John Clay’s Sidelines

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.

Tobias Harris

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• The Herald-Leader’s Chip Cosby looks at 10 questions facing Kentucky football for 2009.
• The H-L’s Jerry Tipton blogs about Dakotah Euton’s choices.
• Kentucky Sports Radio reports that basketball recruit Tobias Harris is visiting UK today.
• Bluegrass State Basketball has some Harris video.
• Ron Higgins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes that UK cornerback Trevard Lindley is scary good.
• Tom Leach reports that Derrick Locke will miss first few days of training camp because of a death in the family.
• Tracee Hamilton of the Washington Post writes on newest Redskin, Jeremy Jarmon.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Tobias Harris reportedly visiting UK today’

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• Herald-Leader report on Jeremy Jarmon signing a four-year deal with the Redskins.
• Ryan O’Halloran of the Washington Times reports on the Jarmon signing.
• Chip Cosby of the H-L reports on a four-star safety visiting UK this week.
• Chris Low at espn.com looks at Kentucky football’s newcomers to watch.
• ESPN’s Andy Katz talks to John Calipari about possible lineups in 2009-10.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger talks to Patrick Patterson’s mom.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Basketball lineups and football links’

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader reports that ex-UK defensive end Jeremy Jarmon will apply for the NFL supplemental draft.
• Cosby’s notebook says UK is after some 2011 quarterback prospects.
• The H-L’s Jerry Tipton covered the NCAA hearing with Memphis on Saturday.
• Tipton’s notebook discusses responsibility vs. deniability.
• My Sunday column arguing that invalidated SAT scores are not the NBA’s problem.
• Tipton’s Saturday story that popular restaurant Joe Bologna’s is banned from associating with UK for three years.
• In the Tennessean, David Climer writes that the NBA eligibility rule makes a mockery of the college game.
• Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union writes that Calipari could carry a cost for Kentucky.
• Tom Leach writes that Calipari is staying in the headlines.
• Ken Howlett of A Sea of Blue writes that every Rose has its thorn.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Jeremy Jarmon’s future, John Calipari’s past, etc.’

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• The Playmakers blog claims that Jodie Meeks has every intention of staying in the draft. (Hat tip Spam’s Wildcat Page.)
• Testudo Times reports that UK target Will Barton went off at the Nike Memorial Day Classic.
• Bluegrass State Basketball looks at John Calipari and his Twitter competitors.
• Williamson Daily News reports that Calipari will be speaking in Pike County on July 17.
• The Courier-Journal’s Jody Demling writes on UK’s big score.
• A Sea of Blue writes on the Jeremy Jarmon suspension.
• On his WKYT blog, Steve Moss writes that Calipari’s haul has tongues wagging.
• Inner Circle says the “only obstacle will be ourselves.”
• Straitpinkie looks at a busy Memorial Day weekend for UK.

Big Blue Links for Sunday:

• In the Herald-Leader, Jerry Tipton writes that so far John Calipari has made all the right moves.
• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader reports that Jeremy Jarmon accepts blame for NCAA suspension.
• My Sunday column saying others should learn from Jarmon’s mistake.
• Valarie Honeycutt Spears of the H-L reports that positive tests are rate rare, but not unheard of.
• Cosby writes that just like Jarmon, Cats have to move on.
• Tipton’s basketball notebook leads with UK will open next season against Morehead.
• Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News writes that Calipari has expectations through the roof.
• ESPN.com Chris Low writes that Jeremy Jarmon is “as real as it gets.”
• Robbi Pickeral of the Charlotte Observer writes that losing Wall could block UNC from all-time win mark.
• In the Oklahoman, Brandon Chatmon has Daniel Orton saying that Wall is last piece of the puzzle for UK. (Hat tip to Spam’s Wildcat Page.)

Continue reading ‘BBL: Jeremy Jarmon reaction links’

Here is Jeremy Jarmon’s statement today:

“Today I am here to announce that I will no longer participate in athletics at the University of Kentucky. Ever since I was six years old I knew that I wanted to attend the University of Kentucky and that dream has come true for me. I knew I wanted to graduate from high school and attend the University of Kentucky. This has also come true for me. This is something that I will never forget. This dream has come true for me and I have attended and graduated from my dream college. I will never forget Coach Brooks and Coach Ortmayer sitting down in my home and offering me an opportunity to come to the University of Kentucky and help turn around a program that has been struggling. On that day when Coach Brooks offered me a scholarship to the University of Kentucky, I accepted his offer to be a part of his program. With an extremely dedicated coaching staff and strong-willed guys that were alongside myself, we turned around a program that has seen three consecutive bowl game wins and this is something that I am proud of and will never forget. Today I am not here to discuss the name of the substance that I took nor the place that I got it from. Instead I am here to discuss the choice that I made to live a healthier life, how I attempted to do this, and the decisions that I made to reach this point. However, one poor decision has cost me my collegiate eligibility. An NCAA appeals panel consisting of representatives from member institutions decided my fate on Thursday May 21, 2009 at approximately 6:00 p.m. During an NCAA drug test given on February 24, 2009, I tested positive for a banned substance. Based on precedence, the appeals panel found that I was responsible for testing positive. Had they ruled that I did not have significant fault then I would have received a half year suspension or been restored my complete eligibility. The information that I am telling you today is the truth, documentation supports the claims that we made to the NCAA Appeals Panel and personnel from the university will concur that this is case as well.

Continue reading ‘Jeremy Jarmon’s statement on NCAA ruling’

Jeremy Jarmon

UK has released a statement from Rich Brooks on Jeremy Jarmon being ruled ineligible:

“My first concern is with Jeremy and his family and what a devastating blow this is for them. There was no intent by Jeremy to do anything improper, it was an error in judgment in not checking with our staff (before taking the supplement). Jeremy has been an outstanding individual on and off the football field, and I hope that people understand the class act he has has been.”

Why was the press conference held today? Because Jarmon said he wanted to address the situation publicly, and explain his actions. Apologize and explain. He is also leaving for France next week to study abroad as he works toward a second major. Jarmon has already earned a degree in political science.

Here’s the audio from press conference this morning announcing that Jeremy Jarmon’s football career at UK is over after testing positive for a banned substance taken in a dietary supplement.

Note: The audio is 29 minutes long. It includes Jarmon and UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart.

Mitch Barnhart and Jeremy Jarmon. (Photo by John Clay)

In a nutshell, UK defensive end Jeremy Jarmon has been ruled ineligible after testing positive for a banned substance he was taking in a dietary supplement. The suspension is for one year. Because Jarmon is a senior, his career at UK is over. Kentucky appealed the decision but was informed by the NCAA on Thursday that the appeal was denied.

Here is the official release from UK on Jarmon:

Jarmon Ruled Ineligible for Senior Season

LEXINGTON, Ky. - University of Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon has been ruled ineligible for his senior season after inadvertently taking a dietary supplement that contained a substance banned by the NCAA.

At Jarmon’s request, he discussed the situation at a news conference Saturday morning on the UK campus. He began taking the supplement in early February with a goal of becoming leaner, but did not have the supplement approved in advance by the UK strength and conditioning staff, which is the proper procedure. He later asked about the supplement, which he discontinued taking after being advised to do so.

In a routine, random test by the NCAA on Feb. 24, Jarmon tested positive for a banned substance. The penalty for a positive test is the loss of one year of eligibility, in effect ending the collegiate career of the Wildcat senior. His appeal for reinstatement was denied Thursday night.

“My first concern is with Jeremy and his family and what a devastating blow this is for them,” Coach Rich Brooks said. “There was no intent by Jeremy to do anything improper, it was an error in judgment in not checking with our staff (before taking the supplement). Jeremy has been an outstanding individual on and off the football field, and I hope that people understand what a class act he has been.”

Jarmon played in 38 games during the last three seasons, including 31 starting assignments. He made 38 tackles as a junior, including 10 for loss and 4.5 quarterback sacks, along with six pass breakups. He was named second-team All-Southeastern Conference by Phil Steele’s College Football. In 2007, he was first-team All-SEC by Rivals.com and second-team All-SEC by the league coaches when he had 62 tackles, including 13.5 TFL and nine sacks. He has 17.5 sacks in his career, third in school history.

Jarmon has completed his degree in political science and is studying abroad this summer as he works toward a second major.

Continue reading ‘Liveblog: Jeremy Jarmon ruled ineligible over supplement’