So here we are. All is right in the world. We once again have the Celtics and the Lakers in the finals. Welcome back guys in green, it has been a long time.
Am I as giddy as the proverbial school girl? You betcha.
Rarely do we get to recapture our youth. And while the teams and colors are the same, this doesn't feel the same. There is nobody on either team that absolutely draws your attention the way either Magic or Bird did with the possible exception of Kobe. And I, am Kobe'd out. Something about that rape thing just won't go away for me.
There is one thing that clearly surpa$$es the old days. I remember lying on the bed watching a 12 inch black and white TV on rabbit ears, because my grandmother was not at all going to give up the good TV for the NBA. Now, because my wife is not interested in watching the NBA, I will be lying on the bed watching the game in HD.
A nice way to start your career Jay Bruce. Don't ever forget the magic that you felt last night. Because this is Cincinnati and eventually our love for you will fade and our attention will be on the next great player. We will comment on how you are over-hyped and over paid. You will become bitter and the joy that you started with will be whittled away until you are as surly as your teammates.
Look to your left and your right.
Griffey used to be the Kid. His coming was heralded as the dawning of a new age in Cincinnati. The Kid was coming home. And all was good, for a while. Then injuries and age began to show themselves and now as Griffey approaches 600 homeruns, he does it in relative anonymity. The most common thing said about him is that he should be traded.
The Dunner is another story in and of itself. All he does is play everyday, hit 40 home runs, walk 100 times, drive in a 100 and score 100 times. And yet, in Cincinnati all that matters is what he doesn't do.
Or look to the mound. For the first three weeks of the season it was all about Johnny Cueto. Now it is all about Volquez. Last year it was all about Homer Bailey.
This is Cincinnati Baseball. Our love affairs are torrid but numerous. This will last all of a couple of years, or until we find out that Jay Bruce does have an actual flaw somewhere and we will harp on that day and night until we convince ourselves we will be better off without you.
And while Pargo is ruining all that is good in New Oleans the Dunner is just doing what he does and absolutely bombs one.
You have to like the ray the Reds are doing things right now. Good pitching, a little bit of small ball, including a get 'em on, get 'em over and get ' em in, some timely hitting, and the occaisional bomb that just rips your heart out.
So when did Janerio Pargo decide he was the one to carry the Hornets to NBA Finals. Sombebody needs to infor the the black hole that there are a couple of other guys on his team that have scored a point or two this season.
The following is a list of players that CBC has recruited into Kentucky for the next several years. All of this has been done within the past year. Several of these players are so far away from entering college that it is hard to guess where they will end up when that time comes.
-2008 Recruiting Class-
Kevin Galloway - PG - 6-6 - 210 Josh Harrellson - PF - 6-9 - 265 DeAndre Liggins - PG - 6-5 - 190 Darius Miller - SF - 6-6 - 215
There are several interesting trends in this list.
The most obvious is that Gillispie is getting out very early and making sure that nobody gets a jump on Kentucky.
The second is that Gillispie is not allowing Kentucky kids to leave the state. Miller, Hood and Euton are all Kentucky kids.
The third is that Gillispie is willing to take some risks. Recruiting kids prior to their Jr. Year of high school is a risky business. You do not know how they will develop within the next 4 years either in skill or size.
If what we have heard concerning Avery is true, Gillispie has only seen him play in one AAU event. I am sure that the UK staff is very good at talent evaluation, but can you really judge what a 15 year old kid will look like after seeing him over one weekend?
This we do know, Kentucky fans are getting exactly what they want. high profile recruiting to hold them through these down months.
