Gridiron Cats Get Fresh Start For Second Half

Rating: No Rating

By - Ira D. Combs

Director - Syndicated Columnist

Tri State Sports Media Services Inc.

Last weekends Big Blue Madness festivities now set in stone at Rupp Arena annually once again served as the unofficial kickoff to another UK basketball season . The night was full of bright lights , spotlights , bells and whistles with hollywood type introductions of UK players , Coach Cal , UK NBA alumni and other VIP guest as well . It was a unique type of sports entertainment only a tradition rich program like Kentucky can provide .

However , with a giant as well as thirsty fan base that usually has become starved to death for something to cheer about that's wearing blue and white by mid October , well , let's just say I think we may have arrived at the day that two hours of entertainment in Rupp Arena just isn't long enough to celebrate our love for UK basketball or for that matter our states affection for basketball at all levels . Don't lose sight of the fact that our high schools can officially start hoops practices on Oct. 15th as well .

So here is another one of my brainstorms that I hope reaches Mitch Barnhart and the UK marketing department and they take it as a challenge to implement .

Here goes and by the way this idea was initiated in my mind by Coach Cal's remark last week that UK is the Commonwealth's basketball team and it is . Always has been , always will be . I have no idea what Cal's intention was when he made the comment but in my eyes simple geography and having followed the history and traditions of the two schools basketball teams and fan bases will tell you that the University of Kentucky represents all counties and boundaries within the Commonwealth just like the city of Louisville represents our states largest city of Louisville , henceforth the University of Louisville .

Now , Is it possible to make Big Blue Madness an entire weekend of events , a basketball festival of sorts for the entire state to celebrate , fall is for festivals ?

Mark the date annually as we already are on the closest friday to Oct.15th and kick everything off at 5:00 p.m. then culminate the activities on sunday afternoon with the Governor of the Commonwealth officially declaring the start of another basketball season in the basketball capital of the world at 5:00 o'clock . This gives everyone time to return home at a decent hour to get up and start monday with a little gleem in their eye and pep in their step that life in our state is going to be special for the next six months and all eyes across the nation will be glued to us in a positive manner on ESPN instead of the normal negative comments we get from other networks showing our eye sores . Starting on friday evening at 6:00 use various venues of the UK campus and the city of Lexington to kick off the basketball season like the city of Cincinnati and the Reds do to officially start the MLB baseball season . Also , everybody likes a parade how about a late saturday morning parade down main street in Lexington featuring players , coaches , and how about a float contest featuring a float from each one of our 120 counties and everyone in the parade route can finish up at Masterson Station Park on Leestown Road where the weekend long festival has been attracting fans to enjoy the fall carnival and festival atmosphere . Let the players and fans mix and mingle in a carnival type atmosphere for a few hours .

Call it The Commonwealth of Kentucky's Annual Basketball Festival

Of course the schedule makers at UK need to make sure UK football is open that weekend or on the road , here are some ideas for a format / schedule to consider .

Friday

5:00 = UK basketball coach officially declares annual Kentucky Basketball Festival in session in a live remote set up at state capital .

5:00 - 10:00 = Masterson Station Park opens up to a state fair type event with a special emphasis on basketball events and functions .

6:00 - 8:00 = Memorial Coliseum serves as host to media days for statewide media contingent ( Invite fans to set on one side of Coliseum and have 25 media members to circulate crowd and obtain one question each from the fans to ask Coach Cal or a UK player ) . UK players lined up on opposite sideline from fans , Coach Cal at center court table facing fans , media seating on floor in front of Coach Cal ) Special Note - Have a hand held mike for each member of the media to stand up and announce their name and media outlet before they ask a question to Coach Cal or a player to give the fans an opportunity to cheer for their favorite media member .

Saturday

10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. = Masterson Station Park opens for a full day of enjoyment of basketball festival events and food booths .

10:00 a.m. - Noon = Parade down main street of Lexington ending at Masterson Station Park ( featuring UK players & coaches with Governor at the end ) One float representing each of the Commonwealth's 120 counties with of course a basketball theme .

1:00 - 6:00 Keeneland races feature the Thoroughbred horse industry , our states original claim to fame . ( have to show the recruits the horse industry )

7:00 - 9:00 = Big Blue Madness festivities at Rupp Arena highlight weekend card .

Sunday

Noon - 5:00 = Masterson Station Park opens for remainder of day for one more crack at the food and craft booths .

3:00 = Announce various winners of statewide float contest

5:00 = Governor of the Commonwealth official declares the state of Kentucky in basketball season and predicts the Wildcats final record and run into March Madness as well as which H.S. team will win the Sweet 16 .

There you have it , just a thought , back to football saturdays .

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

With the second half of the football season set to begin this saturday in the friendly confines of Commonwealth Stadium UK head honcho Joker Phillips has been preaching the time honored traditional mind set to Big Blue Nation the last two weeks that you are never as bad as it seems nor are you ever as good as you may think you are , the real team resides somewhere in between .

Not a bad analogy at the present time for this particular football team .

The only problem I have with that is this team HAS PERFORMED SO BAD at the two most impacted positions on offense that make plays ( QB and WR ) that we may never know exactly how good the rest of this team is because all other areas of the team are starting to show leaks and cracks because they are having to hold the entire fort down due to the offensive guns on the firing line shooting blanks .

Now , as we drift closer to the kickoff ( Noon on ESPNU ) of saturdays Homecoming tilt against 1-AA Jacksonville State of the Ohio Vally Conference the Cats braintrust over at the Nutter Training Center on Cooper Drive has been privately telling their players and themselves another old sports slogan made famous by the late great NFL guru Al Davis .

"Just win baby" , anyway , any how , and by any spread . Got to stop the bleeding before you can patch the wound .

Yep , right now I can't think of anything better for this team and coaching staff than to just go out and win a game , hopefully , by several TD's . It's really of a moot point who it's against or how it is accomplished the Cats just need to win and maybe get a little of that bad taste out of their mouth from the first half and get a little confidence brewing mentally .

Luckily , the 2nd half schedule is full of teams that are of a more common type talent to UK in size , speed , and athleticism .

Hold on let's take Georgia out of that last comment especially since UK plays them right beside UGA's doghouse . Two opponents Jacksonville State & Ole Miss will more than likely be listed as underdogs to the Cats by Vegas . Miss. State & Tennessee are both at home but more than likely will be favored only by a TD or less . Vandy is in Nashville this year which will likely make them a slight favorite as well but remember that ugly game the Cats had at South Carolina where they gained a paltry 106 yards , well , Vandy hit the Gamecocks for a grand total of 77 yards on the same field .

As crazy as it may sound on my part , I still think this season has a positive turn to make , I just can't put my finger on when it will start nor how long it will last . One things for sure if the Cats don't pull out a win this saturday , well , I'm afraid as Ole Dizzy Dean used to say about a pitcher losing his fast ball , " stick a fork in him , he's done " .

I fear the Cats will be too for the rest of 2011 if they aren't victorious this saturday .

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Special Wildcat Basketball Events Coming Up

Coach Cal's High School & Middle School Coaches Clinic Oct. 23rd

Coach John Calipari will once again carry on a UK coaches tradition this fall that UK Hall of Fame coach Joe B. Hall started back in the mid 1970's . On (Sun.) October 23rd Coach Cal will provide the Tri State areas high school and middle school coaches ( both mens & womens teams coaches ) with an opportunity to learn different fundamental drills and philosophies that he and his staff teach the UK Wildcats on a daily basis .

This year the clinic is also open to the vast UK fan base as well , please see instructions for registration below .

Attendees will watch Coach Cal conduct two different practice sessions with the Wildcats this day as well as have a Q & A session at the end of each and will be given exclusive access to the Joe Craft Center and Wildcat Lodge

No one in the recruitable age group of middle school , high school , prep school , or junior college ( male or female ) will be allowed to register or attend this clinic .

Check In for the Coed clinic will be from 7:30 - 9:00 on (Sun.) October 23rd at the Joe Craft Center .

Date - (Sun.) October 23rd

Time - 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Location - Memorial Coliseum & Joe Craft Center / UK Campus - Lexington , Ky.

Cost - $75.00 Pre Registration - $100.00 Walk Up on Day of Camp

Registration is available online at www.ukathletics.com/camps or you can call 1 - 800 - 852 - 2875 or 859 - 257 - 1916 .

Annual Blue - White Pre Season Scrimmage Set For Rupp Arena Oct. 26th

The annual first look of UK basketball's talent pool in a game type situation will be on display at Rupp Arena (Wed.) Oct. 26th at 7:00 o'clock for Big Blue Nation and it could be just as entertaining as any regular season contest because there will be 10 talented Cats on the floor at all times . Most fans can't wait to see the mega talented # 1 ranked freshman class . Personally , I can't wait to see what a senior laden Darius Miller brings to the table and how much sophomores Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb have improved both physically and talent wise .

Don't forget that old time honored saying that most have forgotten about in this one and done age of college basketball . The best thing about a freshman is that he becomes a sophomore and I'm thinking Jones and Lamb both will be much more comfortable and confident in their game as the season unfolds .

This years scrimmage will be televised live on Fox Sports South and the Big Blue Sports TV & Radio Network with WKYT / Lexington and WYMT / Hazard carrying the torch for fans in Eastern and Central Ky.

And to think 20 months ago Billy Gillispie who let's not forget was brought to us by Lee Todd & Mitch Barnhart had this proud program in complete shambles of major proportions with life long supporters and former players like Mike Pratt ready to separate itself from it . Only two probation years had it in more disarray than at anytime in the last 50 years .

0 members like this