Channel 9 Sports Director John Popovich and I frequently muse over the Brian Kelly's media savvy.
John refers to him as the 'sound bite machine,' a person capable of encapsulating and articulating an interesting, provocative or humorous concept, into a 15-27 second chunk of interview.
He does so without skipping any of the salient points, getting corny or trite, or speaking above or below the average viewers grasp.
He's Sparky Anderson with grammar. And he got his points across in a succinct, punchy fashion today, during a segment on ESPN's "Rome is Burning," hosted by Jim Rome.
Not one of my favorite hosts, but his banter with Kelly was palatable enough, informative and as always entertaining, thanks largely to Kelly.
If Rome needed any convincing as to the Bearcats’ suitability for a BCS Championship shot, Kelly took care of that in short order.
"If we continue to play well, hey, we have six games left, so this is like the All-Star break, but if we play well and go on to get to 12 wins and we are a BCS eligible team, then we have to be part of the conversation,” said Kelly.
But he of course conceded that none of it is possible if they don't get past the Cardinals Saturday at Nippert Stadium. He's holding out hope that Tony Pike can play, asserting that it will be a game time decision.
I'm told by sources close to the program that that is likely a dodge to keep Louisville's off balance in their preparations. But Kelly sounded sincere when he said that Pike had been through a similar injury last year and returned in 2 weeks, pointing out that the 2008 fracture of his left arm, also involved a dislocation of his wrist. So......you never know.
The subject of Kelly being sought or seeking greener pastures elsewhere never came up, fortunately. It was all about optimism and opportunity and an unbridled future for the Bearcats.
Once the cameras stopped rolling, Kelly could be heard on the closed circuit satellite feed, thanking his host for the hospitality and the chance to visit. All the components that ensure he'll be invited back.
And in all probability, when there's more at stake than the "Keg of Nails" the Bearcats and Cardinals vie for Saturday.
