Sports Talk: Who will own 2014?

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Mar. 26, 2014.  
 
Back on New Year's Day I pondered over who the year 2014 would belong to when it came to this state's great college rivalry. I think this Friday beginning at 9:45 p.m. will be the determining factor.

For the second time in three years the Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals will square off on the ultimate stage: the NCAA Division-I basketball tournament. While this time it may "only" be in the Sweet 16, as opposed to the Final Four in 2012, I think Cats and Cards fans will agree that victory claimed will be just as sweet.

Every tournament game always matters for a team. Whether you are a number one seed or a 16, fans, coaches and athletes all yearn to keep advancing. (And what I think UK and UofL fans can agree on after this year's seeding is that the seed is arbitrary and arguable.) At the same time, for Kentucky and Louisville fans, the December match-up is oftentimes equally important, so combining the two means this red and blue state is going nuts with anticipation this week.
 
Everyone knew the meeting was a possibility with the setup of the brackets, but aside from the truest UK fans, most felt the odds were questionable with undefeated Wichita State in Kentucky's path to the Sweet 16. However, what has been arguably the most exciting tournament game thus far puts our Wildcats in a rematch with the Cardinals.
 
While Kentucky took down Louisville in their previous season meeting, the Cardinal team saw more success in the late regular season. However, the Wildcats we saw last weekend look hungry for a championship.
 
Speculation over how things will pan out in Indianapolis could go on for days, but the bottom line is it's anybody's game. Not only is it tournament time but it's the biggest rivalry game this tournament will see. Kentucky pulled it off in 2012 and went on to become national champions. Will they do it again?
 
As a fan of all teams of the Bluegrass, I'm excited to know that one of our teams will be advancing to the Elite Eight, regardless of Friday's game; however, who will I be cheering for? Louisville.
 
While I am so happy to see Kentucky coming on strong after having some disappointments this season (and I would be cheering for them in any other game), I feel much more invested in the Louisville team. I admire the hardcore Kentucky fans who are not just on the bandwagon on the good days. For the sake of those fans, I want Kentucky to win, because YOU deserve the win. But when it comes to the guys playing, who deserves the win more for their devotion to their school and program? My vote is Louisville and I want to see those guys advance. It's not about "Louisville" but about the individuals. I feel attached to the guys on the UofL team. I want to see those guys--Russ Smith, Luke Hancock--advance. For me, there is such a difference in cheering for a team simply because of the colors they wear compared to cheering for people and what they mean to you.
 
When the day comes that these two teams face each other in the tournament again and both teams have a group of guys taking the court who have been wearing their colors proud for multiple seasons, well, I guess I'll be an individual divided. For now, though, I'll just be living in a house divided... No, not my husband and I. We'll both be cheering for the Cards... But our 5 month old daughter only has a UK onesie so I guess she will be repping the Cats for us. Somebody's got to, right?

Sports Talk: The 3 Week Home Game Frenzy

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Mar. 5, 2014.  
 
The last two weeks of CCHS basketball action has been a real treat and I am sorry to all of you Rebel and Lady Rebel fans who failed to make it to any games--especially since they've all been at our home gym, which was kind of the icing on the cake.

The best part all of these home games was the atmosphere that came with them. Having been to plenty of games over the last few years, I've seen plenty of nights where the stands are rather vacant. Even some of the nights when the student section has a crowd, they don't necessarily get "into" the games and the whole feel of the gym is pretty stagnant.
 
The electric atmosphere at CCHS started three weeks ago. First the boys' took a major victory over Green County the same night as the schools' Basketball Sweetheart ceremony, as well as seeing the two 2013 track and field state champions honored, Micah Smith and Shelby Stringer. The following night parents, players and alumni had a special night of honoring Coach Salyers.
 
Then, the final game of the season for both teams came the next Friday: a doubleheader hosting neighbor rival Lincoln County. It was a record crowd for a regular season game this year.
 
On top of being a great rival (particularly for the Lady Rebels) and Lincoln being close enough to send a respectable number of their own fans, Casey's crowd was aided by numerous before and between game events. Coach Salyer's was honored with the court being dedicated to him (a surprise for him) and unveiled at the beginning of the night. This was followed by a Marshall Forbes giving a spectacular performance of our national anthem. Then between games the senior ball players, cheerleaders and dance team members were recognized. After that the Casey County Bank did a $10,000 giveaway in which Principal Josh Blevins, a Rebel basketball alum himself, was randomly selected from a drawing to attempt making the necessary baskets to claim the prize... Much to his, and spectators' dismay, he came up short. The bank also honored players of the month during this break and Lakken Miller was officially welcomed into the Lady Rebel 1,000 Point Club after having hit the milestone earlier in the week.
 
All of this activity was just the side show to the main events: two basketball games. While the boys' took a pretty rough defeat, the Lady Rebs gave a stellar performance in which they took down the Lady Patriots, avenging their back-to-back 12th Region championship game losses from the past two years.
 
This night--the games, the crowd, the atmosphere--were the perfect prelude to the 47th District Tournament which Casey hosted. If you attended the doubleheader, it made you want to be there for the tournament games; if you missed the doubleheader and heard about it, you didn't want to miss out again.
 
Tournament time always brings a special buzz to the air--everyone knowing anything can happen and when it comes down to it, records are wiped clean and how you did all season does not matter--it's now down to earning one win at a time, one game at a time.
 
Casey's hosting of the tournament did not disappoint. The gym was packed night after night and saw plenty of excitement--at least for the Casey fans. Perhaps the Lady Rebel games weren't exactly nailbiters, but when you are on the winning side of a game, fans are always excited--especially when one of those wins makes history. Not only did the girls' earn the district title, but it's the first 'three-peat' in the program's history. As if that weren't enough, it gave Coach Salyers his first district title on his home court--now named after him.
 
Then you had the Rebels. You could not ask for a more fun game than what we saw last Thursday when the boys' took on Somerset and won by four points. The Rebels gave us everything you want in a tournament game: a comeback from behind (going down by 12 at one point), a second half that saw constant lead exchanges, a final 90 seconds that had you so nervous you could hardly stay in your seat, and a finish that made you proud to be a Rebel. They may not have come out on top in the championship game, but their second half performance gave Pulaski a run for their money and the young team fought to the end and proudly earned our school the runner-up trophy.
 
The home game excitement is officially over for this season, but thankfully the play is not. With both teams competing in the 12th Region tournament, the excitement only continues and if you have been to any regional games in the past, you know the electric atmosphere that exists. The boys are playing at Pulaski County High School and the girls will be at Lincoln County High School. Both teams play Wayne County. Obviously weather is keeping a lot of us at home this week but tune in on the radio if nothing else. These two teams and their coaches have given us a heck of a season and I for one don't want to see it end.
 
The Lady Rebels play today at 6 p.m. and the Rebels are scheduled to play Saturday at 7:45 p.m.

Sports Talk: Champions, again... sort of...

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Apr. 10, 2013. 

Sorry all of your hard core Wildcat fans… one more week of Cardinal love from this sports fan.

On one hand I can understand those that call themselves “true blue” fans who will never cheer for Louisville… because that was me on Monday night, the true Buckeye fan that would never find herself cheering for those dirty Wolverines.

But stinkin’ Michigan being the opponent or not, my reason for staying up late when I had to wake up extra early to work in Louisville in the morning was 100% to do with cheering on the Cards.

Albrecht gave me a scare, but Louisville’s stamina really seemed to win out. When Michigan looked tired, the Cards never seemed to. That and, of course, Hancock’s sweet streak there at the end of the first half. What a cool and unique thing to see a non-starter earn the MVP for the Final Four.  No doubt his performance deserved it.

What is unfortunate for the die hard UK fans, is they miss out this awesome feeling.

In 2011 Bellarmine University won the NCAA Division-II championship. In 2012 the Wildcats took the DI crown and this year it’s the Cardinals… and, if we’re lucky, those Lady Birds will have done it on Tuesday night.

 A year ago I stayed up extra late cheering on the Cats and this year it was the Cards.  I loved seeing the Cats win the title last year, as that is what I grew up with as a child admiring and knowing: UK was the basketball powerhouse.

In high school when I realized that certain people in our state cheered for Louisville and were against the Cats, I kind of found it strange. Why live in Kentucky and cheer for the team that wasn’t as good?

But my seven year tenure in Louisville came on the coattails of Pitino’s hire at the school. Between following the team more closely, seeing them improve, gaining many hardcore Cardinal fan friends, watching many games wearing red, and now continuing to spend time working in that city on a weekly basis, I too have come to understand why it’s so easy to live in this state and love the Cardinals.  

It’s fun to see the kids you’ve been watching for awhile capture this moment. A fan that gets to experience a championship through different teams in back-to-back years must be rare, so I will relish the moment, knowing it may not happen again too soon.

Go Cards!

Sports Talk: Look past the jersey and love the TEAM

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Apr. 3, 2013. 

Considering this is Wednesday and the Louisville-Duke game took place on Sunday, there is little I can probably write about the Cardinals and Kevin Ware’s terrible injury that has not already been said by a sports writer or commentator that  closely follows the Cards or sports in general.

However, I still cannot bypass the opportunity to comment on the incident.

I know we live in a dense Wildcat region and the NCAA tournament has been less than thrilling this year. I know that because of our Big Blue Nation, there is a high amount of Louisville loathing.

I hope most of those Cardinal haters and Kentucky lovers have been able to see what so many sports fans across this country saw from this occurrence. We should all be able to look at the players on the University of Louisville’s team, as well as Kevin Ware himself, and desire to have a team of that stature.

Much of the reason I love college sports more than professional sports is the innocence that still exists in the love of the game. Sure players want to go pro from that level, but there is less possibility for corruption in your love of the game.

These are very young adults on the court who still have vulnerable hearts. There is nothing better than to see that heart going 100% into a game we love to follow.

If you love sports, you know that despite the jersey and colors being worn by those guys on Pitino’s bench, those are the type of people you want to compose your team—whether it is one you simply cheer for or play on.

Everyone wants a team that cares most about each other and the achievements you bring to the name on the front of the jersey, not the back. What’s even better is that a team like that gives people like us—the spectators—the ability to really feel like a part of the team as well. They are so all encompassing of the factors outside of themselves that matter, that we can even feel like we, as fans, matter.

Seeing several of my die hard Wildcat friends take time to step back and recognize this group of players has really said a lot to me about this team and what being a team should be all about. It is about being there for each other and truly caring about each other as people and not just as ball players.

I know there is not a lot of Cardinal love out there in this area, but I hope you all have a team—whether it be basketball or another sport; college, high school or professional—that has the quality of people, not just players, as this year’s U of L team.

Go Cards!

Sports Talk: A twist on bracketology

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Mar. 27, 2013. 

I’m always hesitant to fill out my March Madness bracket—mainly because I don’t feel like I have a clue on what is right or wrong, but then again, hasn’t time taught us that not even the experts really know a thing when it comes tournament time?

The beauty of March Madness is you truly do not know what might happen. Even the greatest team may fall unexpectedly due to one bad game.

As usual, I did fill out a bracket—at the last minute. But, as usual, I am glad I did. It’s always 10x more fun to watch and keep up with the games when you have a team to root for or against…. Although, a small part of me sometimes wants the underdog to always win despite what my bracket may say.

One of my biggest disappointments about my bracket usually has to do with my early success that never goes anywhere. I have actually done fairly well certain years in randomly picking the upsets. One year I was even leading at work, which was a pool of nearly 70 people.

However, what’s most disappointing is the early success usually means nothing. You earn so few points in the first few rounds that if you don’t hang on to your final four—or the majority of your elite eight—you’re probably out of luck for winning your pool.

A friend at work has a unique twist on how he and his friends have fun with March Madness predictions and competition. Rather than filling out brackets, they have a draft.

Each person (they have eight total) gets to draft eight teams. Points earned are based on the rank of a team. If your team wins, you collect the number of points of their rank. Suddenly a number one ranked team is not that attractive in your draft.; max, they can earn you six points.

On the flip side, if this year you had drafted Oregon, you would already have 24 points from one team even if they don’t win another game. In this game, it’s a better risk to pick underdogs and hope for upsets than to go with the safe plays.

The 10, 11 and 12 seeds, according to my coworker, are some of the top picks in their draft. They can capture a nice set of points with just a single win, even better with two.

The 5, 6 and 7 seeds are also popular, as they have a chance at advancing into the elite eight. The 1 and 16 seeds are usually the last to go. A top seed maxes out low and a 16 seed’s odds of earning any points are too low.

This game’s winner is usually determined within the first three, maybe four rounds, but I like the new twist it adds to the excitement. I also appreciate that it puts the value in the early wins rather than the final four.  I mean, I might as well try it out next year right? See if my early luck works out for me?

As for this year, I’ve survived the opening weekend of nonstop games with my final four still in tact. OSU and IU gave me a scare there for a minute, but those Cards are staying steady.

Mad about March!

What's making me smile during March Madness?

(1) Not one, but TWO Kentucky teams in the Final Four. Not only did the region (Kentucky, Ohio, Indian) make up seven of the 16 Sweet 16 teams, but now our state makes up half of the remaining four teams. Most know I'm not partial to UofL over UK (preposterous, I know!) but love to see both succeed. I have to say, while I know the smack talk is on the horizon as Saturday nears, I love that the last 24 hours have been filled with STATE pride from both red and blue fans. At least everyone sees eye to eye about one thing: Kentucky basketball is dominant.

(2) Despite not being repeat national champs, I'm so proud of the Bellarmine Knights for a second time in history appearance in the Division II final four! I think this BU-er said it best, even though he's on the other side of the world in Australia! It's a long post but the read is great--especially if you're any part of Knights Nation.

(3) My home town Lady Rebel basketball team overcame the odds after losing their number one player a month before tournament time, and earned the regional runner-up title. Their number one player, and only senior, was not only a standout on our team, but perhaps the region's top player. (She was named the region's player of the year despite ending her season early.) It was a little bittersweet to see the team who took the regional title make it to the final four in the state and wonder if that could have been Casey County, but the good new is, the team that earned the runner-up honors will return in full next season.

(4) And do you really expect me to forget about my Buckeyes?? I was ecstatic to see them advance past  Syracuse on Saturday and luckily, I can cheer full force for them in their next game since it won't be until the championship game that they'll face a Kentucky-based team! Then I'll be a little torn...

March for the win!

- 60-70 degree days and sunshine........................................................... +20 

- Tornados, rain and snow........................................................................ -15 

- Flowers blooming................................................................................... + 3 

- March Madness basketball action.......................................................... +10 

- March madness consuming tv & facebook............................................. - 5 

- Losing an hour of sleep from daylight savings....................................... -10 

- Longer days and more hours of sunlight................................................ +15 

- Possession of Jotul stove for the future home....................................... +12 

- Apartment painting resulting in clutter and mess...................................  -7 

- 2 Godchildren birthdays......................................................................... +10 

- Sister & sister-in-law birthdays............................................................... +10 

- St. Patty's Day!!!!!................................................................................... +30

- No meat on Fridays................................................................................ - 5 

- Fish Fry Fridays ..................................................................................... +15 

- Hanging out with friends in Lex............................................................... +20 

- Missing friend's birthday in Lou............................................................... -12 

- Spending lots of $$ on car maintenance................................................. -20

- The Hunger Games movie comes to theaters........................................ +20 

GRAND TOTAL IS.....................................101%

I'd say that spring is off to a great start....! :)