What did I do This Summer? Well, I Edited a Kentucky Basketball Annual

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 9:48 PM EDT in Media Comment 65 comments

Wildcat Tipoff 2009-2010. Click to enlarge.

As many of you know, I have been somewhat AWOL on the blog this summer, and frequently alluded to a "Big Project" that I was working on, and that was keeping me from making my normally appointed rounds on the blog. Well, the time has come to reveal that project.

Last year, I was asked to edit the inaugural edition of Wildcat Tipoff 2009-2010, published by Maple Street Press. It was an honor that I was first reluctant to embrace, because my familiarity with publishing was limited to what you see before you -- darkening pixels on an Internet website.

Well, to make a long story short, I took the job, did the work, and now the product is ready for distribution to the Wildcat Faithful. More after the jump ...

There are a lot of names you will recognize, and some that you may not, who contributed articles to this annual. Let me list them for you in no particular order:

There is, of course, Glenn Logan (that's me, for those of you too lazy to read my profile)
My cohort in crime Ken Howlett
Former owner and creator of A Sea of Blue, J.L. Weill
Owner and proprietor of BigBlueHIstory.net, Jon Scott
Former columnist and Editorial Editor of The Kentucky Kernel, Christopher Emmick
Alan Rucker, owner of OverThePylon.net and occasional contributor to Scout.com
Chris Diggs, UK fan blogger for the Louisville Courier-Journal
Travis Hubbard, former columnist for the Huntington (WV) Herald-Dispatch
Michael Eaves of Fox Sports Net and Eaves on Sports
Norm Haney, Programs Director at WBGN in Bowling Green

Every one of these guys are huge Kentucky basketball fans and talented writers, and they have brought their unique viewpoints to this annual. It is chock full of great pictures, stats, analysis and of course, some terrific writing that I think the Big Blue Nation will absolutely love.

Wildcat Tipoff 2009-2010 is currently available for pre-order, and will begin shipping on October 5th. Over the next few weeks, I'll be publishing excerpts from this book so you can get an idea of what we have done. Some of the highlights:

Two detailed articles about new UK coach John Calipari;
The untold story how Patrick Paterson's decided to come to UK;
Memories of UK teams and players past, including the Mardi Gras Miracle and Mike Casey;
The history of the race to 2000 victories...

... and much, much more -- 128 full-color glossy pages with no ads and no distractions. I have no earthly idea how many man-hours are in this thing, but it was a labor of love that I hope each of you will enjoy. You can pre-order and read more about Wildcat Tipoff 2009-2010 here.

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Comments

Wildcat annual

For those who have no idea what goes in to developing and editing such a huge project, take my word for it; Tru’s unending presence on ASOB is somewhat amazing considering the demands on his time were extreme. He is to be commended.

I truly hope everyone enjoys the labor of love we all undertook.

by Ken Howlett on Sep 29, 2009 4:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Labor of Love.

I think I speak for most when I say we enjoy and appreciate the efforts of the authors of this blog. If the annual is but a tenth as well written as the daily prose, it’ll easily be worth the money.

Congratulations.

Vote for Kentucky to get 50,000 free books.

http://booksforkids.firstbook.org/whatbook/index.php

by Thomas Hunt Morgan on Sep 29, 2009 11:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's very kind THM, I appreciate the thought.

Speaking for myself, I truly enjoy writing for the blog, and the main reason is the contributors here at ASoB.

by Ken Howlett on Sep 30, 2009 12:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks.

Believe me, we appreciate our readers. A lot.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 30, 2009 7:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

very impressive, guys!!

You are entering the big-time : )

I’ll be ordering asap, can’t wait to get it. Looks great.

by blue kentucky girl on Sep 29, 2009 4:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm confident ...

… you will really enjoy it. It was a lot of fun to do.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Awesome

Can’t even begin to thank you for including me, as well as the fantastic work editing and putting this together. Quite impressive that you did it!!

-Alan
http://www.overthepylon.net

by OverThePylon on Sep 29, 2009 4:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I had a lot of help, trust me.

Great writers, editors, and publishers.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What stores?

What stores will be carrying this mag and when? Or is it only available to order online?

by jboyers on Sep 29, 2009 5:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I know it will be in stores ...

… but I don’t know which ones yet. I’ll let you know as soon

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 5:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, and ...

… it will be at retail outlets on October 20th.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wal-Mart had the Maple Street Press

publication of Cornhusker Kickoff while I was in Nebraska this summer. Not sure if that will hold true in this case, but I am thinking it is likely. This is Kentucky…..We have fans….A large number of fans too. :-)

Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!

by a2d2 on Sep 30, 2009 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Speaking of Wal-Mart

Enjoy

First time I shot her, shot her in the side.
Hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died...

by btcoop71 on Sep 30, 2009 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL.....

another reason on my list of Why to Avoid Wal-Mart if at all Possible… :-)

Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!

by a2d2 on Sep 30, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow.....this is exciting news for ASoB readers

as well as all UK fans. I am so glad you decided to embrace the task. Now those not frequenting this site will know what great writers we have here. Way to go guys……I will have at least one….lol :-)

Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!

by a2d2 on Sep 29, 2009 5:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks.

I’m sure you will enjoy it since you are a fan of this site. It has a similar flavor to it, only in hardcopy.

Also the pictures, I think, are just outstanding. I had access to Getty Images’ entire line of photos, and man, that was like being a kid in a candy store.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

similar flavor to this site.

Yes, I should say so. I did a quick perusal of the contents, and you, Ken, and JL either independently or in combination wrote exactly half (9 out of 18) of the articles!

This is very exciting. Not only for the readers of ASoB, but for you as well. You should feel very proud of this, it really is oh-so-neat and I’m certain that the satisfaction of seeing the finished product and its popularity (will you get updates about issues sold??) will make all the hard work seem more than worth it. Cheers to Tru and his mighty pen. ; )

Oh, and yes, my copy is on order…….

by BigSkyCat on Sep 29, 2009 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I am proud.

Not so much of what I did, but of the overall effort and the outcome. I am confident every UK fan will enjoy it, and that gives me great pleasure.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Impressive is probably not enough to say about it.....

it should be well worth the price…..cant wait to read it.

Remember, we're having fun now!!!

by ALLBLUCAT on Sep 29, 2009 9:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Getty Images...

As a graphic designer and Kentucky fan… I envy you.

by scfcats on Sep 30, 2009 12:17 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah.

That was sweet. It’s almost as amazing, though, what they don’t have as what they do. But they do have a lot. :-)

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 30, 2009 7:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Certainly an impressive undertaking

Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."

by chirop1 on Sep 29, 2009 5:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It was harder than I thought, I'll just say that. :-)

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 5:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yep, No Doubt

I’m writing two books myself.

One is called From Bluegills To Blue Marlin about a fisherman’s journey from farm ponds in Kentucky to “The Grounds” off Kona, Hawaii.

The other is called A Decade Of Glory: The UC Bearcats In The 1960’s. I was there for all of it.

Books take a long time to write.

by FortyYearCatFan on Sep 29, 2009 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah ...

… much longer than annuals, I’m sure.

Maybe one day.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good luck Forty!!!

you’ve got a plenty of folks who’ll want autographed copies on here! :)

I LOVE COOKING WITH WINE
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

by bluecrip on Sep 30, 2009 12:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks

But I’m going at it slow. Never written book before.

by FortyYearCatFan on Sep 30, 2009 6:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

One of these writers is not like the others

The dude who listed the Kernel as his writing credentials must have been really hard up for a job. :)

by TheFakeGimelMartinez on Sep 29, 2009 5:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Don't cut your alter-ego short

For one, those are more credentials than many have in this media age. Secondly, didn’t you win a Pacemaker? And I bet you did us proud.

by Travis Hubbard on Sep 29, 2009 8:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'll Be Buying One Very Soon!

But I am surprised you didn’t ask me to “fact check” it for you.

Ha – just kidding, course!

by FortyYearCatFan on Sep 29, 2009 6:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

LOL....Forty

That is funny….If I had had Dr Pepper in my mouth, it would have not been pretty….lol
:-)

Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!

by a2d2 on Sep 29, 2009 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

To be honest...

… I absolutely did.

Not only that, I fear a few factual errors will crop up. As a fact-checker, I make a pretty good writer. :-)

But unfortunately, I simply didn’t have the time this go-round. I was crunching deadlines the entire time.

If I do it again next year (more like if they ask me to), I will have much, much more time, and it won’t be nearly as stressful.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I absolutely did consider it, I mean.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nice work--look forward to reading it!

Peter over at BON has done this for 3 years running, and I’ve been amazed by the quality of work. If you’re a diehard fan, it’s much more worth it to buy one of these over an Athlon (or something similar) preview that has 2 pages on your favorite team.

by jc25 on Sep 29, 2009 6:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks a lot.

Peter was the one who gave them my name, and it kind of went from there. I hope everyone likes it, it was a labor of love.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Very cool

I will be on the lookout for it when it hits stores

There is no gravity - the earth just sucks.

by JLeverenz on Sep 29, 2009 7:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks.

I hope you like it.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Impressive...

Pretty cool stuff. Should make for a great read considering everyone involved.

Congrats!!

by wldcatsfreak on Sep 29, 2009 7:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think you will enjoy it.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can't wait to check it out

It was a pleasure being involved, and I still look forward to meeting you, Glenn. I know how much effort it takes to write just one story, so I can’t imagine all the hours you put into this project.

by Travis Hubbard on Sep 29, 2009 8:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks, Travis.

It was a real pleasure working with you and everyone else. I think Wildcat fans will love the result.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 29, 2009 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Congrats guys

Can’t wait to get a copy. Couldn’t happen to better folks.

"The IQ of a mob is the IQ of its most stupid member divided by the number of mobsters." --Terry Pratchett

by Ontherocks on Sep 29, 2009 11:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thank you.

Very much. And thanks for reading A Sea of Blue.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Sep 30, 2009 7:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is so effin awesome!

I cannot wait to get mine. I was nailed as being too lazy to check your profile :) I guess I just can’t wait to read the articles and comments to check everyones info, looks like I’ve got some “splainin to do.”

Congratulations on your achievement. Just don’t leave us if this turns out to be bigger than anticipated!!! ;)

I LOVE COOKING WITH WINE
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

by bluecrip on Sep 30, 2009 12:17 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs