John Clay's Sidelines

Chris Cross

Day three of the Media Approval Ratings brings us Chris Cross, who co-hosts the Sports Huddle on WLXG-1300 in Lexington, as well as those Castle Jewlery commercials on television. Chris is a long-time veteran of the radio airwaves, and makes few bones about rooting for the home team. (We’ll do his partner, Mike Cameron, tomorrow.)

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

Previously: Dick Gabriel – Larry Glover.

Photo by John Clay.

Update: Here’s my Media Day column.

Five quick impressions from this morning’s UK Media Day:

• 1. Quarterback Mike Hartline said he believe he is more mature this year. One step in that maturity, point the finger at yourself first. Hartline said he had talked a lot this summer with HCFO (head coach for the offense) Joker Phillips and OC (offensive coordinator) Randy Sanders and now believed that while it is ok to get on your teammates when the situations warrant, “I need to take care of my own business first.” At times last year, Hartline sounded like he was blaming his teammates for his own failures. That especially came through when the staff benched the sophomore in favor of then-true freshman Randall Cobb. But Hartline sounded today like someone an entire year older, and who had learned his lesson.

• 2. Rich Brooks said, “We’ve shocked a few teams in the SEC the last three years, but we have not shocked enough teams.” (Look for this is to reappear in my print column.)

• 3. Brooks told Cris Cross that the WLXG sports anchor needs to lose weight. This was not just based on visual evidence. Brooks said that sometimes when he’s driving around in his car late afternoons, he’ll switch to Cross and Mike Cameron’s “Sports Huddle,” and Cross is always at a different restaurant. This drew a huge laugh from we media, of course, who are just jealous that Chris receives a free meal most weekdays. By the way, Chris asked the first question. He always does.

• 4. Last year, leadership was a question mark. After all, Keenan Burton was gone. Wesley Woodyard was gone. This year, not so much. True, Jeremy Jarmon is gone, and the former defensive end was a definite leader. But Brooks said he has no worries when it comes to leadership on this team. He pointed to Micah Johnson and Trevard Lindley has leaders in different ways. Micah likes to talk. Trevard does not like to talk. Yet both can lead.

• 5. Brooks said that the new ESPN-SEC TV contract is the biggest development in 50 years. That’s saying something, of course, but then again the man will be 68 on August 20. Who are we to argue? Besides, given the national exposure the league will get, he’s right.