Tourney Bound In Kentucky

Okay... I know this is a Kentucky based website, but I'm gonna throw something up about Murray State University winning the OVC and becoming the first team in Kentucky with an official invite to the NCAA's. I'm doing this for a few reasons 1) I want to; 2) I went there and have been rooting for them along with UK all season; 3) I got to go to the tournament and thought it would be interesting; 4) the Cats play in Nashville starting Friday and this will be a good way to ease into Conference tourney play.

So without further ado here comes my weekend in Nashville. (I wanted to do a Bill Simmons style running diary, but I'm too lazy to take notes, so here is what I remember). But don't worry, I'll ramble as much as him. And if you don't want to hear about Murray State or my trip I promise to put in some fun links to pass the time...


Friday Morning: I get out of class at 10 (honestly who schedules a Friday class at 9 AM, better question what idiot would sign up for a 9 am Friday class, oh wait, this guy). I have to be in Nashville by 4:30 central. I cannot do math or calculate how long that will be. I'm not sure if I have to leave by 2 Lexington time or on Wednesday. My uncle has my tickets and wants to go in early. I have 2 buddies staying with me so I have to make sure everybody is on time. I hate planning and meeting places at a certain time because there is no way that more than 2 guys in there 20s can ever all get something right when not riding together. It is scientifically impossible.

The Drive: Its not really that bad. I don't really like doing it alone (that's what she said, am I right!?!?! HEY-OH sorry about that, I'm by myself). One thing I miss about college, besides the ease of the class-load compared with law school, the extremely lax attendance policies, and the ability to talk to freshman girls without feeling creepy are college road trips. Pack a bunch of guys in the car for 3 hours and you will have at least 3 great stories and jokes to tell each other for years. (the downside--the car will smell like something from Lord of the Rings died inside an old milk jug that someone put in the oven for 2 months; at least if you're doing it right)

It is the EXACT opposite with girls. My sister rode down as well with a car full of girls for her birthday. Girls hate each other, also a scientific fact. There are no actual friendships between girls; there are just girls that you like to talk bad about other girls with the most. Girls ride together only to get more fodder to complain about other girls with. If you are a girl in a group and you are away from that group for 5 minutes, all the rest are saying terrible, awful things about you. I don't care how close you think you are, I promise you this happens. You know that one friend that you have that you just love, when you go to the bathroom she calls you the biggest Witch she knows (that editing was for the kids).

Also if you drive in a car with mixed sexes, there will just be fights. I'm convinced 90% of all breakups happen because of car rides longer than 30 minutes. There is something about a car that causes you to just notice and pick apart everything your significant other says or does. I've never had a long road trip with a girlfriend that didn't contain at least one really big fight. It can't just be me can it?...Oh well maybe it is me. But a long car ride is a possible relationship-ender, Just hope its more Elton John (without the hat) and less Alanis Morrisette

Nashville: I love Nashville, but hate driving in big cities. Well I did before I got the GPS, only it has the funny habit of losing signal right as I'm hitting the big city and really need it to find those last 3 streets. Also its working off old maps so every now and then it tells me to turn down a one way street that used to be a 2 way. Always an enjoyable time.

I grab one of my buddies from the Days Inn where he would have stayed with 10 other guys in one room and bring him over to the Hilton. That's one thing I don't miss about college, the too many guys in a hotel room thing. One thing I'm snobby about is having my own place to sleep and it being fairly nice. Luckily my Dad has a Hilton Honors card that gives up free hotel points if we spend enough and luckily law school is UN-GODLY expensive. I knew it would be good for something, (what it isn't good for--making me feel better about myself or helping me get me a job). On a side note here is what your law school professor looks like when you they ask you a question and you don't answer.

Game 1: The Racers played Eastern Illinois in the first game. I said before E. Ill. Looked tall, really bad match-up for Murray State. And it was. This was an ugly game, really slow. MSU had trouble with a zone all night and worked deep into the shot clock. They seemed unable to make a shot fall, through the first half they had more in-and-outs than Ron Jeremy (Hey-OH). They also were catching passes like their hand had been dipped in butter before the game, which is an interesting strategy. There were also a lot of slips, I dunno if this is because its a hockey arena with ice underneath the floor or what but the floor was slicker than Clark Griswold's Sled , if you think I just said that to show Christmas Vacation clips then you should really be asking, what took me this long.

Murray really played terrible, like they were not up for the game for most of it, but they were just so much more talented and could turn their defense on whenever they needed stops that they never got more than 4 or 5 down. Finally with about 5 minutes left to go Murray seemed like they finally figured out they had enough and remembered they were the number 1 seed only losing 1 conference game and just turned it on. Tony Easley went nuts at the end of the game including on timeout where Murray's coach Bill Kennedy made strategy with his assistants at mid court Tony Easley was going nuts in the huddle. He looked like a foaming at the mouth Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday crossed with the King of Sparta in 300 and maybe a little Patton thrown in (ALL 3 a little NSFW for some language). I was ready to run through a brick wall, or at least go get another piece of Barbecue Pizza (try some if you go to Bridgestone, Pizza covered in pulled pork barbecue, just delicious. And I'm sure its good for you).

Easley went out and made 2 big blocks at the end of the game and Murray was able to ice it with a very hard fought win.

After the game we stayed to watch Morehead (the probable competition) take on Tennessee Tech (the Cinderella) since they had beaten Austin Peay and were the only Tennessee team playing in the tournament. We were rooting for Tennessee Tech but their run was over about 5 minutes in. We spent the rest of the half being amazed by Kenneth Faried. Morehead would have won by 40 if Morehead didn't try to rest him. He is just better than everybody else in the OVC. The next game would come down to if the Best player could beat the best team in the conference.

Well I say we stayed to watch Morehead but I was more interested in the Tennessee Tech Cheerleading Squad. Way to go girls. There was one that started a long debate about Doogie Howser that was more interesting than the blow out game but that's a story for another time.

The Evening: We decided we would go out on the town that night to celebrate Murray's win. Since I was hanging out with people that were mostly under 21 we made our way down to Graham Central Station, the 18 year old club. I can't really get into alot of this because I don't want anyone to delete this post (they still might because it is already too long). But highlights. My friend Zane refusing to even acknowledge the cute girl on the bar dancing with a hula hoop for reasons unknowns. Lots of karaoke and bad karaoke (always a favorite) with people also playing a fake guitar for no reason whatsoever other than they didn't look ridiculous enough. Someone in our group (who has asked to remain nameless) who apparently bought drinks for some girls found out they had boyfriends and kept screaming "I've been Had!" (my personal favorite). Let me just say that you know your in an 18 year old club and if you are over 21 will feel old. If you are 25 you will feel like Chris Hanson is about to pop out at you. If you have the choice to guy, I'd recommend staying in your room. I do however recommend stopping at a Hotdog stand on the way home for one with EVERYTHING, nothing is better than a hotdog at 2 in the AM. Also stop and listen to the street performers, and if a guy is rapping buy his CD (Just chillin, enjoy being a true Nashvillian). One of my buddies did and it turned out to be the 2nd best purchase of the trip (number 1 is the OVC shirt I got all the Racers to sign).

Saturday: We wake up and after a few snooze buttons head down to the Continental Breakfast (another fabulous Hilton Perk). My sister has already been in a fight with the hostess but has convinced our waiter to allow us to have the full breakfast. She does this by yelling, its very effective at 9 AM.

Then we headed backup stairs to rest. There were tons of great games on all Saturday morning including some big upsets. My friend Josh D. and I flicked through the channels but the early games weren't that great just yet then we stumbled upon A Goofy Movie. What did we end up watching? Well we are all mature college/graduate school men, its obvious, so I don't need to say it. All I can say is for Murray to win that night they were gonna have to Stand Out. (This means we watched a Goofy Movie for people that don't get my subtlety, I was surprised how many lines I remembered--"Leaning Tower of CHEESE-A" )

After a WAY too long Stand By Me style discussion on if Pluto and Goofy are both dogs we headed out for lunch.

The only thing more I have to say before the game is to find hole-in-the-wall places like Piranha Burger in Nashville. Delicious. Has tons of grease, great taste, amazing sound track going, and a brand new Golden Tee machine that must have cost more than the whole building. (On a side note I think we should have BBNR giveaways and competitions. I'll play a lucky reader in Golden Tee for some prize that I will eventually think of, let me know if you are interested in losing to me and what the prize should be--I'd vote for a shorter post).

Gametime Championship Style: First I gotta point out that the crowd is incredibly pro Murray. I know its a little closer to Nashville but I figured after Morehead beat the Racers in conference play that they would have a bit more support. (Should be what we see in Nashville this weekend for UK--Or UK playing at Auburn any regular game--Hey-OH again, sorry but the Tigers just don't show up).

This was just going to be a good championship game, the 2 best teams are there and that's the way it should be. The game started off much like the last one for the Racers only with much more intensity. Both teams had trouble getting shots to fall but that was mostly because of the defense played on both ends. Smart plays and hard drives were the way of the first half. I'll also point out that Kenneth Farhid was foul proof. I felt a little like the refs didn't like the Racer fans (who were at least 75% of the crowd) getting on them early and often for any unfavorable call. To the point that they missed a great deal of calls throughout the game (including the ESPN number 2 top play in the 2nd half, the block from Cannon where he got all ball but was called for a foul even though replay clearly showed there was no contact.

The end of the first half saw a little run from Morehead to tie things up, on a beautiful buzzer beater 3 on an assist from Farhid. That guy is just good, he could have thrown up a shot himself with time going down but found a better shooter. He is an NBA player and you can't tell me different, only question is, how did he end up at Morehead? (I could understand going to Tennesse Tech b/c of the cheerleader(s) but Morehead?)

The first half also sparked a debate I feel passionately about. "Standing at a Basketball game." I think it should be not only allowed but encouraged. What I really don't like is anyone telling people to sit down. Look if you are disabled or too old to stand I get it, but I also think you should have seats in an areas where people won't stand. It's tough to cheer sitting down and trying to support a team. There were 2 people who did not share this view sitting behind my area of seats. We will call them Curmudgeon and Crazy Cat Lady. Crazy Cat Lady would complain to people sitting beside her but never to anyone actually sitting up, saying that if you wanted to stand you should be in student section or not in front of her. What was crazy was that she could stand, just didn't want to. Also instead of standing up straight to see she would stand up and lean over to show that she refused that standing up straight be an option, she would lean around to see through people just to make it more difficult and make herself madder.

Now Old Curmudgeon took the tactic of yelling at the family of Murray State fans who were getting excited and jumping up on big plays and when it was necessary, not all the time just when something happened to draw them out of their seats (you know--the appropriate time to stand).

Finally Old Curmudgeon left and eventually Crazy Cat Lady followed suit after their pleas were taken in vain. What I was proud of was one middle aged man. Their yelling and complaining go on his nerves so much that he finally just stood up for the entire last 5 minutes through the 2nd half, through timeouts and everything, a True American Hero. I admire him more than anything he was cooler than James Dean, young Elvis and Uncle Jesse all rolled into one. (STAMOS!!)

Well we know what happened in the 2nd half. Murray pulled away. Easley continued his brilliant ball denial defense of Farhid to the point that Murray didn't need to double team him. And Isiah Cannon hit some bit 3's. Easley sealed the game with 2 blocks, the second one he sent to a Racer at half court for some the dagger. Isiah Cannon (from the knee shot fame Make sure you have volume for that video--From his Knnneeeeeessss!!!!) was named the MVP of the OVC Tourney but I thought there should have been Co-MVPS Cannon came up big but they don't win those 2 games without Easley playing huge on the defensive end. (Also I think the Tennessee Tech Cheerleader should have made the all tourny team)

All that was left was the net cut down, which I find to be the greatest thing one could ever do. Better than the dog pile after a walkoff home run or the mob on a game winning field goal. The net cut down celebration has always fascinated me. Also I got to hold some of the net later on, surprised at how thick it was (no that's what she said jokes please, try to be a little mature people). Here's a terrible picture of me with the net and Jordan Burge of the Champion Racers and his OVC medal. I hope UK (or Murray) can do that twice here in the next few weeks.

Well that is all I have thank you for indulging me on this incredibly long and rambling post about Murray State on a UK website. And as promised for all the Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo fans, Murray State and UK are both about to go dancin'!!! Best of luck to both squads.

And I think the way to get the competition going of who gets to lose to me in Golden Tee should be decided by the first person that can get me in touch with a certain short blonde Tennessee Tech Cheerleader, come on internet, lets get to work. Also if your going to the SEC Tourney good luck and hopefully Nashville will be as good to you as it was to me.