperately searing for me if you haven't found me yet). But, one of the topics we've been throwing out there as of late is which fooall program is more relevant nationally right now, Louisville or Kentucky?

I'm going with Louisville. They're more nationally relevant in college football.

Look, I know Louisville had a sub-par season last year. But, as a program, they've been talked about for the last 6-8 years in a much brighter light. Yes, I know Kentucky is on the uptick, and they defeated Louisville last year (not to mention # 1 LSU). That's a lot of good stuff to chew on as far as relevance is concerned.

But that's one year.

Louisville has been more relevant for longer. They've had good stuff to chew on for years. Kentucky hasn't. Sure, Louisville lost to the Wildcats last year.

But that's one year.

When you've been talked about seriously as a national championship contender in the last two seasons... guess what, you're more relevant than the third place finisher in the almighty SEC East.

Don't let your love for Rich Brooks cloud your judgment. Don't let the power of the respect-demanding SEC put you in a trance.

The Big East, while less powerful as a conference, is easier to climb up, although it may take awhile for U of L to reascend up that mountain. But in the SEC East traditionally, it's Georgia and Tennessee and Florida. Maybe if Urban Meyer and Mike Richt keel over, Kentucky has a chance to be relevant.

Fat chance.

And save the hate mail Kentucky fans. I don't hate UK. In fact, you may very well win your second straight game in the series in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on August 31st.

You're just not more relevant nationally... yet.

(Thanks to Mike Rutherford at Card Chronicle for the pic)

A good piece on Louisville Cardinal football (for once)

It's funny. If I see a picture of a Louisville football player on a blog or on an online newspaper in the summertime anymore, I think it's going to be another story on a suspended arrested dismissed football player.

So I thought I'd turn the tide a little bit. Amobi Okoye is the centerpiece of an ultra-cool column in ESPN The Magazine documenting what the kid was up to on his 21st birthday. A must-read for any Louisville fan.

Some good news for a change.

Some Tuesday Night Links

Just thought I'd start off the new blog campaign with some interesting internet links... at least they're interesting to me.

• Pitino has been very busy recruiting, and he's real close to the # 1 class in 2009. [ESPN Insider]
• An AP article that is interesting regarding how life isn't over for UK football just because BCS chances probably are. [AP]
• Pat Forde's weekly Forde-Yard "Dash" is a weekly must-read. And while UK football isn't talked about, he's got a great quote from UK play-by-play man Tom Leach. [ESPN]
• Out of all the local kids that I can't wait to see in the NFL. The one I truly CANNOT wait to see is James Hardy. I think he's going to be sickening good in the pros, and finally, I find a legitimate columnist that agrees with me, ESPN.com's Bruce Feldman. [ESPN Insider]
• Reds fans, like me, always knew the Big Red Machine was great... but guess what. The Machine thinks the Rockies are awesome. [ESPN Insider]
• Pete Fiutak at CollegeFootballNews.com is always a fun read. Very reader-friendly articles. And this is another one... breaking down the current BCS rankings. [College Football News]
• Colts fans, before you start talking to the fellow Colts and NFL fans about the Patriots game, read this. [Scouts]

That's all for now. Enjoy the show tomorrow.

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 19

The first game in the St Louis Region of the 2nd Round features two teams from the 70s. One blew out their first round opponent while the other squeaked by in the closing minutes. The #1 1978 Kentucky Wildcats destroyed the #8 1972 Louisville team by a whopping 94%-6%. The game got out of hand quickly when Goose Givens and Kyle Macy poured in 15 points each in the first ten minutes of the game. The Cats defense was stifling and held the Cards in check all game. They advanced to the 2nd round where they will meet the #5 1975 Louisville Cardinals, who upset the ’98 Kentucky Wildcats in the 1st round. The Cards needed the entire 40 minutes to put away the “Comeback Cats” who clawed and scratched their way back into the game several times. The Cards finally put the last nail in the Cats coffin when Jeff Sheppard fouled out of the game with just 1:23 left. Allen Murphy drained two free throws to ice the game for the Cards who were led by Junior Bridgeman and Wesley Cox with each scoring 17 points and pulling down 7 rebounds. The Cards won 52%-48%.

VOTING OVER!
ST. LOUIS REGION - REGIONAL SEMIFINAL
# 1 '78 Kentucky: 92%
# 5 '75 Louisville: 8%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 13

Game 13 of the Big Three Championship pits the #1 1980 Louisville Cardinals against the #8 1973 Indiana Hoosiers. The ’80 Cardinals went 33-3 en route to winning the school’s first National Championship giving Coach Denny Crum his first Championship as a head coach. The Cards were Metro Conference Regular Season and Tournament Champions. The Cards were led by Darrell Griffith, Derek Smith, Wiley Brown, Rodney McCray and Jerry Eaves. The ’73 Hoosiers were Big Ten Champions and advanced to the Final Four with a record of 22-6. The Hoosiers were led by Big Ten MVP Steve Downing and played in the Final Four in St. Louis, Missouri.

VOTING OVER!
INDIANAPOLIS REGION - ROUND 1
# 1 '80 Louisville: 51%
# 8 '73 Indiana: 49%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 11

Game 11 of the Big Three Championship features a matchup between the #3 1997 Kentucky Wildcats and the #6 1982 Louisville Cardinals in the East Rutherford Region. The ’97 Cats were National Runner-up to Arizona and went 35-5 en route to winning the SEC Tournament Championship. The Cats made their second trip to the Championship Game in as many years and also won the Great Alaska Shootout. They were led by Ron Mercer, Derek Anderson, Scott Padgett, Anthony Epps, and Allen Edwards. It was Rick Pitino’s final season as UK coach. The ’82 Cards were Metro Conference Tournament Runner-Up with a record of 23-10. The Cards were led to the Final Four by a cast of great players. The team included Derek Smith, Jerry Eaves, Lancaster Gordon, Rodney McCray and Poncho Wright under Head Coach Denny Crum.

VOTING OVER!
EAST RUTHERFORD REGION - ROUND 1
# 3 '97 Kentucky: 60%
# 6 '82 Louisville: 40%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 8

Game 8 provides the tournament with a little old school versus new school match up. It features the #2 ’54 Kentucky Wildcats versus the #7 ’05 Louisville Cardinals. The ’54 Cats went 25-0 and were SEC Champions. The Cats declined an NCAA Tournament bid due to sanctions from the ’53 season. The team was led by seniors Cliff Hagan and Frank Ramsey. The ’05 Cards featured a high-powered offense led by Taquan Dean and Francisco Garcia along with Ellis Myles, Juan Palacios, and Larry O’Bannon. The team made the Final Four in St. Louis, their first in 19 years. They were coached by Rick Pitino and lost to Illinois in the National Semifinal.

VOTING OVER!
ST. LOUIS REGION - ROUND 1
# 2 '54 Kentucky: 69%
# 7 '05 Louisville: 31%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 7

Game 7 matches #3 ’83 Louisville versus #6 ’84 Kentucky. The ’83 Cards, under coach Denny Crum, went 32-4 and advanced to the Final Four after winning the Great Alaska Shootout and Metro Conference regular season and conference tournament. The Cards were led by sophomore Milt Wagner, junior Lancaster Gordon, senior Rodney McCray, junior Charles Jones, and senior Scooter McCray. The ’84 Cats were SEC regular season and tournament champions under Joe B. Hall and finished the season 29-5. They advanced to the Final Four in Seattle where they were defeated by Georgetown. The team was led in scoring by senior Melvin Turpin, sophomore Kenny Walker, and senior Sam Bowie.

VOTING OVER!
ST. LOUIS REGION - ROUND 1
# 6 '84 Kentucky: 74%
# 3 '83 Louisville: 26%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 6

Game 6 pits the #4 ’98 Kentucky Wildcats against the #5 ’75 Louisville Cardinals. The ’98 Cats were SEC regular season and tournament champions. The “Comeback Cats” were NCAA Champs coached by Tubby Smith. They were led by seniors Jeff Sheppard and Allen Edwards along with juniors Nazr Mohammed, Scott Padgett, and Wayne Turner. The ’75 Cards advanced to the Final Four with a record of 28-3. The Missouri Valley Conference Champions were led by seniors Allen Murphy and Junior Bridgeman as well as sophomore Wesley Cox.

VOTING OVER!
ST. LOUIS REGION - ROUND 1
# 5 '75 Louisville: 52%
# 4 '98 Kentucky: 48%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 5

Game 5 is a match up between the #1 ’78 Kentucky Wildcats and the #8 ’72 Louisville Cardinals. The ’78 Cats won both the SEC and National Championship under Joe B. Hall. The team was led by Co-Captains Jack Givens and Rick Robey along with senior James Lee and Sophomore Kyle Macy. The ’72 Cards were Missouri Valley Co-Champions and advanced to the Final Four. The team was led in scoring by five seniors including Jim Price and Ron Thomas.

VOTING OVER!
ST. LOUIS REGION - ROUND 1
# 1 '78 Kentucky: 94%
# 8 '72 Louisville: 6%
UPDATED BRACKET

NEXT GAME COMES OUT WEDNESDAY, JULY 11.

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 4

Game 4 features the #2 ’87 Indiana Hoosiers versus the #7 ’92 Kentucky Wildcats. The ’87 Hoosiers compiled a record of 30-4 on their way to the school’s most recent National Championship and last under Coach Bob Knight. The Hoosiers were Big 10 Conference Co-Champions and won the championship in New Orleans, Louisiana. They were led by seniors Steve Alford and Keith Smart. The ’92 Wildcats were one of the most beloved teams in UK history. The “Unforgettables” were SEC East Champions and Tournament Champions. They were led by sophomore Jamal Mashburn and seniors John Pelphrey, Deron Feldhaus, Richie Farmer and Sean Woods. The Cats were coached by Rick Pitino.

VOTING OVER!
PHILADELPHIA REGION - ROUND 1
# 7 '92 Kentucky: 63%
# 2 '87 Indiana: 37%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 3

Game 3 is a match up between the #3 ’86 Louisville Cardinals and the #6 ’93 Kentucky Wildcats. The ’86 Cardinals were National Champions under coach Denny Crum. They went 32-7 won the Metro Conference Regular Season Championship and the conference tournament. They were led by Seniors Billy Thompson and Milt Wagner along with sensational freshman Pervis Ellison. The ’93 Wildcats went 30-4 and was Rick Pitino’s first Final Four team at Kentucky . The Cats, led by juniors Jamal Mashburn and Travis Ford along with senior Dale Brown, were SEC Tournament Champions and advanced to the Final Four in New Orleans .

VOTING OVER!
PHILADELPHIA REGION - ROUND 1
# 6 '93 Kentucky: 70%
# 3 '86 Louisville: 30%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 1

The first matchup of the tournament matches the #8 '59 Louisville Cardinals against the #1 '76 Indiana Hoosiers. The '59 Cardinals went 19-12 under coach Bernard Hickman. They were lead to the Final Four by captains Harold Andrews and Don Goldstein. The '76 Hoosiers were undefeated under coach Bob Knight and won the NCAA Championship. They were led by Scott May, Kent Benson, and Quinn Buckner.

VOTING OVER!
PHILADELPHIA REGION - ROUND 1
# 1 '76 Indiana: 85%
# 8 '59 Louisville: 15%

UPDATED BRACKET

ALL-TIME BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP

For the rest of the summer, we here at The Big EZ Show thought it would be fun to find out (via the listeners) who the best teams in the history of IU, UK, and U of L were. And this is, by far, the most fun way to do it. MAKE A BRACKET.

So start up that July office pool. This should be a lot of fun.

Now, don't hold us to the seeding. We admit, we didn't spend a whole lot of time on it. And yes, we know we left some teams out (I hate that the '04 UK team didn't make it, but they lost in the 2nd round). If there are any obvious errors, speak now, or just don't. All these teams made it to the Elite Eight or better (EXCEPTION: '54 UK team, who was undefeated but declined an NCAA bid).

We'll do one game a day for the rest of the summer, and you can vote online at http://www.bigezshow.com/. Stay tuned to The Big EZ Show for the start date. You can post in the comments section, or you can e-mail EZ at mailto:ez@1570thezone.com.

Back from Out of Town

Just wanted to get some thoughts off of my chest while I was thinking about them, as I am back in town and will be back in the driver's seat tomorrow on the Friday edition of the show.

1. I am just really saddended by the passing of Indiana University head football coach Terry Hoeppner. The rumblings began (at least the ones I heard) about a month or so ago that it wasn't looking great, but still, no one thought he'd be gone this soon. It's a shame. I hope the players and fans will appreciate what he did for the program by playing hard and attending and cheering at the games respectively.


2. The U of L-UK football game will be on television, I'm fairly certain of that. But it will be on some obscure network and if you don't have a ticket or you don't subscribe to all the "cool" sports networks, you'll probably have to go to a bar. My question: how much will this UP the value of the ticket for the game?


3. Sammy Sosa is a hall of famer, no question. So are Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, and others. There was a steriod era of baseball and other players used it that we don't know about it, some of which are already in the Hall of Fame. So, for about the tenth time I say, they're all IN!


4. Rosie O'Donnell is taking over for Bob Barker on The Price Is Right. Short term, I think it's a great idea. Long term, it'll be terrible, and Rosie won't last more than 18 months. You heard it here first.

It's good to be back. Talk to you guys tomorrow.

Someone at the Herald should be shot

I am sorry, but the Herald-Leader sports department just needs a quick little slap on the wrist. This is beginning to become comical.

I am big fans of the Herald. I read their stuff everyday. I am big fans of Mark Story and John Clay, Herald sports columnists. I think Clay's blog is one of the best on the web.

Both have been on my radio show before, and I am truly grateful, and I hope this blog post doesn't sway them from ever coming on my show again, because this has nothing to do with bashing their opinions or the content of their columns.

In fact, I think they should receive just a small portion of the criticism I am about to hand out.

Over the last three weeks, I have seen columns from both Story and Clay that have had really BAD errors in them. Am I nitpicking? Oh, maybe. But when I see two mistakes like these in a matter of weeks, I begin to think that the editor is out to lunch, smoking some crack, or maybe trying to hang Story and Clay out to dry.

What am I talking about? Well, on May 25, Mark Story had a different name for the Louisville Cardinals' wide reciever:

"GOOD NEWS is that Keenan Burton was tabbed as the 14th-best wide receiver in
the country (and, if he and Woodson stay healthy, that's way, way low).

BAD NEWS is that Louisville has two wide receivers ranked higher (Henry Douglas eighth and Mario Urrutia 11th) on the same list."

Come on Mark. It's Harry. It makes you look stupid, and I KNOW that you aren't. I hope you punched your editor in the face.

But then, just today (June 14) John Clay made a 20-question list, and missed a number on the list and listed another number twice.

The content of both of these articles was great. Two fine reads. But it makes you just sit back and think "uhhh, come on guys."

But the blame should be put mostly on the editor who should FREAKIN proofread! It's one thing if you misspell on a blog, or screw up numerous times on a radio show (that's me). It's entirely another when you have time to write a well-thought-out column, proofread it, proofread it again, give it to an editor for him to proofread, proofread, and proofread again, and then get this.

These errors are not good for the reputation of their sports section, one of which I am still a fan of. Just be careful boys. Proofread your work, because no one else there is.