"It's his arms"

sports tripe

I really like Larry O'Bannon, and I'm not alone – the strapping senior guard has a growing cult following here in Louisville, as evidenced by this feature article in today’s Courier-Journal. For the indoctrinated, he’s known as "Lar-ree," a weird turn on the old “Day-rel” chant that so irked Strawberry. Go figure.

Larry appeases the underlying guilt so many of us feel for being fans of college basketball, an ethically dubious system at best. He just seems like a good kid: makes the honor roll, speaks to community groups, works hard, wears glasses. The whole works. Not to say other players are “bad” kids, per se – Larry just seems to be extra good. And he’s a hometown product, which tickles us townies who secretly (or in my case, overtly) fear that the Cards are losing their local flavor.

Larry has another appeal not spelled out in the Courier feature, outside a “1.8 percent body fat” nugget. Ladies like Larry. Lots.

I know of at least one young woman at U of L who has a photo of she and Larry as her desktop wallpaper. A server at the BW3 near my home announced that Larry is her cousin (I’d imagine the ranks of Larry’s extended family are growing daily), but added that if he weren’t – we’ll, you know. Even a lesbian friend of mine is on the bandwagon; “It’s his arms,” she explained in an e-mail.

Go get ‘em, Larry.