A FEW MO' THINGS, 2/23/12
-Tonight's UC/Louisville match is must-win for the Bearcats, but it's close. A win against the Cards, a nationally ranked team playing pretty well right now, and the NCAA chances get an obvious boost. It'd be win #20. It'd be their tenth in Big East play. It'd be another win against a top-50 RPI team and would give them some cushion heading into their three remaining games, all of which will be difficult.
Cincinnati's margin for error can widen a little bit with a win tonight.
More than anything though, beyond the postseason ramifications, it would just be really, really awesome for UC to have three straight wins over Louisville.
-Most games you can break down from many different angles. This is simple tonight....Bearcats make outside shots and take care of the ball, Bearcats win. One is a bigger "if" than the other.
Other questions. Will UofL play small or go big? How much do the Cardinals extend their zone against UC? Do they stay with the tempo they played with against DePaul last weekend? Can the Cats find Kyle Kuric behind the arc? Does Chane Behanan stick it to the team he once committed to play for? And most important, is any UC student industrious enough to bring a Karen Sypher bighead to Fifth Third tonight?
Come on student section, don't let me down.
-The squeezing out of the average fan continues.
-Allen Iverson has a creative way of avoiding those pesky checked baggage fees.
-Kate Upton. Because I can.
-Eric Engleman is awesome.
-If the Knicks beat the Miami Heat tonight, prepare for a bunch of "The Knicks are ready to compete for the Eastern Conference Title" gibberish. Expect the exact same type of overreaction headed the other way if Miami wins. As much as I'm looking forward to this game, though frankly not as much as UC/Louisville, I dread the extreme levels to which we'll respond to whatever happens in South Beach tonight.
-For those who might not follow the NBA, you're missing the night-in, night-out flakiness of JaVale McGee, who provides entertaining highlights on almost a daily basis.
-From reader Tom...Ronald Allen is still being paid money to play basketball.
-Good news for the locals on the bubble....a bunch of teams needing wins, including one each from the Big East and the A-10, didn't get them. West Virginia was as non-competitive as I've ever seen a Bob Huggins team.
-How wussified are we now? The Astros will be celebrating their 50th anniversary this season. To celebrate, they'll be wearing throwback unis for Friday home games, including their old Colt 45 jerseys from 1962-64. Problem is, the jerseys will be without the pistol image that was featured on the originals, because I guess they're afraid that the precious children watching the games will be enticed to buy guns and murder people. Lame.
-I'm not using this blog to talk politics, but this has to be addressed: Founding a company that eventually lays off dozens of my friends and colleagues is one way to get me to not vote for you, but misquoting George Costanza is another.
-Mike Scioscia is my kind of manager.
-Sometimes the happiest place on earth isn't all that happy.
-I'm pretty happy that UC played Notre Dame when they did.
-Christina Hendricks was one of those annoying goth chicks in high school.
-This is old, but awesome....
-Illegal Bass Pro Shop Tank Jumping needs to be some sort of competitive sport. We may discuss today at 3:04 on ESPN1530. If you're looking for something to do on Sunday, come out to the Open House for the newly-renovated River City Sports Complex. I'll be there from 4:30 until 6:30. Here's some high-quality Chinese basketball.
