Done

I am sure you have heard by now. Patrick Patterson is out for the rest of the season due to a stress fracture in his left ankle. I think that pretty much bursts our bubble, literally. I really thought the ship had been righted. UK had won 9 of their last 10 games. They got the 10th win on Wednesday (you know, the historical ten wins in the SEC regular season and your in the NCAA tourney?).

Maybe we can get another win in the rest of the schedule. I think we can still give South Carolina a big game. I think the Tennessee and Florida game are out of the question barring miracles for both games.

At least we have a legitimate excuse if the Cats don't make it to the Dance....Gillispie practices his squad too hard.

Sports and More Sports...and 100th post!

I got to meet a couple of my local sports associated heroes last night. I took Beth over to the driver’s license renewal office on Regency Road after work so she could get a new license made. On the way over there, I was listening to The Sports Huddle, a local call in radio show, on ESPN Radio 1300 AM WLXG. I heard they were broadcasting from The Ketch at the corner of Regency and Southland. I always wanted to try the restaurant out. I offered and Beth accepted the challenge.

As soon as we rolled in, I could see Chris Cross and Mike Cameron at the other end of the restaurant doing their show. Cool beans. When their show was over, I had the chance to go over and talk to them. It was pretty neat. Sometimes, Cross can be a jerk on air, but he was really nice in person. Cameron (a horse trainer) and I talked about his horses. Pretty cool. They both remembered me from when I had called in the show. Neat, huh?

So…what happened to Dusty Mills? Yeah, the little blonde elf that sat on the end of Kentucky’s bench. Kicked off the team? For laughing during the famous Ramel Bradley flop at Georgia? What about Morakinyo Williams and Dwight Perry? They were yukking it up as well. They were busted on Raycom sports coverage of the game. I was sitting at Chili’s in Charleston Town Center, W.Va. and I saw it. You saw it. Why was he the only one in trouble?

Mills said Gillispie called him into the assistants’ office in front of the entire team and told him he was through. Mills said he wasn’t even given a chance to explain himself. Gillispie told him he could tell the press whatever he wanted because he didn’t care. The alleged coach also told him he could transfer to some small (named) college and tell them about it because he didn’t want to hear it and he was sick of Mills. Apparently after that, Gillispie gave him a cussing.

Now, I don’t know if this account is entirely true. This is only one side of the situation that has been told. But, I bet we will never hear the other side of the story. I’m not sure I like this. It just doesn’t sit right. Mills was earning status as a crowd favorite. If UK had been winning games by more than 5 points or less, I am sure at the 45 second mark, the student section would probably been chanting to sub in Mills. Instead they have been biting their nails.

For all you Tubby fans out there, when UK got thrashed by Vandy, Minnesota got beat by 24 points at home by a 11-15 Illinois. Feel better? I don’t feel better either. Still sucks.

This will make you feel better. Check out my niece, Paige trying to get used to being vertical. See you later.
And here is my oldest niece Emma helping Aunt Beth get older.

Had About As Much As I Can Take...

Is anyone other than me sick of all the coverage of the Roger Clemens/Brian McNamee steroid hearing? I would like to see a poll of sports fans that asked if they particularly cared one way or the other about the outcome of this hearing. I think the Mitchell Report has lost the direction of its initial intention—the eradication of illegal and performance enhancing drugs. Congress has decided to focus its accusatory beam of justice on one individual. Instead of following through with the entire list of names included in the Mitchell Report, they decide to absurdly chase one name. What was the reason behind the report again?

Honestly, if Roger Clemens is guilty of steroid or HGH use, and I think he may be, what does it mean, what about the other 35% of major league baseball that used it? Would it really matter if he did commit perjury in the hearing? This has come down to one guy and his decisions, alone, not about all the others. What is this going to do to curb the use of performance enhancing drugs? Nothing is the answer you are looking for.

I say the blame needs to be cast on Bud Selig and the rest of the lot of idiots in charge of major league baseball. They are the fellows in charge that turned a blind eye during the great homerun chase of 2000 with Slammin’ Sammy and Big Mac. No one was concerned then. I bet if Barry Bonds was in the home run chase mix that year, there would have been no question whether or not Bud would have attended all the potential record tying games. To stop the steroid and HGH use, MLB must adopt an iron-willed, zero-tolerance policy. “We don’t care if you have used performance enhancing drugs, but if you test positive in the 2008 season, you will be dealt with swiftly, severely, and unfortunately for you, ultimately.” How is that for a statement?

What about this Waxman guy overseeing the hearing? He looks like a character straight out of the Harry Potter movies with his upturned nose and caved-in eyes--a definitely comical sight. And the apology to McNamee for the attitude from the Republican peanut gallery? A tad bit of partiality for the accussee? Definitely.

But here is my biggest pet peeve of the whole ordeal. I wonder how much of our taxpayer money is funding these hearings? How much time and attention our elected officials, who should be solving real problems, are spending with this non-issue. Think about all the issues that are facing our nation today (economy, Iraq, healthcare, to name a few) and this issue with steroids in a sports entertainment is getting the whole nation’s attention. This is the biggest bunch of horseshit I have ever heard, seen, or smelled. Things like this make me want to throw a vote in for term limits.

Yes, Kentucky blows. The Vandy game was the most embarassing UK game I have ever witnessed. I had flashbacks to the LSU game back in the 90's when UK overcame a 31-point deficit in the second half for a win. This time there were no heroes. Nothing but awfulness (is that a word?...now it is). Total embarassment. No excuses. I guess Uncle Ance is eating crow. That and Arkansas, Ance's SEC team de-la-creme, getting beat soundly by UT.

UK rebounded nicely against a hot LSU team today. Bradley looked like a high schooler(?) against LSU. Good thing my boy Joe Crawford was there to make it happen. Joe Crawford is the guy who is willing to compete at a high level of intensity. UK is still a mediocre NIT team. Not a question. A statement from the truthiness of Island Pond.

Oh well, another day, another time, I will tell you more. Give me a shout.