Friday's 'Late Night Filings'

Good evening/morning ladies an...who am I kidding? No ladies here. These are your late night filings. Do I care this much about progressing this blog that I would sacrifice my Friday night just to bring you today's headlines? Or has my social life hit such a low that I had nothing better to do aside from working on this blog and sitting around at work until close because I had nothing better to do?

You know how when you're having one of those just awful all around days? You're going about your regular routine and even the easiest task is making you want to put your head through a wall? Maybe you decide to take the long way home just because you finally have a minute to do so? And while driving, you hear the local sports talk radio guy give your beer pong tournament a shoutout and even a name drop and completely turn around your day? Well that's how my Wednesday went down. Mo Egger, former 'first pitch' celebrity, was talking about a summer caravan his show plans on taking. While talking to the producer, the producer asks about a beer pong tournament Mo is invited too. Mo kindly responded, and I'm paraphrasing, 'yeah, my friend Brady, or really a guy I met last year, throws a beer pong tournament that I went to. So we'll be going again.'. The producer responders with, 'You're friends with Tom Brady?'. So thanks for brightening up a bad day, Mo. Das Cup is only a few months away...

UK/VANDY PREVIEW

Saturday afternoon, the Cats head south to the Music City, to take on the Commodores of Vanderbilt. And like I would assume of the girl in this picture, beating Vandy at home is far from easy. Beating them at home, when having the road struggles this Kentucky team has had this season, is even harder. However, much like the apparent buther-face, maybe they're easier than we think. Why else would her face be cut out...? I'm not sure that this Vandy team is that good. To be honest, I haven't followed them much, but I do know there strengths are in the backcourt. This means Jorts has potential to have a big game again, while staying out of foul trouble. This will cause Vanderbilt to adjust, opening up opportunities for clear shots and easy penetration from the guards. Get Liggins and Knight/Miller on their guards and I think the boys in blue figure out their midseason road struggles. Or maybe I'm just biased.

Carson Palmer, how should I feel towards you? You haven't broke character in our 8 years together. I don't know anything about you. You might as well be my creepy neighbors, who we never see, so long that we thought the father had died. Monotone when you speak, always. Always with that same look on your face, 'the rest of these guys aren't as good as me, why bother trying?' or the occasional double arm, two finger point to the sky looking as surprised as the viewers at home that the previous play worked. That is really all I have to go by with you, even when you do always take the blame and say the right things, all of this while not making the smallest excuse. For all I know, you are a perfect gentleman. Or maybe you're Ben Roethlisberger. Either way, do you want us to care or have you became so apathetic yourself that you just don't have enough energy to care anymore either? Being with this franchise can certainly do that to a person and my first thought when hearing you wanted out was that I didn't blame you a bit. Regardless if it has been your injuries, your supporting cast, your coach, your owner, it doesn't make a difference now because this is where we are.

Even with hearing of you putting your house are on the market, which happens all the time and nothing happens like with Brady Quinn..., I really struggle to see either possibilities a likelihood. If you can break character long enough to make a really good poker face, you might get your wish. If it really does come down to you retiring as your only alternative to playing for the Whodey, I'd like nothing else other than to see you put that same disgruntled look on your face, on to Mike Brown's. More so than is currently, if that's possible. I just want to know, what was the final finger flick to the back of your head? Was it the firing or temporary containment of Bratkowski? Was it keeping Marvin? Was it keeping the Ocho? Did Mike Brown ask you to take a pay cut? Was it your hometown fans 'booing' you on a weekly basis? Or was it that your wife wants you to retire with having your third child? If that's the case, you have bigger problems to deal with anyways. Unfortunately though, I will probably never know the answer, because you're not that athlete. It'd be a lot more entertaining if you were though.

For the Bengals, it doesn't make a difference. Next year is not our year either way. Palmer, whether with all the pieces around him or not, is a shell of his former self. If we didn't have a new Off Coor, I would lean towards keeping Carson, mainly because I don't think Cam or Blaine are the answers, and a QB from free agency wouldn't get to speak with the coaching staff to learn the offense until July in case of a lockout . However, we do have a new Off Coor so if your worried about getting a new QB and not speaking with the coaches until summer and then not learning the offense quickly, Carson doesn't have the benefit of 'knowing' an offense over another QB like he would have if Bratkowski was still around anymore either. Hard telling if there is any truth to this, but Solomon Wilcox did report on his show that he expects the Bengals to offer their #4 1st round pick for Kevin Cobb and the Eagles 1st round pick. At that point the Bengals would trade CP9 to Seattle for their 1st round pick, leaving the Whodey with Kevin Kolb and two first round picks in the early twenties. I can't say I hate that...

They say history repeats itself. Let me take you back to a time I remember. A time when a Celtics/Lakers rivalry was at the peak of it's popularity. A Laker with 5 championships and on the downside of his all-time career, arguably crowned the best in the game, is making probably his last run to earn his 6th championship. The only thing standing in the way, THE EVENTUAL BEST OF ALL-TIME at the start his complete domination of the game as though he created it. I'm talking about Magic and MJ right? Nope. Now, I am far from a fan of 'The King', but the scenarios are rather similar and Lebron has been the 'eventual best ever' since he was 15. If James was on pace with Jordan, then he would have won his 1st title last year, but at the same time, the former #23 entered the NBA younger than did THE #23. Dwayne Wade has more miles on him than did Scottie, but not having to carry 11 guys on his back for 82 games should help keep Wade healthy enough for awhile. Again, I'm not pulling for it as my Lakers are heating up as fast as the weather (go outside, Saturday's supposed to be warm), but 'hey..., it could happen.'.

Speaking of the NBA, it's looking as though the Lakers will no longer be 'my Lakers' as it's sounding more and more like the former Cincinnati Royals, now Sacramento Kings, could become the Kentucky Kings after a hired attorney, for the city of Louisville, met with NBA commish David Stern. Of course, the attorney said it went very well, but let's hope he is right. The NBA would instantaneously become my favorite professional league. Following players can be work in regards to rooting interests, but when you don't have a dog in the fight, the taste just isn't as sweet. Take for example the Whodey and NFL. Fantasy football and the league is great on it's own, but is 10x better when the Bengals are competitive. I could no longer allow myself to be a bandwagon NBA fan if this happens. And let's assume that they are terrible for the next five years, which usually is the case, the Kings could be stockpiled with UK 'grads' with the amount of 'one n done' players that are going to be coming in and out of Lexington to become lottery picks. They would probably be about as good as the Celtics in the late 90's, but who cares for now? Maybe it could even take away that 'bizarro world' feel that Louisville has to it. I just hope the city and 'Louisville fan' doesn't ruin this for me with the 'this is Louisville's team, no UK fans allowed' talk. Oooh the number of fights that will occur at Freedom Hall, surprisingly not the Yum! Center. Can we please embrace this team together? Just don't let Mike Brown to buy the team. That's I got for now. Enjoy your Saturday.