John Clay's Sidelines

After today’s scrimmage at the Nutter Training Facility, UK defensive coordinator Steve Brown says he wasn’t happy with the tackling of his second-teamers, but talks here about the first-teamers and how the middle linebackers looked considering Micah Johnson sat out with a strained foot.

Talked briefly after this morning’s practice with sophomore wide receiver/kick returner/quarterback/Wildcatter Randall Cobb about his return to practice after some brief back problems, etc.

Alan Cutler

We return to the Media Approval Rating feature with WLEX sports reporter/director Alan Cutler, a long-time staple on the local television sports scene. I know, poor Alan received some national publicity for trying to run down Billy Gillispie after the basketball coach had just been fired. That episode went viral. But Billy has had some other troubles since then. Alan is on his second go-round in Lexington after leaving for a brief period to work in Pittsburgh.

So what say you on Alan Cutler, thumbs-up or thumbs-down?

Previously: Kent Spencer – Dave Baker – Mary Jo Perino – Mike Cameron – Chris Cross – Dick Gabriel – Larry Glover.

UK football coach Rich Brooks said after practice today that sophomore wide receiver Aaron Boyd will redshirt, and that senior middle linebacker Micah Johnson is nursing a strained foot. Brooks said x-rays did not reveal any breaks in Johnson’s foot, but that it is sore and his status is uncertain.

Jason Whitlock

This I heart about Jason Whitlock: The man never holds back.

In fact, the Kansas City Star/Fox Sports columnist so graphically gave readers his thoughts about the Rick Pitino scandal, and men in general, a couple of weeks ago I couldn’t bring myself to offer it a link. After all, impressionable children have been known to read this blog.

But now Jason is back, and while his latest take on Rick is hardly G-rated, it’s a different spin, even if Jason has his tongue firmly planted in his sizable cheek. Or maybe not. You decide.

An excerpt:

We, the media, don’t know what we’re talking about. Despite Pimpino opening his press conference declaring his intentions and the audience he would attempt to sway, we missed the utter brilliance of his performance.

“I’m a little upset,” Pitino began. “This is a day I went home to comfort my wife, who obviously, as you would imagine, the last seven months would be having a very difficult time, as her husband was blackmailed during the tournament and extorted for millions of dollars. From that point on, all she’s read is all these false allegations.”

Hello. Pitino is trying to save his marriage.

When his six-minute rant concluded, tears trickled down my cheeks, I rose from my seat and found myself clapping my hands and mouthing the words, “Play on, playa. Play on” and wanting to listen to Johnnie Taylor’s classic “Cheaper To Keep Her.”

A friend in Louisville theorized to me Wednesday that Joanne Pitino had probably just returned home from her daily hair appointment, flipped on her favorite soap opera only to see police video of Karen Sypher saying awful things about her husband. My friend theorized that Joanne quickly got Rick on the phone, and, voila, a press conference commenced.

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• Jason King of Yahoo Sports quotes John Calipari as saying he wants to one reporter “right in the mouth.”
• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader previews UK’s running backs.
• Jennifer Smith of the H-L profiles UK volleyball All-American Sarah Rumely.
• H-L columnist Mark Story writes that Kentucky boasts an embarrassment of embarrassments.
• Ryan Alessi of the H-L reports that Lee Todd and Mitch Barnhart will give depositions in Gillispie lawsuit.
• H-L’s Cosby previews UK’s offensive line.
• H-L’s Jerry Tipton writes that John Wall faces high expectations.
• Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal writes on UK freshman offensive lineman Larry Warford.
• NEW: James Pennington of the Kernel on Billy Gillispie.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Calipari says he wants to punch a reporter’

SEC links for Friday:

• Scott Hotard of The Advocate reports that SEC has revised its media policy again.
• Anthony Clark of the Gainesville Sun also reports on the further revision of the SEC media rules.
• David Brandt of the Clarion-Ledger reports that Ole Miss has sold out season tickets for “first time in recent history.”
• Glenn Guilbeau writes in the Shreveport Times that John Chavis has a fresh start at LSU.
• ESPN’s Chris Low reports that re-energized Steve Spurrier is keeping the faith at South Carolina.
• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News asks if true freshmen quarterbacks could be a heartbeat away for both Alabama and Auburn?
• John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel writes that it’s obvious Tennessee can’t win SEC before 2012.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: League revises media policy again’

Updated at 11:04 a.m.

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• H-L Update: Gillispie pleads not guilty and is released from jail.
• Ashlee Clark of the Herald-Leader has the Billy Gillispie details.
• WLEX-TV had the initial Gillispie report, complete with video of Billy G. in cuffs being put in a van.
• The Frankfort State-Journal has details of the Gillispie arrest.
• Deadspin calls Gillispie’s arrest the “second-most embarrassing performance by a Kentucky-based basketball figure yesterday.”
• USA Today asks, “What is it about basketball coaches in the state of Kentucky lately?”
• FanHouse writes that Gillispie has driven his career off the road.
• The Gillispie arrest leads SportsIllustrated.com’s list of top stories.
• ESPN has a wrap-up of the Gillispie story.
• Keith Taylor of Winchester Sun writes that Pitino and Gillispie are shining in the wrong light.
• Herald-Leader report on Gillispie’s previous two DUIs.
• Card Chronicle says Billy G. has seen better days.
• A Sea of Blue asks if this summer can be any more fun?
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger says that Gillispie adds to the bad coach headlines.

Update: The State-Journal has Billy G.’s mug shot.

Update: I’m taking the video embed down because there seems to be some trouble with the video, probably overloading the server. Here’s the link: From WLEX-TV’s site.

WLEX-TV is reporting that former UK basketball coach Billy Gillispie was arrested at 2:45 a.m. this morning in Anderson County on U.S. 127 and charged with DUI.

The NBC affiliate has video of Gillispie being led handcuffed into a van. He and 42-year-old Charles O’Connor are being held in the Franklin County jail, according to the station.

According to the report, Gillispie told police  he had been playing golf. Apparently someone called 911 saying a Mercedes with Texas plates was swerving on U.S. 127 in Anderson County.

WTVQ in Lexington also has a report on the Gillispie arrest.

As of 6:16 a.m., WKYT is gathering information on the story.

Here’s a Herald-Leader report on Gillispie’s previous two DUI arrests.