Personally, I have been waiting for this game all year long. Like most UK fans, I have not forgotten last year at Memorial Gymnasium. It would be nice to forget that, but I can't. So I intend to revisit that game, just to remind eveyone about it:
Here's a little taste from last year:
"To have them to stomp us into the ground like that, it's horrible," freshman Patrick Patterson said. "They played like men, and we played like boys."
Still smiling, huh?
Well, howzabout this little nugget, via the Wayback Machine from Who Ya With:
Vanderbilt 93 - Kentucky 52. That's right, we beat Kentucky by 41 points. 41! And that was after Stallings called off the dogs. With 10 minutes to go in the game we took out our starters. This was done amoung throws of laughter eminating from the Vandy table at the bar. I didn't know it could happen, but apparently when humans watch their favorite team annihilate the opponent the only thing to do is laugh. But we took out our starters and rested them for 2 minutes! HAHA take that Gillespie, CKS took a page out of Belichick's book and played for the blowout.[SIC]
Still hasn't got you riled yet? From last year's game thread:
DEPRESSION
This is by FAR the WORST game I have EVER seen in my LIFE. I may be forced to call in sick tomorrow to avoid facing the onslaught of taunting I will undoubtedly receive. I agree that this is an "outlier" but COME ON! This will hurt for a while. The lowest scoring first half since there were shot clocks?? Is that what I heard?????
And this from the post mortem:
Things I would rather have done...
...but didn't, instead of watching the brutal display of basketball tonight.Ahh, the committment of being a fan.
- Have my septum removed.
- Have dinner with Bruce Pearl.
- Have breakfast with Courtney Love.(shudder)
- Sew a quilt.
- Watch a tape of the '97 Championship game.
- Be roomies with Christian Laettner.
- Dry clean Rick's pimp suit.
What's that? Do I detect a glint of Big Blue anger in your eye? C'mon, now, you aren't going to let that bother you, are ya? I know you want more, and of course, I will oblige:
Oh, see, now I have your attention. But you don't look mad to me, and I really, really think that I can tempt you to be more ... demonstrative. How about:
Wow… I really don’t even know what to say. The legendary and storied Kentucky Wildcats scored only 11 points in the first-half on their way to an absolute ass-reaming by the Vanderbilt Commodores. I’m at a loss for words…
That frightful grimace and the vapor I see coming from your ears is a sure sign I have your complete, undivided attention right now. Good, because you see, we owe the Commodores one, big time. After a year-long wait, we get the 'Dores in Rupp Arena this Saturday, and I don't know about you, but I want to beat these guys so bad that we have to physically prevent them from finding their way to Rupp's Rafters and doing a swan dive en mass to the floor 90 feet below with bags over their heads to hide their shame.
I don't really know if Kentucky as a team has that in them, but I'd be willing to bet that Patrick Patterson has not forgotten last year. Oh, no indeed. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that he is being reminded of it quite often, and I expect that knowing the competitive nature of the young man he will be all over the place on Saturday. Ramel and Joe are gone, but Patterson is still here, still having to live down that brutal drubbing every year he remains.
Until he returns the favor. Saturday is as good a day as any.