In an interview on AM 560 in Memphis this morning, John Calipari singlehandedly caused Memphis basketball fans everywhere to start dancing in the streets and speaking in tongues. On the radio with Dave Woloshin, Cal dropped a BOMB on Memphis fans.
Memphis has reached (what Cal calls) verbal agreements to play a home-and-home series with both North Carolina and Duke.
Is this for real? It appears so. Duke fessed up to talking with Cal. The Blue Devils even want a third game in the series at a neutral Chicago site. If there's a way, Cal will play.
North Carolina's AD played hard to get, that little rascal, saying he hasn't talked to anyone from Memphis, but that Roy Williams may have. Roy has friends in the area, so it wouldn't surprise me if he's been around a bit and, in the meantime, got together with Cal. I imagine the meeting was pleasant, but ended with Roy and Cal discussing whose was bigger... egos, that is. And what do you get when your cross two members of modern basketball royalty? A precious basketball lovechild that takes the form of a home-and-home between Memphis and North Carolina.
(We may not see Psycho T or Paulus, but commit their jerseys and facial expressions to your memory.)When, might you ask, will these blessed series commence? Cal said they could happen as early as the 2009-2010 season! Kudos to Cal for striking while Memphis' iron is blazing hot and making an effort to get these incredible series. These agreements are why Cal makes the big bucks. Cal added that the 2009-2010 nonconference schedule may end up being Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, Gonzaga, Massachusetts and neutral-site games with Kansas (likely in St. Louis, a 4.5 hour trip) and Loserville (likely in Nashville, a 3 hour trip)! In case you didn't catch that last line, I'm going to write it again.
Cal added that the 2009-2010 nonconference schedule may end up being Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, Gonzaga, Massachusetts and neutral-site games with Kansas and Loserville.
Granted, the deals are not in writing, but Cal says everyone has verbally agreed to the matchups. The North Carolina and Kansas series would be incredible. At this point, Duke might be lucky to get a game with us (ha). You can listen to Cal's Glorious Proclamation here. Give it a listen, because at the end of the call, Cal gives his own little State of the Union address and it's cool to hear him so pumped about the Tigers.
You can read a little more about this story at Rivals.com, here. Notice at the end of the article that Pearl talks some smack about Cal. If the Memphis-Tennessee series ever falls through, I hope they replace it with a no-holds-barred cage match between Cal and Pearl. Cal with his mafia connections, Pearl with his big orange man-breasts. It would be quite a show.
2 comments:
That would be a non-con. schedule from the gods... of course Cal needs to get on the recruiting trail now, b/c were gonna lose Tyreke to the Sophomore team (NBA) by then, and I don't wanna see the Tigers get some competition and fall off. The word "fluke" can NOT be associated with last years glory run.
I have to hand it to Bruce Pearl for getting some press out of this. Considering Tennessee's football season Pearl might be the new royalty at UT instead of the jester he's been so far.
On a more serious note I was going to go as the shirtless wonder himself for halloween, but no stores outside of Knoxvegas shelve that much orange paint... shame.
Stores carried the orange paint about three years ago, but the manufacturers began sending it directly the Pearl's home.
I agree about the recruiting. We've already got some good guys coming and many think we'll add Henry, Wall and another good big man. It's a good time to be a Tiger fan.
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