Fresh off naming him one of the SEC's top performers for the upcoming season, UK mutli-threat tailback Rafael Little gets some more love from the SI family, specifically football scribe Stewart Mandel.
Unfortunately, as is all too typical, the compliment is a tad backhanded since it slams his teammates in the same sentence.
Ouch.
In any event, despite media naysaying (SI has UK at a projected 5-6 overall), and some certainly troublesome injury and suspension woes as the season approaches, the gridiron Cats still seem to exude some recently tapped optimism among a core group of fans. And good for them.
I've been pretty upfront regarding my historically pessimistic (some would try to rationalize it as realistic, but why split hairs?) outlook on the Kentucky football program. There are many reasons UK can and should be a top flight football destination, and just as many why it never will be.
I was a fan of the wacked out Hal Mumme years, despite the novelty act. The casual rooting tradition surrounding the program doesn't really inspire much, and the vocal devotees are too few or too as yet unseen to really have much impact, leaving most of us -- even lifer UK nuts -- somewhere between apathetic and, as I was saying, pessimistic.
At least Mumme had my attention. Unfortunately, he also had his head in the sand. Dommage.
But none of this is to say that I wouldn't bandwagon the hell out of a competitive Kentucky football season. It's my right as an American!
* For your added enjoyment, a nice piece on grad Arliss Beach's progress in the big league. Packers fans could grow to love the bluegrass backfielder.