I'm back in the saddle again
I'm back
I'm back in the saddle again
I'm riding, Im loading up my pistol
I'm riding, I really got a fistful
I'm riding, Im shining up my saddle
I'm riding, this snake is gonna rattle
-- Aerosmith, Back in the Saddle Again
I'm now fully recovered from my recent junket and ready to ride the blogosphere again. Good to be fully back, locked and loaded. It's time for some FOOTBAW, and already I'm seeing advertisements for the SEC/Big East basketball challenge games and loving it. This is the last weekend of the relatively quiet period for A Sea of Blue, we are now shifting into full-blown Wildcats sports mode. Nothing but games from now until (hopefully) April.
First, I want to make you all aware of the new SBNation.com. It has changed dramatically for the better, and is a great place to go to get details on any game. Content not just from SBN blogs, but other sources including Dr. Saturday Matt Hinton and Eamonn Brennan will be available in the new "story stream" format. I think you will enjoy it.
Second, just a comment on some of the games yesterday. I must admit, I am much more impressed with South Carolina than I was, and much less impressed with Georgia. That was a great game yesterday, and the Gamecocks really put a scare into their neighbor to the South, and between the hedges no less. And after a CUSA team (Houston) beat Oklahoma State, I think how I look at Georgia will significantly change.
And the USC-Ohio State game was another really good game. I came away wondering what all the hype was about with Terrelle Pryor, and wondering if the shoulder injury suffered by USC's frosh QB will be a problem, but it was a good contest that validated some of my assumptions about both teams, and disabused me of some others.
Congratulations to Michigan for a huge win against Notre Dame. I have to admit being a closet Michigan football fan, at least to the extent that they are my favorite Big Televen team. I also have a soft spot for RichRod, and I'm glad to see that he is turning that program around. The young QB Tate Forcier was very impressive for a freshman. Fun game, too bad I only got to see the highlights.
I watched the Florida game until it got out of hand. I think Florida may have a few defensive issues, but their offense is a machine that will probably be able to outscore almost anybody. But the game, as you might expect, got boring about halfway through the second quarter.
Rivalry Week is coming for UK. Louisville comes into Commonwealth Stadium next Saturday at noon, and I am really looking forward to this game. I am well aware that Louisville is entirely capable of upsetting UK, but this is the first time in a while I feel like UK has a notably superior team on paper, and even though we may well lose, it feels good not to be the underdogs for once. Be sure to keep an eye on the SBNation Louisville Cardinal blog, Card Chronicle, for how the other side of the rivalry is thinking. Now, for the news:
Top Stories
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ZAGSBLOG " Calipari Meets Families of Lamb, Harris; Self Visits Lamb, Smith at Oak Hill
It will be interesting to see how all this shakes out, and who gets whom. I still believe UK leads for Lamb, and I am beginning to feel good about Tobias Harris. -
UK tailbacks have strength in numbers | KentuckySports.com
UK has been blessed with good depth at the tailback spot. It is one of the biggest strengths this team has, and is a continuing asset for the last four years. -
UK Football: Kentucky's trevard Lindley unique in many ways: AMNews.com
Wow, Lindley had a torn ACL in high school and continued to play, never even knew it was torn. Amazing. -
Catching up with Coach Calipari
This is why we have hired the perfect coach for Kentucky. Watch the whole thing.
UK Basketball News
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Kentucky fans, Calipari haters need to get a grip about "secondary violations"
He's right, this is silliness that needs to stop. There are always secondary violations, even under the redoubtable Tubby Smith. So get a grip, haters and hand-wringers. -
New Rich Brooks and John Calipari Commercial
If you haven't seen it, you really need to watch it. It's great. -
UK can’t comment on academic status
UK can't discuss the academic status of athletes. This is consistent with last year. -
UMass should have left this seat vacant
Wrong on the facts. Wrong on the logic. Just plain wrong. Real sad. Embrace. The. Hate. - DeCourcy: Patterson easy No. 1 choice
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Why Honor Calipari's Tarnished Legacy? -- NCAA Basketball FanHouse
Why not honor him? He did his job, and he did it correctly. One player behaved badly, and another was suspected of doing so, and for that he should be ostracized?
Thank God we don't treat our presidents and congresspeople the way Steele proposes to treat Calipari. But Cal's an easy target, so why not take a few shots? A pity Steele still misses the mark -- by a mile. -
Gillispie speaks out about rehab
"I'm not very proud of what happened in Kentucky two weeks ago," Gillispie told the TV station. "That's inexcusable at this stage of my life. It should have never happened."
That's right. It should not have happened, and it is inexcusable. But you don't need to be excused, you need to take control of your life. Do that, and redemption is always possible. -
The C-J's Sunday College Basketball Notebook | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
The best quote in the story is the final one, in which Calipari says, "This is like Disneyworld compared to where I've been. No disrespect to UMass or Memphis, but it's different." Heh. Kentucky as Disneyworld.
Wow. -
UCF Knights will get it right at Southern Mississippi -- OrlandoSentinel.com
...can you believe Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari actually apologized to fans for sending a No. 44 UK basketball jersey to our president?
Can you believe that Bianchi got his facts wrong again? Calipari apologized for offending fans by mixing sports and politics, not for sending the president a jersey. Douche. -
Vaught's Views: Ticket scam no surprise for Tarter: AMNews.com
Offered without comment. -
Kentucky basketball Big Blue Madness set for Oct. 16 | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
John Calipari's first Big Blue Madness as University of Kentucky men's basketball coach will tip off at 7:30p.m. Oct.16, the school announced Thursday. The event will be televised by the Big Blue Sports Network. - Calipari making donation to 9/11 fund
- Calipari looks to close the deal with Harris, Lamb, and Irving home visits
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College basketball ShootAround: SEC - Men's College Basketball - ESPN
John Calipari wasted no time in turning Kentucky back into a national player. Who else is gunning for the SEC title alongside the Wildcats. - UK confirms reporting secondary rules violation | Vaught's Views
UK Football News
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UK's Gonzalez still waiting for his opener | KentuckySports.com
Glad to have Gonzalez back on the line. I thought our center play was a little iffy against Miami of Ohio. -
Morgan Newton: ‘Life is treating me well’
Good. Newton just needs to keep at it. -
Family fighting blue bloodlines to support Burke | KentuckySports.com
"All our friends are saying the same thing," says Greg Burke. "They say 'I hope Justin throws for 300 yards and Kentucky wins the game.' And we understand that totally."
Heh. You gotta love that. -
Lack of buzz belies Cats-Cards game | KentuckySports.com
As Rich Brooks might say, "It's time to get fired up." It's UK-U of L week, though my trusty antenna tells me there is less buzz surrounding this year's Cats-Cards grid matchup than in any time in recent memory.
Is this a recycled article from last year? I think so, as I remember last year being repeatedly noted for a lack of "buzz." I think the reason is that U of L needs to have a great team to generate "buzz," no matter what kind of team UK has. I think that is really just a function of the size of the fan bases more than anything else. -
UK football notebook: Coaches recruiting | KentuckySports.com
A big recruiting update from Chip Cosby. - Wildcat Whisperer: Randall Cobb, Football Player
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Cats and Cards often have turned chalk to dust | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
We've been here before. A week before the annual renewal of the University of Louisville-University of Kentucky football rivalry, the commonwealth seems in great agreement about the outcome. -
Kentucky Football Has Bigtime Vistor Today
Great news here.
Other UK Sports News
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Wildcats Fall to No. 17 Kentucky
The UK volleyball team is rockin' da house!
NCAA Sports News
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Okay, Fortson ‘tweeted’ inappropriately
Before you make any self-righteous remarks, look in the mirror and think long and hard. Remember when you were somewhere between the ages of 18 and 21. If you can honestly say to yourself you carefully considered every single comment, phrase or remark you made without making any mistakes, please step to the front of the line, kneel down and prepare to be knighted.
Heh. Thank God Twitter did not exist when I was in college. I would never be able to show my face in public if it had. -
Arkansas chancellor supports Pelphrey
The chancellor of the University of Arkansas gave unqualified support Friday to basketball coach John Pelphrey, calling him the man who is "going to turn it around" after police investigated three players over an alleged rape.
The dreaded vote of confidence. -
Bluegrass State Basketball: Ex-Cat Travis Ford Earns Extension at Oklahoma State
Good for Travis Ford. I'm glad to see him doing so well.
Other News of Interest
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Jordan reaches basketball Hall of Fame
No surprise here, of course. I used to follow the Bulls closely when Jordan played for them, but kind of fell out of love with the NBA in general since the turn of the century. -
Distiller waxes red over competitor's seal
Maker's Mark Distillery, famous for the distinctive wax seal atop its Kentucky bourbon, is seeing red over what it considers a trademark infringement by some competitors. - What we learned in the SEC: Week 2 - College Football Nation - ESPN
The Daily Schadenfreude
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Crompton and the Vols Trade Perception for Reality - Rocky Top Talk
Could this be the year?