Kentucky Sports Radio

It was a great night in these parts as we went Barnstorming to Trimble County where the Barnstormers defeated the Trimble County Alumni 90-88. It ended up being a close finish, as the Barnstorming team was without Joe Crawford (due to travel issues) and thus Bradley, Perry and Lemaster had to carry the day. Heck the team was so desperate that I had to suit up and play (2 points and 4 boards….and we won by two….coincidence, I think not). The Barnstormers were down by 1 with four seconds left, when Bobby Perry found a wide open Lemaster who made a game-winning three as the buzzer sounded. A great night with a good crowd in Trimble County. We thank the folks there for having us and had a lot of fun. Tonight is the last event as we are in McCreary County for our final stop. Come out if you can.

The UK Baseball team also clinched their berth today in the SEC Tournament with a win over Ole Miss. KSR Correspondent Logan Mayer was there and gave this report:

At just the right time, it looks as if the Cats’ baseball squad is hitting their stride. After a shaky start in SEC play, Kentucky is now in a position to possibly become a 3 seed in the SEC Tournament if they complete the series sweep tomorrow at Cliff Hagan Stadium against Ole Miss.

After last night’s 12-4 romp, the Cats came back with an even more impressive win, beating Ole Miss 9-0. Pitcher James Paxton had his first complete winning game of his collegiate career, a feat that is impressive at any level of baseball.

For those of you who don’t regularly follow Kentucky baseball, there has never been a better time to start. Every inning has the chance of becoming a 5 run inning iwth this bunch and homeruns are almost expected. Senior Sawyer Carroll hit his 16th homerun of the season and went into the game with a .412 batting average, the best in the SEC. Colin Cowgill, former Kentucky Mr. Baseball, came into the weekend hot as well, with the 6th highest batting average in the league at .378.

Tonight, Kentucky had a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the 4th inning, when the bats got hot. In typical kentucky fashion, the Cats struck big with a 5 run inning that was started by Brain Spears’ 2 run single with two outs. Sawyer Carroll also walked with the bases loaded, giving him his 77th RBI of the season, tying UK’s single season record. Our boys added 2 more in the 8th to come to the final score of 9-0.

The atmosphere at the stadium tonight was great, with an estimated crowd of around 1800. For anyone who hasn’t seen the Cats play this season, you owe it to yourself as a fan to get behind this team and get to the stadium tomorrow. The bars are hot and the team is winning. The weather is supposed to be great and the atmosphere will ensure that there is something for every fan there. The deck out in right field has become the place to be in the stadium and looking form those seats, you can see people grilling and digging into Ole Miss’s outfielders. The best part….admission to the deck is free.

There are certain Senior classes in every sport that people remember. Just like those classes are immortalized at UK in basketball, this baseball class has been a HUGE part of the turnaround of the entire program. They announced tonight that not one class has more wins in their four-year careers than this class. This class and the two classes before them are the baseball equivalent of “The Unforgettables” and will be remembered as such.

If you are in Lexington tomorrow at 1 p.m., you owe it to yourself and the team to try and make it out. It really is a great team, and a good time all around. If the Cats keep winning, there is an outside chance they may host a regional and the fans should come and try and make that happen. Homeruns will be flying tomorrow, so I will see you at the park!

We thank Logan for the report and look forward to the game tomorrow…..

Another week down, another week of recruiting madness in the Big Blue Nation.  No commitments (yet) but Billy Clyde offered another high school freshman and it looks like Matt Pilgrim might be comin’ straight outta Hampton to join UK as a member of class of ‘09 - a class that now has Jon Hood as a 5-star prospect.  Former Cats had another big week as Tayshaun got all defensive on the Magic to propel the Pistons to their 573rd consecutive Eastern Conference Finals and Ramel got the ladies all hot and bothered with “Smooth Operator”.  Sadly, though, The Member (and Derrick Jasper?) turned in his Wildcat membership card, bringing to an end an era of…well…something.  Probably.

But, as usual, we’re here to clean up all of the things you might have missed this week while you were mourning the departures of Tony Kornheiser, Dan LeBatard, Jason Whitlock and maybe Bill Simmons.

     1.  There are few situations more delicate than how a man handles his private, number 2 business at work.  I sit next to a guy who will walk from floor to floor until he finds a handicap stall that’s open so he can read the paper with plenty of room.  I’ve tried to convince him that these are not luxury poopers and were built with actual handicapped people in mind, but he doesn’t listen.  I’m sure he will have words with God over this at some point. 

Well, no matter what your regular schedule of staying regular is, we’re all practically stealing money when we dook on the clock, but do you ever wonder how much?  Well, a genius website called WorkPoop.com allows you to calculate how much you earn per year while on the toilet and it’s sure to make you hold your head a little higher knowing that you’re sticking it to the man a little bit.  And ladies, I’m not trying to discriminate.  I know you don’t poop, but you can use it to calculate how much money you make while surfing KSR.  And then, keep that in mind if you see me out.  Drinks are on you.

     2.  Let me tell you a little story.  When I was about 13, I really wanted to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  I went to visit my dad in Ohio for the summer and he promised he would take me.  Well, it turned out that the Old Man had a stash of magazines I was much too young to purchase in the attic and he hadn’t noticed that I was now standing 6′3″ and able to climb up there.  It didn’t go unnoticed with the neighborhood kids, though, and they talked me into using my long arms and 12-inch vertical to jump up and grab the magazines, which was the start of one of the most glorious summer days of all-time.  Well, Pops got mad and we didn’t go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  In fact, the disappointment from that day would still haunt me had I not been able to burn the female anatomy into my brain for the first time. 

But, I can’t imagine what would have happened if I would have stolen my dad’s credit card and used it to purchase some lady friends.  Although, now that I think about it, I think he would have been more disappointed in me if I spent all that money and only played Halo with such distinguished and expensive company.  Sidenote:  I’ve still never been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

*Shoutout to “nybrasky” for the link.

     3.  Let’s face it.  Dogs catch all the breaks in life and I’m getting ridiculously jealous of them.  They get to eat whenever and wherever they want.  They use the bathroom whenever and wherever.  The spend most of the day sleeping and playing with themselves.  They rarely have to bathe and they still get hugged and kissed and nestled all up in a women’s bosom*.  It’s really not fair and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why they’re man’s best friend:  It’s because we’re all trying to pick up a thing or two and figure out how they do it. 

Well, they’ve really caught the break of all breaks with this one.  There is now a steak flavored beer made especially for dogs, which is the greatest thing ever until someone invents women that taste and smell like Ranch dressing.  I swear that dogs are just a few close steps away from overthrowing us all and living the heavenly life that our wives and girlfriends refuse to let us live.  Haters.

* Please not this statement does not include “Dog the Bounty Hunter”.  I want nothing to do with his wife’s bosom.  Thank you.

     4. Quick note: Wednesday was the20th anniversary of the tragic bus accident in Carrollton and former Wildcat Harold Dennis was all over the news. Sorry, I don’t really have a moderately funny joke for that.  It’s just worth noting. It does kind of tie in to the next story though…

     5.  In the feel-good moment of the week, 11 year-old David Murphy steered his runaway school bus away from a semi and saved the lives of 27 classmates. While his fellow students must be grateful, it was bittersweet for Murphy, who found out that his life will now follow this path: Play quarterback for a replacement football team, coach a rag-tag group of inner city kids in Little League and then try to fulfill the Oracle’s prophecy.

That’s pretty much all that happened in the world this week, so go out and have have a great weekend kiddos.  And if you get the chance, feel free to try to find Jesus this weekend.  HINT:  Follow the “wiener poopie”!

The rumor mill rarely hits the journalism world, but for today it may have. Word on the proverbial street (which is located next to Elm Street) is that the Herald Leader has been preparing for some time to write a story on Billy Gillispie’s personal life and his first year in Lexington. The investigation on this story has been going on for some time and the folks I have talked to seem to suggest that the focus of the story may have changed a bit. The current “word on the street” is that the story may even refute widespread rumors about Gillispie and his time in Lexington. Of course there is no assurance that the story will run and even less assurance what will be in it, but the scuttlebutt is that whatever is to come is likely to come on Sunday. So everyone who is boycotting the Herald Leader or canceling their subscriptions, ignore Sunday’s paper twice as hard….for the rest of us, check it out….I even hear that Jerry Tipton didnt write it.

 After I bust through this giant hole, I’m gonna break some unspecified team rules

You have to hand it to Steve Kragthorpe. 

He came in with a tag of integrity, as most coaches do, but he has certainly made good on his promises and lived up to his reputation.  Despite being under major fire a year ago, Kragthorpe has not lowered his standards a bit, as he just booted another player from UL’s team.

George Stripling may not have factored too heavily in Louisville’s offense, but he was a quick, experienced back that could spell Bilal Powell in times of need.

I know I’m going to get castigated for saying this, and I hope since it’s Friday many of you will give me the benefit of the doubt, but I can’t help but feel bad for Kragthorpe.  Now, I am happier than anyone that UL’s fleeting success is blowing up in their faces, but this poor guy walked into a lion’s den.  He thought he was getting his dream job; instead, he ended up with a myriad of personnel issues and a fanbase itching for an unattainable spot on the national scene.

I’ll apologize in advance for what is about to be one of the strangest things I’ve ever written.  A lot has been made of the “family” atmosphere that Billy Gillispie has brought to UK and it’s become so strong that Dominique Ferguson cited it as the main selling point on his commitment to UK and Joe and Ramel have mentioned it countless times on their Barnstorming Tour across the state.  It’s really become a bit of a calling card for the staff and all of the members of the team, which is fantastic.  I just hope they aren’t as close as the New York Yankees.

You see, the Yankees have a good luck charm that they share - and I’d rather go 0 - for my career instead of getting a little bit of this good luck.  Why?  Because this good luck charm is a gold thong that Jason Giambi shares with his teammates to help them break out of hitting slumps.  That’s right, a man wears a thong, sweats in it, and then passes it to a teammate.  Right now, here is the list of players that have participated and vouch for it’s power:

 - Derek Jeter

 - Robin Ventura

 - Johnny Damon

 - Robinson Cano

 - Bernie Williams

I’ll admit that I’m shocked that A-Rod isn’t on there, but I guess it raises the question of how far you would go for luck if you were an athlete?  We’ve all played sports at some points and probably had our superstitions, but would you ever take it this far?

It’s been exactly one year since Patrick Patterson made the best decision of his life. I’d hate to think what it would have been like otherwise.

Evan Daniels of Scout.Com reports a big get for our friends up the road. #5 ranked point guard in the Class of 2009….#20 ranked overall player in America and a point guard that the Cats were looking at, along with a number of other top schools. Good news is that it takes the Ville out of the John Wall sweepstakes. Bad news is that Siva is really good. I saw Steve Masiello out last night and he seemed very happy….now we know why.

1. I have all of the sudden become a horse racing fan, mostly because I really want a Triple Crown winner, in part because its so important to this state, and in part because PETA pissed me off with their publicity stunt after the Derby.  I now want so badly for Big Brown to win the Triple Crown (article about the subject on cnnsi yesterday), just so we can all celebrate the sport that is as exciting and entertaining as any out there, and move on past the tragic accident two weeks ago at Churchill.  Thank god autopsy results are coming out vindicating the fact that weird things happen in horse racing.  What I don’t understand is how a person can be sooooo hurt by a horse that dies, but where were they when Mike Utley was parlyzed for life playing football.  Or the minor league baseball coach that was killed by a line drive last season?  Or the guy who had his throat slashed earlier this NHL season.  What about the numerous people killed in auto racing, skiing, and extreme sports.  Where are those people when awful things happen to humans?  And please dont give me this people have their own free will crap.  Do you think OJ Mayo was on his free will when deciding to turn pro?  Hell no.  Other people pushed him to do that.  My point is there is a risk in EVERY sport.  Does horse racing need improvements.  Absolutely?  But, its not in the way these horses are treated.  Things that do need to change:

(1) The Triple Crown races are spaced too close together.  Part of me wants to keep them the same because of the history of these races.  But, in the way horse racing is these days, the only thing that really gets a ton of national attention is a Triple Crown winner, and that is so difficult in today’s world.  Running at 3 different tracks at 3 different lengths (including a ridiculous length in the Belmont) in a span of 6 weeks is something no horse thats worth anything would do any other time in its career. 

(2) Breeding needs to change.  You know how humans who are inbred have issues normally.  The same applies for horses, yet inbreeding goes on constantly.  It makes the horses more speed driven but not more durable.  It’s part of the reason why horses only run every few weeks, and maybe run no more than 10 times in a career.

(3) People need to be drawn to normal racing days at tracks.   Going to the track on a Tuesday in June is such a different experience than the first Saturday in May.  Horse racing has not done a good enough job publicizing their tracks.  Attendance sucks, and because of it you have two groups of people: Die Hard Fans and 3 races a year fans.  Thats not good for the sport. 

2. Thanks to “When is Midnight Madness” for the link to this article in the LA Times about the pressure that Michael Avery is now under.

3. Interview in the Courier-Journal with UK running back Derrick Locke. 

4. UK Baseball got off to a great start last night, beating Ole Miss 12-4, thanks in large part to Sawyer Carroll’s 6 RBI.  Carroll now has 73 RBI in just 54 games this season, all while hitting .416.  Cats need one more win to secure berth in SEC Tournament.

5. Manny being Manny, the best of.

6. Have I mentioned over the last couple days how much soccer sucks.  This time its not the flopping, its the fans.  Check out this video from England, when a TV goes out in some bar during a soccer game, forcing fans to find another place to watch.  Can we please get these English cops some rubber bullets and tear gas.

7.They get serious about their rec league softball games in North Carolina.

So its transfer time at UK! Today Kentucky was visited on the Mayflower by Matthew Pilgrim of Hampton University, who is looking at a transfer to the Big Blue after a rocky time in the MEAC. As we talked about earlier today, Pilgrim is a 6′8″ banger with a great deal of potential, but a bit of an attitude issue that caused problems at his former home. During his time at Hampton, his performance was mixed as he only started 11 games during his career and averaged only 7 points. However his potential is great, thanks in large part to the fact that he has an NBA ready body and some low post scoring skills that you dont often see at the MEAC level. His Hampton coach grew very frustrated with his big man and his various problems with attitude, but never had a problem with his talent, calling him “the most talented guy I have coached” early in his career. Whether he fulfills that promise at UK will be determined by his acceptance of Billy Gillispie.

As we have tried to evaluate the recruits over the last couple of weeks, I have tried to give the most balances portrayals of the guys that I know how, without falling into the fervor that has swept may up over the last few weeks. In my view Dominique Ferguson is a star, Jon Hood a great pickup, Vinny Zollo an understandable risk and Michael Avery a decision I simply dont understand. With Pilgrim, I admit to having not seen him and am all but certain that no one else has either. I looked at the college basketball schedule from last year and Hampton did not have one nationally televised game and only a couple of regional network telecasts…..which means that no one beyond the coaching staff has seen him play….regardless of what anyone says. Thus truly evaluating him and his potential is a bit uncertain and one almost has to rely on the intuitions of the coaches….a prospect that I have no problem doing. Two positives do stand out however.

1. He is listed by a couple of different NBA Draft sites as a prospect….a rarity for a MEAC player.

2. His talent praise is almost universal, especially by those who have coached him.

But there is a worry as well….not one source that I have spoken with about Pilgrim or read about on the internet has not discussed his attitude…..meaning that it may be the factor that determines his ultimate success. I am always skeptical of players who show attitude problems at multiple places, and Pilgrim had that reputation in high school and now college as well. That is a problem. BUT ultimately if the kid wants to succeed, like Alex Legion at Illinois, he knows this is his last stop and last chance. If that doesnt motivate him, nothing will.

When I got the text earlier today saying this was the guy, I was surprised. After we put it up here, the floodgates opened and many are now saying it is all but assured Pilgrim will be the next Cat, perhaps by early next week. As I said on the radio show, I have no problem with transfers as I think a guy who was in a situation that didnt work in one place can find success elsewhere. UK has had some success with transfers, but so far they were all guys who had success where they were before and wanted something else (think Pope, Anderson, Ford and Evans). This is different….it didnt work out at a MEAC school, not it has to work out here. Pilgrim certainly has the talent…..heres hoping that if he comes to Kentucky he harnesses it and becomes a frontline force that Gillispie can use.

I know that he has a reason to be confident, but Rick Dutrow has had every chance to make nice with the public, and he still seems like a jerk every time they interview him about the Preakness. It started with the expletive he spouted shortly after winning the Derby, and this has nothing to do with Eight Belles because I am fully aware that he had no idea what was happening on the backside, but he just seems so smug. Still, his horse rocks.

Big Brown will go off at 1-5 by post, so the only way to make any money is to play a trifecta (box or wheel) underneath him and try to catch the super.

I like Gayego (seeing as how he has the “foundation” after running in the Derby), Behindatthebar (Pletcher was aiming for this one all along and he looked good in the Lexington), and Racecar Rhapsody (Albarado is a solid pilot and he runs at pace, supplied by Big Brown).

The Bet: I’m looking for a 7 / 5-6-12 / 5-6-12 / 5-6-12 1$ superfecta wheel (6$ total)

Definition of Blind Optimism: “He (Big Brown) beat all of those horses at Churchill Downs, but he didn’t beat us,” said Reade Baker, the trainer of Kentucky Bear. OK, fella.

Best Name: Tres Borrachos (Three Drunks)

Jockey to Watch: Jamie Theriot (Kentucky Bear); his trainer may be delusional, but this kid ran huge in the Bluegrass

On to the local scene…

Status: $426 wagered…DOWN 8.80 (apologies for Sunday)

Churchill Picks Friday May 16

Race 1: Sonofawitch (3/1)

Race 2: Deep Dish (6/1)…delicious

Race 3: Primetime Princess (7/2)

Race 4: Delucie (7/2)

Race 5: Cu Roi (9/2)

Race 6: D.C. Eight (3/1)…what it seems like is on the field when the Nationals play ball

Race 7: Daddy’s Lilpunkin (4/1)

Race 8: Shimmery (4/1)

Race 9: Mailgram (10/1)

Race 10: Undercover Angel (4/1)

Race 11: Eecchhoo (6/1)…this name gets butchered, it’s “ecko” not “eeeechoo”

Churchill Picks Saturday May 17

Race 1: Hour Queen (7/2)

Race 2: Perry (9/2)…this horse blocks shots and has been working on his elbow jumper

Race 3: Blitzing (3/1)

Race 4: Cat Splendor (2/1)

Race 5: Twin Talk (4/1)

Race 6: Coquihalla (6/1)

Race 7: Katerbug (4/1)

Race 8: Mystery Guest (5/1)

Race 9: Devereux (9/2)

Race 10: Glee Club (4/1)