Friday, 29 February 2008

No Excuse Too Small

I haven't done much sporting news in a while and this story is a couple of days old, but I thought it was so lame it needed to be addressed. The fact that UK won't play the football game next year against U of L on Labor Day. Here is the gist of the story.

ESPN has offered to place this year’s season opener between the two teams at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in its “Monday Night Football” time slot on Labor Day night. As U of L announced its full 2008 schedule today, head coach Steve Kragthorpe said the Cardinals “would love to do it” and were just waiting for UK’s approval.

But Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart told The Courier-Journal this afternoon that the Wildcats won’t agree to play that Monday night.

“We’re willing to play that game Thursday through Sunday, and we’ve communicated that to the people at ESPN,” Barnhart said. “We’re not going to play that on a Monday night and give ourselves that short turnaround on a Saturday game. We’re going to have a young team, and we feel it’s in the best interest of our program to guard that prep time and that recovery time.”

So, the U of L vs UK game has the chance of being the prime time football game next year. This is a slot that has hosted FSU vs Miami matchups in years past. This is an outstanding opportunity for both teams to show their programs in the spotlight.

But, UK is worried about a "short recovery time". I would consider this a valid concern if they had to play a conference game the following week. But, when one takes a look at the schedule. Kentucky plays Norfolk St the following weak. If you are asking yourself who Norfolk St. is then you aren't alone. They play in the mighty MEAC conference in Division 1-AA. The Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference isn't even a power conference in 1-AA. Heck, EKU is a stronger matchup than Norfolk St.

The fact of the matter is UK is chickening out of playing U of L on a prime time stage. For a school that talks about being so much better than U of L, they sure don't provide the walk to back it up.

Posted by brians at 5:43 PM in Sports Topics
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Free Market Magic

Once again, the free market works its magic.

Rising gas prices are hitting CNN.com readers in the wallet, and many say they are staying in and scaling back spending to try to keep up.

Most readers said they were driving as little as possible, cutting back on shopping and eating out and other discretionary spending.

Travis Grim, of Dallas, Texas, said he moved so that he could be closer to work. "Now I'm in walking distance. I'm sure towns and businesses will see a surge as people leave the suburbs for relief," he wrote. Other readers said they changed jobs, or sold their homes so they could have a shorter commute.

Many readers said they traded their trucks and SUVs for more fuel efficient vehicles. Christine J., of St. Louis, Missouri, said she was also considering a swap.

While many may cringe in horror at the thought of these poor people, I think it is a good thing. It is the market correcting itself. As demand for gas rises, the price for gas increases. The increase in the cost of fuel does 3 things. It creates demand for more fuel efficient cars (without government involvement). It drives down demand (people walking, riding bikes, taking bus, etc). It provides room for alternative fuels that are cheaper to take find their way into the market (again without government involvement).

While the short term make suck for many out there, the long term benefits are exciting to ponder. It demonstrates the elegance and sheer beauty of the free market system.

Posted by brians at 5:29 PM in Political Issues
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