Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
It was a sad day in UK land today with the passing of two UK legends, Ralph Beard and Tommy Kron. Both men were members of the most beloved UK teams of all time and both men left an indelible imprint on the Kentucky basketball program. Some have said that Ralph Beard began the tradition of Kentucky basketball as he was the first star player on the first widely known college basketball team. Bobby Knight once said that Ralph Beard was “the Michael Jordan of his day” and his resume showcases that fact. First team All American three times, two NCAA titles, one NIT title and an Olympic gold medal. Simply put, he was one of the best to ever put on a UK uniform. And Tommy Kron played for one of the most important teams in UK history, the 1966 Rupps’ Runts. He was a great shooter and ball handler and will be remembered for his fiery role on that legendary team. Both men passed away here in Louisville, leaving their mark on Kentucky basketball program forever. One of the great things about UK basketball is the way it honors its tradition. I hope all UK fans take a minute today to learn more about these two men and celebrate their lives. Kentucky basketball is special because of guys like Beard and Kron. They will be missed.
To the news…..
(1) This weekend marks the beginning of “Find out what this UK basketball team is made of time in the state. The Cats play #2 ranked UNC and if a random sampling of the fanbase that I took today is any indication, most folks think the Cats are headed for a blowout loss. But if you talk to the players, you get a different indication. Patrick Patterson spoke about how the players have been looking to this game since the schedule came out as a chance to prove a point and to see what type of team they have. Ramel Bradley has talked about how he has lost to UNC three times and wants to get a victory before he leaves the school. For the Cats to have any chance to win, both of these young men need to play great and Patterson especially must stay out of foul trouble. Along with Crawford, these three guys must have great games to make it close. For a victory to occur, someone else on the roster, be it Legion, Porter, Stewart, Stevenson, Harris, etc, must step up and be the magical 4th guy that Jay Bilas talks about being crucial to defeating a great team. I think the game Saturday is closer than folks believe and I hope the Cats put a lot of early season criticism behind them and shock the world.
(2) Speaking of criticism, it has come in bulk in the last few days for Billy Clyde. Some of the criticism is valid (such as why the team looks lost on offense against anything but a man-to-man defense) but much is a bit out of control. So many folks are still engaging in the Tubby Smith vs Billy Clyde debate that it is coloring all views on what this team has and will accomplish. Whether the struggles this season are a result of a depleted roster or not, the fanbase must MOVE ON from the Tubby era and quit bringing him into every discussion. This is Billy Clyde’s team plain and simple and just as he rightly takes responsibility for all that happens, the fans should leave it at that as well. I continue to believe that Billy Clyde will win and win big at Kentucky…..but this year (and possibly next) will be bumpy. The fans should be unified in watching the program grow, not rehashing debates over coaches that long ago split the group. Anyway, I cant look at Tubby in that Minnesota color (whatever it is)…..only Tennessee has a worse color pattern.
(3) The night in Louisville was bizarre tonight. First the Cards surprisingly draw a good crowd for their last home game, a great gesture from the fanbase for a number of seniors like Douglas and Brohm who are great players and even better kids. Then, everyone at the game gets up and leaves, literally leaving the stadium with about 8,000 people for the end of the game. So what does Louisville do? They come back and win and then those left storm the field!…..for a victory over a mediocre Rutgers team. Odd night to say the least but I am happy for Douglas and Brohm. They deserved better than this year.
(4) If you miss Gregg Doyel’s weekly appearances on the radio show, they are truly epic. He gets great line and after line on college basketball. Three from this week:
1. On Louisville: “How can I root for a team where every player is unlikeable. Who likes Caracter, Williams or Earl Clark? The most likeable guy is Edgar Sosa and I dont like him. So how can anybody cheer for them?”
2. On Kelvin Sampson: “He is a good coach but a bad guy. Look he cheated, got caught and then had the audacity to cheat again and get caught again. How stupid can one person be?”
3. On Matt Jones: “Look you just dont like it that we argue and I am right. Who told you that Rich Brooks was an old man? Who told you that OJ Mayo would kill that USC team? And I am telling you right now Missouri is an entertaining team and you can put that on your blog and smoke it.”
More tomorrow….UNC is coming…..
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November 30th, 2007 at 1:02 am
I think the team will try hard Saturday and Billy G will coach a different
game than the ones we’ve seen against these “patsies”; however, in the
end I still think UNC wins by double digits, but below 20 points.
November 30th, 2007 at 1:02 am
I think the team will try hard Saturday and Billy G will coach a different
game than the ones we’ve seen against these “patsies”; however, in the
end I still think UNC wins by double digits, but below 20 points.
November 30th, 2007 at 1:42 am
ahhhh…Calc IV test at 9…somebody put me out of my misery!
November 30th, 2007 at 2:15 am
biochem test at 10:30; i feel ya
November 30th, 2007 at 2:41 am
Rookies, Brain surgery at 7.
November 30th, 2007 at 4:15 am
Ralph Beard = Awesome. Tommy Kron = Awesome. My picture at the UK pep-rally with Matt and Rob = Awesome.
Love this blog and the undeniable truth about the delusional UL fanbase (-20k to see a guy off who shunned the pros to come back to this craphole…oh, and don’t forget to rush the field for NO bowl bid and giving us major s**t for going to the MCB last year). Go Brooks…keep taking thier recruits and let them keep dreaming they are football elite. In 3 years UK football and bball will be absolutely sick. Clear the bandwagons now.
What the hell are you guys gonna do to replace Rob?! Seriously, Rob is a pure play-by-play guy. I always thought that. He is a perfect fit for the majors. I mean damn…Rosie O’Donnel couldn’t block your view! KSR is the greatest media outlet for UK ever. Please keep up the great work, Matt. Please. You guys ever need a photographer, hit me up. GBB and KSR!!!
November 30th, 2007 at 5:36 am
After hearing of ESPN’s headline for Beard, what is ESPN’s headline for Kron going to say? member of losing, racist Kentucky team passes away? Indeed they both will be missed and I hope remmebered for their contributions to UK.
I always considered that weak UNC blue as the most intolerable color in the world, worse than chartreuse, especially on that blinding court they have, with UT being second. After seeing hundreds of Minnesoter fans and their women’s team beat UK this weekend (a couple of parents, some people affiliated with the school, and me were the only supporters of the Cats there), I have deemed the Gophers colors “scorched maroon with inexplicable yellow”. I bet they call it gold, but I bet Tubby calls it yella. I always liked Texas’ “burnt orange” until I saw way too much of it this weekend as well. And speaking of colors, I always thought Kentucky blue was only beautiful only in moderation, for example I would never paint my house KY blue, but it is a beautiful royal blue on our women’s away uniforms.
I am just going off on uni colors so as to not address what I think will happen Saturday. One minute I think we could shock the world, the next I am afraid.
November 30th, 2007 at 6:05 am
STA700 test at 1. It’ll just be referred to as that since at this point the actual names of the courses have become incomprehensable. But the bright side is that no matter how are exams go we will get to watch UK and UNC on Saturday…at least I hope thats a bright side.
November 30th, 2007 at 6:54 am
#7 I couldn’t agree more about ESPNS headline regarding Beard! Ridiculous! Yet another reason why I stinking HATE that network!!
November 30th, 2007 at 7:38 am
So has UL football gotten so bad that they storm the field after beating Rutgers?!?! From the Orange Bowl last season, to the Toilet Bowl this season.
November 30th, 2007 at 7:42 am
I can’t fathom why this fan base can’t give this man the month of November AT LEAST before you start throwing barbs. And then you throw in the fact that we have lost our point guard and 2 guard to injury, start walkon, etc, etc. It is ridiculous to think how spoiled we are. Shameless and makes me want to cringe every time I see it in the posts. ESPECIALLY FROM YOU MATT.
November 30th, 2007 at 8:21 am
I love the fact that Papa Johns was a 1/3 full last night when the fans charged the field after beating Rutgers… what a powerhouse!
November 30th, 2007 at 8:21 am
FROM A TEXAS A&M ALUM/FAN TO UK FANS: A MUST READ
copied this from another site……
“guys,
relax and understand gillispie is a different breed. he does not put up with prima donnas and will weed out those players who dont have the character to work hard and leave it all on the floor.
he will push them beyond what any of you think is humanly possible and you will continually bitch about how the pre game workouts are too tough, hes too hard on the players, his offense is trodding and anemic, etc. (i know we did)
just understand that this guy knows what hes doing. he turned a 6-24 UTEP team around to an NCAA team in one season and took our aggies to the NIT in year 1, the NCAA second round in year two and the sweet 16 in year 3. he will get it done for yall but hes going to weed out the selfish crybabies who dont want to work and hes going to break these guys down. they will be different players and people when hes done with them if they choose to stick it out.
he knows talent and he recruited and left a great team in college station for turgeon to coach. the toughness and maturity that he instilled in his old players joe jones, kirk, and carter has carried over to turgeon and they are more disciplined and more inclined to bust their asses for him because of the team identity bcg instilled in them.
you will have growing pains this season as bcg makes this team his own, but have faith and understand that these early season games mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. i know y’all already know that and yall are just frustated, but give the man credit for what hes accomplished and give him time before you judge him. yall are not going to win the natl title this year, but you might have a shot at the sweet 16.
until the players quit fighting him and buy into his system and his teachings or leave, its not going to be pretty. he wont play people who dont give everything they have in practice or when around team functions. he would treat lebron james or even kobe the same. its just how he operates. hes going to bring in talent and yall will become winners… its just not going to be immediate
November 30th, 2007 at 8:48 am
MEWH - thanks - I understand you clearly
November 30th, 2007 at 8:48 am
ESPN’s treatment of Beard is shameful. When Valvano died did they run a headline that said “Coach Who Put NC State On Probation Dies.” Doubtful.
November 30th, 2007 at 8:57 am
I think ESPN needs some competition. I know I know, it ain’t happening anytime soon. Between their ESPN360.com (only access for people whose cable TV company, thats right cable TV company, has paid them a heavy fee)to their Andy Katz, and cockeyed take on everything Kentucky.
Someday an eager billionaire will say, I can do it better. Boy I wish that day was now. Ted Turner, you still got some umph in ya?
November 30th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Thanks MEWH…can’t tell you how much that helps.
Part of our problem is that ‘Lil Brother’ lives
next door and we have to put up with his rude
and ridiculous so-called fans. I know you are
right and we must be patient and I agree with
his coaching philosophies. We haven’t had a
player with toughness since Magloire. Chuck was
physically tough, but had no mean streak, just
his nature. Tubby left us a group of Prima Donnas
and I look for at least two to leave at the break.
November 30th, 2007 at 10:47 am
If the guys on are team cannot respect what BCG has done elsewhere and know there is a method to his madness then I hope they leave. There are only a couple of guys on this team that I truly think has what it take to be a winner. It’s not BCG is the dumb asses that TUbby left behind. He created a mess. I believe in BCG and I know he will make us a perennial powerhouse again. ITS TIME FOR THE FANS TO RALLY AROUND THE TEAM AND QUIT BITCHING. ITS TIME!!!! IF WE TRULY GET BEHIND BCG AND SUPPORT HIM NO MATTER WHAT HE WILL MAKE US WINNERS AGAIN!!!! BE A TRUE FAN!!!
November 30th, 2007 at 11:01 am
I haven’t heard any fans calling for BCG to be fired. I think people are wondering how he has managed to make this team look worse than the last two UK teams, which were the two worst teams in close to two decades here. This team is more talented, and less experienced, than last year, yet they look a whole lot worse. Obviously the injuries are important, I think Jasper moreso. We have other guys that can do what Meeks does. We have nobody that can effectively run the point. Ramel and Porter have had their chance.
November 30th, 2007 at 11:46 am
No I think it would be a little to early for him to be fired. But everyone including you is bitching about his coaching. I wish people like you would please shut up personally. The guy has a method he knows what he’s doing. Give his system a chance to run its course dude. Just like that article said, “He doesn’t put up with Premadonnas” and that is exactly what we have on this team. He’s trying to break these guys before he builds them back up. You could tell in the game against Stony Brook that it was like a practice for the team. Billy G was forcing them to look at all of their options on offense instead of just jacking shots up. You will see a completely different team saturday. Also, we do have guys that can do what Meeks does, but depth is important I would much rather have three guys that can all do the same thing that two. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Jasper is a huge loss for us. We would be a much better team with him starting at point or him coming off the bench to play point. Either way it would be a huge plus for us. GO CATS!!!
November 30th, 2007 at 11:46 am
19) Think Rich Brooks taking some of Guy Morris’s players and looking bad his 1st year. New
systems/coaches take time. They have to be de-programmed from the old, in order to get ready for the new.
November 30th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Any objective UK fan should have been able to see that this was going to be a bumpy season even if Tubby had stayed - and that was even before the injuries.
BCG can do most anything he wants with this team the next couple of years and he’ll have my support.
Having said that, there is no way this team hangs with UNC Saturday. The only hope we have is that they keep it from being a really embarrassing blowout.
November 30th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
We lack the size and depth to hang with UNC.
November 30th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
#22 and #23 you guys suck. GOTTA HAVE FAITH, a FAITH, a FAITH. We do have a chance. If Gardner-Webb can beat us then we definitely have a chance.
November 30th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
to beat them that is