Well, this has been all the rage around the Big Blue Nation, so I think it bears discussion here. This:

In this video, if you haven't listened by now, or can't, here is the substance of what Digger Phelps says from this article by Eric Crawford:

"This is important," he went on. "We've been with you at Kentucky. This is Vandy's home game (cheers). This is Vandy's (pause) listen to me. Listen to me. It's their home game."

...

"You (UK fans) are a part of it. But you show respect for Vandy. I don't want any nonsense. I don't want any incidents. Don't ruin this for College GameDay."

More after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

There is nowhere in America where the little things matter more than at Kentucky, and sometimes, that's not a good thing.

Consider the Anthony Davis "Wingspan" poster, which was printed as a souvenir for attending the Florida Gators at Kentucky game, as well as part of a UK campaign to get attention for Davis as a possible NCAA Player of the Year candidate. UK has done something similar to this for lots of UK players -- remember the "All he does is win" All-American campaign for Chuck Hayes back when he was a senior?

So it shouldn't be a surprise that some of these posters have wound up for sale on eBay. Selling a poster like this is a potential NCAA violation and should not be done, which is why the UK Athletics Department has issued "cease and desist" orders to the sellers of those posters.

Yes, UK can be gigged for a secondary violation for the selling of the posters -- thats just they way it goes, but hopefully it won't happen and the C&D letters are designed to try to ensure that it won't, although you can never tell for sure with the NCAA. No, Anthony Davis' eligibility, at least as far as my understanding goes, is not put in jeopardy by the illicit sale unless he's involved in some way in the sales, although UK's sterling compliance record lately certainly could be modestly impacted if things go wrong. That can happen if somebody employed at the school, or program boosters, are involved in any way.

Continue reading this post »

I find this just strange. Look, I totally get school spirit, and I think it's a good thing. But I have never in my life understood the need of some people to accost rival fans wearing their school colors in enemy territory. It's happened to me several times just by virtue of the fact I live in Louisville, as if wearing UK colors somehow gives Louisville fans carte blanche to try to embarrass or annoy me.

Remember the whole debacle with Indiana at the game in Bloomington earlier this year? This is just the sort of juvenile thinking that leads to incidents like that. It is a claim of powerlessness to prevent "unwanted attention, " which look to me like weasel words for misbehavior, which can lead to unfortunate and dangerous situations. Instead of reminding Louisville students to do their school proud and treat rival fans with decorum and respect, this notice appears to suggest that is impossible, or undesirable.

So what does this say about the adults at this school, if these notices appeared with their consent or approval? At what point is enough enough? We have seen out-of-control school spirit and rival-loathing lead to all sorts of unethical and even criminal behavior. I don't think schools should be acting as if they cannot control their students. I do think whoever is responsible for this, if it's someone in authority and not just some kind of sick prank by a UK fan trying to make Louisville look bad, should rethink it.

I'm sure Rick Pitino has plenty of headaches. First of all, he's coaching at Louisville, that alone is enough to give anyone a migraine, and second, his team can't shoot -- The Cards are making less than 45% from the field and 31.5% from the 3-point line. UofL does play pretty good defense, though ... that is until Memphis hung 87 on the Cards in Louisville's win over the Tigers at the Yum? Center.

Now if that isn't enough, Pitino has to deal with an evidently supremely confident, yet overly verbose freshman who won't shut up, Chane Behanan. Behanan, who attended Bowling Green High School his junior and senior years after transferring from Cincinnati, recently said the following at a UofL media opportunity:

"We beat Vandy and Memphis, so now we're number one in my eyes. And like I said, we're going undefeated. Point blank. Period."

(OK, wipe off your monitor and pick yourself up off the floor if you must ... and if you don't believe me, if you think I've lost my mind along with Behanan, here's the link).

Continue reading this post »

With the Wildcats taking final exams this week, and with no games taking place, I thought it was time to take a look at how the youthful 'Cats have performed so far this season, and what each player needs to improve on. Considering this Kentucky squad is saddled with great expectations, expectations beyond a "mere" Final Four appearance, this collection of Wildcats have the weight of the Commonwealth on their substantial shoulders. And with the 'Cats being a freshman-dominated group once again, it is certainly reasonable to expect uneven play at this juncture of the season, but growth and continuing maturity are the goals.

Winning in March is all about getting better in December, January, and February. So with an eye toward the future, and in terms of performance, let's take a look at where the players are now, and where they need to be in order for the season to end with a win.

Continue reading this post »

We interrupt this University of Kentucky Wildcats blog for special commentary.  We regret the necessity, and promise to get you back to your regularly scheduled commentary soonest.

I intend for this to be my last word (okay, bunch of words) on this matter until all the facts come to light. I have reserved comment until I had time to read the grand jury report and allowed Penn St. to act on the matter.  So that brings us to now, where Penn St. has dismissed legendary football coach Joe Paterno, among others.  I am sure there will be more actions to follow, but my comments will be directed at the Paterno firing, as it is a matter of great moment in sports history.

I won't recite the career of Coach Paterno, you can find the relevant facts here on Wikipedia.  Suffice it to say that he is one of the greatest college football coaches in the history of the game, and has been the coach at Penn St. as long as I can remember.  I was only six years old when Paterno was elevated from assistant to head coach at State College in Pennsylvania, and I have seen 54 summers since I was thrust into this world, breech-backward and bawling.

During that 48-year period, we have seen the world change in unimaginable ways, from the first computers, to men on the moon, to the fall of the Soviet Union, to cell phones, 9/11, and the Internet.  Through all this, there has been at least one constant - JoePa at the reigns of the Nittany Lions.

Continue reading this post »

The curious case and timing of the news that Wildcat shooting guard Stacey Poole Jr. may be transferring from the University of Kentucky has had me thinking over the last two days.  Thinking, and pondering, and thinking some more.  Thinking about how to write this post without offending either Poole, Stacey Sr. or Stacey Jr. (as everyone knows by now, Poole Sr. has been very outspoken about his desire to see his son transfer from Kentucky), while at the same time offering thoughts that might run contrary to Poole Sr.'s way of thinking.  In the end, though, I recognize and appreciate the decision being a family matter.

But, I think I've finally come up with a solution, and it's not begrudging Poole Sr. his right to raise his son the best way he sees fit, rather, I think the way to approach commentary on the subject is to offer my thoughts on what I would do if Poole Jr. were my son (I don't have a son in real life, but I do have three daughters, plus, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night).  And what would I tell my talented son who was struggling to earn game minutes at Kentucky?  Find out after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

When I got up this morning, I read Alex's article below on the news that Stacey Poole's father, Stacey Sr., will be flying up to Kentucky to talk to his son about a possible transfer, only one thing stood out to me from the article:

At the end of the day, I’m going to make the call. He’s 20, but he’s still a kid. Four years from now, he can blame his father if it doesn’t work out.

Does anything about this quote stand out to you?  Poole is a 20-year old young man.  He isn't a "kid," legally or otherwise.  He can vote, he can fight for the country and die, he can do everything but legally consume alcohol.  So I was shocked when I read that his father really wasn't concerned about what his son thinks.  This, to me, reads only one way:  "I'm coming to get my son, I'm moving him from this school. and neither he nor anyone else has a say."

After I saw this, I flipped over to Kentucky Sports Radio to see if Matt Jones might have opined on the issue, as he's been on this story all night. Lo and behold, he has:

Some pretty astounding words there from Poole’s father if you think about it. For Poole’s dad to suggest that "at the end of the day, I’m going to make the call" about his 20 year old son is bizarre. Being a controlling parent is one thing, but to literally admit in a newspaper that you are going to plan the direction of your adult child’s life is without question, strange.

I have one thing to say about this -- ditto. 

Seriously, what the heck can Poole Sr. be thinking?  No, scratch that -- he clearly isn't thinking.  If maturity is what you want for your son, turning him back into a little boy by way of a newspaper article in front of his friends and virtually every other college basketball player in America is absolutely wrong, and utterly shameful. This goes beyond "controlling," this is patently thoughtless and downright harmful, both to his current and future prospects.

Continue reading this post »