John Clay's latest sports column provided by the Lexington Herald-Leader

John Clay

John Clay: ESPN trolling for football fanatics and Finebaum is right man for job

Radio host Paul Finebaum conducts his radio show, Thursday, May 17, 2007, in Hoover, Ala. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

ESPN reportedly laid off nearly 400 employees earlier this week, but on Thursday the World Wide Leader announced a hire that sets the tone for the future.

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Archive by category ''John Clay

BASEBALL

John Clay: Baseball Cats a big disappointment this year

After Kentucky's 4-1 loss to Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament on Tuesday, the UK baseball season has to be characterized as a huge disappointment. After starting the year No. 11 in Baseball America's pre-season poll, the Cats are unlikely to get an NCAA Tournament bid after going 11-19 in the SEC ...
HORSE RACING

John Clay: Calumet's return to racing prominence is a welcome one

Saturday's Preakness Stakes was a great big welcome back to a trio of horse racing's most important names: D. Wayne Lukas, Gary Stevens and Calumet Farm.
KENTUCKY DERBY

John Clay: Racing world craves greatness from Orb

The Preakness runs at 6:20 p.m. on NBC-18. We have not seen a Triple Crown winner since 1978, but for some reason, maybe because we are optimistic and sentimental fools when it comes to horses, even with two legs of the Triple Crown remaining, this year feels different, as if there really is more...
JOHN CLAY

John Clay: What Calipari said, what he meant

John Calipari held a "summer press conference" on Wednesday where the Kentucky basketball coach addressed last season, the state of the program and his incoming freshman class.In the interest of helping you the reader, we bring you the annotated John Calipari.
RECRUITING

John Clay: Calipari can't win 'em all

Andrew Wiggins' decision to sign with Kansas proves UK Coach John Calipari can't get every top recruit, though one might wonder if that isn't within the realm of Calipari's capabilities.
FOOTBALL

John Clay: Viewing Stoops through rose-colored glasses

Mark Stoops, you're making this tough.
FOOTBALL RECRUITING

John Clay: Barker's commitment sustains Stoops' knack for keeping recruits in Kentucky

HEBRON — Nailing a key commitment from the four-star quarterback Drew Barker will certainly make a national splash, but for Kentucky the significance also extends to the home front.
JOHN CLAY

John Clay's notes: Changes might be coming to NCAA basketball, SEC football

Random notes:
KENTUCKY DERBY

John Clay: McGaughey enjoying reign after long wait

LOUISVILLE — Shug McGaughey sat on a folding chair under a tent on the backside at Churchill Downs on Sunday morning, waiting to go on the Today show, listening via earpiece to a news report from the Syrian border.
KENTUCKY DERBY

John Clay: Orb's win proves 'old way' can be the right way

No sooner had trainer Shug McGaughey been asked in the post-race press conference about the "old-school way" than the head of the legendary Phipps Stable jumped in to make an important point. "Can I answer that question instead of Shug?" Phipps said. "He does it the right way."