Moving the UK-UofL Game to Last of the Season Is a Big Mistake

Back in 1994, Howard Schnellenberger and Bill Curry made a great decision.  It was probably the smartest football related decision Bill Curry ever made, but I digress.  The two head coaches, of Louisville and Kentucky respectively, decided to resume a rivalry that had remained dormant for 70 years, and make it the first game of the season.

Most great rivalries are reserved for the final weekend of the season.

Ohio State v. Michigan
Alabama v. Auburn
Florida v. Florida State

Why make Louisville-Kentucky the first game?

Because Schnellenberger and Curry probably looked in the mirror and realized their teams were more likely to have only two wins rather than just two losses, most years.

Does anyone expect an 11-0 vs. 11-0 match-up between the Cardinals and Wildcats?  It's not going to happen.  In the next couple years, due to poor depth, I'm expecting Kentucky to limp into this game, a worn out team, hammered repeatedly by powerhouse teams in the SEC.  Louisville has a bit more depth, but nothing to compare with what Florida and Florida State enjoy, which is why it makes more sense for the two Florida teams to play at the end of the year.

Louisville looks solid today, but they were 4-8 as recently as 2009.  Another bad coaching hire could easily return the Cardinals to that unpleasant neighborhood.  Kentucky finished up 2-10 last year and Coach Stoops has a daunting rebuilding job ahead.

I understand the ACC and SEC hope to capitalize on this rivalry.  Maybe one year out of ten, both teams will enter the game with Bowl aspirations at stake.  But 2-9 vs. 2-9 would surprise me less.

0-0 vs. 0-0 at the start of the year?  The teams and fans can imagine greatness before getting exposed in their tough leagues.  Say goodbye to those days!

Louisville versus Kentucky should be a battle of thoroughbreds.  But next year, going to the game at the end of the year is more likely to resemble a trip to the dog track.

In Threes?

The Louisville women's team continued their remarkable run, coming from 10 down at halftime to beat Cal and advance to only their second all-time championship game appearance.

The Clippers won their division, sweeping the Lakers on the season.

What's the third sign of the Apocalypse?

Shocked to Victory

About midway through the 2nd half, it looked like Wichita State had Louisville's number.  But then one of those strange moments happened.  A walk-on, Tim Henderson, came off Louisville's bench and scored most of his points -- for the season.  Henderson had something like 20 points all year, and then scored the two biggest three-pointers of his career in a matter of moments.

And in a nutshell, results like Henderson's are what makes college sports special.  A seldom used walk-on may turn out to be Louisville's hero if they go on to win it all on Monday night.  Because without Henderson's timely, unexpected baskets, Louisville was on its way out.  Hollywood won't write scripts like that because it's too cheesy. Not even for a Disney after school movie. Henderson's antics could only happen in the real world.

So Louisville moves on to face Michigan.  The big question mark is, will the Cardinals be able to hang with Michigan, without Kevin Ware to spell the foul-prone Siva and Smith.  Also, having that one taller guard to throw into the mix defensively in Ware will be lacking for the Cardinals.

I'm just glad we don't have to watch Syracuse and Louisville play again.

Worms Gone...

Most of the worms are now gone from Rutgers.  Only the Head Worm remains.  No one knows for sure if the Head Worm saw the video for the first time months ago or only a few days ago.  All we know is the Head Worm continues to hang on at Rutgers so the cleanup isn't quite complete.

I wonder if Pernetti will vanish from the scene or re-surface somewhere else?  Shady seems an apt description of Pernetti, and there's always room for more shady characters in college sports.  Maybe UCONN could hire him to help get them into a major conference like he did for the Scarlet Knights.

The Good News For the NCAA...

Ed Rush, Sean Miller, Mike Rice, Tim Pernetti, Arizona, Rutgers, and Auburn.

All will fade to a shadowy memory in the glow of this weekend's Final Four.

Auburn's Misdeeds...

Auburn paid players?
Auburn fixed grades?

Say it isn't so!

Grade fixing seems to have taken a backseat to other forms of violations in recent years.  But I expect it to make a big comeback, and soon.  Why?  Because of UCONN.

What does UCONN, a basketball team in the defunct Big East, have to do with Auburn football?

UCONN was the test case.  Everyone else was watching while UCONN missed the NCAA's academic targets.  And boy, did the NCAA strike back.  UCONN is currently serving out a post-season ban, and everyone else took note of the Huskies' fate.

What's the best way to avoid a post-season ban for lack of academic progress?  Why, to make academic progress, of course.

But just like with "No child left behind", sometimes the problem isn't the fault of the University or Professors. Sometimes the students, bless them, aren't willing or capable of learning the material.  But the Bowls must go on.  So the players must pass.

Or as Colonel Jessup once said, "you can have all the transfer orders you want."

What incentive does a school like Auburn have to NOT fix grades?

If Auburn doesn't fix grades and their players flunk, the NCAA will ban Auburn from Bowls.

If Auburn fixes grades and the NCAA catches them, the NCAA will penalize Auburn -- maybe banning them from Bowls.

If Auburn fixes grades and doesn't get caught, Auburn will go to Bowls.

Almost every logical scenario of grade fixing works out in Auburn's favor, or at worse, a wash with non-grade fixing.

For Auburn, it doesn't make sense to post honest grades.  It's not good business.

The NCAA is liable to come down harder on Auburn for proven allegations of paying players.  Other than point-shaving, nothing sets the NCAA investigators into a tizzy quicker than players making money.  It's the greatest threat to the organization's well-being.  If enough players get paid, it might start to look like "student-athletes" are really labor.  And the idea of making FICA payments for "student-athletes" probably wakes Mark Emmert up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat.

I expect Auburn to get heavily penalize, but not for the grade fixing.  If you want to see the real bite, follow the money trail.

Ultimatums On Campus...

The AP story headline reads: "UNM gives Alford until April 29 to pay $1M buyout."

Does anyone ever stop for a minute and think, "What does any of this have to do with educating young people?"

I guess New Mexico will be able to grow their Geology department after Alford pays up!