Happy Veterans Day

Another Veterans Day has come and men and women are still deployed to places totally foreign to their beliefs to defend American freedom. The loss of one man or woman who is willing to fight to defend our freedom is a steep price but these men and women are willing to pay that price. They are what secure our freedom to live and worship as we choose not drooling politicians who might once have been like them but now are like a bad smell in the outhouse you cant flush away.

Patrick Henry once said give me freedom or give me death. I say give me one illegal immigrant, one gay man or woman, one poor boy from the mountains, one poorly educated boy, one well educated girl who understand that without paying the price freedom in America wont endure.

The beauty of a sport

This is a good piece about soccer and a very good read. Why is it here in the basketball section. Because of something said below that I disagree with.

On the way back to our hotel, driving in our bulletproof car, we passed under a bridge on the highway and noticed one lone Mexican man happily swinging a flag back and forth. He had to have been 45 minutes from the stadium. There was nobody around him. He just kept swinging that flag with a joyous grin on his face. I remember thinking to myself, “Nobody in America will ever care about a sport that much.” And we won’t.

Obviously he has never been to Kentucky to know how much our fans care about the sport. Of course we Kentucky fans would never throw bags of urine at Indiana or Tennessee fans or Coach Calipari would walk off the court hiding a smile hopefully.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090817

And just as obviously we American love the beauty of the sport of soccer as much as anyone in the world. So much in fact that our passions boil at the thought of the game.

Erin did he do it

As many have heard Erin Andrews was taped nude thru a keyhole in a hotel. America’s Sexiest Sportscaster is now giving people looking for the video a virus. Got to be bad for a womans image giving thousands of American men a virus.

Where was BCG I wonder and is he responsible for giving her a virus like he gave the Cats a basketball virus? Now that I got that one out do you think its worth watching? Should I be ashamed of myself and if I do watch it will I need to get my computer shots?

And finally ESPN should give the lady a raise so she can stay in a hotel with electronic key cards in the future.

Football numbers Up…Offers Fly Out…

When it comes to the numbers, this year’s group of 3 & 4 star designated recruits UK has signed to LOI’s far exceeds any in recent years. It is obvious to me that our 3 consecutive bowl trips have led to some improved numbers in the recruiting arena, on paper. We can always count on Rich Brooks, Joker and Co. to deliver that little known recruit that turns out to be a star and I expect this year will be no exception…

Comparing UK’s recruiting this year, verses year’s past, reveals the discrepancy in the numbers this year, and that is The Good News. Consider that we only had 1-4 star player last year, Aaron Boyd, and 8-3 star players…This year, even with Morgan Newton not getting that 4th star, we have 3-4 star players and 16-3 star players….That is double the 3 star players and 3 times the 4-star….Definately our finest recruiting in decades!

It is hard to tell how good some of these 3-star players will be, especially Morgan Newton. In 2006, considered by many to be a great year – including the recruitment of Micah Johnson as a 4-Star, along with Corey Peters – We had 9-3 star recruits, so again, not in recent memory have we had a class such as this!

Now it appears that Brooks and Joker are keeping the proverbial pedal to the metal, and offering kids early once again…Miles Simpson, he of 6’2” grace and speed, of 6A Power Simon Kenton High, is on everyone’s wish list…Only a junior, he will have America in his back door before he is done. Maybe we need to get Micah to start recruiting him early, along with Chris Collinsworth’s son from the Northern Area of the Commonwealth. We let Shawn Alexander get away from there, and Miles is in that M-O-L-D…

UK is beginning to attract kids nationally with the program, and its unique position in the SEC as the northern-most school don’t hurt when recruiting in Indiana and Ohio where we are South of them, yet still in the SEC! Morgan Newton’s father mentioned location as being a “big factor” in his son’s attending UK as well as the chance to play QB in the SEC!

Indeed, the very thing we complain about – how tough the SEC IS – is our greatest benefactor in many cases…Kids see that the SEC is the toughest conference around, producing multiple consecutive champions, and they have a shot to be on national TV and play early.

Rich Brooks & Joker grabbed Two – Four star players from the juco ranks the last week of recruiting… These kids usually go elsewhere to play…Not any more…!

UK 64 Vandy 77

There is no gym in America that I wish would burn to the ground more than that God awful place Vandy plays in. The place reeks of bad basketball and plenty was on full display last night. Not just the players and coaches but the refs as well. Vandy’s uniforms suck, their gym sucks, their cheerleaders are ugly, their coach looks retarded and they didn’t pay the refs nearly enough for what they got in return. UK did its part as well. Porter played as poorly as I have ever seen. Harris did next to nothing, and UK never goes anywhere when it has to rely on a Liggins, Galloway Miller combo. And I wasn’t surprised at all with the outcome. UK went into a place where the home team always has its way as far as calls are concerned when UK comes to town. UK went in without its main guy inside. And as much as we love seeing Harrelson all over the floor on offense, he simply can’t defend the likes of Ogilvy. UK did it’s part to stink things up as well. I finally figured out the main problem with Liggins, Miller and Galloway last night. They have no idea where their bread is buttered. Not one pick was set by any of the three to free up Meeks. Not one. There is your answer, to those people who do not know why those guys do not get more minutes. Basketball is about doing the little things. Especially when you have the likes of Meeks and Patterson. Creating your own shot is great and all but you must understand how UK wins games. UK has won a total of one game where Liggins created his own shot. It has won a total of one game with Galloway feeding someone other that Meeks or Patterson. The rest have been won with Porter and Harris getting Meeks free and setting up the inside. Those three could do it much better than Porter and Harris if they applied the proper mindset. YES, you should create your own shot if you can’t get Meeks free. YES, you should get in the lane and dish if you can’t set up Patterson. But you must understand who you are playing with. A tight dish to Stevenson in the lane is a sure turnover. That’s just how it is until he shows better hands. Liggins does one thing and that’s drive the lane. He will continue to pick up charges until he realizes teams teams know exactly what he will do and sets up for it. On the bright side, I thought Stewart came in and provided a much needed lift. He has developed quite the jumper and his post defense, while horrid, was the best of the night.

In the end, this game wasn’t lost because of Liggins or Porter. It wasn’t lost because of Harris or Miller. It was lost because UK was short handed, the game was not called the same on both ends either inside or out, and UK had no one to generate an inside threat or rebound. Players picked up fouls where they didn’t even touch Vandy and Vandy was allowed to man handle anyone they chose to. I’m spitting this one out because chewing on it has left a really bad taste in my mouth.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, D-E-F-I-N-A-T-E-L-Y BLUE

Rich Brooks hails this class as the “Best One Ever”…..I second that emotion and, as usual, I have become interested in exactly what we got to work with, as we nailed down the finishing touches on this, THE 29th rated class in America…

As for the “Old”, we have had two top-twenty QB’s in the fold for some time, but the NEW may be the late addition of two 4-star athletes, one being a much needed receiver and one a DE, who we “BORROWED” from the JUCO ranks…

That’s a great number – the 29th best ranking – for a FOOTBALL PROGRAM such as UK’s, which, in the past, have had their classes fall somewhere below the TOP 50, AND the coaches out on the recruiting trail looking for the “SLEEPERS”….

You see, UK takes the sleepers, the kids who might break out and show great college football skills, and even move to the next level with their play…..Such legendary UK players as Wesley Woodyard, Stevie Johnson, and Trevard Lindley,attest to the fact that UK’s coaches know the value of the well-researched recruit….AND, JOKER PHILLIPS has always beat the bushes….

That is one reason that I have always rated UK’s classes a bit higher than the guru’s who rate ALL the teams….I know, based on history and performance, that UK will always get that kid who displays great potential as a football player regardless of accolades….

With this in mind, the question now is: “How do I rate this class? Are there sleepers in this class that will propel it further up the pecking order into SEC stratosphere? After all, that is the league we compete in, AND outperforming UT in the recruiting department won’t get you much in a league where UT is not THE player anymore, we just need to beat them to break some bad MOJO, but we MuSt recruit alongside the current “Juggernauts ‘O the SEC”; teams such as Florida, LSU, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, or THE BIG 4.

First, based on the “sleeper” factor, and the two “Top Twenty-5 QB’s”, I think we are much better than 29th….Just as a team like Florida can grab another ring with an impact QB such as Tim Tebow, so can UK do the “heavy lifting”, with their two signal callers AND improve their position in the SEC, which after some strong showings with Woodson at QB, “ran in place this year”…

As for our young signal callers, one of them just needs to be what the scouts predict for both of them; AN NFL PROSPECT!

Considering the effectiveness of teams with a great QB, one can see how just a modicum of good play at the other spots can make you one dangerous team…Consider, if you will how dangerous Vanderbilt University was when they had Jay Cutler and one great receiver. Now, I think we will be much better than that Vandy team, based on what we have, and what we have coming in….Surly we can be better than a team with no Athletic Department, etc…, but that is another tale for another day…

Here are the players with my synopsis of the B-E-S-T:

It starts with the quarterbacks, and Kentucky has landed two good ones in Morgan Newton and Ryan Mossakowski. Really, what is not to like about either one of these kids….? Ryan has such a strong arm it’s rated in the top ten and may go into the baseball draft before he plays a down at UK…Morgan only has the 4.5 speed that Curtis Pulley had, with the strong arm of a Woodson. He GAINED 1,600 + yards on the GROUND and over a thou passing…!

Now we have our “Arm” problem solved, what else did we get?
I like the big receiver out of Texas that we got late by the name of Terrell Mitchell, 6’4” 4.7 forty, along with the 4-Star Juco Chris Matthews. My sleeper receiver is the 6’6” Larod King 4.6 forty

Along the O- line you have to love the 650 lbs of beef we signed in Larry Warford and Sam Simpson. I’m picking both to “put their hands down” next year…errr, at least one, since Sam snaps without a hand down, an anomaly in football if he can do it at the collegiate level….

At the DE/DT position, I like the late signing of the 4-star JUCO defensive end, DeQuin Evans, Long Beach, Calif., to fill the void left by the graduation of the oft-injured Myron Pryor. Evans is a Top Twenty JUCO player holding down the 16th best player spot in all of JUCO land. U of L was a late suitor but UK held on…

At the linebacker spot, players of note are Qua Huzzie, “hardest hitter in the state of Ga”, and Jarvis Walker who claimed the same fame in the state of Louisiana.

At the RB spot we probably just stole Running back, Donald Russell from Florida, while Dakotah Tyler, RB Indianapolis, although rated the 18th best player in Indiana is the 1st running back listed, and ranks the 68th best in the land – while running a 4.4 forty with 205lbs of bulk is always a good thing…

“SLEEPER KEEPERS”

Larod King, Ratcliff, Ky*

Brian Adams of Cummings Georgia **

* Plays with abandon, doth the 3-star who plays b-ball as well.

**Must be related to Jeff Sheppard, this 3-star former high-school QB turned receiver, with that 37” vertical and 6’4” height….?

UK’s 2009 Football Recruiting Class
Brian Adams, ATH Cumming, Ga.
Jordan Aumiller, TE Danville
Justin Bean, WR Tupelo, Miss.
Mister Cobble, DT Louisville
Jonathan George, RB Lincoln, Ala.
Qua Huzzie, LB LaGrange, Ga.
Tristian Johnson, DE LaGrange, Ga.
A. Kendrick, TE/WR Katy, Texas
LaRod King, WR Radcliff
Patrick Ligon, DE, Memphis, Tenn.
Demetri Merritt, LB LaGrange, Ga.
Kevin Mitchell, OL Douglasville, Ga.
Terrell Mitchell, TE Powder Springs, Ga.
Ryan Mosby, LB Rockwall, Texas
Ryan Mossakowski, QB Frisco, Texas
Martavius Neloms, DB Memphis, Tenn.
Morgan Newton, QB Carmel, Ind.
Donte Rumph, DE St. Matthews, S.C.
Donald Russell, RB Plm Bch Gardens, Fla.
Samuel Simpson, OL Lexington
Dakotah Tyler, RB Indianapolis
Jarvis Walker, LB Metairie, La.
Myron Walker, DT Metairie, La.
Larry Warford, OL Richmond
Ridge Wilson, LB Louisville
JC
Mark Crawford, DT Indianapolis
DeQuin Evans, DE Long Beach, Calif.
Chris Matthews, WR Los Angeles

Croom resigns at Miss St

From ESPN

JACKSON, Miss. — Sylvester Croom resigned from Mississippi State on Saturday, five years after becoming the Southeastern Conference’s first black head football coach.

Croom announced the decision after meeting with athletic director Greg Byrne. It came less than 24 hours after an embarrassing 45-0 loss to No. 25 Mississippi in the most lopsided Egg Bowl in 37 years.
Croom and Doom

Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom resigned Saturday, a day after his team lost 45-0 at Ole Miss, the Rebels’ second-biggest win ever in the rivalry. Croom was 21-38 in five seasons and lost eight-plus games in four of his five years. The major problem was offense. It simply never got better under Croom.

Mississippi State Offense
Under Croom, FBS Ranks Total Scoring
2008 105th 113th
2007 113th 96th
2006 103th 97th
2005 113th 113th
2004 107th T-114th

Croom, who took over the team while it was under NCAA sanctions, won 2007 SEC coach of the year honors after leading the Bulldogs to an 8-5 finish and the Liberty Bowl. He signed a contract extension in the offseason that paid him $1.7 million this year.

But he came under immediate pressure from fans after a season-opening loss to Louisiana Tech of the Western Athletic Conference, and the heat only intensified as the offensively inept Bulldogs stumbled to a 4-8 finish.

The coach was 21-38 overall. He did not immediately return a phone message left by The Associated Press.

“Five years ago, Mississippi State gave me the unprecedented opportunity to be a head football coach in the Southeastern Conference and to build a program based upon a strong foundation,” Croom said in a statement.

“We have tried to build a program the right way that can compete for conference championships. I believe the foundation has been set for those goals to be reached under the leadership of someone else, and it was my decision to resign.”

Byrne was scheduled to meet with reporters later Saturday afternoon.

Calls for Croom to make changes to his coaching staff and run-first offensive philosophy dogged the Bulldogs. The team continued to have trouble at quarterback and Croom switched starters midway through the season.

A source familiar with Croom’s situation at Mississippi State told ESPN.com’s Pat Forde that the breaking point was not a refusal on Croom’s part to make staff changes; an important issue was the continuing ineptitude of the Bulldogs’ offense under Croom. In five years, Mississippi State has never ranked in the NCAA top 100 in total offense.

The Bulldogs were 11th in the SEC in scoring offense (16.6 points per game) and 10th in total offense (297.7 yards per game) through 11 games and lost badly at Georgia Tech (38-7) and Tennessee (34-3). Yet some optimism remained that Mississippi State could salvage a bit of pride and its promising recruiting class after a 31-28 win over Arkansas last week and with a good game against the revitalized Rebels.

Croom even got a vote of confidence from incoming Mississippi State president Mark Keenum.

But Mississippi State was outmatched from the start and looked poorly prepared against Ole Miss. The quarterbacks were hit hard on nine of their first 10 pass attempts as the Rebels put together a school-record 11 sacks and set another mark by holding the Bulldogs to minus-51 yards rushing.

Croom seemed stunned after the game.

“They came in here with the idea they were going to beat us bad, and they did from start to finish,” Croom said. “I don’t know why what happened today occurred. I’m sorry to say that it’s an absolute mystery to me.”

Byrne, a new hire who’s been on the job less than a year, wouldn’t comment on the speculation surrounding the football team during the season but said Saturday that a possible resignation was discussed in the morning meeting.

“We discussed the football program and many topics were addressed, including resignation,” Byrne said in a statement. “I want to thank Coach Croom for the leadership he has provided our football program over the last five years.”

While Croom wasn’t able to squeeze many wins out of his tenure, there’s little question he improved a Mississippi State program that was at its lowest ebb. The Bulldogs were hit with major sanctions following rules violations under previous coach Jackie Sherrill and had won just three games a season between 2001-03.

Hired Dec. 1, 2003, the Bear Bryant disciple who had been an all-American center at Alabama and an NFL assistant for 17 seasons inherited a team low on talent. Heavy sanctions and the SEC’s lowest budget made the challenge even steeper.

“We couldn’t even get recruits to visit campus,” Croom said this week while talking about his early recruiting efforts.

But Croom upgraded the talent enough that the Bulldogs were competitive in the nation’s toughest conference and they earned their first winning season since 2000 last year, capping it with a 10-3 win over Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl.

He also was having success off the field, drawing commitments from several top recruits, including a quarterback.

A spokesman said players would not be available Saturday, but some defended Croom following Friday’s loss.

“I think it is unfair,” wide receiver Delmon Robinson said of the criticism. “When it’s man-to-man coverage, it’s the receiver against the [defensive back]. If the receiver doesn’t win, it’s not the coach’s fault that he didn’t win. It’s all about the players. We’ve got to win and we’ve got to go out there and execute coach’s plays.”

It was the second straight season an embarrassing loss in the Egg Bowl led to a coaching change. Coach Ed Orgeron was fired a day after the Rebels collapsed in a 17-14 loss. Ole Miss led 14-0 going into the fourth quarter, but Orgeron went for it on fourth down at midfield. The Bulldogs stopped the play, went on to score and finished with 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.

Byrne said Croom’s assistants remain under contract and will work until a new coach is hired. He told Forde that Mississippi State’s search for a successor begins immediately and will be national in scope. He declined to discuss any specific potential candidates but said he wanted a “passionate leader who is capable of helping us win in the SEC. We have a lot of talent here in this state, and a very supportive fan base. We can win here.”

Among the coaches Mississippi State might target to replace Croom are Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables, East Carolina coach Skip Holtz and TCU coach Gary Patterson.

“Looking forward I plan to work closely with athletic director Greg Byrne to move quickly, but with due deliberation, to find a new head football coach with high energy and a commitment to compete for championships and bowl opportunities in the best conference in America,” Keenum said.

There likely will be several candidates for a coveted SEC job, but Mississippi State’s new coach shouldn’t get comfortable. There have been coaching changes at five of six SEC West schools in the past five years, with only Tommy Tuberville at Auburn lasting through that time. And even he’s facing criticism in a losing season.

The Rebels’ new coach, Houston Nutt, had been at Arkansas for 10 years before resigning after last season and moving to Ole Miss. But he believes tenures like that could be a thing of the past because fans and boosters have little patience for losing.

“It’s sad, but it doesn’t surprise me,” Nutt said. “It’s the way of the world in college football right now.”

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3733168