John Clay's Sidelines

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Tony Wroten no longer considering Kentucky, reports Brian Floyd of the Seattle Sports Blog. (Hat tip to Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog.)
• George Blanda made middle-age cool, blogs Andy Barall for the New York Times.
• The best came last for Raiders’ legend Blanda, writes the San Francisco Chronicle.
• Blanda was one of a kind, says this editorial from the Oakland Tribune.
• Even after Florida loss, Joker Phillips remains confident, reports Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• Independent review was handicapped by missing materials, reports Jerry Tipton of the H-L.
• Personnel losses have made Steve Brown’s job harder, writes Mark Story of the H-L.
• Phillips tries to soothe his team’s confidence, writes Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
• Badly needed win lifted Ole Miss’ spirits, reports Parrish Alford of the NE Mississippi Daily Journal.
• Brandon Bolden has answered the call for Ole Miss, reports Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Wroten takes UK off list; Blanda tributes’

George Blanda, on right in white shirt, at the Bear's Boys reunion last year in Lexington. (H-L photo/Pablo Alcala)

Several outlets are reporting that George Blanda has died at the age of 83.

Blanda played for UK from 1945-48 under Bear Bryant. He continued on to the NFL and then the AFL, earning fame as a quarterback and placekicker with the Oakland Raiders.

Here’s a video about Blanda’s pro career: