ETSU, Future Message Board Threads, Lounge Talk, And Park Benching

3/16/10

We are within two days of Kentucky taking the court for their first matchup of the NCAA Tournament. Will the Cats be able to handle the East Tennessee State Michael Jackson's? I think so. If we can find a way to break down their superb ability to grab their goods we should be able to advance to the second round. What I am not anticipating is an untimely UK loss, whichever round it may occur. My wish is that the Cats cut down the nets after winning #8, but my gut says we get upended somewhere. It is a very disturbing feeling.

Should Kentucky lose somewhere in the next couple of weeks, as God-awful as that would be, the Big Blue Nation should be ready. Ready for what you ask? A Big Blue meltdown. I can already forsee the thread titles. --"John Calipari should be fired!"--"This was supposed to be our year."--"We got screwed by the Selection Committee" (Probably true)--"If only we had consistent shooters."--"Billy Gillispie could have won it all with this team."--"Tubby Smith could have won it all with this team!"--"John Wall is coming back, a friend told me..."--"If everyone comes back there is no way we don't win it in 2011."--"Rod Strickland is leaving for a head coaching position."--"I heard that Antoine Walker was going to be an assistant coach."--"John Calipari just isn't a good bench coach"--etc., etc., etc.

With that said I think everyone should visit Siggee's at some point in time for an in-depth chat about basketball, politics, religion, women, horses, dirty jobs, camels, toes, and the finer things in life. I've had a recent conversation there, and it was one of the best I've had in quite some time. Thank you sir. On a side note, I have been thinking very deeply about animals and what they dream about. Humans dream, so I figure that animals dream as well. Have you ever wondered if a dog dreams about chasing after a cat? What about a cat, do they dream of chasing a mouse? I bet horses dream about running in the Kentucky Derby. If that dream is too big, Keeneland might be suitable.

Wrapping up the night I'd like to say that I'm sitting here in the dark typing blindfolded. I tried that earlier in the day when there was no electricity and I must say that it is a very difficult task. Also, park benches beside a small hill with an apparent cyst are not for daytime napping. However, if you are sleepy they will do. Just make sure the dentist doesn't come out to smoke and want her spot. She might get aggravated and bring out the drill. I'm not sure anyone likes a dentist's drill, so I would avoid it if I were you. If the dentist doesn't get you the pedicurist from Vietnam might. In conclusion, I hope that lonely soul found it's way down to the Big Easy. I can hear your saxophone playing the jazz of your soul. Enjoy your day. Go Cats!

The Cats, Bad Brackets, And A Disturbing Yearning For Change

3/15/10

Am I the only one out there that thinks the NCAA Selection Committee botched this year's brackets? I didn't think so. First off, Duke as the 3rd overall #1 seed? Really? Ahead of Syracuse? Really? I guess we can chalk this up to the media's love fest with Coach K and Duke. No, I'm not being facetious. Or am I? Well, I guess it doesn't really matter that they placed them in the weakest regional. Yes, I think they were given a gift.

Ok, enough ranting about the brackets. Well, just one more thing before we move on. Did they really put Florida in ahead of Mississippi State? Where is the justification in that decision? I need to stop, my blood pressure is rising. Where are those pills I take? I'm done now. Well, there is just one other thing. Kentucky is travelling to New Orleans for the first and second rounds? Congratulations on getting to play kind of close to home. The Wildcats didn't deserve to of course. While I'm on a roll, what about UK's chances of playing Texas in the second round? Yes Texas struggled the second-half of the season, but they are a very dangerous 8 seed. Also, should the Longhorns and Wildcats meet up on Saturday, the UT fans don't have too far to travel. Way to go Texas on earning the opportunity to play 'close' to home.

That's it for the rant. I truly am finished, well, at least for now. Moving on to other things, I've been doing some deep thinking tonight. While in New Orleans John Calipari should try to buy a bottle of Maker's Mark on Bourbon Street. That would be pretty tight wouldn't it? I've also been considering what Kentucky should do once they win out in the Big Easy. Coach Cal here is some advice. Cut down the nets. I know, nobody really celebrates moving on to the Sweet Sixteen, but you really need to do it. When we won the SEC Tournament in 2003 at the Superdome the team decided against cutting the nets down. We were going to cut them down after winning the National Title later on in our return trip. Bad decision. We never made it back. Just do it Cal. Cut them down.

Finally, sometimes subtle changes are easy to disguise. I've noticed these changes in a certain someone and they are relatively disturbing. The twinkle has been lost to the evil forces that lie within. I want to take the time to apologize for you. When I lay my head down at night I will pray that you get it together. You're drifting aimlessly, going wherever the wind blows you at the moment. I watch you closely and very intently. I study your moves, your decisions, and quietly I hear the cries from within. I long to help you but I have yet to figure out exactly how. Maybe you should just board a train and head south. Your destiny lies in the still of the night. Like a sad saxophone player on the corner in the French Quarter, your music is heard. Go Cats!

These Cats Are Snuggle Fresh: Random Interviews

3/14/10

Sunday was a great day for Kentucky basketball, with the possible exception of our NCAA Tournament bracket placement. Kentucky defeated Mississippi State in overtime in the most dramatic of fashions, 75-74. The victory gave Kentucky their 26th SEC Tournament Title, and their first since 2004. When Selection Sunday rolled around, the Cats garnered a #1 seed in the East Regional. Their first game will be Thursday against East Tennessee State. As most of you probably noticed on the tube, those guys like to grab their junk Michael Jackson style. Not cool.

For some entertainment I decided to head out to Shooters Bar and Grill to meet up with some friends. Bar interviews can be fun, especially when the mental state of the interviewees is a bit foggy. Here is a little bit about the setup. The bar, located off of Southland Drive in Lexington, had about as many people as you'd find during an Arkansas home game. In other words, not very many. There were a couple of stragglers shooting pool, three old men eating cheese fries, and a man who nearly fell off his stool at the bar. Then there was Chris, Scotty, and Danielle. Oh, and let me not forget our waitress Libby.

After a couple of hours of some round-table discussion, Chris asks the waitress to play O-Town's 'All Or Nothing'. The dreary bar got a little bit sadder, and there were some evil glares from some of the biker patrons. The waitress started singing, Chris started singing, and Danielle started tapping her foot. "I have this CD and Ricky Martin in my car," Danielle said. At this point Scotty takes a deep look at his glass of beer and excitedly states "I'd marry a glass of beer if you could marry beer." As the night got longer, I kinda understood where he was coming from.

I then decided to bring up UK basketball, after somebody asks "Hey, are you Danny from the blog?" Yes, I'm Danny the blogger. Scotty decided to chime right in on his take on UK basketball. Here is what he had to say: "I think the boys can really tell that it's coming down to the end and they are turning up the intensity. I'm glad to see the young guys weren't intimidated and weren't afraid of the rough play. Oh, but I wish John Wall would quit walking like an Egyptian. That song was popular in 1983." Enough said.

When Chris started talking, I started taking more notes. "I'm glad to see that Cousins had fun and grew up. This team is like a remake of 1996. We were on our way to the National Championship." The attention then turned to Danielle. I asked a simple question. What do you think about this year's team? Her response, "I totally didn't even watch the game. However, if you could, get Blake Shelton's number for me. He's f*cking hot." So much for some female input.

After not getting any info on the Cats from our female companion, I decided to ask our waitress. She did have on a UK sweatshirt after all. So it kind of went down like this: "Excuse me, can you tell me your thoughts on UK and the upcoming tournament?" At this point I get a blank stare followed by "I'm from Indiana and just moved to Lexington. I don't follow them at all. I went to school in Cincinnati to be a fashion designer. My life has brought me here as a waitress. Hopefully it will work out." I hope so Libby.

The conversation then spun to my lack of a recent haircut. Chris asked, "You going to let your hair grow out Jett?" My reply was simple, in that I will cut it eventually. Chris then added "I don't think you should cut your hair." Scotty followed it up with a "No, you should let your hair grow out. It will cover up your bald spots as you get old. Hey check out my leg, I have a cyst on it." Danielle couldn't resist but to add that "Long hair is gross, you know like ponytail long on guys. Also, my dad uses Just For Men. I think you should cut your hair Danny. It looks cleaner." A dilemma has begun now. Male perspectives versus female perspectives. Which one wins out?

As the night ended we were some of the last in the bar. A random girl came over to use Scotty's phone to make a random call. Turns out she's married to a guy I went to school with. His mother was my 1st grade teacher. Small world huh? On the jukebox Poison's 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' was playing. A few people were singing and an old drifter snuffed out a cigarette outside. I guess every cowboy really does have a sad, sad song. That is what makes bar interviews the best. They are great when they come from everyday people who either know a thing or two about Kentucky basketball, or know nothing at all. They do however, have opinions on many other topics. I learn much when I listen. Go Cats!

Cats Get The Shaft But Grab #1 Seed In East Regional

Today Kentucky not only claimed the SEC Tournament Championship, they also claimed a #1 seed in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament. The overall #1 seed was Kansas (Midwest Regional), as Duke (South Regional) and Syracuse (West Regional) rounded out the other #1 seeds. Breaking down notables in each bracket:

Midwest Regional

#7 Seed--Oklahoma State Cowbows
The Cowboys are coached by former UK standout Travis Ford.

#8 Seed--UNLV
The Runnin' Rebels feature former UK point guard Derrick Jasper.

West Regional

#5 Seed--The Butler Bulldogs and Lexington native Shelvin Mack could be this year's Cinderella.

#13 Seed--The Murray State Racers are Dancing.

#11 Seed--Tubby Smith's Golden Gophers make it in. Congrats to a great ex-UK coach.

East Regional

#1 Seed--Kentucky will be playing East Tennessee State on Thursday in New Orleans.

#12 Seed--Cornell features ex-Wildcat Mark Coury. Break out the goggles Mark.

South Regional

#9 Seed--Rick Pitino and Louisville will face off against California.

Just as always, Duke appears to be given a straight shot to the Final Four if they take care of business. Should the Blue Devils even be a #1 seed? As far as Kentucky, they appear to have the most difficult road to the Final Four. A possible second round matchup with Texas? Ouch. It looks like the committee has tried to give us the shaft again. Very nice.