Cards top Cats in worst called game of all-time

The U of L women's basketball team defeated Kentucky for the fourth straight time tonight by the score of 80-65, but that's going to have to wait a second because folks, I do believe that tonight: Dec. 20, 2007, I listened to the most biased and overall horrifically called game in the history of sports broadcasting.

The play-by-play announcer was former WHAS-11 sports anchor Gary Gupton, and the color commentator was a woman whose name I've either forgotten or repressed. For two hours this pair consistently made outrageously inaccurate comments, questioned (sometime subtly, often times openly) nearly every call that went against Kentucky or for Louisville, and made the fact that they were rooting for an upset disturbingly obvious through their language and inflection.

I understand that this game was broadcast on the "Big Blue Sports Network" - or some slight variation - but that doesn't give anyone with an iota of integrity an excuse to completely chuck objectivity out the proverbial window.

Anyone else who watched the game tonight will agree with me when I say that if you didn't hear this, you simply can't understand just how bad it was.

Every single Louisville possession Gupton would chime in with a "there was a walk, but no call," or "there was a foul on Kentucky somewhere I guess." And every single Kentucky possession it was "no foul called," or "what a spectacular effort" by someone wearing blue.

Angel McCoughtry, the nation's leading scorer, left the game for eight minutes in the second half with what was reportedly a two-inch gash on her forehead. While she was being stitched up, Kentucky managed to trim an 18-point lead to eight, and you would have thought that they had just beaten up 60 armed terrorists with their bare hands.

McCoughtry eventually returned, the Cards re-opened their large lead, and ultimately won the game by 15-points.

But of course that wasn't the story heard by those who tuned in to Fox Sports South.

If you were blind you might never have known that this woman played Thursday night

In the last minute of the game there was a stretch where Gupton and the color woman used either the word "heart" or the word "character" in five consecutive sentences, and both of the words were used in three of those lines. In all five instances, the words were used in reference to the Kentucky team.

Aside from that glorious stretch, my three favorite lines of the night were:

1. "Well, U of L did get several points as a result of that technical foul."

This was made by the color woman and was uttered a few minutes after the Cards had made a pair (two) of free-throws thanks to a Matthew Mitchell (who acts the same way his pregame comments read) technical.

2. "That's one of those great hustle fouls that coaches won't get angry about."

Another gem from the color woman that can only be appreciated after understanding the context of the situation that inspired it. A pressing Kentucky player allowed Louisville point guard Patrika Barlow to blow right by her, and then ran right into the back of her at midcourt for no reason as U of L was trying to set up a play. She was running though.

3. "The good news is Angel is out with stitches."

This one was the product of Gupton and I had to rewind the game to make sure I heard it right. A pretty unforgivable comment on any level of broadcasting. Someone should sit him down and force him to listen to this game before he goes on air again.

While the commentary certainly dominated the conversation at CC Headquarters, the game itself was significantly more agreeable. McCoughtry finished with 23 and 10, while Manual High product Candyce Bingham also recorded a double-double with 16 and 12.

The Cards are now 8-2 and have won seven straight.

Congratulations to Jeff Walz and the rest of the team.