Good Thursday morning, peeps.  Today is somewhat a day of reflection, but also of celebration: reflection for being day 1 of GatorTrey-lessness and celebration for day 1 of our new writer, VolDan.  As you probably have heard by now, Trey left us for greener and meaner pastures at MLJ.  So, we I went out and secured another writer to fill his large crocs. 

I feel kinda bad for the actual date of April 2.  It’s probably one of the least significant dates in the year ranking right before the day after Christmas and after the day after President’s Day.  So, I feel I should share some mindless this-day-in-history trivia with you.  Today’s birthdays: Japanese hip-hop artist ZEEBRA (1971), American provoker of the police victim of police brutality Rodney King (1965), and American skier and football player Jeremy Bloom (1982).  In significant events: Burt Reynolds appeared nekkid in “Cosmopolitan” mag (1972), the NCAA Rules Committee adopted the 45-second shot clock for men’s basketball (1985, to begin in the 1986 season), and in a slap in the face to men everywhere, Jeanette Rankin becomes the first woman ever elected to the US Congress to take her seat as a representative (1917).  If I wrote for MLJ like Trey does now, I would likely have added that all of the previous women elected to Congress were required to cast their votes from the kitchen and laundry room.  But, I’m not a jerk like that and I work for the much nicer Sparty & Friends, so I’m not going to say it.

On to this morning’s links…

Me and VolDan can breathe a sigh of relief – Memphis has not contacted Tennessee for permission to speak with Bruce Pearl about some opening in their basketball coaching staff.  Some think they should. 

And, speaking of Coach Cal…pretty sweet deal, huh?  I know Memphis was supposed to have matched the deal, but they can’t match a priceless commodity like “Eight tickets for each UK home football game.” How is Memphis supposed to compete with that?  The answer is, they aren’t. So, Cal is now in Lexington; enjoy your “football” tickets, Cal.

On the darkest day in Memphis, TN basketball history, the Grizzlies won…and nobody noticed.  You know, the whole nobody in the woods and a tree fell scenario.

Sidd Finch didn’t really throw 168 mph.

The copper from the Ryan-Moats-can’t-go-inside-the-hospital-because-he-rolled-through-a-red-light-story has resigned.

In today’s Jay-Cutler-is-an-effing-moron-and-needs-to-stop-being-a-whiny-Vandy-bitch-news, he’s surprised he’s getting traded and never wanted to be in the first place.  Really, Jay; surprised?  Bullfeathers!!  Here’s 12 teams that may want him to whine for them.

Jozy Altidore netted a hat trick in the US team’s win over Trinidad and Tobago in the World Cup qualifying match.

Tim Floyd is making an intraconference move from USC to Arizona.  His record during his 4 years at Southern Cal was 85-50 but most of those 85 wins will probably be vacated in the next few years.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been fined $500k and stripped of a draft pick…they must have been taping the Rams Super Bowl walkthrough too.

In what one can only describe as on of the grandest injustices ever, Greg Gumbel was tricked into doing infomercials.  *GASP!!*

Andrew Bynum knows how to hula hoop with the best of ‘em…

Ahhhh…remember the good ol’ days:

Everyone says it’s a black man’s game. When I played it was a Jewish man’s game.

Who spewed this brilliance?

McDonald’s All American slam dunk highlights:

Mike Vick is heading back to court.

Analysis (cough, unbiased, cough) of this weekend’s Sparty vs. Jonathan XII.

Joba the Drunk pleads guilty to DUI and gets time in the slammer probation.

Stick around today; we’ve got some great stuff planned for you.  AND DON’T FORGET TO VOTE IN THE MOVIEOLOGY CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!!

Mizerle06 is a senior writer and editor for Sparty & Friends and may be reached at mizerle@spartyandfriends.com.

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