SB Nation User Blog: ALLBLUCAT

The Pendulum Swings.....

ALLBLUCAT — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:34:03 -0000

Roy Williams decent into the ranks of the coaches who have embarrassed themselves with their on-air behavior gave me an opportunity when looking back at last year when the Billy Gillispie-Jeanene Edwards( not sure if that is spelled right) spat became all the rage on the net for his "abrasive and brutish " behavior to think on how this kind of thing happens when things seem to be going a little more difficult than usual for a coach.

Gillispie's little scuffle with Edwards was after a particularly interesting half of basketball and Billy was not going to be trifled with. Now Roy, sling and all, was intently trying to accomplish, well, what I do not know, up by 40 and pulling away. Basketball has this ugly way of coming around to you in time, and whereas the BCG show was in full swing last year with its tirades, question marks, and beatings from our better prepared rivals, including UNC, it appears as though this year is Roy's turn. He loses to UK, and it's not his only loss, pressure starts to build, albeit in this case there couldnt have been that much, then someone does something regrettable and it turns into a frenzy. As Tru pointed out, in his current condition he could not likely throw a chair, choke someone, or pull some other reprehensible behavior out of his repitoire. The coaches seem to have a habit of doing this kind of thing in really high-strung situations, and this was far from a high-pressure affair.

Now maybe he really is a jerk, I do not know. As I said in other posts I have always found him to be an affable, well disciplined individual making sure he does not do just this type of thing, but I could be wrong. But to send in your goon squad to run off a Presbyterian???? I shudder to think of what the almighty has in store for you Roy.

What if he had been Methodist, or even more of a wildcard, an agnostic??? I go out of my way to make sure I dont tempt the Man Upstairs just in case us Baptists dont have everything exactly right . You may want to be careful there Roy......no one likes a bully.

I'm A Believer......The John Wall Version

ALLBLUCAT — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:46:11 -0000

No, John Wall is not the second coming, and he is not Tim Tebow, no matter what you may have heard. But he is the real deal folks, and just like Tom Crean admitting that the Cats are for real, I have now turned my sights to drinking the Blue Kool Aid morning, noon and night.....so here is my scandalously stolen tribute to Kentucky's new Favorite Son.....sorry Neil Diamond....you could have no idea that John would come along and cause this legendary tale to be rewritten.

I'm A Believer.......The John Wall Version

I thought Wall was only seen in fairy tales
Meant for someone else but not for me.
The world was out to get us
That's the way it seemed.
Disappointment haunted all our dreams.

Then I saw his game, now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind.
We're gonna win it all, I'm a believer!
They couldn't beat him if they tried.

I thought to win was more or less a givin' thing,
Seems the more we gave the less we got.
What's the use in tryin'?
All we got is pain.
When we needed sunshine we got rain.

Then I saw his game, now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind.
We're gonna win it all, I'm a believer!
They couldn't beat him if they tried.

Now that John has joined the Cats, the die is cast

We will win it all, or be disgraced.

It will be a shame, to see them try in vain

Now we dont just win we inflict pain.

Then I saw his game, now I'm a believer

Not a trace of doubt in my mind.

We're gonna win it all, I'm a believer

They couldnt beat him if they tried.

A Wildcat Loss

ALLBLUCAT — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:28:50 -0000

Just a short note folks, I will be out of circulation for the next few days, My Aunt, Mildred L. Henry passed away today after a very short battle with bone cancer. She was a lifelong Wildcat fan since before Coach Rupp's first championship season. She was born in Leatherwood Ky., and was always tuned into a radio, tv or whatever it took. She was 75. I will be back around this weekend to keep up with the Cats.

Where Will They Be For 2010-2011??

ALLBLUCAT — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:45:07 -0000

Something different for speculation's sake......Who stays, who goes??
Who fills the holes??

Mark Richt, Georgia

Charlie Weis, Notre Dame

Brian Kelly, Cincy

Phil Fulmer

Jon Gruden

University of Louisville

Notre Dame

Steve Spurrier, S.Carolina

Butch Davis, N.Carolina

Rich Brooks, Kentucky

The Bowden Boys

Tommy Tuberville

All of these places and names have been bandied about either for change, retirement, or to fill a really big hole somewhere. I feel like Richt has another year at Georgia before they pull the plug. Gruden signed a new broadcasting contract, but that can be dropped at a moment's notice. Weis is a good coach, but he needs to be where he can get the top talent to succeed. Fulmer is chomping at the bit to go to Louisville, but they dont seem too interested. The rest of the list is full of perennial hot candidates, so....make your picks folks, and feel free to add to the list......I did not bring the Boise State coach into the mix, but he might ought to be here as well. Who are the names no one knows??

Gotta get a last chance in at a little football before I am consumed by the Big Blue Flame on Saturday. I wonder what a Tar Heel tastes like???

Brooks Was Here.....And Ain't Goin' Nowhere

ALLBLUCAT — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:46:11 -0000

Stole the headline from another movie....bonus points to the first to get it right. Hint: The words were written, not said.

It is time for a little give back to the staff as the final football game of the season has now come and gone. As one of their harshest critics, I feel I should give gue diligence to Brooks & Co. So, here is a slightly tilted mea culpa of sorts.

At a time where big names are dropping from the coaching ranks almost daily ( sorry, Charlie Weis), and some people are no longer in control of their own destiny after decades at the helm of their programs ( many regrets, Bobby Bowden), and then some were just never what they were advertised to be ( not apologizing to you Steve Kragthorpe), we have a situation here at UK that makes things much less trepidacious for us as fans. Coach Brooks ( he of the "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair" fame) is firmly entrenched now at UK for as long as he wants to stay, and he has in my estimation now earned that right. Pulling this team to a 7-5 mark after one problem after another reared their ugly heads this year, may have been the best coaching performance of Brooks' career. Losing the heart of your defense pre-season, your starting quarterback mid-season, your all-american cornerback for half of the season, and having one injury after another in more than one critical position would have destroyed most teams, and COULD have destroyed this one. Now, some will point at the schedule and say it favored the Cats getting to this point, and they can scoff at the accomplishment if they like, because I too have had my concerns about it, but this team accomplished some major things this year, and just like their failures as a team have been well documented, the accomplishments should be as well. The Auburn and Georgia victories, ending two very painful losing streaks were without a doubt, simply amazing, and almost ending a third with UT( it still kills me we didnt go for the 4th down at home, but I digress), well that would have been an unbelieveable accomplishment.

We are no longer the doormat of the SEC East. When we get hit now, we hit back. We will learn in time how to hit Florida, but now that God's Own Son will no longer be leading Florida, I like our chances better already. So, we all need to stand up and cheer for whatever bowl game we get, and be thankful we are there now right? NO......

We now need to make sure our PR department does it's job and if we end up in another one of these season ending I-dont-know-how-many-way ties, the bowls don't automatically dismiss us as an also ran. The staff gets an atta-boy from me as a whole, and individually at times, but I do have questions that need to be answered, and I will ask knowing that all of you have all the answers already, and can give them to me in full force.

1) Why on some of the MOST IMPORTANT PLAYS OF THE SEASON, was the ball not in Randall Cobb's or Derrick Locke's hands? I honestly and truly believe this mistake alone cost us a 9 win season.

2) Why not go for a 4th dn, at home, on Senior Night, when a trip to a next-level bowl was within our grasp? I understand the idea behind taking it to overtime, but overtime just leaves too many things to chance.

3) Have we worked out our early season communications problems? At first glance this is a yes, but I still would feel much better if Coach addressed it.

4) Do we really have some great kids coming next year, or is that all a smoke screen because we don't have anyone at all?

5) Is the QB job now back in Hartline's hands, and is his to lose, or has Newton earned the nod for next season, or is it completely wide open? I believe this one is easy, but for now we shall see.

6) We know that Coach has no plans to retire that he has made public, but has he privately made plans and has discussed this with Mitch, Joker, and Dr. Todd? Could we be looking at next year being his last? And my reason for asking that is not to breathe a sigh of relief, but to say that if he is retiring any time soon, it is time to honor the man properly for what he has accomplished.

7) Will we be varying that Wild-Cobb formation for next year? Everyone has seen what we do out of it now, so it may be time to add a new wrinkle or two.

8) Coach, when I am wrong I say it, and I was wrong this season. You got a boatload out of a class that was talented, but maybe not as talented as last year's, or the year before. Can you forgive me??

9) What are we not doing that we need to be doing? (This one will lead to all kinds of answers, good AND bad.)

10) Are we bad fans for asking these questions? ( I don't think so, but I will leave that to everyone else to judge)

It has been an incredibly wild ride this year, and I have enjoyed it thoroughly. Thanks for the memories.

How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Cats

ALLBLUCAT — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:33:50 -0000

It gets harder and harder to come up with catchy headlines... So, worried about that less than stellar performance in Cancun yesterday? Think we may be giving our young men too much credit too soon?

Well, don't be, because we are as far along as everyone else out there right now and I can tell you why.

5-0 start still doesn't get your heart racing, eh? You see turnover after turnover and missed free throws and sloppy play and wonder when the bottom is going to fall out from under our dream season?? It isn't going to. We have some really good news coming out of a lot of places today, so let me share. Our first tidbit is that we may have some guys returning from their banishment from Camelot in the next few days. Word from the loathsome troll is that Dodson could be back on the floor as soon as tonight, and that the Incredible Mr. Liggins(stolen from another movie of similar title, bonus points if you know it, starred Don Knotts), should be back on the floor as soon as next week.

This will allow for some "teaching sessions" during the game by Coach and the staff with Eric Bledsoe and John Wall, much like the little session he had with Big Cuz that proved to be so effective. Then you say "well, Cousins doesn't seem to be getting the point either", and yes, he has had a little foul trouble lately, however, in his defense, the foul-calling in this Cancun Challenge has been exceptionally pathetic. They let guys bang down low like it's a heavyweight match, then call nonsense fouls that have no bearing whatsoever on the action. When you combine that with the joke of a floor they are playing on down there, it does make things interesting to say the least. Unless conditions improve, I do not think it will be likely we will be returning to the "Cancun Challenge" anytime soon.

Patrick has only "tweaked" his ankle, so do not panic about that one, and Harris returned from what can only be referred to as a "stinger" to his knee?? Either way they will both return to action tonight.Scoring on this team is not going to be a problem, unlike years past. We can hit threes, we can bang down low,we have an inside-out game, and we have guys that will burn you if you make a mistake at every position. The turnovers and foul-shooting will improve, simply because they cant get much worse. And while we are concerned about how many mistakes our guys are making, every other team is facing the same things with their group of young talent. The only reason why ours is so glaring is because the freshman is running the team. Give John Wall a couple more weeks to figure out his way through traffic, and let Eric Bledsoe do a little watching from the bench as other guys get his floor time, and things will improve. However, the person who let Demarcus Cousins attend the Shaquille O'Neal free throw shooting academy over the summer , please turn in your big blue banner at the door on the way out. DeMarcus is going to get fouled like crazy all year unless he starts hitting free throws. I do not want to see teams playing "Hack-A-Cuz" as a strategy to beat us.

Only 6 more games(wins) to go and Coach Cal will have the best 1st year start of any head coach in the history of the program. Hmmmmmmm...........maybe....maybe not.

The important thing here is folks, that we are winning as we learn. We dont let Podunk U beat us while we are figuring out how to beat UNC, IU,UL, etc. That is why I have stopped worrying......Happy Thanksgiving To All, and no I wont be missing anymore games if I can avoid it, and 'The Hat" will be with me at all times from now on.

The ABC's of This Saturday

ALLBLUCAT — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:32:10 -0000

So, your'e feeling pretty good after that nifty come from behind win at Athens last Saturday night? Think the Cats look like they have the upper hand come Saturday with Tennessee?? Well, here's the ABC's of what we need to remember before we get too cocky.

A 24-game winstreak for the Vols against Kentucky

B e very careful not to place too much faith in those three bowl wins just yet.

C an we avoid exactly what happened to Georgia last week? They had a great 1st half and got lazy in the 2nd half. If you don't play 2 solid halves in the SEC, you get beat.

D on't take too much stock in this 4 years in a row bowl thing. Florida State qualified for their 28th consecutive bowl appearance this last weekend. We could walk over Florida State this year even if they DID get to bring the entire team. Tennessee does NOT want to play in an In-State bowl game. It's kind of like kissing your sister.....unless you live in Florida.

E ven if Tennessee is having a down year, they are dangerous.

F inally we are on an even keel with these guys and the oddsmakers still have UT a 3pt favorite.

G iven the fact that our defense is as strong as it has been all year, they have to be even tougher Saturday. I guarantee you their defense will be.

H ome field advantage is only going to be there if everyone shows up and literally makes Tennessee commit mistakes in communication.

I don't care that we just beat Georgia, because we only played 1 good half of football to do it.

J ust playing well wont be enough this week. We have to force Tennessee to make mistakes.

K eep in mind we have not played 2 really good games back to back all year in SEC competition.

L ones Sieber may end up being the key to this game. We will need him to win.

M onte Kiffin does not like to lose. We need to remind him of why.

N o turnovers. I repeat No turnovers.

O pen field running will make or break us on both sides of the ball. We need to see some runs go for over 20 on offense.

P lay calling is going to be critical......Do you hear me Joker??????

Q uarterback Morgan Newton needs to have his breakout game. It has been coming for weeks. It is time.

R andall Cobb .....Derrick Locke....John Connor......Moncell Allen......we dont run well, we dont win.

S pecial teams play just needs to keep up the good work. They have improved SO much since the beginning of the year.

T ennessee is NOT afraid of us. We must break them. (done in my best russian accent)

U niform color does not matter people. It's the color that the wearer bleeds that matters.

V ictory is within our grasp. Don't go into Commonwealth Stadium thinking the Football Gods owe us one. This game is too important for that kind of thinking.

W inning means no more doormat status in the SEC East, and not just UK fans will think so. The whole SEC is watching this one.....and a good portion of the country. These kinds of games are what get you recruits from everywhere.

X 's and O's wont tell the whole story of this game. Not by a long shot.

Y ou know how badly we want to win this game, they dont. And they dont care either.

Z eus himself couldnt cause the planets to align any better for this to happen. But that's usually when things go wrong. We have to eliminate all the mistakes, and push farther than we have pushed all year.

You Want Some Cheese......With That Whine??

ALLBLUCAT — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:07:00 -0000

You can make your point without sticking your finger in someone's chest. We go the extra mile here on ASOB, but why??

Simple, there is a way to get your point across without being a jerk......and it just might get you the attention you desire.

First and foremost let me commend Tru for always at least trying to see both sides of an argument when it comes to the Cats in both Football and Basketball. Anyone who has read anything I have ever posted on here knows that I have a major disdain concerning the NCAA, The SEC(in some matters), and big time money in college sports as a whole. Having reached the age where I get a little misty-eyed for the good ol' days of Woody Hayes' "3yds and a cloud of dust" offense, Joe B. Hall and his plaid jacket, rolled up game program, finger pointing self, and watching Richard M. Nixon brood at reporter's questions, I tend to gripe a ~~little~~ lot. Negativity,in and of itself, is usually not helpful in these situations, however that does not stop me from pulling out my soapbox and stumping for my candidacy. Tru is usually more than tolerant of those kinds of things, ignoring the ones he cares nothing for and making a good back and forth debate whenever he thinks I am off my rocker concerning something he holds dear to his heart. And I have to tell you it is actually fun not having to fuss with my wife for a change and still feeling like I got my 2 cents worth in.

Now some folks will tell you that most of this is just wasted effort, other than serving to lower my blood pressure. But in the last few weeks I have learned that is not always the case. We gripe about coaching and claim sheer madness has enveloped the UK staff at times( we are talking football right now folks....I am leaving Cal out of this one for the time being, he screws up and his butt is in the fray just like anyone else), and we get all riled up and start calling for heads to roll. That's fine, but it doesn't serve a higher purpose unless it gets to the right person. I spoke with a former Cat last week, and asked him outright about what players AND coaches do when it comes to things that are written and said about them. He told me that for the most part, 99.9% of all the "hateful" stuff never gets seen by anyone it is about, and that most of the guys out there will ignore it. But he also told me something I didn't realize, former players and coaches talk to current players and coaches and that some things when mentioned constructively do get to the right people. He said that if someone makes a legit point, then usually it gets picked up by others either on the web or in the media, and questions get asked, some publicly, some not.

The point here is that if you can make your point constructively, know your facts, and state your concerns without sounding like a raving lunatic, you have a much better chance of getting your thoughts to the people in charge. Now, in no way do I claim to have Cal's, Rich's, or Mitch's ear here. But as in everything here in the Commonwealth, someone usually "knows a guy who knows a guy". They are not going to slam their friends for any reason, but they will make mention of when a valid point is brought up. Coaches are not going to coach by popularity polls folks, but they do genuinely want the fans to have a good experience with their team. They want love too......We have a tendency on here to police ourselves on our behavior, minus the occasional troll, but just remember, if you want your voice to get heard, make statements people want to listen to, or ones that at least peak their interest.

Slamming each other around like we just got signed to the next Wrestlemania to fight Triple H doesn't do anything except make us look just like the wrestlers in those fights. We make a splash, scream for the crowd, and then usually someone runs up from behind with a chair and nails us in the back of the head when we are not looking.

The Cats Went Down To Georgia

ALLBLUCAT — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:28:44 -0000

Blatantly stolen from one of the masters of storytelling, Mr. Charlie Daniels. Sorry Charlie I just could not resist.

The Cats went down to Georgia they were looking for a game to steal,

they were in a bind, cause they were way behind, Brooks was looking to make a deal

When they came across the Bulldogs they were running and playin real hot,

Ol' Rich jumped up on a hickory stump and said boys let me tell you what

I guess you didnt know it, but we're a football team too, and if you care to take a dare

I'll make a bet with you. Now they played pretty good football boys, but give us Cats our due,

I'll bet a post-season bowl, against your souls, that we can play better too.

The boys said we're all tired but Coach we're all true blue, but we will take your bet, and theyre gonna regret

Cause we believe it too.

Randall you tighten up those laces and and run that football hard, cause hell's broke loose in Georgia

and the Dawgs hold all the cards. And if you win you'll get that game down south where youve never been

but if you lose it's Nashville time again.

( fiddle break)

The Dawgs opened up the half and said we'll start this show, and fire flew from his cleats as down the field they started to go. But they made a mistake and handed the ball back to the Cats, and tried to dig in their heels. Cause there aint no way they were going to be beat. ( malicious sounding background music here)

Well, Ol' Randall leaned way back and said you guys are pretty good, but just stay over there on the sidelines and we will show you how it's done.

Locke is in the backfield runnin like he's tryin to steal.

Mc Caskill got to throw the ball and hit a guy downfield

The defense is getting the ball back and Georgia's started to reel

The Dawgs are cryin out like their bone we're tryin to steal.

Well the Dawgs they bowed their heads because they knew that they'd been beat.

And they laid down on the field curled up whining at the Wildcats feet.

And Ol' Rich said boys we'll see you again next year if you care to play.

Cause the East wont be the same again, at least not after today.

The Shroud of Confidentiality

ALLBLUCAT — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:21:29 -0000

The NCAA is trying desperately to defend its ~~confidentiality~~ secrecy policy in dealings concerning rulings against it's member schools. The NCAA states that it's policy requires complete ~~confidentiality~~ secrecy until a decision is made public by them. Sounds like more horseradish if you ask me.

This has got to be the most pathetic excuse for a rule I have ever heard. Why does it matter when the info becomes public? They can still make the ruling public whenever they like, Memphis already knows what the ruling is. Why this "Shroud" around the documents?? What does this accomplish?? I have never understood these kinds of policies, and never will. One day, I pray to the Almighty, they will be forced to change their ways. It is 2009, and no longer should ANY group be allowed to operate in the shadows the way they do.