October 31st: On this date...

..... in 2007, Jodie Meeks scored a game-high 34 points and Patrick Patterson added 21 to key the Wildcats past visiting Pikeville, 99-64. It was the first of two exhibition games for the Cats and was the first appearance in Rupp Arena as Kentucky head coach for Billy Clyde Gillispie. Meeks hit seven first half 3-pointers on his way to 27 first half points, matching Pikeville’s total. Since it was an exhibition, the stats didn’t count, but Big Blue Nation didn’t seem to mind. It was also the debut for freshman Patrick Patterson. He finished the game 10-12 from the field, even though the highly touted newcomer wasn’t in the starting lineup. New head coach Billy Clyde had the starting lineup of: Ramel Bradley, Jodie Meeks, Ramon Harris, Perry Stevenson, and ...........wait for it.......................Mark Coury! Billy Clyde Gillispie is no longer employed by the University of Kentucky.

*** October 30th trivia answer: Tony Delk, Jared Prickett, and Rodrick Rhodes. Recruiting analysts tabbed that recruiting class as the #1 class in the country.***

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 30th: On this date...

..... in 1991, a lanky 6'9" forward from Evansville, Indiana, decided to play basketball for your University of Kentucky Wildcats. His name? Walter McCarty. The recruitment of McCarty came down to Purdue, Kentucky, and Evansville. He chose the Cats shortly after visiting Big Blue Madness a few weeks earlier, making Kentucky four-for-four on getting commitments from the recruits coming to the 1991 Madness. Any Big Blue Nation member can tell you the importance of Walter McCarty to the rebuilding efforts of Kentucky basketball, the most famous being his shot from the corner in Baton Rouge during the Mardi Gras miracle. McCarty was an extremely rare inside-out big guy who could defend anyone on the court, as well as shoot it from anywhere on the court. He posed matchup nightmares for any Kentucky opponent. He later turned in his Big Blue Nation membership card when he hopped on Rick Pitino’s staff at that other school.

*** Can you name the other three players at the 1991 Big Blue Madness along with Walter McCarty? Answer tomorrow.***

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 29th: On this date...

..... in 2005, Kentucky running backs Arliss Beach and Rafael Little had a combined 239 yards from scrimmage in the Wildcats 13-7 victory over the visiting Mississippi State Bulldogs. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Cats, but was only the first win of the season against a Division I opponent. Little finished with 114 yards on 24 carries, while Beach totaled 84 yards on 14 carries. The Big Blue defense allowed only 99 yards of total offense in the first half, never allowing the Bulldogs to get past the Kentucky 30-yard line. A quarterback change ignited the offense for Mississippi State, but the Cats held on late for the win. Sophomore quarterback Andre Woodson, who was battling the flu, finished the game completing only 13 of 27 passes for 141 yards and no touchdowns. The lone Kentucky touchdown came in the first half on a Rafael Little 8-yard scamper.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 28th: On this date...

..... in 2006, Kentucky scored on four of its first five second half possessions in Starkville to take a 31-17 lead, and eventually hung on, 34-31. It was not without drama, though, as Jacob Tamme had to recover a last ditch onside kick with 2:12 left in the game to make things interesting. Keenan Burton led the way for the Cats with 5 catches, 81 yards, and two touchdowns. He also added 93 yards on kickoff returns to help set up the offense. Dicky Lyons, Jr., finished the game with 8 receptions, 117 yards, one touchdown. The highlight of the night was a great Dicky Lyons one-handed touchdown catch in the end zone.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Beadle's Spoof on LeBron - Kudos

October 27th: On this date...

..... in 1991, a high-schooler from Brownsville, Tennessee, committed to play basketball for your University of Kentucky Wildcats. Tony Delk would eventually win Mr. Basketball in the state directly south, as well as be named to both Parade and McDonald’s All-American team. In 1994, Delk was named to the All-SEC Tournament team. In 1995, he would be named first team All-SEC. In 1996, he would be named first team All-American, SEC Player of the Year, and the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament. Tony Delk ended his career as the #4 scorer in the history of Kentucky basketball, and currently sits #5. The undersized shooting guard could fill it up with the best of ‘em, tying an NCAA record with seven 3-pointers made in the 1996 NCAA Championship game.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 26th: On this date....

..... in 1989, the one-and-only Jamal Mashburn committed to play basketball for the University of Kentucky. It was the first big commitment of the Rick Pitino Era as the Bronx, NY, native had followed the former Knicks coach very closely. Mashburn and his Unforgettable teammates help lead a turnaround of massive proportions, leading Kentucky to an Elite Eight in 1992. One year later, Mashburn led Big Blue to a Final Four where they would fall to Michigan’s Fab Five. October 26, 1989, deserves to be a holiday in the Commonwealth as one can pinpoint this day as a starting point for one of the most successful decades in program history. The Monster Mash had climbed to fourth on the all-time Kentucky basketball scoring list as he decided to turn pro after his junior season. He currently stands #6 on the all-time scoring list.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 25th: On this date...

...... in 2003, Kentucky’s all-everything wideout Derek Abney tied the NCAA record for most career kick returns for a touchdown in a 42-17 rout of Mississippi State. Abney’s 80-yard punt return in the third quarter was his eighth career kick return for a touchdown, tying Cliff Branch (1970-71 Colorado) and Johnny Rodgers (1970-72 Nebraska). Kentucky came back from a 17-0 first half deficit and scored 42 unanswered points for the final tally. Abney’s punt return put the Cats up 21-17, and they never looked back. Jared Lorenzen also broke Tim Couch’s record for career touchdown passes (74) on a 53-yard play to Abney, giving him 75 for his career. J-Load finished 16-24 for 256 yards and the lone touchdown. Nice record-breaking day for the 4-4 Wildcats.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 24th: On this date...

..... in 2008, Kentucky guard Jodie Meeks declared himself 100% healthy about a miserable 2007-08 campaign that was plagued by injury and a coaching change. A sports hernia initially diagnosed as a stress fracture in his pelvis and a hip flexor limited the Norcross, GA, native to 11 games. And with the loss of seniors Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley, Meeks knew he needed to step up his offensive game in order for the Cats to be successful. The fact there was no mention on the SEC’s preseason All-SEC team also kept the fire alive in Jodie for 2008-09. Little did Big Blue Nation know what was in store for them during the 2008-09 basketball season. While the team struggled down the stretch, the individual performances by Jodie Meeks were immediately legendary. Jodie had a monster season highlighted by the ridiculous 54-point performance at Tennessee.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 23rd: On this date...

...... in 1998, a 54-year old Englishman, Ian Ward, came up with possibly the greatest idea of my generation........the image you see above. Ward was the general manager of the Kentucky CoolCats, the University’s barely funded hockey team, came up with a spicy idea to promote the team. Having seen Judd on TV during the basketball season, the idea popped into his head to contact the UK alum in a last ditch effort to gain some excitement. Judd was contacted by her cousin and finally agreed to do the shoot. The poster was a hit, a pop culture phenomenon. Outlets such as USA Today and Washington quickly picked the story up causing a stir among professional hockey players. Everyone had to have the poster. Brett Favre’s agent requested a dozen or so copies. He then sent pictures of his weiner to her. What started as a favor, ended up being quite possibly the greatest publicity stunt in Hollywood history. After Judd’s appearance, every actress from the state knew that if she was going to make it, she needed her own hockey poster moment. Rebecca Gayheart, Leah Lail, the Costello twins (Julie and Shawnie), model Kylie Bax, and Miss USA Tara Conner all owe a bit of their popularity to Mr. Ward.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 22nd: On this date....

..... in 1977, your University of Kentucky Wildcats gave the Prince of Wales his first American football experience. Kentucky played Georgia in Athens while the Prince was stateside. At halftime, Prince Charles was able to meet Kentucky All-American Art Still and head coach Fran Curci. When the Prince came upon the 6'6" Still, he said, “You’re a tall one aren’t you?” Big Blue ultimately destroyed the Bulldogs that day, 33-0, and finished the 1977 season with a 10-1 record. Curci, who coached the Cats for nine seasons, is still the longest tenured coach in program history to this day. The Prince then flapped his ears and flew back across the pond, but not before dropping the smash hit "Purple Rain". It's a small world, indeed.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 21st: On this date...

..... in 2007, following a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the almighty Tim Tebow and Florida, your University of Kentucky Wildcats remained in the top 15 in each of the four main college football polls. This meant Kentucky would be in the top 25 polls for its sixth consecutive week, its longest streak in 30 years. The release from UK noted:

#14 AP poll (previous #8)
#15 ESPN/USA Today (previous #13)
#15 Harris Interactive (previous #11
#14 BCS standings (previous #7)

Kentucky was 6-2 on the season, 2-2 in the hardest division of the hardest conference in college football. Those rankings and previous rankings are mind-boggling.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 20th: On this date...

..... in 2007, ESPN College Gameday made its first appearance in Lexington, KY, for the SEC clash between 8th ranked Kentucky and 14th ranked Florida (read that sentence again). Coming off a triple-overtime 43-37 upset of #1 LSU the previous week in Commonwealth Stadium, the football Cats were once again the center of the college football universe. The most popular college preview show in history chose the northwest side of the massive William T. Young Library to set up shop for the day. They were greeted by a gigantic audience and scholars maintain it was the loudest group of people ever assembled in one place (in the history of the world). The Gators would ultimately win the shootout 45-37 with an inspirational/penis trimming Tim Tebow rushing touchdown with 1:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. Andre Woodson finished the game 35-50 for 415 yards and 5 touchdowns. Stevie Johnson and Dicky Lyons, Jr., both had eight catches for well over 100 yards a piece. A brave and proud effort from a program that was clearly on the rise.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Last Weekend's Butler-PRP Finish Rivals Cal-Stanford

Amazing, crazy end to football game @ Yahoo! Video

October 19th: On this date...

These uni's were considered very "futuristic" in 2002.

..... in 2002, Kentucky quarterback Jared Lorenzen threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Cats to victory in Fayetteville, 29-17. The win pushed Kentucky’s record to 5-2 on the year. Two touchdowns in a 29-second span in the third quarter keyed the Cats, who trailed 10-9 at half. Mike Williams picked off Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones in the first play of the third quarter, then Artose Pinner scored on the next play to give Big Blue a 16-10 lead. Derek Abney’s 86-yard punt return for a touchdown put the lead out of reach. Pinner ended the game with 71 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. Aaron Boone led Kentucky wideouts with 102 yards on 7 catches.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Freak Show In The Preseason

October 18th: On this date...

..... in 2003, backup quarterback Shane Boyd did a bit of everything as Kentucky blasted Ohio 35-14 in Lexington. Starter Jared Lorenzen was taken out of the game after two fumbles in the first quarter. Boyd entered in relief and went on to have touchdown scoring runs of 8 and 12 yards, a 42-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Cook, and a 30-yard touchdown reception from Lorenzen. J-Load actually had two touchdown passes in the final 10:07, the other to Derek Abney giving him 74 for his collegiate career, tying him with Tim Couch for the school record. Shane Boyd ended the game with 189 total yards.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

The Two Huge Plays From Last Night

October 17th: On this date...

... in 2000, in a futuristic endeavor, the University of Kentucky sold 700 tickets online to Big Blue Madness, selling out in 13 minutes. This was the first time in Big Blue Madness history that tickets were offered over the Interwebs. The remaining 8,000 or so were sold at ticket counters and were gone in 10 minutes. The theme of Big Blue Madness 2000 was Survivor: Outhustle, Outplay, Outlast, a takeoff of the popular CBS hit reality show that chronicled the everyday struggles of a nude middle-aged white man who wandered up and down the beach and later evaded the IRS. Whoa, bet they wish they could have that one back.

Note: This event actually took place on October 13, 2000, but no one knows any different. Continue to spout this knowledge throughout the office as if it is your own.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 16th: On this date...

..... in 1999, Derek Homer scored two touchdowns, Anthony White had 133 total yards, and Dusty Bonner threw for 294 yards as Kentucky manhandled LSU 31-5 in Commonwealth Stadium. The win was the third straight for the Wildcats and moved them to 5-2 on the 1999 season. The Kentucky defense, anchored by Harrodsburg native Dennis Johnson, gave up only 227 yards of total offense. It was the first time in head coach Hal Mumme’s 30 games that his team had not given up a touchdown. Halfway through the fourth quarter up 26 points, Hal Mumme ran a fake punt on a fourth-and-22 from the UK 42 yard line. Upback A.J. Simon hit tight end Derek Smith for 23 yards and a first down. I’m guessing the Karma Gods were looking on and waiting for the right time to repay us. Need I say more?

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 15th: On this date....

..... in 1982, when Joe B Hall decided he needed to get some exposure for his potentially great team, he used a trick that Lefty Drissell conducted about a decade earlier by introducing “Midnight Special”. It would be a practice at midnight the first day the NCAA would let each college to start their yearly practicing. The practice would allow allow Big Blue Nation to come see player introductions and meet the team before the 1982-83 season. Just over 8,500 fans would attend the worldly event in the 12,000-seat Memorial Coliseum. Although the name would change and later be copyrighted, the “Big Blue Madness” seed had been planted and has grown exponentially ever since.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

This is the only footage from that night:

And Now, For The Day's Saddest Picture

(AP photo/Ed Reinke via John Clay)

While Eloy Vargas gets interviewed during Kentucky's media day, a lonely Free Enes is left to wonder what it must be like across the hall. If you can't hate the NCAA after seeing this, you have no soul.

Brett Favre's Penis Shot That's Safe For Work!

October 14th: On this date...

... in 2006, Rick Brooks hit his trigger point when his Wildcats fell 49-0 to LSU in Baton Rouge. This ended up being a seminal moment in Rich Brooks’ coaching career as the 2006 football Cats had the kind of roster many fans felt could compete with the powerhouses in the SEC. Dwayne Bowe caught 6 passes for 111 yards and 3 touchdowns to move into second place on LSU’s all-time receiving touchdown list. Andre Woodson end the game 14-37 for 145 yards. The Tigers outgained the Cats 546-227 in total yards. This embarrassing outcome was followed up by a 4-1 record for the remainder of 2006, getting our boys to a 7-5 record. The 7 wins were enough to a earn Kentucky a bowl bid, the Music City Bowl in Nashville against Clemson.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Below is the only video from that day:

October 13th: On this date...

... in 2007, your University of Kentucky Wildcats pulled an upset of epic proportions, slaying #1 LSU in triple overtime, 43-37. Andre Woodson found Stevie Johnson all alone for the go-ahead seven yard touchdown and Braxton Kelley made the tackle of his collegiate career on LSU running back Charles Scott to end the game. The Cats had been stifled for most of the day by the top-ranked LSU defense, but scored 13 straight points late in the game to tie it at 27. One of the most forgotten people of this day was kicker Lones Seiber. As critical as Big Blue Nation has been of him, he stepped up to make some huge kicks that Saturday. Andre Woodson completed 21 of 38 for 250 yards and 4 total touchdowns (1 rushing). Not only did it tell the country Kentucky football had to be taken seriously, it more importantly gave our fans the same feeling. This date will go down in Kentucky lore as one of, if not the greatest day in our programs history. It was the first win vs. #1 team since 1964. I’ll let the highlights speak for themselves.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 12th: On this date...

..... in 1999, the University of Kentucky decided it would broadcast Midnight Madness online for those who would not be able to attend in person. This would be the second consecutive year the FANSOnly Network and WKYT would team together to broadcast the event, as over 2,100 fans watched the 1998 Madness online. The self-anointed “America’s Team of the Century” was coming off a 1999 season which they fell seven points short of their fourth consecutive Final Four appearance. The 1999-2000 version of the Cats included senior Jamaal Magloire, sophomore Tayshaun Prince, and freshman Keith Bogans.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 11th: On this date...

..... in 2001, the University of Kentucky would celebrate the anniversary of its 20th Midnight/Big Blue Madness. Former Kentucky head coach Joe B. Hall started Midnight Madness at UK in 1982, trying to provide some excitement for his 1982-83 squad. They invited fans to come by and take part in team introductions at 12:01am on the first official day of practice the NCAA would allow. It was called Midnight Special back in 1982 and 8,500 fans came to Memorial Coliseum for the show. The evolution of Midnight Madness has grown at epic proportions over the past 25+ years into a phenomenon. The theme of the October 11, 2001, reverted back to Midnight Special, also celebrating Tayshaun Prince’s last Midnight Madness. All 8,500 tickets would be sold out within an hour through online and window purchasing.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 10th: On this date...

..... in 2002, new Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart tried to start his tenure off with a bang by announcing plans for a year long celebration marking its 100th anniversary of organized basketball. As many will remember, it featured Mr. Wildcat jumping out of a birthday cake at Big Blue Madness. The logo to the top would be a staple to the 2002-03 basketball season. Events, promotions, and reunions would be a part of each home game. The logo made its national television debut during NASCAR’s NAPA 500 in Atlanta. Lexington-based company Valvoline displayed the logo on the hood of Johnny Benson’s #72 car during the October 27th race. The UK Radio Network would also rebroadcast the top 10 greatest games beginning December 29th for 10 consecutive nights. Other promotions included Pepsi making a special 100th Anniversary can with top 10 moments on each can and McDonald’s distributing a commemorative poster.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 9th: On this date...

..... in 2009, marked the 100th Anniversary of the Wildcat nickname for your University of Kentucky. After a hard fought 6-2 victory at Illinois, Commandant Carbusier, then head of the old military department at State University, told a group of students in a chapel service that the Kentucky football team had “fought like Wildcats” to pull out the victory. The nickname became synonymous with the University immediately following the game. As time went by, more and more fans, along with members of the media referred to their team as “Wildcats”. As a result of this trend, the nickname was officially adopted by the University.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

***BREAKING*** - Son of Great Coach Gets Picture Everyone Wants

October 8th: On this date...

... in 1999, Dusty Bonner led your University of Kentucky Wildcats to a 30-10 victory over Lou Holtz’s South Carolina Gamecocks. Bonner threw a touchdown and ran for another in the 20-point victory in Columbia. The win extended the Gamecocks Division I losing streak to 16. The Kentucky quarterback finished 23-34 for 263 yards and the two total touchdowns. It was only the second time Bonner has been held to less than three touchdown passes during the ‘99 season. The Cats moved to 4-2 on the year, even with the SEC’s worst defense. Tight end James Whalen added nine catches for 119 yards. The Big Blue defense stepped it up this day and had given up only 78 yards of offense until South Carolina scored on a bomb with 9:00 left in the game.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 7th: On this date...

.... in 2009, your new University of Kentucky basketball coach, John Calipari, held his first UK Basketball Women's Clinic at the Craft Center. It gave the ladies of Big Blue Nation a chance to get a behind the scenes look at the high profile coach and his players. One of the biggest priorities of Coach Cal for the Women's Clinic was to invite sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards to Lexington and make ammends for the embarrassment Billy Clyde put her through in Oxford. The following videos let the diehards know immediately that Clyde and Cal were as close as Yin and Yang.

Before:


After:

Big Blue Nation Happy to Welcome Coach Cal Home

Cigar Guy Everywhere

Many have seen the "Greatest Golf Photo Ever" of Tiger at the Ryder Cup (here). As you can see, Cigar Guy is clearly the star. The above photoshop was obtained from Deadspin and is tremendous.