Cats Still Making Headlines in the Off-Season

Ira D. Combs
Syndicated Columnist
Tri State Sports Media Service Inc.

Don't think I can ever remember an off-season of UK sports with as many major storylines that we're experiencing as we go into the month of June here in 2009.

Here is a brief description of the most popular ones to date:

#1 - Jeremy Jarmon, the perfect example of the NCAA's version of a student-athlete and UK's best defensive lineman loses his senior year of eligibility due to an innocent mistake, a classic case of the punishment not fitting the crime is my take on that matter. In a day and age when our society and legal system has shown 99 percent of the time to give anyone a second chance, especially when they admit their mistakes. Well Jeremy Jarmon, welcome to the one percent, the NCAA.

That ole saying that your mother, father, and all your coaches have been telling you since you became a teenager that "Life's Not Always Fair", you just got your first taste Jeremy, welcome to the real world.

#2 - Jodie Meeks, arguably UK's best basketball player is obviously struggling with making a decision on whether to come back to UK for his senior year or stay in the NBA draft. In observing last week's NBA combine tryouts on ESPNU it was interesting to me to listen to ESPN commentators Andy Katz and Steve Lavin explain how Jodie Meeks may very well be projected by the NBA evaluation gurus to be a first round pick but, in their eyes they both felt like he would serve his pro career and especially his second and third NBA contracts best if he returned for his senior year and played along side John Wall and improve his stock to possible lottery status by making a run at an NCAA championship like Wayne Ellington did at North Carolina this past year. During one 45 second shooting drill that involved Meeks taking 10 perimeter jump shots from 10 different locations while sprinting and changing directions and coming off imaginary screens, Meeks was a perfect 10 for 10 and right in front of NBA veterans Pat Riley and Larry Bird.

#3 - A different story almost daily on how John Calipari's new life in Lexington is progressing on how he's leading the Wildcats back to the promise land. Daily recruiting updates, tracking his prospects of buying a home, special parties set up by the Governor at his mansion to showcase the new UK coach to Frankfort's elite politicians, special train rides and accomodations to the Kentucky Derby, so much going on in Calipari's life he couldn't squeeze in time to meet with UK walk-on Landon Slone.

#4 - Billy Gillispie, UK's former immensely stubborn mens' basketball coach pulls the trigger on what everyone knew was inevitable when his legal representatives filed a law suit against UK for breach of contract. Interestingly, he wants to play this legal game on his home court in Texas and filed the lawsuit in a federal courthouse in Dallas. I guess you could say he wants to give Lee Todd and Mitch Barnhart a little of that southern hospitality, Texas style. All this new development needs is for J.R. Ewing to show up in court as one of Gillispie's lawyers. We've already got Lee Todd and Mitch Barnhart to play the roles of Jock and Bobby Ewing trying to keep Wilcat Nation together and on course toward a top twenty university. In the meantime, Gillispie has put his home in Nicholasville up for sale and returned to his Southfork Ranch in Dallas to draw out the game plan with J.R. on how to bust the vault at the UKAA with what's left of his Memorandum of Agreement plus legal fees so they can keep Southfork Ranch in Robin Leach's top 20 resorts nationally.

Special Note: I've never had more fun writing in my life, this is so easy and so much fun.

#5 - UK and it's athletic department then in turn filed a counter law suit on their home court in Frankfort, Kentucky against Billy Gillispie challenging his allegations saying he never had a signed contract with UKAA to breach. Only thing for sure in this scenario is that all parties need to bring this legal dilemma to closure quick. The negative national publicity for both sides will serve as a cancer on the beginning of the Calipari era and the image it paints for Gillispie for future employment will be sure to throw a red flag up for any athletic directors and presidents involved in the hiring process.

#6 - Ole clean Cal all of a sudden wants to be interviewed by the NCAA investigators on a matter concerning one of his prime time recruits academic status back in 2007. According to UK officials Calipari was up front with them concerning the possibility of this investigation when he was hired back in April but again the negative publicity indirectly associated with Calipari and UK doesn't help that already tainted past that both have in this department with the NCAA.

#7 - In the category of most discussed UK dilemma we have the ongoing scholarship delimma. Ironically, Big Blue Basketball has went from arguably the least talented basketball roster in recent memory to a roster with 15 qualified scholarship players but only 13 scholarships to give in a short 8 week period and this present state, I might add, comes after the new coaching staff very effectively convinced 3 players to continue their college careers elsewhere. Now, everybody involved must wait on Jodie Meeks' decision to see how the roster plays out to a final count for the 2009-2010 season.

With all the above taking place within the last few weeks there's one thing for sure.

Whatever Mitch Barnhart's "Memorandum of Agreement" is financially with UK, he's earning every penny of it.