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Today is Memorial Day, the day we remember the American men and women who gave their lives in defense of our country. Every one of these people stood athwart the paths of those enemies who would have harmed this country or its people, and offered up their most precious possession -- their lives -- in our defense.
In their honor, I offer "How Sleep the Brave" by William Collins:
How sleep the brave, who sink to rest
By all their country's wishes blest!
When Spring, with dewy fingers cold,
Returns to deck their hallow'd mould,
She there shall dress a sweeter sod
Than Fancy's feet have ever trod.
By fairy hands their knell is rung;
By forms unseen their dirge is sung;
There Honour comes, a pilgrim grey,
To bless the turf that wraps their clay;
And Freedom shall awhile repair
To dwell, a weeping hermit, there!
Our prayers go out to those who have lost love ones in defense of our freedom. May God hold them in the palm of His hand, and comfort them.
Your Quickies follow the jump.
Quigley Wins Tiebreaker to Advance to NCAA Singles Final // Kentucky Wildcats Official Athletic Site
After dropping the first set of his national semifinals match to No. 9 Blaz Rola, University of Kentucky men's tennis senior Eric Quigley responded in a big way, winning the second set in convincing fashion before clinching the match with a thrilling win in a third set tiebreaker to advance to the NCAA Singles Championship Final on Sunday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.
One more and Quigley is an NCAA Champion. Good luck to him. Via Nation of Blue.
With thousands of flags, honoring fallen heroes he's never met // CBS News
Two American service members were killed Friday by enemy rockets in Afghanistan. Here at home, it is all too easy to forget about the war -- and the sacrifice of Americans in uniform and their families.
But there is a man determined to make sure our fallen heroes get the final salute they deserve. CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman met him, "On the Road."
Moving.
Meet the 2012 PARADE All-America Basketball Team! // Parade.com
Poythress, Noel and Goodwin are all Parade Magazine All-Americans. Via Anthony Wireman.
Q&A: Talking 'Smart Football' with Chris B. Brown // CBSSports.com
One of the great things about the past decade or so in sports coverage has been the rise of some fresh voices from outside the mainstream. Spencer Hall was the first writer with a grassroots background who I noticed breaking through in the college football world, but it's really been refreshing to see many others getting a foothold in their own unique way.
Could another Antigua join the collegiate coaching ranks? // CollegeBasketballTalk
Orlando Antigua was part of a national championship coaching staff this past season at Kentucky, and he’s worked under John Calipari for each of the last four seasons (one at Memphis).
Could his brother Oliver end up in the college coaching ranks? According to the New York Daily News there’s a chance that he may.
Cool.
Shabazz Muhammad, Nerlens Noel highlight Parade All-Americans // CollegeBasketballTalk
In all the list has forty players, with Arizona, Kentucky and UCLA leading the way with three commits each.
I'm really excited about these three guys. I can't wait to see them in Blue and White.
Though players may now be inundated with phone calls and text messages, deregulation is the right move for the NCAA. With the more increased focus on transfer rates and the ability of players to get to know a program before committing and heading to school, the more communication, the better.
I can imagine Kelvin Sampson is shaking his head over this. Look for IU to use the new rule as justification for his rulebreaking, and claim that the new rule means their NCAA violations were meaningless.
But they will be wrong.
With that said, I do agree with the new rule.
3-point shot: UNLV to test transfer rule // ESPN
1. Connecticut forward Roscoe Smith has transferred to UNLV and the Runnin’ Rebels will file a waiver to have him play next season instead of sitting out. The case, according to a source, will be built on Smith’s desire to play in the NCAA tournament. UConn is banned from the 2013 NCAA tourney due to a poor Academic Progress Rate. The Rebels are perfectly willing to have Smith sit out next season, but are making the attempt. This will be an interesting case for the NCAA. The rule has been that if there is a postseason ban, and you have as many years left as the ban, then you can transfer without sitting out. That’s why UConn’s Alex Oriakhi, who will be a senior, is eligible immediately at Missouri. If Smith, who will be a junior, gets the waiver then the NCAA will be open to criticism for its lack of consistency in interpreting the rule.
I doubt the NCAA will grant the wavier. They certainly shouldn't, and right now, consistency for them is probably more important than looking compassionate, especially considering their ruling in the case of Tim Abromaitis.
To win title, Eric Quigley must snap Johnson’s streak // John Clay's Sidelines
To win the NCAA men’s tennis singles title, Kentucky’s Eric Quigley will not only have to defeat the defending champ, but one who boasts a marathon winning streak.
Well, nobody ever said it would be easy ...
Report: Marquette, Ohio State in Carrier Classic
Aboard the U.S.S. Yorktown in Charleston, S.C., the Golden Eagles will take on Ohio State, while the Ohio State women will face Notre Dame. The event is scheduled for Nov. 9, and an official announcement is expected to take place in the coming weeks.
I like this whole carrier basketball thing. I hope it continues for a long time.
Mississippi State wins SEC title, 3-0 over Vandy // GreenwichTime
Congratulations to the Mississippi St.Bulldogs.
LSU will host NCAA Regional // thetowntalk.com
LSU was one of three SEC schools to receive one of the 16 regional sites. South Carolina (40-17), which finished second in the SEC, will host as will Florida (42-18), which finished tied for third with Kentucky.
There is no way the Florida Gators should have been chosen over Kentucky. This was a complete failure by the NCAA, in my view, and had more to do with past success than the current season.
Nation + world: SEC commish supports 4-team college football playoff format // Detroit Free Press
Slive said during the SEC baseball tournament Saturday that format is not "necessarily in the best interest of all the conferences."
He says he's "wide open" to various ideas about how the top four teams should be selected.
Steve Spurrier still stirs Southeastern Conference gathering // timesfreepress.com
For a second consecutive year, Spurrier has a divisive agenda heading into the four-day gathering in Destin, Fla., that begins Tuesday. The eighth-year South Carolina coach stirred last year's meetings with the idea of coaches paying players $300 a game, and his latest proposal is that only games within each division should be used in determining which teams play for the league championship.
I honestly think Spurrier is a lot like Calipari -- he's happy to stir up controversy in order to get attention on him and his program. No matter what you thing of that, it works.
UK Third Baseman Makes All-SEC Tournament Team // LEX18 True Blue Fan
Congratulations, Thomas McCarthy!