Backdoor Slider

Sunday afternoons in August are not supposed to be a huge sports day for the Commonwealth of Kentucky but today sure was a fun one.

Let’s start with the UK basketball team.

The Cats are in the Bahamas taking on the Dominican and Puerto Rican National teams and a French professional team.  There are many teams taking an international trip this month like Ohio State, North Carolina and Indiana but not no one else is getting the coverage that Kentucky is.  Not only was I able to listen on the radio today while I was running errands but when I got home I was able to turn on the TV and watch the Cats on ESPNU.  I sure don’t see ESPN sending Jay Bilas to Canada to cover the Hoosiers or any other program.  BTW speaking of the Hoosiers, they lost to the Ottawa Gee Gee’s today.  I really hope Tom Crean never leaves but I just don’t see them winning enough games this year to warrant another year of Coach Clappy.  They were rotten last year, lost their best player to the NBA, only really added a shooter and still can’t out rebound or defend my Mom.  Anyway, the Cats beat the PR Nationals in a way that would make the Jets proud and this is without two of their best players playing this week in Indy freshman Lyles and WCS.  It is really thought to gauge much from these games but a few things are clear.  UK are going to be very deep, very good and very fun to watch this year.

And now to golf.

The city of Louisville and the Valhalla Golf Club was a star this weekend.  The weather was not great but the course not only held up well but once again provided one of the best venues for major golf.  In the wet and the dark Rory once again proved that he is the best in the world and not even a leader board loaded with the likes of Rickie Fowler, Lefty and Ernie Els could slow down the young Irishman.  The final round had everything and the roars around the course were huge.  You even had the odd finish of Rory and that other guy playing along with Phil and Fowler on the final hole.  I can’t say I have ever seen that before and I wonder if the ending would have been any different if they would have made Rory play in the dark if he wanted to finish tonight.  I felt bad for Lefty and Fowler because if they would have objected they would have been made to look like dicks.  I would have loved to see Phil’s last chip find the bottom of the cup and it almost did.

Congrats to Cal and the Cats, congrats to Rory but most of all congrats to Kentucky.