Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
Holiday Tournaments can be played in strange places. We have seen empty gyms in Puerto Rico, snow storms in Alaska and whatever it is that goes on every year in Las Vegas. But there may be very few places stranger than the odd setup for the Cats at the Cancun Classic. Jerry Tipton gives a report on the “gym” in which UK is playing and finds:
The gym, which seats about 1,200, has chandeliers. Counter-balancing that touch of class is an imported floor that the players noticed had cracks and bends.
“It’s a floor, at least,” Patrick Patterson said. “There are cracks in the floor, spacing missing, parts in the floor where it dips in and makes a ‘V’ shape all the way down the floor. We were dribbling the other day and balls were going left and right. John (Wall) lost a couple balls. A couple teammates tripped on the court cause of the cracks. The court is in pretty bad shape, but it’s still a basketball court.”
The team doesnt have locker rooms per se, just another ballroom with chairs around it for them to dress. In addition, because it is a ballroom, the floor actually has two large chandeliers hanging above it….perfect for the full court heave to end the game.
Sounds like a great set up…and guess who actually booked this game….oh yes, the legend of Billy Clyde lives on. If nothing else, it should be interesting tomorrow afternoon. Here are some pictures of the facility from a reader:
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November 23rd, 2009 at 3:53 pm
wow…
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:56 pm
That’s not a basketball gym, that’s the Gold Room.
Just be sure to tell the bartender, Lloyd, that all drinks are on Mr. Torrance.
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:57 pm
wow…
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Where is the buffet line?
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:03 pm
That floor looks like it was salvaged from a New orleans high School after Katrina.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:05 pm
those padded chairs are gonna smell might good after a few games….ugh.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:07 pm
i heard Barry Manilow was rumored to be doing the national anthem. Anyone confirm this?
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:08 pm
That’s an embarrassment. Too bad we have to involved with such a shoddy operation. Something tells me we want next year.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Unbelievable. Great point about the chairs #6. They couldn’t at least have normal folding chairs that don’t absorb sweat? Can’t you just TAKE THE CHANDELIERS DOWN?! LOL What did Billy Clyde get us into. I’m ashamed and embarrassed we have to play in this Mexican ghettofied basketball tournament. Pitiful. I can’t believe our athletic dept. agreed to this.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Billy Clyde just wanted to drink Cervezas and chase some Senoritas…can’t really say that I blame him.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:17 pm
:facepalm:
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:17 pm
this is what we call “UNACCEPTABLE”
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Will the refs actually be waiters wearing waiter uniforms? During timeouts will they have to serve tables?
I believe Matt said on the podcast that UK tried to get out of this tournament and couldn’t.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:21 pm
#7 - I heard it was John Stamos’s brother. Watch out for the horse with a bomb strapped to it…LOL
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:21 pm
looks like a gym that Bill Wennington and Luc Longley would ahve trouble staying on their feet in….
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:22 pm
is that kenny mayne in the bottom pic?
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Pinche Gillispie. Tu eres tonto y borracho. Ah, being engaged to a Mexican woman (happened Thursday) has its benefits for Español. Even though she might tell me my grammar is bad.
The deescription of the court reminds me of the Bad News Bears and when they played that team with tires in the field and other issues. I just hope they don’t have any injuries based on it. I would pay money to see a buffet line over in the corner for the game and some fat guy going back and forth to it.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Nothing will prepare you for UConn at MSG better than this…
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Does this meet NCAA requirements? I’m not even sure that OSHA would allow workers to set up the floor in there!
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:23 pm
What happens when (not if!) a ball hits one of those chandeliers… everybody better run cuz its COMIN DOWN!
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:24 pm
What the %&#%?
This “gym” symbolizes the era of UK basketball under Billy Gillispie.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:24 pm
the resort is actually really nice… basketball facilities… not so much
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:25 pm
NONE of our guys better get injured on that third-world basketball floor. WTF!!!
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
23) Exactly what I was thinking. Should of know that place would be a dump after they placed that lousy “Cancun Challenge” sticker on the floor at Rupp.
Mucho Sucko Clyde!
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
C-mon! (Peter Griffin voice)
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
#14 so the national anthem then “Loving you” or vise versa?
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:29 pm
O Dear Lord……..this gym’s as bad as the middle school gyms I played in growing up……with the parque floors!! Are they staying in this hotel as well? They’ll probably exit the game and walk 50 feet to their guestroom!
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:31 pm
does anyone know when coach cal and papaw do their call in shows?
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Scoreboard? Did you see the tiny scoreboard????????
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:32 pm
[...] playing basketball in a Hotel ballroom. I guess Cancun doesn’t have a gym. Kentucky Sports Radio Blog Archive Cats Playing in Some Strange Circumstances Tomorrow Kinda [...]
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:32 pm
26 - let’s hope they get the anthem in before the bomb goes off!
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:32 pm
The curse of Billie Clyde strikes again.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:34 pm
When they’re finished playing they can walk over to the Dealing with Difficult People seminar in the Jorge Del Santos room….
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:34 pm
I’m from Lake Cumberland, so I know a tourist when I see one.
Tourist = polo shirt, check. khaki shorts, check. sandals, check.
I’ve seen elementary school gyms bigger than this. This tournament should have been omitted in the contract negotiations that followed up the dismissal of a certain coach who I will leave anonymous. Although, it would be hilarious to see that same coach in a polo, khaki shorts, and sandals in attendance at this thing. Most likely holding a margarita and a senorita on each arm.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:36 pm
a couple shots of tequilla and he should be able to hit the high note…. haha
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:36 pm
34 Why do you think BCG scheduled this thing. His perfect setup, a bar and Basketball court in the same room…..
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Speaking of Clyde, Vilarino is playing on TV right now for Gonzaga in Maui…
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:37 pm
having said that I think John Stamos’s brother would compliment Barry Manilow quite well….
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Who is Clyde Vilarino?
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:40 pm
My favorite quote from the article “he (Calipari) said “Balls are gonna fly!”
That’s hilarious!
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:45 pm
After the game there will be a ballroom dancing competition. Followed by the Rodriguez/Martinez wedding reception with delicious hors d’oeuvres served so please stick around.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:55 pm
39, it’s something called a comma. Maybe you have seen one before.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:59 pm
I, for one, hope they do go back when they can. The Palace Resorts are absolutely gorgeous resorts and the Moon Palace, where this is, is one of the nicest one’s. They are all-inclusive and right on the beach in a beautiful area. You couple that with two UK basketball games and you have the perfect vacation. If not for the recent birth of my first child, I would be there right now. I hope I get the chance to make up for it later, or else I will probably resent my daughter for the rest of her life (j/k about the resentment part).
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:01 pm
40) hey cal, thats what she said
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:01 pm
This is Mexico, OHSA rules do not apply…I’m just glad to see the water is bottled and I think Liggins and Dotson will love the chairs, I know I would.
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:13 pm
If any of you have been to Cancun you’d remember that right along the highway heading south they have High Voltage lines running right into a humongous transformer…..with not one fence around them. You all have hit the flipping head of the nail when you said Clyde would love this place….HELL he’s probably the one who designed it
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:15 pm
If Tucker Max made the trip after all, I KNOW he will have a story out of this
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:23 pm
“All-inclusive resort” = “I want to visit another country but I am afraid of encountering anyone different than me,” or = “Please make my foreign visit like a visit to an American shopping mall (with daiquiris!).”
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:28 pm
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November 23rd, 2009 at 5:31 pm
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November 23rd, 2009 at 7:01 pm
So, I guess we know what the challenge in the Cancun Challenge is now.
November 23rd, 2009 at 9:18 pm
I’m shocked (and mildly disappointed) the court is wood. I expected the ballroom carpet with masking tape lines.
Somewhere in Nashville, Vandy is considers installing chandeliers to ramp up home court advantage…..
November 23rd, 2009 at 9:49 pm
I hear the night golf in Cancun is pretty good.
November 24th, 2009 at 1:26 am
Holy hell–for a split second when I first saw the very top picture with the fancier chandelier I thought that was actually where the court would be.
November 24th, 2009 at 11:45 am
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November 24th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
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