May 11th: On this date....

..... in 2009, your new University of Kentucky Wildcat head basketball coach needed to get the already fanatical Big Blue Nation on his side like no one else ever had. His method: bribery. To get his followers number up on Twitter, he let everyone know that he would give away a signed LeBron James t-shirt to a lucky follower. The chances for a Blue Blood to get his hands on this prized item was remarkably 1:20,000. The man had created a social networking ID and had gotten 20,000 followers in just about five weeks. Amazing. The number currently stands at just over 1.1 million followers. Looking back on it, that's the best odds we'll most likely ever have to get some freaky gear from one of the all-time greats. I can't remember who won, but I'm sure it was someone they made up out of thin air to get publicity. Then LeBron hurt his elbow, tried stealing our coach, then turned into the biggest villian the world has ever seen.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Look Out Ladies, Arnold's Back On The Market

May 10th: On this date....

..... in 2009, your University of Kentucky Wildcat head football coach Richard P. Brooks (P = PaPaw) was not going to be outdone by the newly popular basketball coach John Calipari and his publicity tour. PaPaw chose not to shy away from this Internet/Twitter world and dipped his toes into the scary scene. Brooks had not been to the Calipari school of branding, or so we thought. It turns out PaPaw may have invented that school, or at least graduated with honors, because his tweets were magical.

From Mother's Day 2009:

" Planted some tomatoes yesterday and can’t wait for them to start. I love fresh tomatoes."

I dare you to find a tweet or twitterer that can get a fan base more fired up than that. God Bless Rich Brooks. Thanks for all you did, and everything you harvested.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

May 9th: On this date....

..... in 2009, your University of Kentucky head coach attempted to grab more followers for his Twitter account by holding a raffle. What was the item? It would be an autographed t-shirt from a close friend and new Big Blue Nation member, Lebron James. What would the chances be of winning such an item? The days leading up to the raffle pushed him over the 20K mark for Twitter followers, and the winner would come from that pool. While most national media would say this was a shady salesman bribing people to like him, a new fan base saw an opportunity to cash in from the coach they were super-excited to have on board. Coach Cal continued his giveaway throughout the summer, and in doing that, became the most popular coach in any sport on Twitter. He currently sits with just under 1.15 million Twitter followers. Who was the winner? It wasn't me, so who cares. Below is video from the presser announcing the winner.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

May 8th: On this date....

..... in 2009, your University of Kentucky Wildcats and new head coach received word that Patrick Patterson would in fact return to Lexington for what would be his third and final season. Once this news hit the wire, the bookie's in Las Vegas bumped Kentucky from third choice (15/1) to win the 2010 Championship to second choice (10/1). Even weirder, Louisville's odds changed as well. They started the offseason as clear cut second choice at (8/1), behind only Kansas (7/1), but when news of Patterson broke, the filthy ones moved from 8/1 --> 10/1. This information can be used as verification that all things basketball go through the city of Lexington, not Louisville, in the Commonwealth and throughout the World. And if you remember accurately, it wouldn't be the last time these odds would move before the season started. Coach Cal would snag one more person before the month would expire.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

May 7th: On this date....

..... in 1998, Ya boy Walter McCarty made his on-screen debut playing "Mance" in Spike Lee's basketball movie, "He Got Game." The film featured Denzel Washington, Ray Allen, Rick Pitino, Rosario Dawson, Jim Brown, and a personal favorite John Turturro. The Spike Lee joint opened to 1319 movie screens across the nation and finished with a $7 million opening weekend. Which in 2009, is the equivalent to approximately $7.3 millions. Kudos Waltah.

... in 2003, Ya boy kept his entertainment career alive by releasing the above album, Moment For Love. The R&B record featured dope songs such as: It's On Tonight, Freaky Wit Me, and Love You The Right Way. Walter had a habit of being in front of the microphone, as he was popular for singing the National Anthem at each stop in his basketball career. Louisville sucks.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

May 6th: On this date....

..... in 1997, Richard Pitino resigns from the University of Kentucky under the cover of nighttime, and slithers his way on up to Boston to destroy one of the most storied franchises in the NBA. It probably didn't come as a complete surprise to UK fans, but the feeling of your college team losing its leader, in the middle of an historical run, still upsets me. No less than five Boston television stations carried Pitino's UK resignation news conference (during the day). Immediately, Wildcat fans turned the page and have never looked back, totally understanding Pitino's motives that day. Speculation on who the next coach would be immediately filled the airwaves with the consensus looking at former Pitino assistant, University of Georgia head coach Orlando "Tubby" Smith. Tubby would inherit the Comeback Cats and lead the team to its 7th National Championship the following spring. To this day, most all Kentucky fans have forgiven Richard Pitino for the events of this day just 14 years ago. And if you're free this weekend, don't forget to watch The Extortioner, Friday's on CBS!

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

CATSPYs Intro

May 5th: On this date....

..... in 2009, your University of Kentucky Wildcats were getting a point guard they sorely needed as word started spreading of an impending commitment from an Alabama kid simply wanting to "get shit right." No one really knew what Eric Bledsoe was talking about, but we knew he was a top-rated point guard in the Class of 2009 and filled a hole we needed badly. He had no competition for the starting point guard spot, and had a few monsters down low (in fellow Alabaman DeMarcus Cousins and legend Patrick Patterson). The Gillispie Era was over and the new roster was really starting to take shape. One thing our new coach let everyone know: If you're going to be a Kentucky Wildcat, your better have freaky ability or you aren't playing.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

May 4th: On this date.....

....... in 2007, your University of Kentucky Wildcat fans swarmed Memorial Coliseum dumpsters once word broke UK was replacing the floor and throwing the old one away. Kentucky.com broke the story and within hours a steady line of cars formed, dying to snatch up a piece of the splintered maple floor. By 9:00pm the same evening, the dumpster was completely empty as the "rabid UK fan base" wanted to get a piece of history. The University saved the keys, center court, lanes, and nearly 700 square feet, including the spot where Kentucky's Vernon Hatton made a shot in double overtime to help the Cats take down Temple.

also,

....... in 2007, some "rabid" Kentucky extremist fans started showing their impatience with Patrick Patterson as he continued to drag out his recruitment. Everyone knows how this turned out, right? Just two years later, these same extremists started showing their disapproval of the time it was taking Freak Show point guard Jonathan Henry Wall to make his decision on where he would go to college. I'm almost certain that is not his real name, but it came off the tongue easy, so we're sticking with it. In conclusion, whenever you see/hear one of these people in public, feel free to smack them upside the head.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

May 3rd: On this date....

...... in 1982, your University of Kentucky Wildcat great Frank Ramsey was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Known as the "Kentucky Colonel", the 6'3" guard from Madisonville was best known for virtually creating the role of Sixth Man in basketball. Ramsey was a three time All-American, was a member of the 1951 NCAA Championship team, and led UK's 1954 team to a 25-0 record. He currently sits #26 on the all-time scoring list, compiling 1344 points in just three years. Frank Ramsey also was a key cog for the Celtic's dynastic run of NBA Championships. He ended his career with seven titles, including six straight from 1959-1964. Ramsey had 18 points off the bench, retired later that summer on top of the world.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Jim's Back For Another National Anthem

Kige's Take on Osama News

Goosebumps

EXCLUSIVE: HOW THE EVENTS OF MAY 1ST WENT DOWN?

When News Broke At WWE Pay-Per-View

When News Broke In Philly

Something Tells Me This Event Will Go Down In History

May 2nd: On this date.....

...... in 1989, your University of Kentucky Wildcats were told "no" by Seton Hall head coach P.J. Carlesimo after mulling over the head coaching job for a few days. Of course, to save face, UK says the job was never officially offered. Where have I heard this before? Carlesimo had just led the Pirates to the NCAA title game. From this point on, no one really knows what happened to Mr. Carlesimo, as he apparently went back to a life of irrelevance. Either that, or he tried to fight the Predator monster and lost. This decision would put the Wildcats on a new search for a head coach, leading to a slick-haired car salesman with a penchant for Italian eateries. His name: Richard Pitino. The Extortionee, Friday's on CBS!

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

May 1st: On this date....

..... in 1967, your University of Kentucky Wildcats guard/forward Pat Riley was selected 7th overall in the NBA Draft by the San Diego Rockets. Riley is a six time NBA Champion -- once as a player (1972), and five times as a coach (1982, '85, '87-'88, and 2006). Many people forget that Riley was drafted as a flanker by the Dallas Cowboys in the 11th round of the NFL Draft. One of the most versatile athletes in this era, Riley helped lead Kentucky to the 1966 NCAA title game, falling to UTEP. Pat Riley is one of the most well-known Kentucky alumni, as he has been a Blue face for many decades of the NBA.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach