Walk-On Explanation

The dribble-drive's patented "Makin' it Rain" play.

For anyone needing an explanation for the dismissal of the walk-on's today, Coach Cal has his explanation ready for you. From the sound of everything, he just doesn't want to waste anyone's time. And from the sound of his explanation, he would've been had these players returned.

Coach did everything by the book also. "They" always say to fire people on Friday's. The joke might end up being on Cal as those were our best grades. Someone might not be getting his academic bonus this year.

July 31st: On this date...

... in 1980, President Jimmy Carter invited all 505 athletes from the imaginary U.S. Olympic team to Capital Hill for a ceremonial Gold Medal. Each would-be Olympian received the award for their solidarity in not competing in the Moscow games. The man in the center of the back row, Wildcat Sam Bowie, was a member of this team. He became the 8th Wildcat to be awarded the Olympic Gold Medal. The 1980 team was the youngest U.S. Olympic basketball team ever. They competed in the Gold Medal Series, exhibition games against NBA All-Star teams, and went 5-1. Sam Bowie was second on the team in scoring during these games with 11.5 PPG. He also added 7.0 RPG - 2 APG - 2.2 BPG against his NBA counterparts, leading the team in blocks and rebounding.

USA Basketball

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Coach Cal Releases 3 Walk-Ons

He didn't get the shot off. You're fired.

So says WKYT. Adam Delph, Dwight Perry, and Matt Scherbenske were all set free from their commitment to Kentucky basketball. All this does is cement the fact that no one is going to be getting a free ride around here any more. If you cannot help this team, you will not be on it.

This news lets us know that Mark Krebs will be the only returning walk-on for the 2009-10 season. The roster will be 12. While there will be some kickback from this, you gotta realize you can't have it both ways. Sacrifices have to be made if we want to rid ourselves of the train wreck that's been going on for the past five years.

Don't judge. It's Cal's program now.

Book Signings Coming Next Week

The highly anticipated book on Rich Brooks by Tom Leach is set to be released next Tuesday August 4th. Most expect Big Blue Nation to gobble The Rich Tradition up in no time.

If you're going to out to buy a copy here in Lexington, Coach Brooks and Tom will be signing copies on both August 4th and August 5th. The two will be at Central Bank in Hamburg at 4:00pm (Tuesday - August 4) and Joseph Beth in Lexington Green at 7:00pm (Wednesday - August 5).

Step away from the fast food for a few days and do the right thing. Buy the book.

July 30th: On this date...

... in 2006, Kentucky great and Rupp Runt Pat Riley was inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame. An All-American at Kentucky, Riley was a member of the 1966 Runner-Up team that lost to the ineligible Texas Western. Riley went on to be selected by the San Diego Rickets in the first round of the 1967 NBA Draft. He later joined the Los Angeles Lakers and helped them win the 1972 NBA Championship. And if that wasn't enough, he won another Championship as an assistant coach, then five more as a head coach. Few basketball minds think Pat Riley isn't one of the greatest NBA coaches to ever live. Respected as a player, coach, and executive, Riley is second only to Lenny Wilkins on the all-time NBA wins list.

Don't Ask No Questions

July 29th: On this date...

... in 1948, the men pictured above started their journey to the Olympic Gold Medal. The team consisted of 14 amateur players from two different teams. The teams, in this case, were the Phillips Oilers and your University of Kentucky Wildcats. The two teams had played an Olympic tryout, an epic 53-49 win by the Oilers. At the time, it considered one of the greatest basketball games ever played. The Oilers win meant Bud Browning would be the head coach of the Olympic team, with Mr. Rupp as his assistant. Kentucky's five players were: Alex Groza, Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones, Cliff Barker, Kenny Rollins, and Ralph Beard. The Uncle Sam's blasted the Frenchies back to...........well...............France in the Gold Medal game, 65-21.

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July 28th: On this date...

Real deal or tuxedo shirt? You be the judge.

... in 1993, future Kentucky Wildcat Derek Anderson led his North team to a gold medal in the U.S. Olympic Festival. The North team beat the West team 106-96. Anderson, an Ohio State Buckeye at the time, had 20 points in the gold medal-deciding game. The game was played in San Antonio, Texas, before a crowd of 7,458. UK legend Jared Prickett also played in the festival.

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Skins Sign Jarmon

Former Wildcat Jeremy Jarmon signed a four-year deal with the Washington Redskins today. It took less than two weeks for the Skins and Jarmon to reach a deal, signifying a mutual interest that both parties are ready to get it going.

The deal is four years with a signing bonus of $755,000. Not bad for a student who a few months ago was in the middle of a public relations nightmare.

Good luck to Jeremy. Hopefully he'll be a part of the action very soon.

Washington Times

Setback for Stevie

In what could be very bad news for former Cat Steve Johnson, we learned this morning he is out indefinitely with an injury to his rib cartilage. Buffalo was already overflowing with WRs. Now it gives opportunity to someone to snatch his spot.

The NFL is a very unforgiving sport, especially to those who are injured. Johnson had the inside track on making the team again in 2009. We can only hope they remember what a great rookie campaign he had.

Either that, or maybe start his own reality show.

Kentucky Sports

UK, WKU to Sign Four-Year Deal?

Larry Vaught is reporting Kentucky and Western Kentucky have agreed on a four-year football series. An official announcement will come later this week.

This agreement will have the 'Toppers coming to Lexington in 2010 and 2012, with the game moving to LP Field in Nashville in 2011 and 2013. Big Blue Nation has come strong each time the Cats have ventured down to the country capital.

A great move by the UK coaching staff to set up an in-state rivalry, not to mention give the fans an easy road trip to watch a beatdown. Western, a newly promoted Division I team, should be bad enough for the next few years to provide a nice stepping stone for the Cats.

The game could either be on Thursday night or Saturday night, depending on the Titans preseason schedule. Great exposure for the Cats and 'Toppers both as the game would be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.

July 27th: On this date...

... in 1992, while promoting "Achy Breaky Heart" with a concert in Rupp Arena, country star Billy Ray Cyrus had one question for his loyal followers:

Who wants to see me come back and sing the National Anthem for a Kentucky Wildcat basketball game?

The crowd erupted and started a riot by going bananas for their mullet-wearing hero. The University would oblige and give Mr. Cyrus a platform during a home game in the 1992-93 season.

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July 26th: On this date...

... in 2007, your University of Kentucky Wildcats first extended a scholarship offer to John Wall. And as any fan can tell you, that's all it took. Just like that, he committed to Kentucky. Here is an excerpt from their 2007 Vegas recap:

In action from the Reebok Summer Championships, 2009 point guard prospect John Wall once again got to the basket at will and either finished or handed off some outstanding interior passes. In fact, he sent the game to overtime with a series of driving lay ups against the Mokan Players and then won the game for D-One Sports with a wrap around pass in the lane for a game winning assist at the buzzer. With great length for his position and unbelievable speed, Wall has a unique ability to finish difficult lay ups. In a game where he scored 23 points and had five assists, Wall missed only one shot inside the arc. If Wall develops anything close to a consistent jumper, it is hard to imagine how he could possibly be defended.

Jerry Meyer also had high praise for UK target Jon Hood and 2010 prospect Joe Jackson (foreshadowing?).

At a glance, some will dismiss Jackson because of his size. But if there was ever a 5-foot-10 player who played more like 6-foot-3, it is Jackson. For example, on one possession he posted his man up in the elbow area, squared up with a strong pivot and then exploded to the basket with one dribble and ended the play with a dunk off two feet over his man. His six steals also attest to his explosive quickness and uncanny anticipation of plays. He takes contact well and can stroke the ball from behind the arc as well as knock down high degree of difficulty shots on the move. One of his most outstanding traits is the way he can zigzag directions on the move.

Standing out as one of the better prospects in the game was 2009 6-foot-5 shooting guard Jon Hood of the Nashville Celtics. Hood led the Celtics with 15 points and spent a lot of the game handling the ball. A likely four-star prospect, Hood has above average athleticism and looked quite comfortable shooting the ball off the dribble.

Then again, Scout.com had a recap of how Dakotah Euton was hitting everything he threw up during his Vegas run.

Lorenzen Hurts Knee

WKYT showed video of Jared Lorenzen possibly shredding his knee up in the Kentucky Horsemen loss tonight. A very bad break for both. Hopefully it turns out to be minor, but it didn't look very good.

And if you missed the Leif Olson hole-in-one at today's Canadian Open, check it out. Gotta be top 5 luckiest golf shot ever. Oh....and he won a $50,000+ BMW Z4 Roadster with the shot.

Joe Jackson Coming to Big Blue Madness?

So says every sports outlet in the Bluegrass. I've yet to find a reason, though. It seems his life will be a circus while trying to get his hands on Jacko's estate. He's definitely not shy of the spotlight. And if we know one thing.....we know the spotlight will be on Kentucky basketball this year. BBB will keep their eyes and ears open if we find out anymore regarding this development.

Scout.com

July 25th: On this date...

... in 2006, WKYT's Steve Moss had an entry on his blog which he recalls a meeting between he, Drew Deener, and Brooks Downing (UK Sports Information Director from 1995-2003). Downing told the two a behind-the-scenes story about the UK-Duke 1998 NCAA Regional Final in St. Pete. There was a meeting that took place between officials from the NCAA, San Antonio, UK, and Duke to discuss logistics and the Final Four. Downing said while they asked question after question, the Duke people never asked the first question. Their party had already been to San Antonio to tie up all the loose ends for their upcoming Final Four trip. And by upcoming Final Four trip, we mean the one they never made; after Tubby's Comeback Cats overcame a 17-point second half deficit. Downing later added, "To know that we derailed their entire flight plans, hotels, meal plans, everything, made it that much more special." Indeed Mr. Downing. Indeed.

Cats Picked Last? Not So Fast

So now that it's officially come out that we've been picked last in the SEC East, my Big Blue spirit is getting the best of me as I'm already wanting to change my predictions. As strong willed as I am, I'm gonna have to go against something I've already said. In the Vegas preview, I took the under on 6 wins.

While I still think we have much work to do to get to 6, I've officially moved the bar to push. The Cats will get the Vegas number, if, for no other reason than to piss off everyone in the SEC. We've come too far to regress to be picked as the 11th team overall in the SEC.

I will admit, I'm the first to be the glass half empty kinda guy on the 2009 season, but LAST in the East? PaPaw Brooks & Co. have marked their words for three straight years, and even when a great senior class graduated, the Cats overcame. Andre Woodson went from a no name QB to a semi-superstar. Having PaPaw behind the reigns has to give the Big Blue confidence that he's got a little bit more up his sleeve.

What PaPaw gives us is what Billy Clyde never gave us, confidence. The players in this system have never had a losing season. That has to account for something, right? Every year, Rich Brooks has pressed the right buttons, and set a challenge down to the new breed. It has worked so far, why not now?

White People: You Gotta Love 'Em

July 24th: On this date...

... in 1996, Kentucky legend Tony Delk signed a three-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets, who selected him with the 16th overall pick in 1996. The shooting guard was named Most Outstanding Player in the 1996 Final Four, and finished his career fourth in all-time scoring for the storied program...........FOURTH. Just in case you forgot how awesome Delk was, there's no way a 6'1" shooting guard goes 16th anytime soon. Delk most memorable game in the NBA was while he was in Phoenix. He dropped 53 on the Kings in 2000. He is currently on the new staff at your University and is long overdue to have a jersey retired.

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also:

... in 2008, Kelenna Azubuike became a rich man when the Warriors matched the Clippers' offer of $9 million over three years, keeping 'Buike in Oakland.

Comic Con

July 23rd: On this date...

... in 2006, the Joe B. & Denny Show starting airing live in Lexington. The former rival coaches had began their show in March of 2004 and within a year had been picked up by 21 stations. The show hasn't even lost steam five years later, as it continues to be a highly rated show across the Commonwealth. The two often trade jabs and go 10-15 seconds without uttering a word. The best show was on the way to the 2006 Music City Bowl against Clemson. They were doing the show live from an RV on the way to Nashville and seemed to be absolutely hammered having a very good time. I'm almost positive they weren't driving.

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July 22nd: On this date...

... in 1998, your University of Kentucky Wildcats pulled a fast one on the Utes with a bet of epic proportions. After the Cats took down Utah in the National Championship, 78-69, the Utah Geological Survey had to send a 550 million year-old fossil to the Kentucky Geological Survey. What both parties didn't realize, though, is that all they did was exchange a weathered pet rock from a kid in Utah. The fossil was concentrated on a slab of Limestone. Interesting. What's the big news in Lexington today? A section of South Limestone will be closed for the next year due to construction. I wonder who's laughing now?

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Crawford Over LeBron Video Coming?

TMZ supposedly has surviving video of Jordan Crawford cramming on LeBron at LeBron's camp. If the screen catch is any indication, they might be right. Of course, this could be video from of 5 million pickup games and we'd never know.

They will be debuting the video on TMZ TV tonight and will drop the uncut cram at 6:45 pm EST tonight on TMZ.com.

TMZ also confirmed UFC 3 fighter Kimo's death yesterday, only for Kimo to hold a news conference to say not so fast. Believe it when I see it.

Please go to Coach Cal's Website

The Grand Opening for Coach Cal's new website is coming up! It is not just any website, it's "The Official Website of John Calipari". CoachCal.com will be one of the most dynamic and innovative sites on the interwebs today.

You need proof?

Here's proof: the site will officially be up and going (Game Day) Thursday July 23rd, 2009, at 11:31:18am EST according to my time.

Kind of an awkward time, but I'll be there. For all I know, Coach Cal might take over the Internet at that point.

2009 Kentucky Football Preview: Vegas Style

In this week's edition of Closet Gamblers 101, we discuss the 2009 football Cats. More importantly, the view Vegas has of our beloved Cats. While some things have changed in the past year, the view from out west stays unchanged.

VegasInsider.com has released its annual College Football Futures wagering lines and the Cats are predictably toward the bottom of the SEC and college football. One thing that caught my eye, though, is the semi-favorable view of the Cats overall win total.

Vegas has marked Kentucky at 150/1 to win the BCS National Championship game. One thing I can't understand is how they expect to get any play on that number. Why not put the number at 1500/1 or even 15000/1? Even the most loyal UK fan can't justify throwing a penny toward 150/1 to win it all, right? We might "believe", but not at 150/1.

The odds are shorter to win the SEC Championship game. The Cats come into 2009 at 60/1 to take home the title I'll be lucky to see us win in my lifetime, tied with Vandy and just ahead of Mississippi State (75/1). If the money is on Florida (1/2) and the trio of LSU, Bama, and Ole Miss (9/2), the least you could do is give me the public something better than 60/1.

The final number of the day is the 2009 win total. I was guessing the over/under would be 5 or 5.5, but to my surprise Vegas puts the number at 6 wins. Perfectly fine, but for an offense still trying to find its feet and a "D" that has been hurt in the offseason, 6 wins mean Kentucky HAS to win every game its supposed to. And to be frank, that might be asking too much.

Sure the Cats might lose a lock game and sure they might stumble upon a marquee win, but with an unproven backfield, an overall shaky offense, and a defense without JJ, Vegas might be forcing my hand to take the under. Prove me wrong Cats.

Odds to win 2009 SEC Championship game:

Florida - (1/2)
Ole Miss - (9/2)
LSU - (9/2)
Alabama - (9/2)
Georgia - (10/1)
South Carolina - (20/1)
Tennessee - (20/1)
Arkansas - (25/1)
Auburn - (40/1)
Kentucky - (60/1)
Vandy - (60/1)
Mississippi State - (75/1)

**Note** - BBB does not condone gambling of any kind, unless, of course, you have inside information. In that case, feel free to contact your friends at this site.

Coach Cal's Announcement

His new website is going to be launched this week! Meet you guys at Woodland/Euclid...

T.J. HoozYaMama, Say It Ain't So

Former Bengal and current Seahawk wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is mad, and he wants you to know he's had enough. Housh says when everyone lines up to grab the new Madden 10 on August 14th, he ain't gonna be one of them:

Houshmandzadeh did an interview with Colin Cowherd of ESPN Radio, and told the host he would be boycotting the latest version of the game. He said he's not happy with his rating.

"I understand I averaged 10 yards a catch, but it's the offense, not me. I'm not playing Madden no more until they get my rating right. ... I used to be the best in the world at Madden. I'm going to miss not playing it, but until they do me right, I'm not playing it any more."

Boycotting a video game because his rating is too low? His rating is 91! The 6th highest rated receiver on the game! Even Housh has to know he's not a top five receiver.

This isn't the first time and it won't be the last, it just shows you where we are with today's athletes. T.J., don't go all 85 on me, you're above that.

Great Announcement Coming

At some point this afternoon.

Coach Cal also met with Nike officials while in Vegas. They are still working on the new look of the uniforms.

July 21st: On this date...

... in 1962, 36 year-old Mr. Wildcat was hired as the University of Kentucky's assistant equipment manager. Bill Keightley, a former Marine who served in World War II and current member of the U.S. Postal Service was asked to help out equipment manager George Hukle. It was a part-time job for the Lawrenceburg, KY native, about four hours a day. From this date on, Mr. Wildcat was a part of the richest tradition in college basketball. Keightley was an All-State center as a senior for Kavanaugh High School in 1944. The rest is history.

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Kentucky Basketball Yearbook Turns 30

The good 'ol days of black and white print.

This summer marks the 30th Anniversary of The Cats' Pause Kentucky Basketball Yearbook. To commemorate this event, they have asked you, Joe Fan, to compile your list of the top 30 players of the past 30 years. You have to think one of the above players has a great shot to pull down the imaginary honor.

TCP even gives the rules, the prize you'll be entered to win, and the players you should choose!

Everyone is asked to have 30 players listed on their ballot, numbered 1-30.

You can either mail:

The Cats' Pause
Top 30 Wildcats
2623 Regency Rd
Lexington, KY 40503

or email: TCPtop30@gmail.com

40 Years Later

July 20th: On this date...

... in 1983, alumni pickup games were the flavor of the month as Kenny "Sky" Walker battled current and former Cats in full-court games. One team Walker faced was made up of Kyle Macy, Charles Hurt, Dirk Minniefield, Vince Sanford, and Rick Robey. Walker had played in the National Sports Festival a few weeks earlier and was named MVP after going for 24 pts - 8 rebs in the Championship game for the South squad. The coach for the South that day.........Mike Kryzsdhlsuaiheaski.

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July 19th: On this date...

... in 2006, the University of Kentucky self-reported a secondary NCAA violation due to its rabid, foaming at the mouth fanbase. Fans stormed Patrick Patterson's Myspace page trying to convince him to come to Lexington. Patterson was sent lewd photos and borderline creepy messages from people like this, this, and this. Our own fans posted how Kentucky players gained special privileges around town and on campus. And while everyone knows that may be the case, we're the only fanbase stupid enough to shout it out for everyone to hear. Ultimately, nothing really came of it and we landed Patterson. On the other hand, it is said to be the reason DeAndre Jordan crossed UK off his list first. Years later, fans would once again use this tactic on highly ranked recruit John Wall. Two outta three aint bad!

Summer Camp With Joe IV & V

Joe Crawford and the Knicks moved to 0-4 in the Summer League with a loss to the Bulls, 90-84.

Joe's line: 4-8 FG, 2-3 3PM, 10 pts - 2 rebs - 1 asst - 1 TO, 16:05 minutes.

The New York Knicks ran the table in reverse to close out their 2009 Summer League 0-5. They fell to the Wizards 89-84.

Joe's line: 5-13 FG, 2-7 3PM, 12 pts - 4 rebs - 1 asst - 1 stl - 1 TO, 30:36 minutes.

Summer League totals for Joe C.:

21.8 MPG, 20-43 FG (46.5%), 7-18 3PM (38.9%), 9.6 PPG - 3.0 RPG

July 18th: On this date...

... in 2007, the NCAA announced Kentucky as its leader in college basketball attendance for the 11th time in 12 years. Big Blue Nation packed Rupp Arena in 2007 with an average attendance of 23,421, the total attendance being 347, 737. Syracuse finished second (21,516), North Carolina third (20,693), and Tennessee fourth (19,661), Louisville fifth (18,488). Syracuse actually had more people for the year, but as usual they play roughly 30 home games each year to Kentucky's 16.

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Kentuckians at The Open

J.B. Holmes and Kenny Perry both made the cut at this week's Open Championship. Kenny is tied for 53rd at (+3), while J.B. is tied for 9th at (-2).

Round 3 Tee Times: Kenny Perry 4:55am EST - J.B. Holmes 9:20am EST

Good luck to the Commonwealth.

Summer Camp With Joe III

Well...Well...Well. Imagine that. A Lebron post with a Crawford coming with the thunder over the top. You can't make this stuff up. Don't worry, it's all a part of the Kentucky World Domination plot. I'll explain later.

Anyhoo, Joe Crawford played his third game today in the Vegas Summer League. And it didn't go so well. The Knicks moved to 0-3 in the Summer Session with a loss to the .................you gotta be kidding me................. Kings, 84-71. Once again, the King(s) leave the Crawford family hangin'.

Joe's line: 3-6 FG, 0-1 3PM, 6 pts - 3 rebs - 1 TO, playing time 26:11

Next game vs. Chicago, Saturday 6:00pm EST.

LeBron in Lexington?

No seriously. I'm asking. Coach Cal says so via Twitter. And rumor has it Lebron said it was the nicest facility he had ever seen and that if he had gone to college, he would've chosen Kentucky.

We have no footage to confirm any of this because Nike owns Kentucky and LeBron.

July 17th: On this date...

... in 2008, ya boy Billy Clyde announced at a press conference that he and the University were on the verge of signing a formal contract. He said a pair of meetings between President Lee Todd and AD Mitch Barnhardt has ironed everything out and the University would have a contract on his desk within days. Hindsight lets us know the man pictured above had no intentions of ever signing a formal contract, leaving him some wiggle room with the Memorandum of Understanding.

"It hasn't been a big deal to me since day one," Gillispie said. "I don't think it's been that big a deal, but they're getting me a contract here in the next few days that has the changes that we discussed, and I don't foresee it being any kind of problem."

Of course not. Everything in this quote is all relative, depending on which end you're standing. See you in court!

J.B. Makes the Cut

With a solid round of Even par 70, J.B. Holmes has guaranteed he will be playing on the weekend at this year's Open Championship. He made it to the halfway point at (-2) and is tied for 13th currently. The weather is much worse today than yesterday, so chances are he will keep inching up the leaderboard.

Kentuckian Kenny Perry is tied for 40th (+1) as we speak. He still has nine holes left to play in his second round.

Summer Camp With Jodie Ends With a Bang

Jodie Meeks and the Bucks wrapped up their 2009 NBA Summer League slate with a loss to the Raptors, 84-83. It was the only loss in what ended as 4-1 Summer League mark. If nothing else, this should inject some confidence in the younger players heading into offseason. The 2009-10 schedule should be announced in August.

Jodie got off today blasting the Raptors with 29 points (25 in the 2nd half), including a fade-away 3-pointer to give the Bucks an 83-82 lead with 15 seconds left. This completes an absolutely ridiculous Summer League for the 41st pick overall in the '09 Draft. We know why the Bucks didn't waste any time in signing the prolific scorer.

Jodie's line: 12-23 FG, 4-8 3PM, 1-1 FT, 29 pts - 4 rebs - 1 stl - 1 TO, playing time 35:36

Summer League totals (5 games):

39-70 FG (56%), 8-15 3PM (53%), 9-11 FT (82%), over 32 MPG

19.0 PPG - 2.2 rebs - 0.8 assts - 1.0 stl - 1.4 TO

Jarmon a 'Skin

The Washington Redskins took Jeremy Jarmon with a third round supplemental pick today at the 2009 NFL Supplemental Draft. The Draft being a silent auction via email, but still. Its more than I've done today.

This could potentially be a great place for Jarmon. Having an All-Pro like Albert Haynesworth next to you getting double teamed would make it easier to make a name for yourself.

Congrats to Jeremy. We now have a new team to follow.

Kentuckians at the Open

I'm sensing a hug!

J.B. Holmes and Kenny Perry are in Scotland this week competing in The British Open Championship. They both have completed their first round. The weather is apparently awesome, which in Scotland means overcast in the mid-50s with a small breeze.

Perry completed his round with a +1 (71) and is in a tie for 70th place at the moment. He didn't knock himself out of the Championship, but there is definitely work to be done. Maybe Kenny can check out his new best friend's Twitter account for a motivational message.

J.B. finished an up-and-down round moments ago with a solid -2 (68) and is four off the lead. Holmes had five birdies on the mostly windless day and if he can find his putting stroke, the big hitter could make some noise.

Darius dominated the southern hemisphere recently. Hopefully, one of these two guys can take The Open to continue Kentucky's path to world domination.

July 16th: On this date...

... in 1993, Travis Ford helped Team USA beat the communism out of China at the World University Games 129-91 to advance to the gold medal game. Ford, who was coming back from a minor knee injury, bucketed 16 points. Team USA would later win gold, prompting wind guy T. Boone Pickens to offer Travis the Oklahoma State job. These were the first World University Games held in the U.S. since 1972. Chicken guy Kenny Rogers was featured during the opening ceremonies.

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UK's Billy Kopp Eliminated in 12th at 2009 WSOP

Kentucky student, probably former student now, Billy Kopp was eliminated in 12th place at the 2009 WSOP Main Event. Don't cry a river for Billy, though, he left the Main Event with over $896K. Not bad for a former student.

With that kind of money, he'll have a leg up on fellow students when it comes to the type of premium resume paper he can buy. Should put him in line for a nice job.

Kopp stayed in the top five most of the night, then got caught on a second nut flush draw. His opponent, now the huge chip leader, had a king high flush while Billy held a five high flush, taking over $20 mil in chips.

Summer Camp With Jodie IV/Joe II

Joe Crawford had another solid game with the Knicks today, but the Knicks went down big to the Pistons, 96-73.

Joe's line: 4-7 FG, 2-3 3PM - 10 pts - 3 rebs

Joe next game is Friday at 6:00 pm EST

Jodie Meeks helped his team go to 4-0 with a victory over the Bulls today, 87-72.

Jodie's line: 6-12 FG, 1-2 3PM, 3-4 FT, 16 pts - 2 assts - 1 stl - 3 TOs, 36 minutes played

Jodie's next game is Thursday at 4:00pm EST


And in football news Jeremy Jarmon has a RB preview for the 2009 Cats at KSR. The 2009 NFL Supplemental Draft is Thursday at 1:00 pm.

And Steve Moss of WKYT (via KSR) says there is no police report about "anything" and there is probably not going to be any arrests from "anything". (Yawn.........moving on.....nothing to see here....)

Benjamins?? Psssshht, Please

July 15th: On this date...

... in 1940, Allen Feldhaus, a former player under Adolph Rupp and father of Unforgettable Deron Feldhaus, was born in Burlington, Kentucky. He played for Coach Rupp from 1959-62, and though he wasn't a big scorer, his physical presence in the post made teams account for him. One example of this is versus Tennessee January 15, 1962: After Cotton Nash had exchanged blows with UT's Sid Eliot, Feldhaus entered the scrum, chasing Eliot around the court with his fist cocked, all but ending the cheap shots on Nash. Feldhaus later became a coach at Mason County, leading the Royals to four regional titles and a runner-up finish in the 1981 Sweet Sixteen.

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BBB Exclusive: The Football Incident

Everyone has heard the basics on the incident involving Kentucky and Tennessee athletes over the weekend. What you don't know, though, is BBB had someone at the scene when all of this went down. It comes from a very reliable source, and if it's true, the consequences will be dire.



Most of this is still rumor, but its not looking good.

Summer Camp With Joe I

While Jodie Meeks may have been the most recent love affair with the Big Blue Nation, we can't forget about the gritty, gutty, Joe Crawford. Joe's time at Kentucky was up-and down to say the least, but he ended up having one of the most underrated careers of note. Not to mention he had to put up with that moron Billy Clyde for his senior season. And for that, he deserves some props.

Joe now plays with the New York Knicks and is a part of their summer league team. Their first game was today in Vegas, a 90-86 loss to the Grizzlies.

Joe's line: 4-9 FG, 1-4 3PM, 1-1 FT, 10 pts - 3 rebs, playing time 17:54

Go Cats.

Summer Camp With Jodie III

The man above continued his torrid start in the NBA Summer League last night in helping the Milwaukee Bucks move to 3-0 with a 91-86 comeback win over the Kings. Jodie Meeks is absolutely killing it in his new digs.

Jodie's line: 8-12 FG, 2-3 3PM, 2-2 FT - 20 pts - 3rebs - 1stl - 2 TOs

Jodie is shooting a ridiculous 21-35 FG = 60% from the field through three games and has consistently gotten better each time out. He's getting almost 12 shots/game and making seven of them.

All of this success leaves Cat fans everywhere to think of what could have been. Can you imagine the destruction of the 2009-10 schedule if he would've came back?

Next game against Toronto, Wednesday at 6:00 pm EST. Recap to follow.

July 13th: On this date...

... in 1993, the high schooler on the right was offered a scholarship to play basketball at Kentucky by Rick Pitino. Will Padgett, father of St. X forward Scott Padgett, said his son was "overjoyed, like a little kid waking up on Christmas morning and seeing his presents." Padgett was a lifelong Kentucky fan (protocol for any young male) growing up in the filthy city of Louisville, just hoping to make it out. He played in only 14 games as a freshman on the 1994-95 team. Apparently, a nasty dog from Louisville ate his homework for a semester, because he flunked out. He turned everything around, though, and was a vital part of the runner-up 1997 team, the Champion 1998 team, and the Elite Eight 1999 squad. His 3-pointer vs. Duke in the 1998 Regional Final goes down as one of the most important shots in Kentucky basketball history.

UK calendar

Kobe Blastin' LeBron

Whether you're a Kobe guy or a Lebron guy, you gotta admit Kobe calling out LeBron for getting dunked on at his camp is good for everyone.

Derrick Jasper in Attendance for Meeks' Pro Debut

The Las Vegas Sun has a nice feature on Jodie and how his three years in Lexington are making the transition to the NBA easier than your average NBA rookie. The Bucks are also hoping his experience will help in the development of first-round draftee Brandon Jennings.

Meeks' former teammate Derrick Jasper was also in attendance for Game 1. It's good to hear from Jasper as he probably derserves an apology from the majority of Kentucky's fan base. I know I was critical of him leaving for my own selfish reasons. Looking back on it, everyone now has an idea of his thinking process whenever deciding to leave the Cats last year.

Here are a few comments from Jasper about Jodie's decision:

"I was surprised with his decision to leave UK at first, especially with how talented of a team they have returning," Jasper said. "It would have definitely been a tough decision, with all that is at stake, but Jodie had one of the best years in Kentucky history and has worked extremely hard to overcome injuries and coaching changes throughout his years at UK. I think he got what he deserved."....."Playing at Kentucky, you definitely have all the attention you can handle since the Wildcats are basically treated like an NBA team anyway. But Jodie is so physically and mentally tough, that he'll be able to handle leaving college early."

We wish Derrick well this season at UNLV.

Summer Camp With Jodie II

Here are a few highlights of Jodie Meeks in Summer League Game #1.


Game 2 for the Bucks kicks off Sunday night at 10:00pm EST.

***UPDATE***

Jodie followed his solid Game 1 performance with an equally impressive performance in a Game 2 win against Cleveland, 80-69.

Jodie's line: 7-14 FG, 2-2 FT, 16 pts - 2 rebs - 2 assts - 1 stl -1 TO

Nice work. Go Cats.

Game 2 highlights.

July 12th: On this date...

... in 2003, nearly 20,000 seats were sold in advance to a game that would become a World Record for attendance at a basketball game. The Kentucky-Michigan State tilt would be called "Basketbowl - Hoops on the 50", only because everything nowadays needs a label or catchy jingle. I've even labelled this post as an example. The game would take place at Ford Field, the newly designed home of the Detroit Lions. Officials were hoping to get 75,000 for the game. They got 78,129. The previous World Record for any basketball game was set at Olympic Stadium in Berlin for a ?Harlem Globetrotters game. The Superdome in New Orleans had held the top 9 spots for most attended college basketball games in history. Oh....Gerald Fitch scored 25 to lead #8 Kentucky to a 79-74 victory over Izzo's Spartans.

UK calendar

Darius Down Under IX

For the first time since 1991, Team USA has won a gold at a Junior World Championship. It took our nation 18 years to realize that all it needed was two players to have an association with Lexington. Lets hope they don't make this mistake again.

They handled Greece in the Gold Medal round, 88-80, to complete a perfect 9-0 record in FIBA U-19 World Championships in New Zealand.

Darius' line: 2-2 FG, 4-4 FT, 8 pts - 3 stls - 2 TOs - playing time 15 minutes.

Shelvin Mack: 4 pts - 1 reb

Darius' complete tournament line:

9 Games, 17-27 FG (63%), 0-4 3PM, 11-14 FT (78.6%), 130 minutes played

Averaging:

5 PPG - 3.1 rebs - 1.3 assts - 1.3 blks - 1.6 stls - 1.6 TOs

UFC 100 - Preview and Results

There's no preview, but I'm guessing you can find one. They're everywhere. If anyone is in Lexington and wants to watch it, come by Wichita. We'll have it free of charge.

I'll throw results up at some point, but I'm not guaranteeing much.

Henderson/Bisping - Dan Henderson absolutely destroys Michael Bisping in one of the most devastating knockouts I've ever seen in my life. 2nd round KO.

GSP/Alves - GSP dominates Alves in 5 rounds with a pulled groin for the last 2 rounds. Impressive. Says he needs a challenge. Anderson Silva is the only challenge left. Would be highest grossing fight in UFC history.

Lesnar/Mir - Total destruction of Mir by Lesnar. 2nd round TKO. As the Mexicans say..........El Beatdown. Spanish for............The Beatdown.