In case you weren't up watching C-SPAN last night, check out the video of Sen. Jim Bunning, the Republican from Kentucky, who complained about having to miss the Kentucky-South Carolina game while giving a rambling address.
"I want to assure the people that have watched this thing 'til a quarter of 12, and I have missed the Kentucky-South Carolina game that had started at 9 o'clock, and it's the only redeeming chance we had to beat South Carolina since they're the only team that has beaten Kentucky this year."
And why would Bunning, a Hall of Fame pitcher, even miss a minute of John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins playing on ESPN2?
So he could single-handedly block a bill that would have extended unemployment benefits for one million Americans -- benefits set to expire Sunday. Bunning objected because he wanted unused stimulus funds to pay for the bill even though no other Republican voiced a similar objection.
And as ABCNews.com notes, holding up the bill also might affect how Kentucky fans are able to watch their team on television.
But here's where the political serendipity kicks in. Bunning's objection could keep a lot of Kentuckians in rural areas from seeing Kentucky play games too. While their matchup against Tennessee on Saturday is safe, starting Monday, because of Bunning's objection, satellite providers will have to stop allowing some rural subscribers to watch network television. Kentucky's next network-broadcast game, to be shown on ABC, is against Florida on March 7.
The bill Bunning objected to also included a temporary extension of the law that allows satellite television providers servicing areas without network affiliates to broadcast network service from different areas.
Just guessing, but people from Kentucky -- especially the unemployed -- probably would have preferred it if Bunning had gotten his John Calipari fix instead of taking the Senate floor that night.