Himmelsbach | Fans buzz about U of L football’s blackout

1. So Louisville finally and officially joined the Atlantic Coast Conference last Tuesday. As I sat at the introductory news conference and listened to ACC commissioner John Swofford sing the Cardinals’ praises, it reminded me how important this move is for the university. Cardinals fans didn’t particularly enjoy their year in the AAC. Now just imagine doing it all over, but taking out Rutgers and—presumably—Connecticut. This will be better than that.

2. Speaking of the ACC move, on Tuesday the U of L football team did just about the only thing that could possibly grab some of the spotlight from such a big day: Yes, the all-black uniforms. You guys are obsessed with the all-black uniforms. (And I’ll admit, they do look sharp.) At the fan celebration, Bobby Petrino announced that the season-opener against Miami would be a ‘black-out,’ and people are still buzzing about it.

3. I’ve found the NBA free agency sagas pretty riveting. There are so many good players available and so many high-profile franchises involved that it’s made for good drama. I said in this space three weeks ago that LeBron James would end up back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it’s sounding more and more like that will happen. I think it still burns James that his home state views him as a traitor. I think Carmelo Anthony ends up back with the New York Knicks, though the Chicago Bulls would make more sense.

4. The Major League Baseball All-Star rosters were announced on Sunday night. The Reds will be well-represented, with four players on the National League team. But I’ll be watching because it is Derek Jeter’s farewell. Last year’s game was cool because of the nice ceremony they had for Mariano Rivera, and Jeter will surely get similar treatment. Another player from my baseball-card generation is saying goodbye, and yes that makes me feel pretty old.

5. And finally, let’s add some culture here. (We can do that, right?) I’m guessing at least a few of you are new to town like I recently was, so if that’s the case, I recommend checking out the 21c Museum on Main Street. It’s cool because it’s art, it’s free, and it’s open 24 hours a day because it’s essentially the lobby of a hotel. Don’t tell them I sent you though, because then they might actually charge you.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached by email ahimmelsbach@courier-journal.com and on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.