John Clay's Sidelines

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• “I can always say I shot it well against Kentucky,” Windsor’s attorney-to-be Monty Hardware tells Mary Caton of the Windsor Star. (Hat tip to Tom Leach.)
• Kentucky says Winston Guy is more than ready to live up to his packed potential, writes Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• Notre Dame at home and Duke in Cameron Indoor highlights the UK women’s basketball schedule, writes Jennifer Smith of the H-L.
• Highly-ranked freshman left off UK women’s roster, and unfortunately it’s not a typo, writes Smith.
• Larry Conley tells Mark Maynard of the Ashland Daily Independent that the NCAA may cease to exist in 5-8 years. (Hat tip to Walter’s Wildcat World.)
• Brandon Knight shines, shines, shines, writes Fabian Lyon of the Miami Herald.
• My column on how grayshirting has worked for Kentucky football both ways.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger does a Q&A with UK’s first-year but strong-legged kicker Joe Mansour.
• Kyle Wiltjer has a scholarship offer from Kentucky, says Percy Allen of the Seattle Times.

Continue reading ‘BBL: “I can always say I shot it well against Kentucky.”’

At left is Nick and Terry Saban. At right is doctored photo in which Bessemer councilwoman is insterted in place of Terry Saban.

SEC links for Thursday:

• Political candidate uses fake photo to tout backing of Nick Saban, reports AP.
• Even the tradition-rich Crimson Tide will bow down and wear Nike combat unis one game, reports Chase Goodbread of the Tuscaloosa News.
• When you are Vanderbilt, you need your punter to deliver, writes Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.
• With Kiffin gone, one Vol thinks he’s starting college all over again, writes John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Gene Sapakof of the Charleston Post and Courier reports on investigation into South Carolina football and agents.
• Mr. SEC on LSU coach Les Miles’ forked tongue.
• Bobby Petrino says he did not intend for hat incident to escalate, writes Robbie Nieswanger of the Arkansas News.
• Georgia’s turnaround must start with turnovers, writes Tim Tucker of the AJC.
• Auburn basketball picks up a pair of 2011 commitments, reports Evan Woodbery of the Mobile Press-Register.
• Harrison Jones is back in the fold at Alabama, reports Gentry Estes of the Mobile Press-Register.
• Florida wide receiver Carl Moore thinks it’s his turn to shine, writes Anthony Chiang of the Orlando Sentinel.
• Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald writes that Florida’s defensive line is feeding off that old standby, a lack of respect.

This is UK coach Joker Phillips after practice today, talking about the secondary, special teams and other subjects.

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Replaced, old blah headline.

Some daily randoms for a Wednesday:

Let’s not get too carried away on Brandon Knight just yet. Yes, the freshman was outstanding in Canada. (See individual game-by-game stats.) The competition wasn’t exactly top-shelf, however. Kyle Macy said on the air he thought the Canadian teams would compare to top-level NAIA teams. I’m not sure that Windsor could beat Georgetown College, however. So put me among those not quite ready to say that the speedy Knight will pass the speedy John Wall on the college career tract. It does appear that Knight is more of a scorer than Wall. He looks for his shot.

As happens, my blog post on the Bobby Petrino/Gator hat controversy was picked up by an Arkansas message board. As happens, comments have been posted on this blog, most taking the know-nothing me to task. I like what my friend Clay Travis wrote, “It’s been my experience that fan outrage and correct spelling are mutually exclusive.”

Best read of the day goes to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Paul Daugherty who flat-out nails Colin Cowherd, after Cowherd called the Reds frauds. Excerpt:

Cowherd deals in big names, big cities, big teams. He sees himself as a big-time guy. Here in Fraudville, we deal in who’s winning and who’s in first place.

The problem isnt that Cowherd is dissing the Reds. Really, so what? Put Cowherd in a lineup with a gorilla and three donkeys, you’d need 3 guesses to pick him out. The issue is the arrogance that screams that if you’re not NY/Bsn/LA, you’re nobody. You are condescended to, by a guy who sits in a glass booth, throwing stones. And of course by the network that pays him.

That might not bug you. It shouldnt bug me. Only it does.

Continue reading ‘Brandon Knight, Cowherd ripped, Arcade Fire, KSR’

Hat tip to Walter’s Wildcat World, which linked to this earlier this morning:

In light of the Arkansas radio reporter firing controversy, my Facebook friend Warren Havens remembers when Kentucky fired a UK Athletics Association student worker for being a U of L fan.

Republished with permission from Warren:

The Renee Gork firing in Arkansas grabbed national headlines and talk show air time all across the country today. It reminds me of my own famous brush with a very similar situation. The story that would evolve to involve me would have gotten just as much national play had it not occurred in 1986 considering the web and today’s instant and omnipresent news reporting. Even so, it made national headlines 24 years ago.

It was February, 1986. The University of Kentucky and Louisville basketball rivalry had very recently been renewed. In fact, only four regular season games had been played in the then recently renewed rivalry since the last regular season game in 1922, 64 years earlier.

Yours truly, Warren Havens (aka Warren T), was in my second semester as a journalism student in the University of Kentucky’s College of Communications. At the time, I was also a freshman walk-on kicker for UK’s football team and would go on to play in the spring game later in 1986.

Working as a student assistant in UK’s Sports Information Department was Andy Dumstorf (Google his name and Kentucky Sports Information together to read of his firing). Andy, who now works at WHAS in Louisville, was an unabashed UofL fan. This fact did not sit well at all with legendary UK basketball equipment manager Bill Keightley (Google Bill Keightley). Bill Keightley died in 2008. His name went immediately to the rafters on a banner in Rupp Arena. Bill served as equipment manager at UK beginning in 1962. That spanned coaches Rupp, Hall, Sutton, Pitino, Smith and Gillispie.

Continue reading ‘When UK fired a student worker for being a U of L fan’

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• Small lineup leads Kentucky to fast-breaking win in Canada, writes Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.
• Kentucky says trip across border best $35,000 it has ever spent, reports Tipton.
• Herald-Leader photo gallery from Kentucky’s second win over Windsor Lancers.
• Calipari says Canada trip was perfect for his Cats, reports Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
• Kentucky provided a jump start for the hoop Lancers, writes Mary Caton of the Windsor Star.
• Summertime and the winning is easy for the UK basketball team, reports Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
• Kentucky football looking for huge season from Chris Matthews, writes Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• A Sea of Blue thinks Brandon Knight will be a better college basketball player than John Wall.
• Ryan Clark of the Kentucky Enquirer thinks Darius Miller is set for a breakout year.
• Ramel Bradley tells Asian sensation Susan Shan about Billy Gillespie’s tough practices. (Hat tip to Walter’s Wildcat World.)

Continue reading ‘BBL: Will Brandon Knight be better than John Wall?’

Jerry Tipton shot these videos in the Great White North:

SEC links for Wednesday:

• Tennessee is looking to pay $750,000 to soften up its football schedule, reports Austin Ward of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Dropping North Carolina in favor of Buffalo shows Tennessee’s weakness, writes Mark Wiedmer of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• Arkansas says it did not ask for radio personality to be fired for wearing Florida hat, reports AP.
• Fired reporter tells her side of the story, reports Chris Low of espn.com.
• AP reports that Andy Kennedy has settled his defamation suit in Cincinnati.
• Loss of Zach Lee leaves LSU scrambling at quarterback, reports Glenn Guilbeau of the Shreveport Times.
• John Pelphrey doesn’t consider Marshawn Powell injury a big issue, reports Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News.
• Alabama looking to improve on special teams, reports Gentry Estes of the Mobile Press-Register.
• Precocious rookies seeking playing time at Ole Miss, reports David Brandt of the Clarion-Ledger.
• Tony Barnhart of the AJC looks at pre-season rankings for Georgia and Arkansas.
• Freshman tailback makes waves at Auburn scrimmage, reports Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser.
• Former Ole Miss running back Tig Barksdale could end up at Jacksonville State, reports Al Muskewitz of the Anniston Star.