The Known Caucasians

UK v. Seattle: Smells Like Teen.....

2007-11-03T11:26:00.000-04:00

When I think about Seattle, I think of a few things: Starbucks, the movie Singles, rain, grunge music, and, of course, Nirvana. I guess it could have been “of course Pearl Jam”, but for The Kid and The Lon the 90’s were all about Nirvana. The kids today may not remember, but at the time, you had to choose. You couldn’t like both Pearl Jam and Nirvana. I guess it would be like today’s tweens having to choose between “High School Musical” and “Hannah Montana”. Anyway, maybe the Rupp Arena PA guy will surprise us and play a little old school grunge for us. But, I doubt it.

Anyway, what do we know about the University of Seattle? Not much. UK's
"Fiddlin' Five" beat them in 1958 for the NCAA Title, a tourney run that saw
UK never leave the state. So, what do we know about current D-II and on the
way to D-I Seattle? Not much. The LHL did its usual stellar job of giving us
the starting five, their height/weight, and........well, that's it. I guess
it is just another tune-up/exhibition/sure-fire blowout?

Not so fast my friend! Yes, I know that is Lee Corso's line, but he doesn't
know who I am so who cares. Before you dismiss these type of games, go
and read this story about how Tom "Whtie Tubby" Izzo and Michigan State lost to D-II Grand
Valley State in OT. According to reports, GVS got the Minnesota Screw Job in regulation, but
still managed to hold on for the victory. Personally, I believe the Big 10(11) is perpetually overrated in pretty much every sport, except for NCAA Hockey. MSU is the Big 10(11) favorite
and they lost and got out rebounded by a D-II school at home. The moral of the story, besides that MSU is overrated, is that you should take nothing for granted.

Seattle went 23-9 last year and made it to the 2nd round of the D-II
tournament. And that's all I know. If UK plays as well as they did against
Pikeville, they will win easily, but I will be disappointed. What do I want to
happen, besides a 30+ point victory, to be happy? Here's my wish list:

Less turnovers- Ramel Bradley is going to turn the ball over, I'm not worried about him too much. Ramon Harris and Perry Stevenson, however, do not need to combine for double digit turnovers.

More rebounds- Patrick Patterson is going to get his. I would like the see the guards, Jodie Meeks, Joe Crawford, etc. to get a little more involved.

More scoring beyond the Top 4- Bradley, Meeks, Patterson, and Crawford should score. I would like to see more from Harris, Stevenson, Alex Legion, and others.

There you go. I have some Ken Pomeroy stats I will throw at you next week,
as well as an updated Stock Report. Go root on the Cats and be sure to give a
standing ovation to the Fiddlin' Five.

Yours truly,

The Kid

Welcome to the Jodie Meeks Show! Starring: Jodie Meeks!!

2007-11-01T15:50:00.000-04:00

Last night UK won the first exhibition game of the BCG era 99-64 over Pikeville. You can read about the game here, but the headline to the post says it all. At halftime, Meeks had 27 and Pikeville had 27. In the 2nd half he did not attempt a 3 point shot, presumably to give Pikeville a chance. It was unreal. I only wish it had been a real game so that his 1st half performance could be put up there with Tayshaun Prince’s game against North Carolina. Anyway, here is a rundown, in order, of the best players on the team and a grade of their performance last night.

1- Jodie Meeks- Unreal. See above. 7-9 from 3 point range. Great defense. Didn’t really like him at the point at the start of the 2nd half, but you can’t fault BCG for trying something. Grade: A+

2- Ramel Bradley- 15 points, 9 assists, 5 boards, and 5 turnovers. I think this is about what you can expect from Ramel. Facts are facts, as a PG he will turn the ball over. But if he can keep it hovering around a 2-1 assist to turnover ratio, the team should be OK. He played within the system and the amount of useless dribbling has dropped, but not altogether disappeared. Oddly, I think he should have looked for his shot a little more. He is a good 3-point shooter and passed up a couple of open looks. Grade: A-

3- Patrick Patterson- 21 and 9, not to mention a couple of blocked shots. Started the game slow, but ended strong. The only problem for PP is that there is no one in the frontcourt for UK that is even close to his talent level. UK tried to run the high-low, with some success, but you can only imagine how much better it would have looked with Randolph Morris still on the team or another talented forward/center. Also, played defense and blocked shots without foulding. That is very impressive for a freshman. Grade: A

4- Joe Crawford- 15 and 4 assists. People worried how Crawford would do coming off the bench. He seemed to be OK with it and the crowd gave him a very nice ovation when he checked in. Late in the 2nd half, he turned back into the no purpose dribbling Crawford, but hopefully BCG will break him of that habit. Because of the weak outing by Alex Legion, I think it is safe to say that if Crawford does not start, he will be the first guy off the bench. Grade: B

5- Ramon Harris- 0 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals. This one is a bit of a reach, and has more to do with how I think Perry Stevenson played poorly. What can Harris do that other cannot? He can play extremely tough man to man defense without fouling. Harris WILL play a lot this year, especially when the other team has a high scoring small forward (Terrence Williams of Louisville for instance). However, he will need to attempt more than 1 shot and MUST cut down on turnovers. He had 5 in 14 minutes. Grade: C

6- Perry Stevenson- 9 and 6 with 4 blocked shots. On paper it looks OK, but in person he was very unimpressive. I was hoping to see Stevenson dominate Pikeville the way he did Miami of OH and some of the other teams from early in the year last year. He did not. He had trouble finishing around the rim and had some silly fouls. PP is going to need some help down low, and Stevenson is the guy, athletically, who should be providing it. Grade: C-

7- Mark Coury- 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists. The frustrating thing about Coury is that he seems to know what to do, but he is sometimes just not physically capable of doing it. I may start calling him “White Sheray Thomas”. That is who he reminded me of. But, considering he is a walk-on but is going to play some minutes, he wasn’t too bad. Grade: C

8- Alex Legion- 0 points. Very disappointing. It is only the 1st exhibition game, but since I think UK is going to have to be a guard oriented team, the more guards we have who can fill it up, the better. Grade: D

9- AJ Stewart- 0 points, 1 rebound. He did dive on the floor, but he also shot a jumper off the side of the backboard. Extremely athletic, but I still don’t think he helps much this year unless it is a massive foul trouble or injury situation. Grade: D

10- Michael Porter- 0 points. It appears he may be the main back up to Bradley at PG, since he is the only other true PG on the roster. He still makes me nervous when he tries to bring the ball up against pressure. I also heard he got married, which would be the dumbest thing in the world. If you are a scholarship basketball player at UK, enjoy the time. Marriage will always be there. Hot ladies throwing themselves at you won’t. Think about it. Do you think Patrick Sparks is hooking up with any hotties wherever the hell he is? I doubt it. Grade: D- (Sorry, but the marriage is a reflection of his decision making)

11- Dwight Perry- 3 points. Dwight Freakin’ Perry?!? I thought the start against ‘Nova would be his career high point, but he almost had the chance to push UK over 100 points. That would have been a close 2nd. Because he missed 2 free throws, he denied us the Century Club. Grade: D

12- Jared Carter and Mike Williams- These 2 combined for less than 1 minute. Williams did not play at all. This does not bode well for the future. I am very shocked that Williams did not see the court. Grade: Incomplete

As far as Coach Gillispie, he gets an “A” for his first exhibition game. I have to be honest. It was odd at the beginning when they introduced the coaches and I did not hear, “Orlando Tubby Smith”. Although BCG has been there since April, it still caught me off guard. Also, you would be surprised how noticeable the absence of the Tubby Foot-Stomp is when you are at the game.

As far as the complaints on the message boards:
1. Too many turnovers- Agreed. UK needs to cut those down.

2. Front court worries- Agreed. If something happens to PP, we may as well run a 5 guard lineup.

3. BCG wore a yellow tie and not a blue tie- Seriously? That is just dumb. Quit complaining about stupid crap like this.

Until next time,
The Kid

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!

2007-10-31T23:13:00.000-04:00

The Lon here with an urgent sports update....The Cats are better than Pikeville College! The Cats are also probably better than The Kid, Weatherly, me, and 2 drunk guys we push off bar stools at Two Keys. Watch this space for more shocking developments.

All Buy Starting Five!!

2007-10-31T11:46:00.000-04:00

If you go here, you can see that BCG has named the starting five for the first exhibition game tonight, a game I will attend in person.

All five starters, Bradley, Meeks, Harris, Stevenson, and Coury were listed as BUY in the pre-season BUY/SELL. So, I guess I'm pretty damn smart. A few other notes of interest from the CJ story linked above:

1. There will be a 1 hour full speed practice before the game.

2. Patterson is not starting b/c of missed practices, but expect to see him play a lot

3. Jasper is being praised more highly than I would have expected

4. Carter is not. At all.

My thoughts:

1. This sounds like a good idea, but if UK looks tired or sluggish in any of their games, this is what will be attacked on the message boards. Speaking of message boards, the ones at the CJ have to be the worst I have ever seen. I know newspapers are dying and they are trying to integrate the digital age into all their platforms (Check out all those buzz words!!), but there has to be some sort of regulation. Unfortunately, it is not all UL fans. The UK fans are just as bad.

2. I am more excited to see PP than any othe player. I will repeat my prediction that he will average more rebounds than Morris from last year.

3. Glad I put him at BUY, but I will be very surprised if he plays at all this year.

4. Not good. It is too late to change to SELL, but........not good.

Maybe more later. Defintiely more after the game.

The Kid

WE'RE BACK!!!- Stock Report #1

2007-10-30T17:51:00.000-04:00

Pre-Season Stock Report- Stock Report #1

Because I am borderline obsessive when it comes to UK Basketball, even more so than UK Football (Did you know the basketball team will play 4 times before the football team plays again?), I can hardly wait until Wednesday night for the first game, even it is only an exhibition. And, since I am not The Lon, I can successfully follow two different UK sports at the same time.

Therefore, I have scoured the internets, blogs, and message boards looking for any and all scraps of information that might be floating out there. Some of it sounds good (Ramel Bradley being a leader), some it sounds bad (Joe Crawford possibly being a problem), and some of it is…..well let’s just go with interesting (Ramon Harris and Mark Coury playing a lot of minutes?!?!).

Anyway, before the season officially starts, and despite this being an exhibition game this is it, here is my own personal view on each of the scholarship players and Mark Coury. I am excluding our 27 walk-ons b/c I expect them to be nothing more than cannon fodder for practice. If a player is a BUY I expect him to do better than last season or if he is a freshman to be a major contributor. A SELL is a player I expect to do less than he did last year or if he is a freshman to be a minor contributor. I am assuming that all players will be healthy. That is to avoid putting a HOLD on anyone, such as Derrick Jasper or Jared Carter, whose health and playing status for the season is in question. So, in order of jersey number, here is the first stock report of the 2007-2008 Kentucky Wildcats, including the new head coach Billy Clyde Gillispie and staff.

#1- Alex Legion- BUY- I expect the better known new Wildcat from Oak Hill Academy (Bonus points if you can name the other one. Answer at end), to be a major contributor this season, although I do not expect him to be a starter. Legion can shoot. Period. He has the potential to be the best shooter on the team. Hopefully, a Rashard Carruth without the attitude. (The other new Wildcat from Oak Hill is walk-on Matt Scherbenske)

#3- Ramel Bradley- BUY- I believe Ramel will have a better year than last year, across the board statistically, and could possibly develop into a 1st team All-SEC’er. His turnovers will go down and his 3 point percentage will go up. Ken Pomeroy’s analysis of UK points out that it will be almost impossible to shoot from 2 as well as they did last year. They can make up for this with fewer TO’s and a better 3 point percentage. Bradley will be the leader of this team.

#5- Derrick Jasper- Mild BUY- It is hard to put out of my head that Jasper is hurt. Honestly, I think he will red-shirt. That is why he is a BUY. In reality, he is probably a SELL. If he is healthy, he is a BUY. He will not start games, but, if healthy, will score more than last year and will be the main back-up at point guard.

#13- Michael Porter- SELL- He didn’t play much last year and he is being recruited over as we speak. The only chance that Porter has is that he is the only “true” point guard on the team. BCG does not really require a “true” PG, but if he needs one Porter is the only choice. He moves up if Jasper is out the whole season.

#15- AJ Stewart- SELL- I think Stewart will be the Perry Stevenson of this year. He is extremely athletic and will make some impressive plays, but he will also be out of position a lot. This guy has potential, but I don’t expect him to be a major contributor.

#21- Perry Stevenson- BUY- I am basing this on the reading between the lines of BCG’s comments. When he talks about this team being a great shot-blocking team, I can only think that means “The Octopus”, my wife’s nickname for Stevenson, is going to play a major part. If he can be a major contributor, UK could be a lot better than their preseason ranking of #22.

#23-Jodie Meeks- BUY!!!!- I don’t follow the stock market enough to make the proper comparison, but if there was a stock that you could buy and it had the potential to make money for the rest of your life (Microsoft? Google?) that is what Meeks is. He is a star. His junior year, he will be the leading scorer for UK and a possible All-American.

#25-Morakinyo Williams- SELL- I liked him better when he was Mike. Hopefully, he will not have to play a lot this year. That would mean Jared Carter was healthy and producing. Although Williams had a good showing in the Big Blue Madness so did Woo. Ideally, he will continue to lose weight, gain muscle, and learn the game of basketball. When the SEC rolls around, he will not be a major factor.

#30-Dwight Perry- SELL- Dwight started the NCAA Tournament game against Villanova, and I think that will be his career highlight.

#32-Joe Crawford-SELL- Sad, but true. No transition goes completely smooth and I am worried that Joe C. will be the odd man out. In a traditional 2 guard lineup, Joe will have Meeks and Legion breathing down his neck. He is the leading scorer amongst those returning, but I do not think he will hit that average this season. If I’m wrong, which I hope I am, it will only mean good things for the Wildcats.

#34-Ramon Harris- BUY- Rumors run rampant (that’s alliteration!) about Razor Ramon (more alliteration!). If they are true, you could be looking at the newest Wildcat in the starting lineup. I am hoping this is true, b/c Harris gives UK a true SF who can match up against the other big and quick SF’s. It has been proven that Joe cannot guard these guys, and as awesome as Meeks is, it is asking a lot of him as well. A 6-7/216 SF who can “D” up and score a bit makes UK a very dangerous team.

#42- Mark Coury- BUY- Coury fits every stereotype you have about white players. He is “smart”, he “knows his role”, he “hustles”, and he appears to be able to knock down an open J. Because of the lack of depth in the front court, and b/c internet reports continue to say it is so, I expect Coury to be a major contributor this year. I refuse to believe he will start, but a key backup is extremely possible.

#43-Jared Carter- BUY- If he is healthy, it would be impossible for him not to improve. The only native Kentuckian on the roster is also the best chance for a true center. Like Stevenson and Coury, a good season from Carter means a GREAT season for UK.

#54-Patrick Patterson- BUY- Is he really going to get 20 shot attempts per game? If he is anything close to the real deal, he will. UK needs PP to have a Tyler Hansbrough type freshman year. If he does, UK wins the SEC. Not just the East. The SEC. To judge how important PP is, simply consider the reaction when rumors started swirling that he had some sort of medical ailment that would keep him from playing. Panic. Full scale panic. Bradley will be the leader, Meeks will be the best guard, but Patterson will be the key. He doesn’t have to equal the scoring of Randolph Morris, but he does have to match or better the rebounding.

Billy Gillispie- BUY- Seriously, until he wins an NCAA title, this is the most popular he will be. However, I do believe he is still an improvement over the Tubby Smith of the past few years.

Staff-BUY- If anyone on Tubby’s staff was any good he would have taken them to Minnesota.

And there it is. Stock Report #1. Tune in after the game against Pikeville for an updated ranking as well as a player ranking, 1-13, done by some of my students.

Yours truly,

The Kid

Ummm...

2007-03-26T11:57:00.000-04:00

Wow, did Vandy totally get hosed or what!

2007-03-26T11:26:00.000-04:00

Lost in the euphoria of G'Town's memorable comeback against UNC on Sunday is the fact that G'Town was beaten by Vandy in the Sweet 16. That's right, Vandy won the game, and the refs stole it from them by allowing G'Town's Green to travel not once, but at least twice on his "game winning" shot. A couple of blogs have some good takes on this:

http://ncaabasketball.aolsportsblog.com/2007/03/23/blown-call-sends-wrong-team-to-elite-eight/

http://www.wearethepostmen.com/?p=1633

This was really, REALLY blatant folks. I immediately rewound the TIVO because I was like "That guy couldn't have just taken 5 steps on that shot, could he?" I mean, there are 3 freakin' refs out there who are supposed to be the best the NCAA has to offer, right. Maybe you let the first sliding/shuffling of the pivot foot go (Travel # 1). Maybe. But the "game winning" shot was taken off a completely new pivot foot, which was certainly the most obvious travel in the history of college basketball.

Can you even imagine if the SEC East team who got hosed on this call was UK, instead of the pussies (pussys?) at Vandy? Holy crap, those refs' houses would each have been burned down with "On, on, U of K" blaring in the background. It would have made the fans in "All the Right Moves" look like they were from San Diego.

Just please don't let G'Town win this thing now. They just can't.

Hey, at least we didn't kill him!!!

2007-03-26T09:01:00.000-04:00

Click on the Title for the full story, but Kentucky fans can thank the Cricket world for making them look at lot more well-adjusted. Cricket is having their World Cup tournament, and Pakistan, the pre-tournament favorite, was bounced out of the World Cup by unheralded Ireland. Pakistan are apparently known in the Cricket world as always having the most talented team, but always underachieving. (kind of like the USA Basketball team).

Anyway, the day after the game, Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer was found unconscious in his hotel room, and soon pronounced dead. It was initially thought the guy had a heart attack from the stress of the colossal upset, but an autopsy revealed somebody STRANGLED him!!! And based on the lack of signs of a forced entry, it looks like it was somebody he knew.

So, Kentucky fans may have some figurative "blood on their hands" from Tubby Smith's ouster, but at least we didn't kill him! And no burning Crosses either! I feel good about that.

The First List!

2007-03-22T16:18:00.000-04:00

Gary Parrish, who spends a little too much time whitening his teeth, has unleashed a ginormous list of candidates. Here they are, in no particular order with my view if it would be a good or bad choice.

Billy D- Good
Billy G- Good
Calipari- Good, but shady. Seriously, with UK's probabtion history, we should probably cross this guy off.
Crean- Eeeh. UK can do better.
Jay Wright- Good.
Thad Matta- Good
Mark Few/Rick Barnes- Bad. I am combining these two guys, b/c they are probably at the bottom of my list. Barnes is a GREAT recruiter, but a weak coach. Few, I just don't think he would leave or handle the pressure.
Countless others- Good. I guess.

And the kicker, Rick Pitino- Good. I am not a UK fan that is pining for Ricky P., but the guy is a great coach. Sure, he cheats on his wife, wears some sort of rug, and spins the truth worse than Bill O'Reilly, but he is a great coach.

I am sure more names, if that is possible, will be added to the list soon.

Tubby Watch-Over!! New Coach Watch Begins!!

2007-03-22T16:03:00.000-04:00

Tubby Smith is out at Kentucky and headed to the University of Minnesota.

He is taking about a $1 million dollar paycut, so I doubt this is completely voluntary. Fox Sports is reporting that he was told to fire his staff or leave. I guess he didn't decide to fire his staff. I don't know if this means that Hanson, Hobbs, Rigot, etc. are going to UMinn also, but if they aren't I'm sure the other major programs will be beating down the door to hire these guys. That last part was sarcasm.

So, what does this mean? As predicted, catspause.com set a new record with over 9,000 visitors. That might not even last the rest of they day. (Update: New Record, over 10,000) Some people are reporting that Marquette's Tom Crean will be the guy, and that hasn't exactly fired up the Wildcat Nation. I think UK can probably do better, and they should probably wait until after the NCAA Tournament so they can contact any coach in which they might have interest.

Guesses from The Kid:

1. Billy Donovan
2. Billy Gilliespie

Outside Shot: Mike D'Antoni

If not one of the two Billy's, a lot of fans want John Calipari. I don't know about that, he seems a little shady to me.

Anyway, The Lon will have some viewpoints later, but for now, just know that Tubby Watch is done.

VCU-Later!!! (Lamest Headline Ever)

2007-03-16T08:17:00.000-04:00

The Kid here and while it was not the most exciting first day in the NCAA Tournament, a bad day with the NCAA Tournament is better than your normal Thursday. Unless of course you are Coach K, in which case Thursday was pretty much a shit day all around.

So, what about the games? Each one taught us a little something to remember as the tournament progresses, chief among these is that the Pac-10 is probably horribly overrated. So, what else?

Virginia Commonwealth 79—Duke 77: This was the only big upset of the day and, for 99% of America, the best outcome. Unfortunately, there is not some sort of clause with CBS that allows them to pull the Coach K commercials after his team loses, so we will just have to put up with that a little longer. At least they’re not as bad as those Applebee’s commercials from last year. Yet. Anyway, Duke ended the season on a 4 game losing streak and validated those who thought a 6 seed was a little high. On a day when the other 6 seeds playing completely destroyed their opponents, VCU got up and Duke’s grill and literally punched them in the face (see Eric Maynor pulling a “Kobe” and bloodying up Jon Scheyer on a shot follow through). Credit where credit is due, I knock Greg Paulus a lot, but he had a pretty good game.

Boston College 84—Texas Tech 75: Poor Bobby Knight. I guess we learned that just b/c you have more wins than anyone else, doesn’t mean much come tournament time. With the Duke loss and Knight out, I doubt Dick Vitale will even watch the rest of the tournament.

The rest:

It was nice of Georgetown, since there were no upsets, to let Belmont hang around for about five minutes. Thanks Georgetown!

Michigan State v. North Carolina in the 2nd round might be a little closer than I thought. Especially since Eastern Kentucky was only down 4 points early in the 2nd half.

Oral Roberts losing means a lost opportunity for some completely inappropriate jokes

Poor Vanderbilt. They got the shit game that is on during the one 2 hour block where CBS is not televising nationwide. At least their 33 point win sounded impressive

Louisville is good. Or Stanford is really, really bad.

Acie Law IV chasing Penn defenders around in the final minute, daring them to foul him, had to be the funniest moment of the first round. If you missed it, it was almost like a game of tag with the Penn defenders trying desperately not to touch him.

A&M v. Louisville will be one hell of a game. If UL wins, I think Billy Gillespie will see his name slide down the list of potential Tubby replacements

Ohio State took care of business. And they looked like they were having fun, which could be good news for their next game.
Their next game will be an emotional Battle of Ohio, as Thad Matta goes up against players he recruited. OSU should win easily.

Butler won and most picked them to lose. Good for Butler.

Maryland won. No one really cares. At least no one I know.

I work with a guy who had Wright State (owners of the most generic unis in the game) beating Pitt and advancing to the Sweet 16. He’s not having a great morning.

Indiana avenged last year’s lost to Gonzaga, which was easier than last year because Adam Morrisson is in the NBA and their starting center is ‘shrooming in his dorm room, jamming out to a 23 minute version of “Box of Rain”

“Box of Rain” is the only Grateful Dead song I like.

UCLA was down for a little bit to Weber State. I didn’t see hardly any of this game, so I will assume Darren Collison’s ankle injury was not much of a factor, since they won by 28.

My picks for today will come later. I gotta eat!

Louisville v. Stanford

2007-03-15T13:13:00.000-04:00

This is a complete rolling. The only way Stanford covers the spread is if UL refuses to shoot in the 2nd half, and even then I don't like their chances.

The Kid's Picks!

2007-03-15T12:33:00.000-04:00

It’s the most wonderful time……….of the year! Happy March Madness everybody! I hope you all have the opportunity to watch TV at work, or in some other way avoid doing anything that distracts from watching and enjoying the tournament. Even if your team doesn’t win, you can always root for teams you hate (Louisville, Duke, Tennessee, Florida, etc) to lose.

Tubby Watch will be up later, with Pitino and other weighing in, but now…….my picks!!

ODU +1.5 over Butler
Marlyand -7 over Davidson
VCU +6.5 over Duke
Pitt -9.5 over Wright State
IU +1.5 over Gonzaga
UCLA -20 over Weber State
UNC -27.5 over EKU
Mich. State -2 over Marquette
Texas Tech +2 over BC
Georgetown -17 over Belmont
Vandy -3.5 over GWU
Oral Roberts +7 over Wash St.
OSU -21 over Central Conn.
Xavier -2 over BYU
Stanford +5.5 over UL (Although UL will win)
Texas A&M – 13.5 over Penn

There you go. Now, go make some money!!

Friday’s picks will be up tonight.

The Kid

End Our National Nightmare. Send Sanjaya Home!

2007-03-14T17:37:00.000-04:00

If you do not know who this is, consider yourself lucky. For the rest of us, those who watch American Idol, he is simply the worst singer ever to advance this far in any sort of singing competition. Let's put it this way, Sanjaya making the Top 12 on American Idol would be like UK Basketball's coaching staff being named one of the Top 12 best recruiting staffs. It just would make no sense.

So, I implore you, please say a little prayer that when Ryan Seacreat announces who will be cut, that he simply says one word, "Sanjaya". And this will all come to an end.

Please.

Tubby Watch--Day 10

2007-03-14T15:55:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the delay folks, but I was out of town with my other job and when you are trying to chaperon (doesn't have an "e" on the end, which I think is weird) a bunch of high school kids, you don't always have time to get to a computer. I would like to thank The Lon for texting me all the relevant UK info, of which there was plenty. So, let's get to it.

First, UK Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had an interview with an AP writer about Tubby. This was apparently to clarify the position he stated earlier about Tubby. The last statement was taken as both a vote of confidence and absolute proof that Tubby was gone. This one will probably be taken the same way. Click here to read the whole interview. http://blog.kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=1833The big thing is that the writer used the Rick Brooks situation to give Mitch the opportunity to state without a doubt that Tubby will be back. Mitch did not.

Although a lot of people do not care for him, Rick Bozich of the Courier-Journal had a pretty good column about Mitch, Tubby, and the interview. What made it odd for me is that the CJ pretty much worships at the altar of Tom Jurich, as does the LHL know that I think about it, and this may be the first time one of the columnists actually views MB as a good AD. http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070313/COLUMNISTS01/703130480/1029/SPORTS03

Finally, the title of this post is a link to a Dan Wetzel column at Yahoo sports. It is probably one of the best out there dealing with UK, Tubby, and the UK fans. I liked it. A lot.

So, the next post will have to do with some NCAA picks and some thoughts on UK's actual game against Villanova, a game I predicted they would lose last week, but on which I am wavering now. There were a few other random Tubby shout-outs over the past few days (Scoop Jackson, who is terrible, says he's gone, Jay Mariotti, also terrible, says UK fans would be crazy to get rid of him and hints that Tubby at Michigan could be a possibility, and The Sports Guy cast him in an unfavorable light as compared to Rick Barnes of Texas. And The Sports Guy cannot stand Rick Barnes of Texas.

One thing a lot of these mentions and columns say to me is that if Tubby left at the end of the season, the backlash against UK might not be that bad. Smart basketball people, those who follow it for a living and not casual fans, recognize that UK is slipping and when a program is slipping the fault can like at the feet of only one person, the head coach. A lot of people seem to be worried about what others outside of the Commonwealth might say, but I think they may be worried about not that much at all.

Other interesting NCAA tidbits...Interesting DeCoury read!

2007-03-11T11:50:00.000-04:00

SI.com has UK as a 10 seed playing Arizona. They also have Duke as a 6 seed, which makes little sense.

CBSsportsline.com has UK as a 9 seed playing either 'Zona, Duke, Butler, or 'Nova.

Mike DeCoury has a good read about Tubby and the UK situation. One of the more interesting things is his mention that even when UK was going through the SEC undefeated, a discerning eye could see the program was slipping due to disorganization of the court. Just click on the title.

The Kid is out!!

Tubby Watch Day Seven--Assistant Coaching Names!

2007-03-11T11:30:00.000-04:00

Well, The Kid is here, getting ready to pack up and chaperon some high school kids on a little trip. That means that I will not be able to give you a Tubby Watch update until Tuesday. Hopefully, you can make it. Or maybe The Lon will once again try to advance his theory that "Scratch" will be UK's next head coach. Not that I have any real problem with Scratch, but his lack of coaching experience worries me.

Anyway, if you click the link above, Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader has a few names who could be UK's new assistant coaches. The general reaction amongst the Cat fans seem to be disappointment and the believe that Tubby is replacing his old buddies with some new buddies. Let's look at the names:

1. Jeff Schneider- Former Tubby assistant at Tulsa. Works with some kind of recruiting service. I guess his strength would be recruiting. His closeness to Tubby however, makes it unlikely that a lot of what you see on the court would change.

2. Rod Barnes- Former Ole Miss head coach. This is the guy I am the least excited about. Adding him to a staff with David Hobbs would give UK two fired SEC head coaches. And not to be flippant, but would probably lead to a third fired SEC coach, Tubby. Andy Kennedy has done 2 to 3 times the job at Ole Miss this year that Barnes had done. Before this year, no one on that roster had experienced a winning season. Once again, his closeness to Tubby makes any sort of on court change unlikely. Barnes is not an offensive guru.

3. Phil Cunningham- Mississippi State assistant coach. Actually, I have no problem with him. He is known as a recruiter and that is what UK needs. His hiring wouldn't really be about anything but recruiting. He appears to be the most promising of the three.

If those are the guys coming, I don't think UK fans will see any sort of change with the on-court product. Same defense, same offense, etc. That could be a problem. I am leaning more and more to the idea that just bringing in new assistants is only going to kick this problem down the road a year or two. In fact, if I could bet on "We will be having this exact same conversation a year from today", I would probably lay a couple of hundred on it. I would bet more, but I just don't have it, and although I could borrow it to bet, I don't want the Irish mob showing up at my house to break my legs. I like my legs, they're how I get around.

If I can get to a computer, I will try to give some feedback on Selection Sunday. I am still pulling for a Duke/UK 8/9 game. However, Joe Lunardi has Duke as rising 7 seed (based on what?!?!?) and UK playing Villanova, which would be nice for those who like Jay Wright as a potential UK replacement. Also, UK would probably lose that game, b/c UK has no one who can guard freshmen Scottie Reynolds. UL has a first round game with New Mexico St. and former UL assistant Reggie Theus. Whatever, Lunardi changes this shit all the time. 6:00 is just around the corner, if by just around the corner you mean 6+ hours.

Bracketology Update! 3.10.07

2007-03-10T12:10:00.000-05:00

So, apparently Joe Lunardi reads this blog, or else he and I have some sort of pyschic connection. No sooner do I wish for an 8/9 Duke v. UK game, but Bracketology gets updated and, voila!, a Duke/UK first round game with the winner getting destroyed by Kansas in the 2nd round. Well, it would be exciting and a lost would not only top 6,000 on the Catspause.com, but I will make the bold prediction of 7,000. You heard it here first.

Other interesting Bracketology tidbits:

No more UL/UT potential match-up in the 2nd round. That is disappointing.

Lunardi has Memphis and Villanove playing in Lexington. Think John Calipari or Jay Wright might get a few questions about a potential basketball job opening at UK, and I'm not talking about Miki DeMoss. Also appearing in the LEX, Bobby Knight. I can't wait for some lextures, and you know he would give them, from possibly the most hypocritical guy in college basketball.

SEC West--The Rodney Dangerfield of the SEC

2007-03-10T10:27:00.000-05:00

If you don't read the AOLFanhouse.com blogs, you should. They're great, cover all sports, and have some humor thrown in for good measure. Anyway, the article linked through the title concerns why no one is talking about Ole Miss as a bubble team. They have a good point. All year, SEC fans have heard how awesome the East is and how embarrassing the West is. Then the tourney rolls around, and...LSU knocks out UT, Arkansas knocks out South Carolina and Vandy, Mississippi State knocks out UK, and Alabama knocks out....nobody, they actually do suck, but that is beside the point.

The Final Four in the SEC features 3 SEC West teams (the Mississippi's and Arkansas) and only 1 SEC East team (Florida, who will probably win). Despite this, every website only has 4 SEC teams in the Big Dance. I'm sorry, but the SEC deserves more teams then that. I am openly rooting for one of the SEC West teams to win so as to secure at least one more bid.

And enough cannot be said about the job Andy Kennedy has done at Ole Miss. You may remember that this was a job that other coaches, such as John Pelphrey, turned down due to a perceived lack of commitment or facilities from the school. This was supposedly a dead-end job, but Kennedy, as proven during his one year at Cincinnati, is a good coach. Speaking of which, UC got screwed last year by the selection committee, and if Ole Miss makes the final and doesn't get a bid, it is time to start asking whether or not someone in Indianapolis has it in for Andy Kennedy.

BTW, when people talk about potential new coaches for UK, why never Andy Kennedy? I bet UK could pay him more than Ole Miss, he is a proven recruiter, and runs a fast paced offense (famously saying that this year at Ole Miss will be the slowest they every play). A lot of people think Billy D. would leave Florida, so why not try Kennedy as well. Just a thought.

Tubby Watch Day Six--The Aftermath

2007-03-10T10:05:00.000-05:00

Much like Dr. Dre, it is time for The Kid to present The Aftermath. And it ain't pretty.

The loss MSU was just a little more gasoline (or as Daddy Yankee might say "Gasolina!") on the "Fire Tubby" well, fire. (Metaphor didn't work as well as I hoped). Anyway, the Catspause.com message board set a new high, (5,937) which is good for them, and TheKnownCaucasians set a new high of 5. I predict Catspause.com will go over 6,000 on one of the three following occasions, warning, I do not think that all three will necessarily happen, but at least one of them will:

1. UK misses NCAA (Possible with all the mid-major upsets (see: Nevada)

2. UK loses in the NCAA Tournament

3. UK fires Tubby Smith

One of those is happening soon, and on that day the march to 6,000 will be complete.

So, what now? Well, if UK had won, I doubt they would have gotten past an Arkansas team that beat Vanderbilt for the 2nd time in a week yesterday. That sort of athletic team would have given the worn out Cats fits, but Morris did seem to be playing his best basketball, so who knows. Now, it is time to wait for the seeding and hope for the best. ESPN's bracketology currently has UK as an 8 seed playing Winthrop with the Florida Gators waiting in the 2nd round. For some reason, I didn't think you could play a conference opponent that early, but I assume Joe Lunardi knows more about this crap then I do. Maybe more intriguing, they have a potential Tennessee v. Louisville match in the 2nd round. That could definitely cause some exploding heads in the Bluegrass State.

CBSsportsline.com has UK as a 9 seed, but doesn't fill out a bracket. The potential opponents include Arizona, Villanova, Duke, and Butler. YIKES!! I think I would rather take Winthrop.

630 AM continues to report that 2 assistant coaches are out, and they also seem to insinuate that the 2 new coaches are pretty much already hired. College basketball is different from college football. In football, everyone know the hot assistants, but to be honest, I cannot name one in basketball. It usually ends up being former head coaches or young guys just done with playing. I think UK has the money to take a head coach from small school and pay him more to be an assistant at UK. That would be a pretty bold move, but I think it is going to take a pretty bold move to settle down the fan base.

More to come.....

Tubby Watch Day Five--Hearbreak and the Hot Seat

2007-03-09T16:05:00.000-05:00

While I am only The Kid, Shawn Michaels is The Heartbreak Kid, and heart break is how UK fans feel today after an OT 85-83 loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs. I thought it was foolish for anyone to declare this team could cakewalk anywhere. If the opportunity exists to make dumb mistakes, this team will seize that opportunity with both head and make sweet, passionate love to it. That is UK in 2006-2007.

So, what now? The Catspause.com is already heating up with "Get rid of Tubby" threads. And who can blame them after a loss like this. You might make the argument that it was the players who did dumb things, but he is the person who selected these players and coached these players. Also, I am unaware of the SEC rule that prohibits Perry Stevenson from playing in the 2nd half, but if anyone has a copy, please feel free to forward it to me.

The wait is on for Sunday night and to find out where this team will be seeded. At this point, I am worried about being embarrassed in the Tournament, either in the 8/9 game or against the #1 seed in the second round. It might be better to be a 10 seed at this point.

It's hard to talk about the game. Props to Morris who played great. That's it. Meeks and Crawford had good game, but mistakes near the end will be what people remember. And Sheray Thomas. I cannot wait until I don't have to watch him play. It will be a good day.

It's just........I don't know. What exactly was the call at the end of the game? Why were the players on the line for Meeks's free throw anyway? Why not foul Gordon instead of letting him shoot at the end of regulation? So many answered questions that are the result of Tubby's play calling. But I think the question on everyone's mind remains, what will Mike and Mike have to say about this on Monday?

The Kid is leaving to drown his sorrows and perhaps seek medical attention for his foot after repeatedly kicking a metal file cabinet.

Tubby Watch Day Five--Gameday--More Mike and Mike

2007-03-09T08:20:00.000-05:00

When I typed Seth Davis into picsearch, I swear to God this is what came up. Anyway, Mike and Mike continued their extreme interest in Tubby Smith with si.com/CBS d-bag Seth Davis, who sadly enough is the most sane voice on this topic. You have no idea how much it pains me to say that. I mean....Seth Freakin' Davis. That's who I agree with? Sad.

Anyway, M&M asked him about the OTS situation in that way that expresses their belief that no one could possibly agree with getting rid of Tubby. Seth chimed in, and here's a summary:

1. He hopes Tubby stays, he doesn't deserve to leave.
2. Mitch Barnhart means business. He asked OTS to change staff last year, OTS would not.
3. UK has not had a great year and they have recruiting problems. The fans are waiting on P-Patteron.

Basically, Seth would not agree with an OTS firing or force out, but he would understand. Although M&M brought up Rick Pitino's idiotic comments, Davis just avoided the topic.

Big Game today against Mississippi State. UK is a 2 point favorite. I am not chiming in with the others who think UK has a "cakewalk" to the SEC Finals, but this is a winnable game. A semifinal against a Vandy team who has beaten UK 4 straight times is not a cakewalk.

The Kid is out!

VICTORY!! UK 79-'Bama 67

2007-03-08T15:22:00.000-05:00

UK overcame another sluggish start to probably crush the NCAA dreams of the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Wildcats were paced by Randolph's double-doudble (17 and 11) with four other double figure scorers- Bradley 17, Crawford 16, Perry 10, and Meeks 12.

The deciding factor today was offense. UK shot 50% from the field, 41% from 3, and haulded down 11 offensive rebounds on their way to a 36-26 advantage on the boards. The "D" could have been better, but it did shut out 'Bama for about 9 straight minutes in the first half as UK pulled even and then ahead going into halftime.

It would have been nice to see a couple more calls go our way, specifically with Crawford driving to the hole, but there is not a whole lot to argue with today.

Tomorrow at 1:00 the Wildcats will take on our dreaded enemy to the South, Mississippi State. A Tubby Watch update will come later, so stay tuned!!

Yours in Victory,

The Kid

Tubby Watch--Day Four!! GAME DAY!!

2007-03-08T11:56:00.000-05:00

Game Day should be about the game, so there is no update on The Tubby Watch. Linked above is John Clay's blog, sidlelines. Usually newspaper guys have crappy blogs, because it is just another job on top of their other job. I actually like Clay's blog, moreso than his columns. I usually read them post game, since he usually gives out some "inside baseball"-esque info.

A lot of people think the Cats are going to win and at least go to the semis. I think that is very optomistic considering their play so far this season. However, with Ronald Steele and Jamereo Davidson not at 100% and the players, hopefully, maybe, playing a little tougher, I am predicting a UK win. If their is a loss, rest assured there will be a Tubby Watch update.

Keep an eye on Randolph Morris. Alabama is the game where he famously said his head was not in it. Let's hope it is there today.

Go Cats!!!!

The Kid

Tubby Watch Day Three--Tubby on PTI!!

2007-03-07T17:49:00.000-05:00

Tubby Smith is all over the place! After yesterday's appearance on Mike and Mike, you joined Tony (TK Stack Money) Kornheiser and Dan LeBatard (filling in for Michael Wilbon, who would've played the race card if he had been present).

Here is a rundown of the questions and Tubby's answers. My (The Kid's) comments will appear in italics.

TK: Is UK in the tournament?

OTS: Yes, won 20 games, 9 in the SEC, it's a tough conference with a lot of good teams. True, but 20 wins and 9 in the SEC is not exactly a bragging point for a UK fan.

DL: Do you deserve to be on the hot seat?

OTS: It is part of life, part of coaching. You know this when you get into it. Lots of Monday Morning Quarterbacks and critics, but that is part of any coach's life. Great answer. There are a lot of UK fans that would like OTS to call this season a failure and acknowledge the below average job, but there is no way he will do this while the season is still going on. Maybe afterward.

TK: Lots of blogs out there. Bloggers are crazy!! They email us all the time about how you haven't been back to the Final Four. Are they out to get you? This is a very Dick Vitale-esque question.
OTS: They don't want to get me, they just want UK to win Good answer, I personally like it when he defends the fanbase, which he doesn't always do. We've done what we've had to do this year. Don't really agree with that. We are in a position to go forward. With better closing, we could have a lot more wins. Is the next question about the pressure of UK? Tubby was joking at the end, b/c he has heard all of these questions before. Like last year. But, still, looking upbeat about this is the best he can do.
TK: Don't you have a Championship ring?
OTS: I have a few rings!! I have 5 SEC rings! Come on, Tubby. You know we are talking about national championships!
DL: Have you ever said, "I've had enough of this pressure and criticism?"
OTS: There is no such place, not anymore. Every job has pressure. True.
TK: Is there a harder job in college basketball?
OTS: Sure, there are places where you have to worry about attendance and filling the arena. UK doesn't have to worry about that. Rupp Arena is always great, always rocking. Every game is an event. I love UK and enjoy working here. It is home. That is actually nice to hear. I hope he loves it enough to do what is necessary to win. Because, if UK has another year like the last two, he may have to start worrying about attendance.
DL? Not sure: Best team in America?
OTS: Florida. They beat us last weekend with a great 2nd half. Good answer. Respect a formidable opponent and hype up a fellow SEC member.

All in all a good appearance for OTS. He did not do the stop and start thing with sentences, maybe the difference between being on TV and on radio. He messed up Tony's name at the end, calling him Mike, but they all just laughed and joked about it. If it is not clear yet, the interviews are proving to me that Tubby has no plans to leave UK and I don't think UK will force him out, unless he absolutely refuses to make any changes. I think he will make the changes.

Tubby Watch Day Three--Slick Rick Weighs In

2007-03-07T09:57:00.000-05:00

Sorry, but when I typed Rick Pitino's named into image search, this is all I got.

So, Mike and Mike in the Morning is quickly becoming "Keep Tubby Headquarters". Today, the former UK coach, and current u of l coach, Rick Pitino chimed in. Shocker, he thinks Tubby should be retained. But, what will probably strike most people as crazy is his claim that high schools would turn their back on UK and set the program back 10-15 years. Of course, 10-15 years ago, UK was competing in Final Fours, so maybe not so bad.

I live by a certain code. Don't believe Rick Pitino. After Dick Gabriel's comments last night, I think it is 99% certain that Tubby will be back. I also think that is why John Clay and Mark Story in the LHL have recently backtracked off their "change" columns and now seem to be advocating for Tubby. Anyway, Slick Rick's comments are completely and utterly prepostruous. If UK hired a good coach, I think he would have no trouble recruiting

The larger point here is the worry amongst the local media about what the national media might say or think. I believe this should be the least of UK's worries if they are considering a coaching change. If they hire the right coach, such as Notre Dame (Charlie Weiss), Florida (Urban Meyer), and North Caronlina (Roy Williams) no one will care. The media has a short term memory. If you don't believe me, watch how quick they slup up to Nick Saban next year after 'Bama wins a few games.

The Kid is out!!

Tubby Watch--Actual News!!

2007-03-06T22:00:00.000-05:00

It's The Kid. I was listening to 630 AM this evening and Dick Gabriel revealed that he had heard that two assistant coaches and a mid-level administrator were definitely out. Why is this important?

Gabriel and 630 WLAP are to the University of Kentucky what FOX News is to the Republican Party, basically an extension or a house run news organization. There is no way Gabriel would have revealed this on the air unless his "source" was 100%. What does this mean?

It means that more than likely Tubby will be back, albeit with some new faces. This should be good enough for most UK fans, but there will be a sizable contingent that will not be happy. Personally, I hope this works. I really don't want to go through another crappy season. Realistically, I am skeptical. I don't know a lot of places where wholesale staff changes have improved the product. Although, Larry Shyatt helped Billy Donovan at Florida, and the removal of Ron Hudson helped Rich Brooks here at UK.
Stay tuned for Tubby Watch Day Three!!

Tubby Watch--Funniest Take So Far

2007-03-06T15:25:00.000-05:00

This is Clay Travis. He writes for cbssportsline.com/spin. He is not a serious "sports journalist" per se, but he is almost always entertaining. You may remember his earlier column about his trip to Commonwealth Stadium or his sadness at the passing of JP Sports. Click on the title for his take on the Tubby Smith situation. If you're too lazy, here's a funny part:

Without further ado, here's 12 Internet wolves circling Tubby Smith:
1. Tubby hires a private investigator to follow Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart wherever he goes.
2. Calls Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks for advice on how to get his team to play with passion.
3. Obsessively monitors the arrival and departure of every Kentucky plane on FlightAware, where fans now track athletic department planes in an effort to divine who the next head coach might be.
4. Calls Ramel "Smooth" Bradley and Joe Crawford into his office. Stares at them for 10 minutes without speaking and then says, simply, "Y'all trying to kill me," before dismissing them and slowly swiveling around in circles in his leather chair while staring at the ceiling.
5. Instead of diagramming plays on his dry-erase board during timeouts, he stabs a photograph of Rick Pitino repeatedly between the eyes with a dart while his team watches.
6. Calls Billy Packer occasionally to confirm the 'Cats actually won the 1998 national championship. Then asks Packer to tell him the story about how he got the nickname Tubby, since Packer hasn't been able to tell this story in the Final Four since 1998.
7. Adopts the moniker TubbyRulz and obsessively defends himself on CatsPause.com.
8. Keeps track of obscure game stats like "Number of times one of my players gave me the crazy eye" and "Amount of feet between me and the backstabbing AD" and "How many Escalades can Daddy buy with the contract buyout money?"
9. Watches NBA games and wistfully sighs while thinking over and over again, "I should have left when they still loved me." Until Rajon Rondo's Boston Celtics play. Then he thinks, "I hope the next 3 you brick comes off the rim so hard it knocks you out."
10. Telephones Jeff Shepherd while he watches old film from the 1998 NCAA tourney run, yet hangs up each time Shepherd answers.
11. Contemplates replacing next year's Midnight Madness festivity, if he's still coach, with a giant-screen replay of Kentucky's last-second loss to Duke in 1992. That'll show them what real pain is.
12. Occasionally wakes his wife in the middle of the night and asks, "Ashley Judd still likes me, right?" When his wife confirms this fact he then asks, "These Internet crazies, these anonymous posters who want me gone, they can't really bring me down, can they?"

Tubby Watch: Day 3 Exclusive Photo of UK's Next Head Coach!!!!!!!!

2007-03-06T15:07:00.000-05:00

This is such an exclusive, I have not been able to post the actual picture, only a link (click above) to the picture. But, I have my sources, and they tell me this guy is a total LOCK.

Tubby Watch--Day Three--Say What?!?!? Edition

2007-03-06T14:31:00.000-05:00

This baby looks like he just discovered something unpleasant in his diaper. That is kind of how I (The Kid, President of Tubby Watch) felt after listening to Tubby Smith on The Mike and Mike Show this morning. What did he say? Let's roll the recap!

Basically, this interview was in Five segments:

Segment 1: Tubby on UNC/Duke. Of course, despite being referred to all morning as "embattled", the first question has to be about the Hansbrough incident. Glad M&M are covering this on Tuesday, I didn't hear nearly enough about it on Monday. Anyway, their question to him involved whether it was OK to have your starters in. Tubby said...well...I'm not quite clear if he agreed or disagreed. He did that thing where he starts a sentence and then stops in the middle of it and starts another one. I think it boiled down to a "well, you get criticized either way"

Segment 2: Tubby on UK's resume for the NCAA Tournament. This was preceded my Mike Greenburg (aka Greenie) saying he thought UK needed at least one win in the SEC tournament. Tubby thinks they are in because of their tough schedule (agree, toughest in the country), their RPI (agree, hard to leave out a Top 10 RPI team), and their victories over tough teams such as Indiana (agree), Louisville (not sure UK would beat them right now, but agree), Santa Clara (what?), UMass (huh?), and Eastern Kentucky (seriously????). Well, if UK is at the point where they are claiming victories over EKU as proof of belonging in the tournament, the Tubby detractors may be right.

Segment 3: Tubby talks about his job security. Greenie opens by referencing a USA Today article about Tubby's job security (full disclosure, I have not read this article or found it online. it is possible it does not exist. but it probably does). In what may have been the funniest part of the interview, Tubby insisted that although he and his staff do not read these articles, they can in fact read. I have no idea why he felt the need to stress this point. I have not hear any Tubby critic accuse him or his staff of being unable to read. Although it might explain a lot. Anyway, he and his staff are focused on the team. The job is pressure packed, all you can do is do your job, and Tubby has done his job. (But has he done it well? Isn't that the question). Also, the critics will always be there (true), but they are now just more vocal (i would argue that they are more vocal b/c the team is playing so bad).

Segment 4: Greenie wonders if there is too much focus on March and/or the Final Four. This is the segment that probably upset the most UK fans, myself included. Tubby, after having stated in the past that UK needed to get back to the Final Four, said that they are not that big of a deal and that no one remembers who was in last year's Final Four (I do. UF, UCLA, LSU, George Mason). Greenie also expressed that he was surprised that UK fans would be upset with a coach who always makes the tournament as a high seed. No mention of the fact that they were in the 8/9 game last year and will be lucky to make the 8/9 game again.

Segment 5: Good Luck Tubby! And that's it. Greenie and Golic both agree that it would be crazy to get rid of Tubby and as an example they point to the Alabama football search. I think this is a horrible, horrible comparison if you are looking to defend Tubby. When I look at the Bama search, although it took too long, they got a great coach, who they actually wanted from the beginning, who immediately raised their recruiting class several spot in the rankings, and who has proven himself to be an elite college football coach. If UK can get the basketball equivalent of that, I would be ecstatic.

My "Say what?!?" moments were the use of Santa Clara, UMass, and EKU as quality wins as well as the downplaying of success in March and the Final Four. I'm sorry, but in Rupp Arena, they only hang banner for the Final Four. That tells you right away what the bar is for a successful season. The more Tubby talks, the more I think he is not going to simply walk away like a lot of people want.

Tubby Watch--Day Three Update!!

2007-03-06T12:32:00.000-05:00

An explosive day at Tubby Watch Headquarters!! First the Mark Story column (more commentary on that later). Then at 8:05 EST Tubby appeared with these two dudes (Mike and MIke in the Morning) on ESPN Radio. A brief summary of the appearance is forthcoming. Also, sportsline.com has chimed in at "Clay Nation".

Lots of stuff to get to. More info coming between 2:00-2:30 today!!

Stay Tuned! And it should go without saying that there has been no movement on the Tubby front today. But, the day is early!!

Tubby Watch: Day 3....Tubby forced to eat "Wildcat Chicken"!!!

2007-03-06T11:28:00.000-05:00

I couldn't believe it either, but Mark Story (link to article above) actually made a lot of the same "be careful what you wish for" comments that I have been making, in particular the "undermining your current coach for bad recruiting will not help next year's recruiting class (unless you hire Billy D)" Point.

I also have obtained a photograph of UK's next head coach, which I will post later...

Tubby Watch!--Day Two Update!!

2007-03-05T16:11:00.000-05:00

Tubby Watch Update!!!

This is Chuck Hayes. If the NCAA allowed him to play eight years in college, we would not be having this conversation. Alas, despite the fact that UK and Chuck went together like beer and late night cheese sticks, he eventually had to leave. It has been all down hill for Tubby. No replacement on, or more importantly off, the court for Chuck.

Exhibit A- Joakim Noah calls UK the "kitty-cats", tells Ramel Bradley he's "his daddy"(click on link above), and generally acts like a gigantic douche fucker. UK's reaction. Well, although I am not advocating a Gerald Henderson-esque cheap shot to his nose, ala the Duke v. UNC game, I.....screw it....I am advocating a Gerald Henderson-esqu cheap shot to his nose. This teams lacks heart, desire, toughness, and winnability! (That's not a word. I just made it up, but trust me, Chuck had it) I can think of a number of former UK players that would have planted Noah on his ass, Jamal Magliore for instance, but no one on this team. If something like that would have happened, and that player missed the SEC tournament which led to a UK loss, I would not have cared. They would have at least shown some heart and toughness, something sorely lacking all year.

Tubby recognized he needs to recruit tougher players. Unfortunately for him, those tougher players may not be at UK.

Spoiler Alert! Tomorrow's Tubby Watch will feature a list of the coaches (yes, that's plural) who, according to sources, have already agreed to the UK job for next year! Apparently, we are going to pull some BYU moves and have multiple head coaches. Should be fun!

Tubby Watch--Day Two!!

2007-03-05T10:38:00.000-05:00

Brian Fantana brings you Day Two of Tubby Watch!!

As of this posting, 10:40 AM, Tubby Smith is still the head coach of UK. New Developments in Tubby Watch include an article from a Somerset paper I have never heard of (Commonwealth Journal) in which a guy I have never heard of (Doug Eads) breaks his arm patting himself on the back. He thought Tubby should have been gone last year or even earlier than that, and now more people are seeing he was right. He has some interesting/irrelevant stats, depending on your opinion of the Tubby situation. Click the title link for more.

Day Two of Tubby Watch will be continued in a later post. Today's topic, why are UK's players a bunch of.....well...I hate to use the word in polite company. Stay Tuned!

Tubby Watch! Day One!

2007-03-04T19:41:00.000-05:00

Tubby Watch!

It's The Kid here, giving you a day by day count as to whether or not Orlando "Tubby" Smith (OTS) will remain as the head coach of the University of Kenucky Mens' Basketball team. We will keep the Tubby Watch going until either he is gone or UK Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart announces officially that he will return.

Day One: Not a good day to be a Wildcat. The University of Florida Gators won their 6th game in a row against UK today 85-72. Six in a row is a new record, one of many dubious one OTS has gathered in his tenure. No need to rehash the debacle, and if you don't think it was a debacle then you obviously did not watch the game.

Other news in the Tubby Watch is that Lexington Herald-Leader columnist John Clay has finally made his feelings known. He believes that Tubby has earned the right to stay at UK, link to column above. Although I think Clay and fellow columnist Mark Story are among the weaker columnists in the universe, it was good for him to take a stand. His past few columns have been nothing more than pointing out the obvious (lack of strong recruits, lack of offense, the sun came up today) that I was beginning to wonder if he would ever take a position on something. The local tally puts Courier-Journal columnist Rick Bozich in the "new coach" camp, Clay in the "Keep Tubby" camp, while Eric Crawford of the CJ and Story remain undecided. I believe that Crawford is leaning toward "new coach", while Story....well no one really cares, but I can see him being "keep Tubby' as well.

The SEC tournament starts on Thursday with UK playing the University of Alabama. Although 'Bama has won 2 of 3 against UK, a lot of people think this is a good draw for the Wildcats. We shall see.

Tune in tomorrow for the continuation of Tubby Watch!

Reason 4,319 why Dickie V is retarded...

2007-02-26T08:42:00.000-05:00

I think Dickie V needs one of these to wake up from his retarded dreamworld ("The Shocker is AWESOME BAAAAAABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!").

Dickie V was on "Mike & Mike in the Morning" today, for his weekly a$$ clown appearance on the show (which thankfully has eliminated his ridiculous "Stock Up/Stock Down" segment), and was asked about the alleged problems the NBA "one year of college minimum" rule before H.S. players can enter the draft.

Dickie V's solution:
Form a "commission" of "experts" to let "4-5 players a year" go directly for H.S. to the pros...

What?!? A "commission of experts"?!? Are we going to form a commission to decide who's on the "commission of experts"? And I guess instead of letting the Draft determine who is good enough to get drafted, we are going to let a "commission of experts" tell the teams who they have to play for who is good enough. Who is going to be on the "commission of experts"? What if Tom Izzo is on there, and one of the kids in question is one of his recruits, isn't that a conflict of interest problem? So no college coaches, and I guess no NBA GMs either for similar reasons, so there should be tons of "experts" on this commission. So who is going to be on the commission, Dickie V, one of the most unsuccessful coaches ever?

And what about the 5th kid or the 6th kid? He doesn't get to get drafted, even though some team may want to pay him millions of dollars, because he doesn't make Dickie V's "Fab 5"?!? Couldn't that lead to some serious litigation if the kids left out wanted to say, I don't know, the NBA is making completely arbitrary rules that affect their ability to earn a living? Maybe the guy who owns his own zip code in Florida shouldn't be telling other people how to earn their dough; especially the kids who "pay" for his lifestyle...

This is one of those "solutions" these talking heads give, that they think makes them sound really smart, until you actually try and figure out how it would work, and it makes no sense.

Dickie V then took a funny, softball question about if he likes Brittney Spears' bald 'do, and proceeded to beat everyone over the heads with his soapbox, and subject sportsfans driving to work to a 60 second lecture about how Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Brittney are ruining the world. Somebody give this chump the Shocker!

Never Forget.....The Super Bowl Picks

2007-02-04T11:49:00.000-05:00

The Kid is here with his picks, in honor of my friends the Mooninites. The Dave has picked the Bears and now headed out to Russia, where he will train in the Siberian wasteland in preperation for his epic adoption battle. Or something like that. Anyway, so we can end this thing Highlander style (In the end, there can be only one!), I will pick the Indy Colts -7. Am I real confident, no. Would I be more confident picking the Bears, no. Not a lot in this game would surprise me, but just remember. Not only does Tom Brady have to deal with blowing a big lead in the playoffs, his pussy town shut down because a cartoon character gave them the finger.

Doesn't that make you feel good?

The Dave's Baby!! Back in the USSR!!

2007-01-25T12:12:00.000-05:00

The Kid here. Since I cannot even begin to talk about what happened last night with the UK Wildcats (it's just too painful), I will focus on the good news. The Dave, who is currently in 2nd place in the "Picks in a box! 2007 Gambling Challenge" will be leaving shortly for Mother Russia to adopt his son.

After contacting the adoption agency, I have been sent this pic of The Dave's new son. His name is Ivan and even though he is adopted, I think you can see a little bit of The Dave in his eyes.

This is scary!!

2007-01-24T14:30:00.000-05:00

Apparently new Raider coach Lane Kiffin (By the way all of my friends are older than this guy) will ward off evil spirits with his very own personal gargoyle.

Bush League!

2007-01-23T17:01:00.000-05:00

I am not sure if Reggie Bush putting the "Bush" in "Bush League" is what spurred the Bears on to victory or what, but I don't think it helped. The only thing dumber than his 20 minute celebration is that he was not flagged for taunting. Either you have the rule or you don't NFL, consider yourself on notice!! Anyway, much like the Saints completely gave the game away to the Bears, The Dave is completely giving away the "Picks in a Box! 2007 Gambling Challenge" to yours truly, The K-I-D!!

Since the Super Bowl is not for two weeks, I won't post the official line until the Thursday before. I can already reveal that I will be rooting for the Bears, but that will not affect my pick.

Here are the newest standings:

The Kid 7-3

The Dave 6-4

The Lon 5-5

The Chim 4-6

Reverse Jinx by The Kid!!!!!!!!

2007-01-21T22:24:00.000-05:00

Sensing that I was about to go 0-2 on Championship Sunday, I threw the BEST REVERSE JINX ALL TIME! If any Colts fans would like to send me thanks in monetary value, simply email me for the pertinent information.

For true, the Colts did a magnificent job in staging the biggest comeback in NFL Championship Game history. Much like the Yankees finally lost to the Red Sox by blowing a 3-0 series lead, so the Pats finally lost by blowing a 21-3 lead. Kind of crazy, but it happened. Enjoy it now, because for the next two weeks Peyton Manning and his greatness is going to be shoved down your throats until you, literally, start pooping out little Peyton Mannings. Peter King's article tomorrow on SI.com is going to be unbelievable. If Manning played like Johnny Unitas last week, than I guess he played better than God this week.

FYI: The Colts are an early 7 point fave over the Bears.

The Pic Says It All........

2007-01-21T20:26:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that I picked Peyton Manning to beat the Pats in a playoff game. I think it is officially the dumbest thing I have ever done. So much to say, but little time to say it before the 2nd half starts. One quick thing, and it has to do with managing a game. You hear that phrase a lot, but sometimes you don't always know what it means. Let me give you an example of why Peyton Manning always loses. The final 2 minutes, the Colts are driving, quick pass after quick pass, first down after first down. The Pats are on their heels, even Phil Simms says, "They can't keep rushing the passer, they're winded." So, the best thing to do would be to keep the no-huddle quick strike offensive going. The Colts have 3 timeouts, they don't h ave to go for the big play. And then Peyton goes for the big play. It doesn't work, just like EVERY OTHER TIME they had tried it. This gives the Pats time for a mass substitution and saps all the momentum the Colts had. That is a poor job of managing a game and that is why Peyton Manning is a LOSER.

FYI- In the comments section for The Lon's picks, he has apparently attracted some porn spam. Nice.

The Kid

Lonnie's Caesar's Indiana picks...

2007-01-21T14:55:00.000-05:00

...just back from ghetto Vegas, and these are my picks:

Saints
Colts

The KID's Smooth Picks- Conference Championship Round

2007-01-19T15:45:00.000-05:00

Really, I just wanted an excuse to use this pic of Ramel Bradley I found on kentuckysportsradio.com. I think it is pretty freakin' sweet. Before I make my picks, a few words about the Cats. I am not sure what to think about the Vandy game this Saturday. At first, I though it would be an easy win, despite Vandy sweeping UK last year. Then I saw that Vandy went 15-28 from three point range against Alabama on the way towarda blowout win. Now, I am a little worried. It appears UK's defense lets opponents have a few open threes, but their defensive stats back up the fact they rarely make them. So, which will break, UK's D or Vandy's 3's? I am going with the Cats. Shocker, I know. Now, on to the football games!

Saints +2.5 over the Bears. I asked my Sports Writing class who was going to win this game. They overwhelmingly chose the Saints. Why? Because they are a "team of destiny" and crap like that. I hate that shit. That is what weak-ass poseurs say when they are too stupid to make any real points. At least, that is what I told my class. Anyway, the Saints will win because they are the better team. They have a better QB, better RBs, and better WRs. The Bears vaunted "D" is not that great, espescially recently. Let's be honest, Seattle is not very good and they almost won that game. The real reason DITKA won't pick a winner in this game is b/c he knows how pissed off Bears fans would be when he told them the Saints are going to win. If the Saints win and go to the Super Bowl, then The Dave will be having the greatest Super Bowl party of ALL TIME!!!

Colts -3 over Pats. The only unfortunate thing here is that one of these teams will win this game. At this point I can't decide if I want to hear two weeks of how Tom Brady is the greatest QB in the history of the world or two weeks of how Peyton Manning is the greatest QB in the history of the world. Because, trust me on this people, no matter how either of them play in the game, if their team wins the national sports media will be on their knees so fast it will look like a Western Hills Prom. Manning was HORRIBLE in the Ravens game, throwing only two INTs because Ray Lewis tipped the other two away, and SI.com's Peter King wrote an article comparing how great he played to Johnny Unitas. Seriously. Let me get the link http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/01/13/colts.eagles/index.html

Go read it and try to hold down your lunch. But, one of them has to win, and I guess it is time for Peyton and the Colts. If this happens, it is possible that the media somehow stops the Super Bowl from being played and go ahead and give the title to Manning.

Regardless of who wins, I will be rooting for the NFC team.

Picks In A Box!! The Conference Championships!

2007-01-18T08:03:00.000-05:00

Before this weekend, there was only one connection between Chicago and New Orleans. That's right, DITKA!! Although he was fired from both teams and recently declared his hatred for both owners, he is refusing to pick a winner because he loves the cities and teams that much!! I know Dave was a big DITKA fan and hoped that he and Ricky Williams could lead the Saints to the promised land, but I guess Sean Payton and Reggie Bush are the next best thing. Anyway, here are the official lines for the weekend. Home teams/favorites in bold.

Chicago -2.5 over New Orleans

Indianapolis -3 over New England

Have no fear Eloise...

2007-01-15T14:47:00.000-05:00

...your husband has been found:

http://deadspin.com/sports/nfl/the-eye-of-the-crazy-frizzyhaired-saint-228734.php

It's 11AM (EST)...

2007-01-15T10:49:00.000-05:00

...why does Marty still have a job? The Chargers' GM should have interrupted Marty's post-game press conference to announce he was no longer the Chargers' head coach.

The Chargers were at home; had 2 weeks off; had the MVP, and absent a failed drugs test, the defensive player of the year; a Pro Bowl QB; a Pro Bowl kicker; the better offense; the better defense; probably the better special teams; and an 8 pt. lead in the 4th Quarter...and still managed to lose.

It is 75 and sunny, you've got a Pro Bowl kicker, and you don't attempt a 49 yd. FG on 4th & 10...because "you've got a play you think will work." What? This is the freakin' NFL, I hope you have a 10-yd. play "you think will work," that doesn't mean you pass up 3 pts. Then the challenge in the 4th Quarter on UK Grad. Marlon McCree's (who was AWESOME all day until this incident) best Peach Bowl impression, on the most obvious fumble of all-time...as Mike Greenberg said this morning, the only reason it could have been challenged was that the Chargers' staff REALLY wanted to believe it couldn't have actually happened...so the Chargers have no timeouts during their late push for a FG... and even then, you've got 8 seconds left and you don't even try to pick up 3-5 yds. on an out pattern or something... so that you "force" Brady to take a knee after a missed 54 yd. attempt?

Marty is 0-6 in his last 6 playoff games, and 0-2 with the Chargers (with one of those losses to the freakin' Jets for God's sakes). I mean, Vince Vaughn could have won that game for the Chargers just by giving the "Kill the Bunny" speech from "Swingers" (...."you've got these fuckin' claws, man!!!"). It doesn't matter if it is "fair" or not; some guys are just snakebit...and Marty is one of them. I mean how do you tell Chargers' fans you are bringing Marty back? You can't!!! How can you ask those players to bust their butts in the offseason when they know Marty will be pulling the strings in January 2008? You can't!!! So just drop the axe already!

The Standings, courtesy of Dave's New Mistress

2007-01-14T22:42:00.000-05:00

I fully expect to hear that Dave will be leaving his wife to make an honest woman out of this classy piece of ass. That is a girl who loves her Saints. I once met a girl from Louisiana who told me she was a "Straight Up Louisiana Coon-Ass". I imagine this lady would use that same description.

Here are the standings:

Dave: 6-2

The Kid: 6-2

The Lon: 4-4

The Chim: 3-5

The early line for next weekend appears to be the Bears and the Colts both -3.

If these picks were in a box...

2007-01-13T16:09:00.000-05:00

...the box would be on fire, 'cause these picks are HOT!!!!

Saints (even though Saints were surprisingly crappy at home this year)
Bears (Seattle sux)
Pats (too many points; I foresee a FG deciding this)
Colts (I know I am going to regret this)

The Kid's "Smooth" Picks!!

2007-01-12T15:33:00.000-05:00

Before I get to my picks, I need to make something clear about the 06-07 University of Kentucky Wildcats. Ramel "Smooth" Bradley is my favorite player on the team. Did you know he's from Brooklyn? At least, that's what I hear. He may play a little out of control sometimes, but he plays hard every minute of every game. If he played for another team, I would probably hate him because of his boistrous attitude, but he's a Wildcat. Now, this will probably jinx him or something, but I just wanted to give Smooth a little shout-out! Now, for the picks!

Saturday:

Colts +4 over Ravens: All year I have not believed
that the Ravens were a good team. I still don't. I don't care what
their record is, I don't care who plays QB for them, and I don't care if Ray
Lewis believes he is on a personal mission from God. I am predicting the
Colts will break the city of Baltimore's heart one more time. How?
By going deep. And I don't mean heading to a strip club, I mean throwing
the deep ball. That is the weakness of this Ravens team, but too often
their pass rush makes it difficult for teams to pull off. I have seen the
Bengals successfully attack the Ravens this way, and I think the Colts can do it
too. Also, while Ray Lewis may still garner the attention, Bart Scott is
the LB you need to keep an eye on. And seriously, how wrong can you be
taking Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy in the playoffs? (That was a
joke)

Saints -5 over Eagles: The Eagles are dropping like flies and they probably should've lost to the Giants, if the Giants had any sort of coaching, team unity, pride, etc. I refuse to buy into any sort of "Team of Destiny" bullshit, because the Saints do not need luck or magic. They are the better team, period. The Eagles "D"
is built for one thing, the blitz. If they try that against the Saints, it
could get ugly. Drew Brees has the weapons, and the Eagles have defenders
dropping like flies. Their only hope is a monster game from Brian
Westbrook (who Reggie Bush WISHES he could play like on a consistent basis), but
I don't think it will be enough.

Sunday:

Seahawks +8.5 over Bears: I just don't believe in the Bears. There has been so much talk about Rex Grossman and his crappy play, that I was a little surprised that no one was picking Seattle. The Bears' "D" is good, but the Seahawks have seen it before. True, they were beat down 37-6, but I just think they are going to be a little more ready. Much like the Ravens, I think the Bears can be beat through the air and although I doubt they will win, I think Matt Hasslebeck can do enough to keep it close.

Patriots +5 over Chargers: Believe me when I say that nothing would make me happier than to NOT have to hear/see/read point after point about how great Brady/Belichcick are and how Marty Schottenheimer cannot coach in the playoffs. That horse has been beaten, died, and made into dogfood (Dogfood which Dave's dog Juneapple ate in under 3 seconds!). But, these statements are true because of what has happened in the past. If I am putting my money on somebody, it is probably going to be the people with the reputation of winning in big games, and not the coach whose playoff history always involves dramatic comebacks with his team on the short end of the stick. If the Pats win, it will be because Marty got conservative. But, if Charger LB Shawne Merriman can get a few more steroid shots between now and Sunday, perhaps he will tear through the line and rip off Brady's head. Or maybe Brady will wear himself out bangin' too many hot chicks. Either way, it would be helpful for San Diego.

That's what I think. Come back Monday, after I go 4-0!!

Picks in a Box- Round 2 of the Gambling Challenge

2007-01-12T14:04:00.000-05:00

You would think at some point watching this would get old. But it doesn't. Anyway, here are the official lines for Round 2 of the NFL Playoff Gambling Challenge. Make your picks in the comment section, post them, or email me directly.

Baltimore Ravens -4 over Indianapolis Colts
New Orleans Saints -5 over Philadelphia Eagles
Chicago Bears -8.5 over Seattle Seahawks
San Diego Chargers -5 over New England Patriots
There are the official lines. All the home teams are favorites. Let the games begin!!!

After Round One, Gilbert Arenas Declares The Kid #1!!

2007-01-08T16:15:00.000-05:00

Gilbert Arenas (aka Agent Zero) is probably the coolest dude in the NBA right now. Seriously. And he also is shooting close to 100% from 30 feet and longer on the season. If you don't believe me, just ask him.

Anyway, the standings after Week One of the Gambling Challenge....

First Place: The Kid 3-1

First Loser: Dave 3-1

Second Loser: The Lon 2-2

Biggest Loser: Chim 2-2

Stay tuned for more exciting gambling news!!

The Standings So Far....

2007-01-07T10:24:00.000-05:00

No real reason for this picture. I just think it's funny.

The Kid 2-0

The Lon 2-0

Dave 1-1

"Underdog" Chim 1-1

Jets v. Pats and Eagles v. Giants today. Hopefully, the offensive execution will not be......offensive.

Lonnie's Picks in a box (part 1)

2007-01-06T16:20:00.000-05:00

Colts
Cowboys (Mortal Lock)
Eagles
Jets

The Kid's Picks

2007-01-05T21:31:00.000-05:00

How to make my picks? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...................

Step One: Cut a hole in the box --This is what Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney will do. The Jets cannot run the ball and they cannot stop the run. Now matter how many nights The Lon spends rubbing his lamp, his Man-Genie is not going to win this game. Although, you got to love that picture up above. Hopefully, it will remind Dave of his boyhood days in New Orleans. Regardless, Tom Brady at home. I will take The Pats -8.5.

Step Two: Put your junk in that box--Which is what Peyton Manning will do. You can talk about LJ all you want, the Chiefs still have to slow down and/or stop the Colts offense from scoring. In fact, I think the Chiefs will concentrate too much on the run at the expense of the rest of their game. If you want to see how this can screw a team up, just look at the Bengals v. Colts game from a few weeks back. Instead of playing their game, the Bengals tried to turn into a run first team. Of course, I realize that LJ has the most carries of ALL TIME, so they Chiefs are a run first team, but at some point they will need to pass the ball and I don't think Trent Green is going to be able to do it. The Colts -7

Step Three: Open that box--And after the Eagles lay a beatdown on the NY Giants, a Pandora's box of complaints will open up. Shockey will bitch and moan and he will be called a jerk or worse. Tiki will bitch and moan, but everybody loves Tiki. Well, I don't. Fuck that guy, I bet he is a ginormous douche bag in real life. And I really think Eli sucks, and I don't care if he and Dave used to be boyfriends back in Louisiana. The Eagles -7.

Step Four: TO walks in with a box for Coach Parcells--I was all set to pick the Seahawks here, but to hell with it. I guess I am the only one in America still rooting for TO. Me and Michael Irvin, and let me tell you, that is some damn good company. Also, everytime I turn on ESPN, another Seahawk's name is scrolling across the bottom of the screen with some sort of injury. I'm not a doctor, but that cannot be good. The 'Boys +3. And hopefully TO will make the game winning play, causing Sean Salisbury's head to explode.

Those are the picks from The Kid. Consider my entry......OFFICIAL!!

The Official Odds for "Picks in a Box", the 2007 Playoff Gambling Challenge

2007-01-04T16:17:00.000-05:00

Do you really want to know what's in that box? Relax, The Lon is nowhere around. It's just the picks!

Here are the odds as of today, January 4th, 2007- Home team in bold.

Colts -7 over the Chiefs

Seahawks -3 over the Cowboys

Patriots -8.5 over the J-E-T-S!!!

Eagles -7 over the Giants

So, there you have it. The lines may move, but for the sake of our competition, where everyone can be on the same page, we will use these. Feel free to post your picks in the comments or email them to The Kid or The Lon. All picks must be registered before kickoff.

It's My Picks in a Box!! The 2007 Playoff Challenge!

2007-01-03T16:07:00.000-05:00

Step 1. Make your picks

Step 2. Put your picks in that box

Step 3. Open the box

Oooooooh!! It's my picks in a box!!

The 2007 Playoff Gambling Challenge is now open! The rules are simple. Pick each game against the spread. Either email The Kid or The Lon or post your picks in the comments.

More details, including the spreads, will follow shortly!

The Lon's Picks (a little late)

2006-12-17T13:07:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: using Glantz-culver line instead of sportingbetusa.com line

Today
Favorite Underdog
N.Y. Jets +3.5 over Minnesota

Baltimore -11.5 over Cleveland

New England -11 over Houston

Miami +1 Buffalo

Pittsburgh -3 over Carolina

New Orleans -9.5 over Washington

Jacksonville -3.5 over Tennessee

Chicago -13.5 over Tampa Bay

Philadelphia +5.5 over N.Y. Giants

Green Bay -5 over Detroit

Arizona +2.5 over Denver

San Diego -8.5 over Kansas City

Oakland -3 over St. Louis

Cincinnati +3 over Indianapolis

The Lon is back with his Phat picks!

2006-12-10T12:50:00.000-05:00

Ravens (+3) over Chiefs
I'm tired of the Ravens screwing me. I'm taking the Ravens on the road!

Falcones (-3.5) over the Bucs
I'm a little worried here....it seems OBVOIUS that the Falcones win here, and they've been losing those games all season.

Vikes (+1) over Lions
It's the freakin' Lions.

Titans (+1) over the Texans
It's the freakin' Texans.

Giants (-2.5) over Panthers
What is Weinke??? 39 yrs. old???

Cowboys (-7) over Saints
This is a LOT of points, but I like the 'Boys.

Jets (-4) over Bills
Geux Jets!!!!!!

Colts (+1) over Jags
10-2 team getting a point?

Eagles (-2) over Skins
Jeff Garcia is driving a gay bandwagon!

Bengals (-11) over Raiders
This line really needs to be doubled to be tempting.

Pats (-3.5) over Dolphins

Niners (-4) over Pack

'Hawks (-3) over Cards

Broncos (+7) over Chargers
I think the Broncos keep it close.

Bears (-6) over the Rams
The Lon's sources tell him Brian Griese took half the snaps in practice this week!

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES

2006-12-05T13:28:00.000-05:00

In case you couldn't figure it out, the Title of this post is where UK finds itself in the Nation's Top 25. Here is the current top 5 in the Top 25:

1.UCLA
2. Pitt
3. North Carolina
4. Alabama
5. Ohio State

Unranked UK has hung in with 2 of those top 5 away from Rupp Arena, eventually losing both games, with the loss to UCLA being a razor thin margin regardless of what the scoreboard said at the end. Yet the Commonwealth is FREAKING OUT because of those 2 losses. Message boards are buzzing and daily columns staking out different positions are being written.

And The Lon has a message for everyone: CALM THE FUCK DOWN!!! Based on everyone's early-season (over)reaction, I thought I had forgotten about 30-40 National Titles UK had won. But then I checked out the records(http://www.ncaasports.com/basketball/mens/history), and saw that UK went 20 years between their 1958 & 1978 Titles, followed immediately before an 18 yr. gap before their 1996 Title. UK won a Title 8 years ago, in 1998, under the very same coach they have now, meaning that if UK "lives up to its history," we are a least a decade away from UK's next National Championship.

"They" say Tubby doesn't get enough McDonald's All-Americans, when almost all the McDonald's All-Americans we have gotten recently (Jason Parker, Rae Carruth, anyone!) have been disasters, AND Tubby's best teams since 1998 rarely had McDonald's All-Americans playing prominent roles. "They" say Tubby can't recruit...and in the same breath campaign for Tubby to play the freshmen...that he JUST RECRUITED.

This is not to say we should not demand success from UK Basketball, of course we should. But Tubby is not posting a losing record (like under Eddie Sutton), Tubby runs a clean program and graduates many of his players, and until the emergence of a national powerhouse in Florida, Tubby was dominent in the SEC, so lets not throw the baby out with the bath water, folks. Take a deep breath, root for (not bash) the team you purport to love, and wait and see how things play out.

UK Loses, but Not Because of Morris

2006-12-03T21:47:00.000-05:00

This is Randolph Morris. He was pretty much the only player that should be holding their head up high after Saturday's game in Chapel Hill. Actually, Bobby Perry, you had a good game too. Everyone else? Well, at least they kept the internets busy. Let's look at my Big Five keys to victory and try to see where UK went wrong.

1. Force Turnovers- This was what I thought would be the most important, and it turns out I was right. UK had a season high 22 turnovers (including a record tying seven from Joe Crawford) and UNC only had 8 (or 9, don't remember). This is what cost UK the game, period. They executed enough of their game plan to win, but the margin of error was small and giving the ball away like you were Santa Claus visiting an orphanage was a killer. How to fix it? Not sure, but I continue to be completely under impressed with Ramel Bradley and Crawford. More playing time for the freshmen sounds like a broken record, but at the very least Jasper needs to be out there. And if the 3's are not falling, like for instance on Saturday, Porter should be out there as well. Meeks did not do so hot, but he had very little time.

Stay out of Foul Trouble- Mission Accomplished. And although there were some questionable calls (Bradley's intentional foul, allowing loose balls to become rugby scrums, waiving the dribble rule for Tyler Hansbrough) the refs did not lose this game. In fact, if we could have gotten the ball into Morris more, perhaps Hansbrough would have fouled out, or at least been in more foul trouble.

Offensive Execution- UK shot a high percentage, but that was mostly b/c of Morris. The 3-point shooting was atrocious, and Bradley.......well, he is trying so hard to NOT be a shoot first point guard that he is not looking for his shot at all. This could be solved by moving him from PG, but at this point I don't think Tubby will do that. This gets a C. UK actually just needs more shots in general, even at a slower pace.

Defense- They played good D in that UNC shot a low percentage, BUT they did not force turnovers and allowed a large number of wide open 3's. If UK continues to allow wide open 3's, they will continue to lose to good teams.

Upperclassmen, push, pull, or get out of the way- Perry helped. That's it. Woo was worthless and Sheray Thomas. I just can't even talk about him right now. I cannot think of one good reason why he played twice as many minutes as Perry Stevenson. None, zip, zero.

UK did out rebound UNC and Morris completely and utterly dominated Tyler Hansbrough. He may very well win the National Player of the Year, but consider me unimpressed. In TH's defense, he is only 6'9'' and is more of a "4" than a "5". Morris's height really got to him, and even without Morris I think Carter would have also held him to a below average game. That is how much I think taller people bother him. In fact, the best player on UNC, without a doubt, is Brandan Wright. Hopefully, he will be in the NBA next year.

UK plays Chatanooga on Tuesday and has an opportunity to rattle off a couple weeks worth of quality wins, provided they can take care of Indiana and louisville. And if they can't? It's going to be a long, long year.

The Michael Strahan/Hot Dog Picks

2006-12-03T10:27:00.000-05:00

This is Michael Strahan. He is an asshole. Let there be no doubt. Strahan is a straight up asshole, calling Plaxico Burress a quitter on his radio show and then lashing out at a reporter for asking Plax for a comment. The reporter did not create the controversy, Strahan did. And if you are going to yell at a reporter in front of a bunch of cameras, at least put your hotdog down for a few minutes you giant douche. Anyway, Jeremy Shockey may make some outrageous comments, but at least he stands by them. I like Shockey. I don't like anyone else on the Giants, including Tiki Barber, who I suspect is a giant douche.

So, here are the picks!

Cowboys -3 over Giants

Now, Shockey thinks they will win. And if he said it, then you know he believes it. However, the Giants are imploding and the 'Boys, with Tony Romo, are exploding. TO will have two TDs, Shockey will have one, and Eli will have at least one horrific pick, probably coming at a key moment in the game. When will the Giants turn to J-Lo?

Vikes +9 over Bears

I just feel like the Vikes think they have something to prove. The story about Rex Grossman smack talking gurantees a couple of picks. The only thing that worries me is that Brad Johnson is still the QB for the Vikes. He is not playing that well. And that is a polite understatement.

Steelers -7 over Bucs

Two bad teams playing what will be a bad game. I think Pitt is looking to save a little face after the embarassment at Baltimore.

Rams - 6.5 over Cardinals

Two more bad teams, although the Rams are less bad. As long as Dennis Green is still coaching the Cards, I will not be picking them. Look for Steven Jackson to have a good game.

Titans +7.5 over Colts

This is risky. Last time the line was much larger and the Titans were a surprise. But, after watching Vince Young play like college Vince Young is exciting. And since the Colts cannot stop the run, look for VY to do a little running. The Colts really don't care as long as they win. And they will win.

Jags in a pick'em over Dolphins

Peter King thinks the Fins are one of the best teams. I disagree. The Jags had a stinker of a game in Buffalo. They won't have back to back stinkers.

49ers +7 over Saints

The New Orleans magic is fading fast, and despite the best efforts of U2 and Green Day, the Saints are not going anywhere. Frank Gore will have a good game, and although it will be almost seven years too late, at last Gore will defeat (Reggie) Bush.

Falcons +1 over 'Skins

Could this be a TJ Duckett revenge game? Not likely. The better question is if Vick will have more yards passing or rushing. I am going to go with passing, but just barely.

Chiefs -5 over Browns

Cleveland- This ship be sinking. If Larry Johnson is done whining about Dick Vermiel's lack of blackness, then he will be all over Cleveland like fire on a like.

Pats -13.5 over Lions

Maybe, just maybe, this will be the week they fire Matt Millen. Not likely, but I refuse to think Jon Kitna is going to light up a Belichick defense.

Chargers -6 over Bills

Shawne Merriman returns from a steroid suspension. And no one cares. If this was baseball this would have been on the cover of Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Mag.

Jets in a pick'em over the Pack

Brett Favre plays just bad enough to lose. But not so bad that the commentators stop slurping him.

Texans +3 over Raiders

The Raiders have a good defense, but they shouldn't be giving points to anybody in the NFL or Ohio State.

Seahawks +4 over Broncos

I don't think Jay Cutler will be successful in his first start, but in the long run this is the best choice. Hasslebeck and Alexander continue to be healthier and improve.

Panthers -3 over Eagles

The Eagles may start AJ Feely. It shouldn't matter, but Carolina is kind of Jekyll and Hyde. Regardless, without McNabb the Eagles are not going to win a lot of games.

There you go. I am off to IHOP. When I get back, I will look back at the UK/UNC game.

The Kid

NFL Picks

2006-11-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

This picture has nothing to do with my NFL picks for Thursday night, but I love GOB.

Anyway, one game tonight between the Bengals and the Ravens. The Ravens won at Baltimore by six, thanks to some early Bengal turnovers. I still don't think the Ravens are for real, and Carson Palmer finally looks to have turned the corner. Ocho Cinco has a history of good games against Baltimore, despite the presence of Ed Reed and Chris McCallister. How crazy is that that Ray Lewis is maybe the 5th best player on Baltimore's D. The line is Cincy -3. If the Ravens were favored, this would be a no-brainer. I would take the Bengals. The Bengals giving points......not so sure.

What would GOB do? More than likely, go with the pick that makes no sense.

Bengals -3

-The Kid

Can UK Beat UNC???

2006-11-30T14:38:00.000-05:00

Remember this guy, Tayshaun Prince? He was awesome. Remember when he hit a three-pointer from half court against UNC at Rupp? Yeah that was awesome too. He won’t be playing for UK this Saturday. That is totally not awesome.

If anyone watched the North Carolina v. Ohio State game last night, then they realized these two teams are freakishly athletic. And they are talented. In the past, simply one of these would be a danger to the Cats, but in the 06/07 year when I am still not sure how athletic or talented UK is, it could be the recipe for a blowout. However, I would also say that UNC is more athletic and talented than Gonzaga, and the Zags beat them, albeit on a neutral court. That being said, the Cats can beat UNC, but a few things need to happen. Let’s go to the BIG FIVE!!

Force Turnovers- This is extremely important. In an up-tempo game against an incredibly athletic OSU squad, UNC only had 11 turnovers. UK needs to double that (and not then split it in half). Is this possible? Yes. Crawford has shown he can be a strong defender, although it requires a max effort he rarely gives. Jasper has also shown an ability to generate steals. Bradley could be a better half-court defender than Rondo, that jury is still out, but this would be a nice game for him to at least make a defensive statement. Part of me thinks that maybe we should start out with the press, but the other part of me worries that is simply playing into UNC’s hands.

Stay Out of Foul Trouble- The return of Jared Carter is good if only for the reason it gives us another post player. Last time UK played in Chapel Hill UNC shot 40 free throws and UK shot 16. If that happens on Saturday, there is no way in hell we win the game. Brandan Wright, who I personally think is the most talented member of the Tar Heels, is an aggressive shot blocker and against OSU was in foul trouble. If Tyler Hansbrough starts out on Morris we need to feed the big fella Vin Diesel style, i.e.Fast and Furious. Any foul trouble for them is better for us. My biggest fear is that Karl Hess is reffing the game and/or Morris has two fouls within the first ten minutes. Either one has a pretty good chance of happening.

Offensive Execution- UNC gives up points. They are concerned with pushing the ball and accumulating 100 possessions (nearly impossible, despite ESPN continuing to hype it). They have allowed other teams to score, or at least to shoot, relying on their rebounders to turn your misses into their points. So, it will not be enough to simply get shots, but we must take advantage of these shots. I am all for an up-tempo game from UK, but not at the expense of forgetting to get the ball to our best offensive player, Randolph Morris. Those streaks where he doesn’t touch the ball are the ones where UNC will be running the other way for easy layups. In the past, Randolph has responded well to big challenges (UConn, Cincinnati) and I hope he knows outplaying Hansbrough will go a long way toward how NBA scouts see him.

Defense- This kind of goes with turnovers, but beyond forcing those UK needs to control the scoring in the paint. They did a good job against CoC, but CoC doesn’t have Hansbrough and Wright. Not to mention a parade of All-Americans off the bench. Can UK do this? Yes. Will they? That remains to be seen.

Upperclassmen Need to Push, Pull, or Get Out of the Way!- I, and most of the Wildcat Faithful, am about finished with Sheray, Woo, and Bobby Perry. My biggest fear is that Tubby will feel like he needs veterans in the line-up for a tough road game and stick with them long enough to dig UK a big hole. If they continue to not bring anything to the table, I am ready to take my lumps with the freshmen now and hope it prepares them for the rest of the season.

So there you go, a BIG FIVE plan to upset the Tar Heels. If UK can somehow pull this off, I recommend sending Mark Coury to the rafters of the Dean Dome to light fire to their Helms Championship banner. I still cannot believe they have that hanging. But that is another topic, for another time.

--The Kid

The Lon's View

2006-11-29T13:31:00.000-05:00

Honestly, our seats were so good that I was distracted by everything but the game: Rob Bromley trying to weasel his way into the huddle; trying to figure out if Chuck Ellinger's crew is intentionally, or unintentionally, trying to look like the Channel 4 News Team from "Anchorman;" trying to figure out what the deal was with the weird-looking guy next to Ashley Judd's was; trying to figure out where the "Bluehearts" were; blocking out the lame chants of the male cheerleaders; wondering why our drumline is cool, but our band stinks; wondering where Chris Cross was, and if he considers Solid Platinum a "family business;" wondering whether UK's "glad-handing" President Lee Todd was going to try to shake my hand without a clue who I was (he did not); and the other time was spent ogling the Dance Cats.

I did notice that Randolph Morris is good, Joe Crawford is slow and is going to lead the SEC in charges, and that we're not exactly fluid on offense.

I also witnessed the lowest class thing I have ever seen a UK player do (Jamal Magliore was always 1st class; don't kid yourself Nate Johnson), when "I'm from Brooklyn" leaped from his seat on the bench, to run the length of the bench to scream in the ear of an opposing player in the corner lining up a 3-pt. jumpshot. Maybe this happens all the time, but it can't happen like this (maybe a "Noonan!"); I couldn't believe he didn't get "T'ed Up" and/or that Tubby didn't flip out. Disappointing.

UK 77- CoC 61

2006-11-28T22:11:00.000-05:00

So, a big win for the Cats tonight as the College of Charleston goes down 77-61. So, how did UK do with my "Five Points of Emphasis"? Let's look...

1. Defense- I wanted a shooting percentage below 45 and not a lot of points in the paint. Well, CoC shot 32% from the field and UK outscored them in the paint 42-20. So this is a YES.

2. Rebounding- I wanted +10 it ended up 46-37 UK. That is only +9. What can I say, I'm a hard grader. This is a NO.

3. Assists to Turnovers- I wanted +10, which is actually a little unrealistic. UK had 17 assists to 19 turnovers. That is not good, so this is a big NO.

4. Points scored- I wanted 75-80. At halftime I thought there was no way in hell they would get there, and I was thinking about curving it to the high 60s. Lo and behold, Mark Coury hops off the bench and the next thing I know, UK has 77 points on 47.6% shooting. If I just told you the final score and shooting percentage and you didn't watch the game, you probably would have taken it. As it stands, UK missed a few gimmies and shot 61% from the free throw line, about 10% below their season average. This could have easily been over 80. A big YES.

5. Upperclassmen step up- This is a HUGE NO. Sheray Thomas played 26 minutes and finished with 2 points and 4 rebounds. Perry Stevenson played 16 minutes and had 14 points and 4 rebounds. Mark Coury doubled Sheray's offensive output. Bobby Perry was 3-10 from the field. Woo looked lost and according to Rob Bromley was hearing about his lack of toughness/rebounding/etc from Tubby in the huddle. Our senior class totaled 9 boards and 9 points. Our freshmen, including Coury, had 29 points and 16 boards. With more minutes, that will go up. With more minutes for the seniors? Probably not going to get much more.

A big game Saturday at UNC. It will take a more consistent offensive and defensive effort, but tonight proved that, at least in spurts, UK can be a very good team at both ends of the court.

The Lon attended the game, and I am curious to hear his views.

UK versus College of Charleston

2006-11-28T18:02:00.000-05:00

As UK prepares to play the College of Charleston it is clear that Wildcat Nation is restless. A 3-2 record coming out of Maui was not what people had in mind, especially with the blowout loss to Memphis having almost a week to linger in our collective conscious. Nonetheless, the season must go on and UK PM (Post Maui) begins with the CoC. So, the CoC appears to be a solid mid-major with a good head coach. They bring an identical record (3-2) and a high scoring point guard, Dontaye Draper. Assuming you expect UK to win (I do and Vegas has them as a 12.5 point fave) what else would constitute success tonight. In my humble opinion, beyond a victory here are the five things I want to see:

Defense- Specifically, the points in the paint. In Maui, UK gave up more points in the paint (146) than any team, including D-II Chaminade. A lot of that was due to poor interior defense on backdoor cuts, horrific transition D, and the inability of our guards to apply any pressure. Connected to this, I would like UK to hold CoC to under 45% shooting. I don’t care if Draper scores 30 points, as long as it takes him 30 shots to do it.

Rebounding- This should be at least a +10 margin

Assists/TOs- Once again, I would like to see a +10 margin.

Points scored- UK is averaging about 70 points per game. That needs to be higher. CoC can put the ball in the basket, so this should be an up-tempo game. UK’s average needs to be between 75-80 and that should start tonight. At least 75 points scored

Upperclassmen step up- I was going to limit this to Bobby Perry, because he is the one upperclassman that I actually believe can step up and do more, on offense and defense. However, if Sheray Thomas is going to start, then he needs to step up as well. You may as well throw Woo and Jared Carter in there. This team will NOT be successful if Randolph Morris is the only front court player that is above average. Thomas, Perry, Woo, and Carter need to at the very least be slightly above average.

So, in a few short hours we should be able to see if the Cats achieve my goals. Of course, as always, the most important thing is the “W”.

The Kid

No Defense + No Rebounding = No Wins

2006-11-22T18:09:00.000-05:00

It is some point late in the 2nd half, but it is already clear that UK is going to lose. The only question is how much. (Update: 73-53 about 7 minutes left)

In Maui, UK has looked lost on "D", giving up dunks, layups, and wide open 3s. Memphis was completely dominated on the boards by Georgia Tech, and tonight they are completely dominating UK. I can only assume that if we played G-Tech they would outrebound us 75-5.

So, now what? This could be a very, very long year if this play continues. UK plays North Carolina in 1 1/2 weeks, and I didn't think UK had a good chance before. Now, I am worried UK will get embarrassed. If this team does not improve, it is going to get very ugly in the LEX.

Turnovers. Tasty, but Deadly!

2006-11-22T10:06:00.000-05:00

UK lost to UCLA last night 73-68. And, I guess, there are some positives you can take out of the game. The Cats were, at one point, down by 17 points. UCLA is the 5th ranked team in the country. Derrick Jasper came off the bench with the rest of the freshmen and provided a spark, scoring 25 of UK's 30 first half points.

Unfortuntaely, UK had 17 turnovers, with eight of those coming from their point guards, Ramel Bradley and Jasper. That, along with some poor interior defense, is why UK lost. And it is something that needs to be fixed. But how? Should UK abandon the Bradley as a PG experiment this early? Should Jasper be installed as the starter now? I'm not sure, but Jasper is a better PG right now than Bradley. Bradley is by far a better shooter, from the 3 point and free throw line, but Jasper has better point guard skills. A big thing with this team is "chemistry" and benching Bradley could cause that to blow up big time. But, the team needs to win. So, it will be interesting. To say the least.

Personally, I like a Jasper/Bradley/Crawford/Stevenson/Morris startingn line-up with Perry coming off the bench. I think he is more likely to do it for the good of the team, and not let it become a chemistry problem. Memphis will be a big test for this team. They had the late game last night and now, instead of playing again at 10, they will hoop it up at 4:30. Memphis is athletic, but apparently not a strong jump shooting team. We may see a lot of zone.

Who Gets Leied? Who Gets the Pupu Platter?

2006-11-21T14:48:00.000-05:00

UK has never lost in the first round of the Maui Classic (or is it Invitational) and after Monday's game with DePaul this still holds true. So, looking back at this 87-81 win, lets hand out some leis, but also a couple dishes of the Pupu platter (which I know is Chinese, but come on, it is fun to say).

The Leis:

Randolph Morris- 20 points and 9 rebounds. Jay Bilas may want Randolph to take it up strong, but he is a better shooter than a power player. Morris will bring the power game every now and then, but more often than not you will see the fall aways. I wouldn't mind seeing a few more offensive rebounds, but after three games his lowest rebound total is 9. I will take that every time.

Joe Crawford- After the first half, he was well on his way to the Pupu platter. Then he started to board (4) and hand out assists (6). After that the points started coming.

Ramel Bradley- If you were expecting Ramel to be a text book point guard. Well, I'm sorry. You obviously have never watched him play. I mean, he is from Brooklyn (Did you know that? He so rarely mentions it). This is what Ramel at point guard looks like. And I like it. He also got jobbed on a traveling call late in the second half on what was an excellent defensive back like steal.

Bobby Perry- First good game of the season. Nice pull up J.

WOO- The game's MVP. Woo and Sheray Thomas are seniors whose production can be described as sporadic at best. Despite this, everyone loves Woo and everyone hates Sheray. No idea why. I do know that Monday night was the best game Woo has played since last year's UL game.

The Pupu:

Defense (Everyone)- This defensive effort was Mike Archer-esque. I don't want to dwell on it, but it was a stinker. If they play like that against UCLA, they will not win.

Questions:

Not good or bad. Just questions.

1. Why didn't the freshmen play more in the 2nd half?

2. Why did Sheray Thomas play as much as he did? Even before Stevenson's fouls?

3. Seriously, I know I already mentioned it, but what the hell was up with the defense?

Predictions for tonight:

UK wins. By a little. Low scoring game.

Seriously? Izzo?

2006-11-21T14:42:00.000-05:00

OK, I will be the first to admit that I thought this was a joke at first. Tom Izzo as the football coach at Michigan State seemed like, well, a joke. Kind of like last year when Michigan fans doctored photos of Tommy Amaker as the Michigan football coach because, if nothing else, he could beat Ohio State. But no, people were seriously considering Izzo as the football coach, and Izzo didn't exactly stop them.

When Michigan State lost to Notre Dame this year, ESPN announcer Kirk Herbstreit said, "That's Michigan State" or something along those lines. When I heard a dumb ass idea like taking a successful basketball coach and moving him to a sport where he has NEVER coached. Well, that's Michigan State.

Jeter Goes Down

2006-11-21T14:26:00.000-05:00

The Kid is back, still recovering from a rough weekend. As a participant in The Hour of Power (or as The Lon likes to call it 'Power Hour') I was still feeling the effects up to 48 hours later. I guess I don't have the bounce back-a-bility I once had. Anyway, with the holidays approaching, and my motivation for work decreasing, I decided to hit on a few random news stories today.

This guy ( I put him in the middle just to mix it up) is your American League MVP, and it probably isn't even the best player on the Twins. I personally would give it to Johann Santana or Joe Mauer. Anyway, the surprising thing is that he beat Derek Jeter, the greatest man in the history of the world, or at least that is what I have heard. I don't want to be a Jeter-hater, but as a regular season MVP, I just don't think he has the numbers. And I know it is "Valuable" and not "Outstanding", but there is a certain expectation of numbers, and I do not think Jeter makes the cut. Now, he was on my fantasy baseball team, and I realized how great his season was, but when you look at the other guys on the list (Ortiz, Mauer, Dye) Jeter's power numbers pale by comparison. A-Rod, who everyone agerees had a bad year, had more HRs and more RsBI. Same for Giambi.

So, congrats to the voters for not being swept away with the Jeter hype. It is now time for those in the media, and you know who you are, to start the "Was there a Jeter backlash?" storyline. And if there in fact was, then the people complaining about were the ones who triggered it.

Isn't it weird???

2006-11-20T13:32:00.000-05:00

The Lon here. What does Drew Bledsoe feel like, being evicted from his 3rd starting QB job in about 5 years? What's even weirder, with the possible exception of J.P. Losman, apparently, young QBs learn greatness from Drew by watching him and learning what NOT to do. Hard to believe a Div. 1-AA afterthought can make the Cowboys look like worldbeaters with the "addition by subtraction" of removing Bledsoe. It is kind of like the hyper-fertility The Lon's ex-girlfriends experience after break-ups, when most get knocked up within 6 months. But does that analogy make me Drew.......

The Lon's Power Picks

2006-11-19T12:50:00.000-05:00

There was a crew of 4 heros last night that completed an old school "Hour of Power" (which, by the way, should not be called "Power Hour"). As one of the powerful, I will now give you my power picks, because I'm not groggy at all:

Raiders (+9) over CHiefs

Colts (PICK 'EM) over Cowboys
The first "pick 'em" in recent memory, got to go with the undefeated team.

Bengals (+3) over Saints

Steelers (-4) over Browns

Eagles (-13) over Titans
Inconsistent Eagles need to TCB.

Ravens (-3.5) over Falcones
Fine, Ravens; just fine. I'll pick you OK...just quit screwing me.

Panthers (-6.5) over Rams
Panthers at home should be OK.

Bills (+2.5) over Texans

Pats (-6) over Packers

Bucs (-3) over Skins

Bears (-5.5) over Jets

Phins (-3) over Vikes
The Dolphins are suddenly frisky.

Lions (+2) over Cards
The dogs are all covering, right?

Seahawks (-3) over 49ers

Chargers (+2.5) over Broncos

Jags (-3.5) over Giants
Two of the most schitzo teams square off...I'll take the home team.

UK v. Miami (OH)---Opening Night

2006-11-15T21:15:00.000-05:00

Well, I was hoping to come on here after a big blowout win over the Redhawks of Miami. Unfortuntaely, I am here to give some views on a 57-46 win that was, as the saying goes, a lot closer than the scoreboard is showing. Normally, I might be on catspause.com or listening to a post-game call in show, but I just don't feel like putting up with the negativity this early in the season. And trust me, even though I haven't officially checked, the negativity is there. So, first I want to talk about some of the positives.

1. Perry Stevenson- When they signed, this freshman was not someone a lot of people thought would contribute much this season. But, a suspension of Sheray Thomas and the injury of Jared Carter has opened up the door and Perry Stevenson has busted through with The Bloc Party (Did you know that was Bloc Party in the pic? ) and he is not leaving any time soon. Perry (Or, as Dave Baker and Martin Newton kept trying to shove down our throught "Pac-Man") finished with only two points and five boards, but he added seven blocked shots. There is no way this kid, as long as he stays healthy, doesn't average at least 3 blocked shot per game. This kid is good, and by the end of the year he will be better.

2. Randolph Morris - 12 points and 10 boards. The point total is not very impressive, but 10 boards is what this guy need to average. Of course, b/c of foul trouble, he only played 22 or some minutes. What will help the points per game is more involvement early in the game. There is no reason for the guards not to get him the ball early and often. I am not sure how many times RM had double-digit rebounds last year, but in my opinion it needs to be an every game occurence.

3. Joe Crawford- 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists. Joe may have saved the day in the first half. He hit the three, he drove, he got on the boards and four assists out of a 2G is pretty nice. I would love to see Joe put up this kind of line every game. He has the talent and I think this year he is poised to shine.

4. Jodie Meeks- 7 points, 4 boards. Could have been better, but he had some really nice rebounds. Kenny Walker on 590 AM (yes, I broke down and am listening to a call-in show) called him a "mini-Kelenna Azabuike" and that sounds about right. Although I prefer the Keith Bogans comparisons.

5. 2nd half defense- After the first 15 minutes of the game, the UK defense really did a great job shutting down the Redhawks half court game.

And for tonight, that is about it. The negative include turnovers (espescially by Bradley), lack of ball movement, nothing on the stat sheet for Derek Jasper, free-throw shooting, and rebounding in the first half.

The Cats have another game on Friday night against an even lesser opponent, Mississippi Valley State. Hopefully, they will cruise. After that it is off to Maui. I was feeling optimistic about that trip, but now.............Well, if they can get past DePaul, the game against UCLA should give us a much better idea of where this team is.

The Kid is out!

Lonnie's Picks

2006-11-12T12:53:00.000-05:00

Chiefs (+2) over Phins (Lock of the Week)

Jags (-10.5) over Texans

Bengals (+1.5) over Chargers

Falcones (-8) over Browns

Ravens (-7) over Titans

Colts (-12) over Bills

Saints (+6) over Steelers

Eagles (-8) over Skins

Bears (+1) over Giants

Vikes (-5) over Packers

Pats (-10.5) over Jets

49ers (+6) over Lions

Broncos (-8.5) over Raiders

Rams (+3) over Seahawks

Cowboys (-6.5) over Cards

Bucs (+9.5) over Panthers

Pete Weber NFL Picks from The Kid

2006-11-12T10:12:00.000-05:00

This is professional bowler Pete Weber. Why is he here? Because the UK Wildcats are going bowling, baby!!! Yesterday's big win over the vaunted Commodores of Vanderbilt gives the Cats six wins and, as of right now, second place in the SEC East. Pretty crazy. You know what else is crazy? My NFL picks. Underdogs in the past four weeks 27 out of 33 underdogs have covered AND won outright, at least according to the Sports Guy on ESPN. Keeping that in mind, this week's picks are going to throw caution to the wind. And if you want to complain about it on a beautiful day like Bowling Day, which I just made up, then I can only say the same thing Coach Brooks told the media, "Picky! Picky! Picky!"

Here are the picks!!

Jags -10 over Texans

David Garrard is the reason here. These two teams played a couple of weeks ago, and Byron Leftwich's health was a big reason. I think the Jags are looking for revenge. So, I declare this the first official REVENGE GAME!! That is normally The Lon's special, but I have claimed it. Deal with it Lonnie!

Bengals +1 over Chargers

The Chargers are a better team and the Bengals are in turmoil, with infighting and threats from Ocho Cinco to go play football for Arsenal (that would be soccer for most Americans). So, the only logical pick is the Bengals. I'll be honest, this makes no sense, but hey UK in second place in the SEC East doesn't make much since either.

Browns +8 over Falcons

I think the ATL will win this game, but the Browns are a good enough team to hang around, and the Falcons are a bad enough team to let them. Charlie Frye is trying to take the title of most productive rushing QB from Vick, but the only place he leads is rushing TDs. So, my guy tells me the Falcons, but my gut is full of Starbucks right now, so I'm not sure it can be trusted.

Ravens -7 over Titans

I think the Ravens are overrated and the Titans have one of the better coaches in the NFL. Therefore, it makes total sense to pick the other way. Steve McNair is still bitter about his departure from Tennessee, so this is the second REVENGE GAME of the week.

Colts -12 over Bills

The year may be going crazy, but I can't rationalize the Bills hanging with Indy. So of course you should bet the house on Buffalo. OK, that is kind of straddling the fence, stick with the Colts.

Saints +5.5 over Steelers

So, earlier this week on Inside the NFL on ESPN, they were debating nominees for coaches of the year. One of the talking heads threw out New Orleans coach Sean Payton. The other responded, and I am paraphrasing here, "Yeah, but you get the sense there is something else going on there with that team." Actually, I can tell you what's going on with that team. They have a much better coach, a much better quarterback, two healthy/productive running backs, and a much better wide receiving corps. Do you know why they dumped Donte (The Human Hamstring Pull) Stallworth? Marques Colston. Sean Payton deserves all the credit in the world, and if people deny it because of some "magic" or something going on, that is ridiculous. Unless, of course, they have a "magic" standings. If they did, the Steelers would probably be in last place.

Redskins +7 over Eagles

This is another game where I am going against my initial judgement. The Eagles have stunk since beating the Cowboys, and the Redskins, well, they aren't that good either. Remember when everyone thought the NFC East was the toughest conference in the NFL? Good times.

Bears +1 over Giants

It's the FLEX GAME bitches!!! Ya hear that, FLEX GAME! Are you excited? FLEX GAME! How about now? No? OK. I don' think the Bears lose two games in a row, and I have visions of multiple picks from Eli Manning.

Packers +5.5 over Vikings

The Vikes looked good early in the year, but seem to have stalled out. Favre is still playing well, and some of the credit needs to go to new head coach Mike McCarthy. Favre has not been making the same stupid decisions he did the past couple of years. Of course, since I've said that, he will probably throw five picks today.

Jets +10.5 over Pats

This is probably not going to happen, mainly b/c Belichick really, really doesn't like Eric Mangini. Because of this, I am picking the Jets. There is some New Jersey mojo going on, and perhaps the Jets are poised to rise in the "Magic" standings.

Lions +6 over 49ers

The Lions are coming on strong, but Rod Miranelli and Matt Millen could still probably be fired. Mike Martz is poised to take over this team, and while he is a good offensive coordinator, as a head coach, really, a team can do better.

Broncos -9 over Raiders

The Raiders are terrible, Mike Shanahan loves to blow them out, and Tatum Bell is healthy. I don't see any other way this can play out.

Rams +3 over Seahawks

Seneca Wallace has played better than expected since taking over in Seattle, but the Rams almost won against a healthy Seattle. Therefore, they should definitely win against a banged up Seattle.

Cowboys -6.5 over Cardinals

First Tony Romo wins the Dallas job and now he is possibly dating Jessica Simpson. For comparison purposes, Drew Bledsoe just saved a lot of money on his car insurance.

Bucs +9.5 over Panthers

One last underdog pick to close out the weekend. I don't really think Tampa Bay can win, but why the hell not. On a weekend that saw UK give up 600 yards of offense to Vandy and still win by 11 points, anything can happen.

Let's get real people...

2006-11-06T08:37:00.000-05:00

The Lon here. Here's a news flash: The Lon is 31 years old. He practices law. He hasn't climbed anything in 12-13 years, but on Saturday, I got 45-50 phone calls, texts, voicemails, and e-mails saying "I hope I see you on UK goalposts when I watch the highlights of the UK win over Georgia."

What made them all the more ridiculous was that I got these messages in Long Island and Manhattan, where I was for the entire weekend for an alumni soccer game. But even if I HAD been at the game, The Lon ain't climbing on no goalposts. COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The "Go Cats!" edition

2006-11-05T12:46:00.000-05:00

I have not missed a Kentucky home game in a long time. I skipped a friend's birthday not to miss one. The one game I miss...they tear down the goalposts. Unreal. Go Cats, I guess.

Rams (-3) over Chiefs
The Chiefs line is always a mystery, I still am enough on the Rams' bandwagon to bang them here.

Bengals (+3) over Ravens
I STILL do not trust the Ravens(although reality may have to trump soon). And the Bengals can't be as bad as they've looked, can they?

G-Men (-13) over Texans
I have no clue what to expect from the G-Men, but what the heck.

Jags (-9.5) over Titans
The jags have been up-and-down, but I'm still backin' em'!

Cowboys (-3) over Skins (LOCK OF THE WEEK)

Packers (+3) over Bills
I'm riding the brief Favre renaissance.

Saints (+1.5) over Bucs
They might be mortal, but I'm still bangin' em.

Falcones (-5.5) over Lions (SECOND LOCK OF THE WEEK)
THe ATL is lookin' good.

Bears (-13.5) over Dolphins
Easy decision.

Vikes (-4.5) over 49ers

Chargers (-13) over Browns

Broncos (+3) over Steelers
This line makes no sense. Which means the Steelers will blow out the Broncos.

Colts (+3) over Pats

Raiders (+7.5) over Hawks

Goal Post Picks

2006-11-05T09:26:00.000-05:00

On a weekend that UK can beat UGA and tear down the goal posts, then maybe I can actually pick some winners in the NFL. So, let's give it a try...

Rams -3 over Chiefs
The Rams are a good team, and the Chiefs are Larry Johnson. I am not sold on Damon Huard, but I am sold on Steven Jackson. Plus, this game is at St. Louis.

Bengals +3 over Ravens
I have been saying for most of the year that something was wrong with Carson Palmer. The Lon has mocked me, others have said the problem is with the line, but I stand steadfast. This morning, Ron Jaworski confirmed my initial opinion. Breaking down the tape, it is clear that opponents are diving at Palmer's legs and this has caused some bad mechanics. Basically, he is lifting his right leg in order to try and protect his left leg. In the past, the Bengals WRs have had very good games against the Ravens. I just don't think the Ravens are a good team, so the Bengals and the points is the pick.

Giants -13 over Texans
13 is a big number, and if Sage Rosenfelds (Sage Rosenfelds!!! WTF!!) has another big game, then the Texans could cover. The Giants are a far better team, however, and their pass rush will not allow Sage Rosenfelds (Sage Rosenfelds!!! WTF!!) the time to hurt them.

Titans +9.5 over Jags
Here is my upset pick of the week. David Garrard does give Jax a better offense than Leftwich, at least that is what the experts say. But, the Titans have shown the ability to hang around better teams than the Jags.

Cowboys -3 over Skins
If the last game was my upset pick, then I guess this is my LOCK OF THE WEEK. The Romo Revolution is in full swing and since Santana Moss is out, there will be no fluke final five minute victory like last year.

Packers +3 over Bills
At the beginning of the year, Buffalo looked decent. Now, they look like crap. Even an aging Brett Favre is better then JP Losman. This game will probably be a shootout and I'll take Favre in that situation.

Saints -1 over Bucs
Drew Brees is not going to have two bad games in a row, and the Bucs appear to be coming down from their Bruce Gradowski high. Reggie Bush may/may not play in this game, but he really has not been much of a factor.

Falcons -5.5 over Lions
I still am not quite sure if Vick has turned the corner and become a complete quarterback, but I am pretty sure the Lions are terrible so it doesn't really matter for this game. And, seriously, Matt Millen still has a job! The "Fire MIllen" moment appears to have slowed down for now, despite the fact the Lions still suck. I miss it, so hopefully this will trigger a new wave.

Bears -13.5 over Dolphins
I heard this week that Nick Saban is contemplating returning to Michigan State, a job he held before his stint at LSU. I don't know about you, but that kind of screams failure to me. Will he lose the genius tag? I hope so.

Vikes -4.5 over 49ers
At the beginning of the year, I thought the 49ers were going to be something. At the very least, an exciting team capable of throwing some points on the board. That appears to have settled down. The Vikes looked worse than terrible (Lions-esque?) against the Pats on Monday night, but they are better than that.

Chargers -12.5 over Browns
I really hope Shawne Merriman runs on the field in a steroid rage and slaps Kellen Winslow, Jr upside his head. Someone really needs to give that kid a huge glass of Shut-the-fuck-up. Ideally, Antonio Gates finishes with a huge game and Winslow has zero catches.

Broncos +3 over Steelers
The Raiders are bad, but at least they have a decent defense. The Broncos have a better defense, and a much better offense, and the Steelers should be worried. Is it possible that Big Ben gets yanked for Charlie Batch? If he has two first halr picks, I think it happens.

Colts +3 over Pats
If this game was in the playoffs, I would pick the Pats. But, it is early November and the Colts will win. Remember, the Colts beat the Pats last year during the regular season, rather convincingly. Adam Vinatieri is now a Colt and a game winning kick from him would be rather sweet.

Raiders +7.5 over Seahawks
This is a REALLY bad Monday Night game. Especially when compared to the Colts/Pats game on Sunday night. The Raiders have a good D and the Seahawks are without Hasslebeck and Alexander. This will be a low scoring affair, so take the points.

The Lon is too embarrassed by his previous picking performances, so I would be SHOCKED to actually see him post.

Oops!

2006-10-29T13:41:00.000-05:00

Forgot about the Chiefs and the Seahawks. I'll take the Seahawks +5. What the hell, why not?

Surprise Bitch! It's The Lon's picks.

2006-10-29T12:53:00.000-05:00

Titans (-3) over Texans
Never know what to expect from the Texans, but I like the Titans here.

Jags (+7.5) over Eagles
Jags may be better with Garrard.

Falcones (+3.5) over Bengals
Bengals O-Fence has been struggling.

G-Men (-9) over Bucs
Against the advice of a friend of a friend, I'll take the G-Men.

49ers (+16.5) over Bears
After Grossman's last game, I think 16.5 is a lot of points.

Packers (-4) over Cards
The Cards have given up.

Chiefs (-5) over the Seahawks
The Seahawks are misssing their RB & QB.

Saints (-2) over the Ravens (LOCK OF THE WEEK)
The Ravens have NO CHANCE. Go Saints!

Rams (+9) over Chargers
9 seems like too many against the frisky Rams.

Steelers (-9) over Raiders
Is every line 9 pts this weekend?

Jets (+2) over Browns (UPSET SPECIAL)
I'm surprised the Jets are dogs here.

Broncos (-3) over Colts
I like Denver's D and their running game here.

Cowboys (+4.5) over Panthers
Romo's improved QB play is enough for a cover here.

Pats (-2) over Vikes
I like the Vikes, but not here.

Some Good Lookin' Picks from The KID!

2006-10-29T10:23:00.000-05:00

This chick to the left, Adrienne, is a cheerleader for the Philadelphia Eagles. She is hot. And so are these picks! Alright, that was a horrible segue. But, before the picks, I was listening to a gambling radio show Saturday morning, and I forgot how hilarious these things are. First, they throw out a lot of games that they know are "gurantees" or "locks", and if you call in they will give them to you. Then, they spend the rest of the time congratulaing each other for all their wins last weekend. Seriously, there was almost 20 minutes straight of backslapping each other over the Rutgers/Pitt game. And that's it. No analysis, nothing. Just, we got some picks, and let's talk about our awesome picks from last week. And it was an hour show. And I listend to the final 45 minutes. I am not proud of myself.
But hey, it was either that or the old guy on 1300 talking about race horses.

And now...................................the picks!!

Eagles -7.5 over Jags
This one is for the attractive young lady up top. Byron Leftwich is out, and that is probably a good thing for the Jags. The Eagles, however, are probably still a little pissed over losing on a last second 62 yard field goal by Matt Bryant of Tampa Bay, who promptly had an official "Day" in the city after the kick. Of course, Ronde Barber, who returned two INTs for TDs, got nothing. Except more Peter King schlobbin' his brother's knob. Tough to be Ronde.

Bucs +9 over Giants
I don't have an irrational hatred of the G-men like The Lon, but I do think they are a good team. The Bucs, however, have been playing better since convicted felon Bruce Gradowski took over at QB (Disclaimer: As far as I know, Bruce is not a convicted felon, but he looks very mean and a little scary in his official pic). Eli will thrown a least 1 int, but also 2-3 TDs. Nine points is a little too much against an improving defense.

Bengals -3.5 over Falcons
To be honest, if not for the words of Ocho Cinco (Chad Johnson) I probably would have picked this one the other way. However, if Ocho Cinco is going to gurantee some TDs and a victory, count me on the bandwagon.

Titans -3 over Texans
Wow. The Titans are a favorite. This is kinda amazing, and to be honest a red flag that I sould avoid picking them like the plague. Add this to every Fantasy Football Guru advising you to pick up Vince Young and play him this week, this game feels like one of those where everyone is picking one way, so it almost has to happen the other way. But, the Titans are coached by Jeff Fisher and I think he is one of the best coaches in the NFL.

49ers +16 over Bears
This line is just too high. I know the 49ers have some problems and the Bears will probably be looking to make a statement after their close victory over the Cards, but 16 is just too much. And here's why. The 49ers will throw the ball and Chicago has some problems with their Pass Defense. Add the fact that All-Pro safety Mike Brown is out for the year and 16 points should be enough for Alex Smith and Co.

Packers -4 over Cards
The Brett Favre renaissance continues. At least until they play some tough teams. The Cards are falling apart before our very eyes, and Matt Leinart may be a little distracted by the fact that his hot ass baby mama just gave birth. Oh, and Zona sucks, so that is a good reason to pick the Pack as well.

Saints -1.5 over Ravens
The Saints are better than the Ravens. There is really not much more to say here. I believe, at the end of the season, the Ravens will be third in their division behind the Bengals and the Steelers. Brian Billick, who gave a few backhanded compliments to New Orleans earlier this week, deserves to lose big. let's hope he does.

Rams +9.5 over Chargers
So, here's the deal. Shawne Merriman is one of the best, if not the best, defensive players in the NFL. And he tested positive for steroids. And..........no outrage. None. No big deal. However, for Major League Baseball or even Lance Armstrong, this is front page news, not sports front page, but the real news front page. Of course, it came out earlier this year that several of the Carolina Panthers that played in the Super Bowl were probalby on steroids and no one really cared. So, Traditional Media, I don't want to hear anymore about baseball players or Lance or that other biker dude who was on steroids until you show the same level of anger towards the NFL. So, that is pretty much why I am choosing the Rams. If I learned anything from Mr. T when I was younger, it is to pity fools who use drugs.

Steelers -9 over Raiders
Even with Charlie Batch at QB, if he gets the start, the Steelers are a much better team in all facets of the game than the Raiders. The big question, is Art Shell the worst coach in the NFL? Interesting........I'm not sure, but a ranking of NFL Head Coaches will be up on the blog soon.

Jets +2 over Browns
This line is a little surprising, but I guess since the game is in Cleveland the Browns get the nod. Don't be fooled, the Jets are better. This is a big week for Jets RB Leon Washington. If he has another big week, than Fantasy teams all over the country will be tripping over themselves to add him.

Colts +3 over Broncos
Quite possibly the biggest game of the year so far. Have the Broncos puposely been holding stuff back on Offense in preparation for their bigger games? Does the addition of Booger mean the Colts can stop the run? Will Jay Cutler see the field? I don't have a lot of confidence in Denver scoring points, so although they have a much better defense than the Colts, giving Peyton Manning 3 points should be enough for a victory.

Cowboys + 4.5 over Panthers
I am predicting a "Romo-lution" for Dallas. Look for T.O. to have a big game and the team will be a little more fired up with a little more firey QB. Also, look for Drew Bledsoe to sulk and pout and generally be a bigger dick than T.O. has been perceived to be. If T.O. had made some of the comments that Bledsoe has made, they would still be yelling about it on "Around the Horn".

Pats -2 over Vikes
I don't know when the "Flex" option kicks in for choosing games, but the Colts/Broncos matchuup really should have been the Sunday or Monday nighter. As it is, the Pats are the most consistent good team out there. I don't think they are the best, but they haven't thrown in the clunker games that some of the other "good" teams have. And they're better than the Vikes.

It's Dicky's World, We Just Live In It!

2006-10-29T09:59:00.000-05:00

40
So, after talking the talk, what did Dicky Lyons, Jr. do? He walked the walk. After getting in trouble (because I can only assume Rich Brooks is worried about his team having confidence and actually being fired up for a game) Dicky finished the Miss St. game with a career high 8 catches for a career high of 117 yards and one of the best TD catches in UK football history. Unfortunately, it was not on TV, so if you have not caught it on the local news or the Rich Brooks show, keep your eyes on youtube. Anyway, after this career day where he backed up everything he said, how was Dicky rewarded? He was put off limits from the media. That's great. Seriously. A kid has one of his best days as a college football player, and the coach is still so angry about some comments, that to be honest were that not inflammatory, that he keeps him locked away from the opportunity to bask in the glow of his tremendous performance.

I only wish Rich Brooks showed this type of anger toward Defensive Coordinator Mike Archer, who led the defense to their 29th consecutive game against D-IA teams being outgained in total yards.

Down with Dicky

2006-10-27T17:08:00.000-04:00

Do you see this young man to the left, busting out the Andrew MacGregor patented "sidewinder"? (I was serious about the patent. Dicky, if you read this, please contact Andrew "Crime Dog" MacGregor. Thank you). Anyway, that is Dicky Lyons, Jr., starting widereciever for the University of Kentucky Wildcats. Now, since he plays for UK, of course we are all "Down with Dicky", as opposed to being "Down with Dick", which was the original title for this post, but I was worried about the Google traffic. But this week, more than usual, Dicky needs our back. Click on the title, and you can read the article in today's local Lexington daily newspaper (whose name I refuse to say), about UK Head Coach Rich Brooks and his reaction to Lyons' comments earlier in the week. Those comments...

We've got to have it (the game), we want to have it, we should have it, and I think we will have it. I don't think we should lose this game. Coach Brooks has been telling us that they're a good team and saying all the right things, but I really feel like we're better. I feel like we can get our backups in; I want to play that type of game. I want to do to them what LSU did to us (in a 49-0 loss).

Now, I call that confidence. I call that belief in yourself and your team. That is the type of "we're gonna kick your ass" attitude that I want to see in my sports teams. Brooks' reaction?

Confidence is one thing; stupidity is another.

Seriously. How many times has Brooks talked to Tom Leach after ANOTHER disappointing UK beatdown and talked about how we weren't ready, or needed to hit them in the mouth, or any other litany of excuses. You know what I like about Lyons? He is trying to fire up his teammates. Brooks? I don't know what the hell he is doing.

For punishment, Lyons had to run extra windsprints after practice. And the best part? Some of Dicky's teammates joined him for the runs. You know why? Because they respect this kid. In fact, I plan on going to the gym today and doing some extra sprints myself. You know why, cause I got Dicky's back.

Did Dicky regret his comments and the tempest in a teapot they inspired?

I'm definitely going to be more careful with my words, but it's nice to see my teammates have my back," Lyons said. "It was team unity that I hadn't seen in awhile. It got everybody fired up. It got Coach fired up. It was a fun day.

Do you have Dicky's back? Then get your ass out there and run some freakin' sprints!

In this case, Chip Cosby says it best....

Just another case of Dicky being Dicky.

The Lon's late-breaking picks

2006-10-22T15:41:00.000-04:00

Broncos (-4.5) over Browns
Not sure I get this line.

Skins (+8.5) over Colts
I'm sure I'll regret this.

Vikings (+6.5) over Seahawks
Hawks haven't impressed w/o Alexander.

Cards (-3) over Raiders
Pick against the raiders until they beat an NFL team.

Cowboys (-3) over G-Men
I have no clue what to expect out of either the G-Men or Atl. at this point. None.

The Good German Goes Gambling!

2006-10-21T14:37:00.000-04:00

So, you may wonder who, exactly are The Known Caucasians and what do they look like? Lucky for you myheritage.com has the answer to that question. According to this very entertaining website yours truly, The Kid, looks like Dallas Maverick superstar Dirk Nowitzki. The Lon, however, looks like Joe Pesci. Poor Lon. Of course, I am not mentioning the pics I uploaded where the website said I looked like a girl. Anyway, here are the picks!!

Chargers -5.5 over Chiefs
The beatdown the Kansas City Chiefs took last week is going to linger like a hangover after a keg party. You know it's bad when the announcers are talking about how embarrassing it is and the first quarter is not even over. It doesn't help that the Chargers are the best team in the NFL. Question, does Herm Edwards survive the season? Probably, but I don't predict a long tenure/ Hopefully, we will get a crazy Herm press conference soon.

Pats -5.5 over Bills
The Bills seem, sometimes, just good enough to scare someone. In week one, they scared the Pats. That won't happen again. You may be able to surprise Belichick and crew once, but it is not gonna happen twice. I wouldn't mind if it did though. I am getting kinda tired of the Pats, Belichick, Brady, etc. Too bad their division is soooooooo bad.

Steelers -2.5 over Falcons
Are the Steelers back? Maybe. Are the Falcons overrated? Probably. Am I going to answer any question in a clear and concise fashion? Possibly. Look for a lot of running and some passing from the Steelers, not the Falcons. And that is why the Steelers will win.

Packers +5 over Dolphins
Did you know that last week, half of the underdogs won STRAIGHT UP? Pretty crazy. Despite that, this is the first upset I am picking. Miami is really bad. How bad? So bad that Joey Harrington, who is only playing slightly better than Dante Culpepper, which is like saying that he is playing slightly better than a corpse, is being looked upon as some sort of savior. Provided Brett Favre is not seeking to show Rex Grossman how to REALLY blow up during a game, I expect the Pack to win.

Eagles -5.5 over Bucs
Philly really frustrates me. Somedays, like Dallas, they look unbeatable. Then other days, like against the Saints, they look average, at best. This game could prove interesting. If Bruce Gradowski was this good all along, why did Gruden ever play Simms? I still think the Eagles' blitz will win the day.

Lions +3.5 over Jets
It is possible that the Lions are actually beginning to click with the Martz offense. I still don't think Jon Kitna is the answer, but Roy Williams and Kevin Jones are playing like they did in college, and that is good for Lions fans. Last week, I thought all the Detroit karma was centered around the Tigers. Maybe I was wrong.

Panthers +3 over Bengals
The Lon and I are debating what's wrong with the Bengals. I say something is off with Carson Palmer while The Lon points at the offensive line. Either way, the offense is not up to par and that is bad news for the Bengals. The Cincy D will get one or two picks on Jake D., but they will also give up one or two long TDs. Chad Johnson wants to throw it deep (shocker!), but Marvin Lewis is a little too conservative for that.

Broncos -4.5 over Browns
This is a story that has been discussed way too often, so why not throw it out there once more. A lot of the players for the Broncos used to play for the Browns. They sucked donkeys for the Browns and are a top defense for the Broncos. What The Fungus?!?!?!? Tatum Bell will have a big day, so Jake Plummer will not be put in the position to lose this game.

Redskins +9 over Colts
This is an upset pick, but one with some thought behind it. Indy has a lot of trouble stopping the run. Clinton Portis is a great running back. Therefore, I see some clock control that keeps this game close. Or, Peyton could throw for 400 yards and 4 TDs on a piss poor Redskin defense. I am leaning more toward the Portis option.

Seahawks -6.5 over Vikes
The Vikes have an underrated defense, but the Seahawks are still riding that amazing win against the Rams. This brings me back to the controversial call at the end of that game. First, I complimented Ed Hochili, then I said he was wrong, and now, according to John Clayton, he was right. And then, later on, it appears he might have been wrong. Who knows? All I know is that the NFL is going to change the rule to probably make it easier to understand.

Cards -3 over Raiders
A lot of people are predicting that the Cardinals will be so upset by blowing that sure win against the Bears that the funk will help the Raiders achieve their first, and probably only, win of the season. This would be true, except for the fact they are playing the Raiders. If they were playing any other team in the NFL, and some of the teams in the NCAA, I would go against the Cards. But, the Raiders are....well....is there anything they're good at? Seriously.

Giants +3 over Cowboys
What a great Monday Night game! The Giants have looked good against the Redskins and the Falcons, but now were are starting to see that those teams, especially the Skins, are not that good. Dallas looked terrible against the Eagles, and for one half not so good against Houston, but that second half was nice. Look for the loudmouths, Shockey and Owens, to have big game. Also, be prepared for the onslaught of Tiki talk. Will he retire? Should he have mentioned it this early in the season? Should he be in the Hall of Fame? The answers: 1. Yes. 2. No. 3. No.
Tiki has a future in news/announcing, and not just football. I think talking about it this early is a little bit of an unnecessary distraction. His numbers do not warrant the HOF. Curtis Martin of the Jets has a better argument than Tiki. As does Thurman Thomas, who did not make it in. Tiki appears to be a nice guy. That is not enough for the HOF, so Peter King, go buy some Starbucks and stop talking about it.

Don't Look Back in Anger

2006-10-16T16:53:00.000-04:00

Some closing thoughts on Week 6 in the NFL.

Chargers 48-19 over 49ers
This wasn't much of a surprise. Today, Peter King of si.com said that Phillip Rivers was going to the Pro Bowl. He's right. He is currently the #1 ranked QB in the AFC, and with Tom Brady having a down year, Rivers and Peyton appear to be the cream of the AFC crop. I picked this one right, although there was a little more scoring than I thought on SD's side.

Jets 20-17 over Dolphins
The Jets almost blew this, but thanks to the reverse jinx I put on them they won. Although the record shows I picked Miami, I am still claiming this as a victory. The reverse jinx was the plan all along. BTW, sitting at BW-3's with The Lon, I correctly called "Wide Right" on Mare's potential game tying field goal.

Steelers 45-7 over Chiefs
The highlight for me was seeing Larry Johnson tackle Troy Palomaleulalula??? by his hair. At least TP did not complain, although his little bitchy Steeler teammates were going nuts. I'm sorry, but the NFL is completely anal about EVERYTHING their people wear, but dudes can run around with hair all over the damn place?!? As for how my prediction went. See Charlie Murphy below.

Seahawks 30-28 over Rams
A very exciting game featuring two offenses hitting on all cylinders. Torry Holt was unbelievable and the officials did a great job of explaining what happened at the end of the game. Oh, and I picked this one right.
*******UPDATE*******
So, apparently, the official pulled a Charlie Murphy and was WRONG! WRONG! And the Rams got screwed.

Titans 25-22 over Skins
I didn't pick this one, but I was rooting for the Titans the whole game. People, Jeff Fisher is one hell of a football coach. If the Titans are dumb enough to get rid of him, teams will be tripping over themselves to sign him up. Meanwhile, DC continues to implode. When will we see Jason Campbell? And what happened to the DC defense?

Saints 27-24 over Eagles
Once again, another wrong pick for me. Just when I think Philly may be the best team in the NFL, they come out and do something like this. They have lost two games (Giants and this one) to teams they should have beaten. But, how can you root against the Saints? Also, when are they just going to move Reggie Bush to WR?

Lions 20-17 over Bills
Another Charlie Murphy for me. WRONG! WRONG! Roy Williams put on a show and Kevin Jones FINALLY looked like a good running back. Too bad Matt Millen gets to celebrate, beyond that good win for Detroit. Lions fans should enjoy it, they will probably only get a few more all season.

Giants 27-14 over Falcons
The best college football game of the weekend. I got this one right, although I did not predict 600 rushing yards. Hey. What did The Lon have to say about this game???

Falcones (-3) over GiantsThis is easy money...the G-Men suck.

Oh yeah. Good call.

Cowboys 34-6 over Texans
I should have gone with my brain and not my heart. The Drew Bledsoe implosion I so desired has been put off for another week or so. At least T.O. got three TDs. That helped my fantasy league.

Panthers 23-21 over Ravens
If you had Week 6 in your "When will Steve McNair get hurt" pool, YOU WIN! At least I got this one right. Although two fluky TDs by Kyle Boller made it interesting.

Broncos 13-3 over Raiders
Sorry Denver. You cannot be the best team in the AFC when you only score 13 on the Oakland Raiders. At home. RUMOR ALERT- I read on the "internets" that Jay Cutler has a torn rotator cuff (If I remembered where, I would give a link. I think it was the aol.fanhouse) Anyway, that may be the reason Jake Plummer still has a job.

As far as Monday night? We shall see.

About Some of My Picks

2006-10-15T20:14:00.000-04:00

POSTED EARLIER:

Chiefs +6.5 over SteelersSomething is wrong in Pittsburgh. I am not quite sure what it is. Wait, yeah I am. It is the fact that Big Ben is a walking disaster area and it is quite possible that a grand piano could fall on him while I am typing this. In fact, I am flipping over to si.com real quick to make sure that didn't happen...................nope, still OK. I think this will be a close low-scoring game, so I am taking the Chiefs and the points.

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Missed one

2006-10-15T13:08:00.000-04:00

Panthers (+3) over Ravens (UPSET SPECIAL)

The Lon's picks.....Lonnie-style!

2006-10-15T12:49:00.000-04:00

BenGals (-5) over Bucs
Bucs are due for a win, but I think the BenGals are too.

Skins (-12) over Titans
You know my stance on the Titans, although they almost won the last time they had a double-digit line.

Cowboys (-13) over Texans
Look for Drew Bledsoe to try and "get well" against the pathetic Texans.

Lions (+1.5) over Buffalo
2 Crappy teams....I'm taking the home team getting pts.

Falcones (-3) over Giants
This is easy money...the G-Men suck.

Saints (+3) over Eagles
Saints at home getting pts. Eagles are good, so don't go crazy here.

Jets(-2.5) over Miami
Go Jets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

49ers (+9.5) over Chargers
49ers @home, a lot of pts, and Martyball.

Steelers (-6.5) over Chiefs
The Chiefs line is weird every week, seems like a few too many pts., but the Champs have to win a few games this year, don't they?

Broncos (-14) over Raiders
Shanahan HATES the Raiders. They will run trick plays up 35-0.

Bears (-11) over Cards
The Cards covering wouldn't shock me, but you've got to go with Da' Bears here.

NFL Picks, Scrooge McDuck Style!

2006-10-15T11:26:00.000-04:00

Do you want to swim around in cash like my main man to the left here, Scrooge McDuck? If so, then just scroll through The Kid's picks and get ready to go swimming around in $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!

Bengals -5 over Bucs
I am a little disappointed that former Buc Dexter Jackson will probably not be playing, as earlier this week he was telling anyone who would listen that the Bucs decline on defense was because he had left. Anyway, I expect Chad Johnson to finally have a Chad Johnson game and the Bucs MAC QB will throw a few pick, because that is what the Bengals do. Who Dey! PS> For $100 and a 12 pack of Bud, suspended Bengal WR Chris Henry will watch this game at your house with you. However, he may need a ride home. And if you give it, keep the windows rolled down.

Skin -10.5 over Titanics
Don't let their valiant effort against the Colts fool you. The Titans are not good. Hammerin' Hank explained it thusly, "The only reason the Titans hung around is because Indy cannot stop the run. Washington can stop the run." Of course, Hammerin' Hank had an Oakland Raider type week last week, so take it for what it's worth.

Cowboys -13 over Texans. Fuck it, Texans +13 over Cowboys!!!!
While I was typing this I changed my mind. Sure, the Texans have no pass rush and a terrible pass defense, but in my mind I am rooting for a total Drew Bledsoe meltdown. I want it. I need it. So, Mario Williams. This is the game for you to step up and show the world something. Get after Drew! Picture him as every journalist in America that bitches and moans about the Texans taking you over Reggie Bush. This is your game Mario. Don't let me down.

Bills -1.5 over Lions
Is Matt Millen still running the Lions? If so, Buffalo is the pick. All the Detroit mojo is centered around the Tigers. Sorry Lions. Although, Jim Leyland is available today to coach your team. Seriously, he couldn't do worse.

Rmas +3 over Seahawks
My favorite NFL story of the week involves former special teams captain for Seattle, and current St. Louis Ram, Isaiah Kacyvenski. The Shawks cut him last Friday to carry an extra RB, with the promise they would call and resign him on Monday. Well, during that time Rams Head Coach Scott Linehan saw his name on the wire and signed him to a contract. Seattle Head Coach Mike Holmgren was not happy. But hey, that's life in the NFL. There is no loyalty and the reason is the NFL Player's Union has absolutely zero balls (just like The Lon! Zing!). The owners hold all the cards and you gotta get paid! Congrats to Kacyvenski for screwing over the Seahawks, b/c given the opportunity, they would screw him. So, I am picking the Rams based solely on kharma.

Giants +3 over Falcons
This is a tough game to pick. The Falcons are coming off the bye, are balanced, and are at home. The G-men are coming off a dominating victory over the rival Redskins. At this point, I think NY is the better team. The ATL has had a little trouble punching it in and their kicker is 72 years old. Of course, the NY kicker is Jay Feely.

Eagles -3 over Saints
This is an odd line. The Eagles are VERY good and the Saints are just good, with a few lucky break wins under their belt. I would take the Eagles up to 7.5 here, so -3 looks like a gift. Of course, this could be the game Reggie Bush explodes, but I doubt it.

Panthers +3 over Ravens
I will keep screaming it until everyone agrees, but the Ravens areNOT THAT GOOD! If I have to hear one more freakin' announcer talk about how Steve McNair has "finally given them an offense" I am going to start jabbing steak knives into my ears for relief. Here are some stats. The Ravens have the 13th best offense in the AFC, 29th best overall. They are behind Tennessee, Houston, Mami, and the Jets. McNair is the 26th ranked QB. They are STILL bad on offense. And the Panthers will beat them.

Dolphins +2.5 over Jets
Remember that post I made about the Jets being good. Forget it. I am done with them after that Jax game. Joey Harrington is the man! And his official NFL picture looks like Jon Heder.
Of course, you can expect the Jets to prove me wrong, b/c they hate me for some reason.

Chargers -9.5 over 49ers
This line is a little interesting, b/c the 49ers can score. But they have not seen a defense like the Chargers. Shawne Merriman will be doing his little "Turning out the lights" dance several times today and the Chargers will crush the 'Niners.

Chiefs +6.5 over Steelers
Something is wrong in Pittsburgh. I am not quite sure what it is. Wait, yeah I am. It is the fact that Big Ben is a walking disaster area and it is quite possible that a grand piano could fall on him while I am typing this. In fact, I am flipping over to si.com real quick to make sure that didn't happen...................nope, still OK. I think this will be a close low-scoring game, so I am taking the Chiefs and the points.

Broncos +14 over Raiders
I have to believe Oakland would not be this bad if Al Davis was still alive (Full disclosure, I stole that joke from about 54 people that have done some variation on it for the past month or so). Normally, 14 is a lot of points. But not when you are playing the Raiders. Even Jake Plummer cannot blow this, and he can blow a lot of things (ZING!)

Bears -11 over Cardinals
Dear Mr. Leinart,

Welcome to the NFL.

Yours truly,

Brian Urlacher and Tommie Harris

Big Blue Madness

2006-10-14T13:26:00.000-04:00

So, I was at a rehearsal dinner last night and had to tape the "Big Blue Madness". I have to admit, this may have actually been the way to go. I was able to FFW through a lot of the "filler" such as the clogging (i have to admit, it was not nearly as bad as i thought it was going to be) and the intro and scrimmage of the women's team. Don't get me wrong, I love the ladies, they really rev my engine (thanks to Brian Fantana), but that is not what I tuned in to see. I had heard Mason, the PA guy for the Pistons, on the radio during an afternoon run, and I was extremely excited to see the 2006-2007 Cats. Later, I will give a more in depth look, meaning I will watch the rest of the scrimmage, but first I just want to say something about Perry Stevenson and his number. Perry will wear #21. This means, for the last eight years, #21 has been worn by the skinniest guy on the team. Tayshaun Prince, Shagari Alleyne, and now Perry Stevenson. Is there some sort of weight limit for #21? If Perry bulks up, will he have to wear a different number? It is all very confusing. And Mark Coury? I definitely miss the goggles.

Where's Kid Rock?

2006-10-13T19:26:00.000-04:00

As I watch the Detroit Tigers continue their march to the World Series (seriously, Oakland. What happened? Is this the same team that dominated the Twins? I mean.....come on) one thing I have noticed is the noticable absent of the Detroit celebs. Now, I will admit I have not watched EVERY minute of the LCS, but I have watched enough to notice that Kid Rock and Eminem, two celebs that seemed to always be around the Detroit Pistons, have not made their way onto our great nation's airwaves. What are they waiting for? Maybe the World Series? Is it too early? What do the Tigers have to do to get Kid Rock away from banging Pam Anderson and out to a 30 degree baseball game. Oh. I may have just answered my own question.

The Kid (Not to be confused with Kid Rock)

All You Need to Know About the Oakland Raiders

2006-10-12T21:56:00.000-04:00

So, I was playing around on Youtube.com and saw this video. Just click on the title of this post, and you will learn all you need to know about this year's Raiders.

The Kid

The Lon sets you straight

2006-10-08T12:35:00.000-04:00

Thanks for your picks "Le Gay Farie;" time to let a non-pillow biter pick, and set things "straight."

On to the picks:
Colts (-18) over Titans
Kudos to Vegas (& more correctly, the public) for making the line interesting. Week 5 is when the lines start making some sense usually, and the gambling gets really tough. To take the Titans here, you have to believe that Peyton Manning is not going to run up the score in a nationally-televised game, after the Colts' O looked average against the Jags and Jets.

Skins (+5.5) over Giants
Really don't know what to expect out of the G-Men...I think both these teams stink, G-Men may win, but seems like too many points after getting DESTROYED by Seattle. I'm going to stay away from this one though.

Vikes (-6.5) over Detroit
Umm, I'm not going to put money on Detroit while Matt Millen is there (unless they get +26 @ home)

Saints (-7) over Bucs
Saints lost a tough game last week to a good Panthers team. Saints are at home facing a winless team, with a QB I've never heard of. You do the math.

Rams (-2.5) over Packers
Unless you believe that Favre's neck stinger means he'll get knocked out of the game in the 1st quarter, take the Rams. The juice you have to give to bet the Rams this morning means EVERYONE is taking the Rams here (which scares me a little...)

Pats (-9.5) over Phins
Joey Harrington is starting today for the Phins. That means he's perceived to be an upgrade for the Phins' big off-season signing.

Bears (-9.5) over Bills
I'm going to buy a cowboy hat to wear on Da Bears' bandwagon.

Panthers (-7.5) over Browns
I don't like that extra .5, but you have to think the Panthers will kick ass at home in this spot.

Jags (-6.5) over Jets
Love my Jets, but this could be brutal to watch. The Jags made the Colts look silly 2 weeks ago.

Chiefs (-3.5) over Cards
A Leinart rescus would not shock me here, but I have to go this way after both teams' efforts last week.

49ers (-3.5) over Raiders
Raiders are not good; their 1st win will come at homes.

Eagles (-1) over Cowboys
This is put up or shut up time for Donovan McNabb. The Eagles are better than the Cowboys, and he needs to stomp the 'Boys here to save his rep. I am, of course, secretly rooting for T.O. to light the Eagles up just for the effect on the Philly fans.

Steelers (+3) over Chargers (UPSET SPECIAL)
I did not like Rivers' performance against the ravens last week.

Broncos (-5.5) over Ravens
I know what I said last week, but I PROMISE the Ravens actually suck.

T-I-P'S from The K-I-D!

2006-10-08T11:25:00.000-04:00

I missed last weekend on account of Old Style, but The Kid is back! Let's pick some winners...

Titans +18.5 over Colts
That is not a type. That is an 18.5 point spread. In an NFL game. Despite the fact that the Titans are the worst team in the league, I just cannot in good conscience give 18.5 points to another professional team. So, maybe Vince Young thinks he's at Texas and makes a few plays. Maybe Pac-Man Jones pulls a gat and shoots Peyton Manning in the leg. Who knows? The crazy thing about this line is that it has stayed steady all week, meaning a lot of people have absolutely zero problem picking the Colts. But not The Kid!

Skins +4.5 over Giants
When The Lon makes his picks, you can be sure he will mention that A. The Giants hate their coach and B. The Skins coaches cannot coach. Both may be a little bit true, but the B. Is starting to look less and less. Based on their game against Jax last weekend, the Skins "O" could be turning the corner. The G-Men give up A LOT of yards and points. This should be high scoring and since both teams are close, I will take the dog.

Vikes -6.5 over Lions
The only reason I am taking the Vikes is because they are at home. Also, they have a better coach. And a better quarterback. Actually, there appear to be quite a few reasons I am taking the Vikes. Speaking of the Lions, during ESPN College Gameday, in Gainesville, FL, Saturday morning, there were a few "FIRE MILLEN!" signs. There was also a sign saying "CORSO LOVES COCK" with a drawing of a unit in place of the actual word. It doesn't have a lot to do with the game, but it was funny.

Saints -6.5 over Bucs
New Orleans, but like New Jersey, is sort of surprising in their goodness. Sean Payton, after being sorta fired in New York then resurrecting his career in Dallas, has proven to be an effective coach, and Drew Brees is proving, perhaps, better than a lot of us thought. Tampa Bay is starting a rookie quarterback, and based on how crappy Chris Simms played before having his spleen knocked out of him, this guy has got to be pretty bad. As of 11:30 Sunday morning, Rich Gannon was still retired. Bold predicition: Reggie Bush scores his first NFL touchdown today.

Rams -3 over Packers
This one took awhile. Although I mock him a lot, Brett Favre is having a pretty good year. However, the team is just bad. The Rams are not much better, but I like the Rams WRs running over and around the Green Bay secondary. So, Rams are the pick.

Dolphins +10 over Pats
This is the big upset. I think the Pats will win, but the Dolphins will cover. The Inferno is going to be the 3rd QB today, and, believe it or not, I think Joey Harrington will make this team a little better. Dolphins coach Nick Saban is a former Belichick guy and playing the Pats tough is how he built his rep last year. Of course, it is always risky to bet against Tom Brady, but if DEREK JETER!'s team can lose three straight game in the playoffs, Brady can have a bad day against Miami.

Bills +10 over Bears
Maybe this should be my upset. Pretty much the same thinking as above. Bears will win, but Bills will cover. Too good defenses mean no blowout.

Panthers -7.5 over Browns
At some point, Carolina has to start playing like the Super Bowl pick they were before the year started. Why not today? Cleveland is a good bad team. Meaning, they are a bad team, but better than Oakland, Tenn, Zona, etc. Regardless, Steve Smith is healthy, the Panthers are at home, and the Browns are going to lose. By at least 8. Hopefully.

Jets +7 over Jags
I just had a post earlier this week where I talked about how the NYJets were surprisingly good this year. After doing that, I can't turn around and pick against them. The Jags have a good defense, but they have a lot of questions on offense, as well as some injury issues. Eric Mangini and his man boobs will win this game.

Chiefs -3.5 over Cards
Remember earlier in the year, when the Dolphins were Super Bowl contenders and Arizona was EVERYONE'S sleeper? Man August was nice. Anyway, despite having a great fantasy team on offense, Zona apparently forgot to actually sign on offensive line. And take it from somebody who watches UK football, an offensive line is kind of a necessity in the game of football. So, despite the fact that Herm Edwards has completely killed the Chiefs explosive "O", the Chiefs are still good enough to roll over the Cards. However, I would really appreciate it if Mudslide Dennis Green can get Edge a couple of TDs. My fantasy team really needs it.

49ers +3.5 over Raiders
There are only three valid reasons for watching this game: 1. You're a Radier fan (meaning you are probably in jail) 2. You're a 49er fan 3. You have money on the game. On the bright side, all the offensive players on both teams should have big fantasy days.

Cowboys +2 over Eagles
You may not be aware of this, but apparenlty Dallas plays Philly in Philly. Did you know that Terrell Owens (aka TO) once played for Philly? And now he plays for Dallas? I wish I could find an NFL pregame show that would effectively cover this angle. Anyway, the big question is, will Brian Westbrook play? The Eagles did not need him last week, but if they want to win this game they will. However, it won't be enough. Look for a BIG DAY from TO. That is provided, of course, an Eagles fan does not shoot him. Don't laugh, that is totally a possibility.

Chargers -3.5 over Steelers
Call me crazy, but I still think that San Diego is the best team in the AFC. Hey, off topic, but Joe Buch on FOX just introduced the baseball highlights with this, "Now, the bad news in Detroit." Bad news? Seriously. Maybe to Yankee fans and FOX executives, but for everyone else, it is GREAT news. At the UK/USC football game last night, one of the biggest ovations came when the PA guy announced the score of the Tigers/Yankees game. Suck it Joe Buck!

MNF Broncos -4 over Ravens
The Ravens may go undefeated and win the Super Bowl, but you still will not be able to convince me they are a good team.

There you go. The Lon and his picks will be here soon, but there really is no reason to read them. The guy couldn't pick his way out of a paper bag. (I have no idea what that means)

I Love Me Some Me: Gambling Tips from The KID for T.O. Weekend

2006-10-06T16:09:00.000-04:00

Ah Terrell Owens. So loved. So hated. So undercovered by the media. OK, not really. But, in honor of his return to Philly, I have dedicated this football weekend to not only a great football player, but to someone who is truly an artist. The most famous performance artist in the world. And yes, I am serious about that.

College Games:
Right now the UK/USC line is all over the freakin' place. It kind of reminds me of my friend Chim in college. One night he was so blotto that he bumbling and stumbling around eventually led him to a corner, in which he was stuck for about 30 minutes. I cannot wait to tell that story to his kid. Anyway, it opened at 3 1/2 moved up to 6 1/2 and then down to 5 and now I think 5 1/2. Obviously, some people are very interested in this game. Right now, I don't think I will bet on it, but after a few beers on Saturday, I am pretty sure I will. I just want it to climb back up a little.

Nothing else really jumps out at me. Although, I am taking a long look at the Michigan/Mich. State game. 15 1/2 is a lot of points, and the MSU offense can score points. Of course, John L. Smith is still the coach, so who knows.

Actually, I also like LSU +2 against Florida. Despite their loss to Auburn, I still think LSU is the best team in the SEC.

I am tempted by the Louisville/MIddle Tenn. State game tongiht, but 31 is a lot of points. I can see this being 35-7, which would kind of suck from a gambling perspective. If Louisville covers this, consider them a safe bet to cover until the WVU game.

Later with NFL picks.

EPL Action this Weekend

2006-10-06T16:03:00.000-04:00

It's The Kid. OK, you can sit down now.

So, at school I have a group of kids who meet up in my room to discuss the English Premiere League and sometimes watch recorded highlights. Well, the other day we went to the EPL website and entered a game where we picked the scores and winners of all the games. So, without further adeiu, here are our picks. If you are a little bored with gambling on football 9if you are, then you are a sick, sick person) you can try these on for size....

Man U over Wigan 3-0
Arsenal over Watford 1-0 (This is our double or nothing game)
Aston Villa over Tottenham 2-1
Liverpool over Blackburn 2-1
Sheffield over Man City 1-0
Everton over Middlesburough 2-0
Portsmouth and West Ham 1-1
Chelsea over Reading 2-1
Newcastle over Bolton 3-0 (This is our upset pick)
Fulham over CHarlton 1-0

So, I'll check back later and see how we did. If we did even remotely well, I am totally adding EPL to my ever worsening gambling habit.

A-Rod and Jeter

2006-10-05T14:04:00.000-04:00

The Kid here. In case you weren't aware, the baseball playoffs are currently going on and the New York Yankees feature two players named Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. The first player is sometimes known simply as "JETER!" (Yes, the exclamation point is necessary) and the second as "A-Hole!"....or you know "A-Rod", but if you are a Yankee fan I am sure you have a number of other names for him.

Well, I am not really a fan of either, and like most non-Yankee fans I get a little tired of constantly hearing about them (Thank God they aren't playing the Red Sox) and specifically how great JETER! is or what a choke job A-Rod is. But, sometimes.....you know....you gotta call a spade a spade.

My Sports Writing class turned on Game 2 for the last five minutes of class, and a situation developed in the first inning where the Yankees had the bases loaded and two outs. A-Rod approached the plate and every single kid in my class, me included, knew he was going to get out. What was nice is that the crowd at Yankee Stadium was up on their feet and cheering. It was sweet, because they hate this guy and knew, even more than I did, that A-Rod was going to get out. The only question was how. After the Justin Verlander blew the first pitch by him, I declared "Stike out, looking". I was correct. And those same fans that were standing to cheer were still standing. Except now they were booing. And it is hard to blame them. Because, as we all know, JETER! would have hit a special kind of grand slam (let's call it the JETER! slam) that would have counted for 8 runs.

In case you couldn't tell, I will be rooting for the Tigers.