The Early Bird UK/UofL Predictions

I am giving my football predictions a day earlier than usual because I have big plans for my three day weekend and I won't have time to do it tomorrow. The spreads for both of the games are pretty close.

Kentucky at Ole Miss- The Rebs are 2-2 with embarrassing losses to Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt. Both at home. Their two wins come against Tulane and Fresno State, a couple of teams that really don't strike fear into the hearts of anyone. But the good news is that Ole Miss is coming off of a game in which they put up big points against Fresno State, 55-28. The bad news is that the Rebs are banged up. Big time. Running back Enrique Davis is out three weeks due to knee surgery, safety Johnny Brown is doubtful with a bruised knee, and corner Jeremy McGee is questionable with a cincussion. Both defensive players are starters.

Kentucky is coming off of an ugly but all too familiar loss to Florida. The Cats have some soul searching to do this Saturday to figure out if they want to salvage what could be a very good season or slide back into the land of mediocrity. If we go by what Joker Phillips is saying then we won't be encouraged. Phillips stated that they have been doing more first team versus second team match ups because they weren't getting challenged by their scout teams. Leaders are stepping up and urging more intensity in practice.

This game will most likely decide whether or not the Cats play in the post season. Ole Miss is already looking down the barrel of a gun at 2-2. They are going to come out ready to play, get above .500, and get a win in the SEC, something neither team has right now. The Cats are a 5 point favorite at this point. Teams have been able to put up points against the Rebs and that is what UK is going to have to do early. If not, look for the Cats to come home to a disappointed fan base in Lexington. The game is a red out for Ole Miss. It's do or die and I think the Cats are up the challenge of going 4-1.

Final Prediction: Cats 27-Rebs 20

Louisville at Arkansas State- I asked the question earlier this week, what big time (I am being generous here) Division I school schedules a home/away series with Arkansas State? Steve Kragthorpe and the University of Louisville Cardinals, that's who. I'll get to them in a minute.

Let's talk about the Fighting Red Wolves first. They are sitting at 1-3 with losses to Auburn, Louisiana Lafayette and Troy. Out of those three Auburn is the only team with a winning record at 4-0. Lafayette is 1-2 and Troy is 2-2. Their lone win is against Louisiana Monroe, another 1-2 team. Their schedule is not what one would call impressive. Yet they are favored by 4 points. So, what's that about? Let me answer that question. Last year the Red Wolves faced a Cardinal team at home that was down, out and totally depleted. The Cards won by a score of 21-13. Ugh. I'm sure that the people setting the spreads are looking at the fact that the Cards are 1-2, the fact that they are in the WORST CONFERENCE IN THE HISTORY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL, and the fact that they have been bowless for 3 straight seasons.

But this isn't the Kragthorpe era. The Cards have shown some life in their losses. After taking a huge punch from UK they stayed in the game. The game was more lopsided than the score indicated, but they were competitive. They also pushed Oregon State to the brink by coming back from a big deficit by dominating the fourth quarter. But they also struggled against Eastern Kentucky for a bit and OSU has one of the worst defenses in all of the FBS. But the Cards are much improved and I think Charlie Strong has them fighting in situations where in the past they would have laid down and taken it. I don't think we will see a Cardinal loss Saturday. The Cards pull an "upset" by continuing to improve on offense and shutting down a less than stellar Red Wolves attack.

Cards 25-Red Wolves 10

Now I have to go vomit for writing positive things about Louisville.

Josh Selby: The Eligibility non-News Story

If you Google Josh Selby eligibility you get about 26,500 results. If you Google Eric Bledsoe eligibility you get about 72,300 results. If you Google Enes Kanter eligibility you get about 452,000 results.

Josh Selby, the number 1 recruit in the 2010 class, has still not been cleared by the NCAA to play for the Kansas Jayhawks because of possible improper benefits. He has close ties with Carmelo Anthony's manager Bay Frazier. Frazier helped Selby in the recruiting process and helped him (pimped him) to other schools. Selby was also riding around in a light-blue Mercedes for which nobody has an explanation. I wonder if Selby will have to sit out 2 games and repay any money? (Please see John Wall)

I'm not going to throw stones at Selby and start in on Kansas because everybody knows what UK has been through and I will be the last person to say that Kansas has any knowledge of this until there is proof. My beef is that this story is getting virtually no press. Nobody is talking about it on Sportscenter, PTI, Around the Horn, in the Sporting News, in Sports Illustrated, etc... like they were with Kanter and Bledsoe.

I don't think that I am going out on too much of a limb here when I say that if Selby would have gone to UK that this story would be national news and everybody would be getting into a frenzy over it. But that's not the case because Kansas is not Kentucky. I know Kansas is a prominent program but they do not draw the attention or the national fan base that UK does. It's a fact.

My hope is that stories like this would be treated fairly with the same amount of bias but I know that is not the case. The fact is that as long as Kentucky is successful they will be under a microscope.

Where were you on Selby, Pete Thamel?

Mid-day Madness: Campout 2.0 begins

Two years ago I woke up at 9:00am on a Saturday, an unheard of thing at the time, rolled out of bed and booted up the laptop. I then ventured out to Ticketmaster.com and found tickets to the last Billy Gillispie Midnight Madness to ever take place... free with a $5 'handling' charge. I then fell back to sleep. Overall, the process took 3 minutes.

The same tickets in Rupp Arena that will be on sale at 7:00am Saturday October 2nd. However, it is today that the process begins instead of 6:57am Saturday. Today, students, teachers, people on vacation, and those that are unemployed begin to lineup outside of Memorial Coliseum and the Joe Craft Center to snatch those same tickets. They started the 72 hour process of playing cornhole, drinking coffee, playing cards, using public bathrooms, partaking in general debauchery, and the lucky ones will be getting the desired  front row seats. All to watch their beloved UK Wildcats partake in a HUGE pep-rally...one I would love to be at again this year.

I always love to see the pictures that come from this event and they have slowly began to roll out.

Bledsoegate Officially Over

The NCAA has finally confirmed what we had all been suspecting to hear since this past Friday: it has stood by it's original decision to make Eric Bledsoe eligible to play basketball in the NCAA. They have stated that the case is closed and no further investigations are planned. Now we can all finally move on in life.

A whole lot of time and money has been wasted thanks to one man's desire to bring down the University of Kentucky. Way to go Pete Thamel. I hope you are giddy.

Top Prospects of 2013 looking at UK this Weekend

One half of the possibly UK bound Harrison twins. But 2013 is a long ways away. Just sayin'.

I am piggy backing on Monster Mash's post earlier today about the dominance that is Kentucky recruiting. The #1 and #10 players in the 2013 class are set to visit UK this weekend. What makes this intriguing is that they are twin brothers which would make one assume that they will be a definite package deal. How awesome would it be to have twins on the team?

Obviously it is too early in the recruiting process to get too excited about this but it's nice to see. The players are Andrew and Aaron Harrison from Texas. They are both listed as 6-5, 205 pounds. You can actually see these youngsters showcase their skills this weekend in Louisville at the John Lucas Midwest Invitational at Hoops. Needless to say much of the Big Blue Nation will be there to check out their skills.

John Wall and I spoke...on Twitter

My new best friend.

The wonderful about the technology today is that everyone can be connected with the rest of the world if they choose to be. Even connections with celebrities and pro-athletes are possible. Take for instance this weekend. I actual had correspondence with two major sports figures, all thanks to Twitter. Let's break down my "conversations" with Dick Vitale and The John Wall.

Dickie V- I woke up Saturday morning and decided to pull up some info on the upcoming UK at Florida game (enter nightmare flashbacks). I checked my Twitter account as I am accustomed to do to find Dick Vitale making an interesting comment. He stated that he agreed with his friend Jay Bilas' article about the NCAA needing to get out of the eligibility business. Being a fan of Kentucky and knowing full well what he was talking about, I retweeted his comment and then replied to it saying, "When is the NCAA going to start holding itself accountable for its own mistakes?"

A few seconds later I personally received this response: Dickie V@Jstrebleboogie Itis a joke the weay they handled the Derek Rose situation. No Way the Tigers should have had to vacate FINAL 4 (misspellings and grammar errors courtesy of Dickie V)

So there you go. Dick Vitale agrees with me and thinks the NCAA stinks and they just need to give up trying to police everything.

John Wall-John Wall tweeted Randall Cobb yesterday asking him what he was up to. I assume they are friends since they are both awesome. Cobb said he was sitting in class and that he bet John Wall didn't miss that at all. Wall then responded, "Actually I do". This made me feel good to think that this 19 year old kid who is a multi-millionaire missed going to class. I decided to tweet to John Wall the following: "It feels good as a Cats fan to hear you say you miss class. Is it class or the University you really miss? Show DC what's up!"

Wall then tweeted back to me the following: Jimmywa11@Jstrebleboogie: both. Short and to the point but correspondence none the less. Wall misses Kentucky and the education he received there but millions of dollars don't just fall into people's laps. I would have left too. It's also really cool that he took time out of his day to respond back to someone he has never met and probably will never meet. It shows that the guy is dedicated to his Big Blue fan base.

It's pretty cool that in this day and age a lowly part time blogger such as myself can make small talk with major sports figures and then write about it. Now that I have spoken with John Wall and Dick Vitale, I am a member of the media and I would like to get paid as such.

ESPN 2011 Class Ranks

The Cats lead the way in ESPN's 2011 rankings with four 5 star prospects, including #2 overall Michael Gilchrist, #3 Anthony Davis,  #7 Marquis Teague, and #12 Kyle Wiltjer and #1 class rank.

The Cardinals 2011 class rank is a surprisingly high #5. With merely #32 Chane Behanan, #33 Wayne Blackshear, #73 Zach Price in the top 100, it's hard to imagine only 4 teams being any better. Granted, the Cards do have their sights set for #4 Quincy Miller, #31 Tony Wroten Jr , and #50 Deuce Bello, but these are still recruits, not commitments. Sheer volume doesn't equal talent. I'm amazed that the "Rick Pitino Six Saviors" have one possible player in the top 10 and the reset are ranked below 30! 

It's just another sign of the weak classes other schools pull in, with the Cats getting so many of the top prospects. But hey, congratulations Cardinals, it'll be the highest number you see next to your schools name for the next year (at least).

Mike Vick is Legit: News and Notes

R.I.P George Blanda. The greatest football Wildcat of them all.

How many of you thought that Michael Vick would again be a legit starting QB in the NFL after his arrest and conviction on animal cruelty charges? If you raised your hand you are a darn, stinking fibber.

Michael Vick has almost single handidly brought the Eagles from "uh-oh" with Kevin Kolb's debut to "whooooaaaa!" when he took over and led Philly to their current 2-1 record. Vick was responsible for four touchdowns during the 28-3 shellacking of the Jag's yesterday. The two wins are against two awful teams, the Jags and the Lions. The one loss was to Green Bay, a team that looked dominant when Kolb was in and then almost gave up a huge lead thanks primarily to Vick's play.

There are those (2hott) that claim that the Packers weren't able to prepare for Vick and that is why he almost beat them. Really? The Packers didn't have to prepare for Ryan Fitzpatrick when he came in relief for Trent Edwards in week 2 and the Pack still beat the Bills 34-7. Give me another excuse. Vick is legit. Love him or hate him, he is still the most exciting player in professional football. Onward and Upward:

• On a sad not University of Kentucky legend and NFL Hall of Famer George Blanda has died. He was 83 years old. Blanda played most of his career for the Raiders and did not retire until he was 49, still a record. He also used to hold the record for most points scored by a player until it was broken in 2000. He played for Bear Bryant while at UK.

• John Wall is creating a frenzy in Washington. The Wizards are going to have the first ever NBA Midnight Madness tonight to kick off their training camp. Here is the article if you want to read more about it. Wall is the primary reason for the hoopla. Please do the John Wall Dance. Pretty please.

• I keep thinking about the loss to Florida and I keep hearing the same thing from multiple people: UK will never beat Florida with the game plans they continue to use. The Cats play so conservative, on defense and on offense, when they play the Gators. Take some shots, get aggressive and quit calling the game like they are going to lose. It's getting a little old.

• Now that I spoke my mind on that issue, let's talk about Ole Miss. Ole Miss is a HUGE game. It's an away SEC game and it could put the Cats at 4-1, which is where many predicted them to be at this point. More analysis on this later in the week.

• Louisville wide receiver Doug Beaumont is out with knee surgery against Arkansas State. He is out indefinitely with no time table on his return. No, Cards fans, I am not going to make a rude joke about an injured player.

• Speaking of the Dirty Birds, they will be back in action against the Arkansas State Red Wolves at their house. They are 1-3 with losses to Auburn (beat down), Louisiana Lagayette (not as bad), and Troy (close but no cigar). The Cards barely beat A-State last year at PPJCS 21-13. Who does a home/away series with Arkansas State? Oh yeah, Louisville does.

• If you haven't been following my "Fire Pete Thamel" campaign, please do.

That's it for now, peeps. Keep checking back for more news and outlandish proclamations made mainly by me.

Fra, Fra, Fre, Free Enes

So From #FreeEnes, to Tee Shirts, to the newest...rap video. Ladies and gentlemen, SportsThat brings you Free Enes the Rap

And so it Goes...

If the meaning of the title of this post and the picture of this book is lost on you, then I suggest you go to a library. And fast.

Last nights butt whooping in the Swamp hurt a little more than usual due to the confidence that UK was in prime position to hopefully take the next step. The reality set in as I understood something that I had mentioned in a previous blog: Kentucky had not played anyone yet. The three teams that the Cats had defeated are all three terrible. The only team with a win was Louisville and that win came against an awful EKU team. And it wasn't easy for them to get.

Where do we go from here? One thing is for sure and that is the Cats need to take a look at themselves and answer a few questions. How do they improve an extremely porous run defense? Where do they go with Mike Hartline? Why isn't the Wildcat more of an option this year? Where is the agressivness on offense that was so prevalent the previous three games?

There are already people screaming to bench Hartline at this point in the season. Memories of his gangbusters start are already fading as he looked terrible against Florida and reverted to short, safe but ultimately useless passes.. He took few shots down field even though Randall Cobb, LaRod King and Chris Matthews all three has some big plays. Morgan Newton may see his chance if this trend continues.

The run defense was abysmal as Florida ran wild. I am not sure what the answer is but they need to do something. And fast. The SEC running backs are amid some of the elite in the country.

The Wildcat seems to have virtually disappeared from the playbook. This logic escapes me as it was one of the more effective packages that the Wildcats have utilized the past two seasons. Where does the blame lie here? Joker Phillips or offensive coordinator Randy Sanders. One thing that is clear to me is that someone intends to keep Hartline more and more involved in the offense. I'm not sure that this is a good thing.

My hopes are not dashed, not by a long shot. If the Cats beat Ole Miss Saturday then 4-1 puts them right back in the thick of things. I just hope that all of the Louisville fans enjoy cheering against UK this season since it's really tough to cheer for their team this season. Besides, all UK has to do is win 20 more straight games and then they will have their own 24 game winning streak to brag about.

Ouch, that hurts!

And, time marches on. Despite the Blue Koolaid flowing, UK didn't put up much fight against the Gators tonight. First, Second, Third, and Fourth quarter, Florida dominated the UK offense, defense, and special teams, especially Randall Cobb. I think Boogiewoogie forgot to tell Urban Meyer and the Gators that Cobb was unstoppable, because 3 rushes for 8 yards doesn't strike fear in any single team remaining on UK's schedule. Well, maybe except for Charleston Southern.

Instead of running their mouths on how much Cobb was underrated, underappreciated, and underutilized, the Cats should have found a defensive scheme to frickin' tackle Trey Burton.

So, 24 does not only denote the hit TV show featuring Kiefer Sutherland, but it also represents the amount of consecutive years that UK has lost to Florida. I guess if UF puts out a high school team, UK might be able to beat them, but it doesn't appear that this will change in the next 10+ years.

Cat fans can make fun of the Cards all they want, but let them play the Gators 24 years in a row, and they can win at least 1 game. Tell me how good the Gators have been, but seriously?

Maybe, just Maybe they can beat the Vols this year. If not, I don't see an end to these embarassing losing streaks any time soon.

Oh, and lastly, HA HA HA HA HA HA! Nice try Pussy Cats!

Let's Get Pete Thamel Fired

This smarmy jerk is UK Public Enemy #1

As the Bledsoe controversy is finally coming to an end Pete Thamel is left looking like a complete clown. I wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Times and it goes a little something like this:

To the editor of the New York Times,

It appears you have an unethical, biased sports journalist working for you by the name of Pete Thamel. This individual has a personal vendetta against the University of Kentucky and the head basketball coach John Calipari. He has released two stories this year in which he used shoddy judgement when writing. How so you ask? Let me highlight a few points:

-Thamel released the high school transcripts of former Kentucky player Eric Bledsoe. He leaked transcripts that contained the grades of Bledsoe while he was still a minor.

-He had no hard evidence to support his accusations that there was something wrong with Bledsoe's grades.

-The Birmingham school system spent $10,000 investigating the case only to come to the conclusions that Bledsoe's transcripts were accurate and they could find absolutely no wrong doing. Just like the NCAA had previously reported.

-Bledsoe's image has been tarnished and his name has been dragged through the mud. If I were Bledsoe I would seriously consider suing Pete Thamel and the New York Times.

-Thamel also did a report on Kentucky basketball recruit Enes Kanter. He interviewed the general manager of Kanter's Turkish national team. He did not use a translator while conducting this interview with a man that speaks little to no English.

-Thamel reported that the Turkish team paid Kanter over $100,000 for his services. What evidence did he have? The word of the Turkish general manager and that was all. He did not produce any hard documentation that substantiated the claims of the general manager but he went ahead and moved forward with the story regardless of his lack of evidence.

-He also falsely attributed quotes to one of Kanter's American coaches. Duqense assistant coach Rodney Crawford publicly stated that Pete Thamel misquoted him on purpose in order to make it appear that he had something to hide in regards to Kanter.

It appears you have a vindictive, biased individual working for your paper that allows his unfounded (or founded, I do not know the man personally) hatred for Kentucky and John Calipari cloud his judgement while reporting these stories.

I would suggest that Thamel be fired, suspended, or at least not allowed to write these articles about the University of Kentucky or John Calipari. He continues to embarrass your news paper with ludicrous accusations. His journalistic integrity is far beyond questionable at this point. He believes that his is some sort of sports version of Woodward and Bernstein using John Calipari in the place of Richard Nixon and the University of Kentucky in the place of the United States Government.

Sincerely,

My Name Here

All UK fans jump on board and support the cause!!

Recruitng Wars: The Force is Strong with Phillips (get it?)

A hot topic of debate this week was whether or not Joker Phillips was getting the better of Charlie Strong or not. Naturally, being the Big Blue hot head that I am, I called it for Phillips since lately the Cats have been ranked in or around the top 25 while some rankings has the Dirty Birds anywhere from in the 40s to the 20s.

The actual list of recruits that each coach has acquired so far is as follows:

UK has 18 commitments, 13 on offense and 5 on defense

UofL has 19 commitments, mostly focused on the defensive side of the ball

Neither coach is finished for the year with recruiting by a long shot. The final rankings are months away as high school kids still have a long time to declare one way or the other. What's the most important stat? Joker is 1-0 against Charlie Strong. The Defense Rests.

Fire Pete Thamel

Gator-Hator-ade!

So today's big news is obviously the Eric Bledsoe saga coming to a non-dramatic ending. As Boogiewoogie described, a story created by the media for clicks, hits, and ratings was nothing but that, a story. Pete Thamel, the New York Times Fiction Sports writer, has now come out to say that the NCAA isn't expected to open an investigation. While this counters Thamel's original claim that the NCAA was already investigating, it does indeed confirm what UK fans wanted to hear, Eric Bledsoe was eligible and is still eligible. So you Anti-Cal/Kentucky people can turn your attention towards the Enes Kanter situation.

But the secondary story is that Kentucky plays Florida tonight at 7:00pm Eastern. The Gators have beaten Kentucky 23 straight times but the Big Blue Kool-Aid is flowing like Purple Drank at Jamarcus Russel's house. I have yet to fully go with the upset flow but I am definitely sipping slowly.

Looking at the matchups, I certainly have higher expectations than I did for last years beat down at the hands of Touchdown Jesus. The Cats' could have easily given up 3 or 4 60yd TD passes to Akron last week and while the Zips didn't take advantage, the Gators will. The Cats' also have had issues with the run defense, allowing Louisville and Western Kentucky to break off long rushes, which the Gators will certainly try to capitalize as well.

I'm going to call it Florida 28- Kentucky 17 but if the Cats can keep the plays over 40 yards to under 2, the I think the Cats pull of an upset and go 28-24.

Bledsoe Earned Grades, UK in the Clear: Take that Haters

I know all the UK and Calipari haters out there are going to love this news but it's true. Eric Bledsoe earned his grades through make up work. The Birmingham high school committee stated that they will not change Bledsoe's transcripts and that they stand by the grades that he earned. Don't believe me? Read the legal document that states this.

More importantly: UK was not indicated in any wrong doing. As far as I can see it this story is over. Sorry Pete Thamel (nice try liar), Pat Forde and all the Cardinal nation out there, but UK is still on the rise. My question is this: will Pete Thamel face any repercussions for the following: creating a non-story or leaking a minors high school transcripts. This guy needs to be fired. I can't wait until Enes is cleared and this guy's career falls apart. I will now start the Fire Pete Thamel campaign just as I started the Free Enes campaign.

Speaking of Big Enes, Get ready for the next big UK basketball story: Enes Kanter is eligible.

Until then, Let's beat the Gators. Go Big Blue.

Game Day Prediction: The Gator Edition

Guess how many points Florida has put up in the first quarter in their first three games this year? ZERO. Guess what the combined records of Miami of Ohio, South Florida and Tennessee are? 4-4. Guess how many points have been put up against the Gators so far this year? 43. How many have they put up? 103. They have trouble scoring early but come on late and they are letting teams hang around only to put them away in the final two quarters.

What do these numbers tell me? They tell me Kentucky has a chance if they come out with guns blazing in the first half. Florida will get their points but it may come late. UK needs to get more points early on to cushion the lead. What are the keys to the game?

Locke and Cobb- Cobb and Locke have combined to score over half of Kentucky's total points this season. That means Florida will be keying on both players in order to neutralize their main scoring threats. The problem with that is it is almost impossible to neutralize Cobb because teams have no idea where he will line up from one play to the next. My hope is to see the Wildcat bust out early in the game to confuse a young but fast Gator defense.

Hartline Needs to be Perfect- Hartline has come a long way in convincing UK fans that he is the man at QB. A 3-0 start at QB with 5 TD's, no turnovers and the 8th ranked passing efficiency in the country will do that for a guy. But he needs to continue this trend. So far he has played the best season of his collegiate career and he needs to play the best game of his collegiate career. Limit mistakes and DO NOT GIVE the Gators free points. The Gators get at automatic 10 points for the home field advantage, don't give them anymore.

Compliments to Cobb and Locke- Hartline has been generous with the ball by completing a pass to nearly every receiver on the team. But the two guys that need to be the options besides Cobb and Locke are La'Rod King and Chris Matthews. In three games King has 9 receptions for 108 yards and a TD. Matthews has 7 receptions for 114 yards and 2 TDs. They are Hartline's favorite targets besides Cobb and Locke. Matt Roark has also come on strong. The numbers don't look that impressive but then again, Hartline has been spreading the ball around. Look for him to get his more talented receivers involved.

Breakout Players- The breakout players that need to step up on offense will be Donald Russell and Matt Roark. Russell needs to be that dynamic second option to Locke. He lacks Locke's speed but makes up for it in his size and tackle breaking ability. He could be a valuable third punch in the rushing attack. Roark should get free if the Gators choose to cover Cobb, Matthews and King. They can't cover everybody.

Defensive Worries- The run defense has been questioned but the pass defense is what scared me against Akron. I can't tell you how many touchdown balls were just flat dropped by the opposing team. The corners were burned at least 3 times I remember. Guess what? This ain't Akron. If they allow Brantley and his receivers to get into rhythm early then it's going to be trouble. Brantley looks indecisive at times and has had trouble hooking up with his talented receivers. Cover them up and confuse him. Which leads me to my next point...

Pressure, Pressure, Pressure- Dequinn Evans recorded his first sack of the season against Akron and was in the backfield all night. Ricky Lumpkin and the feel good story of the season Luke McDermott need to stuff the run so that Evans, Collins Ukwu and Taylor Wyndham can get in the backfield to pressure Brantley. IF we can pressure Brantley, confuse him, shake his confidence, get his home crowd to question him and remember that HE IS NOT Tim Tebow, then their offense will be limited to the run. If the Cats can force 2 or more turnovers then a victory will be had.

So what is my final prediction? I know what I want my prediction to be and I know what my heart says but it's tough to go against my head. 23 straight years of losing to these guys hurts. It doesn't help that it's in The Swamp. No doubt Joker will have them fired up and ready to run through a wall. All he has to do is show the upperclassmen the tape from the last four years, including last year when the Gators put up 31 in the first quarter at Commonwealth.

In the end I think the Cats fall 20-33. Close but no cigar. I hope for once they prove me wrong. Sportsthat will be at Big Blue Country. Come say hello and help us cheer on the Cats. If UK wins this expect Monster Mash and myself to paint this red town blue Saturday night.

Final Thought: Last night on the halftime show of the Miami/Pitt game Lou Holtz picked Notre Dame over Stanford as his upset alert. We dodged a bullet there. Who did Mark May choose? Kentucky over Florida. I hope you are correct mark.

Setting Records Straight: Kentucky vs Florida

Taking Vegas for all they have, beating Louisville 4 straight years in football, seeing a hot girl run across the parking lot in the buff... all examples of good streaks that as a UK fan, I want to see continue on-and-on. Seeing a hot girl run across the parking lot in the buff and seeing Boogiewoogie follow closely behind, being told women's basketball is relevant because UConn hasn't lost a game in 3 years, and losing to Tennessee 25 straight times... all streaks that need to come to an end. One streak could and needs to this weekend.

Kentucky owns the second longest current losing streak to a single team in the NCAA (they also own the longest streak of 25 games to Tennessee). The Cats face a 23 year drought that started in 1987 and this weekend in Tallahassee they face a Florida team that has looked vulnerable on their way to 3-0.

Tim "Touchdown" Tebow lead the gators to their last four victories over the last four years. In the process he also saved babies, stopped run away trains, cured cancer and was asked for help about Healthcare and Financial reform by the Democratic party in Washington. But it is John Brantley's turn at the reigns of leading convict's that would make T-Pain or Akon proud. It is his honor to play Florida's version of Burt Reynolds in the Longest Yard each Saturday. But this Saturday, the Gators are increasingly being talked about to be upset and have that streak ended. Here are the main reasons why:
1) Well Florida has been slow to start, while the Cats have come out blazing averaging 24 points in the first two quarters.
2) Florida faces Alabama the next week and are potentially looking past the Cats to the Rolling Tide.
3) The Southeast version of Football Jesus isn't there to save them any longer.

I'm not saying it's going to happen. I am saying that the streak has to come to an end sometime and this chance has people talking. The whispers are mounting and turning louder while the big blue fan base is starting to get that feeling. 4-0 is being mentioned now among fans, ESPN panelist and analyst. With that possible win is the start of the NCAA's shortest current winning streak... 1 game.

SportsThat will be celebrating watching the game at Big Blue Country on Baxter Avenue in Louisville. Come out, watch, and let's let those whispers turn into one loud voice. Gam3Day Ready.

Good News: Positive Speculation about Kanter

It's good to end the night on a couple of good notes: A). It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was hilarious; B). The Big East continues to look awful (Pitt down to Miami 24-3 in the 4th) and most importantly; C). There are indications that Enes Kanter will be wearing the Blue by December.

An article by Larry Vaught highlights some very interesting points. CBSSports.com columnist Greg Doyel made these very positive remarks: "I expect him to play. Not the whole season, but I expect him to play. And when he does play, UK becomes the best team in the country. Without him, UK is a tourney team. With him, it's THE no. 1 seed. Enes plays after about 10 games off. That's my guess."

Yes kids, Enes appears to be that good. Those are some strong words. Let's hope this all comes to light sooner than later. John Calipari has his own thoughts on the matter and stated that he is confident that Kanter will be eligible.

Side Note: UK Coach John Calipari was in Louisville tonight for a UK tip off dinner. He tweeted this statement earlier this evening: "What a great crowd at our lville tip off dinner. Love 2 see all the blue in this city." My guess is that if Rick Pitino tried to pull a Louisville tip off dinner in Lexington that he would get less than a warm reception. How does it feel to be Little Brother in your own city Ricky P?

Bledsoe Report to be Released Tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.

The Eric Bledsoe report is going to be released tomorrow. Between the UK/Florida match up post and this I am going to be a busy guy. On to Miami vs. Pitt and some Sunny later tonight.

The State of Florida is Nuts

When I was working my way through college at UPS I used to listen to Love Line every night on my way in to work. Adam Carolla used to play a hilarious game called "Florida or Germany". In this game he would read an absurd news story or laws and ask the audience if the story was about Florida or Germany. It's pretty sad when your state is competing with Germany for the weirdest place on planet earth.

So, in honor of Mr. Corolla and the UK at Florida game on Saturday, I have compiled a list of things that proves that Florida is the armpit of America and is a completely degenerate state. Unless you count Mississippi.

Laws: Every state has dumb laws but these are some of the dumbest I have seen.

• It's illegal to be within 6 feet of a customer during a lap dance


• You can only paint your fence white


• The penalty for hitting a pedestrian is a $78 dollar fine


• It's illegal to go downtown without $10


• It's illegal to set off a nuclear bomb in a city park


• It's illegal to molest trash cans in Daytona


• It's illegal to dress like a slut while selling hot dogs


• It's illegal to fart after 6 p.m.

Germany or Florida: You can actually play "Germany or Florida" at this website. Enjoy!

Florida Political Fun Time!: One of Florida's most outspoken and often quoted politicians is Republican Representative Michelle Bachman. Here are some of her greatest hits:

• "I wish the media would take a great look at the views of Congress and find out: Are they pro-American or anti-American?" Hmmmm...sounds like McCarthyism


• "I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out under another Democratic president, Jimmy Carter. I'm not blaming this on president Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence." No, you are blaming swine flu on Democrats.


• "During the last 100 days we have seen an orgy. The government spent it's wad by April 26." She is comparing fiscal spending to group sex. Nice.


• "Carbon dioxide is portrayed as harmful but there isn't one study that can be produced to show that carbon dioxide is a harmful gas." Really? Do us all a favor and close yourself in your garage, roll down your windows, start the engine and conduct a study.


• "There are hundreds and hundreds of scientists, many of them holding Nobel Prizes, that believe in Intelligent Design." Now she is just lying. And the fact that this woman exists totally disproves "Intelligent" Design.

I think we all get the picture with this. Even Florida's politicians are nut jobs. And who can forget the 2000 election fiasco? I won't go into all of the details on that one but everyone knows about Florida effing up the election that led to multiple recounts and then to 8 years of Bush. So, thanks for the Iraq war, the deficit, the recession and all of those awesome Bush quotes.

The Football Team: I cannot hate on the football programs success. Ever since Urban Meyer took over the Gators have won 2 national titles and have won all but one bowl games. But what I can hate on is their arrest record. The Meyer era has had 30 arrests under it's tenure at Florida. The latest was receiver Chris Rainey when he texted his female friend that he was going to kill her. Sounds like Tim Tebow hasn't rubbed off on everybody. No wonder they beat everybody on the field, they are prison strong.

The Basketball Team: Billy Donovan looks like Eddy Munster. That's a fact. He has won back to back national championships. That's a fact. It's also a fact that his teams have been to multiple NITs since those titles and he has been unable to duplicate their success. Hey Billy, don't you wish you would have come to UK now? Oh, yeah! Remember this guy? And this guy?

That's a lot of Florida hatred and dumbness. What does this have to do with the football game on Saturday? Absolutely nothing. Kentucky hasn't beaten Florida since 1986 and we have to take shots at them any way we can. Hopefully we can take a shot at them and win on Saturday. Actual game analysis and predictions tomorrow. Until then, Free Enes.

Silly, Silly Boys

As we approach Week #4 of the college football season, most teams are preparing for their next opponent (UK), while others are taking advantage of their week off (U of L).

However, in the blogger world, it seems that UK fans want to compare the 2011 recruiting classes for both UK and U of L. Keep in mind that just like basketball, the kids being mentioned are still in HIGH SCHOOL.

On Monday, Kentucky Sports Radio's own BTI wrote a very insightful (LOL) article regarding how much better Joker Phillips was doing on the recruiting front compared to Charlie Strong. BTI states in his article that "While the Cards have received a couple nice recruitments out of the city, Joker has had the clear advantage overall."

BTI goes on to state the numerical rankings for both teams as it stood on Monday. He then asks the question: Does Charlie Strong have any advantage over Joker Phillips? Even further down the article, he talks about how dull of a person Charlie Strong is during his press conferences. That's neither here or there for this post, but seriously?

Then on Tuesday, SportsThat's own Boogiewoogie added the following quip to his article: "Joker Phillips is a better recruiter than Charlie "Jesus Christ" Strong. Don't believe me?" He then proceeds to link up to the same exact article written a day earlier by BTI.

Boy, how the tide changes so quickly. In the time that it took both BTI and Boogiewoogie to collectively link their hands, hearts, and articles (among other things), Coach Charlie Strong has received an additional 4 verbal commitments. Why is this important to note? The new verbal commits have launched U of L ahead of UK, putting the Cards at #27 and the Cats at #29 on Scout.com.

What's the best news in all of this? For 2010, even with a short recruiting period for Coach Strong, U of L was able to finish ahead of UK and their smooth transition to Joker Phillips. For 2011, Coach Strong will have the full recruiting period to add the best talent he can find. Even without missing a beat when Brooks stepped down, Joker couldn't even get UK ahead of U of L. How does he expect to get ahead of Strong and the Cards when they have a full recruiting period to operate?

Lastly, I find it interesting that UK fans keep talking about Charlie Strong and the Cards. The man hasn't even been at U of L for a year, and yet it sounds like Cat fans may be a little worried about what's right around the corner. Just sayin'.

Cardinal fans hating on Cardinal fans

Your football team is ranked 87th and are 1-2. Your basketball team is barely being mentioned for an NIT bid in the coming season. Your biggest basketball rival has lined up its 2nd and 3rd straight #1 recruiting classes. What do you do? Where do you go for answers? When will the bright spot be seen again? Well, you don't need to get your flux capacitor charged,  way back time machine, or physics book out to look at your future. You just need to go to Google!

Tonight, that is exactly what many a few Cardinals have done. In their desperation, they searched and scoured the web for answers and have managed to find an article written +30 days ago. Something on this very site about a pickup basketball game and they drool over the prospects involved. They see the contingent of potential future Cards and go running to the masses with the scoop. They ignore reason and truth (and a warning message at the top of the article) and sprint screaming they found gospel to the other hurdled red shirts on other fan blogs.

No, seriously? Yes, seriously. Our friends over at InsideTheVille have thrown an old SportsThat satire onto their fan forum. The forum message and following responses show the Cards falling deeply for the thoughts of saviors on the hard court rescuing the university's program from doom and gloom and bringing it back to the greatness it warrants.

However, the same post then recognizes it's desperation and lust of those more successful programs and it begins to throw shots in hope to bring down the anticipation of glory. In a matter of moments, the world goes from the highest mountain to the lowest valley. Like a 1-2 start to football season or an extortion case in federal court, it turns sad quickly and who is there to blame? The guy that wrote it. Shoot the messenger of the sarcastic print. Turn on the author, our own UL fan writer Thunderstick. Call him a "Matt Jones Clone" and UKlown. Point fingers, and disown him. Call him names (UK fan), ignore his statements, and move on.

UL fans, one day you too may see the glory of sports relevancy and that day will be when you too become a UK fan. Until then, keep hating on your own kind, it's something that UK and UL fans can get along in doing.

Tony Wroten Jr... Rick's next pickup

So while the UK for 2011 has settled into the role of #1 recruiting class, Slick Rick is back at it to boost the Cardinal fledglings into contention. Today, he ventured out to Seattle for an in home visit to target Tony Wroten Jr. Twitter specialist ToneTone13 is being targeted by UL and Washington is currently ranked by Rivals as the #8 point guard and #30 overall player in the country. Wroten was once targeted by the Cats until they received commitments from the #1 point guard Marquis Teague (#2 overall).

Wroten is due to announce sometime this week or next and would be a big get (and big mouth) for Louisville. I, like others, are cheering for the Cards to get Wroten as he should provide some excellent fodder for the blog.

Professional Football News and Notes

Let's take a break from college football and talk some professional football. As you all may know I am thoroughly ready for UK at Florida on Saturday. I will be doing a special dedicated to the state of Florida tomorrow. Stay tuned for tons o' fun with that. But until tomorrow and then my predictions on Friday, let's talk a little NFL shall we?

• Andy Reid may look like a walrus but he's no dummy. He is starting Mike Vick instead of Kevin Kolb this Sunday against the Jaguars, as well he should. Vick is 1-1 this season but might have been 2-0 IF he had started against the Packers. All he has done in one and a half games is throw for 459 yards, 3 TD's, have a QB rating of 105.5, no INT"s and a completion percentage of 63.8%. The word for this to coach Reid is: DUH.
• Braylon Edwards is a moron. After the former Wolverine (that explains a lot) was run out of Cleveland for dissing King James' posse in a night club and getting arrested, he has now gotten arrested in New York for a DWI. What's so dumb about this? The team provides players with a luxury car service that is free of charge and can pick them up at any time, day or night, and he still decides to drive home. He will be playing Sunday but he will not start. He still may be suspended from the league. I like your beard.
• Brett Favre sucks and doesn't care. That is all.
• It looks like karma is still playing havoc with Reggie Bush. The Saints running back is out with a broken fibula for at least 6 weeks. They say he may return but we will see if he is 100%. Bush may not light up the stats but he adds a dynamic to the Saints offense that teams have to look out for. Opponents game plan around Reggie Bush.
• We all know Al Davis is bat-crap crazy and that is why when he said that Jason Campbell looked like Jim Plunkett we all kind of smirked and rolled our eyes at the old kook. Now Campbell is being replaced as a starter by journeyman Bruce Gradkowski. The Raiders suck again and them being the trendy pick to sneak up and win the AFC West was just that, trendy and nothing more. Until Davis croaks the Raiders will suck. And when he dies I fully expect to hear and see everybody talk about him like he was Mother Theresa just like George Mother Flippin Steinbrenner. God, I hate the Yankees.

Quick UK Notes (don't act like you're surprised by this):

• Urban Meyer is in love with Randall "Legend" Cobb.
• Big Blue Madness is slated for October 15!!! ESPNU will be broadcasting from Rupp Arena because Big Blue Madness is a nationally recognized entity, kind of like July 4th.
• Joker Phillips is a better recruiter than Charlie "Jesus Christ" Strong. Don't believe me? Check it out.
• Derrick Locke leads the SEC in yards with 372 and 5 TD's. The line needs to give this speedster some light on Saturday night. Poetry.
• Mike Startline's 2010 stats: 680 yards, 5 TD's, no INT's, no fumbles, QB rating of 170.16, completion percentage is 72% which is 8th in the entire NCAA. Let's see if he can keep it up Saturday. Can we say Heisman? No, we can't. I just want him to beat Florida.
• Free Enes

Demarcus Cousins Gives the Finger

Cousins dislocated his finger today in practice. Luckily he isn't being sized for his NBA championship ring, yet.

Boogiewoogie did the same thing one time getting a booger out. He uses his middle finger though.

Forde Minutes Features "Fake" Cats.

The Donald knows a fake when he see's one, but does Pat Forde?

So in typical Pat Forde style, he has listed his latest "Forde Minutes" article on ESPN.com. The latest article is based on 'fakes' which include everything from fake field goals and punts to fake players, teams, and coaches.

I am actually agreeing with the typically anti-UK Forde for the first time in the 6 months SportsThat has been around.  In minute 23 of 40, Forde calls on the Cats as a 'potential' fake 3-0 team. He even throws a little jab at his Cardinals too.

Kentucky (23). What's to like: The Wildcats are the only team in the country to have played three games without committing a turnover. They have dynamic playmakers in receiver/returner Randall Cobb and running back Derrick Locke. And they're starting quickly, averaging 27.3 points in the first half.


What's to doubt: The best team Kentucky has beaten (Louisville) ranks 87th in the Sagarin ratings.


Reality check: Saturday in The Swamp. The Cats haven't beaten Florida since 1986.


Verdict: Kentucky could conceivably get to eight wins this season if it beats nemesis Tennessee for the first time since '84.

John Wall on ESPN the Magazine

John Wall: International Super Star. It has already been reported by a poll of all of the NBA Rookies that Wall is expected to be Rookie of the Year. He is a super star in Kentucky and now a super star in Washington DC. Wall's next step is the country, then the world. In my estimation we will be talking about Wall in the same sentence as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and DeWayne Wade in the next few years.

Until then, enjoy the hype and enjoy the stories. This kid has it all. He is featured in ESPN the Magazine this month. He has already graced the cover of Sports Illustrated , the Sporting News , Dime Magazine and Slam. Twice (eat it TWill). ESPN was just bound to happen.

Randall Cobb is playin with Lobsta's

Because in Lexington, even Red Lobster is BLUE

So there seems to have been a misunderstanding tonight at the Red Lobster in Lexington. Per Randall Cobb's Twitter account he recants the incident at the Lobsta and his mistaken identity.

Just came to Red Lobster to eat and Audrey working at the door told me I must be a big UK fan because I have a lot of UK stuff on.

about 4 hours ago via Spaz

I then told her I was one of the biggest fans and she then says "how many more games do you think we will win before were horrible again"

about 4 hours ago via Spaz

#disrespectful #slapintheface #wow congrats Red Lobster just lost a top customer. Man I really wanted some of those biscuits too!

about 4 hours ago via Spaz

Settled for a Cheddars tonight! somebody know where I could get a recipe for cheesy biscuits?? I'm gonna have to start makin em on my own!

about 3 hours ago via Spaz

@mnewt709 that is a great idea ima call Sandy Bell tm and propose Red Lobster being on the banned restaurant list for all UK athletics

about 3 hours ago via Spaz in reply to mnewt709

and no #boycottingRedLobster! Im still gonna eat there- #cheesybiscuits is a MUST!
about 1 hour ago via web

I think it's awesome that Cobb played along with his anonymity in the situation and didn't go all WildCobb on Audrey. I also think it'd been great to have a #FreeEnes and #boycottRedLobster campaign going on at once, but who can avoid cheesy biscuits?!?! But as SportsThat can contend, while the biscuits are delicious, it's all "about the Lobsta". Here's a take of 2Hot2Handle's favorite Lobsta conversation.

Florida Looms as Practice Games End

I posted this for no particular reason at all.

I was at the Akron game on Saturday and I am still feeling the effects of having a great time. Let me hit some highlights before I talk about the game and Florida:

• We saw Orlando Antigua cruising in a golf cart with some recruits


• We also saw Enes Kanter, Eloy Vargas, Stacey Poole and Terrence Jones cruising as well


• Coury, Monster Mash and I defended the honor of a lady against some undergrad douche bag


• Coury and I got our pictures taken with Scratch


• Coury got his picture with Enes Kanter


• Kanter was wearing an Undertaker shirt


• We all met DeQuinn Evans, Moncell Allen and Derrick Locke at Two keys Tavern


• Monster Mash asked a girl at Tolly Ho the ingredients of her milkshake and was mocked unmercifully


• If I had to do it over again I would have attended UK. The atmosphere is electric.

Back to the football analysis. The Cats started out sluggish but after a fiery speech on the sidelines by Joker Phillips, they turned it on and never looked back. The back ups were in by halftime. Derrick Locke ran for over 160 yards and eclipsed the 2,000 yard mark for his career, Randall Cobb caught a TD pass but dropped a number of balls, Chris Matthews scored again and DeQuinn Evans recorded his first sack.

Mike Hartline is looking phenomenal. He has the 8th ranked quarterback efficiency rating in the country, he hasn't turned it over and he is getting the entire offense involved by completing passes to multiple receivers every game. There are no questions about his status as the starter. For now.

UK's schedule has not been, how do I put this, difficult thus far. Yes, I know that Louisville gave Oregon State a run for their money but the fact is that they are still 1-2. WKU is 0-3 with a near miss at IU this past weekend 38-21 and Akron is 0-3 with an embarrassing loss to Gardener Webb. That is a combined 1-8 for our opponenets. UK looked dominant in all three games but they should have looked that way. If they hadn't then I would be writing abut how Florida is going to blow them out.

But I'm not. I have hope. The offense can play with any team in the country. The defensive run game is lacking in some areas but they have improved steadily over the past few weeks. I did just read some troubling news that Moncell Allen has a hamstring injury and starting right guard Stuart Hines has an ankle injury. Both are doubtful for the game Saturday. Without those two key starters our chances would decline.

Coach Joker Phillips had this to say: "It's a great opportunity for us to put a huge stamp on this program and on this football team, to show the character, to show the maturity of our football team. It's a great opportunity for us."

He's right in everything he said. I'm not ready for my prediction just yet. I'll give that on Friday.

Rare Props to the Cards: I can't take any shots at the Cards this week. They played their hearts out in a close loss at Oregon State. They were down big early and fought all the way back to make the Beavers sweat a little in the end. (Eeeewwww) Props to Coach Strong and his players. You're still 1-2. Damn it! I can't help myself.

Monster Mash: Post those pictures ASAP!

Cards drop a close one in Corvalis

If anyone were to ask me (and several people did) how I thought the Louisville Cardinals would fare this weekend out in Corvalis to take on the Beavers (haha) of Oregon State, they would have gotten a grin from me, followed by me saying we were going to get taken to the woodshed--or something similar but maybe less corny and more profane.

I tuned in today to our local WBKI in STANDARD DEF (gag) to watch the Cards battle the Beavers (haha again), but what I saw left me in shock and awe. Louisville got the kickoff and promptly drove down the field without issue to the Oregon State 1, where they were shut out and stopped from scoring (I'd have kicked a field goal to take the lead, but whatever). After they stopped Oregon State on a 3 and out series, they drove right back down the field and just as it looked like Adam "Abe" Froman was scampering in for a touchdown, the ball was punched out at the goal line and went out of bounds through the endzone for a touchback, Beavers ball (sorry, I have to laugh every time I say, read, or hear the word "Beaver"). I was literally about to jump through my TV with fury that we should have two scores on the board.

It was right about this time that it hit me--I hadn't been this jacked up to watch my Cards play in over 2 years. I remembered suddenly all the drunken and sober times at Papa Johns in what seemed like ages ago, being pumped up to watch Louisville lay a beatdown on anyone who came to town, including this very Oregon State team that the Cards thrashed 61-10 just a few short seasons ago. I then remembered being on my couch in KragCooper's 2nd term, watching Rutgers pound the life out of the Cards, and no one on the field, or even in my living room noticing. I watched the game with total apathy, Kragthorpe had sucked the passion for sports from my soul.

As I watched all game, it was a great feeling to be screaming, jumping up and down, and having anyone in my house a little freaked out to be there due to my enthusiasm. Even when down 21 and my friend said, "dude, we probably should change the channel so you can remember how good the first half was," I laughed and told him I wanted to watch every second--beatdown or not. Louisville showed heart that I hadn't seen from the team in over 3 years. They fought back until the last second of the game when an untimely interception by the Sausage King himself sounded the end of the game.

It was heartbreaking, but it almost felt good to be that heartbroken. Say what you want about how bad this team is, or how you don't think Charlie Strong is going to get it done (just like BoogieWoogie proclaims), but like it or not, this team has HEART and plays with passion. If strong can get that kind of play out of the talent level that this team has, I am absolutely excited about the years to come. This isn't some kind of "moral victory" today, this loss hurt, and it hurt bad...but for me, it was nice to have any kind of feeling again.

Randall Cobb: Haters Gon Hate

Here is an awesome article in the C-J that profiles The Legend in detail. The main focus is on how Cobb has been overlooked his entire career, dating all the way back to his Pop Warner football days. Joker Phillips even states that Cobb is the best football player he has ever been around and Urban Meyer admits that he should have recruited Cobb. He used the doubters and the haters to fuel his desire.

He was listed as a 2 star recruit, said to be undersized, said to have no chance at D-I football and has proven everybody wrong. Dead wrong. Cobb is easily the best player on the field for both teams no matter who they are facing. And yes I am looking at you Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia, etc... If I'm wrong then stop him.

There is a sudden push for Cobb to be recognized as a Heisman candidate but the problem is that he does not have a true position. Yes, he is listed as a wide receiver but he doesn't have overwhelming stats for that position. It's the total package when it comes to him.

Regardless of his position he is the best player in a Wildcat football uniform that I have seen in my lifetime and that is including Tim Couch. Go get 'em Randall.

Two Blow Outs Likely to Occur

Akron is about to get handled but their mascot is awesome.

The University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville are in similar but vastly different situations this Saturday. How so? They will both be a part of a blow out but Louisville will be the one getting blown out and Kentucky will be doing the blowing. Wait, that doesn't sound right.

Akron @ Kentucky- Kentucky will continue it's tour of cupcake domination at 7 p.m. at Commonwealth Stadium. Louisville and WKU were already defeated handily by the Cats. Cupcake #3 is up next. The Zips are 0-2 with losses to Syracuse 29-3 and Gardner Webb 38-37. I had no idea that Billiy Gillispie was now the football coach at Akron. Syracuse nor GWebb either have the talents that UK has on offense or defense. Especially offense. Cobb alone might score from three different positions. Chris Matthews does wonderful political analysis and is emerging as a huge threat.

Since I know that the Cats will put up big points I would like to take this opportunity to speak to the defensive side of things. Defense: You have been less than stellar. You let Louisville, which has one of the worst offenses in all of the Big East which means one of the worst offenses in all of football, put up 16 points. You then let WKU put up 28. I don't want Akron to see the end zone on Saturday. I'll take a field goal or two but not TD's. Let's go out and dominate.

Prediction- Akron 3- Cats 54. Cobb and Locke should be in the locker room resting up by halftime. But let's not look past these guys...ok, we can. Let's get ready for Florida.

Louisville @ Oregon State- The last time the Beavers met the Cards they met them with a 61-10 thumping at the hands of Brian Brohm at the Oven (smirk). Those days are long gone and now the Cards are left with Charlie Strong and his current team of awful players. Strong has still not impressed for reasons I outlined on Sunday and I don't think he will get his shot here.

The Beav's are going to have revenge on their mind and it is tough to win in Corvallis. They are 0-1 with a 30-21 loss to #5 TCU in Dallas, so it's not like they lost to a slouch. After Louisville they face Boise State, so something tells me that they are going to want to make a statement against a lesser opponent to gain confidence: enter Louisville. The Beavers are favored by 19. Yes, you read that correctly. Head coach Mike Riley made a tongue in cheek comment earlier this week when he stated, "This is our Super Bowl." Obviously coach doesn't think that this is a Super Bowl caliber opponent. He is trying to pump his kids up and trying to make sure they don't overlook the completely over matched Cards. This should be an ugly, ugly game.

Prediction- OSU has speed, depth and incentive to win big. Cards 10-OSU 38

Sportsthat will be at the UK game Saturday. We will be spending all day and night in Lex Vegas, taking in the local fun. One or more of these things will happen:

A). Boogiewoogie gets arrested for running onto the field to give Randall Cobb a high five

B). Monster Mash falls in love with an Akron cheerleader, gets her number, has one awkward conversation on the phone with her and never talks to her again

C). Coury Flurry goes into a frat house party uninvited, starts a fight, and then we south end boys end up whipping some fraternity butt

D). Monster Mash makes an inappropriate comment to one of the beautiful SEC dress girls and her 350 pound, solid rock boyfriend puts him in the hospital.

E). Boogiewoogie continues his amazing streak of meeting random people, meets John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins in downtown Lexington, goes VIP all over everybody in downtown Lexington

It should be good times. Follow us on twitter for awesome updates.

A Tailgating Thursday News of the Night

Hot girls flippin sausage... an Akron @ UK tailgating special

So when you're tailgating, you drink. When you are waiting on news from Enes Kanter or Eric Bledsoe to break at any moment, it is definitely worth drinking. When you sit at the airport and wait for 4 hours before your flight, you drink. Thus, I drink at the airport bar for you Enes, Eric, Business men and women of America, and all of those sports fans seeing games the way it is meant to be seen...at the stadium. Here are the evening notes from the San Jose, California airport:

- After Cincinnati's loss to North Carolina State today, Butch Jones, the new head coach of Cincinnati is now being compared to Steve Kragthorpe. Sportsthat is already starting a "He pulled a Munson, I mean Kragthorpe" campaign, while all the sports writers in America are forming a lynch mob to destroy Jones' career.

- The WNBA finished today with the Seattle Storm winning the ti... zzzzz. Someone watched, it wasn't me. I blame Boogiewoogie for the creation of women's sports, title 9 and everything else that is PC and wrong with America.

-  The Rockets have decided to limit Yao Ming to 24 minutes a game for the upcoming season. That is 50% of regular game time. This is in response to his career threatening injury to his feet. He's a big man and brings in huge Chinese Yuan, thus the Rockets are going to take a Steven Strasburg approach and basically limit his innings. This is big news (and good news) for Chuck Hayes and Patrick Patterson who will be sharing time with Yao in the paint.

- The Chargers will be blacked out for their home opener after not selling the game out. All I can say is that the Jacksonville Jaguars might get a break after all the crap they took last season. The economy is still down and the tickets are STILL $50 or MORE. It is reported that up to 11 other teams could be at risk for blackout games this year and until ticket prices come down or the economy turns upwards, I expect more next season.

- Clinton Portis is in hot water after some comments made on a radio show about women reporters in NFL locker rooms. The NFL came out later and said Portis' comments were offensive. Thus, today Portis simply held up a spiral bound notebook with "No Comment" "Thanks for Coming" and "God Bless You" written on the paper. My response to Portis' comment... No Comment, God Bless You and Thanks for coming.

AlrightI just heard someone say "I'll catch you back in the San Ho" and then say "I'd rather barf in her than fill her with... Later Kardash, ." So with that, I am taking the rest of the night off and going to look for Kim Kardashian. Boogiewoogie will be back on Eastern time zone in the morning as I make my way 3,000 miles back to Da Ville.. Remember to tune in Saturday for the first SportsThat at Commonwealth trip.

Louisville Football Player Fatally Shot

I do a lot of joking around on here about the Cardinals and I like to give Louisville fans a hard time. But a story like this puts all of that BS to rest. I read on the Courier-Journal's website that a former Louisville football player was shot and killed.

Daniel Covington was shot last night in downtown Louisville. He was a former defensive back for the Cards. He was 23 years old. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and teammates.

It is September... that means it's FINALLY Baseball Season!

College Football season kicked off two weeks ago, NFL was last week, and we are one month away from Midnight Madness, but last night I realized baseball is getting to that point of the year that I finally start paying attention. 145/162 games have been completed for most teams. That leaves 17 games and about 20 days worth of action to follow. I've always been a "wake me up, when September begins" guy when it comes to Baseball. This is simply because unless your team is just horrible (see Cincinnati from 1990-2009) you ALWAYS have a shot come August/September.

Last night, I awoke to September baseball. I took a seat in San Francisco for my first game at AT&T park and watched the playoff contending Giants in a rivalry game against the Mannyless (and playoff less) Dodgers. It was brisk (65 degrees at first pitch) and had a different feel than those June/July games. The crowd was into the game and watched the home team Giants pulled within a half game of the Padres for the division and 1/2 game of the Wild Card after a 2-1 win.

But for those of you that aren't Red Sox or Indians fans (which leaves about 1% of our audience), here's a rundown of the MLB Standings for you to wake up:

AL EAST
Tampa Bay W: 88 L: 57
NY Yankees W: 88 L: 58 (.5 games behind)

The Yankees seem to be struggling as of late with their starting rotation. A-Rod's numbers are down significantly this season and injuries could be biting. However, the Yankees and Rays have had the Division/Wild Card locked down for weeks and with the Red Sox flailing like Boogiewoogie on ice, they could just be rolling along and waiting to turn it back on in the Playoffs.

AL CENTRAL
Minnesota 87 58 (8 games up)

After the White Sox made an impressive mid-season run at the pennant, they have failed miserably at keeping that momentum. Even with a late season addition of Manny Ramirez, the Sox have still fell 8 games back to a Twins team that has shown impressive hitting and pitching. It looks like the Twinkies will be making another post season appearance.

AL WEST
Texas 82 63 .566 (10 games up)

The Rangers added Cliff Lee midstream which added a #1 starter and lifted playoff hopes. With a 10 game lead and  17 to go, the Rangers are solid to make it into September. With the playoffs being about pitching, and Lee proving he can perform against the big boys when needed, the Rangers could even do some damage.

NL EAST
Philadelphia 86 61
Atlanta 83 64 (3 games back)

The Phillies have been up and down this year, but have hit their stride this month. Winners of 8 out of their last 10, they have pulled ahead in the division and with proven pitching are poised to make another run at the World Series. The Braves currently lead the Wild Card by .5 games but are young and banged up worse than a woman at Porcini's. While I don't expect to see the Chipper Jones come September (after season ending injury) I do expect to see the tomahawks being thrown.

NL CENTRAL
Cincinnati 83 63
St. Louis 74 70 (8 games back)

While their fans kept waiting for the collapse, the team just seemed to continue to pull away from the Cardinals and hold 8 games with 16 to go. The Reds haven't made the playoffs since 1995, which for you math majors is a LONG time ago. I think I was in the 8th grade... and well, I just had my 10 year HIGH SCHOOL reunion. But after a MVP style season from Joey Votto, Ace pitching from Johnny Cueto, and bullpen bolstering Aroldis Chapman's call up in early September, they are making things happen. It should be a slump buster to end all slump busters.

NL WEST
San Diego 82 63
San Francisco 82 64 (.5 games back)

The surprise Padres held an 8 game lead as of three weeks ago, but have slowly fallen back into reach and have turned heads as to their latest flaws. I turned a few heads last night and it wasn't for my manly good looks. I realized after an inning or two that my UK attire fit seamlessly with the LA Dodger blue opponents. Watching the teams play, I realized that the Giants are built on pitching. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and company have pulled this team to playoff hopes. With only having one player on the team batting over .300, the Giants will have their work cut out for them in September if they get there.


But that's your MLB Rundown as of September 16th, 2010. Wake up, enjoy the playoff runs for your team and tune in in 3 weeks to find out how long the season will last.