Top 25 Shake Up: UK and UofL are on the Rise

Due to just about every team in the top 10 losing this weekend, there are some local teams rising to the top. I also have in this little segment Joe Lunardi's latest bracket and picks for Louisville's game tonight as well as UK's game tomorrow.

-Kentucky moves back into the top ten at number ten, right behind a Notre Dame team that the Cats throttled earlier this season. The Cards move from number twenty three to number fifteen thanks to beating number five UConn at home. The biggest drop was by Syracuse. The went from nine to seventeen after they have just lost four in a row.

-Joe Lunardi has also updated his bracket and has the Cats as a team on the rise. This week the Cats are a 3 seed, up one spot from last week. The Dirty Birdies also rose all the way to a four seed in his brackets. That fifteen point beat down the Cats gave the Cards in the Bucket is looking better and better. The number one seeds right now are Ohio State, Texas, Pittsburgh and Kansas. Not arguments here at this point.

-There ain't no rest for the weary as Louisville goes on the road tonight to play a Georgetown team that was fighting for it's life after it lost four out of it's first five Big East games. Now the Hoya's are on a tear and have reeled off four in a row, it's most impressive win coming Saturday at #8 Villanova.

The Hoyas are #13 in the latest AP poll. The way Louisville has been playing I would say the game is evenly matched. The game against UConn was amazing and emotionally draining. But the Cards have been doing this all season long battling injuries and a lack of talent. I think the Cards can pull off another big road win...but not tonight. They lose a close one 80-77.

-The Cats don't play again until Tuesday night when they face a cream puff Ole Miss team. I'm not going to BS anybody by saying they are good, because they aren't. They are 13-8 overall and 1-5 in the conference. But we have seen the Cats lose to a bad team on the road (ALAFREAKINBAMA!!!), so it's not impossible.

But Calipari is trying to get more out of his older guys and the way Darius Miller and Deandre Liggins have been playing, I think they are getting the message. I think the Cats will roll 83-60 tomorrow night. The next big test comes Saturday at Florida.

Enjoy the Louisville vs. Georgetown game tonight!

Weekend Recap: Cats and Cards Win, Ranked Teams Lose and a Boogie style Birthday

Let's make this quick.

• The Cats repaid the favor and defeated the Dawgs in front of 24,000 fans at Rupp arena. The Highlights: Darius Miller had his most impressive outing this year and has put together two impressive games in a row and has scored in double digits in five straight games. Miller's performance is the key to March. Terrence Jones continues his dominance and had a little whisper chat with the always hot UK fan, Ashley Judd. The Low lights: Georgia was able to creep back in the game even after a 19 point Kentucky lead. The emergence of a seventh man is still lacking.
• The Cards got an impressive double overtime victory at Uconn, winning by one point. The Cards hit circus shot after circus shot, particularly Peyton Siva, keeping them in the game and securing the victory. I am sure how they are winning these games but they are. I keep expecting the lack of talent to catch up with them but it hasn't yet. Kudos to the basketball Cards. They are playing inspired ball and I can't deny it.
• The Celtics beat the Lakers at home. Rondo had another HUGE assist game and Kobe whined like a little girl after the loss. Just like he does after every loss.
• Duke went down to St. Johns. And they went down big time. Which goes to show that any team can be beat at any time by any opponent in college basketball. There is no such thing as a sure victory. Plus I don't think Duke is all that good.
• On a similar note, a ton of ranked teams went down to un-ranked teams this weekend. Duke lost to St. Johns, Washington lost to Washington State, BYU lost to New Mexico, Syracuse lost to Marquette, Texa A&M lost to Nebraska, Wisconsin lost to Penn State and Florida lost to Mississippi State. Ohio State barly got out with a win against Northwestern by one point and Pitt nearly lost to Rutgers. This year is any body's championship.
• One final note: Boogie has been blowing up lately in the NBA. My all time favorite UK player posted 25 points and 10 rebounds in a Kings upset over the Hornets, stopping a 10 game winning streak for New Orleans. And even more impressive he outplayed Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum by scoring 27 points and grabbing 10 boards in a stunning win against the Lakers. Don't give that Rookie of the Year trophy to Blake Griffin just yet. Boogie might be hitting his stride. So, in honor of the Boogie Man, I leave you with this:

We miss you DeMarcus. Sniff, sniff.

Flushing the "Big East dominance" hype

The hype surrounding the Big East is ridiculous. It's crap and needs to be flushed.  

The ESPN slurp fest constantly building up the Big East to astronomic proportions and levels of superiority is ridiculous. Do not misunderstand these words, the Big East is a very good conference, but the level to which the conference is being advertised is preposterous. To help support that statement, this article will look at the numbers to bring the hype back down to manageable levels by comparing the unhyped Big 10 to what will be proven to be an over hyped Big East.

All rankings are AP rankings and RPI projections are current as as of Jan 29 2011 according to RealTimeRPI.com:

Big 10

• 6 ranked teams of 11 teams in conference (Ohio State, #12 Purdue, #16 Minnesota, #17 Wisconsin, #20 Illinois, #25 Michigan St) 54% ranked.
• Avearge RPI: 59.0.
• Standard Deviation: 56.6.

Big East

• 7 ranked teams of 16 teams in conference (#2 Pitt, #5 UConn, #8 Villanova, #9 Syracuse, #15 Notre Dame, #21 Georgetown, #23 Louisville) 43% ranked.
• Average RPI: 53.8.
• Standard Deviation: 61.0

A) The Big East is amazing because they are the deepest conference in the nation - FALSE. The numbers show a mere 5 spots difference between the mean (meaning average) ranking of a Big East team and the mean ranking for the Big 10. Up front, that would lead you to believe that the Big East is better. But remember, a conference isn't as good as the best teams, they are as good as the conference as a whole (see ACC when Duke was ranked #1 while no other team was ranked). However, the Standard Deviation, which is the calculation that shows the amount of outliers from the average, favors the Big 10. This would show that the BAD teams in the Big East are REALLY bad and the good teams are REALLY good - while the Big 10 is better from top to bottom.

And for all those ACC/SEC haters that will appear in the comments section, yes the SEC, is significantly lower due to the outliers of Auburn (310), and Mississippi State (183) while only having 3 top 25 teams (#14 Kentucky, #19 Vanderbilt, #24 Florida). It is definitely a 'down year'.  

B) The Big East only loses because they face the toughest competition - FALSE. The Big East's best teams seem to be equal opportunity losers. For instance Syracuse, after starting 18-0 have lost four straight. "Oh but it's the Big East, they face tougher teams" you say. OK, sure, they lost to RPI #6 Pitt, RPI #10 Villanova, but then they dropped games to RPI #93 Seton Hall and RPI #66 Marquette. Of the 18 wins they started out with, only 4 games came against RPI top 50 teams... the turd that was floating at the top of the conference is now sinking.

Villanova seems to have taken a similar path. After starting 16-1, the Wildcats have lost 3 of 4. "No seriously, it's the Big East, the losses have to be to good teams because that's all we have!" Once again, I'll give you some losses qualify as losses to good teams, including the losses to #4 Connecticut and #8 Georgetown but #95 Providence - a bad loss. And each of those 3 losses have occurred in 3 of the last 4 games. The stink seems to be wofting and it is coming from Jay Wright's locker room and bench.

If we go West and turn to the top Big 10 squads, Purdue, the second highest ranked Big 10 school has lost 3 of 5 but all were to top 20 RPI teams on the road.Wisconsin, the third highest ranked Big 10 school dropped 3 of 7 but all have been to top 50 RPI teams on the road and Minnesota lost over Thanksgiving to a bad Virginia team but have since only lost 3 games all to top 35 teams.

Result - Big 10 is the deepest and best conference at this point in time. - TRUE
Statement A clarified that the Big 10 was really the most consistent conference. Statement B showed that the Big 10 is the real conference that is cannibalistic due to the tough strength of schedule. Thus, it can be asserted that the Big 10 is where all the hype should be, not the Big East.

Little John's Derby Jewelry: Super Goldman!

In case you missed the commercial during the UK v Georgia game, here's the Little Johns Derby Jewelry Super Goldman commercial... all I can say is that I'm glad Super Goldman is in Louisville saving the day!

Thug Life is Still Louisville Football's Favorite Past Time

I just happened to luck into a picutre of an actual Louisville Fan! He is wearing the red and everything!

I guess Louisville football fans were expecting a new regime and a new standard when Charlie Strong rode into town. Well, they were wrong.

Two Louisville football players, twins no less, have just been charged with assaulting a teammate after practice on October 24th. Brothers and red shirt freshmen Jacob and Issac Geffrad have been individually charged with assaulting fellow Cardinal Patrick Grant in the locker room of the Oven.

How bad was the alleged assault? Bad enough to leave Grant with a broken nose and a fractured eye socket. He has had multiple surgeries to save his eyesight and to repair the socket.

While the reason for the fight is currently unknown, I have my own speculations:

• A dance off went terribly, terribly wrong.


• Grant stole the hairbrush of one of the Geffrad Brothers


• One of the Geffrad brothers mistook Grant for his Baby Mama


• One of the Brothers overheard that Grant had definitive evidence that Rick Pitino did in fact threaten to put Karen Sypher and her children into the concrete of a New York bridge

And I could go on and on. I wonder which one of Chuck's Cardinal Virtues were violated here? Unfortunately Strong left out Virtue Number Six: Any Louisville player shall not beat the crap out of their teammates and send them to the hospital and then get charged for it. Good thing Little Chavez Jurich was able to cover this story up while the season was still in full swing.

Louisville Cardinal Athletics: The Pride and the Standard of Virtue in the NCAA. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

Revenge is a Dish Best served in Snow - UK vs UGA pt 2

Kentucky faces the Georgia Bulldogs Saturday in Lexington, just 26 days after losing to the Dawgs in Athens 77-70.

During round 1, Trey Thompkins went for 25 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks on 7/15 shooting, while Terrence "selfish " Jones, put up 24 points and 10 rebounds (and 0 assist) on 9 of 18 shooting.

The difference maker in this game was the supporting cast. Outside of Jones' 24 and Lamb's 18, Brandon Knight only had 10 (averages 17.6) and no other player scored in double digits, while  Georgia had 3 other players score in double digits.

This time around, on the heels of a 2OT loss to Florida, I expect a let down by Georgia and the Cats to provide a thorough thumping of the Dawgs. John Harrellson will have the pep back in his step and provide the inside support on the weak side, the Cats so desperately need out of him. UK 75- UGA 65 but the score won't do the game justice.

Here are the details for the game:

Date: Saturday Jan. 29, 2011
Location: Rupp Arena Lexington, Ky.
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Coverage:

• TV: ESPN
• Radio: BBSN
• Web: ESPN360.com

Circus comes to Yum! Center - C"UL"owns Win

A undermanned West Virginia squad, made it to Louisville's Yum! Center ahead of the snow on Wednesday without 8 scholarship, but unfortunately for the Mountaineers, the arena was one of the scarce buckets to be had.

Bob Huggins' squad was on the upper end of a 12 point half time lead and after a made 2 pointer by Kevin Jones with 15:10 in the 2nd half it was 42-31. Then, rather they forgot the point was to put the ball in the hoop, or they simply fell victim to 'stellar defense', it would be another 14 minutes until UWV would find the bottom of the basket again. When they did, it was with 1:29 to play, yet they were down just 4 points and a made three by Dalton Pepper cut the lead to 53-52 in favor of Louisville.

The Cards followed the Pepper 3 with a half court pick and roll set that made Karl Malone run his semi-truck off the side of a road as Terrence Jennings set the pick, rolled to the basket and found himself wide open. Siva promptly passed the ball to Jennings, who caught it mid air and put it up with one motion, instead of coming down with it and putting it away easily. The shot missed and UWV had the ball and a chance to take the lead.

West Virginia took the miss and went back down the court and took the lead with 35 seconds remaining. Louisville then brought the circus out from all the clowns on their bench and gave the ball to Siva who did his best Edgar Sosa impersonation and made the winning shot.

In case you missed it:

MLK Day 2011 - Kentucky Coach John Calipari

In case you missed last weeks MLK tribute on ESPN, your favorite Kentucky basketball coach was invited. Here's a clip from the show and you can jump to 5 mins and 25 secs for Cal's part.

No ESPNU? No problem - Watch Cards vs West Virginia RIGHT HERE!

The Don of Louisville Basketball: Talkin' about the losing to the Friars and WVU

I find it interesting that The Don says that his team might as well not get off the bus when they go to Notre Dame (check it out at the 1:14 mark). Way to give your players confidence Don Pitino!



To the Reader: I apologize for the Louisville coverage. We are still two and a half days until the Cats play and covering Duh Ville is what we have to do until then. On the UK front, Calipari is recruiting, Jon Hood is not Tweeting and Terrence Jones is plotting revenge. Youre going down on Saturday, Dawgs.

Bozich and Crawford pick Duh Ville

Like I said, Louisville wins. For once I agree with both of these chuckle heads. Let's hope all three of us are wrong. Don't forget, they BOTH picked the Gamecocks against the Cats.

Jon Davis: No News until Signing Day

Eastern high school stand out tight end Jon Davis told everybody that he would finally clarify his decision on whether he will honor his commitment to the Cats or swtich to the dreaded Cards or the Illinois Fighting Zooks on Wednesday.

Well, scratch that. Jody Demling is reporting that Davis is not going to announce until February Second, which is national signing day. Illinois coach Ron Zook will meet with the family later today and the family will discuss the future of the high school star.

I'm just hoping this isn't a Marquis Teague situation in reverse. Joker Phillips needs this recruit before this turns into a Calipari vs. Pitino situation between him and Charlie Strong.

And just in case you didn't know, Cal has been destroying The Don of Louisville Basketball on the recruiting trail and on the court. FYI.

American Idol/Kentucky Rival - Tennessee Basketball Edition

When you think peanut butter, you think jelly. When you hear cats, you think dogs. When the word nurse crosses your mind, so does the image of a man with a wet sponge... OK, that last one might only be if you're Boogiewoogie - otherwise you just think about hospitals and doctors offices. When you hear about the Tennessee Men's Basketball team, you think losses and violations.

This week was nothing new. Tennessee officials came out to say junior forward Renaldo Woolridge had not committed NCAA violations when he visited New Amsterdam, a Knoxville bar, over the weekend.
Woolridge, aka the rapper "Swiperboy" aka SB, is found around the internets as a rapper and received exclusive access to a portion of New Amsterdam Bar and Grill free of charge to scout the location of his new music video early Sunday morning.

According to athletic officials that interviewed the bar owners, everything is copacetic since the space Woolridge visited is available to Tennessee students to use free of charge. A good thing since another Knoxville bar was the scene of secondary NCAA violations in December, during which time 33 athletes were given free entry and special treatment since other guest were charged between $5 and $10.

But I know what you're really thinking - Swiperboy? The answer... no serious, he is also known as "The Answer Swiperboy" but the answer to your question, luckily we have SB to help us understand.

Do the Mendenhumpty Hump

As if the teleprompter circling by John Madden of the sweaty butts of overweight men in tight pants wasn't reason enough for gay men and Boogiewoogie to enjoy football, Rashard Mendenhall added an entirely new feature. 

In the late stages of Sunday's game where the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New York Jets to advance to the Super Bowl, QB Ben Roethlisberger went into "Victory Formation". The move, which is typically reserved for a simple kneeling by the QB to run out the time, was possibly misunderstood by the third year RB Mendenhall and resulted in what is now infamously known as the Mendenhump... close your eyes (or if you're Boogiewoogie, enjoy).

Flavor Flave Wants the KFC Yum! Center

Legendary Public Enemy rapper and Hype Man Flavor Flave has opened up a fried chicken restaraunt in Clinton, Iowa. No I am not making this up. And I quote, "My chicken ain't no joke. I ain't scared to go up against the Colonel, tastewise."

Flave is most famous for his STD laden show "Flavor of Love", where he woos some, uuuummmmm...women, in order to give them diseases, and or children, after the airing of the show. Or during the taping of the show in some cases.

The fact the the clock wearing rapper wants to go after Colonel Sanders means only one thing: he wants to rename the Bucket and call it Flavor Flave's and Rick Pitino's Bucket of Chicken, Basketball, and Herpes! Center. I am with you Flave, 100%.

College Basketball News and Notes: Early Season Bracketology Edition

Who feels like a college basketball love fest? I do!!! Here are some quick hitters concerning my personal favorite sport.

Cats and Cards Bracektology:

"Bracketologist" Joe Lunardi has been doing his weekly updates of the bracket projections and this week is no different. The Lue Dog has the Wildcats at a 4 seed and the Cardinals as a 6. Both on the San Antonio side, which could lead to a UK/UofL tournament rivalry. Before you get too excited at the thought, I don't think it happens. The Cards are about to drop like a rock because of a difficult road ahead. For some reason I think these Cards get not better than a 9 seed and get no farther than the second round. But who am I kidding? I'm just a lowly blogger. I'm not a professional "bracektologist." I do wish I could have a made up job like "bracketologist". I think I want to be a professional "candyologist".

For arguments sake here is another bracket provided by NBC Sports that has the Cats as a 3 seed and them Dirty Birds as a 7. And they are on opposite ends of the bracket. I like this bracket better and I officially endorse it. Up yours Lunardi.

Brandon Knight Vs. Josh Selby

The two most coveted point guards in the 2010 recruiting class were UK's Brandon Knight and KU's Josh Selby. Knight got to play right away while Selby had to sit out a large portion of the early season. Many Cats' fans were disappointed that Selby went to Kansas, as he was the #1 player in the class. Let's see how the two are stacking up, shall we?

Knight-19 games played; 17.6 ppg; 3.7 apg; record as a starter-15-4.

Selby- 10 games played; 11.3 ppg; 2.2.8 apg; record- 9-1.

I think we are doing just fine with Mr. Brandon Knight.

West Virginia is for Quitters

West Virginia forward Dan Jennings actually walked away from the bench and to the locker room in the middle of his team's game against South Florida. Smart money tells me this kid is gone.

Huggy Bear will also be without the services of leading scorer Casey Mitchell for an extended period of time. Mitchell has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. I am thinking Marijuana or some other illegal substance. Both players will not be made available against Louisville tomorrow night in the Bucket. This reinforces my belief that the Cards win at home Wednesday. And then begins their demise after that.

The Mountaineers actually won the game against South Florida 56-46, if anybody cares.

I miss my @jdhood4

As a Kentucky fan, you rarely get to see John Hood on the court. The sophomore averages 6.5 minutes/game and has just 5 more playing minutes in the last two games than freshman walk-on Jarrod Polson.

Well, this weekend when the Cats faced a South Carolina squad and the forward saw a mere 4 minutes of time. His stint on the court ended abruptly when pulled from the game and when he reached the sideline, he wanted to know why. He asked the coach, "What'd I do?"

Since that time, Hood's Twitter account (@jdhood4) has been removed and he has been more scarce than his appearances in the games. We've heard this song before. Just makes you wonder just what did Hood do?

Midpoint to March: Cats and Cards Remaing Schedules

The Cats slipped from #12 to #14 and the Cards went from #19 to #24 in the latest AP Poll. With UK (RPI 13) sitting now at 3-2 in the conference (15-4 overall) and UofL (RPI 39) at 4-2 in the conference (15-4 overall), what can we expect for the rest of the season for these teams? I personally think that both are on two different paths. Let's examine, shall we?

Cats Remaining Schedule:

Team-RPI

Georgia-42

@Ole Miss-73

@Florida-19

Tennessee-17

@Vandy-18

Mississippi State-176

South Carolina-81

Arkansas-107

Florida

Vandy

@Tennessee

In reality I can see the Cats dropping games at Vanderbilt and at Tennessee. I don't see them losing any home games, they have been virtually untouchable at Rupp ever since Cal has come to Lex Vegas and I don't see that trend ending. No more foes with RPI's in the top 15 and the rest of the teams are pretty pedestrian. They will finish 24-6 for the regular season and will win the SEC tournament heading into the NCAA as a 2 or a 3 seed. At the moment Joe Lunardi has the Cats as a 4 seed.

Cards Remaining Schedule:

Team-RPI

Wets Virginia-14

@UConn-3

@Georgetown-8

DePaul-219 (ouch)

@Notre Dame-7

Syracuse -7

@Cincy-38

UConn

Rutgers-101

Pitt-5

Providence-103 (bad loss Saturday)

@WVU

Louisville's season is about to take a serious turn and I don't think they have what it takes to really endure. Thanks to an easy early season schedule, I think the Cards make the NCAA tourney, but it's going to hurt getting there. 19-12 is what I think the Cards will finish at. I think they beat WVU at home this week, lose 7 out of their next 8 (DePaul being the one win), and then go 2-5 to end the season. With injuries this team can't pull Marquette like come backs against some of the best teams in the country on a weekly basis. Lunardi has the Cards at a 6 seed now but I see them more like an 11 or 12.

And of course I could be completely wrong about all of this. But that's what makes it fun. Honestly I think both teams are flying high above expectations. Everybody thought the Kanterless Cats would be in serious trouble and not able to contend for a decent spot in the tournament. And everybody wrote Louisville off because of the loss of some "talent" last year.

Both teams have records that would have been unthinkable due to their circumstances at the begninning of the year. Both fan bases should be proud. Each team has it's flaws, but they are playing hard, they are playing together, and niether team really has anyone considered a villain this season. Except Terrence Jennings. I'm not "shocked" that the man has been awful all season.

Tim Masth-AYmazing!

Well, the Green Bay Packers managed to beat a Jay "Gut-lerless" Cutler-less  Bears team yesterday to win the NFC's berth into the Super Bowl.

The typical headline grabbers, Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler had bad and horrible games respectfully. Rodgers ended the day with a QB rating of 55.1 after completing 17/30 for 255 and 2 Ints, while Jay Cutler marked a 31.8 Rating, went 6/14 80, and 1 Int. (Cutler also left at the end of the 1st half due to a sprained MCL and has since been called out for his lack of 'heart' and not coming back into the game).

With the rushing games fairing just as awful as the passing attack, the door for player of the game was left open and free agent signee, Kentucky alum, Punter Tim Masthay seized the opportunity. Kick after kick in the offensively challenged game Masthay pinned the Bears return specialist Devin Hester back and hung the ball for the other special teams players to take care of business.

Masthay kicked 8 times for an average of 41.5 including 5 downed inside the Bears'  20 yard line.

Congratulations Masthay on your feet feat, it's not often a Punter is the star of the game!

Kentucky vs South Carolina (Post Game Videos)

I don't like to read. I'd rather listen to the book on tape than flip endlessly page after page. And why just listen when you can watch. You're the watching type too probably. So I figure, why read my quotes of the players and coach after the South Carolina game when you can just watch and listen.

John Calipari after his first win in Columbia:


Brandon Knight - After a game high 23 points


And Terrence Jones talking about his twisted left ankle - sounds like he should be alright though kids.


Next Up: Revenge on Georgia next Saturday in Lexington (on ESPN)

Terrence Jones Is a Bad Mother Bleeper

I think Calipari changed his tune from calling Jones a "Selfish Mother Bleeper" to calling him a "Bad Mother Bleeper" after this "Man Dunk". Enjoy.

All is Right in the World: Cats Win. Cards Lose.

First off let me say this: Welcome back Darius Miller. Miller finally did what Coach Calipari and the rest of the Big Blue Nation have been looking for. He was aggressive and attacked the basket, shooting when he was open. He had a season high 18 points, 8 rebounds and John Calipari said that Miller finally looked like one of the best players in the SEC, something we all know he can be.

Knight had a big night and it seems the Cats will go as our point guard goes. His 23 points led both teams. The Cats shot well all night long and played with intensity. They cut down on their mistakes and did not let Sandstorm or the Camo Clad 'Cock fans distract them. If the Cats play like this on the road then there will not anything to worry about.

Just a word on the fans at USC: You are tools. Why do you insist on wearing camouflage to basketball games? Not only do you wear camo, it's South Carolina team colors camo. What exactly can you hide from with that? Plus, your dumb chicken mascot had a damn French Beret on it's head like he was a Colonel in the 'Cock army. I hate you South Carolina and I can't wait until you come to Rupp where you will be defeated again. Only this time the Cats won't be so nice.

And in closing: The Cards lost at Providence. All is right with the world. UK is playing like they should and the Cards got exposed a little more. It will be interesting to see what their record is after the next five games against West Virginia, @Uconn, @Georgetown, vs. DePaul and @ Notre Dame. Things are about to get real Cards fans. No more hiding in the Yum! Center.

Special thanks to my buddies for making my birthday a fun one. Watching the Cats + Beer=Fun. Now it's time to watch some football. Bears and Steelers in the Super Bowl.

Kentucky Pounded Louisville in Hockey. Last Week.

One thing I love about UK hockey is their annual hot babe schedule poster. This one is my personal favorite. The Miss USA one is good too. I think the UofL calander has Susan Sweeney-Crum on it.

I had no idea that The Cats visited the Dirty Birds on the ice last Thursday night. I don't follow hockey. I don't even follow Kentucky hockey. But it was nice to hear that the Cats beat the chicken crap out of the DB's (douche bags, dirty birds, both sound about right) 18-2 at Louisville. I'm not pretending to be a hockey enthusiast but it is always fun when we beat Louisville.

An 18-2 score in hockey is like beating your rival in basketball 100-30 or beating them 80-12 in football. It's a total embarrassment. As it stands the Cats have defeated the Cards in the two major sports of football and basketball, lost in soccer, and won in hockey. The Cats are currently rolling the Birds head to head 3-1. Doesn't look too dominating for the Best College...blah,blah,blah.

So, if the Cards can brag about soccer, we can brag about hockey and any other "sports" we have. Speaking of "sports", too bad The Ville doesn't have a rifle team. Ours has only one loss and is considered one of the best in the country. And our cheer leading squad was national runner-up coming in second to Alabama's first.

What Now! Go Cats.

UK at Season Crossroads

Roughly 24 hours from now we will see if these Cats have claws. They are coming off of a tumultuous loss at Alabama, which was their second loss on the road against an SEC squad. The first time they lost against an SEC team they were able to bounce back at home against a terrible Auburn team. This time the Cats won't be so lucky.

They are heading to South Carolina and everybody knows what that means: Sandstorm. There hasn't been a song as identifiable with a team since Tennessee's "Rocky Top" or the "Super Bowl Shuffle" from the '85 Chicago Bears. Everybody is in agreement with me on this. Sandstorm sucks and may be the most annoying song ever composed.

But that's not all they will face. The Gamecocks are atop of the SEC East at the moment (gag) and are 12-5. They beat Florida, which doesn't mean anything anymore, and Vandy. They were picked to finish last in the East and they are surprising a lot of people. This was the team that gave UK it's first loss last year and then Sandstormed the court:

I hope John Calipari is showing this to his team. I hope he is making it clear that if they go 0-3 on the road that this could be trouble. If they go 0-3 to the likes of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, then what will they do at Vandy, at UT and at Florida? Calipiari hasn't lost yet in Rupp, too bad all of the games can't be played there. This game is about toughness, something the Cats haven't shown a lot of lately.

This team is at a crossroads right now and how they start the game will say an awful lot about how they finish it. Terrence Jones is ready to go and has put Mother Bleeper-gate in his rear view mirror. A win at South Carolina gives this team a win against their division leader and a shot of confidence. The place will be rocking but they have proven to win in a hostile environment by beating the Cards in the Chicken Coop. Although, the crowd was like 50/50 UK/Uofl, especially in those nice seats near the floor. I hear that Tom "Little Chavez" Jurich had his Hench-Men taking pictures of the seats to chase down the lowlifes who dared to sale their tickets to dirty Cats fans. And when he finds him he will stick them in a "reeducation camp" to make sure they know The Ville is the Greatest Sports Town in America. And he will educate them the hard way. Besides...oh wait, I'm rambling.

Go Cats. Beat the 'Cocks. Win the SEC.

P.S. Louisville will blow out a terrible Providence team tomorrow

The Magic 8bozich says: UK v South Carolina Prediction

Bozich and Eric Crawford are both predicting a South Carolina win... I predict Bozich and Crawford are in a dying industry and will be out of jobs for the CJ in 2 years. Hey guys, if that falls through, there's always a sport for you at SportsThat. 

And you thought it couldn't get any worse - wait til the sandstorm

The Cats are in Columbia, South Carolina for their second straight away game and are seeking their first true road win of the season, following this week's loss at Alabama and last week's loss at Georgia.

The good news with the situation: They will be avoiding the horrible weather in Kentucky.
The bad news: They will be trading a snow storm for a sandstorm.

Sure you say, South Carolina is sunny. Sure they have beaches and sand. Sure they have the a hurricane ever 20 years, but a sandstorm? What are you talking about?

Practice. I'm talking about Practice Willis. That and the worlds most annoying stadium song. I am probably overstating it when I say song. It's more of a techno beat that plays over, and over and over. It's a tune that makes Taylor Swift sound good and Rocky Top sound like choir bells. It's like the cry of a baby on an airplane when you're sleeping. It's like the hammer of a roofing nail at 7am on a Saturday you're hung over. It's like the noises you heard in the back room of your favorite Italian restaurant 10 years ago. It was the Devan Downey backdrop in his effort to hand the Draft Cats of 2010 their first loss of the season last year. It's horrific and rest assured, you will hear it this Saturday and you will hear it over, and over again. It's Sandstorm.

But here's to having Kentucky put another South Carolina smack-down (remember, the Cats won in Basketball last year at home, then beat the 'Cocks and Steve Spurrier in football) and here's to not hearing Sandstorm again in Columbia the hands of South Carolina until next season.

LSU: You've Been Kragthorped

In a move that is as surprising to me as anything that I have seen lately, a big time college football program has hired former Louisville football coach Steve Kragthorpe. He was not hired on as the head coach, Les Miles still occupies that position, but as the offensive coordinator at LSU. His offense was so potent at UofL that he was irresistible to LSU.

Les Miles does things to make everybody scratch their head from time to time. Whether it is him not knowing how many players he has on the field or him not knowing how much time is left on the clock, Miles has brain freeze quite often. In think he has really out-done himself with this hire.

Krags was 29-22 at Tulsa and 15-21 at The Ville. He has a record of...carry the two...44-43 as a head coach. Not bad, but not good either. He does have NFL experience but the catastrophe at Louisville should have made this guy radioactive as any type of coach for a program like LSU. But I wish him well and I hope LSU plays Louisville at some point and LSU scores 1,000 points. Actually the Tigers will probably score that much against UK next season.

Kragthorpe joins fellow tarnished Cardinal coach Ron Cooper on the staff.

Side Note: Billy G. Says, "So you're telling me there's a chance..."

UK's Loss to 'Bama wasn't the only thing that was Ugly

Vargas ended up getting off easy compared to Jones. The look on Rod Strickland's face about sums it up.

Quick Game Analysis: The Cats played like crap. They have yet to show they can handle the hostile SEC crowds (see loss at Georgia). They can't win with only three players playing at a high level (and Brandon Knight didn't start playing that way until midway through the second half). Alabama was pulling shots out of their a--es. Vargas is so terrible that he just needs to be cut immediately. Wait, I'm jumping the gun. The kid is trying. Be positive Boogiewoogie, be positive.

Onto the real reason for this post. There was a moment in the game where John Calipari gave Terrence Jones an absolute lashing. I replayed the scene on my DVR and saw that Cal actually called Jones a selfish Mother Bleeper and had a few other words thrown in there. The cause of this tirade was Jones' lack of passing to his teammates and a culmination of Cal's building rage with the up and down nature in Jones' play. It's frustrating because the kid could be dominant if he wanted to and he is at times. The abuse was so bad that it made the scourging scene in The Passion of the Christ look gentle and loving.

As the verbal assault was happening I texted Monster Mash saying, "That altercation between Jones and Cal was ugly." It was ugly and I have never seen Calipari act like that before. The frustration of Jones' play combined with the annoying techno music pumping out every time there was a stoppage of play, on top of being embarrassed by an inferior team on national TV caused John to blow a gasket. Jones just happened to be the unlucky target.

Calipari has already apologized and regrets the incident. Jones has already accepted the apology in this tweet, saying he is blessed to play for coach Cal, is happy and likened it to being scolded by your parents. And afterwards your parents give you a big fat hug.

This team needs to find out who they are and quick. Are they the team that routed a talented UofL team in their house, the team that blew out a ranked Notre Dame team, the team that beat a physically talented Washington team, or are they the team that got out muscled by UConn, out hustled by North Carolina, and out everythinged by Georgia and Alabama?

The team is at a crossroads now and they need to get sh-t right (thanks Eric Bledsoe) before they walk into South Carolina. A place where a Sandstorm is brewing and the Cats have not won there much recently.

In closing: John Wall ain't walking through that door! Boogie ain't walking through that door! And by Golly, 2 Pat ain't walking through that door! (thanks Rick Pitino) And if you want my opinion, the reason that young team last year was so successful, besides their talent, was the maturity, example and leadership of Patrick Patterson. I am looking at you Darius Miller. Too bad you are invisible.

Damn it! BE POSITIVE!

Wes Welker talks about De-Feeting the Jets

I have documented the disdain I have for the Jets and their leader Rex Ryan. I hate them because they have never one a damn thing and they talk smack with the best of them. The bulk of their jabs are directed at the Patriots, a team that quite frankly owns them.

Patriots all Pro wide receiver Wes Welker has jabbed back during a press conference yesterday but without saying idiotic things like, "Tom Brady is an a--hole. F--k him" or "It's personal", or "Tom Brady doesn't study. His coaches do it all for him." What Welker did is very funny and very smart. He made a foot reference 10 times during the interview and never mentioned the Jets, Rex Ryan and he never cracked a smile. Enjoy.

Weekend Sportsapalooza! Featuring Buzz Williams Walking it Out

If you have plans to do anything meaningful this weekend, cancel them. That is unless your plans consist of going to a sports bar, ordering tons of beer, tons of food and sitting back to enjoy the sports explosion that is about to happen. I know gluttony is one one the Seven Deadly Sins, but if I am going to hell, this is the way I would like to go. Well, lust is a pretty good way to go to. But I digress...here is the Sportsthat weekend sports guide. I will spend more time talking about Louisville and Kentucky, for obvious reasons.

Saturday:

Louisville Cardinals vs. Marquette Golden Eagles- After a big start the Cards have gone 5-3 in their last eight games. Not bad at all, but consider the fact that one of those losses was to Drexel and the other two were to battle tested, road tested ranked teams. Marquette may not be ranked, but you can bet they are battle tested and road tested. The Golden Eagles come into the Yum! Center with a 12-5 record, having played the likes of Duke, Gonzaga, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, Pitt and Notre Dame. The only one of those teams they beat was the Irish, but it was their most recent game and they blistered them by 22 points.

Louisville is struggling with speed and size from opposing teams and Marquett has both. The loss of Buckles becomes more difficult to deal with as the Big East becomes more difficult (St. John's is next for the Cards). Mike Marra has also been ruled out for Saturday. It's not like Marra has been producing at all, but it's a loss of another body. The rebounding disparity is glaring.

Louisville 68-Marquette 77- Louisville's outside shooting and guard play will keep them in it early, much like against Villanova, but the Golden Eagles get the W.

And don't forget this from when these teams played last year:



Steelers vs. Ravens- A great division rivalry gets a third installment this season. Two of the best defenses in the league as well as the two best hitting teams, go head to head for a chance to go to the AFC title game.

Ravens 20-Steelers 13

Falcons vs. Packers- I'm still not sold on the Packers. They are not well coached and their running game is suspect. I don't care what Starks did to the Philly defense, it's not that good. The Pack are playing at Atlanta, a place where Matt Ryan doesn't lose often. The defense in the ATL is much better that it is in Philly.

Falcons 24- Packers 21

Sunday:

Kentucky Wildcats vs. LSU Tigers- Another SEC game, another game at Rupp Arena vs. another tiger team. LSU may be better than Auburn but not by much. I am not going to sit here and pretend that LSU is any good because they are not. They have ZERO quality wins and have beat defeated by powerhouses such as Nicholls State. Coastal Carolina, Rice and Virginia. They are 10-7 and they did beat the Houston Cougars. Yeehaw.

After UK got smacked by Georgia in their first SEC road game they looked better against Auburn at home. I really don't think the Cats will drop a single game against any team in the SEC West, Mississippi State maybe, but it's at Rupp so I doubt it. The meat of the conference is in the East. I will get deeper into analysis in a couple of games when they host a ranked and fiesty Georgia team at Rupp in two weeks. Until then, the Cats have four cake walks.

I do want to go back to a post I made last night about the emergence of a seventh man for the Cats. I hope these next four games will give some of these guys a stage to perform and showcase for Calipari and the fans.

Kentucky 88-LSU 65-UK Continues to embarrass LSU's basketball team for years of football dominance.

Bears Vs. Seahawks- The Bears lost to the now .500 Seahawks at home earlier this season 20-23. That was before the Bears had their bye week and finally got their offense clicking. Seattle did beat the defending champs Saints last weekend in Seattle 21-38. Seattle is a tough place to play and gives the Seahawks a big advantage. Don't expect that at Soldier Field. Good Jay Cutler will show up in his first playoff game.

Bears 23-Seattle 10 (Mrs. Boogiewoogie is from Chicago and is a HUGE Bears fan. I would be sleeping on the couch if I would have picked Seattle)

Patriots vs. Jets- I am looking forward to this game more than any of the other games besides UK. I can't wait to see Tom Brady and the Pats beat the hell out of the Jets again. 45-3 was the score the last time they visited New England. Rex and his punk team have been giving the Pats even more reasons to win with every stupid, asinine comment they make. Brady and the Pats will roll.

Patriots 38-Jets 13

WHEW! That was a lot! I hope you enjoyed my picks and analysis. I need to start getting paid for this.

Ted Williams - Rehab

Ted Williams, the man whose voice was heard around the world, after it was heard off the off ramp of a Columbus, Ohio interstate earlier this month... has entered rehab. As often the case with viral videos or the instant stardom scene, Williams fell into his alcohol abuse habits that initially led him to the position he was found in. Williams has received offers from the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Diego Chargers, and Orlando Magic to be a voice personality and was the talk of radio, news, and every water cooler accross the country.

The Cavs have come out to say that their offer to Williams still stands but they wish the best for him and his family while they await the decision.

The Magnificent 6...Maybe 7

If you call 1-800-555-JPOL, you can talk to UK dream boat Jarrod Polson for $1.99 a minute!

The Kentucky basketball team has a solid six man rotation going at the moment. The 13-3 Wildcats rely on starters Brandon Knight, DeAndre Liggins, Darius Miller, Jorts, and Doron Lamb or Terrence Jones, depending on who Cal thinks deserves to start that day. Jones EXPLODED for 35 points off the bench Tuesday night against Auburn and Cal is considering bringing him off the bench against LSU on Saturday while naming Lamb the starter.

While all of those are playing some pretty solid basketball at the moment, the elephant in Rupp Arena is the question of a seventh man contributing solid minutes. If one of the Super Six gets in foul trouble or (gasp!) suffers an injury, who can Cal lean on to go into the game and produce?

Here are the resume's of the remaining Cats:

Eloy Vargas- Year: Junior. MPG: 10.8. PPG: 2.5. RPG: 2.8. Eloy was supposed to be the guy that was going to step in if Enes Kanter was ruled ineligible. Well, poor ole Enes has been promoted to undergraduate assistant coach and Eloy has yet to look like he knows what a basketball is. Thank goodness Jorts has decided to lead the SEC in rebounds and become a double-double machine. Eloy is the same size as Enes (6'11) but seems to lack the killer instinct to be aggressive. He is routinely out-muscled for rebounds by guards. That has to change.

Bright Spot: Vargas got a standing ovation at Rupp for wrestling a loose ball away from two Auburn players. More hustle and muscle would help the Cats in a big way.

Jon Hood- Year: Sophomore. MPG: 5.9. PPG: 1.4. RPG: 1.0. John was last year's forgotten freshman. He came in with Boogie, John Wall, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton. All four of them are in the NBA and Jon Hood is not. Hood was supposed to be a three point specialist, a Cameron Mills if you will. Now Hood is more like Kirk Cameron as much as he talks about Jesus on Facebook (not knocking the kid, just sayin'). Hood has yet to show aggressiveness or a will to shoot. He seems to be a step slower than most of the players on the court. Confidence is not his strong suit and Cal has diminished his minutes because of it. He did see some significant time against Auburn, but hey, it's Auburn.

Bright Spot: Hood's nerdiness could throw off opposing teams and allow him open jumpers. Now if he could just make them...

Stacey Poole, Jr- Year: Freshman. MPG: 3.5. PPG: 0.4. RPG: 0.6. Poole, Jr. is a top 25 recruit from last year's class. But to be honest I and the rest of the fans have not seen enough of him to give a fair assessment. He hit a three pointer one time. That was nice. Other than that he has been a mystery. I would like to see Poole more and find out what he has to offer. Free Stacey!!! (Copyright Sportsthat, 2011)

Bright Spot: He looks fast, athletic and he hustles whenever he is in. I would like to see more of him.

Jarrod Polson- Year: Freshman. MPG: 1.8. PPG: 0.6. RPG: 0.1. Polson is like the team mascot. He will be at UK for four years and not average more than 10 minutes per game for his entire carreer. He is the token white boy from Kentucky that gets a scholly to play for the Big Blue and become a fan favorite (Sorry Jon Hood). Any thoughts of this teen heart throb contributing major minutes is unrealistic and silly. Kind of like a young girl's dream of marrying Justin Bieber. Or marrying Jarrod Polson.

Bright Spot: He is dreamy.

My money on the breakout guy is......Stacey Poole! I believe Poole will be the secret weapon as the Cats head deeper and deeper into SEC play and into the tournament. I think Calipari is hiding him away much like Pitino is hiding the fact that he has...nah. Too easy.

But in all honesty the Cats need one more guy to make a serious run. This is a very good basketball team but bodies are needed, especially when it comes to crunch time in March. After Jorts went Boogie all over the Cardinals in the Chicken Shack, Calipari has devoted himself to developing the unheralded guys on the team, much like he did when he was forced to with Harrellson. I think his extra coaching will bring out the best in one of these players.

An Ode to Randall

This is a poem that I would like to dedicate to the one and only Randall Cobb.

Young sir from the Volunteer State

Thank you for your years with the Big Blue

They sure were great

Watching you cut and knife through the opponent's D

Was something great to behold

And filled the Nation of Blue with glee

The number 18 shone white or blue upon your chest

But you were more than human at times

Sometimes that 18 might as well have been an "S"

But, lo! You have heard the NFL's Siren Song

You will now depart from us

All we will have is the memories before long!

The memories of you being the thorn in the side

Of the Dirty Cardinals year after year

Allowed me to swell with boastful pride

Who! Who shall take your place!

I cannot see your equal at present

Hence the tears that stream down my face

But at least we had you, man with eyes so blue

Your play was magnificent

Hopefully another on this team will take your cue

I bid thee farewell, Randall! God's Speed in the pros

Nothing but the best for you sir

As for now, your departure has filled me with woe

Live: Randall Cobb NFL Announcement

Per the CJ's feed: It's been real Randall... Real Fun. You're legend will only grow...

The Legend of Cobb... Ends

The Dreamy eyed WR/QB/RB/KR/PR Randall Cobb has entered the NFL draft.
In 2010 Cobb caught 1,017 yards season and ran for 424 with 12 rush/rec touchdowns. The Legend threw only 10 times but completed 5 for 58 yards including 3 touchdowns and tacked on a return touchdown as well. Overall, Randall is 3rd All-Time in TDs as a Wildcat and will truly leave the team as the legend he was known for. He's slated as a 3rd or 4th round pick but when I see sites like SB Atlanta claim that Cobb would be an image issue for certain teams like the Falcons - it makes shake my head. It's like Antwaan Randle El - but with better all around proven stats.

•All-SEC first team by Associated Press, ESPN.com (2009)
•All-SEC second team by Phil Steele's College Football (2009)
•UK Most Valuable Player as voted by teammates (2009)
•UK Most Outstanding Offensive Player by UK coaches (2009)
•UK Most Inspirational Offensive Player as voted by teammates (2009)
•National Punt Returner of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards for the ULM game (2009)
•SEC All-Freshman Team by SEC coaches (2008)
•UK Most Outstanding First-Year Player by UK coaches (2008)
•SEC Freshman of the Week vs. Arkansas by the SEC office (2008)
 
Deuces Randall - we'll always save some cheesy biscuits for you at my house.

Duke goes Down...

The #1 ranked Duke Blue Devils fell today at the hands of Florida State. This should open the door for unbeaten #2 Ohio State to take over in the top spot for the first non-Duke leading rankings since March 2010.

Coach K and his crew fell behind as much as 11 in the first half before cutting the lead to 4 at the break. Duke's Nolan Smith's 19 points and Kyle Singler's 20 points and 8 boards wasn't enough to push them to the win, as State's Derwin Kitchen, who threw everything but the sink at the Devils including his 22 points and 10 rebounds, withstood the runs and lead the Seminoles to the 66-61 win.

Cards fall to Wildcats - pt 2

"Why would you even compare me to Rick Pitino?"

The #17 Cardinals (13-3) faced their second Big East opponent and found themselves with their third loss after falling to #7 Villanova (15-1) 88-74. The loss is a trend for the Cards as in their 3 losses, two have come against teams from Philadelphia (Drexel) and two have been against Wildcat (Kentucky) mascotted Universities and all have come against better dressed coaches (Calipari, Flint)

In what is deemed "The battle of the best dressed", Jay Wright and Rick Pitino teams started off strong seeing each team nail 3's like a basketball coach at the back room of an Italian restaurant, including Louisville's 8 for 15 effort. The Cards trailed 42-41 at the half.

Louisville's hotness, like Pitino's after the 90's, wore off in the second half as they finished 12 of 25 from behind the line. 'Nova's Corey Stokes lead the Wildcats with 23, while Preston Knowles put up 24 in the losing effort.

Louisville falls to 6th in the BE while Nova remains 3rd behind Syracuse and Pittsburgh. Pitino and his crew of misfit boys will see a tough remaining January with two more road games against top 25 teams Pittsburgh and UConn. It will be interesting to see if Pitino will continue to blame his players or will ultimately blame his cupcake home opening schedule for the loses.

But hey, it's only Villanova... Wright?

Rex Ryan: Please Shut Your Face

The amount of B.S. that comes out of my mouth per press conference stacks about this high.

If there is one thing in this world that most people cannot stand it is a blowhard, loudmouth jerk. There happens to be such a person coaching the New York Jets. Head Coach Rex Ryan has thus far made his career at New York about one thing: Himself.

The J-E-T-S play their arch rival (only in their heads), the New England Patriots, this Sunday in New England. Last time the boys in Green played there the score ended up being 45-3 in favor of the Pats. A week full of Jets smack talk was quickly shut down by what actually wins football games; performance.

Ryan has inserted his foot (or maybe his wife's) in his mouth multiple times but now he has really done it. He called out the best coach of all time to go man to man and he questioned one of the best quarterback's of all time work ethic.

What sexy Rexy said: "It's personal. It's me against Bill Bellichick." And he also stated that Tom Brady doesn't study like Peyton Manning and that he gets all of his help from his coach.

And it has trickled down like poison to his team. Antonio Cormartie, father of 12 kids, said this about Brady: "F---k him. He's an a--h-le." Uh-oh.

To the Credit of Tom and Bill, they have been quiet. Brady replied to the smack talk by saying that he has been called worse and the head coach said that he doesn't plan on catching, tackling or passing in the game. Class all the way.

I will end with this. Tom Brady has said in the past when talking about the Jets that they take after their head coach, and he also takes after his head coach. Brady's words of wisdom were this: "Say little when you win and say even less when you lose."

I'll be rooting for the Pats come Sunday.

If Pitino was on Twitter

When you're single you spend a lot of time watching porn television and Twitter feeds. Recently, I've been seeing Rick Pitino's Rally's "Get Your Feast On" commercials. Well, if you couple my two past-times together, you start wondering what Rick Pitino's Twitter name would be.

Sure, Ricky P might go with an easy name like "UL_CoachPitino" or "Rick_Pitino" but he's hip, he's with it, he's a balla... he's practically 18 and in his prime. Seriously, we'll have to pretend that Rick is still slick and the best dressed coach in America - but here are my top TwitterRific names:

Qik2StikRick
PNonyMousSex
CoachP_isNot4Penis
DribbleDriveOffensive
IPutDaDInD_AndSypher
TheRealJurichBoy
KragthorpePt2
UL_NC17

I'm interested to hear the best names you have...

UK Football 2010: The Highs and the Lows

After the debacle that shall be forever known as the Compass Bowl Bow Out, I wanted to reflect on a season that was once filled with endless promise (8, maybe 9 wins?!??!!) and ended filled with questions and gloom (Will Cobb go? Will Steve Brown keep his job AND his 'Stache?). Here is a list of highs and lows from the 2010 season. See which ends up with the most.

Highs: In no particular order (other than the first one)

-Beating our Main Rival in their first game in their newly revamped stadium against their new coach. 4 in a row was a magnificent thing to behold.

-The play of Mike Hartline was spectacular during the regular season. Watching him become the best passer in the SEC (behind Ryan Mallett) was something we could all cheer about!

-Randall Cobb. All American. That is all.

-Finally beating the Ole Ball Coach and sending him and his 'Cocks home crying like babies.

-Making the Compass Bowl (?) (I put the question mark here because I am divided on whether or not it was an accomplishment or not)

-Derrick Locke returned to old form for a time and ran like the wind.

-Danny Trevathen lead the SEC in tackles almost all season long. He was a BEAST at linebacker.

Lows: In no particular order (other than the first one)

-We still can't beat the Vols. After a quick score and then a long drive, it seemed like it was going to be 14-0 in the first quarter. And then Locke fumbled on the one. And it was all over.

-We still can't beat the Gators. At least we come close when it comes to playing Tennessee. Every year Florida beats the Cats like Monster Mash beats his...eggs.

-Mike Hartline's arrest for public drunkenness, disturbance, maybe or maybe not slapping some girl around, put an end to what was a very bright season for the much maligned QB. His arrest led to a suspension from post season play which led to...

-A 27-10 beat down from a coach less Big East Pitt team. Losing to the Big East is inexcusable. The play calling was horrible and so was the effort. I wish they would have taken their 6-6 record and stayed home.

-Derrick Locke was injured through a lot of the season. It effected the Cats running game and wins were hard to come by.

-Donald Russell was supposed to be our starting running back next year. Well he transferred.

-2 conference wins. I'm sick of this.

-Steve Brown's run defense was atrocious all season long.

-Morgan Newton's play during the bowl game looked like Morgan Newton's play while he was high school. If he and his high school team were playing against a Division I college team.

That about does it. You're smart and can count, so I won't waste space by counting out the bad vs. the good. It is evident that this was a bad season. Operation: Win turned into Operation: Let's Try and Not Get Embarrassed to Operation: Fail.

Next season looks to be rough with the losses of some key players that Monster Mash highlighted in a recent post. The Main Rivals are collecting impressive recruits while UK recruits are dropping left and right.

Let me put it like this: If Joker doesn't improve next season, his tenure as coach could be very short indeed.

What's Moncell Allen Doing? Well watch it live!

Have you ever wanted to live life through the lens of a 22 year old football player's cell phone? Well, now you have your chance! Moncell Allen's Qik account can be found and when operational, you can view a live stream from The Turtle's phone.

Keep in mind, the app has to be running, so you won't catch him doing anything unless he is streaming. I'm sure Boogiewoogie is crossing his fingers the "Turtinator" slips up a few times in the changing room.

What the kids are doing...The Wop

Before there was the John Wall Dance, there was a guy in Louisville night clubs waving his hand. Well here's the next thing among the kids... The Wop. No I'm not being racist - I'm being educational.

If you send in your home Wop videos, they'll be featured on the site and who knows, maybe the dance will be called "The Dance" one day when you're famous and playing basketball for Kentucky.

Dick Vitale is Mad at the NCAA

Echoing my confusion and anger at the NCAA, Dick Vitale completely BLASTED the NCAA today on ESPN's Mike and Mike in the Morning. Listen to Dicky V agree with me on a list of points such as:

• The hypocrisy of the Enes Kanter ruling
• The hypocrisy of the Derrick Rose ruling
• The hypocrisy of the Ohio State ruling
• The hypocrisy of the Cam Newton ruling

He also goes on to say that there are too many bowl games and that teams that go 6-6 should not be allowed to go to a bowl game. That would have excluded the Cats and the Cards from being bowl eligible. Both teams had losing records in their conferences and were .500 for the season. I ABSOLUTELY agree they SHOULD NOT have gone bowling.

In closing: I have never heard Vitale so animated while not speaking of Duke and the word of the day is "Hypocrisy".

The SEC has 5 BCS National Championships in a Row...For Now

My mom got this motorcycle for me as a birthday present. Don't ask her about it or check her bank statements.

I watched one of the most entertaining BCS National Championship games since Vince Young led the Texas Longhorns over the USC Trojans. What was supposed to be an offensive explosion became a defensive battle for the ages. The end was fitting: the field goal kicker for Auburn booted a 19 yard winning kick in the waning seconds of the game for the three point win. Joy, jubilation, and disappointment could be seen all over the stadium. What a fitting end to this college football season.

But that may not be the end. The smoke surrounding Auburn quarterback Cam Newton may have died down a little bit, but it's always going to be there. Newton's father, preacher Cecil Newton, was found to be guilty of trying to work out a "pay for play" deal for Newton's services at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs wouldn't pay the money, so Cam ended up playing for the Tigers.

The NCAA in all of it's mighty fairness and wisdom (can you sense the dripping sarcasm?) decided that Cam Newton had no knowledge of what his father was doing. He was innocent with the defense of ignorance.

In a semi-related story, five players for the Ohio State Buckeyes were also found to be abusing NCAA rules by selling Ohio State Rose Bowl Championship rings and other memorabilia for cash to pay for...wait for it...tattoos. One of the players doing this was starting QB Terrell Pryor. The NCAA decided to suspend the five players for the first five games next season but would allow them to play in the Sugar Bowl. Which they won. Due in large part to the performance of those five players.

Ohio State said that they would not suspend the players from the bowl game because "they didn't know the rules." So that's two instances in college football this year that high profile players from high profile teams got away with violations because "they didn't know the rules".

What we should look out for now is whether or not the corrupt NCAA, now that they have all the revenue from the BCS National Title Game, will retroactively vacate the Auburn championship and Cam Newton's Heisman Trophy.

This has been done before. One can only look as far as former Memphis Tiger basketball player Derrick Rose. There were questions about Rose's academic eligibility, so Memphis and coach John Calipari asked the NCAA if Rose was eligible to play basketball. The NCAA cleared him and said everything was on the up and up. Memphis went to the National Title game and lost to Kansas and Rose went on to be the #1 pick in the NBA draft and a superstar.

The NCAA reared it's ugly head later, declared Rose ineligible (even though they had previously cleared him), and vacated Memphis' entire season.

Do not be shocked to see this happen to Cam Newton and Auburn. I'm not saying that this for sure will happen, but the NCAA makes it's own rules and answers to no other governing bodies. There is no such things as logic or checks and balances when it comes to the NCAA.

D@mn You Auto Correct!

As I mentioned, it is taking me a bit to get over a horrendous weekend as a Wildcat fan. Kentucky got spaked by a Big East team in the BBVA Compass Bowl and then took a thumping at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs.

So in case you are like me and were having a case of the Mondays - here's a little site to make you feel a bit better. Sorry Boogiewoogie, it isn't pornography.

Damn You Auto Correct!

Nick Van Exel's son accused of murder

The son of a Ex-Laker, Maverick, and Nugget Guard Nick Van Exel, Nickey Van Exel, has been charged with the murder his friend/neighbor Bradley Bassey Eyo. On Dec. 26, Dallas police found Eyo dead from a gunshot wound. His body had been wrapped in plastic and dumped  Van Exel then dumped by Lake Ray Hubbard. The park is about a half-mile from his home, according to police.