Starved for some Cardinal basketball, I watched the replay of the Vanderbilt game. Sped past the painful offensive ineptness. Announcer was talking about King Kyle and said that Vandy was putting their best defensive player, Jeffery Taylor, on Kyle. Is it fair to expect that Kyle will always get the opposing teams best defender? And if that's the case which player stands to benefit from that the most? Kyle finished the Vandy game going 6 -11, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 43 minutes.

The other thing I noticed is we are really bad on out-of-bounds play under our own basket. I mean really bad.

Years ago I wrote a thesis on the burgeoning digital medium called weblogs. I suggested that this new medium, like Johannes Gutenberg's printing press of 1455, would be an evolutionary and revolutionary cultural change.

Referencing the village market as a venue that was immensely social, a place that people went there not just to purchase goods but to engage in conversations. I postulated that blogs like the markets are places where people will congregate to talk. As Doc Searls said, "conversation is a profound act of humanity."

This look back is not to suggest that I was somehow a visionary of the future. Hardly. I didn't buy stock in Apple. No this conversation is about the community that is the Card Chronicle. The CC is a marketplace full of humor, reflection, angst, and statistical pontificating. But it's much more than conversations, especially for those of us that live outside the 502 area code.

I smell the grills in the parking lot and imbibe in a bourbon courtside vicariously through this community. While I can't speak for Carolina Card, Remote Card, TCU Card or all the others who aren't in the Ville, I am sure we would all agree that CC is our home away from home. A place where it's safe to have a conversation, to laugh at the blue rubes, and have the occasional man crush. Enjoy the holidays ahead. I'm coming home for the Western game and I'll be that guy that sits in the stands well after the final horn has sounded.

My hesitation to post immediately after the Cecil B. DeMille’s “cast of thousands” closing of Freedom Hall was rooted in disbelief. Disbelief of what had just happened. Disbelief in how it affected me. Disbelief that my dad was not there to share in his one great passion, Cardinal basketball.

You see my dad was a hell of a man. Loved his family and maybe a little more so of his only son. That would be me. We didn’t have much money but somehow he managed to take me to UofL games and a few times to see the KY Colonels. I later found out he occasionally got Colonels tickets with a fill up of gas at Peoples on Southside Drive.

My dad passed but the link to the Cards was forever stamped. Later in life I was a freelance photographer and had the good fortune to shoot many of the epic battles with Memphis and Cincinnati. Then after 20 years as a season ticket holder my career sadly moved me from the Ville.

So on Friday night I boarded a flight for Louisville while triple checking to see that I had my ticket. Memories of past games flew through my head as quickly as the passing clouds below. I thought it was only fitting that the sun was setting as the plane glided over Freedom Hall.

Smiles and stories filled the hallway as I made my way to my seat, which was in the nether world of the student section. I’m sure the students were wondering what this old gasser was doing there.

What happened after that was transformational. Jerry’s first basket sent me and my ten new best friends into a synchronized hugging, jumping screaming herd of humanity. I instantly became the resident expert on “old stuff” and patiently explained why Beat Purdue was funny. From the onset until the final buzzer there were no deadlines looming, no politics, no generational divide, only a group of strangers, a historic domicile and a psychotic basketball team that had unknowingly through some cathartic exorcism changed me.

Now days later I still feel the euphoria. I have a brighter view of life. Disbelief has given way to the knowledge that my dad gave me a great gift­– Cardinal basketball. So to the students in section 123, past and present cardinal greats and fellow CCer’s, thanks for the ride. And know this, Saturday was much more than a basketball game it was a life changer.

Preston is my Hero, capital H intended. Preston is averaging a little over 8ppg off the bench, which seems a bit below his capabilities even if his 3pt % has dipped to 29.3%. He gets 21 at Pitt and then has 7 against the Hall and 2 against Cincy. He seems to be on the bench at times when you would think he should be in the game. Is his hand still injured? Does RP forget him at times? Just bad match ups?