UK Basketball and Football Afternoon Notes...Guest Staring Brett Favre

Any team in the country would love to have this guy. He's a Wildcat. Hell yes.

A lot of Kentucky talk to get to today. First up: Football

• There is a new award to be handed out this year and it is the Paul Hornung Award. Kentucky has two, count 'em two, players on the watch list (the only team in the SEC to boast this) and they are Randall Cobb and Derek Locke. This award focuses on a players' game changing ability and recognizes players, like Cobb, who play more that one position effectively. Rick Bozich explains the award a little more in depth and why Cobb is the front runner already. Expect Cobb to do big things this year. VERY BIG things.
• Coach Joker Phillips decided to recognize the awesome effort that the Wildcats have been giving in practice and decided to give the team the afternoon off yesterday. Instead of practice, the players got to enjoy time at the swimming pool. Phillips likes the effort and the intensity but is still harping on mental mistakes. "Kentucky doesn't beat Kentucky". Amen Joker. And neither does Louisville.
• Elliot Porter, a former LSU, Oregon and Texas A&M recruit, has been practicing with the Cats. Porter is a 6-4, 280 lb defensive tackle that had been leaning toward A&M until Phillips swooped in and grabbed him. He is expected to start right away and will be a huge body on the D-Line. Go get 'em Joker.
• Word on the street is that Morgan Newton is playing his "You Know What Off" in practice and is pushing Mike Hartline for the starting QB position. I love it. Newton can add an entire dimension to the offense that Hartline can't with his great athleticism. Defenses cringe when they see Cobb and Locke in the back field and Newton split out. He has a rocket for an arm but he lacked the accuracy he needed last year. But he did have a winning record. And that's all I have to say about that.

Next Up: Basketball

• Kentucky basketball is awesome. How awesome is it? Awesome enough to get four, count 'em four, Super Tuesday games on ESPN for the 2010/2011 season. The Cats will play Alabama on the road, Tennessee, Mississippi State and Vandy all at home. ESPN knows ratings and quality. The Cats get ratings and give quality play.
• The basketball Cats are now at home for a week before classes start and will have two more weeks after that for break before practice starts again. John Calipari was actually quite full of praise about the trip to Canada, unlike last year when he downplayed everything.

Finally: Favre

I have a love/hate relationship with Brett. When the guy is playing lights our at quarterback, joking around with his teammates and doing Wrangler commercials I love him. When he is waffling about retiring and dragging his butt so he won't have to go to training camp I hate him. Since the fiasco is over with and Favre is practicing with the Vikings I guess I love him again.

The one thing that is telling about this whole situation is the reaction of his team. The entire team wanted him back and the entire team doesn't mind if he misses camp. He is Brett Favre. he earned it. It's kind of like the old guys that you work with that come in and drink coffee and BS most of the day while yuo bust your hump digging ditches. Those guys were where you are now, they have put in their time and if you work as hard you can be in the same position one of these days.

Side note: When I say entire team I do not mean Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. They are pissed.