Why Can’t We Be Like Alabama

Starting out by saying Lexington isn’t Birmingham, or Kentucky isn’t Alabama, seems like a good way to get your attention. Have I got it now?

We hear constantly that Kentucky is a Basketball school and not a Football school. Is that really true? I say no it’s not true. We play in the SEC, abet poorly but we do field an occasional better than average team, and we do have our fair share of rabid fans. Look up the meaning of the word rabid.

1. irrationally extreme in opinion or practice: a rabid isolationist; a rabid football fan.
2. furious or raging; violently intense: a rabid hunger.

Ok. Rabid might no be the perfect word to use but some of it fits. This fan for one is drooling for good football.

It seems like every day I read a fan post somewhere where a fan says, “I’ve been a football fan all my life but I’m getting old and want to see Kentucky take the next step before I die”. They might use different words but the meaning is clear.

We have fans saying the administration needs to spend more money, hire better coaches, build a new stadium, recruit better and even move to a different conference. Depending on your opinion all of those are true.

Here is the gist of what I want to say. Why isn’t Kentucky like Alabama. In this day and age recruits are more computer literate than some writers are. They visit multiple sites and compare whats said about teams they are looking at. Is what is printed in a online newspaper going to be the decider in where they play? No but I think it does play a small role in deciding where to attend school. At least in my mind as a parent.

All I have to do is look at how the LHL has uses their online site and the way al.com uses their site. Does anyone wonder why KSR gets more visitors than even links from other sites pull into the LHL. Larry Vaught posts better articles every day on his blog and Bleedbluekentucky.com does a far better job on covering football than the LHL does.

So why hasn’t the next step been taken? A partnership between the LHL, the Winchester Sun, the AM News, the Courier Journal and any other Ky newspaper in an online site like al.com sure couldn’t hurt any of them. I have no idea on how much this would cost but I’m sure a company similar to Advance Internet would be more than willing to discuss it.

Perception might not be the end all to better recruiting but it can’t do anything but help all the state schools, and the newspapers.

Oh and by the way I’m open to being the Hawaii writer when the Kentucky administration finally decides to schedule Hawaii in football. I’ll probably have to arm wrestle Larry Vaught for the job though.

Tennessee Flys Albatross Airways

If at first you don’t succeed, try try again. That looks like its going to be Derick Dooleys slogan. A report at yahoo sports is saying that Tennessee is under investigation again for a assistant coach sending $1,500 to to a talent scout in July 2009, funding the airfare for an unofficial recruiting trip by then five-star prospect Lache Seastrunk and his mother.

When is the Albatross named Kiffen finally going to manage to get off the ground and out of Tennessee? Not very quickly apparently.

This one looks way worse for the Vols than the previous charges.

Its Offical A&M Is In The SEC

Well its official now. The SEC announced today that Texas A&M will join the conference effective July 1, 2012, and will begin competition in all sports for the 2012-13 academic year. How exciting can a Sunday get?

You don’t think its exciting? It is, it is, it is exciting. Sports writers all over the country are being forced to work today since the SEC, in their infinite wisdom decided that Sunday is the perfect day to tweak noses in the Big 12. Blog writers are feverishly looking for story’s to copy ideas from. Google is about to crash from SEC fans searching for Texas boards to talk smack. Coaches are looking for Texas HS players to visit now that there is a new SEC big bull in town. Texas legislators are thinking about how to impeach Gov Perry for allowing this to happen. Oklahoma fans are laughing behind their hands at the embarrassment Texas is suffering. Anyway you get the picture, Texas A&M is in the SEC next year.

I should have had something prepared to post since I knew this was going to happen. I didn’t though so I’m just going to wing it.

How is the SEC going to change. To begin with in men’s basketball there will finally a sheriff in the west. In men and women’s track A&M has won the last two national championships and will make the west stronger. Women’s soccer, volleyball and softball will be getting good upper level SEC teams. In football the SEC will be getting a mid level team who will benefit in recruiting by joining the SEC. The SEC will also be getting a school that produces the most military officers besides the academy’s.

Not bad.

SEC Week 4 Rankings

LSU and Alabama showed they are not only the best teams in the SEC, they showed they are the best teams in the nation

1. Alabama: Alabama gets my nod as #1 this week after a dominating performance over Arkansas. Next up they visit #12 Florida where they will attempt to slow down the fastest pair of backs I’ve ever seen.

2. LSU: LSU is sitting at #2 because they gave up 463 yds passing to W Va. and Alabama gave up only 209 yds to Arkansas. This week they get to practice against Kentucky.

3. Arkansas: I’m keeping Arkansas ranked #3 simply because Alabama will make them look better after beating Florida at Florida.

4. Florida: Still undefeated after having no problem with Kentucky. There is probably little chance of beating Alabama this weekend but upsets are known to happen.

5. Georgia: Beating Ole Miss doesn’t deserve to be moved up two spots but neither Miss St or S Carolina looked as good. Getting Miss St at home will help decide who is going to win the East.

6. Mississippi State: Told you they should be worried about Louisiana Tech. The WAC has come close to surprising a couple of SEC teams this year, but Georgia should be able to handle them.

7. Auburn: Beating FAU point wise is all it takes to win. Come on though they almost allowed FAU to out gain them yardage wise. Visiting S Carolina won’t help their fans feel good this week.

8. South Carolina: The defense had no problem with Vandy, but Vandys defense made Spurrier look like a QB guru. Rumor has it that the NCAA has granted another year of eligibility to Spurrier so expect SC to beat Auburn.

9. Tennessee: No game is a good way to keep the Tennessee fans happy. Up next is really low scoring Buffalo team.

10. Vanderbilt: If they had a fair offense their loss to SC wouldn’t have hurt as much. They have a week off before they visit Alabama.

11. Kentucky: Florida acted just like a stepsister who wouldn’t let Kentucky borrow the pumpkin. With a trip to LSU up next its going to be hard to get the shoe on. As I said last week, “Don’t expect to see perfection and pray not to see ugly.”

12. Ole Miss: A loss to Georgia probably didn’t do Nutts job security any good but a Loss at Fresno St might spell his end as a coach in the SEC. My upset pick of the week.

BBR Top-25 Week 4

We keep having changes in the top 25, but nothing real major yet. This week Alabama regained the top spot, but LSU was very close to the top spot
01 Alabama–
02 LSU–
03 Oklahoma
04 Oklahoma St
05 Boise St
06 Stanford
07 Wisconsin
08 Florida
09 South Carolina
10 Nebraska
11 Oregon
12 Arkansas
13 Texas A&M
14 Va Tech
15 Clemson
16 South Florida
17 Texas
18 Baylor
19 Michigan
20 Georgia Tech
21 West Virginia
22 Michigan St
23 TCU
24 Illinois
25 Florida St.

Thing could change again next week, let us know what you think

A First At BBRules

Between the LHL board and here at BBRules we have been playing Lits U Pick Em for at least 5 years. This week is the first time NO ONE picked the Cats to win. In years past even if we expected to lose to Florida or Tennessee people almost always picked the Cats to win. Call it pride, call it hope, call it what ever you want to call it. When things reach this point there only one thing left to do during the rest of the season. Call the beer wench and wait for basketball to start.

Vacation Anyone Part II

Here is a continuation of my post from earlier in the week.

There is a lot involved in scheduling Hawaii for a 13th game. So many teams want to get that 13th game that it’s not easy to get the game. For us to get on the schedule we would probably have to go the home and home route and even then it night be necessary to get coach Cal to agree to throw in a basketball game or two.

The economy is a valid point but surprisingly people are still coming to Hawaii they just aren’t spending as much in stores. Given a year or two to plan I think Kentucky fans will turn out.

From the recruiting point, Hawaii turns out the most D1 players per capita in the country. The last 9 or 10 QB’s from St Louis HS have started as D1 QB’s. Polynesian’s are scattered all up and down the west coast and untapped by the SEC. Bear Bryant even brought in a RB from Hawaii the year before he left for A&M.

Here are the games scheduled so far by Hawaii. We would look good on that list.

2012
@ Southern California (Pac-12), September 1
@ BYU (Independent), September 8
Lamar (Southland) (FCS), September 15
South Alabama (Sun Belt), December 1[4]

2013
Southern California (Pac-12), August 31
@ Oregon State (Pac-12), September 7
BYU (Independent), September 14
@ Navy (Independent), November 9
Army (Independent), November 30

2014
Oregon State (Pac-12), September 6
@ Colorado (Pac-12), September 20
Washington (Pac-12), Date TBD

2015
Colorado (Pac-12), September 5
Navy (Independent), November 28
@ Washington (Pac-12), Date TBD

2018
@ Army (Independent), September 15

2019
Army (Independent), November 30

Vacation Anyone

I really don’t see much in the way of a future over the next couple of years so. Lets go for the future or at least a good vacation. I’m sure everyone remembers when Alabama was hurting. What did they do, they signed a two for one deal with Hawaii to give their kids something to look forward to. Hawaii gave them their all and beat them once in three games, but guess what it worked.

From what I see we need to do the same, even if we lose three times. We need to get our kids and fans fired up, even if its just for a visit to Hawaii.

Sure I know we play in a tough conference but play in Hawaii and you get a 13th game. Looks like more of a win situation than than playing W Ky in Tennessee.

Join in people and at least give me a chance to see my favorite two teams play, and me a chance to meet all my BigBlue friends. Besides we can have one hell of a tailgate. BBQ’ed spam anyone.

Open Letter To Mitch

Dear Mitch. I’m a Kentucky football fan, admittedly a out of state fan, but come on Mitch grow a set. Sure you’ve improved women’s basketball. volleyball and soccer. Even men’s soccer has improved, but what about what pays the bills for those sports. Come on Mitch you know what I’m talking about. Spit it out guy, you know you can.

I’m not going to be one of those people who defends our coach, and I’m not going to be someone who ignores what is happening on the football field. Neither am I going to be some one who yells for a firing of a coach for a quick fix, but a quick fix is needed

I know your are getting some flack from the money guys, you know the guys who, how should I say it, yank your chain when things aren’t going right.

From what I see the SEC is going to grow to 14 or 16 teams real quick. You have any plans for how football is going to compete in a 16 team conference? Us fans sure hope so, since from what we can see, how are we even going to even a second rate bowl in the future.

Damn Mitch I’m beginning to feel like I didn’t turn in a library book, and that makes me want to take it out on some one.

So come one Mitch spend a few bucks on coaching before we start looking like a conference USA team. I’m not greedy Mitch, I just want to see a winner.

Truthfully Mitch, your an AD so, can you really see Kentucky finishing better than 11th in the SEC. When we go to 16 teams what do you think is going to happen.

A question for you to answer Mitch, and I feel bad for asking this. Is this your plan to get your daughter a job?

I’d really like to know Mitch so click on the contact link so I will know you really care.

SEC Expansion And Bowl Games

If we go to 16 teams in the SEC which seems likely we will probably end up playing 9 conference games. That leaves us playing 3 cupcakes and having to win 3 conference games to become bowl eligible. With 16 teams in the SEC, given the number of bowls the SEC is affiliated with we will probably have to win at least 4 games or possibly 5 games to make a bowl.

To me it looks like its going to be years before we go to another bowl game. I’d love to look at it differently, but from what I’ve seen so far this year the reality I see bites.

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