What a strange football season. A sense of fair play forces me to acknowledge UK’s win over a No. 1 team. The win was noteworthy but there’s nothing unusual about top 10 team teams getting beat. Anybody can beat anybody, and they are doing it this season. We salute you with one hand UK but we disrespect you with the other. As Yoda would say, “The joy, we do not share.”
Juan Palacios may get a red shirt year after suffering an injury in basketball practice Saturday morning. The early diagnosis was a sprained MCL and depending on the severity of the injury, Palacios may redshirt this season, coach Rick Pitino said. Red Shirt
Juan Palacios may get a red shirt year after suffering an injury in basketball practice Saturday morning. The early diagnosis was a sprained MCL and depending on the severity of the injury, Palacios may redshirt this season, coach Rick Pitino said. Red Shirt
Things to watch for as Louisville visits Cincinnati in the Battle for the Keg of Nails, a game that will provide some clues about whether things are going to turn around anytime soon:
— An actual sold out stadium at Nippert Stadium where Cincinnati fans will actually outnumber U of L folks for the first time anyone can remember. The bandwagon is still taking on passengers. Good thing the Bengals are off to bad start, huh?
— Cards to choose to play defense if U of L wins the coin toss. Brian Brohm seems to get off to a slow start against better teams, especially those with animals on the defensive line. With our unpredictable punting game, three-and-out inside our 30 could be bad news indeed.
— Will Harry Douglas actually play? We’ve been disappointed the last two games with Harry deciding in the last few minutes that’s it’s not going to happen. I think he plays even if he’s still hurting.
— Will Patrick Carter continue to perform like Harry Douglas, as he did against Utah, catching nine passes for 154 yards? It would be great to have two Harries out there.
— Will U of L gain over 50 yards on the ground? That depends on which versions of Anthony Allen and Brock Bolen show up. They have been unstoppable at times, practically unused in some games. If they gain 120 yards combined, it will have been a good day for the Cards.
— The ESPN-U television crew will spend much of time in the broadcast booth and on the sidelines throwing down food before, during and after the game.
We’ve wondered for several years why sportswriter Earl Cox gives so much ink to University of Kentucky athletics in the Voice-Tribune (formerly the Voice of St. Matthews), a Louisville suburban newspaper. Visitors to town would think UK was the local team by the amount of space given to the Cats.
This week’s edition, like so many others, features bold headlines on UK athletics, this time on the South Carolina loss. In a long-winding co
lumn, he also writes at great length about the upcoming schedule and the SEC and interviews long-time friends about their UK football memories.
The Irvine, Ky., native and former CJ sports editor relishes his state ties and obviously enjoys hyping UK sports in a community where, in football, U of L fans outnumber UK followers by 61.3% to 20.8%, according to a 2005 CJ Bluegrass Poll.
Okay, so Kentucky is winning this year and Cox can argue that UK has fans in this area. But the coverage has always been overtly generous.
Cox is unable to resist proclaiming the “demise’ of U of L football, stating that Steve Kragthorpe inherited a “pot problem” and lamenting a report that Tom Jurich turned down an interview opportunity with ESPN. Then he suggests that the media should “not cover U of L athletics until current restrictions are lifted.”
This week U of L announced that injury reports will be released weekly. Cox may have been suggesting that the media needs to be investigating the use of pot. I’m fine with that, as long as it includes the marijuana at both universities. The final straw was his suggestion that there were problems with another U of L team and that we should “stay tuned for another shoe to drop – loudly.”
Really.
As far as the UK administration is concerned, Earl can hang on to those Wildcat press passes for life, along with that spot in the UK School of Journalism’s Hall of Fame.
We’ve wondered for several years why sportswriter Earl Cox gives so much ink to University of Kentucky athletics in the Voice-Tribune (formerly the Voice of St. Matthews), a Louisville suburban newspaper. Visitors to town would think UK was the local team by the amount of space given to the Cats.
This week’s edition, like so many others, features bold headlines on UK athletics, this time on the South Carolina loss. In a long-winding column, he also writes at great length about the upcoming schedule and the SEC and interviews long-time friends about their UK football memories.
The Irvine, Ky., native and former CJ sports editor relishes his state ties and obviously enjoys hyping UK sports in a community where, in football, U of L fans outnumber UK followers by 61.3% to 20.8%, according to a 2005 CJ Bluegrass Poll.
Okay, so Kentucky is winning this year and Cox can argue that UK has fans in this area. But the coverage has always been overtly generous.
Cox is unable to resist proclaiming the “demise’ of U of L football, stating that Steve Kragthorpe inherited a “pot problem” and lamenting a report that Tom Jurich turned down an interview opportunity with ESPN. Then he suggests that the media should “not cover U of L athletics until current restrictions are lifted.”
This week U of L announced that injury reports will be released weekly. Cox may have been suggesting that the media needs to be investigating the use of pot. I’m fine with that, as long as it includes the marijuana at both universities. The final straw was his suggestion that there were problems with another U of L team and that we should “stay tuned for another shoe to drop – loudly.”
Really.
As far as the UK administration is concerned, Earl can hang on to those Wildcat press passes for life, along with that spot in the UK School of Journalism’s Hall of Fame.
Such animosity on the message boards these days, one post after another calling for Kragthorpe’s scalp. Some fans want it today, can’t wait another game. A few even want a piece of Tom Jurich. The same ones wanted Pitino’s hide before the basketball team started winning last season.
Message boards are a blessing and a curse. They give fans a chance to discuss the latest developments 
and rumors with fellow fans as well as outlets for venting their frustration. This is a godsend in a town where the media has been historically lazy in covering local teams or devoting an inordinate amount of space to a rival school.
Unfortunately, the amount of redundancy and drivel on them often makes it difficult to find anything meaningful. You also have to sort through all the untruths and rumors, many times by rival fans. Inside the Ville makes it possible to ignore some posters but the sheer number of them is a challenge at ITV and Rivals.
Administrators and coaches must be careful about who they share information with, fearing that any comment will wind up on a message board. Sources are drying up because inside information is difficult to obtain on the boards these days.
Still, the message boards provide a useful exchange of views. There are plenty of people who are able to keep things in perspective. And there are a few who are actually knowledgeable about football and basketball. I will continue to frequent the message boards as long as those guys are around.
Never really got to know Ron Steiner as a person. Knew him as a writer, however, and he was among the best when it came to U of L sports. The very best.
The founder of the Louisville Sports Report died last Thursday as a result of complications following a heart transplant at the Cleveland Clinic. Before relinquishing control of the publication last year, Ron wrote a weekly column. If I never read anything else, I read that column. His research was thorough, his prose was brilliant, and his optimism never wavered.
Howard Schnellenberger brought Ron with him when he came to Louisville in 1985. It didn’t take long to figure out why. Ron was a contributor. Sorry I waited so long for the tribute, Ron, but couldn’t find your photo anywhere on the net (thanks Howie Lindsey). You are missed but still providing inspiration.
UofLCardGame 