Note to the Hillary fans: If these guys can be friends, you can vote for Obama.
When Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida (as well as hoops-only DePaul and Marquette) bolted Conference USA for the Big East, Memphis was just a wee bit po’ed. After all, they play hoops well, and they play football (not quite as well, but let’s be fair: The Big East needed bodies more than quality teams when the ACC took Miami and Virginia Tech). And since the Tigers haven’t played Louisville, it’s rival for decades and decades, in just about anything.
Until now. Well, the future. Then now, rather.
According to the Memphis Commercial-Appeal, the Tigers and Cardinals are talking about a game in the 2009-10 season at Madison Square Garden. If so, it would not only match up two of the best programs in the country, but would be the first matchup since the Cards last game in Conference USA. What happened then?
Tiger fan might wanna look away.
To recap: The 2005 C-USA finals, Memphis down two with time running out, and while missing a 3-point shot, Darius Washington is fouled by Louisville’s Francisco Garcia. A win and Memphis goes to the tournament, a loss and they go to the NIT (apologies for the squeezed video. Squint your eyes - you’ll be fine):
Interesting story. It’d be even more interesting if anyone outside of Memphis and Louisville considered this a meaningful rivalry to begin with.
What is it with these ex-Metro teams, anyway? They act like their former intra-conference rivalries were the most important things ever, yet you travel outside that geographical region and people aren’t even aware that there are teams in these cities.