The Big Blue Daily Mail -- The Return

The BBDM has been on hiatus for a while, but I'm bringing it back.  Today's is full of potentially great news, funny stuff, and then there's the downright weird.

• CatsPause.com - Whispers: Is Davis Kentucky's to lose?

  Syracuse, Ohio State and hometown school DePaul are still in the mix, but it appears that all three are playing catch-up to Kentucky.

  Scary.  Davis, Gilchrist and Teague, among possibly others from this year's class?  I say again -- Scary.

• Recruiting Insider | Coach Calipari after another top point guard for Kentucky | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal

  He [L.J. Rose] confirmed that UK has offered a scholarship and said he is excited to check out Lexington.

  "Every kid wants to go there," he said. "It's everyone's dream to make it to the league and have a chance to play for a national championship."

  If you don't love that, you are not a Wildcat fan.

• Scenes from Coach Cal’s Camp | Vaught's Views

  Photographer Victoria Graff captured these images during Coach Calipari's camp last week at UK.

• Rogers to join Cousins " Third and Long

  The plans haven’t been finalized, but George Rogers Clark graduate Andrew Rogers will be working for former University of Kentucky standout DeMarcus Cousins in the immediate future.

  Interesting.

• Rush The Court " Blog Archive " Morning Five: 08.03.10 Edition

  Your Pitino/Sypher trial update…the biggest news from Monday was that Sypher’s ex-husband stated on the record that Sypher told him that she turned down a plea bargain because she wanted to "take Pitino [down] with" her.  The brilliance of this woman should not be understated, folks — she very well may end up imprisoned and penniless, while Pitino simply continues on about his business coaching his team and making millions of dollars (although she might counter with "15 seconds," FTW).  To that end, CNNSI’s Dan Shaughnessy believes that Louisville should can Pitino for such a public embarrassment, while Seth Davis implores all of us to consider that, while Pitino is many things — including cad, adulterer and narcissist — he’s also a victim in this mess.

  I'm speechless.

• The Big Ten Coaching Hot Seat, 2010 - The Rivalry, Esq.

  Looking at the Big Ten coaches on the hot seat, and ranking them from 1-11.

• Tennessee Running Back Bryce Brown Transfers Via Text Messaging | Saturday Down South

  The combination of technology and college football is amazing. I mean, we have instant replays, facebook recruiting violations, and now a player transfers from his school through a text message.

  That's just freaking wrong!

• Myrtice Landers, Ex-USF Employee, Says School Covering Up NCAA Violations -- NCAABB FanHouse

  Myrtice Landers, a former University of South Florida academic adviser, who was fired this month, filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the university Thursday, claiming the school is covering up NCAA violations and using her as a scapegoat.

  Ouch.  Could USF be next on the NCAA's hit list?

• Top 15 Party Schools Include 4 From SEC | Saturday Down South

  The 2011 Edition of Princeton Review names Georgia the number 1 party school in the country and also names 3 other SEC schools in the top 15. They are Ole Miss at 5, Florida at 7, and Alabama at 13.

  Who would have believed that Georgia would be the top party school in the land?  And Ole Miss #5?

• Is UK a Football School? - Kentucky Sports Network

  Opposing coaches have long used the argument that Kentucky is a basketball school to their advantage in recruiting battles. Joker Phillips argues that UK's facilities and fan base tell a much different story to perspective recruits.

  I think the answer is still no.  Until Joker starts bringing in some coveted recruits instead of "under the radar" types, I'm not buying.

• Kentucky Wildcats Basketball and Football news and rumors: Could loss of Dodson affect Cats' offense in 2010?

  I'm not quite ready to buy this argument.  It's kind of moot, though, since it seems Dodson will not be available.

• Report: Anthony Davis Has Decided | ZagsBlog.com

  Prepare for another round of "Calipari cheats!" articles.

• TGR’s Tuesday Tweets " Tailgate Review – Kentucky Sports & Athletics, Tailgating and Life In the Bluegrass

  Dick Vitale: "Kentucky will not miss Dodson as much as he will miss playing 4 the CATS! "

  Heh.  Classic.  True, too.

• Increase Approved for UK Basketball Ticket Prices

  Bluegrass State Basketball: Increase Approved for UK Basketball Ticket Prices,College, high school and professional basketball in the state of Kentucky.

  I know that some of you will not be happy.

• Kentucky Sports Radio - 2010 Kentucky Football Position-by-Position Preview

  Good stuff by Duncan Cavanah.

• NCAA Preview: Most Valuable Players in the SEC | Dime Magazine (dimemag.com) : Daily NBA News, NBA Trades, NBA Rumors, Basketball Videos, Sneakers

  Darius Miller (Kentucky) — With Darnell Dodson having been ruled academically ineligible and no longer with the team, Miller becomes the most important returning player almost by default. On a freshmen-heavy team, the junior Miller (6.5 ppg) will likely start at small forward and will be counted on for leadership.

  He may be right about Miller, by why can't he do a simple Google search on Dodson and get that part right as well?  Sheesh.

• Five for Friday: The good, the bad and the funny of Pitino case - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com

  Of course. I mean, there's a future Hall of Fame coach on the stand testifying about how a woman "opened up" his pants, describing how he and Sypher had sex "very briefly" at an Italian restaurant, estimating that the entire encounter lasted "no more than 15 seconds." Whoa, what? Now I'm not saying I don't understand how sex could last no more than 15 seconds, I'm just saying I wouldn't admit it to the world. Me? I'm testifying 12 minutes and, worse comes to worst, taking a perjury charge.

  Haha!  I drenched my monitor on that one.

• Time for a trick-shot game of H-O-R-S-E - Beyond the Arc - NBC Sports

  Just one word for this - AWESOME!

• Wayne Chism Turns Down NBA Camp Invite To Play In Turkey - Ridiculous Upside

  Wayne Chism, a 6-foot-9 power forward out of Tennessee, has decided to play his rookie season in Turkey with Antalya.

  This typically wouldn't be a surprising story, but Chism's agent, Jared Karnes, told the Knoxville News Sentinel's Mike Griffith that the big man has turned down a Sacramento Kings' training camp invite in order to pursue the guaranteed money that Turkey has offered.

  I think we are going to be seeing more and more of this.  Good for Chism, I wish him the very best.

• Rick Pitino did reprehensible things, but he's still a victim - Seth Davis - SI.com

  Look, I am not here to defend Pitino's behavior. Over the last 16 months, he was revealed to be to be a lot of things -- a fool, a cad, a liar, an adulterer and an egotist. In other words, a sinner.
  
  But allow me to remind you that he is something else as well: a victim.

  I think this is right.  Sypher may be five beers short of a six pack, but she did victimize Pitino, based on what I know so far.