http://http://www.kentucky.com/285/index.xml News, sports, and entertainment from Kentucky.com en-us Copyright 2009 Kentucky.com John Clay 60 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:07:11 EST http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss McClatchy Interactive's Workbench interactive-ops@herald-leader.com http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1025570.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1025570.html Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:05 EST
Why, they'd all but pick up the Cats at the airport and chauffeur them to the hotel before administering an old-fashioned rear-kicking as a parting gift, capped by a friendly handshake.

Y'all come back now, ya hear?

As Kentucky coach, Rich Brooks lost 13 of his first 14 Southeastern Conference road games. Since then, the Cats are 6-7.

This year, their three best performances have all come outside Commonwealth Stadium that would've-could've-should've 28-26 loss at South Carolina; that fourth-quarter comeback victory, 21-14, at Auburn; and last Saturday's second-half surge past Vanderbilt for a 24-13 win.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1023888.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1023888.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:03 EST
You could argue the only thing better would have been for Kentucky to lose to Charlie Coles' club.

OK, not really. After all, a second-game loss in the Calipari era would have produced a viral wave of blue-clad cliff-divers. All I heard Tuesday were personal anecdotes of Panic Room, er, Rupp Arena patrons experiencing degrees of negative vibes when UK dropped 18 points behind.

Kentucky basketball fans might say what they care most about is March. Thing is, to them, every month is March.

That's another reason John Calipari is the right guy to drive this monster truck. Finally, a Kentucky coach who likes to win, yes, but a Kentucky coach brave enough to say he doesn't have it all figured out in mid-November, audacious enough to say he was "ecstatic" to fall 18 points behind so he could see how his team would react, and crazy enough to broach the unthinkable, i.e. it's OK to lose. In November.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1019891.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1019891.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:05 EST
"The second half, the last 30 minutes, was some of the best football we've played in a long time," said Rich Brooks, the Kentucky coach.

Since, well, the Auburn game.

There were so many similarities between what the Kentucky football team was able to do back on Oct. 17 at Auburn and what it did here at Vanderbilt Stadium on Nov. 14.

Both road games. Both Southeastern Conference games. Both critical games. Both games in which the Cats overcame deficits.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1019095.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1019095.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:03 EST
Or at least Eric Bledsoe and John Wall were there together until the autograph hounds became a little bit too much to bear.

"We actually had to go to class after that," Bledsoe said.

That stuff you hear about how Kentucky's two highly touted, high-profile guards are fast friends and we do mean fast forever together and rarely apart, it's true.

"I was very surprised," Bledsoe said on Friday night after Kentucky opened its season with a 75-59 win over Morehead State. "I thought John, he was going to be a jerk."]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1015672.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1015672.html Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:32 EST
Carson Palmer was the bearded one. His Bengals trailed the defending world champion Steelers 20-9 in the fourth quarter.

Then a six-play, 85-yard drive cut the Pittsburgh lead to five. Then a 16-play, 71-yard Bengals drive won it, with Palmer finding Andre Caldwell on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 14 seconds left, then Brian Leonard for the two-point conversion, for a 23-20 Bengals breakthrough.

As the commercial says, Troy Polamalu is the one with the hair. That Sunday, however, the Steelers' strong safety, the best in the business, was the one without a uniform. Polamalu was on the sideline, nursing a sprained left knee. Pittsburgh felt his absence.

This Sunday, he's back. But so are the blooming Bengals. The two AFC North rivals meet in Pittsburgh with much on the line. Cincinnati is 6-2, a shining 4-0 in the AFC North. Pittsburgh is also 6-2, but with a loss to Cincinnati smudging its scorecard. It can't afford another.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1014189.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1014189.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:27 EST
But he kept trying. Ten times McEnroe entered the singles draw at Roland Garros. Ten times he left empty-handed. He reached the finals once, losing in five sets to Ivan Lendl in 1984.

Yet Johnny Mac is considered one of the greatest players in the history of tennis.

It's an abject lesson to the great debate being staged by Thoroughbred racing fans after last weekend's thrilling Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

Does Horse of the Year go to Zenyatta, the 5-year-old mare who campaigned on Southern California's synthetic surfaces and improved to 14-for-14 by becoming the first female to win the $5 million Classic?]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1011504.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1011504.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:20 EST
What's that? You say there are games still left to play.

Well, it might as well be complete. Florida clinched the SEC East title last Saturday by gouging poor Georgia. Alabama clinched the SEC West title this past Saturday by knocking off Louisiana State.

For the second straight year, and the seventh year since division play began in 1992, the Gators and the Crimson Tide will meet in the SEC Championship game.

The more things change, the more the stay the same.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1010589.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1010589.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:05 EST
Nine games in the books.

Three games remain.

The Cats are at Vanderbilt this Saturday. They're at Georgia the following Saturday. Then it's back home to Commonwealth Stadium to face Tennessee in the finale.

Win all three, and it's the best regular season in the Rich Brooks era. Win two of three, and stamp the season a success. Win one of the three, and UK will be bowl eligible, with fingers crossed. Lose all three, and it's a season where, after three steps up, the Cats took one step back.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1007319.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1007319.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:35 EST
Start of the year, you pick Kansas for the top spot. But they don't give out the NCAA championship trophy at the beginning of the year.

2. Kansas

Bill Self has quite the collection of top-notch talent out in Lawrence. Now if he can just keep his basketball players from fighting the football players.

3. Michigan State]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1007292.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1007292.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:39 EST
All that talent.

And only one ball.

The Cats' reply: We're one for all.

Or maybe three for all.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1005751.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1005751.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:36 EST
Brandon Jennings' early NBA start averaging 22 points and 5.3 rebounds through Milwaukee's first three games will prompt more prep superstars to spend a year overseas, rather than in college, before becoming eligible for the NBA.

If you think Kentucky's Thoroughbred racing won't be affected by Ohio's approval of casinos on Tuesday, you're wearing blinkers.

If Ohio can put gaming on the ballot, why can't Kentucky put it on the ballot?

His players are battling the flu, but I think Rich Brooks is still sick over last Saturday.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1004236.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1004236.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:03 EST
"So in two months we'll be better? WHAT DOES THAT mean about UNC and UConn?

(His caps, not mine.)

That came after a weekend of listening to Kentucky football fans complain that Rich Brooks is too old and Joker Phillips too inept for the grid Cats to ever "take it to the next level," whatever that means.

Today's sports fan doesn't need a better seat, a cheaper beverage or more games in high-def.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1001025.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/1001025.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:51 EST
Cornerback Trevard Lidley missed another game with his high ankle sprain. Middle linebacker Micah Johnson was limited by his strained knee.

Running back Derrick Locke played through a painful bruised knee. Center Jorge Gonzalez played through a bum shoulder.

And the Kentucky defense couldn't tackle Mississippi State's Anthony Dixon.

Even with all that going against it, you still had to wonder why UK didn't go to the one thing going for it?]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/996811.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/996811.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:42 EST
And then, all of a sudden Patrick Patterson, Kentucky's 6-foot-9 center, the junior who never strayed far from the basket his first two seasons, stepped back and popped in a three-pointer.

Rupp Arena went nuts.

In fact, it was the first of Patterson's two three-pointers.

So while who knows what exactly is going on with John Wall's eligibility, after viewing UK's Blue-White scrimmage Wednesday night, there is one thing I do know.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/994787.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/994787.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:18 EDT
If you are uncomfortable about Wildcat Coal Lodge replacing Joe B. Hall Wildcat Lodge and you should be then wait until Rupp Arena is replaced by the Yum's Pizza Hut, or the Lexmark Center, or the Fazoli's Forum.

Deep-pocket donors have the University of Kentucky, and most institutions, over a money-green barrel, and they know it. The school needs cold, hard cash to feed its facilities addiction, and it'll agree to just about any transaction condition to support its habit.

It's not about sports, or fossil fuels or future energy. It's certainly not about honoring the past. It's business.

A history lesson: Back in the 1980s, UK claimed an indoor football practice facility was the final piece of the puzzle it needed to be competitive in the Southeastern Conference.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/992166.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/992166.html Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:55 EDT
So they stole one from the Steelers in Cincinnati. So they beat the Ravens in Baltimore. So they lost to the still-unbeaten Broncos on a fluke play at game's end.

So even with Cincinnati at 4-2 after last week's stubbed toe, admit it, you still were not quite convinced the Bengals were no longer Bungles.

After all, through six weeks, had the "Cardiac Cats," the team that couldn't win a game until it was the very last minute of the game, really ever dominated anyone?

"We always thought it," said Carson Palmer, the quarterback, when asked if he believed the Bengals could put together a dominating performance. "We just hadn't proved it."]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/991174.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/991174.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:05 EST
But they didn't really finish.

The start was excellent.

The ending was just OK.

So for all intents and purposes, Kentucky took care of business on Saturday night, beating UL-Monroe from the Sun Belt Conference 36-13 in what could have been a danger game.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/985035.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/985035.html Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:47 EDT
First thing Rich Brooks did after Kentucky beat Auburn on Saturday night was voluntarily explain to the media why he had been slightly less than forthcoming about UK's quarterback "competition" the week before.

His admission showed the measure of the man. Most coaches think it's in their job description to deceive the media. You could tell that Brooks was bothered that he had been a little less than forthright. You don't find that too often.

Kansas guard Sherron Collins isn't too crazy about all the national love thrown John Wall's way. Collins told CBS Sportsline's Gary Parrish, "I think I've established myself, and he's coming out of high school with a lot of hype. But I'm the old guy, and I ain't gonna let no young boy get the best of me."

Great story by FanHouse (ncaafootball.fanhouse.com) columnist Clay Travis, who missed an entire Saturday of college football to be an usher in a wedding that featured a groom who was a Kentucky graduate and a bride who was an Auburn graduate. No televisions were allowed, but Travis does report that by the end of the reception, there was loud chanting of "C-A-T-S, CATS, CATS, CATS."]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/982581.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/982581.html Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:19 EDT
Christian Johnson, senior left guard.

Jorge Gonzalez, senior center.

Stuart Hines, sophomore right guard.

Justin Jeffries, senior right tackle.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/981872.html http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/981872.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:05 EST
He sure got that right.

To describe Kentucky's 21-14 upset of host Auburn on Saturday night at Jordan-Hare, let us praise now-famous men.

Praise the Kentucky quarterbacks, no doubt, starting with true freshman quarterback Morgan Newton, who showed promise in not just his first collegiate start, but his first collegiate game.

Praise Will Fidler, the junior backup who was told early in the week that Newton would start. Fidler took the news "like a man," said assistant Joker Phillips, plus he had not been able to throw much all week because of a sore shoulder.]]>