We needed a little Kentucky-Louisville controversy in this summer without sports
Random notes:
▪ Thank you, Dr. Erin Siciliano Calipari.
Just when we needed to spice up this sports-less summer, along comes the daughter of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari, criticizing Christi Hester Mack, wife of Louisville basketball coach Chris Mack, on social media.
An assistant professor of pharmacology at Vanderbilt, Erin took issue with a Facebook post from Mrs. Mack about the “Black Lives Matter” movement. So she tweeted, “(Chris Mack) you may want to have a talk with your wife about how this looks to your basketball players. An innocent Black woman was killed in her home by police in your town and she’s worried if the police are OK.”
Open hornet’s nest. One thing we know about the Calipari children: Like their father, they are not afraid to say what they think. Free country, right?
▪ Frederick Douglass High School offensive lineman Jager Burton, perhaps UK’s No. 1 football recruiting target, says he will push his decision date back from his previous goal of Aug. 24. And who can blame him considering what the coronavirus pandemic has done to recruiting? Better to wait and make the right choice than hurry and make the wrong one.
▪ For coaches, the pandora’s box of player power is wide, wide open. Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard called out Coach Mike Gundy. Thirty UCLA players called out Coach Chip Kelly over safety protocols. Iowa players got the program’s strength coach fired. Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill says he’ll sit out 2020 if the state doesn’t remove the Confederate battle symbol from its flag.
Now former UK wide receiver and offensive coordinator and current West Virginia head coach Neal Brown is dealing with a public controversy. Current Mountaineers safety Kerry Martin has alleged that Brown’s defensive coordinator, Vic Koenning, has made insensitive remarks. The school has placed Koenning on administrative leave. Koenning issued an apology Wednesday.
▪ When Kentucky and Notre Dame said they were going to play the third game of their three-game series at a neutral site, I was thinking Louisville or Indianapolis. The two sides are reportedly considering Madison Square Garden in New York. Big Blue Nation, better start saving those pennies now.
▪ It was no surprise that last Saturday’s Belmont Stakes drew the smallest television audience since 1993. Since there are no sports on TV, we are no longer in the habit of watching sports. And the Belmont’s appeal to the average fan is the 1 1/2-mile test as the final leg of the Triple Crown. This year’s Belmont was the first leg, sort of, at a shorter distance, 1 1/8 miles. Translation: Just another race.
▪ Ellis Park in Henderson has been approved to allow in fans up to 50 percent of the track’s capacity when it opens July 2. Churchill Downs announced that fans would be allowed for the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. Does that mean Keeneland might be allowed to have some fans in attendance when its five-day meet opens July 8?
▪ People often ask what does “World Wide Wes” do? Now we know. William Wesley was named executive vice president for the New York Knicks under his pal and team president Leon Rose.
▪ Yes, as we know, “World Wide” is close to John Calipari. No, as the UK coach has said, Calipari is not interested in the Knicks’ job.
▪ SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey says we should know by late July if we will have a college football season. Sounds about right to me.
▪ Looks like the Reds caught one break in the plan to restart baseball. At least for 2020, the National League will have the designated hitter. That should help Manager David Bell keep a crowded outfield happy. Good thing the Reds didn’t deal Nick Senzel.
▪ With Minor League Baseball all but canceled for 2020, and with contraction on the table, have we seen the last of the Lexington Legends? Sure hope not.
▪ So, if all goes well, we will have Louisville’s football opener against North Carolina State on Wednesday, Sept. 2, Kentucky football’s opener against Eastern Michigan on Thursday, Sept. 3, the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, Sept. 4 and the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, Sept. 5. Fingers crossed. And wear a mask.
This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 5:01 PM.
