Himmelsbach's Take Five | Apology late, but welcome

1 I was glad to see California Chrome co-owner Steve Coburn apologize on Monday for his remarks following the Belmont Stakes. Really, the apology should have come when he was on "Good Morning America" on Sunday morning, and the fact that it came later made it appear to be mostly in response to the criticism he'd received. But it's better than nothing. During Coburn's post-race rant I didn't have a problem with his criticism of the Triple Crown structure as much as I had a problem with his potshot at Tonalist's connections. Completely uncalled for.

2 Even before California Chrome's near-miss and Coburn's outburst, the debate over whether to change the structure of the Triple Crown had been rekindled. As I said in this space last week, I'd be in favor of a longer break between races simply so the horses have more time to recuperate, not because it would necessarily make a Triple Crown winner more likely. Having said that, if the schedule were spread out and a horse did win the Triple Crown, the sport's purists would probably view it as a watered-down accomplishment.

3 So maybe the Harrison twins' decision to return to Kentucky was even bigger than we initially realized. Yahoo! Sports reported on Monday that Kentucky coach John Calipari was in deep discussions about becoming the Cleveland Cavaliers' coach and president, and one of the main factors that led him to sign a contract extension at UK was the return of sophomore guards Aaron and Andrew Harrison. With Kyrie Irving, the No. 1 pick in this year's draft and the looming possibility of LeBron James' return — not to mention final say in personnel matters — Cleveland would have been an alluring option for Calipari. I still think if he ultimately leaves for the NBA, though, it will be for a bigger market.

4 By clinching its second consecutive College World Series berth, Louisville baseball can certainly be considered one of the nation's elite programs. Now the Cardinals would do well to show progress. Last season's appearance was brief, with two quick losses. Winning a couple of games would be a major statement, but it really seems that this team has as good a chance of winning it all as any.

5 And finally, kudos to the WHAS Crusade for Children for raising an eye-popping $5,637,680. The Crusade, which wrapped up over the weekend, benefits children with special needs, and it's great to see so much support for such a worthy cause in the community.

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