love it.

I’m not good at thinking of adjectives, so I’ll describe this as the the most “F’’ed up” moment of my career as a sports fan. To recap…

Louisville vs. Memphis for the 3rd time of the ‘05 season. The Cards trying to avenge one of only 4 losses on the season to date, a 17 point drubbing in Freedom Hall a month before. In that loss, the Cards’ press was carved up for 25 points by a talented freshman named Darius Washington. UofL fans had followed Washington’s career as he was supposed to be the counterpart to UofL pointguard recruit Sebastian Telfair (they played a nationally televised high school game against each other), but Telfair bolted to become an NBA backup and Washington went to Memphis. But this 3rd game is much bigger than just a revenge game…

It is not only the Conference USA championship, but with Louisville leaving the Big East it could be considered the “last Conf USA championship not automatically awarded to Memphis”. With UofL leaving and no scheduled series, it also marked the end of an era of long time rivals, Memphis and Louisville, competing against each other in basketball. In addition, it will mark the end of an era of the coaching rivalry between Rick Pitino and John Calipari that goes back several college teams and an NBA stint for both. The winning team and coach will have bragging rights for an awfully long time, if not an eternity.

There is also the practical matter of what a conference championship means to Memphis…a very talented team but without an NCAA resume. Memphis was not even considered on the bubble and needed to win four conference tournament games to take the championship on its home floor at FedEx Forum and earn an NCAA bid. Then the ending…

Down one and a foul on a three-pointer with no time on the clock. A similar scenario as one of Louisville’s other 4 losses back on December 18th, this time to Patrick Sparks and the other rivals, Kentucky. The game winning freethrow scenario also called back to the ’86 Metro Conference championship that Milt Wagner sealed for the Cards. Where is Milt? Watching from the Memphis bench, where he serves as an assitant. Milt and his one and done son going to Memphis was a low point in UofL basketball history, and the moment when many UofL fans began looking forward to the end of the Crum era. Now time to shoot the FTs…

swish + clank + clank

Washington dropped to the floor at the free-throw line, prompting the Cardinals to swing immediately from dejection to celebration.

Ellis Myles: “It’s over, we won. Let’s party.”

Pitino: “The drama was incredible. What was at stake was enormous, and the whole team feels obviously elated that we won. We all feel bad for Darius Washington,” Pitino said. “They wouldn’t have been in that situation if not for his spectacular play.”

Me: “I’ve never felt that much like barfing after a Louisville loss, and this was a Louisville win”

Yes, it was the most F’ed up moment of my career as a UofL basketball fan
…because it was a huge payback game
…because it was for the Conference USA championship
…because it was the end of the series
…because it was win or go home for Memphis
…because it was UofL nemesis, Darius Washington
…because it was 3 game clinching free-throws against a bitter rival
…because it was Darius Washington needing to be as clutch as Milt Wagner
…because it was the last chapter of Pitino vs. Calipari (for now)
…and most of all, because it was Louisville-Memphis…a 50-year rivalry complete with bitter switchblade and folding chair moments…and a whole lot of great basketball

Go Cards…beat the Tigers tonight.