Time to Wake Up And Smell The Coffee

Actually that time is past, and has nothing to do with the post, it just sounded good this morning. I want to address some current issues and some parallels with ourselves and some other schools this morning and the disservice some members of the media, and our site are doing right now.

First, I want to say to Coach Rich Brooks, If you want to call it a career and go back to fishing out your days, or whatever kind of retirement you see fit, you have earned it and you should go with the blessings of everyone involved with UK and it's athletic programs. You have earned the right to do this however you choose. However, if you are angry, sulking, and aggravated at the season you had this year and feeling frustrated by it, then get over it, because you are not alone. If you still have something to offer these kids in getting them to where they need to be, and you can help this program, then get your butt back to work in that office and figure out how to beat South Carolina and Tennessee next year. If you are old and tired and feeling put upon, then prop up your feet and enjoy the show, but if not, we have a program to continue to build and I don't want to see all of your hard work go to waste.

Having said that brings me to another one of my points. The illustrious Pat Forde has coined the term "flip-flop U" for Florida and its AD Jeremy Foley after the "Urban Meyer Weekend Festival" that played out on ESPN. As per usual Forde has his head in a rather precarious position when he speaks about Jeremy Foley allowing all of this back and forth with his coaches when a possible situation arises where he may lose one. Excuse me for seeming stupid, but, if I am Jeremy Foley, and I have 2 head coaches who hold in their hands 4 National Championships in different sports in 5 years, I am doing backwards somersaults to help them have anything they need to make the decision to stay at Florida. Foley is probably one of the smartest guys out there right now, he has a huge budget to work with and he is producing. Call me an idiot, but I will take the guy any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Meyer has health issues, I understand that. But if the man wants to draw his dying breath making his last call as a head coach, and he sees that as the best way to leave this world, and he can still get the job done, then why shouldn't Foley allow it. Is it cruel for Foley to allow Meyer to stay on?? Is he hurting his chances to get a good head coach by allowing this leave of absence?? I don't think so. You post the head coaching job at Florida as available in the paper and you will have 500 resumes on your desk the next morning. And the top 10 will all be coaches at winning major programs that exist now. Forde goes back to the Donovan situation and claims Foley allowed Donovan to waffle over leaving then. So What?? He got him back. He is still one of the top 5 guys in the nation at his profession, and seems to be rebuilding nicely.

So, if Mitch Barnhart wants to allow Coach Brooks time to decide his own fate, then fine......if he wants to allow Brooks a L.O.A. to decide thats fine too. If he wants to rethink the Joker situation, then so be it. But we dont have all the facts in yet folks, so let's let the people in charge sort this one out.

We still have a few naysayers concerning basketball ( I qualify my statement by saying that these folks are not complaining, just concerned). Some still feel our defense is suspect, our decision making not yet rooted completely in solid ground, and that we still play down to our competition. Cal say Relax.........and so do I. Let the man do his job. So far he seems to have a kind of a skill at doing it.

More kudos to the women's bball team, even though they lost last night to MTSU. Last year at this time they had 5 losses.....this year it's 1.....sounds like a big-time improvement to me. I believe that the women will end the year as a ranked program and make a deep run into the tournament.

And oh yeah, football is over now at UK, and some folks will feel the need to make some posts concerning how we are all so grateful that Bball is now in focus and we wont have to worry about football for a while(sarcastic as they may be), this is true. But if the Cats have brought football as far as I believe they have, then I expect some things to happen regularly to keep football in the lights every now and then until the season starts again.....fear not folks, they will continue to improve as well.

And end to the ranting and raving of 2009 for me. It has been as Bill and Ted would say a "Most Excellent" adventure this year, and I wouldn't have missed a thing. I got a new hat for Christmas, and am trying to decide if it needs to be used this year, or wait until next. It looks good with the UK thong and flip-flops the wife got me!!!!!!