Hank Thorns, the senior point guard from Las Vegas, announced today that he chose Virginia Tech over the University of Kentucky. It was an easy decision for him since Virginia Tech offered him a scholarship and Kentucky didn't. Kentucky might have offered Thorns a scholarship next week after his scheduled visit to Lexington, but Thorns decided not to wait any longer before making a decision. I don't blame the guy one bit. Unfortunately, I'm starting to see a pattern develop with recruiting at the University of Kentucky. At some point you just have to shit or get off the pot.
I'm gonna be out of town for the next week and I won't be able to update this blog. I will be leaving tomorrow morning and I should return on the 9th or 10th. If i catch the "big one" while I'm gone I will be sure to post a picture here when I get back.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
My take on the subject
Wow! All kinds of stuff happening in the sports world. So, I'm going to have to give my opinion on each item.
#1 Kobe Bryant says he wants to be traded. I personally do not think that Kobe really wants to be traded. I think he is frustrated (who can blame him) and he decided to lash out in the media. I honestly think that Kobe is just trying to utilize what little leverage he has in order to force the Lakers to bring in some more talent. I have no idea who he wants the Lakers to try and get, but something tells me that they are looking at Jermaine O'Neal. I'm not a big Jermaine O'Neal fan, but I wouldn't trade Jermaine right now if I were the Pacers. Let's face it, JO is all the Pacers have left. Larry and Donnie have screwed the lineup so bad that there just isn't any reliable talent left on the roster. It doesn't really matter to me though, I jumped off the Pacer bandwagon a long time ago. Go Cavs!!
#2 It is being reported that Billy Donovan has accepted a 5 year 27.5 million dollar offer to become the next head coach of the Orlando Magic. I am a University of Kentucky fan so I would be happy to see Donovan leave Florida for the NBA. That being said, I think this is a horrible move for Donovan. I don't know all the details, but I just don't understand why Billy would take this job. He would have made enough money at Florida. He would have probably won a couple of more championships at Florida. And he definitely would have had streets and buildings named after him at Florida. They probably would have built a statue of him in front of the basketball arena in Gainesville. Oh well, I guess Billy Gillespie will now have a little less competition for those prized recruits next year. That is, if Donovan doesn't change his mind and decide to stay at Florida.
#3 The Pacers announced today that they have hired Jim O'Brien as their next head coach. I personally think that O'Brien is a good coach and I can't wait to see if he can do anything with this roster. I'm just not convinced that he is the right guy for the Pacers. A lot of people within the Pacer organization said that Carlisle rubbed the players the wrong way with his approach to the game. I could be wrong, but O'Brien seems to have a lot in common with Carlisle when it comes to coaching style. Jim may play a more upbeat offensive style, but he is known as a strict disciplinarian who focuses on hustle and defense. I'm pretty sure those are two of the things that the players weren't too fond of with Carlisle. Wasn't Carlisle known as a defensive coach before his Pacers just quit playing defense this year?
#4 Prosecutors say they have enough evidence to indict Michael Vick. Surprise, surprise. Ron Mexico and the infamous water bottle at the airport were just the beginning. I'm starting to think Michael Vick may not be a very nice person. How much longer is it going to take the Falcons to realize that they may have kept the wrong quarterback. Oh sure, the guy is really talented. Just look at all the playoff games and Super Bowls he has won. In my opinion, Michael Vick has cost the Falcons as many games as he has won for them. Is he really worth the money and the headaches? They should have kept Matt Schaub and traded Vick for what they could get when they had the chance. Michael will probably avoid jail, but I have a sneaky suspicion that he is looking at a decent suspension from the NFL. I hope PETA shows up for all the Falcon games this year. I just love seeing those naked women protesting.
#1 Kobe Bryant says he wants to be traded. I personally do not think that Kobe really wants to be traded. I think he is frustrated (who can blame him) and he decided to lash out in the media. I honestly think that Kobe is just trying to utilize what little leverage he has in order to force the Lakers to bring in some more talent. I have no idea who he wants the Lakers to try and get, but something tells me that they are looking at Jermaine O'Neal. I'm not a big Jermaine O'Neal fan, but I wouldn't trade Jermaine right now if I were the Pacers. Let's face it, JO is all the Pacers have left. Larry and Donnie have screwed the lineup so bad that there just isn't any reliable talent left on the roster. It doesn't really matter to me though, I jumped off the Pacer bandwagon a long time ago. Go Cavs!!
#2 It is being reported that Billy Donovan has accepted a 5 year 27.5 million dollar offer to become the next head coach of the Orlando Magic. I am a University of Kentucky fan so I would be happy to see Donovan leave Florida for the NBA. That being said, I think this is a horrible move for Donovan. I don't know all the details, but I just don't understand why Billy would take this job. He would have made enough money at Florida. He would have probably won a couple of more championships at Florida. And he definitely would have had streets and buildings named after him at Florida. They probably would have built a statue of him in front of the basketball arena in Gainesville. Oh well, I guess Billy Gillespie will now have a little less competition for those prized recruits next year. That is, if Donovan doesn't change his mind and decide to stay at Florida.
#3 The Pacers announced today that they have hired Jim O'Brien as their next head coach. I personally think that O'Brien is a good coach and I can't wait to see if he can do anything with this roster. I'm just not convinced that he is the right guy for the Pacers. A lot of people within the Pacer organization said that Carlisle rubbed the players the wrong way with his approach to the game. I could be wrong, but O'Brien seems to have a lot in common with Carlisle when it comes to coaching style. Jim may play a more upbeat offensive style, but he is known as a strict disciplinarian who focuses on hustle and defense. I'm pretty sure those are two of the things that the players weren't too fond of with Carlisle. Wasn't Carlisle known as a defensive coach before his Pacers just quit playing defense this year?
#4 Prosecutors say they have enough evidence to indict Michael Vick. Surprise, surprise. Ron Mexico and the infamous water bottle at the airport were just the beginning. I'm starting to think Michael Vick may not be a very nice person. How much longer is it going to take the Falcons to realize that they may have kept the wrong quarterback. Oh sure, the guy is really talented. Just look at all the playoff games and Super Bowls he has won. In my opinion, Michael Vick has cost the Falcons as many games as he has won for them. Is he really worth the money and the headaches? They should have kept Matt Schaub and traded Vick for what they could get when they had the chance. Michael will probably avoid jail, but I have a sneaky suspicion that he is looking at a decent suspension from the NFL. I hope PETA shows up for all the Falcon games this year. I just love seeing those naked women protesting.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Manning vs. Brady
I normally wouldn't touch this topic. Not because I'm worried that somebody might not agree with my opinion on the subject, but because you simply can't compare these two guys. ESPN is running an opinion segment on their website right now where a bunch of experts are weighing in and all of them are saying that Manning is the better quarterback of the two. This makes me laugh because last year I bet every one of these guys would have said that Brady was the better quarterback. Of course, the only difference between last year and now is that Manning has now won a Super Bowl. So, does winning a Super Bowl automatically make you a better player?
Give me a break. You can't compare these two guys because they are two completely different players who play in two completely different systems in two completely different situations on teams with two completely different philosophies.
Peyton Manning plays for a team that believes you win with overpowering offensive strength. As a result, the Colts have spent a fortune on the offensive side of the ball. They have great offensive continuity because they have been able to keep most of their offensive players around for an extended period of time. Practice makes perfect, and when you have the same guys in the offensive huddle year after year you don't make too many mistakes on game day. The Colts offense is super aggressive and they take a lot of chances downfield. They score a lot of points because they have to. Peyton Manning puts up ridiculous numbers because he has to in order to win and he has the offensive talent around him to support him in his effort. He also has the ball a lot because the Colts defense gives up a lot of easy points every year. The Colts don't have much continuity on defense because they spend all their money on offense. While this makes the offense strong, it makes the defense weak. The Colts always rank near the bottom of team defense in the NFL every year. They rank at the bottom because they always have to replace too many starters on defense every year because they refuse to pay their defensive players and then they lose them to free agency. See Nick Harper, Cato June, David Thornton, Walt Harris, Marcus Washington, Mike Peterson, Mike Doss, Montae Reagor, etc. I'm sure I'm leaving out somebody, but you get the idea. Peyton needs to score at least 28 points a game in order to win.
Tom Brady plays on a team that believes "defense wins championships." I'm not saying that the Patriots spend all their money on the defensive side of the ball, but the Patriots have managed to keep a core group of defenders over an extended period of time. The Pats seem to have a knack for finding the right defensive player to fit into their overall scheme. They will pay the money to the right guy, but they also never seem to overpay anybody. They spend the money where they have to and this usually means that Tom Brady has a different set of receivers every year. This would kill a lot of quarterbacks in a lot of systems, but it doesn't really seem to affect Tom Brady. You see, Brady doesn't have to score 28 points a game in order to win. The Pats know this, and so does Tom. If the Patriots score 17 to 21 points a game they are probably going to win because their defense is usually pretty good. They play a conservative scheme on offense that takes what the defense gives them. Tom never puts up the kind of ridiculous numbers that Manning does because he usually doesn't have to in order to win. Tom sees the field and hits the open receiver. Usually the open guy is underneath and Tom picks apart the opposing defense 10 yards at a time. That doesn't mean that Tom can't be aggressive and go deep. He can and he does when he has to. But, Tom's game is different than Peyton's.
You just simply can't compare these two guys. I've often wondered what each of them would have achieved if their situations were reversed. What if Peyton played for New England and Tom played for Indy? Of course we have no way of knowing, but I have a sneaky feeling that both guys would be successful in the other team's system. In fact, I have a feeling that both guys would probably excel. That's not surprising to me because I honestly think they are the two best quarterbacks who have ever played the game. I think both of them would probably be great no matter where they played. Well, maybe not if they played for the Texans, Raiders, Lions, or Browns. But, you get the idea. There is no answer to the debate. One side will never convince the other. Give it up. It really doesn't matter.
For the record, though, I firmly believe that defense wins championships. The Colts won the Super Bowl this year because their defense caught fire and played over their heads throughout the playoffs. Peyton Manning played OK in the playoffs but he didn't carry the team. The defense carried the Colts and nobody should forget that.
Give me a break. You can't compare these two guys because they are two completely different players who play in two completely different systems in two completely different situations on teams with two completely different philosophies.
Peyton Manning plays for a team that believes you win with overpowering offensive strength. As a result, the Colts have spent a fortune on the offensive side of the ball. They have great offensive continuity because they have been able to keep most of their offensive players around for an extended period of time. Practice makes perfect, and when you have the same guys in the offensive huddle year after year you don't make too many mistakes on game day. The Colts offense is super aggressive and they take a lot of chances downfield. They score a lot of points because they have to. Peyton Manning puts up ridiculous numbers because he has to in order to win and he has the offensive talent around him to support him in his effort. He also has the ball a lot because the Colts defense gives up a lot of easy points every year. The Colts don't have much continuity on defense because they spend all their money on offense. While this makes the offense strong, it makes the defense weak. The Colts always rank near the bottom of team defense in the NFL every year. They rank at the bottom because they always have to replace too many starters on defense every year because they refuse to pay their defensive players and then they lose them to free agency. See Nick Harper, Cato June, David Thornton, Walt Harris, Marcus Washington, Mike Peterson, Mike Doss, Montae Reagor, etc. I'm sure I'm leaving out somebody, but you get the idea. Peyton needs to score at least 28 points a game in order to win.
Tom Brady plays on a team that believes "defense wins championships." I'm not saying that the Patriots spend all their money on the defensive side of the ball, but the Patriots have managed to keep a core group of defenders over an extended period of time. The Pats seem to have a knack for finding the right defensive player to fit into their overall scheme. They will pay the money to the right guy, but they also never seem to overpay anybody. They spend the money where they have to and this usually means that Tom Brady has a different set of receivers every year. This would kill a lot of quarterbacks in a lot of systems, but it doesn't really seem to affect Tom Brady. You see, Brady doesn't have to score 28 points a game in order to win. The Pats know this, and so does Tom. If the Patriots score 17 to 21 points a game they are probably going to win because their defense is usually pretty good. They play a conservative scheme on offense that takes what the defense gives them. Tom never puts up the kind of ridiculous numbers that Manning does because he usually doesn't have to in order to win. Tom sees the field and hits the open receiver. Usually the open guy is underneath and Tom picks apart the opposing defense 10 yards at a time. That doesn't mean that Tom can't be aggressive and go deep. He can and he does when he has to. But, Tom's game is different than Peyton's.
You just simply can't compare these two guys. I've often wondered what each of them would have achieved if their situations were reversed. What if Peyton played for New England and Tom played for Indy? Of course we have no way of knowing, but I have a sneaky feeling that both guys would be successful in the other team's system. In fact, I have a feeling that both guys would probably excel. That's not surprising to me because I honestly think they are the two best quarterbacks who have ever played the game. I think both of them would probably be great no matter where they played. Well, maybe not if they played for the Texans, Raiders, Lions, or Browns. But, you get the idea. There is no answer to the debate. One side will never convince the other. Give it up. It really doesn't matter.
For the record, though, I firmly believe that defense wins championships. The Colts won the Super Bowl this year because their defense caught fire and played over their heads throughout the playoffs. Peyton Manning played OK in the playoffs but he didn't carry the team. The defense carried the Colts and nobody should forget that.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Latest UK rumors
Hot off the press.
It was reported today that Billy Gillespie has been in contact with Las Vegas Valley High School point guard Hank Thorns. Hank is graduating from high school this year and has not signed a letter of intent anywhere for next year. Thorns averaged 27.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 6.8 assists during his senior season. He is only 5'9" tall, but he apparently plays much larger than that. Thorns' high school coach is reporting that Billy Gillespie has invited Thorns to visit UK on June 5th. It is thought that Billy would like to see how Thorns competes against current Wildcat players in a scrimmage. Thorns visited Virginia Tech yesterday and there has also been some interest from Virginia, New Hampshire, Old Dominion, and Nevada-Reno. Apparently Gillespie has already seen video of Thorns playing in high school and he may be interested in offering him a scholarship if he performs well in the aforementioned scrimmage.
It is also being reported that UK is also recruiting Nemanja Calasan from Midland College (junior college) in Texas. Calasan is a 6'9", 245 pound sophomore. He averaged 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds last year for Midland as they won the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I championship. Calasan originally signed with Utah but was released from his letter of intent earlier this month after Utah changed head coaches.
I'll let everybody know if I hear anything else on these two guys. I will be out of town this weekend and I don't know if I'll have access to a computer and the internet. So, it may be next week before I post anything else on here. Then, I'll be leaving for a fly-in fishing trip to Canada next weekend. I know I won't be able to post anything while I'm up there because we won't even have any electricity where we are going. I'd give Aaron access to this blog so he could update it while I'm gone, but I just don't trust him. LOL
It was reported today that Billy Gillespie has been in contact with Las Vegas Valley High School point guard Hank Thorns. Hank is graduating from high school this year and has not signed a letter of intent anywhere for next year. Thorns averaged 27.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 6.8 assists during his senior season. He is only 5'9" tall, but he apparently plays much larger than that. Thorns' high school coach is reporting that Billy Gillespie has invited Thorns to visit UK on June 5th. It is thought that Billy would like to see how Thorns competes against current Wildcat players in a scrimmage. Thorns visited Virginia Tech yesterday and there has also been some interest from Virginia, New Hampshire, Old Dominion, and Nevada-Reno. Apparently Gillespie has already seen video of Thorns playing in high school and he may be interested in offering him a scholarship if he performs well in the aforementioned scrimmage.
It is also being reported that UK is also recruiting Nemanja Calasan from Midland College (junior college) in Texas. Calasan is a 6'9", 245 pound sophomore. He averaged 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds last year for Midland as they won the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I championship. Calasan originally signed with Utah but was released from his letter of intent earlier this month after Utah changed head coaches.
I'll let everybody know if I hear anything else on these two guys. I will be out of town this weekend and I don't know if I'll have access to a computer and the internet. So, it may be next week before I post anything else on here. Then, I'll be leaving for a fly-in fishing trip to Canada next weekend. I know I won't be able to post anything while I'm up there because we won't even have any electricity where we are going. I'd give Aaron access to this blog so he could update it while I'm gone, but I just don't trust him. LOL
Tour de Farce
OK. I'm not much of a bicycle racing fan. But, I will admit that I do watch at least part of the Tour de France every year. I don't know why I find it mildly interesting. Perhaps its the beautiful scenery, but it probably has more to do with the fact that I know most of the French people watching the race hate to see Americans do well on French soil. It makes me smile to see the French suffer. Yeah, I don't think too much of the French. The French people would all be speaking German today if it wasn't for the good old United States of America. It amazes me how quickly these ungrateful people forget the blood and sacrifice that our American soldiers have given on French soil. I think its OK for the French people to disagree with U.S. foreign policy, but I think they need to show a little more respect in how they voice their opinions.
Anyway, I am laughing my ass off today after hearing all of these riders from past Tour de France competitions now coming out and admitting that they took performance enhancing drugs during past races. Today, I found out that 1996 Tour Champion Bjarne Riis has admitted that he took EPO during the 1996 Tour de France, which he won. The funnier part of this situation is that apparently the 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th place finishers that year have already admitted to taking EPO. None of these riders tested positive for anything during the race. So, if the Tour decides to take away Riis' title, who are they going to declare the new winner? I think the only fair way to crown a new champion for 1996 would be to invite all of the 1996 participants back to France this summer and then have them rerun the race. I know it sounds stupid, but I bet it would generate some enormous fan interest.
I think this whole mess is quite humorous. If the Tour officials don't take Riis' championship away from him, then what does that say about their unrelenting threats and attacks on Floyd Landis? I'm not saying that I think Floyd is innocent, I'm just saying that what's good for one is good for the other. If they want to take Floyd's championship away from him, they better be prepared to take away Riis' and anyone else's who admits to having cheated. That only seems fair. Unfortunately, the French people don't seem to be too concerned about what is fair. If they were concerned about fairness, they would leave Lance Armstrong alone. I'm not saying that Lance is innocent, either. But, if he was cheating during his Tour victories then he was doing a damn good job. Let's face it, the French put everything they had into trying to discredit Lance and they couldn't do it. Yet, they still consider him a cheater. That's not fair.
The greater issue with all of this is the use of performance enhancing drugs in sports. I'm laughing about this situation with the Tour de France, but I don't think the issue of performance enhancing drugs is funny. Those of you who know me personally know how I feel about steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. I will admit that I dabbled with recreational drugs when I was in high school and college but I never used performance enhancing drugs of any kind. And let me state for the record that steroids were made available to me when I was playing college football way back in the late 80's. I don't have any exact figures but I would be willing to bet that at least 1/4 to 1/3 of the guys on my college team had experimented with steroids at least once. Steroids were not hidden in that locker room. The coaching staff will never admit it, but they knew what was going on. I once saw a friend of mine put on 20 pounds in one month by taking only one cycle of anabolic steroids. You can't tell me that the trainers and/or coaches didn't notice that. Hell, we had to weigh in every day.
I'm not trying to sound "high and mighty" here. The truth is that I made the decision not to take steroids because I was scared of the possible side effects. I didn't want to have my hair fall out or have my testicles shrink. It just wasn't worth it to me. Looking back, I still think I made the right decision. I never made it to the NFL, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it even if I had taken steroids. And you know what, I'm a pretty happy guy today anyway. I have a beautiful wife, two beautiful children, a full head of hair, and two big hairy testicles. If only somebody had told me 25 years ago that smoking pot would make my testicles shrink I probably wouldn't have done that either. Oh well.
Anyway, I am laughing my ass off today after hearing all of these riders from past Tour de France competitions now coming out and admitting that they took performance enhancing drugs during past races. Today, I found out that 1996 Tour Champion Bjarne Riis has admitted that he took EPO during the 1996 Tour de France, which he won. The funnier part of this situation is that apparently the 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th place finishers that year have already admitted to taking EPO. None of these riders tested positive for anything during the race. So, if the Tour decides to take away Riis' title, who are they going to declare the new winner? I think the only fair way to crown a new champion for 1996 would be to invite all of the 1996 participants back to France this summer and then have them rerun the race. I know it sounds stupid, but I bet it would generate some enormous fan interest.
I think this whole mess is quite humorous. If the Tour officials don't take Riis' championship away from him, then what does that say about their unrelenting threats and attacks on Floyd Landis? I'm not saying that I think Floyd is innocent, I'm just saying that what's good for one is good for the other. If they want to take Floyd's championship away from him, they better be prepared to take away Riis' and anyone else's who admits to having cheated. That only seems fair. Unfortunately, the French people don't seem to be too concerned about what is fair. If they were concerned about fairness, they would leave Lance Armstrong alone. I'm not saying that Lance is innocent, either. But, if he was cheating during his Tour victories then he was doing a damn good job. Let's face it, the French put everything they had into trying to discredit Lance and they couldn't do it. Yet, they still consider him a cheater. That's not fair.
The greater issue with all of this is the use of performance enhancing drugs in sports. I'm laughing about this situation with the Tour de France, but I don't think the issue of performance enhancing drugs is funny. Those of you who know me personally know how I feel about steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. I will admit that I dabbled with recreational drugs when I was in high school and college but I never used performance enhancing drugs of any kind. And let me state for the record that steroids were made available to me when I was playing college football way back in the late 80's. I don't have any exact figures but I would be willing to bet that at least 1/4 to 1/3 of the guys on my college team had experimented with steroids at least once. Steroids were not hidden in that locker room. The coaching staff will never admit it, but they knew what was going on. I once saw a friend of mine put on 20 pounds in one month by taking only one cycle of anabolic steroids. You can't tell me that the trainers and/or coaches didn't notice that. Hell, we had to weigh in every day.
I'm not trying to sound "high and mighty" here. The truth is that I made the decision not to take steroids because I was scared of the possible side effects. I didn't want to have my hair fall out or have my testicles shrink. It just wasn't worth it to me. Looking back, I still think I made the right decision. I never made it to the NFL, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it even if I had taken steroids. And you know what, I'm a pretty happy guy today anyway. I have a beautiful wife, two beautiful children, a full head of hair, and two big hairy testicles. If only somebody had told me 25 years ago that smoking pot would make my testicles shrink I probably wouldn't have done that either. Oh well.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
UK news
Yesterday, former UK player Tayshaun Prince was one of eight players added to the U.S. roster of potential Olympian basketball players. Also added were fellow NBA players; Jason Kidd, Deron Williams, Mike Miller, and Tyson Chandler. The roster already included other NBA players like; Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Chauncey Billups, and Michael Redd. All of these players will attend a training camp in July. There will be a total of 31 players at the camp competing for 12 roster positions. If Prince makes the cut he would become the first UK basketball player to compete in the Olympic games in almost 50 years. Sam Bowie would have played in the Olympics in 1980 if the U.S. hadn't boycotted the games that year. In case you're wondering, the last Kentucky player to compete in the Olympic sport of basketball was Adrian Smith in 1960.
I don't know how everybody else feels about UK buying its way out of the UMass game this season but I think it is a bad move. UK signed the home and home contract and should have honored it. Not because of the buyout cost. $50,000 is all it cost UK to get out of the game. I just think it is a dishonorable thing to do. Mitch Barnhart says that UK bought its way out of the deal because he and Gillespie wanted to schedule another home game against an opponent of their choosing. I sure hope that is the truth and that it didn't have anything to do with Gillespie and Barnhart worrying that UMass might be too tough to beat up in Boston. This seems like an awful big slap in the face to UMass coach Travis Ford. Travis is doing a good job resurrecting the UMass program and getting Kentucky to come play in Boston would have surely been a great help for his recruiting, especially if UMass won the game.
I don't know how everybody else feels about UK buying its way out of the UMass game this season but I think it is a bad move. UK signed the home and home contract and should have honored it. Not because of the buyout cost. $50,000 is all it cost UK to get out of the game. I just think it is a dishonorable thing to do. Mitch Barnhart says that UK bought its way out of the deal because he and Gillespie wanted to schedule another home game against an opponent of their choosing. I sure hope that is the truth and that it didn't have anything to do with Gillespie and Barnhart worrying that UMass might be too tough to beat up in Boston. This seems like an awful big slap in the face to UMass coach Travis Ford. Travis is doing a good job resurrecting the UMass program and getting Kentucky to come play in Boston would have surely been a great help for his recruiting, especially if UMass won the game.
More Soccer
My daughter had another soccer game on Tuesday night. Her team started off very slowly and fell behind 4-0 by halftime. In the second half things changed. Her team (Red Stars) scored 3 unanswered goals to start the second half. It became more of a defensive struggle the rest of the way with the other team scoring one more goal to make it 5-3 with 90 seconds left in the game. Then, with around 90 seconds left in the game my daughter scored a goal from the top of the penalty box. This made the score 5-4.
The Red Stars stole the ball again shortly after the opposing team's kickoff. Everybody knew that time was running down. So when my daughter eventually got the ball at midfield and started toward the opposing goal everybody on the sidelines started screaming for her to shoot. She shot the the ball from well outside the penalty box and hooked it into the right side of the goal. It was a fantastic shot. The game ended in a tie as the ref blew the whistle about 15 seconds after the other team kicked off. I was a very proud father again.
The Red Stars stole the ball again shortly after the opposing team's kickoff. Everybody knew that time was running down. So when my daughter eventually got the ball at midfield and started toward the opposing goal everybody on the sidelines started screaming for her to shoot. She shot the the ball from well outside the penalty box and hooked it into the right side of the goal. It was a fantastic shot. The game ended in a tie as the ref blew the whistle about 15 seconds after the other team kicked off. I was a very proud father again.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Patterson makes a wise choice
I was so convinced that Patrick Patterson was going to Florida that I didn't even make an effort to check for updates on his announcement today. Imagine my surprise when Aaron called me this evening to tell me that Patterson had chosen Kentucky. It is being reported that Patterson liked Kentucky because of the proximity to his hometown. He felt that playing at UK would make it easier for his friends and family to see him play.
Regardless of why Patterson chose Kentucky, I bet Billy Gillespie is breathing one big giant sigh of relief. Patterson will join Alex Legion (G), Mike Williams (C-PF), and A.J. Stewart (PF) in the Kentucky freshman class next season. Also, PRP's Kerry Benson (F) has reportedly agreed to walk on at UK next year.
I have to give Gillespie some credit. I never thought he had a chance to sign guys like Legion and Patterson this year. This is the most excitement I have seen about recruiting at Kentucky in 10 years. I hope it is a sign of things to come.
Regardless of why Patterson chose Kentucky, I bet Billy Gillespie is breathing one big giant sigh of relief. Patterson will join Alex Legion (G), Mike Williams (C-PF), and A.J. Stewart (PF) in the Kentucky freshman class next season. Also, PRP's Kerry Benson (F) has reportedly agreed to walk on at UK next year.
I have to give Gillespie some credit. I never thought he had a chance to sign guys like Legion and Patterson this year. This is the most excitement I have seen about recruiting at Kentucky in 10 years. I hope it is a sign of things to come.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
UK basketball loses another
You can add another name to the list of basketball recruits who have chosen not to come to the University of Kentucky. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is reporting this morning that power forward Mike Sanchez will announce today that he has signed a letter of commitment to play for the University of Arkansas next year. If you're keeping track, Sanchez is the third high profile player to say "No" to Kentucky in the last 24 hours. Yesterday, Jai Lucas and Beas Hamga also chose to play elsewhere.
Of course, I would be an idiot not to mention that former UK player John Pelphrey is the head coach at the University of Arkansas. Congratulations to John for getting Sanchez to choose Arkansas over Kentucky.
This just makes it more apparent in my opinion that Gillespie should have offered a scholarship to Pettigrew. I know Pettigrew is undersized, but he wanted to play for Kentucky and I don't think he would have turned down a scholarship if it had been offered a little earlier in the process. It's starting to look now like Gillespie is going to be sitting on some unused scholarships this season. I sure hope he knows what he is doing.
Of course, I would be an idiot not to mention that former UK player John Pelphrey is the head coach at the University of Arkansas. Congratulations to John for getting Sanchez to choose Arkansas over Kentucky.
This just makes it more apparent in my opinion that Gillespie should have offered a scholarship to Pettigrew. I know Pettigrew is undersized, but he wanted to play for Kentucky and I don't think he would have turned down a scholarship if it had been offered a little earlier in the process. It's starting to look now like Gillespie is going to be sitting on some unused scholarships this season. I sure hope he knows what he is doing.
Monday, May 14, 2007
UK recruiting news
Beas Hamga announced today that he chosen UNLV over Kentucky. I was a little bit surprised.
Jai Lucas signed with Florida just a few minutes ago. This was just as I predicted. I am still predicting that Patterson will also sign with Florida. Losing Jai Lucas doesn't really upset me because I'm still not convinced that he isn't going to SUCK in college. I think Alex Legion is the better ball player.
Well, I guess we wait until Wednesday to find out about Patterson.
Jai Lucas signed with Florida just a few minutes ago. This was just as I predicted. I am still predicting that Patterson will also sign with Florida. Losing Jai Lucas doesn't really upset me because I'm still not convinced that he isn't going to SUCK in college. I think Alex Legion is the better ball player.
Well, I guess we wait until Wednesday to find out about Patterson.
Friday, May 11, 2007
I had to laugh
I just saw an AP headline that read:
"Danica feels pressure to win more races"
Don't you have to win at least one race before you can technically win "more races?"Hanson hired at USF
Former UK player and Tubby Smith assistant, Reggie Hanson, has been hired as an assistant to Stan Heath at the University of South Florida.
Reggie was one of my favorite players back in the day. I wish him all the luck in the world at USF. Reggie got blamed for a lot of the bad recruiting at UK while he was an assistant during the Tubby Smith era. I would imagine that it will be quite a bit more difficult to recruit players to USF, so I guess we'll soon get to see what kind of recruiter Reggie really is.
Reggie was one of my favorite players back in the day. I wish him all the luck in the world at USF. Reggie got blamed for a lot of the bad recruiting at UK while he was an assistant during the Tubby Smith era. I would imagine that it will be quite a bit more difficult to recruit players to USF, so I guess we'll soon get to see what kind of recruiter Reggie really is.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Joe B. Hall
I just read that former UK coach Joe B. Hall's wife passed away this morning. I do not know any more info, but I thought I would pass it along in case anybody actually reads this blog. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Edwin Encarnacion and other Reds news
The Cincinnati Reds today demoted Edwin Encarnacion down to AAA Louisville.
Edwin was having a tough start to the season. He was only hitting .218 and had already compiled 6 errors on the season. His two throwing errors against the Astros last night resulted in all three of the Astros runs in a game that the Reds lost 3-2.
The Reds called up Infielder Jeff Keppinger to take Encarnacion's place on the roster.
I think the Reds will now move Ryan Freel to third base to replace Encarnacion. This will then allow them to put the hot hitting Hamilton in the outfield on a more regular basis. I wouldn't be surprised if we have seen the last of Encarnacion. I really like the guy, but I don't think he is consistent enough to play every day. And let's face it, the Reds are a better team with Hamilton in the lineup.
Rumor has it that the Reds might be interested in Cleveland Indians reliever Jason Davis. Davis was designated for assignment by the Indians on Thursday. That means that the Indians have ten days to trade or release Davis. Davis had a 4.76 ERA this season but had given up 9 walks in 11 1/3 innings. I know his numbers don't sound that great, but those numbers would practically make him the ace of the Reds bullpen right now. Reds GM Wayne Krivsky would not comment on the rumor.
Edwin was having a tough start to the season. He was only hitting .218 and had already compiled 6 errors on the season. His two throwing errors against the Astros last night resulted in all three of the Astros runs in a game that the Reds lost 3-2.
The Reds called up Infielder Jeff Keppinger to take Encarnacion's place on the roster.
I think the Reds will now move Ryan Freel to third base to replace Encarnacion. This will then allow them to put the hot hitting Hamilton in the outfield on a more regular basis. I wouldn't be surprised if we have seen the last of Encarnacion. I really like the guy, but I don't think he is consistent enough to play every day. And let's face it, the Reds are a better team with Hamilton in the lineup.
Rumor has it that the Reds might be interested in Cleveland Indians reliever Jason Davis. Davis was designated for assignment by the Indians on Thursday. That means that the Indians have ten days to trade or release Davis. Davis had a 4.76 ERA this season but had given up 9 walks in 11 1/3 innings. I know his numbers don't sound that great, but those numbers would practically make him the ace of the Reds bullpen right now. Reds GM Wayne Krivsky would not comment on the rumor.
Junior is leaving DEI!
No, I'm not talking about Ken Griffey Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced today that he will be leaving DEI at the end of the season. As you probably know, DEI stands for "Dale Earnhardt, Inc." which is the racing team founded by Jr's late father Dale Earnhardt.
I've always heard that Teresa Earnardt (Jr's stepmother and the widow of the late Dale Sr.), who currently runs DEI, is a very good businesswoman. Allowing Jr to leave DEI just doesn't seem like a very good business move to me. I know that Jr hasn't been winning too many races lately, but he is still the most popular driver in motorsports. You can't convince me that letting him leave DEI is a better business move then retaining him at the cost of giving up majority ownership in the racing team to him. I think this move spells financial doom for DEI. I'm sure DEI will lose Budweiser as a sponsor and they will probably also lose a huge part of their fan base as a result of this move.
The options now available to Jr are seemingly endless. He could start his own Nextel team out of his JRM garage which currently competes in the Busch Series. He could join Richard Childress Racing who has an opening and is the team his late father raced with. He could join Joe Gibbs' team which also has an opening for next year and currently employs Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin who are reportedly good friends of Jr's. There is also a slight possibility that Hendrick Motorsports might be interested in making a place for him alongside Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
I think Dale Jr will probably join Richard Childress Racing. This move makes the most sense to me. Richard Childress has openly courted Dale Jr for many years. I'm sure RCR will make an offer to Junior that he can't refuse. Childress isn't stupid. He knows that they would both make a fortune together. The sponsors will offer truckloads of money to see Jr drive the black number 3 that his late father drove to fame. I'm sure the fans would trample each other trying to get off the DEI bandwagon and onto the Childress ship if Dale goes there. Of course, I would love to see Jr join the Hendrick Motor Sports team just to see how the idiot Earnhardt fans would handle Jr being teammates with Jeff Gordon. I don't think there is any chance that Dale Jr would join Hendrick, but I do think that Hendrick would give Junior the best chance to win races.
I'm not a big Nascar fan so it really doesn't matter that much to me. But, I do like Dale Jr and I hope everything works out for him. I think Teresa Earnhardt is headed for early retirement after this boneheaded move.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced today that he will be leaving DEI at the end of the season. As you probably know, DEI stands for "Dale Earnhardt, Inc." which is the racing team founded by Jr's late father Dale Earnhardt.
I've always heard that Teresa Earnardt (Jr's stepmother and the widow of the late Dale Sr.), who currently runs DEI, is a very good businesswoman. Allowing Jr to leave DEI just doesn't seem like a very good business move to me. I know that Jr hasn't been winning too many races lately, but he is still the most popular driver in motorsports. You can't convince me that letting him leave DEI is a better business move then retaining him at the cost of giving up majority ownership in the racing team to him. I think this move spells financial doom for DEI. I'm sure DEI will lose Budweiser as a sponsor and they will probably also lose a huge part of their fan base as a result of this move.
The options now available to Jr are seemingly endless. He could start his own Nextel team out of his JRM garage which currently competes in the Busch Series. He could join Richard Childress Racing who has an opening and is the team his late father raced with. He could join Joe Gibbs' team which also has an opening for next year and currently employs Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin who are reportedly good friends of Jr's. There is also a slight possibility that Hendrick Motorsports might be interested in making a place for him alongside Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
I think Dale Jr will probably join Richard Childress Racing. This move makes the most sense to me. Richard Childress has openly courted Dale Jr for many years. I'm sure RCR will make an offer to Junior that he can't refuse. Childress isn't stupid. He knows that they would both make a fortune together. The sponsors will offer truckloads of money to see Jr drive the black number 3 that his late father drove to fame. I'm sure the fans would trample each other trying to get off the DEI bandwagon and onto the Childress ship if Dale goes there. Of course, I would love to see Jr join the Hendrick Motor Sports team just to see how the idiot Earnhardt fans would handle Jr being teammates with Jeff Gordon. I don't think there is any chance that Dale Jr would join Hendrick, but I do think that Hendrick would give Junior the best chance to win races.
I'm not a big Nascar fan so it really doesn't matter that much to me. But, I do like Dale Jr and I hope everything works out for him. I think Teresa Earnhardt is headed for early retirement after this boneheaded move.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Aaron
So, my friend Aaron sent me an email last night asking me why I haven't been posting to this blog that much lately. The answer to that question is actually pretty simple;
#1, Aaron is probably the only person who reads this thing. The only reason Aaron reads it is because he is a fan of the same teams that I am and he is just too lazy to search for updates himself. He knows that I search for updates on my teams daily and then post the interesting things on here. If I decide not to post to this blog for a few days I'm pretty sure that Aaron is the only one who will care.
#2, The NFL season is over and the Colts haven't done anything of interest to post.
#3, The Pacers season is over and they haven't done anything of interest to post.
#4, The Reds season appears to already be over and they haven't done anything of interest to post. For the record, I told Aaron last season that too many players on the Reds were having "career years" and it would be a mistake for management to expect those kinds of performances again in 2007. Its starting to look like I was right.
So, there you have it. OK, Aaron, here is some info for you. Patrick Patterson has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday the 16th. He plans to announce his college choice which he has narrowed down to UK, Duke, or Florida. Jai Lucas reportedly will announce his college choice on Monday the 14th. Beas Hamga, another highly sought after UK recruit, has reportedly said that he may not commit to any school before the deadline.
My gut feeling is that on Monday Jai Lucas will announce that he has chosen the University of Florida. I think that Patrick Patterson will follow suit on Wednesday and announce that he too will attend Florida. I think UK has a good chance of getting Hamga. We'll see.
Also, the Indianapolis Colts released linebackers Gilbert Gardner, Mike Lobinjo, and Brandon Hoyte yesterday.
#1, Aaron is probably the only person who reads this thing. The only reason Aaron reads it is because he is a fan of the same teams that I am and he is just too lazy to search for updates himself. He knows that I search for updates on my teams daily and then post the interesting things on here. If I decide not to post to this blog for a few days I'm pretty sure that Aaron is the only one who will care.
#2, The NFL season is over and the Colts haven't done anything of interest to post.
#3, The Pacers season is over and they haven't done anything of interest to post.
#4, The Reds season appears to already be over and they haven't done anything of interest to post. For the record, I told Aaron last season that too many players on the Reds were having "career years" and it would be a mistake for management to expect those kinds of performances again in 2007. Its starting to look like I was right.
So, there you have it. OK, Aaron, here is some info for you. Patrick Patterson has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday the 16th. He plans to announce his college choice which he has narrowed down to UK, Duke, or Florida. Jai Lucas reportedly will announce his college choice on Monday the 14th. Beas Hamga, another highly sought after UK recruit, has reportedly said that he may not commit to any school before the deadline.
My gut feeling is that on Monday Jai Lucas will announce that he has chosen the University of Florida. I think that Patrick Patterson will follow suit on Wednesday and announce that he too will attend Florida. I think UK has a good chance of getting Hamga. We'll see.
Also, the Indianapolis Colts released linebackers Gilbert Gardner, Mike Lobinjo, and Brandon Hoyte yesterday.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Soccer Update
After a complete rainout last weekend, the local Youth Soccer League resumed play today.
My oldest daughter scored four goals in a 14-3 victory. The most impressive part of the victory for me was that my daughter scored the first three goals of the game in the first three minutes. She started at forward and took the opening kickoff the length of the field and scored. Then, she stole the ball on the opposing teams next two kickoffs and went down and scored on both possessions. Her coach then moved her back to defense for the rest of the game. The other team was over matched from the start and I'm sure our coach moved my daughter to defense to keep her from embarrassing the other team. She did, however, manage one more goal in the second half on a shot from midfield.
I was a very proud father after the game.
My oldest daughter scored four goals in a 14-3 victory. The most impressive part of the victory for me was that my daughter scored the first three goals of the game in the first three minutes. She started at forward and took the opening kickoff the length of the field and scored. Then, she stole the ball on the opposing teams next two kickoffs and went down and scored on both possessions. Her coach then moved her back to defense for the rest of the game. The other team was over matched from the start and I'm sure our coach moved my daughter to defense to keep her from embarrassing the other team. She did, however, manage one more goal in the second half on a shot from midfield.
I was a very proud father after the game.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Colts personnel
Now that the draft is over we are starting to get an idea of what the thinking of the Colts personnel people was going into the draft. Both Tony Dungy and Bill Polian have now stated that the Colts coaching staff has confidence that some of last years back up players are ready to step up into starting roles with next years team.
They apparently feel that Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden are ready to take over at the starting cornerback positions for Harper and David. And, they also apparently feel that Freddie Kieahu is ready to start at outside linebacker and replace the departed Cato June.
I can understand their feeling that these players are ready to step up because I thought all three of them performed pretty well last year when they were put on the field. But, I must admit that I feel better about the cornerback position than I do about that of the Colt's linebackers. The Colts are pretty deep at cornerback with 8 players now listed on the depth chart. Besides Jackson and Hayden, the Colts also have Tim Jennings who saw considerable action at corner last year.
The linebacker position is what concerns me. Freddie Kieahu played great in the New England game last year when he saw considerable action because of injuries to other players. But, that is the only game that I remember him getting a lot of playing time. Gary Brackett is a decent middle linebacker, but I think he was better on the outside. And I still don't have any confidence in Rob Morris. Rob played pretty good when he was moved to the outside last year, but I have seen too many subpar performances from him over the years to think he is the answer on the outside. The Colts also have Rocky Boiman and Gilbert Gardner who saw some decent playing time last year, but neither really impressed me. I just hope that the Colts find a diamond in the rough with one of the other linebackers currently on the roster. In case you were wondering, the other linebackers on the roster are; Brandon Archer (R), Ramon Guzman (R), Tyuan Hagler (2), Kamichael Hall (R), Brandon Hoyte (1), Mike Labinjo (3), Keith O'neil (5), Clint Session (R), and Victor Worsely (R). There are a lot of rookies and guys who rarely played in that list. I still think they should have drafted Posluszny or Harris.
Let's hope the Colts' personnel people were right.
They apparently feel that Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden are ready to take over at the starting cornerback positions for Harper and David. And, they also apparently feel that Freddie Kieahu is ready to start at outside linebacker and replace the departed Cato June.
I can understand their feeling that these players are ready to step up because I thought all three of them performed pretty well last year when they were put on the field. But, I must admit that I feel better about the cornerback position than I do about that of the Colt's linebackers. The Colts are pretty deep at cornerback with 8 players now listed on the depth chart. Besides Jackson and Hayden, the Colts also have Tim Jennings who saw considerable action at corner last year.
The linebacker position is what concerns me. Freddie Kieahu played great in the New England game last year when he saw considerable action because of injuries to other players. But, that is the only game that I remember him getting a lot of playing time. Gary Brackett is a decent middle linebacker, but I think he was better on the outside. And I still don't have any confidence in Rob Morris. Rob played pretty good when he was moved to the outside last year, but I have seen too many subpar performances from him over the years to think he is the answer on the outside. The Colts also have Rocky Boiman and Gilbert Gardner who saw some decent playing time last year, but neither really impressed me. I just hope that the Colts find a diamond in the rough with one of the other linebackers currently on the roster. In case you were wondering, the other linebackers on the roster are; Brandon Archer (R), Ramon Guzman (R), Tyuan Hagler (2), Kamichael Hall (R), Brandon Hoyte (1), Mike Labinjo (3), Keith O'neil (5), Clint Session (R), and Victor Worsely (R). There are a lot of rookies and guys who rarely played in that list. I still think they should have drafted Posluszny or Harris.
Let's hope the Colts' personnel people were right.
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