RIP Dan Wheldon

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

Below is the only footage from that night.

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

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.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Before:


After:

Mindblowing Arizona-Utah Time Lapse

Landscapes: Volume Two from Dustin Farrell on Vimeo.

October 6th: On this date....

...... in 2001, (give or take a day) a new era was born for the Big Blue Radio Network as Mike Pratt replaced Sam Bowie as the color commentator for Kentucky basketball games alongside Tom Leach. He might be best known to today’s generation as the guy who helped secure John Calipari as the Wildcats most recent head coach. To the generation before, though, Mike Pratt was best known as a gifted scorer and member of the University of Kentucky basketball team. He played for Adolph Rupp from 1968-70, was a two-time All-SEC performer, a two-time Academic All-SEC member, and a part of Kentucky’s most exclusive 1,000 point club. He played alongside Kentucky legend Dan Issel and averaged 19.2 points per game when the Cats finished 26-2, and ended the regular season as the nation’s top ranked team. Pratt was also a member of the ABA’s Kentucky Colonel team for two years.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

RIP Steve Jobs

October 5th: On this date.....

..... in 1929, the University of Kentucky became one of the first institutions to play an intercollegiate football game at night. The setting was Stoll Field/McLean Stadium across the street from current day Memorial Coliseum. The Cats defeated Maryville 40-0 to get off to a positive start in night football. Night games would later become a staple of the Kentucky fall schedule. The University and Keeneland Race Course have enjoyed a close relationship over the years, and both agreed the best way to maximize exposure would be to give the fans a chance to go to both. A decision that has led to some very fun times for the Big Blue Nation over the years. The October month is also one of the most popular for SEC fans to make the trek to Lexington. The fall Keeneland/UK night game combo is a fan favorite for everyone in the South.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 4th: On this date...

...... in 1997, my hometown friend Craig Yeast made one of the most memorable catch-and-runs in Kentucky Wildcat football history when he caught a pass and raced 26 yards for the game-winning touchdown against Alabama. This was the first victory over Alabama since 1922..........read that again........75 years between victories. It also marked the first time in history the goal posts at Commonwealth Stadium had come down. The goal posts were carried around campus that Saturday night and gave birth to a whole new generation of Kentucky football fans. In the overtime, Tremayne Martin caused a fumble and Jeremy Bowie recovered to set up the memorable Couch to Yeast game-winner. Yeast came to the sidelines and demanded Hal Mumme throw him the ball, a story that can only grow as time passes. This game was recently named as the #3 most memorable football game in program history by the Herald-Leader’s Mark Story.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 3rd: On this date....

...... in 2008, former Kentucky head football coach Bill Curry was named the recipient of the President Gerald R. Ford Legends Center Award. To be eligible for the award, the recipient must have either played the center position in college or as a professional and made extraordinary contributions to his team during his playing career. Whether or not you agreed with his play calling as the University of Kentucky head coach, you have to give it up to the man for being an outstanding football mind and a great football ambassador. He played in three Super Bowls and two Pro Bowls and was the center for such greats as Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas. He played under coaching greats Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, and Bobby Dodd.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 2nd: On this date....

...... in 1999, Kentucky’s much maligned defense help key an upset of #20 Arkansas at Commonwealth Stadium. The defense forced three turnovers in what would become the first victory over a Top 25 team since 1993. Through the first four weeks of the 1999 campaign, the Wildcat defense had given up an average of 393 yards and 36 points per game. Defensive coordinator Mike Major held a Friday night meeting and showed his players an article from Friday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reading, “UK defense may be cure for UA’s ills.” The power of telling college kids how crappy they are can never be underestimated. Dusty Bonner completed 19-31 passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns to key the Wildcat offense. The defense was led with interceptions by Marlon McCree and Anthony Wajda, ten tackles by Jeff Snedegar, six pass break ups by Eric Kelly, and a blocked field goal by Harrodsburg-native Dennis Johnson.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

October 1st: On this date....

..... in 2007, the pollsters advanced your University of Kentucky Wildcats to #8 in the most recent AP and ESPN/USA Today Top 25 rankings. This was the highest ranking for the football Cats in 30 years. The last time Kentucky was in the Top 10 was as the season ended in 1977, occupying the #6 spot. The 5-0, (1-0 SEC) start was the best start since 1984, also a 5-0 start. The Wildcats were 10-1 in the last 11 games dating back to 2006, the best stretch since the 10-1 record in 1977. They were halfway rewarded with a Thursday night ESPN game at #11 South Carolina (4-1). It ended up being a missed opportunity on a national stage as Eric Norwood frustrated Andre Woodson all night. Norwood tied an NCAA mark by returning two fumbles for touchdowns. The win pushed Steve Spurrier’s all-time record to 15-0 against the Cats. Woodson ended with 227 yards passing, while Rafael Little added a fifth 100-yard game in six games, finishing with 135 yards rushing in Columbia.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach