the sports world's next great rivalry

So Calipari is headed to Kentucky. I never liked the Wildcats much anyway, as they were the Hogs' chief adversaries for SEC dominance back in the day, but that gives me a little more reason to cheer against them. But, this is a grand move in the eyes of any fan who likes a little extracurricular drama and off-season action mixed in with his sports. The Calipari vs. Pitino saga should very shortly be rekindled.

Recall that Calipari coached at UMass for a number of years. During his tenure he had a longstanding rivalry with what is now his new team, and then-coach Rick Pitino, who now coaches at in-state arch-rival Louisville. Seriously, could that plot line get any better? Two guys with such a colorful history and who clearly share little love for one another* being right next to each other in the same freakin' state, fighting for the same recruits, facing each other annually in what could become the basketball version of Michigan vs. Ohio State, with the opportunity to ruin the other's season in a single game? I'll go as far as to say that was a factor in UK bringing in Calipari, right there with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to really piss off a former coach who shunned your program and landed at the in-state rival.

Let's just say I can't wait for that rivalry to heat up. I will be sorely disappointed if that one doesn't produce some awesome fireworks in coming years.

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* Observe this quote from the article: "when the Kentucky job came open last week and the Calipari rumors began to sizzle, Pitino publicly promoted two other candidates, Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford and Arkansas coach John Pelphrey." Okay, they're both former Kentucky guys, but...memo to Rick Pitino: Pelphrey just went 2-14 in SEC play this year. He's not a bad coach but he's probably not a scorching hot or even a lukewarm candidate for any big job right now either, much less the biggest stage in NCAA basketball. I mean, he didn't even bother trying to make his efforts appear genuine and not based on dislike for his rival.

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