Good Weekend to be a Cat Fan

Well after the lackluster past two weekends for Kentucky sports the Cats righted the ship a little with their football win over Vanderbilt in Nashville and the got an opening season victory over Morehead St. in basketball. OK, granted the basketball team looked more impressive then the football team, but at this time of the year in football a victory is a victory. Especially considering that the victory gave UK 6 wins and a fourth straight year of bowl eligibility, which has never been done at the University of Kentucky. The game was not the prettiest to watch, but UK's two playmakers came up big again. Both Locke and Cobb had over 100 yards from scrimmage with Cobb scoring twice and Locke once accounting for all three of the UK touchdowns. Newton looked like he is getting more and more comfortable with the offense, yet it still seems like the offensive play calling is still centered around protecting him from making mistakes instead of trying to make plays. UK rarely attacked the center of the field with the pass and threw way two many 5yard outs.
The defense did hold Vanderbilt to just 13 points but Vanderbilt (2-9) did score their most points of the season against an SEC opponent so it is hard to be real impressed with stopping mediocrity. But that being said the Cats are still bowl eligible for the fourth straight year which is hard to ignore, and if they can pull of a victory against either Georgia or more importantly Tennessee then it will be hard to argue that the Cats had a successful year at 7-5. Yes they should have beat South Carolina and yes they should have beat Mississippi State but woulda, coulda, shoulda is part of the culture here at UK and has proven to be harder to replace then the losing culture that was here before Coach Brooks came onboard.
Now there is that other sport here at Kentucky, Basketball, wow as I have mentioned before it is amazing what 7 months has done to the tradition rich program Kentucky Wildcats. Coach Cal has the fans going nuts talking about Final Fours and National Titles. When was the last time the Wildcat nation could be so excited before the season started. HMMMM maybe the '05-'06 season when the Cats had Rondo, Crawford and Morris whom never seemed to gel under "Tubby Ball". But that is all in the past now with the Cats loaded with veterens Patrick Patterson, Darius Miller, Ramon Harris (who should be a junior if Tubby hadn't blown a year for him) and Perry Stevenson hoping to come together with the talented Freshman John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, John Hood, Eric Bledsoe along with JUCO transfer Darnell Dodson. After one regular season game against Morehead St. the expectations were probably enhanced as the Cats showed that although they haven't mastered the offense yet that they have the talent to play full court and above the rim with anybody in the nation including maybe the LA Clippers (OK I might have gotten too excited there). In the first half the Cats looked too pumped up and tried to do much Sportcenter plays, but in the second half the Cats came together as Bledsoe took over on his way to 22 second half points and a game high 24 points. Patrick Patterson also proved why he has gotten so many pre-season accolades with his 22nd career double-double on his way to a 20 point 12 rebound performance in 31 minutes. All this done without YouTube sensation and pre-season All-SEC PG John Wall who was sitting out due to his AAU coach being a former agent and the coach paying for two trips. I won't even get started on the AAU coaches and shoe companies being involved in the high school ranks! I will save that for another blog. But in all in all it was a good first game and showed Big Blue Nation just a peak of what is to come in the following months and with the football team most likely going its fourt consectutive bowl game this could be the best winter and early spring for UK since the late '70s. So Big Blue Nation sit back and enjoy because it is going to be a fun time in the Bluegrass!

Vandy Game

Well after beating EKU it is time to get back to the SEC. Luckily UK gets to start with Vanderbilt before its last two games against Georgia and Tennessee. Of course the last thing the Cats can do is overlook another opponent like they did MSU. If there is one thing I have learned from watching the Cats over the last 20 odd years of following Kentucky football is that they can not overlook any opponent. So what are the keys to the Cats being able to win this very important game and get back in the hunt for their unprecedent fourth straight bowl game. First and foremost they need to get healthy! We have no chance to win any of these final three games if we do not have Cobb, Locke, Lindley and even Hartline healthy and 100%. I know many want Newton thrown in to starting role but for recruiting purposes it is very important that we continue our string of bowl appearances. Another important part that is usually forgotten is the extra practice time that really helps mature the younger players and get them ready for next year. It is like having an extra spring practice and is a very important part in how teams such as Florida, Alabama, Georgia and others stay ahead of us. For Kentucky to ever be able to move up the SEC ladder they need to continue to get this extra practice time and develope their recruits.
Back to the Vanderbilt game our two lines need to dominate and the offense needs to establish the running game and also prove that they can pass the ball in a consistant matter. I also believe that it will help to play Newton and Cobb at the QB position. For one it makes the opponent prepair for more and it will help develop Newton for his future as starting QB. And of course we have to win at all cost! Pull out the whole playbook and be aggressive, attack the ball and play like there is no tomorrow. The team needs to act like this is the last game of the year and lay it all out on the line. Good-luck Cats! Beat Vandy!

Expectations of Fans!!!

In my last post I discussed how I felt the fans' expectations of the Kentucky football team are right on the mark. We should be beating the likes of South Carolina and Mississippi State (especially at home). But I also feel the Kentucky football and basketball teams should being getting more out of their fans. We (the fans) were upset that UK lost to MSU on Halloween night which was also Homecoming, but how about the fans. Talk about a boring environment! From the start of the season the Kentucky athletic department promoted this as a blackout game, which yes is a good way to make more money for the athletic department. I actually thought it was a great idea and if anybody has watched Penn St when they do a "White Out" game it is absolutely awesome to see 90,000 plus fans screaming in all white. So when the Kentucky begged Coach Brooks to wear black jerseys to match the fans and to help the environment you could tell they were real excited about their first "Blackout" game, but how they must have felt when they came out of the tunnel to see that maybe half of the fans had on black. Now I am not the brightest fella but when I go to a game to support my team and they ask me to wear black...... I wear black! Ok some had on black shirts but put on a blue jacket over it, do these fans not understand the purpose of a "Blackout"? I know it was cold but plan ahead almost everybody I know owns a black coat or jacket so......wear it!!! There is no way the fans should expect so much out of the Cats if they can't even wear black to a game. Plus don't even get me started on the lack of noise at both basketball and football games! So message to the fans you can make a difference in a game so step up!

What is the problem?

OK I read the remarks in the newspaper article about fans' expectations and although I am a huge fan of the writer, but I think he is way off the mark on this article when it comes to football. Basketball, maybe, we do need to listen to the coach and understaned the dribble-drive does have a purpose and not just a name for street ball. But when it comes to football I expect that this coaching staff should be able to start winning against the likes of MSU and USC (Not the Cali version). I admit it is hard to move up in the SEC, but this coaching staff had a good plan and is now lacking in execution of the plan. I give them props for getting us back in the bowl picture and am not asking for a BCS bowl at this point but we should have the depth and athletic ability to compete for the Outback Bowl, Capital One Bowl or even the Peach Bowl! I am tired of Tennessee! We need to move on! I love the job this coaching staff has done, but they need to be able to make the next step and I have yet to see their ability to do so! Now I am not one to say fire them all, but they need the pressure to know we expect more!
Next Blog is going to be on the team expects more from the fans! The Black Out Sucked!

New Basketball Season at UK

Not since 1996 has there been so much hype and hoopla over an upcoming UK season. I can barely remember last season's dreadful conclusion with a loss in the NIT's third round to Notre Dame. Who was that coach for the Cats? Who cares now that University of Kentucky President Lee Todd approved the hiring of the much maligned but very successful Coach Calipari on the last day of March. Now all I can think about is the possibilities that Coach Cal brings to our once proud basketball team that has been inconsequential in the national picture for way too long. Gone are the days of the passing the ball around the perimeter hoping to get the ball inside to such big man as Randolph Morris and Patrick Patterson. We get the dribble drive offense that breaks down defenses by putting all the pressure on the defense instead of the defense putting pressure on the offense. On April 1, 2009 moans were heard all across the nation from such basketball havens as Dean Dome, Cameron Indoor, Thompson-Boling Arena, Allen Fieldhouse, and Pauley Pavilion. It was no April Fools joke the winningest college basketball program of all-time had hired the hottest coach in the nation giving the rest of the NCAA warning that the mighty Cats are back and ready to take its spot back on top of college basketball quicker then anyone would have ever dreamed!

Kentucky Basketball

With John Walls drama being settled we can get down to what really matters.... basketball! My friend asked a great question tonight on Facebook, who starts for the Campbellsville game? Now honestly it probably doesn't matter who starts due to the abundance of talent that Coach Cal has gathered over the last 6 months. Most likely it will be Patterson, Cousins, Miller, Bledsoe and Orton or Dodson, but how cool would it be for Calipari to start the bottom of the bench just so they could say they started a game with the UK jersey on! OK I know that it is not practical but I think it is a cool idea.

Disappointment

I have only been a UK football fan since 1988 when I moved here to go to college, but I got a quick introduction to what my life as a Kentucky football fan would be like for the next 21 years. That was the year that UK lost close games to Alabama 31-27 and Florida 24-19 at home. I'm not sure what it is about Commonwealth stadium and the absolute agony that it bestows on its home team, but I am ready for an exorcism. After watching the Cats waste away a perfectly good chance to set themselves up for a great season last night at Commonwealth against the mediocre Mississippi State Bulldogs I have to wonder if all the prep work for the tailgate, traveling to away games (I was at Auburn), and hope for a great season that never comes is worth all the agony that being a UK football entails. As I look at the remainder of the season the Cats still have a good chance to get to a good bowl game, but in the back of my mind there is always the fear that they will let me down with another "Bluegrass Miracle" or similiar debacle. Like can they get their heads on straight to come out next Saturday and beat Eastern Kentucky University the way they should? Then can the Cats travel down to Nashville and beat the lowly Vanderbilt Commodores? That will leave just two games left against the not as good as usual Georgia Bulldogs and the improving Tennessee Volunteers (Which I have never seen UK beat since being a fan). Bowl eligibilty is still likely, but with so many bowl games I am getting tired of traveling to Tennessee to watch the Cats play a 13th game. It is time for the Cats to take the next step and understand how much the fans put into every game and award them with 110% effort every play of every game. I probably wouldn't be so upset if the MSU Bulldogs had not also came into Commonwealth two years ago and embarassed the Cats, but surely these Cats understand they are not so good that they can just go through the motions to beat an SEC opponent. OK maybe they didn't but they do now. I am sure I will continue to follow the football team wherever they go, but the fear of agony and defeat will always be burnt in the back of my mind. Go Cats! please.........