John Clay's Sidelines

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Deadspin has a good take on Rick Pitino’s bizarre and ill-conceived press conference today in which the Louisville basketball coach — you know, the one who admitted to adultery and paying $3,000 for health insurance (wink, wink) for the woman — scolded the media for covering the story.

Apparently, we are only to report what Rick says, because that’s the only thing that’s true.

Deadspin excerpt:

Pitino lashed out at the media for interrupting Ted Kennedy Day to report “lies” about him. Everything is a lie except for the stuff that Rick Pitino said, so why don’t you print that in your pinko commie rags?

Here’s my column on the petulant Pitino.

You watch the press conference here.

Today’s entry in the Media Approval popularity contest belongs to ABC36 sports director Kent Spencer. The Northern Kentucky native and Morehead State grad has been with WTVQ since 2003. He moved from general assignment reporter to sports in 2005.

So what say you on Kent Spencer, thumbs-up or thumbs-down?

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

Mark Krebs

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• NEW: EDSBS notices the Mike Hartline mustache craze.
• John Calipari announces on his site that Mark Krebs will be on scholarship this season.
• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader previews UK’s kickers.
• Cosby also reports that Randall Cobb has returned to practice.
• Jennifer Smith of the H-L reports that there are two no-shows among UK women basketball’s rookie class.
• Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal writes on UK running back Alfonso Smith.
• Nothing But Net thinks Kansas is the front-runner for Brandon Knight. (Hat tip to Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog.)
• Lawrence Journal World reports that Doron Lamb will also be at Kansas’ “Late Night with Phog.”
• Bluegrass State Basketball reports that Shagari Alleyne has signed with Norway team.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Krebs on scholarship; Kansas leads for Knight?’

Josh McNeil

SEC links for Wednesday:

• Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News writes that Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy could become a trivia answer.
• Paul Finebaum writes for the Mobile Press-Register that there is no question Alabama’s expectations.
• Dave Hooker of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports that the career of Tennessee center Josh McNeil hangs in the balance.
• Josh Ward of the News-Sentinel reports that Nick Stephens is not takingn the shortsighted view after losing Tennessee quarterback battle.
• Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser reports that Auburn’s Kodi Burns is showing drive in new role.
• Randy Rosetta of The Advocate writes on LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: High expectations at Alabama’

Justin Burke (Photo by John Clay)

The Courier-Journal reports that former Lexington Catholic star Justin Burke has been named starting quarterback at Louisville, Cards’ coach Steve Kragthorpe announced after practice.

Burke started his collegiate career at North Carolina State, but transferred to Louisville after his redshirt freshman season. He sat out last season because of the transfer.

Burke beat out junior college transfer Andam Froman, who has missed time with a back problem.

Burke threw for a state-record 62 touchdowns his senior year at Lexington Catholic.

After Tuesday’s practice, Kentucky coach Rich Brooks says that Will Fidler is the No. 2 quarterback, and that it is “not out of the realm of possibility” that freshmen Morgan Newton and Ryan Mossokowski could both redshirt depending on their progress over the next month.

Chip Cosby has more UK practice notes.

Dave Baker

The Media Approval Ratings feature trucks on with WKYT’s Dave Baker, former local conservative radio talk show host, former sidelines reporter for Jefferson Pilot/Lincoln Financial/Raycom, current Channel 27 sports anchor, current TV pitchman, and soon-to-be-host for CBS College Sports, and who knows what other endeavors Buzz has going on at the moment, or in the future.

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

Previously: Mary Jo Perino – Mike Cameron – Chris Cross – Dick Gabriel – Larry Glover.

Terry Holland

Ex-Virginia head basketball coach and current East Carolina athletics director Terry Holland responded to a post at the Money Players Blog by ripping the NCAA Clearing House.

Writes Holland:

You are on target. In this particular case, Memphis is only guilty of doing what everyone else does – accept student-athletes who have been cleared by the NCAA’s own “Clearinghouse”. Memphis just happens to be doing so for more talented players than most schools. The “Clearinghouse” was established with the very best of intentions but it has been obvious for some time that it is not working in the very situations it was designed to address – the less than 10% of recruits annually who have borderline grades and/or test scores. So we now have this cumbersome and expensive process that is unnecessary for 90% of the student-athletes recruited by NCAA institutions and ineffective for the other 10%.

Be sure and read the rest of the post, it’s quite interesting.

Hat tip to the New York Times’ Pete Thamel, by the way.

GQ has come out with its list of the 25, well, douchiest colleges.

Sportsinferno defines douchey as “Occasionally you’ll see these types walking around Target wearing a Harvard shirt, as if to lord their intelligence over the other shoppers. Other types include guys over the age of 30 with bangs longer than the rest of their hair, topped off with a perfectly frayed South Carolina “Cocks” hat. The point is, douchebaggery comes in all forms.”

Brown is No. 1.

Duke is No. 2.

No Kentucky schools made the list.