Patterson, Wall, Cousins, and the rest of the team gave us a season to smile about--even if it did end a little too early. I agree with Ben that basketball is exciting to watch again. The only change I would make to Ben's previous post:
Go Cats!
Come on, babe. How can you end any sincere "go cats" with a period?
*You may see a post on Ben's foul language in the future. I'm pretty sure God has a hard time answering my prayers when He notices I'm sitting next to the Devil.
Showing posts with label C-A-T-S Cats Cats Cats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label C-A-T-S Cats Cats Cats. Show all posts
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Top Five: Closing the Book on the Rich Brooks Era
Today, Rich Brooks officially stepped down as the head football coach of the University of Kentucky Wildcats and Joker Phillips, the "head coach of the offense," was named head coach pursuant to the coach-in-waiting arrangement announced a couple of years ago. I could write at length regarding my ambivalence toward Joker Phillips as our head coach, but that is another post for another time (probably following his first loss). It's hard to believe that I'm writing a tribute to Coach Brooks when, as recently as the beginning of the 2006 season, people were passing out bumper stickers reading "Ditch Mitch [Barnhart, Athletic Director] and Rich" during home games at Commonwealth. Although Coach Brooks' record at UK was sub-.500, the last four years are a high water mark not before seen in Lexington (a 30-22 record, four straight bowl appearances with three straight bowl wins) and the period stands as the reward for long-suffering Kentucky football fans everywhere. He took a football team saddled with probation to four straight bowl games, a Kentucky football record. Therefore, I present you with the top five games, win or loss, from the Rich Brooks Era:
5. 2006--at LSU (Loss, 49-0). While it seems almost inconceivable that a brutal loss could be included in the top five of anything, a) this is Kentucky football we're talking about, after all, and b) this game marked the turning point of the Rich Brooks Era. Kentucky went into the game with a record of 4-2, with losses to a Louisville team that would go on to the Orange Bowl and Florida, the eventual national champion. Whatever Rich said after that game (I'm assuming it involved a lot of swearing) gave the team a much-needed boost in the back half of the season. Somehow, after suffering a drubbing at the hands of a vastly superior team, Kentucky told itself that it could compete in the SEC. Kentucky went on to beat Georgia for the first time in ages, post a 4-4 record in the SEC and go on to win Game No. 4...
4. 2006--Music City Bowl versus Clemson (Win, 28-20). Clemson came into this game having lost three of its last four, but at one point in the season was ranked #11. The experts gave the 'Cats no chance, but Kentucky pulled out a gritty win in its first bowl since 1999. Rich took a page out of Les Miles' Iron Cojones: Using Them on the Football Field and called a fake punt deep in UK territory, which converted. The team didn't look back en route to its first bowl win since 1984.
3. 2009--Auburn (Win, 21-14). Prior to the 2009 season, most experts believed that it would be a rebuilding year for the Auburn Tigers. In the end, they were right, but Auburn entered this game with a 5-1 record which included a win over West Virginia. Kentucky's ability to play on the road in the SEC (5-20 on the road in the SEC at this point in Rich Brooks' tenure) was--to put it mildly--in question. Plus, Mike Hartline, the starting quarterback, had gone down with a knee injury in a close loss to South Carolina the week before. However, with three players taking snaps at quarterback--including one true freshman whose redshirt was removed for the occasion--Kentucky pulled out a hard-fought road win over a team not named Vanderbilt or Mississippi State.
2. 2007--Louisville (Win, 34-40). As mentioned in Game No. 5, Louisville played in the Orange Bowl following the 2006 season. If you believed fans of "The 'Ville," that bowl win (over Wake Forest, universally acknowledged as the best football program of all time) was going to catapult Louisville to heights never before seen in college football. Steve Kragthorpe, who replaced the departing Bobby Petrino and was virtually unknown outside of Tulsa and Tom Jurich's office, was to be Bear Bryant, George Patton and Jesus Christ all rolled into one. However, Kentucky had other plans, which involved beating the Cardinals on a deep strike from Andre' Woodson to Stevie Johnson in the final minute. There's nothing like completely crushing the hopes of a rival, (Louisville went on to lose to Syracuse, one of the worst teams in college football, AT HOME). Especially one whose fans use the phrase "L Yes" without any sense of embarrassment. I guess irrational hopes never die, though--one law school classmate and Louisville fan told me that Louisville would go on to a BCS bowl after the Syracuse loss. I laughed in his face. It felt good.
1. 2007--LSU (Win, 37-43 3OT). LSU was undefeated and the consensus number 1 in the nation heading into this game. Kentucky improbably beat them by stopping Jacob Hester cold on 4th and 2 in the third overtime. This is unquestionably the highest point of the Rich Brooks Era, as Kentucky was ranked #9 following the win. I haven't looked it up, but I feel comfortable in stating that this was Kentucky's first time being ranked in the top 10 in my lifetime. This was unquestionably the most tense and exciting game I've ever attended in person (but, as we were there with die-hard LSU fans who made the trip from Baton Rouge for the game, I felt bad in celebrating too much). LSU went on to win the national championship that year (despite having two losses), so the victory is that much sweeter.
Honorable Mentions--Georgia 2009 (even though Georgia was rebuilding this year, this was a huge come-from-behind SEC road win); 2008 Liberty Bowl over East Carolina (third straight bowl win, an unprecedented feat in UK history); 2007 Music City Bowl over Florida State (I attended this one)
Toughest Losses--Tennessee every by God year (this year especially--a late fumble gift-wrapped the win for us and terrible playcalling by our new head coach cost us the win in regulation)
I had an idea that I would return to any time that law school or my subsequent professional life had me down. It was to get full access to Rich Brooks and the UK football team and write a book chronicling an entire season. In my head, it would transcend the "follow a team around for a year" genre typified by Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer* and Dixieland Delight and be about whether a perennial doormat could ever hope to compete in the best football conference in the nation, and what it would take to do so (quite a goal for someone whose blog has approximately two readers). So, was Rich Brooks able to bring Kentucky out of the SEC basement? Yes and no. Admittedly, Kentucky's season was annually made in its out-of-conference schedule, and Coach Brooks' general record against the SEC (16-39) left a lot to be desired. On the other hand, Kentucky ceased to be a team that opposing teams would automatically chalk up as a win when going over the schedule at year's beginning. This year, Kentucky was one win away from second place in the (admittedly down) SEC East. Recruiting has steadily improved and is one area in which Joker Phillips' prowess cannot be doubted. In the end, I think Rich Brooks got Kentucky banging against the basement door with both fists and it shouldn't be too much longer before South Carolina, Tennessee and the other middle-to-upper-middle teams in the SEC won't be able to keep us down there.
Which brings us to the end of the Rich Brooks Era. I've enjoyed it and I know he has left this program in much better shape than he found it. I'll miss having that crusty old bastard prowling the sidelines.
Goodnight, sweet prince.
--Walter Sobchak or Horatio, depending on your tastes
*which is actually a great book and a lot of fun to read--I don't want to sound like I'm putting it down
5. 2006--at LSU (Loss, 49-0). While it seems almost inconceivable that a brutal loss could be included in the top five of anything, a) this is Kentucky football we're talking about, after all, and b) this game marked the turning point of the Rich Brooks Era. Kentucky went into the game with a record of 4-2, with losses to a Louisville team that would go on to the Orange Bowl and Florida, the eventual national champion. Whatever Rich said after that game (I'm assuming it involved a lot of swearing) gave the team a much-needed boost in the back half of the season. Somehow, after suffering a drubbing at the hands of a vastly superior team, Kentucky told itself that it could compete in the SEC. Kentucky went on to beat Georgia for the first time in ages, post a 4-4 record in the SEC and go on to win Game No. 4...
4. 2006--Music City Bowl versus Clemson (Win, 28-20). Clemson came into this game having lost three of its last four, but at one point in the season was ranked #11. The experts gave the 'Cats no chance, but Kentucky pulled out a gritty win in its first bowl since 1999. Rich took a page out of Les Miles' Iron Cojones: Using Them on the Football Field and called a fake punt deep in UK territory, which converted. The team didn't look back en route to its first bowl win since 1984.
3. 2009--Auburn (Win, 21-14). Prior to the 2009 season, most experts believed that it would be a rebuilding year for the Auburn Tigers. In the end, they were right, but Auburn entered this game with a 5-1 record which included a win over West Virginia. Kentucky's ability to play on the road in the SEC (5-20 on the road in the SEC at this point in Rich Brooks' tenure) was--to put it mildly--in question. Plus, Mike Hartline, the starting quarterback, had gone down with a knee injury in a close loss to South Carolina the week before. However, with three players taking snaps at quarterback--including one true freshman whose redshirt was removed for the occasion--Kentucky pulled out a hard-fought road win over a team not named Vanderbilt or Mississippi State.
2. 2007--Louisville (Win, 34-40). As mentioned in Game No. 5, Louisville played in the Orange Bowl following the 2006 season. If you believed fans of "The 'Ville," that bowl win (over Wake Forest, universally acknowledged as the best football program of all time) was going to catapult Louisville to heights never before seen in college football. Steve Kragthorpe, who replaced the departing Bobby Petrino and was virtually unknown outside of Tulsa and Tom Jurich's office, was to be Bear Bryant, George Patton and Jesus Christ all rolled into one. However, Kentucky had other plans, which involved beating the Cardinals on a deep strike from Andre' Woodson to Stevie Johnson in the final minute. There's nothing like completely crushing the hopes of a rival, (Louisville went on to lose to Syracuse, one of the worst teams in college football, AT HOME). Especially one whose fans use the phrase "L Yes" without any sense of embarrassment. I guess irrational hopes never die, though--one law school classmate and Louisville fan told me that Louisville would go on to a BCS bowl after the Syracuse loss. I laughed in his face. It felt good.
1. 2007--LSU (Win, 37-43 3OT). LSU was undefeated and the consensus number 1 in the nation heading into this game. Kentucky improbably beat them by stopping Jacob Hester cold on 4th and 2 in the third overtime. This is unquestionably the highest point of the Rich Brooks Era, as Kentucky was ranked #9 following the win. I haven't looked it up, but I feel comfortable in stating that this was Kentucky's first time being ranked in the top 10 in my lifetime. This was unquestionably the most tense and exciting game I've ever attended in person (but, as we were there with die-hard LSU fans who made the trip from Baton Rouge for the game, I felt bad in celebrating too much). LSU went on to win the national championship that year (despite having two losses), so the victory is that much sweeter.
Honorable Mentions--Georgia 2009 (even though Georgia was rebuilding this year, this was a huge come-from-behind SEC road win); 2008 Liberty Bowl over East Carolina (third straight bowl win, an unprecedented feat in UK history); 2007 Music City Bowl over Florida State (I attended this one)
Toughest Losses--Tennessee every by God year (this year especially--a late fumble gift-wrapped the win for us and terrible playcalling by our new head coach cost us the win in regulation)
I had an idea that I would return to any time that law school or my subsequent professional life had me down. It was to get full access to Rich Brooks and the UK football team and write a book chronicling an entire season. In my head, it would transcend the "follow a team around for a year" genre typified by Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer* and Dixieland Delight and be about whether a perennial doormat could ever hope to compete in the best football conference in the nation, and what it would take to do so (quite a goal for someone whose blog has approximately two readers). So, was Rich Brooks able to bring Kentucky out of the SEC basement? Yes and no. Admittedly, Kentucky's season was annually made in its out-of-conference schedule, and Coach Brooks' general record against the SEC (16-39) left a lot to be desired. On the other hand, Kentucky ceased to be a team that opposing teams would automatically chalk up as a win when going over the schedule at year's beginning. This year, Kentucky was one win away from second place in the (admittedly down) SEC East. Recruiting has steadily improved and is one area in which Joker Phillips' prowess cannot be doubted. In the end, I think Rich Brooks got Kentucky banging against the basement door with both fists and it shouldn't be too much longer before South Carolina, Tennessee and the other middle-to-upper-middle teams in the SEC won't be able to keep us down there.
Which brings us to the end of the Rich Brooks Era. I've enjoyed it and I know he has left this program in much better shape than he found it. I'll miss having that crusty old bastard prowling the sidelines.
Goodnight, sweet prince.
--Walter Sobchak or Horatio, depending on your tastes
*which is actually a great book and a lot of fun to read--I don't want to sound like I'm putting it down
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Honeymoon is Over
Up to this week, the Kentucky-Calipari union had been going swimmingly. Top recruits--the two best point guards and two of the beset centers in the nation, among others--committed to UK left and right. Patrick Patterson decided to return for his junior year, guaranteeing a dominant front court next season. And it seemed our new coach actually enjoyed speaking in front of people. To the average Kentucky fan, Calipari could do no wrong.
Then this week happened. First, a minor hiccup--Cal didn't meet with a walk-on player, Landon Slone, before Slone decided to transfer. Slone was one of the only players on the team last year who was actually from Kentucky, and, I believe, was the only white player from Kentucky, other than Jared Carter, and definintely the only player from Eastern Kentucky. Thus, he was a bit of a fan favorite. Last summer, the word coming out of practice was he could shoot the lights out and would be seeing some playing time. That turned out to be half true--he played, but didn't contribute much. When Cal arrived, he made it very clear that he would let players know if they would play in his system. Any one with any sense at all could have told Slone wouldn't see the light of day next year.
Either way, this non-meeting set off the first negativity about Cal I have heard from the UK fan base. But, after last night's reports, I'm sure it won't be the last. It seems that a former Memphis player engaged in fraudulent activity during an SAT test and a person accompanying this player received over $2,000.00 in free travel. Given the dates and other circumstances contained in the report, it is clear that this player was Derrick Rose. The result may be the vacating of the wins from Memphis' landmark 38 win season in 2007-2008. This would include vacating Memphis' trip to the Final Four.
The report does not name Cal and the NCAA has cleared him of all responsibility. Further, UK knew about this investigation and, when checking into Cal's record, received the green light from the NCAA*. The problem is, an eerily similar thing occurred at UMASS--Marcus Camby received money and hookers from an agent while he played there, resulting in the vacating of wins and a Final Four. I can understand this happening once. But as the great poet Great White once said, "Once bitten, twice shy, babay!" This makes me worry that one of two things is true. Either Cal is an idiot who has no idea what goes on around his program on a daily basis--which we know, given how hands on he has been at every level in every other matter, isn't true--or, he is trying to be cagey and purposefully turns a blind eye to this type of behavior. Willful ignorance may not be an excuse in the law, but it apparently is to the NCAA. Either way, not good.
An e-mail subject line from a friend of mine who is a Louisville fan sums up the way the rest of the college basketball community is probably feeling right now: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH." Damn. But, then again, we'll see who has the last laugh come basketball season. And then we'll see how long those wins are allowed to stand.
*EDIT: Pat Forde of ESPN.com says that the NCAA did not green light this hire--that they refused to comment and sent Lee Todd and Mitch Barnhart back to Calipari for more information, who presumably filled them in on the investigation. This tidbit is the only good, solid piece of information I could get from an otherwise trite and hacky article. Pat, if you want to be hard-hitting, why not print everyone's side in the Karen Sypher/Rick Pitino mess? Towing the party line there while bashing Cal here makes you look like more of a homer than Bill Simmons.
*EDIT 2: Memphis filed an almost seventy page letter in response to the NCAA's report, which in sum said that no one at the University, let alone Cal, had any idea Derrick Rose had cheated on his SAT.
Then this week happened. First, a minor hiccup--Cal didn't meet with a walk-on player, Landon Slone, before Slone decided to transfer. Slone was one of the only players on the team last year who was actually from Kentucky, and, I believe, was the only white player from Kentucky, other than Jared Carter, and definintely the only player from Eastern Kentucky. Thus, he was a bit of a fan favorite. Last summer, the word coming out of practice was he could shoot the lights out and would be seeing some playing time. That turned out to be half true--he played, but didn't contribute much. When Cal arrived, he made it very clear that he would let players know if they would play in his system. Any one with any sense at all could have told Slone wouldn't see the light of day next year.
Either way, this non-meeting set off the first negativity about Cal I have heard from the UK fan base. But, after last night's reports, I'm sure it won't be the last. It seems that a former Memphis player engaged in fraudulent activity during an SAT test and a person accompanying this player received over $2,000.00 in free travel. Given the dates and other circumstances contained in the report, it is clear that this player was Derrick Rose. The result may be the vacating of the wins from Memphis' landmark 38 win season in 2007-2008. This would include vacating Memphis' trip to the Final Four.
The report does not name Cal and the NCAA has cleared him of all responsibility. Further, UK knew about this investigation and, when checking into Cal's record, received the green light from the NCAA*. The problem is, an eerily similar thing occurred at UMASS--Marcus Camby received money and hookers from an agent while he played there, resulting in the vacating of wins and a Final Four. I can understand this happening once. But as the great poet Great White once said, "Once bitten, twice shy, babay!" This makes me worry that one of two things is true. Either Cal is an idiot who has no idea what goes on around his program on a daily basis--which we know, given how hands on he has been at every level in every other matter, isn't true--or, he is trying to be cagey and purposefully turns a blind eye to this type of behavior. Willful ignorance may not be an excuse in the law, but it apparently is to the NCAA. Either way, not good.
An e-mail subject line from a friend of mine who is a Louisville fan sums up the way the rest of the college basketball community is probably feeling right now: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH." Damn. But, then again, we'll see who has the last laugh come basketball season. And then we'll see how long those wins are allowed to stand.
*EDIT: Pat Forde of ESPN.com says that the NCAA did not green light this hire--that they refused to comment and sent Lee Todd and Mitch Barnhart back to Calipari for more information, who presumably filled them in on the investigation. This tidbit is the only good, solid piece of information I could get from an otherwise trite and hacky article. Pat, if you want to be hard-hitting, why not print everyone's side in the Karen Sypher/Rick Pitino mess? Towing the party line there while bashing Cal here makes you look like more of a homer than Bill Simmons.
*EDIT 2: Memphis filed an almost seventy page letter in response to the NCAA's report, which in sum said that no one at the University, let alone Cal, had any idea Derrick Rose had cheated on his SAT.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
UK's Chances
I've been trying to get Lynn to write something for a few days, but she refuses. I've been calling her Harper Lee for her extreme reticence, and you should too. I guess the heavy lifting is going to have to fall to me.
Summer sports are the worst. I have been looking forward to college football since the end of Euro 2008. College football is the Dude: it's the sport for its time and place. Baseball is, at best, Donny, and thus needs to shut the fuck up and get off my TV. Of course, this is just, like, you know, my opinion, man. Even if it's not fact, I still can't wait for the football season.
In Lexington, the approach of fall brings one burning question to the fore of every Kentucky fan's mind: how many games will the football team win? The most popular answers to that question are "Hopefully, enough to be bowl eligible," followed closely by "We have a football team?" My answer? SEVEN.
Games we are sure to win: (4)
Norfolk State, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky, Vanderbilt
I've just jinxed the team. We're going down.
Games we are sure to lose: (2)
Florida, Georgia
These two teams are first-class and one of them will be playing for the SEC Championship. Of the two, I think we have a better chance to beat Georgia. We play them at home, and it could be a trap game for them, falling between their games with Florida and Auburn.
Six close calls, of which we will win three:
Louisville, Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi State
If I had to pick three of these, I'd say we will beat Louisville, South Carolina, and Mississippi State. If I could pick any one of these teams to beat, at the expense of losing three other games this season, it would have to be Tennessee. This is just getting embarrassing. Plus, now that Bruce Pearl is pulling all the tail that the southeast has to offer, we need to take them down a peg or two. Hell, though, we might just win all six. Look out, BCS!
So, we'll make it back to seven regular season wins, then brutalize another unsuspecting ACC powder puff in the Music City Bowl, then go into next season with the national media predicting a three-win season. Again.
Summer sports are the worst. I have been looking forward to college football since the end of Euro 2008. College football is the Dude: it's the sport for its time and place. Baseball is, at best, Donny, and thus needs to shut the fuck up and get off my TV. Of course, this is just, like, you know, my opinion, man. Even if it's not fact, I still can't wait for the football season.
In Lexington, the approach of fall brings one burning question to the fore of every Kentucky fan's mind: how many games will the football team win? The most popular answers to that question are "Hopefully, enough to be bowl eligible," followed closely by "We have a football team?" My answer? SEVEN.
Games we are sure to win: (4)
Norfolk State, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky, Vanderbilt
I've just jinxed the team. We're going down.
Games we are sure to lose: (2)
Florida, Georgia
These two teams are first-class and one of them will be playing for the SEC Championship. Of the two, I think we have a better chance to beat Georgia. We play them at home, and it could be a trap game for them, falling between their games with Florida and Auburn.
Six close calls, of which we will win three:
Louisville, Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi State
If I had to pick three of these, I'd say we will beat Louisville, South Carolina, and Mississippi State. If I could pick any one of these teams to beat, at the expense of losing three other games this season, it would have to be Tennessee. This is just getting embarrassing. Plus, now that Bruce Pearl is pulling all the tail that the southeast has to offer, we need to take them down a peg or two. Hell, though, we might just win all six. Look out, BCS!
So, we'll make it back to seven regular season wins, then brutalize another unsuspecting ACC powder puff in the Music City Bowl, then go into next season with the national media predicting a three-win season. Again.
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