Padgett Effect

Padgett Dynamic – ESPN.com, confused abut the sports seasons, talking basketball in August for the malnourished basketball fanatics, has this to say about the Cards in its Big East ShootAround:

It’s hard not to love a team loaded with the talent that the Cardinals have coming back — Terrence Williams, Earl Clark and Edgar Sosa — and coming in (Samardo Samuels), but don’t discount the loss of David Padgett. Rick Pitino ran his offense through Padgett, whose keen decision-making helped find the talented players on the wings. And he was the solid head on the shoulders that this team of chronic misbehavers sorely needed.

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Glories From Yesteryear — Speaking of basketball, revisiting those headlines and photos from the national championship years never gets old. Frank, over at Hell In The Hall, does an incredible job of bringing those days back to life as part of his continuing scrapbook series. He knows his history and he portrays it in a way that rekindles the unique excitement of those years.

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Energy Boost – Need something to help get you through the remaining weeks of summer before football? Try the new Red Bird energy drink, powered by Havoc. A 16-ounce can sells for $3.99 at the UofLSports merchandise site. Sounds a bit like conspicuous consumption to this observer, but, hey, show your pride. Some fans may even need it to get over their pessimistic outlook for the upcoming season.

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Brian Kelly Saga – Cincinnati football coach Brian Kelly confirmed in a UC blog that the NCAA has all the information it needs to conduct the appeal hearing for quarterback Ben Mauk to return for his senior year and sixth year of eligibility:

“We need to get something done because he’s put on about 15 pounds eating all the food and not working out,” Kelly said after practice. “If he doesn’t get this thing settled, we’re going to send him over with the defensive line because he’s about 230 now.”

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ECU Stadium Expanding – East Carolina, a school handicapped with a directional name but blessed with a large and loyal fan base, is expanding its football stadium from from 43,000 to 48,000 seats in time for the 2010 season.

Bonesville reports that the the Pirates are expected to sell out their season ticket allotment again this season, although, unlike the 2007 home schedule, there are no home dates with North Carolina and N.C. State. However, ECU will host West Virginia on Sept. 6, wanting to make it difficult for the Big East to ignore the program when expansion finally rolls around.