Basketball Lamentations

"The roads to Jerusalem are in mourning, no longer filled with crowds on their way to celebrate the Temple festivals."

Basketball gyms and arenas across the Pennyrile are quiet on Friday nights in the summer. There might be a handful of friends or players running the court in a pick-up game, but, for the most part, the lights are off and dust gathers waiting for the first stirrings of practice in the fall.

I love baseball, so I settle into that cove during the summer, but in Bowling Green baseball season pretty much ends when the Hilltoppers play their last game at Nick Denes Field. I can keep up with the St. Louis Cardinals via the internet, but I lament June around here. There's no basketball. There's no baseball. There's heat and humidity, and I mow my lawn counting the days until the high school football season starts. That helps a lot. It speeds the time until the first tipoff of the season.

By the way, for a few weeks this fall Pennyrile Pick and Roll will become Pennyrile Hook and Ladder because I will cover some football games around the region. There's nothing better than spending a mild fall evening watching high school football.

I've got to find out if Owensboro plays Breckinridge County and find that lady who takes off a piece of clothing every time the Red Devils score. I only saw her when they played Bowling Green. It was cold and the Red Devils only got on the board twice.

Still, I lament the wait for basketball season.

No Chris Gregory and I are not eating children or struggle at millstones. Our children do not stagger under heavy loads of wood.

Still, I was driven to watch NBA basketball. Oh, the sorrows we bear! Yeah, yeah. I know there's some NBA fans out there, but I've never been able to watch professional basketball very much. One night I switched off the basketball game and started watching hockey. I mean no offense to fans of "The Association." I've tried to like it.

I guess it's sort of like green olives. They look good but taste awful. No matter how many times one might get suckered into eating a green olive they're always going to taste terrible.

"Give us back the joys we once had!"

No, my name is not Jeremiah.

My kids went to Bowling Green High School's basketball camp. This was their second year to attend the camp, and they love it. They come home throwing bounce passes and guarding each other with a proper defensive stance. We live in Warren Central's district, so I tell them to be careful sporting those purple and gold t-shirts.

I want to say thanks to all the coaches and players at BGHS for enhancing my kids' love of basketball.

Chris Gregory is going to post something about coaching changes in the Fifth Region. There's nothing going on in the Fourth.

Damon Tabor, who was principal at Rockfield Elementary, is apparently going to coach the girls' team at Warren Central. He retired from Rockfield at the end of the school year. He wore out his electric paddle on my kids, so he decided to retire.

Hang in there hoops fans.