Dumbfounded

It really is quite amazing how much I learn about fishing in the short amount of time I spend with Uncle Dan on the lake. This guy has a solution for everything that arises while angling. Whether it concerns water clarity or bowel clarity, Dan has the answer. Just ask Dan the difference between monofilament and fluorocarbon fishing line. You will be all the more wise.

It also is really quite dumbfounding how priviledged I feel to even be in the same state as Uncle Ance. He may be the smartest man in his world. And he won't let you forget it. I mean he is so smart, he tells you your opinion. Thanks, Ance.

The fishing trip was quite non-eventful. We made a trip to the new BassPro Shop in Sevierville, Tennessee. Save your money because we will probably make a trip down there in May. It is only a 40 minute drive away. Yeah, I caught a couple of bass(the right way Bin Speeden). They weren't quite the size I had hoped for, but my efforts weren't totally in vain. I got sunburnt on Saturday and I am still peeling a little today. It's good to be home, though.

On to better news. UK played hard against UConn. I wasn't disappointed they lost, just glad they beat UAB. WVU lost a tough one to Texas. Duke went down last night to the hands of LSU. Good times. Gonzaga gave their game away to UCLA. Good times. And I know you shouldn't find joy in other's misery, but to see Adam Morrison on the floor crying like a sissy when there was still two seconds left on the clock and an opportunity to win? Guilty pleasure. I am still going with UConn to win it all. They have an easy walk their next two games: Washington and the George Mason/Wichita St. winner.

I think I hear horses running. I'll give you my early prediction for the Kentucky Derby. John Ward's Strong Contender(sired out of Maria's Mon and purchased at Keeneland for $800K) will be in the money, if he is eligible. Edgar Prado has been up on his only two times out. Strong Contender has been the pace for his races and that style of running definitely doesn't hurt position in the Derby. I am also a big fan of A.P. Warrior, a $1.3 million colt out of A.P. Indy. He is trained by John Sherriffs, the trainer of the 2005 Derby winner, Giacomo. So far he has been ridden by Pat Valenzuela, arguably one of the best jockeys of all time. I am pumped to see First Samurai at the Bluegrass Stakes this year. A capable front-runner, this horse has a really good shot of being in the money on May 6th. There is going to be a lot of great horse racing in the next few weeks to see.

That's all you get for now. Opening day of Keeneland is April 7th. I'll see you there. Unless you are at Buffalo Wild Wings in a couple of hours, I'll see you there, first.

Gone Fitchin' Again

It is that time once again. The onset of spring and the around-the-clock programming of college basketball have arrived. And, I gladly welcome it with open arms. Despite the fact that UK will be, essentially, a non-contender, I can’t wait for the first round of the NCAA Tournament to start. Northern Iowa is my Cinderella pick for this year, F. Y. I.

Coincidentally, with the onset of the NCAA Basketball Tournament comes another reminder of spring. Our annual spring fishing trip to Cherokee Lake, Tennessee starts Friday morning. My brother-in-law, Dirty Bin Speeden, will probably meet me at my house and from there we will rendezvous with Cousin J-Rod somewhere along the interstate. We are going down a little bit earlier than the others to cash in on some extra fishing time. A. Tom Bomb, J. Will, Bluegrass Man, and possibly Bluegrass Man, Jr. will be down later, just in time to catch some first round basketball action Friday night.

The inspiration for this post came from my $160 trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods yesterday after work …and, NO, I did not buy any shoes. I went over there to buy some new fishing lures, a new tackle box, and, maybe, some speed snaps, if Dick’s had them. While I was there, I somehow convinced myself that I needed to purchase a new rod(6' 6" Shimano Convergence, Medium Flex/Fast Action) and reel(Daiwa Capricorn 100H) so I wouldn’t be out-fished due to down time for changing fishing rigs. My goal for this trip is to compete with J. Will’s cast-to-catch ratio. Hopefully, the rod and reel will work out good for me and I'll catch some mon-a-sters.

I am in for a weekend of fishing, armchair basketball coaching, and, possibly, a little poker. There might be a cold beer or two to sneak into the line-up, but I don’t think anyone will be counting. Now, let’s go fishing!

"...fellas, don't ya call me, cause I can't go;
I'm watchin' the Orlando Wilson Fishing Show!"

Is It Over, Yet?

Yeah, yesterday was awful. Cats played like dirty butt. Billy Donovan wouldn't get off the court (How many warnings did referee Mike Stuart give him?). Wait...there were referees there? I think they were too busy watching the game to call the game. All in all, the game eerily went down the same way it did in Gainesville.

It is awful. I'll not go to another UK home game for the rest of this season. Ha, ha! Because there aren't any more. Yep, we went out this season with a 15 point dose from Florida. What a way to go.

The administration made the team take the team picture over again this morning for the SEC Tournament Program. Check it out!

Forum or Againstum?

Have any of you guys ever participated in or read an online forum? I have noticed that all the conversations mostly, if not always, transform into nasty insult contests. This, I ponder, is due to the differing opinions in the world? After all, it takes all kinds. No. It all boils down to the lack of intelligence it requires to access the internet.

So, you think you have an insightful thought to add to the conversation. You type a comment to, hopefully, provoke some more thought on the subject. You check the forum the next day to see what kind of response has developed from your comment. There are fifteen responses. The responses range from a contradictory “WHAT N THE HELL RU TALKIN ABOUT” to an ascending “AMEN”. None of the comments are concerning the conversation at hand. From there, the participants who have responded, either in a reinforcing note or defaming note, have declared World War III over your comment…and it’s all name calling. People are slamming each other with names and saying derogatory statements about one another that would make a merchant marine blush.

I don’t care if stardaZZler420 fornicates with woodland creatures. And it really is of no concern to me that BlueCHAOS diddles with his diddler in his mom’s basement until the sun comes up.

Enough already. What I have learned from observing these forums is that when people reply with personal attacks, it proves that they don’t have a leg to stand on in the argument…or one that they are aware of, anyway. I have learned that you don’t go into a battle of wits against an unarmed man. It makes you look worse than the idiot you are arguing against.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think I will ever stop reading forums, but I am definitely not going to join any more of them. A really funny forum to read is on a "Can Tubby Smith" website. I am sure you can guess the topic of conversations. I will give you a little background on this forum. There are a few University of Tennessee fans who have invaded the site and they really know how to get a few UK fans into a boil. The messages are pretty much the same on every thread, but the insults are always fresh. They occasionally get off-color, so you have been warned.

Will UK beat the Vols tonight? I think they will. Am I betting on it? NO!