Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
I woke up Sunday morning to the news that Rodney King had passed away. For many of our readers, that name likely means little to nothing, possibly only sparking a memory of a cast member on a season of “Celebrity Rehab” in the past. But for those of us of a certain age, Rodney King will always be a grainy home video of a day past. For a few weeks in 1992, Rodney King was the most famous man in America. The home video footage of a beating he took at the hands of the LAPD sparked a national debate, overwhelming outrage and later, after the acquittal of the officers who took part in the beating, a series of riots in Los Angeles. For many, King became the symbol of police run amok in the nation’s major urban areas. The Rodney King beating led to a nationwide debate about the role of police, what constitutes brute force and the judicial system as a whole. The LA Riots that followed the verdict tore the city apart and produced another famous victim, Reginald Denny, a white truck driver dragged out of his vehicle and beaten by local residents. After it was all said and done, 53 people were killed during the riots and over $1 billion in property damage was sustained in the LA area. During the riots, King famously gave the statement, “Can’t we all just get along”, a slogan that is still repeated often to this day. After the riots, King won a civil judgment against 2 of the 4 officers, but had a difficult life thereafter. His alcoholism led to a number of rehab stints and he was found dead this weekend in a swimming pool by his house. He was 47 years old.
From that somber note, we move to the news:
— One of the biggest changes in modern college basketball is the ability of coaches to work out their players during the summer months for 20 one-hour sessions. John Calipari had his second workout with next year’s team on Saturday and he went to Twitter to give his thoughts. While some players are not yet in town (specifically Nerlens Noel and Kyle Wiltjer), the other guys are getting used to their new surroundings. Word out of Lexington is that all those expected to look good do (Alex Poythress is going to be a hoss), but the two people I have spoken with familiar with the workouts, both raved about Willie Cauley-Stein. I have operated under the assumption that UK would have a six man rotation next year, with Cauley-Stein playing Eloy-like minutes in reserve, but his early play suggests that may not be the case. As one person who has seen Cauley-Stein a great deal said to me, “I am not sure why everyone is acting like he won’t play. He is a Top 50 guy and he will see the court a lot. He is good Matt, and you need to start letting people know that.” Consider it done.
Also the players are all sporting new National Championship rings. Here is Jared Polson, showcasing his along with a sharp new t-shirt as well:
— For all intents and purposes, this past weekend was when 2013 recruiting got down to business. Coming off the NBAPA camp, the priorities for the various teams are starting to be sorted out and the entire process is becoming a bit clearer. The Harrison Twins continue to be UK’s top priority. In two interviews this weekend, they made it seem like they want to make a decision soon rather than later. While nothing is ever assured in recruiting, if Kentucky does not end up with the Twins, it will be a gigantic upset. If they come, UK will immediately have the best backcourt in the 2013 class. James Young confirmed that he does indeed have an offer from UK, an interesting development that could mean a fourth member of the class (remember that Derek Willis has already committed) could be close to coming to fruition. Young named UK a leader even before he had an offer and one would not think actually receiving an offer would change that. What remains to be seen is how UK handles the other big man position if they dont get Jabari Parker. He is the priority and he is who Calipari covets. But a backup surely exists and that will likely be what we figure out in the coming couple of weeks. One thing is obvious…Kentucky is going to load up in 2013 like never before (except maybe 2014, which already looks good, but lets not get ahed of ourselves).
— The UK players continue their world tour of NBA Draft workouts and all six of the UK national champions have been spanning the globe. The biggest story has been the surprising fall down the draft boards of Doron Lamb. Nearly every service now has Lamb projected outside of the first round and he has begun workout for teams that are slotted at the beginning of the second round as well. For me, Lamb’s fall is a bit surprising. He is a knockdown shooter and has shown the ability to get to the basket. He won’t be an NBA star but it is hard for me to see him failing. He has always had a reputation for a slight attitude, but Calipari made it work in Kentucky, so I am not sure what the issue truly is. The next week of workouts will be important for Doron to get into the important (and guaranteed) first round.
— Gotta love the Rooster crowing golf fan that interrupted the Webb Simpson ceremony:
— Kentucky received a football commitment from Jake Boynton, an offensive lineman from UK’s second home, Georgia. Boynton is a 3 star lineman who had offers from Syracuse, South Florida and Central Florida before committing to Kentucky. He was considered a bit of a late riser, and has been recruited in recent weeks by a higher level of school, including Clemson and Georgia Tech. But because Kentucky was on in from an earlier time, he committed to the Cats. He is UK’s third commitment this week.
— Finally, it is a big week for former Cat Derek Anderson, as his new water launches this weekend with a party in Lexington. The Launch party for Victory H20 is showcased below and Derek will be in studio on KSR on Thursday to talk about the big event. Good luck to Derek and check out the party/water if you can.
We get started with a big week ahead in the morning here and on the radio. Drew Franklin is on vacation, so Tyler Thompson and I will be manning the mother ship (the most I have posted in 2 years). I hope my fingers will not be that rusty. As you get ready, check out this picture of the UK wakeboarding team, which I did not know existed, but apparently they are quite good:
(photo by Dr. Michael Huang)
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Bill Keightley Report : Never to be forgotten.
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June 17th, 2012 at 11:19 pm
Doron is short for an NBA player. That’s why I see him falling into the second round. When you see him workout next to other NBA-sized players it’s even more obvious. It’s a shame too because he game is so pure. He made the difference in a lot of games the past two years, quietly.
June 18th, 2012 at 12:18 am
I know for a fact that Kyle Wiltjer was in town on Wednesday, because I saw him at the movie theater.
June 18th, 2012 at 12:24 am
Rodney King famously said – “Can we all get along”. Its a blog… I know but sheesh for fcuk’s sake man get it right.
June 18th, 2012 at 12:24 am
6- that may be true. But i doubt kyle would lie on twitter about spending fathers day with his family at the beach.
June 18th, 2012 at 12:30 am
I’ve always thought of Lamb as a 2nd round pick, even if he had stayed 4yrs. Great, great shooter from mid-range to 20ft. Has never shown that he can hit the 3 from NBA range. I don’t recall ever seeing him hit ONE 3 beyond the 23ft mark while at UK. Good athlete, with decent length for a NBA 2. But has no vertical at all, weak upper body strength at this time. He can work on that, but he will never be a great athlete. And his release isn’t the fastest either. I’ve always compared Lamb to Meeks when thinking about where he should be drafted. Meeks was a superior athlete to Lamb, quicker release, and had show the ability to hit the 3 many times from NBA distance before getting drafted. And as I recall, Meeks went in the 2nd round. Lamb just needs to get drafted by the right team, the right situation. If not, I can see him being out of the league in a few years. Not hating, justing be real. I’m sure the NBA scouts are seeing/saying the same.
June 18th, 2012 at 12:36 am
What kind of watch is Polson wearing? Is it a Nooka? It looks tight whatever it is.
June 18th, 2012 at 12:44 am
Lamb is failing because his attitude of or at least appearance of coming off looking lazy has to be killing him. He isn’t worth the risk of not knowing & making him a 1st round pick. Lamb should have stayed & worked on his shooting & putting on more muscle.
Willie Cauley-Stein, yeah buddy !!
Derek Anderson water, come on are you kidding me with this – this will be bankrupt within a year.
Since we have a wake boarding team, if they win, does that also mean UL nose picking & ass scratching team get a championship when they win. Does that go into their list of championships like steeplechase jumping.
June 18th, 2012 at 12:53 am
Agree lamb should have stayed another year or two…
June 18th, 2012 at 2:37 am
did someone just say that lamb should have stayed to work on his shooting? people never cease to amaze me.
June 18th, 2012 at 3:36 am
come on matt his name is jarrod polson not jared polson.
June 18th, 2012 at 4:24 am
Cauley is the same guy Kansas never gave a second look right? Good thing Cal knows how to develop ballers. (laughing)
June 18th, 2012 at 6:01 am
I saw Cauley at Walmart with Poythress buying bottled water for their dorm…Cauley is a freaking giant. I mean…looked like a 7 footer…def taller than Big Cuz. Dude has got to work, but he ain’t no Eloy! If Eloy played 4 minutes without being a -8 player we cheered him. This guy will ball at some point. Eloy served me pizza at the Big Blue Madness campout and I always wondered if he had a career with Papa Johns…but Cauley has a shot depending on how hard he works the weights.
June 18th, 2012 at 6:48 am
-Yes DA, I’m willin’ to spend $5.99 for a bottle of filtered tap water as long as it has UK colors.
-Polson- you better check her I.D. Her age looks “iffy”
-Cauley-Stein will suprise. Been telling everyone about him, especially the homeless.
June 18th, 2012 at 6:52 am
3 – Technically, he said “CAN’T we all get along?”.
June 18th, 2012 at 7:04 am
Anyone can learn to shoot while in the NBA. Shane Battier is nailing 3′s left & right. Shooting is actually not high on the list of coveted items for a draftee. You can’t teach size, strength, leaping ability, and attitude. I never felt Lamb had an attitude problem, but he’s just a bit off on the other 3.
June 18th, 2012 at 7:16 am
My biggest beef with the whole Rodney King fiasco is the way the media handled it. They continually showed the beating part and conveniently left off the part where he was throwing officers around like they were dolls and growling at them when they shot him with tazers. I still think they were wrong to continue to beat him when he was down, and their comments (“I haven’t beat a guy like this in a long time”) were way out of line. The police overstep their boundaries and were wrong, but the media didn’t tell the whole story. I don’t think there would have been as much outrage had they shown the other parts. It was definitely a sad moment in our history. I hope it never happens again.
June 18th, 2012 at 7:40 am
Why isn’t Wiltjer practicing? He’s the guy that needs it most if he’s going to be the kind of player he can be, he has got to get more strength in his hands and arms, and get tougher and stick his nose where it gets hit a few times, instead of ducking and getting pushed aside.
June 18th, 2012 at 8:04 am
“When every drop counts! Over 5,000 drops.” SMH. I think I’ll stick with my Highbridge.
June 18th, 2012 at 9:01 am
Over 5,000 drops? Sounds like our receiving corp last season.
June 18th, 2012 at 9:32 am
I think the questions we heard from time to time this season about “Can Doron dunk?” are relevant to this conversation. Doron could certainly benefit from showing a more explosive and athletic side to his game when many of his peers show a lot of that. That stated, it’s not the way he plays and he certainly has shown he can play. I do think there is a place for Doron to be a NBA player for a long time. I just don’t know if his career is going to start with a first round.
I do know this. If Darius had started all year, he would be a lock in the first round. Lamb, on the other hand, would more than likely be back at Kentucky for one more year.
June 18th, 2012 at 9:53 am
anyone wanna tell me why my post about how unprofessional the Water website is was taken down? Are we protecting a sponsor or something? Well done KSR
June 18th, 2012 at 10:24 am
King was a piece of crap before the “beating” and he was a rich piece of crap after the “beating.”
How many more times was he arrested after his “beating?”
The citizens sure didn’t get much outa the $4 mil they paid King for his “pain and suffering” – well unless they sold drugs or owned a liquor store.
Can Reginald Denny get some love? He was almost killed – King was just knocked silly, silly’er than he already was…
June 18th, 2012 at 10:36 am
Looks like Polson has got himself a spinner!
June 18th, 2012 at 10:58 am
Matt, only a leftist weenie like yourself could give a crap about Rodney King. Were the cops out of line? Yes, but lets not forget that it was King’s own poor choices that lead up to what happened. I know, in your politically correct elitist mind, that it doesn’t matter that King had a rap sheet a mile long or that he was leading them on a high speed chase that put the lives of hundreds of innocents in danger. Having never picked up a weapon and stood a post, I doubt you could understand the adrenaline and emotions pouring through those officers bodies and minds and how sometimes it leads you to do things you probably shouldn’t, but lets not forget that it was nanny staters like yourself who passed the laws requiring those officers and others like them to do what has become an impossible job in the first place.
This is a great blog, but it would be a better one if you would remember it’s dedicated purpose. If I wanted to know your personal political opinions, I’d look on your Facebook page.
Rodney King isn’t anyone that anyone else should feel sorry for. It’s addition by subtraction, and the whole consequence of the LA Riots and what happened to Reginald Denny just goes to show that racism in this nation isn’t a one way street.
The real heroes of the LA Riots are the Korean and Vietnamese shop keepers who defended their homes, businesses and families at gun point, a right that you would have denied them.
June 18th, 2012 at 11:15 am
-6 Polson’s watch is a company called “Hello Somebody” it is a company that raises money for causes all over the world, like hungey children, ending the sex traffiking trade, and providing clean water around the world. The come in all different colors and only cost $25 with most of that going to these causes. You can find them at http://www.hellosomebody.org
June 18th, 2012 at 11:17 am
Sorry here is the link
http://www.hello-somebody.com
June 18th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
22 and 24- if you are going to mention Reginald Denny getting beat, then you have to also include that tidbit of the 4 African Americans who took Denny to the ER room. Not a lot of people know about that.
June 18th, 2012 at 12:36 pm
#24 – You the man! So true, my friend. On every account.
Libs probably think the store owners showed too much force and should be forced to pay fines for keeping ‘those’ people outa their shops.
Is there gonna be reunion riots with Kings passing?
June 18th, 2012 at 1:02 pm
27,I didn’t say anything about race, you did. Doesn’t matter who took him to the hospital, he shouldn’t have been touched. That whole situation just shows how ‘some people’ can use any excuse to act a fool and show their azz.
Too bad there wasn’t a community organizer to calm those folks down. Oh wait, most community organizers were promoting rioting and even out getting new shoes and tvs themselves.
June 18th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
Kyle was out of town for his older sister’s wedding this weekend. He tweeted a photo. Totally okay to take time off for a family wedding. Sheesh. Relax, the kid will be fine.
June 18th, 2012 at 1:17 pm
29- you implied race when you brought up Reginald Denny. You know exactly why you brought up his name. It’s a situation that shouldn’t happened, but did. We try to learn from it and move on. It’s safe to say, that will proably happen again. Which is a shame.
June 18th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
27 / Sex – F you bro. I (unlike you obviously) don’t see race right off the bat and judge people. I brought up Denny because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was almost killed over nothing and for nothing. But if you want to talk race, he was almost killed solely because he was white. If he’d been black, those animals would not have harmed him. Denny did not have the arrest record as long as yer arm. Denny wasn’t drunk driving. Denny wasn’t running from police and putting people in harms way. Denny didn’t fight police and resist arrest. Denny was a hard working man. Denny was working. Denny was white, so animals hurt him.
Black folk are racist too. And a large percentage of them showed themselves to be animals in the wake of the verdict for the police. 50 people were KILLED in the riots, while King was just beaten up. Seems a bit one sided, huh? So, you’re saying the next time black people don’t get their way, they’re gonna riot and kill? Hummm.
June 18th, 2012 at 2:27 pm
32- I didn’t bring up race. you did by mentioning Reginald Denny, which was the only reason you mentioned his name. and those “animals” as you call them, also saved Denny’s life. Just wanted to mention that tidbit. Bad people of all colors, but all people of color aren’t bad. Big difference.
and you cussed me. hahaha!!!
June 18th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Yeah all you white guys keep on talking. You call minorities animals when they revolt against oppression, but you give soldiers medals for burning down villages. The King incident wasnt the first or last time a police officer abused his position as a public servant. As much as you would like to believe the police are there to keep you safe, more often than not cops are the cause, not the effect. But i dont suppose any of you have been pulled over and harrased for no reason other than the color of your skin.
June 18th, 2012 at 3:56 pm
#34, do as your name says and “put a cork in it.” If you honestly believe that “cops are cause of things more often than not,” you are freaking crazy! Your worse nightmare couldn’t imagine life without police officers.
June 18th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
33 / Sex – Should I type slower for you, cause you sure have trouble keeping up – you most certainly did bring up race by saying all is forgiven because a black person took him to the hospital (still checking your story). I brought up Denny because he had NO business being harmed, whatsoever! Sure the cops went a little far with King, but he surely was NOT an innocent man in the situation. Yes, ANYONE that beats an INNOCENT man to within inches of his life only because of his color ARE animals. People that get their feelings hurt and retaliate by burning buildings, stealing shoes and tvs, oh and KILLING PEOPLE are animals. King learned nothing from his situation and did nothing productive with the fortune that was heaped upon him. Just lengthened his arrest record.
34 / Put – Pipe down! Don’t you have an naacp (black kkk) meeting to get to? So, “revolting against oppression” is the new term ‘protest?’ Well, if in your wallnut brain you think it is ok to cause a billion dollars worth of damage to a city, steal things, start fires, and KILL 50 people (and beat Denny) because you feel slighted then you sir are an animal also. If people in the west end of Louisville would smarten up and drop your feelings, they along with the police could straighten things up. But acting as if the police are the problem and not ‘snitching’ on thugs, pimps, drug dealers, and killers – then inner cities will continue to be cancers on a civilized society.
June 18th, 2012 at 4:11 pm
You watch too much TV if you believe the police are saving you from being murdered or having your house ransacked by a bunch of thugs. For every one POS thug, there are a thousand good people, that do not deserve the treatment they receive from your “saviors” on a daily basis because they live in a poor neighborhood.
June 18th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
#37, you watch too many re-runs of ‘Yo Mtv Raps.’
Ok, if you and the rest of your ilk in the west end feel that way – let’s mark a line down 2nd street and not make cops go west of it. With no police in the west end, I give it a month till the whole thing is burned down. Some people have a little trouble acting right without assistance.
Why is it that any person from the west end that can rub 2 dimes together gets out? If it was so great and things were running smoothly why is the building that is happening coming from government housing?
June 18th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
I dont know why you assume to know where i live, or that im black, but obviously your expierience with minorities consists of rap videos(didnt know anyone still watched music videos) and no i am not white either. Not every poor community is riddled with pimps and drug dealers like you think, they usually consist of good hearted people with souls that have just accepted their life, but i believe where ever this “west end” you speak of would benefit greatly from you never going there either.
June 18th, 2012 at 5:49 pm
*Jarrod not Jared.
June 18th, 2012 at 6:33 pm
I was a Guatamalan immigrant that was beaten by the same crowd at the same intersection as Reginald Denny. Very few care to mention this fact or that good black americans saved both of our lives.
June 18th, 2012 at 11:05 pm
“Can we all get along?” see @ 8:09 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9loSB5zMaoQ