Sign number one that you're currently trudging through the most dormant portion of the sports year: "Report: Derek Fisher agrees to re-join LAL" remains in the top story box on ESPN News for more than ten hours.
Indeed, it seems as though we've reached the three or four week period in the heart of summer that die-hard sports fans fear most in the calendar year. I haven't yet reached the point where I'll watch even a second of "Who's Now" (I won't even let that shite stay on my television when I just have it on for background noise. I've given the worldwide leader the benefit of the doubt for the last year or so, but this was the last straw), but I am finding myself opting for reruns of "Little People Big World" over the first four innings of Reds games more and more frequently.
For their part, the U of L athletic department appears to be playing along, as there has been next-to-no news for the better part of three days. With that in mind, here is your unusually brief topics of interest for this Friday morning.
Mini-ticket packages for the '07 football season will officially go on sale this morning at 10 o'clock. The $180 packages include game tickets for the Murray State, Middle Tennessee State, Utah and Rutgers games.
You see what they did there? You want Rutgers, you best be ready to stomach some Murray State and Middle Tennessee State as an appetizer. That's like, business and stuff.
ITV's Michael McCammon killed a couple guys and in turn was able to get his hands on the brand new 2007 Louisville football theme song. I was hoping we'd get another track from Young Nitt, but this year's song comes courtesy of the band The Night Before. I haven't heard it enough to really form an opinion, but after one listen I'd have to say it's a fairly solid warm-up/pre-kickoff song.
You can listen to the song here, or in the highlight video below.
The inevitable preseason story on Adrian Grady and his ascension to the leadership role on the d-line appears in this morning's C-J. As usual, Brian Bennett does a commendable job.
Francisco Garcia has been granted a release from the Kings' summer-league team so that he can tend to some family issues. He had been averaging a team-best 20.5 ppg.
Cisco has also switched agents, dropping Jerome Lewis of Octagon in favor of Aaron Goodwin who represents Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant and several other big names.
Apparently former U of L signee Amir Johnson made the right decision by going pro after all. Despite appearing in just 11 games in two seasons, Johnson has signed a three-year deal with the Pistons that will pay him $12 million. For reference, that's more money than Kevin Durant is getting, and just barely less than the dough Greg Oden is going to see.
The NBA sucks.
It will come as no surprise to anyone who saw the trailer for Year of the Bull that the entire Miami Northwestern football coaching staff has been dismissed in the wake of a sex scandal surrounding last year's star running back Antwain Easterling (Southern Miss bound). The team, considered by some to have the potential to be the best high school football squad of all-time, will still be allowed to play the 2007 season, which includes a showdown with last year's national champion, Southlake Carroll (TX).
Tim Roberts, whose name evokes the screams of sorority girls across the South, has laid out his "must see" college football games for '07, as well as his predicted outcome for each game. Roberts, like the rest of the world, has the Cards falling in Morgantown 38-28, but sees Louisville getting sweet revenge over Rutgers in a 38-17 rout.
Enjoy the weekend kids.