I'm a huge basketball fan... my dirty little secret. Most of my friends don't
care for sports or understand my affinity for soccer, hockey, and best of all
basketball. Thanks to an ex-boyfriend who was a rabid Kentucky
fan, I was introduced to the interactive soap opera that is basketball. I knew
all of the boys by name, encouraged them from the sidelines, and groaned for
them when they were fouled. I got to know Rick
Pitino and then Tubby
Smith. Stood behind the new coach when he faced skepticism and racism as
the first black coach at Kentucky. Felt vindicated when it didn't work out for
Rick with the Celtics after betraying his team and heading out for the Big Money.

When I moved to Missouri, I shifted my loyalties to the Tigers.
The athletic department (for those not in Columbia) is now embroiled in a scandal
that seems to grow every day. The issues are crazy and complex. Suffice it to
say, an out of control kid makes a mess of his life and in so doing brings down
suspicion on the athletic staff and even the new president of the university.
The fact is though, the root of the problem doesn't lie with Ricky
Clemons, the athletic staff, or President
Floyd . This has more to do with the fact that college sports are Big Business
and universities can't win the game without cheating.