Why we love to hate Louisville

Marquette v. Louisville.

This is arguably the Big East's best rivalry, and one of the very best in the nation. If you've followed this series for the past dozen or so years, these names and scenarios will raise your blood pressure:

• Aaron Hutchins


• The Mike Deane fist-pumping garbage


• Brian Wardle


• Travis Diener


• The stunning MU comeback from 19 down in the first half at Freedom Hall


• The Ellis Myles injury


• Francisco Garcia


• Dameon Mason


• Reese Gaines

• Steve Novak
  


• ....and Jerry @!#% Smith

As Tom Heiser points out in his blog, this series has risen to great heights. Tom notes this fact from columnist Rick Bozich

After 12 years apart, the schools resumed playing in Conference USA on Feb. 28, 1996. Marquette won. In double overtime. The score was 80-79. The winning basket came on a three-pointer by Aaron Hutchins with three seconds left. Starting with that game, the teams have played 12 games decided by five points or less, and five that have stretched into overtime.

So, here's the deal. These programs have a healthy respect for one another, and I'd posit that the respective fan bases do as well. But -- sometimes there are teams that you just love to hate.

I love to hate Louisville. Tom Heiser loves to hate Marquette. The folks at the Card Chronicle are having a blast here with a Tom Crean caption contest......and the game is still days away.

So, in keeping with the links above...

Here are the top 5 things I love to hate about the UL rivalry:

#5) The last second no-call on Wardle during the Senior Night Triple OT loss at the Bradley Center. A killer loss. Wardle played a remarkable 52 minutes that night for nought.

#4) "I'll take Niv Berkowitz and the 47 points" The overhyped and overmatched PG led Marquette to the worst loss in team history, a 99-52 thrashing at the hands of the Cardinals at Freedom Hall back in 2005. Oh, the game was on national television. Buzzkill. Thank goodness the Three Amigos arrived soon after.

#3) Reese Gaines. After hitting his game winner at MU - a clutch shot just moment after Diener's apparent dagger - the Madison native pranced around the court in defiant celebration. At least this story had a happy ending. Gaines' reward was the right to work for a Marquette graduate the following fall (he was drafted by Doc Rivers' Orlando Magic). Heheh.

#2) The insipid 'C-A-R-D-S' chant heard at the Bradley Center every year by the pockets of UL fans in the crowd.

#1). Slick Rick Pitino. I know he's an easy target, but I'm a simple man. Pitino rode back to the Bluegrass State and many expected him to replicate the nearly unparalleled success he had over in Lexington. It has largely not worked out that way for Rick where recruiting gaffes, a rash of injuries, and a few underachieving squads have managed to temper progress....just a bit. Not that I am complaining, because if I were a complainer Slick Rick would point out that whining is not one of the 10 Traits of Great Leadership in Business and Life, nor will it help me understand the Ten Steps to Overachieving in Business and Life. Tony Robbins has nothing on this man!

All of this and we have two more days to talk about this game. Enjoy a mini 'rivalry week' :-)