Why I hate Little Brother Louisville

As a UK fan two things are a given. 1) Hate Duke. 2) Hate Louisville. While watching parts of the Rutgers / U of L game tonight it dawned on me why I hate Louisville. Its not the colors of red and black. (I'm a Red Wings Fan) Its not the players. (I went to high school with three former players, and all of them were great guys) No, what really infuriates me about the Louisville Cardinals are their fans, and I use the word "fan" cautiously. Here it is tonight, Senior Night; it's the night to show respect to Brian Brohm, a kid who has to be second guessing his decision to come back. Never-the-less, he came back and you have to respect that. He is a hell of a QB and will no doubt be playing on Sundays. A win tonight and the Cards go 6-6 and technically become bowl eligible. This is a perfect scenario for the Card nation to pack out the oven right? Wrong... At first sight I thought it was a "Red-Out", but then I realized all the red that I saw was actually empty seat backs. Wow, thats all I can say. Sad thing is they missed out on a great game. While I love seeing Louisville lose, part of me was happy for those seniors who pulled out a great comeback, and showed all those no-shows what they missed. It's absolutely pathetic Card fans. I respect all 10 of you who showed up and stayed. But the other 41,990 of you who showed up earlier this year, thank you for proving the point all us Cat fans have been saying for years. A word of advice to Mr. Papa John who donated a mere $10 million for the EXPANSION of Cardinal Stadium, KEEP YOUR MONEY. There has to be a better way for you to get a tax write-off. Everything was great after the Orange Bowl victory. Then your coach leaves, you lose games, and people quit showing up. I commend Louisville on what they have been able to accomplish, but reality hit hard this year, and we all saw what happened to Cardinal nation. The football team performed like champions tonight, but your fan base is a joke. This is why you will always be "little brother"

The Ugly "W"

A win is win, not a loss, not a tie, but a win. We are 4-1 not 3-2, lets keep that in mind. While obviously another near 50 point blowout would have been nice against the Brook of Stones, we never the less snoozed (no pun intended AJ) our way through the contest. It's starting to sound like a broken record, Patrick Patterson is good....very good in fact. He just may be the best freshman at UK since the Monster Mash. Hopefully Mr. Patterson will soon take the reigns as the leader of the team. I prematurely stated that Joe Crawford seemed to be getting it. Well he kinda lost it the other night. It is possible that the young team was overlooking the Brook in anticipation of the Tar Heels on Saturday. Young teams without proper leadership are guilty of this from time to time, so I'll give the Cats a pass on this one. At least we won.

Another pleasant surprise was the return of Razor Ramon Harris. I for one was not expecting his return this early, and I am truly thankful that he is back in time for the UNC game. We will need all the help that we can get. While I'm still not sold on Perry Stevenson and his uncanny ability to not use his athletic ability on the offensive end, he showed what he may be capable of. Lets all hope this is some of the production that can be counted on, night after night.

First big test of the year for the Cats this Saturday on the deuce. Cat fans please don't forget that Dick Vitale will be calling the game, and it is the same Dick Vitale who chastised UK fans for their "treatment" of Tubby Smith. Lets please send this loudmouth a message, as well as pack Rupp and have it rocking. I'll be in attendance on Saturday, section 241 with all the other real fans. I would like to ask all fans as well to please hold out on passing judgment on Billy Clyde until after a year or two, and not five games. Rich Brooks, Rich Brooks, Rich Brooks....Thank You.

photo courtesy of ukathletics.com

Mark Schlabach needs to get a clue

On Mark Schlabach's weekly, Schlabach: On (and off) the Mark column on ESPN.com, I stumbled upon this little gem of journalism:

On the Mark
Tennessee's guts. Missouri's determination. West Virginia's speed. Maryland's defense. Arkansas' surprise. Georgia's good fortune. USC defensive end Lawrence Jackson (four sacks versus Arizona State). South Florida defensive backs Trae Williams and Nate Allen (interception returns for touchdowns in 48-37 win at Pittsburgh). Maryland, Colorado, Ohio and UCLA becoming bowl eligible. Hawaii's BCS chances.

Off the Mark
Nebraska's defense. Kentucky's defense. Kansas State's finish. NC State's offense. Georgia Tech's offense. Syracuse. Washington. Duke's premature celebration. 1-11 Idaho. 1-11 Duke. 1-11 Minnesota. 1-11 SMU. 0-11 Florida International.


You have got to be kidding me. Granted, I understand that UK gave up 52 points, but seriously, 52 is so much more than the measly 50 points that Tennessee allowed UK to put up. I know I shouldn't get upset with such lame opinions as these, but lets call a spade a spade. Mark, did you even watch the game? If you commend Tennessee on their guts, then you have to equally credit Kentucky for coming back and forcing overtime when trailing at the half 24-7. That's Guts. If you say that Kentucky's defense is "off the mark" for relentlessly making plays in the second half, allowing Kentucky's offense to claw back into the game; then you have to question Tennessee's defense for showing a lack of heart for surrendering 43 second half and overtime points after posting the 24-7 halftime lead. I know in the end UK lost, I get that, but come on. This was an amazing game...on both sidelines. Get a clue Schlabach, it is you my friend who is "off the mark."

Monday Night Quick Hitters

Going to try a new little segment to RUPPSRHETORIC. Every Monday I'll give some quick hitters on some of my opinions throughout the weekend that was. Here we go.

• Regardless of the 7-5 record, UK Football was a success this season.
  

• Given the 2-5 end to the season, the Music City Bowl is still a great Bowl.

• Joe Crawford seems to be getting it.
  

• The Patriots just might be able to be beat... but probably not.

• You would have thought that that Ole' Miss would have learned from the patience exhibited by UK (Rich Brooks) and Mississippi State (Sly Croom). Three years just isn't enough time to build a college football program in the SEC.

• If this college football season doesn't scream playoff system, nothing will.

• Rocky Top is the most annoying fight song....ever, however the Gladiator theme music kicks ass.

• Arkansas beating LSU solidifies Les Miles to Michigan.
  

• Even with the so-called "parity" in the SEC, the SEC still gets two BCS Bids. I call it great football.

• Lets hope Mizzou and WVA win this weekend so we don't see another blowout dealt to The Ohio State Buckeyes. Lest we forget last year...

The Rebound

After a debilitating loss to Gardner-Webb some two weeks ago, the Cats were ready for action this week. The two opponents that UK played this week were hardly strong competition, however the Cats responded the way you would hope this team would; it pounded both teams by a combined 74 points! I didn't get to see but about a half of the Liberty game, it was Wednesday night, and Wednesday night is bowling night. On a side note I did roll a 574 series, not my best, but not shabby at all. I digress.

What has impressed me the most about these two wins were the way we were able to put the proverbial "nail in the coffin" All too many times the past few seasons we would see our Cats constantly allow teams to stay in a game with us late into the second half. In these two games the Cats did a great job with pressure defense to help put these games well out of reach.

The play of the freshmen, especially Patrick Patterson, continues to impress. Patterson is everything that he was made out to be, and in the words of Dennis Green, "HE IS WHO WE THOUGHT HE WAS" The head this guy has on his shoulders is well beyond his years. He is truly the complete package. Another freshman by the name of AJ Stewart has done well to take advantage of opportunities afforded to him due to the injury bug. AJ has shown his tremendous athletic abilities, and has done well to see that he will be a solid contributor for this season. While Alex Legion hasn't had the complete game just yet, be patient with this kid, I feel that he is on the verge of a big game. I believe that Billy Clyde is approaching his treatment of Alex, much to the way he has dealt with Joe Crawford. A little tough love should go a long way to help both these guys reach their great potential. So far this is paying off big time for Mr. Crawford, and I'm sure that Alex's progression isn't too far behind.

I can't forget to mention that the seniors played extremely well against Texas Southern. Both Ramel and Joe showed what they are capable of and what can happen when both play well and exert the leadership qualities seniors should posses. I hope this is a sign of things to come. Looking forward to Saturday when we welcome Roy Williams and the Tar Heels to town. Still not sure what to expect, but I'm sure Rupp will be rocking and I will be in attendance to hopefully witness the first big win of the Billy Clyde era. Also big shout-out to the Mormons of BYU for knocking off our beloved neighbors to the west. It never gets old seeing Louisville lose.

photo courtesy of ukathletics.com

Big Blue Heartbreak

Where to begin...What more can be said about the heart that these guys possess. The guy to my right here, Mr. Jacob Tamme, epitomizes what it means to be a Kentucky athlete. Tamme, who hails from Danville, Kentucky did all that he possibly could to will UK to a victory over hated Rocky Top. (I CAN NOT STAND THAT DAMN SONG) In a game that looked practically out of reach at 24-7 these guys refused to give up. I was so proud of the Cats yesterday. So many emotions ran through my bourbon enhanced mind as this game was such a roller coaster ride.

I'm throwing the analysis of the game out the window. You all saw the game, you know what happened. In a season where Kentucky seemed to grab victory from the jaws of defeat, it appeared the Cats were about to do just that. However without scoring a touchdown at the end of regulation and having a field goal blocked, we were doomed to repeat what has been going on for now the 23rd time. I'm not upset with anyone, not pointing fingers, it just plain sucks. (Eloquent, I know) I know these seniors wanted this game so bad, especially Mr. Tamme. They wanted to win for the fans of Kentucky who have stuck beside them, just as these players have stuck behind the program during the rough years of probation. I've been saying that these kids are the "Unforgettables" of the football team. These Seniors deserve a special place in Wildcat lore. I wouldn't mind seeing a few of them have their jerseys retired. And lets not forget about the real Old Ball Coach. Rich Brooks was the right man for the job, and is still the right man for the job. He has to commended for what he has been able to accomplish during his tenure here at UK.

Now we have to turn our attention to post season play. While it seems there is a glimmer of hope for the Peach (Sorry Chick-Fil-A) It seems very likely that we are heading back to Nashville. I'm okay with this. While obviously it would have been nice to have been a little further south, back to back bowl appearances against quality BCS conference opponents is nothing to shake your head at. Lets not forget about the added month of practice and a valuable recruiting tool this gives us.

I don't care how you slice it, this was a successful season. Sure its easy to look at the 2-5 finish to the season and see a let down, but lets put things in perspective. Before the season starts you tell people you go 7-5 and beat U of L, Arkansas on the road, and knock off the #1 LSU Tigers; who's not going to take that? The 5-0 start had people thinking big, and there's nothing wrong with that. Even though we had the same record as last years team, this season was better, with better wins...period. So lets go to Nashville, or Memphis, or wherever we end up; and paint the town blue, and make it another 8-5 year.

photo courtesy of ukathletics.com

Leonard Washington Correction

My apologies to my fans...I was a bit misleading with my information concerning Leonard Washington. The letter that he received did not say that he was cleared; it stated that his paperwork was complete, and that he assumed that he was cleared. I apologize to Marc Maggard for misrepresenting his story, that was not my intentions.

Leonard Washington Update

As reported earlier today by Marc Maggard on kentuckyink.com, Leonard Washington is postponing his announcement until a minor glitch with the NCAA clearinghouse is resolved. Apparently he was issued a letter (via land-mail) that told him that he was cleared, however the Clearinghouse web-site, which NCAA institutions use to verify clearance, did not show his name as a cleared student athlete. Apparently there is some sort of mix up that may be a major or minor problem. No one really knows for sure.

Hopefully for his sake (and maybe UK's) they can get this straightened out for the young man as soon as possible. It is obvious that he would like to join a team mid-season. Sources say it is between UK and USC, the Pac-10 version. He desperately needs this taken care of ASAP!

The weekend that could have been...

Defense...wow how the defense played down in Athens. Shomari Moore's interception has to be one of the best picks of the year...hands down. We forced turnovers (4) time and time again, and we couldn't get it done. Now granted Georgia's defense does deserve some credit, lets be honest, they are one of the hottest teams in the country right now, and they are a very good team. I think after Mississippi State's defense showed the SEC how to slow us down, other teams (Vandy, UGA, and probably Tennessee) took note.

So lets not jump the gun and say that our offense has gone stale, I don't think thats the case, however we may need to adapt. Mississippi State was extremely successful at keeping only 4 or 5 in the box when we were forced to throw on 3rd and longs. We need better 1st and 2nd down production, simple as that. We have to stay out of 3rd and longs. If we can accomplish this on Saturday we will force Tennessee to respect the run on 3rd down and allow single coverage on at least 1 or 2 recievers, possibly 3 when you release Tamme off the line. However I am no football genius by any stretch of the imagination, never-the-less, I believe with better production on 1st and 2nd downs, our offense opens up a whole lot more.

On to basketball. Since when does basketball come after football. I love it. Jodie Meeks...out Derrick Jasper...out Ramon Harris...out Thank god we are guard heavy. After two weeks off we get a chance to see our new-look Cats on Wednesday night. Im pretty excited to see how the second season starts. Thats what I'm calling it, "The Second Season." We went 1-1 in the 2K Sports regional, so I figure they cancel each other out. (after seeing UCONN and Memphis, we had no business in NYC anyway) This whole episode is eerily similar to the plight of Rick Pitino's third team who lost to Pitt in the second round of the NIT, which denied the Cats a chance to go to NYC. I think you might remember that team, "The Unforgettables." I am by no means saying this team is anywhere near that team, but the similarities are there. Lets hope we can get close to accomplishing what that team did. We shall see, keep the faith, it will get better.

photo courtesy of ukathletics.com

If you liked Mouse Trap

If you were like me and loved Mouse Trap, just so you could set it off you'll love this...

Victory over Vandy

Big win on Saturday down in Nashville. While the Gamecocks didn't give us the win we needed, it doesn't at all take away what the football team did on this weekend. The Cats picked up a tough road win and helped it's chances on getting to a bigger bowl.

I was on hand in Nashville to see the game, and let me tell you, it was an exciting day. I would have never imagined that a game in front of about 40,000 fans (over 1/2 UK fans) could be so intense. During the drive where we had the 2 consecutive pass-interference calls on 3rd and longs; the stadium became awfully tense after the late hit call near the Kentucky sideline. I was on the side of the stadium behind the UK bench and you could hear the Vandy fans on the other side shouting in unison "Kick him out, kick him out!" Our faithful countered with a resounding "Go Big Blue!" chant. It really was electric. At that moment I really did hate Vandy, and thats saying something.

For those of you who didn't see the game, it was a very hard fought physical football game. I know that in the past we're used to seeing that V on the helmet and automatically think V= W(in) Well this Vandy team impressed me. There is a reason Vegas set the line at 4, they knew it would be a tough game. Vandy had every reason to play with the hunger and passion that they were able to conjure up. They see Kentucky as a legitimate chance to get their 6th win of the year, that would make them bowl eligible for the first time since 1982. The Cats on the other hand, already securing that 6th win against LSU, could have easily folded. Not these Cats; the senior leadership is the biggest intangible this team possess that makes these guys so strong in the clutch. I was just as proud walking out of Vanderbilt Stadium as I was when I was walking out of Commonwealth after beating LSU.

Obviously with South Carolina folding to Tebow, this kills our chances at the SEC championship. We will at the end of season no doubt look back to the Mississippi State game as the one that got away. However we have no time for that now. Whats done is done. We have two huge games left that will decide if we get to go to the Capital One bowl, or the Liberty bowl. Also we have the chance the end the Tennessee streak. While its upsetting that we are out of the SEC race, we still have so much to play for. Athens will be an extremely tough game. Georgia is now the 3rd top-10 team we will have played this year (We are 2-0 in the those two games - UL, LSU). The Dawgs are hitting on all cylinders and will be anxious to avenge last years goal-post celebration party had at their expense. With no basketball games this week we can focus all of our attention on the football team, and they absolutely deserve it.

photo courtesy of ukathletics.com

Growing Pains...

What can possibly be said that hasn't already been said. We lost to Gardner-Webb...at Rupp...by 16... Okay its done, over, finito. We don't get to go to NYC and visit the Bradley Clan. In a way it could have been a blessing in disguise. Its obvious Billy Clyde is still getting to know his team, and his team is getting to know him. Say what you want about summer workouts and such, this team and staff has only been together for about 3 weeks. What this loss does is give us another 2 weeks to get to know one another; evaluate and practice, practice, practice! It allows us to dodge a possible 2 loss showing on ESPN to UConn and Oklahoma/Memphis. Lets be real, if the Cats show up in NY playing the way they did against GW, we lose two...bad.

I for one was initially pretty disgusted last night. There was very little to get excited about (exception - Alex Leigon) But at the end of the day this provided us a thorough exploitation of our weaknesses. We absolutely have to use this loss as a learning experience and motivation for the season to come. It may be bumpy but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Be patient folks, thats all I can say. If BCG's first 2 recruits (AL, PP) are any indication on what we can expect in the future, the future looks awfully bright.

Now onto more pressing news. Its November and guess what...its still football season. I take off tomorrow night for the Vandy game. This is a very big Saturday in the SEC. With all the East teams playing extremely meaningful games, we may have some clarity into what the results will be. For us Cat fans two things MUST HAPPEN. 1) Beat Vandy 2)Florida lose If those two things happen we hold our own destiny. Simple as that. Sure it would be nice if UGA and UT lose, but it only helps if we win and Florida loses. So go CATS, and go COCKS! Wow I can't believe i'm routing for Spurrier, who knew?!?!

photo courtesy of ukathletics.com

1-0

Well folks it wasn't pretty...but it was effective. No one said you had to look good to be good. Tonight was actually a great game to watch, and catch a lot of Billy Clyde's idiosyncrasies . He told us in the beginning that his defensive philosophy wasn't so much recognizing the opponents offense and adjusting to it; it's making your defense as such, so that their offense can't get set up. The fact that Michael Porter, Ramel Bradley, or Joe Crawford played full court pressure on Cent. Arkansas' ball handler the entire game was a telling example of this defensive philosophy. I can't think of a single possession where the Bears were able to set up in the half-court.

Billy Clyde has also told us he likens basketball situations to football situations. Apparently Billy Clyde has a special teams, a dime package, and nickel packages. He employs situational lineups. Late in the first half he used the scores-table as a revolving door for offensive and defensive lineups. He was constantly running guys in and out to best suit what was going on. This is an interesting concept that we should keep an eye on throughout the season.

We also witnessed tonight the first career double-double of Mark Coury, or as the KSR guys have dubbed, "The Coury Floury" In the two exhibitions and now tonight, Mark has progressed substantially. He played with a confidence tonight that is usually exhibited by a seasoned veteran. If this is any sign of the contributions he can have this year, he will truly be a valuable player for us this season.

All in all I feel that this was a good outing. Early in the first half when we had a walk-on in (Benson, who actually reminded me pleasantly of one Ravi Moss) I had a "Hoosiers" moment. There was a part in the movie when Gene Hackman is talking to the grandmother about how the team is, and he tells her how he is going to "break them down, and build them back up." That is how that first half seemed to me. We had a walk-on come in the game before Joe Crawford and Perry Stevenson. BCG is sending a message, to which Joe responded brilliantly. It may take some time, but be patient with these guys. The breaking down might be a little ugly at times, but that building back up should make for a great run in March. See you tomorrow night.

A New Era

Okay Cat fans! While I obviously don't have a following..yet; I am going to try and keep up with this. We are in the midst of a very important time for UK Athletics right now. Obviously the excitement the football team has given us this year has been truly amazing. Now that its November we get to officially usher in Billy Clyde as the next head coach to lead Kentucky to their 8th Championship Banner in Rupp.

Funny I was watching the Memphis game tonight and noticed they had a ceremony for raising their Elite Eight banner...wow, congrats Tigers! I suppose the past couple of seasons we would have enjoyed the thought of raising an Elite Eight banner. (That 05 Michigan State game seems like it sooooo long ago) However we all know we do not hang Elite Eight banners in Rupp. This is the tradition that we have at Kentucky. I'm confident that Billy Clyde understands this. I will be attending a majority of the home games this year as well as our annual group trip to an away game. This year we will be heading to Athens with about 30 guys, should be epic. Full report coming in February...stay tuned for that one. I hope to give my pea-brain analysis on most games, as if you care.

I suppose I owe my blogging interest to the guys over at www.kentuckysportsradio.com For those of you who are Cat Fans and do not frequent that site...YOU SHOULD! Period! Those guys work their ass off and do a hell of job. I'll try to be a little different from them if I can. They do a great job with recruiting and keeping up with breaking news on all UK fronts. I'm going to try and post everyday if I can. I can talk for hours about UK sports so I should be able to find something to post about.

Big game this weekend in Nashville. I am making the trip down south to see the Cats pick up a big road victory. Then we all have to put our Visors on and pull for the South Carolina Spurriers to knock off the University of Florida Tebows. This is a MUST WIN for USC in order to keep our SEC Championship dreams alive...assuming we can pull off, what will be a tough tough win on Saturday. BIG DAY...BIG DAY...