Every Poll's Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End

The first Poll of the Week here at OTP is in the books, and the populace has spoken regarding the wins for the Ball State Cardinals next season. Our results were highly unscientific as well as exceptionally pessimistic, so I hope beyond hope that these are way undershooting the victory runway.

Question: How many wins for the Cardinals in the Fall?
Results:

7 or less - 42%
8 - 27%
9 - 15%
10 or more - 14%

Apparently the 114 or so folks who voted in this puppy see things differently than I do, as 7 wins is a virtual guarantee for the Cardinals in my opinion.

With the close of PotW #1, we open PotW#2, this time Kentucky themed. Your mission, should you choose to accept it is the number of victories for the Wildcats this fall. Things to consider... a wickedly brutal schedule in conference, a relative unknown QB situation, key losses on the defensive line. Have at it, ladies and gents. Right hand side.

Virtual Commonwealth Stadium

Like virtual Scheumann Stadium we talked about earlier, EA Sports' newest version of NCAA Football's take on Commonwealth Stadium has hit the interwebs. The curious thing about this particular photo shows a visiting section decked out in red. This must mean Alabama is there, as clearly, if it were a Louisville game, most of those seats would either be empty or filled with blue.


No clue about whether or not the virtual coffee and hot chocolate runs out by halftime, whether or not you can smuggle in virtual bourbon, or whether the virtual band is as virtually dull as in real life. But it's only a few short weeks away until you can answer all those things for yourself.

Enough Financial Data to Make Your Head Spin

OTP's co-editor, RV, stumbled across this website when surfing the interwebs for whatever he normally looks at and realized the virtual gold mine he had just uncovered. Provided by that site are the operating expenses, revenues, etc. for almost every team under the sun as they've reported to the NCAA. For BSU and UK, the teams we cover, the difference was in fact, staggering. Rather than try and compare the BSU apples to the UK oranges, we'll handle them separately, but equally, despite the whole kerfuffle that "separate but equal" has caused in the past...


Ball State University
The Cardinals reported an overall financial break even for athletics, at $17,427,728. Now, those numbers include every single sport at BSU, including the non-money makers, and that difference is mighty. For example, the football team clocked in with $5,436,482 in revenue for last fall. The basketball programs (men's and women's) generated $2,589,547. The sports not named football and basketball generated $5,293,108.

In terms of expenses, football clearly had the highest expenses at $5,436,482... the same as their revenue. The same is true for the basketball programs, where the revenue and expenses were equal. Creative accounting? Result of zero-based budgeting? Probably, but at least there's a revenue figure to sort of compare ourselves to.

Let's look at the rest of the MAC in terms of football revenue ranking...
1. Temple: $9,184,112***
2. Kent State: $6,040,915
3. Central Michigan: $5,712,638
4. Ball State: $5,436,482
5. Northern Illinois: $5,341,447**
6. Miami: $5,321,463
7. Ohio: $4,986,723
8. Akron: $4,707,537
9. Eastern Michigan: $4,655,860
10. Toledo: $4,441,368
11. Bowling Green: $4,127,434
12. Western Michigan: $2,522,901***
13. Buffalo: $1,882,475****
*-Temple University contributed $18,631,923 in terms of institutional support to the total revenue of the athletic department. Disclosure of amounts to teams not included.
**- Northern Illinois adjusted revenue for institutional support to individual teams without disclosing which teams, and how much
***- Western Michigan includes $14,680,397 of revenue not allocated by gender or sport
****- Buffalo does not include any sort of student fees or state allocation in their revenue. That was nearly $16 million in revenue for the entire department

The MAC is clearly tightly grouped, but I have no earthly explanation for Temple's eye-popping first place aside from the institutional support piece, which tells me they had to offset a ton of expenses by providing a boatload of institutional support. The adage says it takes money to make money, and it takes making money to be successful, so at this rate, Temple is due for a National Championship within the next several years.

For the Cardinals that's a ton of revenue, but it is my hope that with the recent success on the field, the Cardinals can continue to see that revenue increase. How? Good question. We seem to have things pretty well right now, and are sometimes unable to fill the Scheu despite having the best team in the state. But for that number to get any higher, seats will need to be expanded and filled on a routine basis. Then, and only then, will that number climb into the stratosphere needed for continual long-term success.


University of Kentucky
For the Wildcats, it's certainly an exercise that leads to some surprising conclusions and facts about the moneymakers on the campus. For the .edu crowds that see no purpose in athletics, Big Blue turned a $4 million profit for the overall athletic department. Let's see the chemistry school make that sort of change having people watch test tubes and bunson burners.

The football program turned a profit as well, clocking in with $12,018,188 in expenses to $25,861,744 in revenues. In comparison, the basketball program, the measuring stick for most Kentucky fans, clocked in with $8,584,145 of expenses, along with a $14,867,027 revenue pool. The overall athletic budget also clocked in with a total of $28,644,802 of revenue not allocated to any particular sport. That may come from television contracts, apparel deals, etc.

The rest of the SEC's football revenue in rank order...
1. Georgia: $67,053,051
2. Florida: $66,124,945
3. Auburn: $59,671,354
4. Alabama: $57,370,617
5. LSU: $52,687,713
6. South Carolina: $50,433,037
7. Tennessee: $40,264,212
8. Arkansas: $40,135,364
9. Kentucky: $25,861,744
10. Ole Miss: $17,768,432
11. Vandy: $16,924,277
12. Mississippi State: $15,994,121

Holy cow, standard deviation. To see a $50 million difference between top to bottom sort of further proves that there are clearly a group of haves and a group of have nots in terms of revenue. That would certainly explain why the elite programs in the SEC continue to be elite. Entities that make money hand over fist are usually the best at any given task, and football and athletics are no different. The only redeeming factor is that most of Alabama's revenue is eaten up by Nick Saban's astronomical contract and Tennessee's revenues will soon be pissed away on assistant coaches salaries or letterhead to send secondary violation notices to the NCAA.

In a nice little comparison, the University of Louisville's overall athletic budget featured around a $1.4 million profit. The football program contributed $16,082,457 of revenue, along with $11,601,884 of expenses. Little brother indeed.

ESPN Takes a Potshot at Kentucky, Ball State

You know, this time of the summer is usually reserved for media coverage of the major programs. Most all of your ESPN headlines will be about the Notre Dames, the Floridas, the Texases of the college football world, with an occasional Lane Kiffin violation sprinkled in for good measure and a routine breaker. So imagine my surprise when I opened Mark Schlabach's newest column on ESPN and both Kentucky and Ball State were actually mentioned.

Schlabach's piece chooses to highlight the best and worst non-conference schedules in FBS for the 09 season, and while neither BSU or UK will set the world on fire or the pundits aflutter with their scheduling, I find it challenging to believe that either team would be in their bottom 10. Au contraire, mon frère. What is most disappointing is not that Kentucky is ranked 9th worst in the country and BSU 10th, it is the sort of catch-22 hypocrisy that the WorldWideLeader perpetuates with this sort of drivel. Says Schlabach...

9. Kentucky Wildcats
I'm guessing new Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari can't wait to watch the Wildcats play football this season. UK's football schedule looks a lot like the ones Calipari's basketball teams played at Memphis every season. The Wildcats open the season Sept. 5 at Miami (Ohio) and then play rival Louisville at home two weeks later. After opening SEC play, Kentucky plays Louisiana-Monroe at home on Oct. 24 and FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky at home Nov. 7.

10. Ball State Cardinals
Want to finish the regular season with an unblemished record? Call Ball State. The Cardinals have the scheduling formula down to an exact science. A year after the Cardinals rode a soft schedule to a 12-0 record during the regular season, they'll once again play one of the country's weaker nonconference slates. Give Ball State credit for playing at Auburn on Sept. 26. But they could have done a little better than North Texas (home), FCS opponent New Hampshire (home) and Army (road).

As the SNL Church Lady says, "Isn't that special!" Schlabach makes some good points, and I would argue that Kentucky and Ball State's schedules aren't exceptionally strong, but for an accurate picture to be given, one has to look at the context. The why's behind the schedule. And you, or Schlabach, or whomever else chooses to look past the "truth" of ESPN, will find some context.

For Kentucky, it's a simple explanation really. Not only do the Wildcats play in the toughest conference in football in the SEC, they play in the toughest division of the toughest conference. Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, Vandy, and Kentucky. That's tough stuff, brother. Also in conference the Cats get Mississippi State, Alabama, and Auburn. Show me a non-SEC team with a schedule like that from top to bottom. As for their out of conference opponents, the Cats have two pillow fights with Eastern Kentucky and Louisiana Monroe. Miami of Ohio is a game specifically designed for the Cats to make the trip to the Bengals stadium, and will be a good series. As for the Louisville Cardinals, don't blame Kentucky for their recent struggles. The fact that Steve Kragthorpe has driven the Cardinals into the dark abyss faster than if Ted Kennedy was behind the wheel shouldn't reflect poorly on Kentucky.

For the Ball State Cardinals, it's much more infuriating. This is the same ESPN that used to bag on Ball State left and right and go so far as to making them a punchline in their bottom 10 when the Cardinals scheduled their rear ends off in the late 90's and early 00's. So if you schedule hard and lose, you're a joke. If you schedule easy and win, you're a coward. What exactly is the middle ground? And more importantly, that's even under the assumption that there is anyone who would voluntarily play the Cardinals. Last I checked, finding games for mid-majors who were 12-2 the previous year and ranked in the Top 15 were fairly hard to find.

To be completely truthful, I'm not sure how to take this. Is this Schlabach simply looking for some commentary amidst the summer doldrums? Is this Schlabach not doing his homework? Is this Schlabach simply taking a few swipes at programs who in recent memory has seen their share of jokes? It's hard to say, really, but Schlabach is quickly putting himself in the OTP doghouse, and should definitely be a Take-With-A-Grain-Of-Salt columnists for Cardinals and Cats fans.

Some Mid-Week Housekeeping, Linking, and Fundraising

It's summer. You know that. You also know that news from the world of college football trickles out of the information spigot exceptionally slow, as we wait for fall practice to kick up and the preseason polls to be released. We're only a couple months away from all that happening, but until it does, it's slow going. Alas, today is more of a housekeeping day here at OTP and the day where we ask your help for the Cardinals.

With the recent ability of OTP to land top-level interviews, commentary, and expertise about the Cardinals, we feel some sense of responsibility to give back in some ways for the program we love and the University that allowed all of us to get somewhat educated, some more than others. In some ways, BSU is really the defining thing for a lot us who write this site, contribute to this site, and read this site. And frankly, BSU is doing a hell of a job raising its profile in terms of victories, but none of that really matters if the dollars being raised don't increase. It's because of that that OTP is asking our readership to help the Cardinals out, while helping OTP out at the same time.

This summer is a summer of potentially great transition for us, as we move to a new site interface, increase and better the nuts and bolts that run the place, and hopefully move away from Blogger. Unfortunately, that means moving away from free software and actually paying for site maintenance, creation, and hosting fees. So the need for OTP to move upward coupled with the need for BSU to receive some much needed funding has brought about the OTP Fund Drive 09. Over on the right hand side of this page, you'll see a little "Donate" button that will link you to Paypal. What we're asking for is donations that will go toward OTP's improvement and also the Cardinal Varsity Club. 50% of all donations will go to CVC, and your contribution can help increase the profile of this site and our school. There isn't any amount too small, as BSU needs all the help that it can get. We'll have a running scoreboard over the next month as to who donates the most, and the Top 3 donators will receive some cool BSU prizes for their collection. Thanks in advance if you decide to help out!

And now for the linkage!

For the Cardinals:

• The New York Times profiles Ball State in their preseason countdown. The Cardinals clock in at #85, and truthfully, this is one of the more accurate preseason pieces on the Cardinals, and I've read (and shared) almost all of them. Of special note to us is the mention of this here OTP wonderment in terms of coverage of the Cardinals. Giggity.
• In the Bleachers is counting down their top 50 players not in the BCS, and one Briggs Orsbon makes their list at #47. Something tells me he will not be the last Cardinal in this list, as MiQuale Lewis has got to be up there. If he isn't, then shame on them.
• In alum news, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee responds to questions regarding Nate Davis and how the 49ers intend to use him. Quite frankly, Davis appears to be a project for the 9ers, and one they believe is worthy of spending time on. Time will of course prove me right or wrong, but I believe the 49ers got an absolute steal when they were able to pick Nate.

For the Wildcats:

• CNNSI profiles Rich Brooks and insists he is ending the basketball monopoly in Lexington. This season will ultimately be the marker of Brooks' success with Big Blue.
• A Sea of Blue continues to be the one stop shop for Kentucky coolness, as former WR Dicky Lyons Jr. begins to blog for them. Great pick up for Glenn, Ken, and the gang over at ASoB.
• Chip Cosby points to the news that incoming recruit Morgan Newton has been named the suburban athlete of the year for Indianapolis by the Indy Star. In reality, that's not all that impressive an award, but knowing The Star, I'm sure they hated being positive about anyone affiliated with Kentucky.
  

What the "Experts" Say About the Wildcats

Most fans of major college football programs wait with bated breath as the supposed gurus and preseason publications prognosticate their lot in the college football universe for the coming season. Prognosticating in early summer for the season about to unfold is wildly speculative and usually wrong, but we, as fans, continue to support these endeavors with flashy covers, pages of stats, and usually a page or two of cheerleaders thrown in to make sure the blood doesn't all pool in our brains.

This year's crop of preseason magazines found their way into my hot little hands over the weekend, and OTP is proud to share what these augurs of the college football world had to say about our beloved Kentucky Wildcats.


The Sporting News College Football 09 Preview Magazine
The Sporting News has put out preview magazines for years, but for whatever reason is not considered to be one of the premier publications of the season. The information contained within is good enough, and it makes for at least something to fill the days before August, but for the most part, as one would expect with such a large national following like SN, the focus is on the top-tier teams and not on the ins and outs of the lower-tier BCS schools, the midmajors, or really any school that is not competing to win a national title or a BCS conference crown.

For Kentucky, they don't get near the sort of evaluation or examination that a team like Oklahoma or Florida receives, but the Cats do get a write up that is borderline infuriating. Despite picking the Cats as potential participants in the Papajohns.com Bowl, SN makes it a point to really pick apart the Cats potential offensively, lack of what they believe to be impact players, and relying instead on the approach that Kentucky must simply avoid mistakes and not beat themselves.

SN takes special care with Trevard Lindley, certainly making no hidden evaluations of his talent. They even suggest that Lindley should get the ball on offense since they believe he is the only true special playmaker on the roster. Overall, the future looks borderline mediocre to grim for the Wildcats if you believe what SN has to say.

Predicted UK Final Standing: 5th in SEC East
Predicted SEC East Champion: Florida
Predicted SEC West Champion: Mississipppi
UK Players on SN All-SEC Team: Trevard Lindley
UK Players on SN All-American 2nd Team: Trevard Lindley
Of note: Given a grade of "C"... Kentucky rated 11th in SEC for recruiting... Uga named conference's best mascot, Alabama the best fans, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium the best stadium, and LSU the best home-field advantage... Kentucky projected to go to Papajohns.com Bowl... Lists the "Game to Watch" as Alabama, saying that confidence gained by competing admirably will translate well for road games at SC and Auburn... names Alfonso Smith "The Next Big Thing"... only Mississippi State and Vanderbilt not projected to be Bowling in the conference.


Lindy's Football 2009 College Preview
Lindy's is actually a decent option for anyone looking for a national publication with adequate coverage of the midmajor programs throughout the land in addition to the national power BCS conferences. Unlike the Sporting News, Lindy's prides itself on being insightful and detailed, while still prognosticating and opining page after page.

Being a member of the SEC is advantageous for UK in this publication, as the lower tier conferences and midmajor schools don't get nearly the same sort of coverage.

For the Wildcats, Lindy's dedicates an entire paragraph in the conference overview regarding the Wildcats. They admit that this may be Rich Brooks' most talented team from top to bottom since his arrival in Lexington, but point to the lack of talent surrounding an "average quarterback" to make their 4th consecutive Bowl appearance a probability. Additionally, Lindy's points to Kentucky's early schedule as potential disaster for Bowl eligibility.

Overall, Lindy's points to the obvious, focusing on Kentucky's defense over their offense, and recognizing the need for the Wildcats to find some sort of identity on offense to match their stout defense. According to Lindy's they have evaluated UK's defense as capable of playing with any team in the SEC, but for the defense to be consistent and game changing, the offense must keep them off the field to avoid tired stretches at the conclusions of games.

UK National Ranking: 50
Predicted UK Final Standing: 5th in SEC East
Predicted SEC East Champion: Florida
Predicted SEC West Champion: LSU
UK Players on Lindy's All-SEC 1st Team: Trevard Lindley
UK Players on Lindy's All-SEC 2nd Team: Ineligible Jeremy Jarmon, Michah Johnson
UK Players on Lindy's All-American 1st Team: Trevard Lindley
Of note: Trevard Lindley named the conference's best cover corner and best corner in nation... Michah Johnson named 7th best inside linebacker in country... Kentucky ranked #6 in the country for their QB unit recruiting... Trevard Lindley named #4 in the conference for NFL talent... Kentucky ranks 11th for recruiting in the SEC.


Athlon Sports College Football Preview
Athlon Sports is consistently one of the well-written, well-researched, and well-thought out preview publications in all of college football. They provide fantastic coverage of national, regional, and local storylines, and do so without the glaring oversights and mistakes of other national publications.

Athlon, much like the two other aforementioned preview magazines focuses on Kentucky's defense as the stand out unit and the offense as the proverbial question mark for the coming season. Athlon makes the point of Ryan Mossakowski and Morgan Newton able to challenge Mike Hartline for the starting QB job come fall.

Special attention is paid by Athlon to the Randall Cobb situation and making him a full-time receiver. There is an anonymous quote from an SEC assistant coach that says, "Randall Cobb is not a bad passer, but if you want a guy who makes his living passing the football, you would probably put Cobb somewhere else."

Attention is also paid to the special teams of the Wildcats, where they make mention of the need for a reliable punter to replace Tim Masthay and a kicker who can deliver consistently. Also getting a mention is the "atrocious" protection schemes in the Florida game last year where two punts and a field goal was blocked.

The unit rankings for the Wildcats in relation to the conference: QB-8, RB-10, WR/TE-12, OL-9, DL-8, LB-11, DB-8

UK National Ranking: 56
Predicted UK Final Standing: 6th in SEC East
Predicted SEC East Champion: Florida
Predicted SEC West Champion: Alabama
UK Players on Athlon All-SEC 1st Team: Trevard Lindley
UK Players on Athlon All-SEC 2nd Team: Ineligible Jeremy Jarmon, Micah Johnson
UK Players on Athlon All-American 1st Team: Trevard Lindley
Of note: Kentucky ranked 11th in the SEC and 44th nationally for recruiting... Kentucky cheerleader Randi Bishop gets a page dedicated to her in the Spirit section.


Phil Steele's College Football Preview 2009
By and large, there is no better preview magazine available than Phil Steele's Football Preview. Most who cover college ball in some capacity call it simply "The Bible" and truthfully, even that is putting it mildly. Steele focuses on statistical analysis and simply loading the most information possible in a preview magazine. If you're a casual fan or just looking for college football reading material, this is the ONE magazine to purchase.

Steele takes special care and time to point out just how overwhelmingly unbelievable the SEC will be this year. Steele believes teams like Florida and Ole Miss will compete for the SEC Title, and with that, a shot at the National Title.

For Kentucky, Steele takes the standard stance of an offense that needs improvement if the Cats are to be successful, and a defense that may be the best under the Brooks regime at Kentucky, most notably led by two players on Steele's 1st and 3rd team All-American selections (Trevard Lindley and Micah Johnson).

Overall, the tone of the article is positive while tempered with the sheer talent that will line up against Kentucky in their conference. Steele does make note that it is not out of the question that Kentucky will be Bowling again, this time, he predicts, in the Liberty Bowl against UNC. The number of other SEC teams going Bowling according to Steele? 10. Impressive if true.

UK National Ranking: 58
Predicted UK Final Standing: Tied for 5th in SEC East
Predicted SEC East Champion: Florida
Predicted SEC West Champion: Mississippi
UK Players on Steele All-SEC 1st Team: Trevard Lindley
UK Players on Steele All-SEC 2nd Team: Micah Johnson, and the now ineligible Jeremy Jarmon
UK Players on Steele All-SEC 3rd Team: Zipp Duncan
UK Players on Steele All-SEC 4th Team: Corey Peters
UK Players on Steele All-American 1st Team: Trevard Lindley
UK Players on Steele All-American 3rd Team: Micah Johnson
Of Note: Kentucky predicted to be Bowling against UNC in the Liberty Bowl... Derrick Locke #38 draft eligible Running Back nationally... TC Drake #28 draft eligible Tight End nationally... Kentucky has 30th best defensive back unit in the country... SEC rated #1 toughest conference... Kentucky the 23rd highest average attendance last season... Kentucky's Unit Rankings for 09 (out of 12) QB-5, RB-10, REC-9, OL-7 , DL-10, LB-12, DB-8, ST-7, Coach-6


So what does all this tell us about the upcoming year for the Wildcats? If the preseason magazines tell an accurate story of the Wildcats, the offense simply needs to play well enough to not cost their team games and allow the defense enough time to remain rested and well-performing. With the assumption, and it is a sizable one, that Kentucky wins its out of conference games and the offense matures and finds itself, then Kentucky is poised to go to its 4th consecutive Bowl game, a feat that is impressive considering the way the Brooks tenure at UK began.

Jarmon Ruled Ineligible, Cats Career Over

In what may be the most shocking bit of offseason news out of the Kentucky program, defensive tackle Jeremy Jarmon has been ruled ineligible for the 2009 season, after failing a drug test, appealing the results, and losing out on said appeal with the NCAA. Since Jarmon was entering his senior season, and already redshirted, it means his career in blue and white is over.

Jarmon and the staff at UK were quick to address the large elephant in the room, that it was neither illegal drugs or steroid related, and simply a diet aid that is banned by the NCAA. Jarmon took it without the knowledge or support of the Kentucky training staff, and is paying a mighty hefty price for his self dabbling in nutritional arts.

For Jarmon, it is the end of the road in terms of college football, but perhaps the beginning of a comeback story, since America loves those.

Jarmon's statement:

“Today I am here to announce that I will no longer participate in athletics at the University of Kentucky. Ever since I was six years old I knew that I wanted to attend the University of Kentucky and that dream has come true for me. I knew I wanted to graduate from high school and attend the University of Kentucky. This has also come true for me. This is something that I will never forget. This dream has come true for me and I have attended and graduated from my dream college. I will never forget Coach Brooks and Coach Ortmayer sitting down in my home and offering me an opportunity to come to the University of Kentucky and help turn around a program that has been struggling. On that day when Coach Brooks offered me a scholarship to the University of Kentucky, I accepted his offer to be a part of his program. With an extremely dedicated coaching staff and strong-willed guys that were alongside myself, we turned around a program that has seen three consecutive bowl game wins and this is something that I am proud of and will never forget. Today I am not here to discuss the name of the substance that I took nor the place that I got it from. Instead I am here to discuss the choice that I made to live a healthier life, how I attempted to do this, and the decisions that I made to reach this point. However, one poor decision has cost me my collegiate eligibility. An NCAA appeals panel consisting of representatives from member institutions decided my fate on Thursday May 21, 2009 at approximately 6:00 p.m. During an NCAA drug test given on February 24, 2009, I tested positive for a banned substance. Based on precedence, the appeals panel found that I was responsible for testing positive. Had they ruled that I did not have significant fault then I would have received a half year suspension or been restored my complete eligibility. The information that I am telling you today is the truth, documentation supports the claims that we made to the NCAA Appeals Panel and personnel from the university will concur that this is case as well.

I officially started my diet as a New Year’s resolution to myself. My goal was to drop from 286 pounds to around 275 pounds by losing body fat and becoming leaner. I have not yet reached my goal but I am a mere two pounds away. My mom was the first person to help me with my new decision. She began by cooking meals while I was home during the offseason that were low in fat and more healthy than what I had been eating back at college. After consulting with the strength and conditioning department, I asked my mom to buy me Omega-3 and fish oil pills and she did. I began this in December and have continued to the present.

The most difficult goal that I faced was to continue to eat healthy while at college. For the past four months I have purchased turkey burgers, turkey sausage and turkey bacon as a healthier alternative to beef. Receipts from the past several months clearly show this. Since I have started my diet I have lost nine pounds. I have reduced my body fat percentage from 14 percent last year to 11 percent this year. This is something that I am very proud of. I have worked hard to become a healthier person, overall.

In January, I walked into a vitamin/supplement store to find a vitamin supplement containing amino acids. I purchased this vitamin supplement but I also purchased another supplement that was suggested to me by the salesperson. It was a dietary supplement that could help make you lean and I purchased both of them. However, my only purpose that day was to buy a vitamin not any other supplement. I became aware over the process that we can be provided with only basic vitamins because of NCAA rules.

Also in January, as part of my new diet, I purchased a different protein shake because the one UK is allowed to provide us - is a good shake - but contains a high concentration of sugar and calories. I wanted to improve my health by putting high quality foods and supplements in my body. I decided to purchase an alternate protein shake other than what is allowed to be given to us by university per NCAA rules. The shakes given to us contain 32 grams of sugar and around 300 calories. The shake that I take now contains approximately 130 calories, 20 grams of protein, and less than one gram of sugar. I made a great effort to consume the best overall products that I could under NCAA rules.

On February 2, I implemented the supplement suggested to me by the salesperson into my diet. I made the decision to purchase this supplement. I made the decision to use this supplement.

Over the past four years I have established a great relationship with the athletic staff here at the University of Kentucky. I have always kept the staff informed with details of what I was considering taking. I always had full intentions of telling the staff exactly what I was taking at an earlier date, but I was occupied with rehabbing and when I finally decided to inform the staff of my decision to take this supplement it was too late.

From the last week in January until right before March 16, I had been rehabbing my shoulder from the previous season. This is thoroughly documented. With the worry of surgery and a busy schedule leading up to graduation, I had not spoken with our strength and conditioning staff about taking this supplement. This is something that I had always done previously. I had been taking the supplement approximately 15 days before I finally did go to our head trainer and tell him that I had been taking this supplement and had forgotten to talk to our strength and conditioning staff about it. I eventually did get around to telling someone what I was taking but it was too late.

On February 20, I received a cortisone shot in my left shoulder and I discussed later with our trainer if anything that I was taking would interfere with my cortisone shot. We discussed what I was taking and where I purchased everything. He recommended that I immediately stop taking it. Four days later the NCAA came into Lexington and did a random drug test and I was selected. I would find out after coming back from spring break that I had tested positive. My strength and conditioning coach knew I was taking an alternate protein drink, the fish oil, and the Omega-3.

In late January I was informed by our training staff that I would be restricted from activity. Our head trainer decided to take me out of normal activity for two to three weeks to monitor how my shoulder would respond. My shoulder did not respond accordingly. I went to the doctor on February 20th and he injected me with a cortisone shot in my shoulder. He informed me that I was not to engage in activity that would bother my shoulder. I was diagnosed with rotator cuff tendinitis. From January 29 to March 22, I did not exercise or lift weights. This time period for me was very upsetting because I was hurt and restricted from activity. Our strength coach is the person I confide in and use to gain information about supplements. Because of the injury, I was not in the weight room to have those normal conversations with our strength coach.

Injuries alienate athletes from the team and change the times that a person is even at the facilities. January 21 to March 22 was a setback for me as a person and as an athlete. I have everything to lose by taking a banned substance. That is the reason why I have been so careful up until this point. My thought process during this period was to be even more conscious of how much I was eating because I was restricted from most activities. I continued to take the vitamins and other supplements because they are all dietary supplements.

My 1st test results showed that I tested positive for a banned substance from the dietary supplement that I purchased along with the vitamins. I did not know that this supplement contained a banned substance. However, it was my responsibility to research this before I bought it or have it looked at by someone in our athletic facilities. All athletes at the University of Kentucky are well informed about the consequences of purchasing a supplement like I did. Every year we go through programs that outline and explain the rules. Clearly, I did not follow those rules on this one occasion. Every citizen in the United States faces a risk of taking an unknown substance when they walk into any store that sells vitamins, minerals, etc. Every athlete in the world faces the risk of suspension for taking a substance that has not been approved.

My goal of dieting was to prove to myself that I can control my eating habits and live a healthier life. I never intended to take a banned substance or gain any improper type of competitive advantage. I could not gain a competitive advantage if I was not even healthy to do so. The NCAA randomly tested me again six weeks after the positive test and my results were negative. The substance was no longer in my system. This shows that I had not been taking the substance long and most importantly that this was not the type of banned substance that remains in your system for a long period of time.

I do not need to cheat to be successful. I am a very self confident person. I have worked so hard my last year to finish up strong and be a representative for our senior class to show the younger guys that with hard work and pride anyone can reach their goals. Now, I feel better physically because I have made sacrifices that are hard for others to make and it will pay off for me whether it is on the football field or off the football field next season.

This dietary plan will carry over for me when I leave college. My family has a history of diabetes and high blood pressure. Injuries are a part of football and I have opened my eyes to the fact that the way I live my life is very important. I am a person who is extremely motivated and extremely strong willed. I had an opportunity to graduate early in December and leave college. However, I decided I would stretch out my classes and announce a second major. I come from a family with two parents who are military veterans and they have worked hard to become successful individuals in society. My desire is to become a successful individual in society as well. So far, I have shown people that I am a dedicated person.

This situation has cost me my eligibility as an athlete. I accept full responsibility for my decision to purchase this supplement. I am a young person that has made mistakes in my life but I have learned from them. I am going to make more mistakes in my life and I will learn from those too. I am certain that UK will ask me to come in and speak on different occasions about the problems with taking supplements. Hopefully, this will catch the attention of not only collegiate athletes, high school athletes, professional athletes, but just ordinary hard working people as well. This is not a situation that I want to forget about or run away from. I want to learn from this mistake and I want others to learn from my mistake as well. I have not spoken to the team, but I plan to do so when everyone is required to report back in June.

I will be leaving the country next Friday to further pursue my French studies. Coach Brooks and I have discussed several possibilities about my future. I may pursue a career with the NFL or come back to school and finish my second major. I am going to take some time to consider what I will do. At this time, I would like to thank the University of Kentucky for everything they have done for me since I have been here. I have memories over the past four years that I will cherish forever. Mr. Barnhart and Ms. Bell have been working with me through this process and they have done an excellent job. They have both been part of my family. They have represented me throughout this process. Coach Brooks is an absolutely amazing person. Our relationship has evolved so much over the past few years.

My fans and teammates will be disappointed when the news of this spreads. However, no one can be more disappointed than me. I was a leader on the team and I participated in the community. I will continue to be a part of the UK athletic department and volunteer in the community. The memories that I have gotten from my fans and my teammates will never be forgotten. I owe the state of Kentucky, the city of Lexington, and my fans everything that I have to offer. You truly have made me a successful person and I feel loved. I was born a Kentucky fan and I will die a Kentucky fan. I will be a Wildcat for life.”

Coach Brooks' statement regarding the Jarmon situation:

“My first concern is with Jeremy and his family and what a devastating blow this is for them. There was no intent by Jeremy to do anything improper, it was an error in judgment in not checking with our staff (before taking the supplement). Jeremy has been an outstanding individual on and off the football field, and I hope that people understand the class act he has has been.”

Regardless of where the story goes from here, kudos to Jarmon on a great career, and in its last moments, stepping up to the plate and handling things like a man.

There is no indication as yet, as to the exact product or details surrounding it, and those sorts of things may never come to light. What is assured, though, is that this is yet another example of a stringent NCAA rulebook not allowing for any sort of exception or mitigating circumstances to be considered.

From all indications, this was a diet pill and not a steroid. It was during the offseason when the young man was not only injured, but had little contact with his team. If there ever was a chance for the NCAA to prove that it exists for the betterment of its student athletes instead of simply being an immovable stringent bureaucracy, this was it. And like usual, the NCAA has failed.

Masthay Picks Up VanMeter Award

From the release...

Former Kentucky football player Tim Masthay has received the 2008-09 Darrell A. VanMeter Service Award from the university for his remarkable commitment to community service.

The award, which is in its 18th year at the University of Kentucky, honors the outstanding volunteer service achievements of Darrell A. VanMeter. The award was named in his honor to recognize the far-reaching and lasting impact of his “Good Samaritan” approach to life.

From the moment Masthay set foot on UK’s campus, he has epitomized what it means to be a Good Samaritan. Despite the strenuous and often long hours of fulfilling his role as a student-athlete, Masthay, a former punter and kicker on the UK football team, has found time to give back countless hours to the community.

For the past two summers, Masthay has provided transportation for the American Cancer of Society Hope Lodge residents to the hospital for treatments. He has volunteered hundreds of hours for various activities at the Hope Lodge, including bingo night, cookouts and participating in a night out at a Lexington Legends baseball game.

“Tim is always willing to help in any event or activity we coordinate,” said Sheldon Kozee, director of the Hope Lodge. “I admire him so much for being so giving of his time to help others. It is not often you find such an outstanding young individual who is aware of the importance of helping others in their time of need. He has been a blessing to not only us, but to dozens of cancer patients who are fighting the hardest battle of their lives. It is because of people like Tim that so many patients continue to fight and are among the millions of cancer survivors today.”

Masthay’s dedication at the Hope Lodge is just one example of his outstanding community service. Among his many other contributions, Masthay has participated in Habitat for Humanity, worked with the football team’s outreach projects that include speaking engagements at locals schools and churches, and he’s served abroad by participating in a service project at a school and orphanage in Ghana.

In addition to those countless hours of generosity, he has participated in numerous food drives, served with the Salvation Army and put in several service visits at local hospitals. For his dedication to service and leadership in the community, Masthay was named to the Frank Ham Society of Character by UK Athletics and the was one of just 11 football players in the nation to be chosen to the 2008 Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team.

Masthay has achieved all that while excelling on the football field and in the classroom. While leading the Wildcats a third straight bowl victory for the first time in school history, the Murray, Ky., native was awarded All-America honorable mention honors by CollegeFootballNews.com. He led the Southeastern Conference in punting and was named All-SEC by multiple selectors. He was also tabbed a first-team Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors Association and ESPN The Magazine.

So how does one find time to excel in the classroom, on the field and in the community?

“For me it all came down to having a great support staff around me,” Masthay said. “My teammates are great, the administration is great, the coaches are great, and then on an individual level it just came down to prioritizing.”

And nobody’s priorities are more in place in Masthay. He recently signed a free-agent contract with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, but that won’t stop him from his ultimate goal of joining the Peace Corps in Africa in the next five years.

“I know it sounds cheesy, but I want to serve my country and make a difference in the world,” he said.

Masthay graduated this past weekend with a degree in economics. He is the son of Mark and Jean Masthay, who now live in Lebanon, Ohio.

Kudos and congrats to a great athlete and greater human being.

Rich Brooks' Offseason

It must be exceptionally difficult for a football guy like Kentucky head coach Rich Brooks in these trying dull offseason months. Here's a man who was inches away from getting run out of town by an angry mob just a few years ago. So I would imagine part of him would rather it be quiet as opposed to not. And "quiet" from all accounts is exactly what Brooks' offseason has been.

UK released a statement this weekend that Rich Brooks took some time out of his day to visit with Wildcat Superfan Jim Brown, who turned 90 years young and seen in the photo above, and who also hasn't missed a Wildcat home game since 1938, save for when he was in World War II. From the release...

University of Kentucky football superfan Jim Brown turned 90 years old recently. Brown’s family held a surprise party for him, and Wildcat Coach Rich Brooks was one of the guests who congratulated the dedicated UK fan on his milestone.

“That was a complete surprise,” Brown said. “I thought we were just going out to dinner. Mary Anne (Brown’s wife) said my children and their spouses would be there and when we arrived there were 90 people, including Coach Brooks! He stopped by on his way to his radio show and was so accommodating.”

Chalk another moment up where Brooks just does something good. Love him or hate him, and I suspect that many who were in the latter camp at one point or another are now in the former, the guy is simply a class act. Wins and losses aside, and there have been plenty of both, the football program will be losing a good coach and better man whenever Brooks decides it's time to hang it up.

And you may ask yourself, aside from birthday parties and liquor bottle signings at Keeneland, how Brooks is spending his time. Let's check out his Twitter page...

2:16pm 5/11/09: Just gave Jeremy Jarmon a fly casting lesson. He got a fly rod for his graduation this weekend. He actually did pretty well with it.

11:10 am 5/8/09: Planted some tomatos yesterday and can't wait for them to start. I love fresh tomatos.

Tomatoes and fly casting. Awesome. Rich Brooks... decidedly not bullshit.

Some Monday Morning Randomness

Sports weekends like the last one don't come along very often. You had the NBA Playoffs, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, NASCAR, a championship boxing match, Tiger staging a Sunday come back, baseball season, and of course, the Kentucky Derby.

It's weekends like this where I long for fall more than ever before. The sort of Saturday ritual of College Gameday, some barbecuing, and watching football until my eyes bleed through the wee hours of the morning. It's routine. It's tradition. It's my autumn weekends, without fail. So as Sunday drew to a close and Monday morning dawned, there were quite a few nuggets to marinate on.

• In perhaps the most tragic news of the weekend, the practice facility of the Dallas Cowboys collapsed amidst high winds and weather disturbances in the Dallas area. Important to readers of this blog, simply because it's a major sports happening, but former Ball Stater Robert Brewster was attending a minicamp for rookies when the accident happened. Doug Zaleski of the Star Press chatted with Brewster after the incident, and all is fine with Robert. The same cannot be said for Rich Behm, a scout, who ESPN has confirmed is paralyzed permanently from the waist down. Tragedy all around, though no one lost a life, and you can bet that the legal battle about who or what was responsible is nowhere close to ending.
• In Nate Davis news, the young QB went through some work this weekend with the 49ers, and while he had some cramping issues on Friday, the weekend from all accounts went well for Davis. Matt Maiocco of the San Francisco Press Democrat had this recap from the minicamp action:
  

  Rookie Nate Davis, recovered from his hamstring cramps of Friday, showed some nice zip on his passes. Niners outside linebacker Jay Moore made an incredible play when coming off the left side he jumped in the air to intercept Davis' pass at point-blank range. Davis hit a wide-open Spurlock in the middle of the field. He rifled a pass to Dobson Collins that Reggie Smith broke up nicely. He threw slightly behind Zeigler, who reached back to make the catch across the middle.

• 49ers head coach Mike Singletary had this to say in an interview with the 49ers website regarding the potential QB play of the 2009 season...
  

  “It matters every day. Absolutely. And, no, I’m not leaving it to Jimmy and Mike [Johnson]. We’re on the same page. Every day we talk about, ‘What do you see? What’s happening? What were the conversations?’ Because for me, it’s that quarterback that when he steps in that huddle, magic happens. There’s something that wakes up everybody. Even the young kid who’s coming in: this is what the quarterback has to do. This is what the quarterback has to be. And Nate [Davis] understands that. It’s going to be very interesting, very exciting. I’m excited for Alex [Smith]. I’m excited for Shaun [Hill]. And that competition will continue to go forward but we’re on it everyday. Because as soon as we can, we do want to announce the starter so we can move forward.”

• Darius Hill has finally landed somewhere, signing a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. Hill's agent alluded to the possibility of this happening, given that Darius was impressive in his minicamp tryout for the Bengals.
  
• The Daily News profiled former Ball Stater BJ Hill before the draft. As it stands now, Hill has not signed any sort of free agent deal or attended minicamp for any team. His best shot appears to be the CFL, and there have been stranger trips to the league than going the CFL route. Trey Lewis also appears headed to the CFL, as he's been working out all over the place, with mutual reported interest from the Hamilton TigerCats.

Around the Blogosphere...

• For the Derby buffs, or for people who I've incessantly bothered with the "You have to go to the Derby at least once" spiel, Spencer has a great piece on Sporting News that sort of captures the feelings of the day.
• Rich Brooks has a Twitter now. Fabulous.
• Herr Swindle at EDSBS covers the ridiculous congressional circle jerk hearing about the BCS.
• The good Doctor shows us how Jimmy Buffett and the Miami Hurricanes may be heading for a marriage of sheer convenience.
• Most Kentucky fans will tell you that the QB position this fall at Kentucky will dictate the amount of success on the field the Wildcats have. Good thing Ken at A Sea of Blue gives us this preview, then!
• A long, but good read on the state of sports "media" mainstream and otherwise from the Joe Cribbs Car Wash... incidentally one of the best blogs around.

And a little music to sate your Monday thirst for all things awesome...

Kentucky Players Drafted, Blue-White Game Action

A big weekend in Wildcat football saw a player transition from Saturday to Sunday, as Myron Pryor went to the New England Patriots with their 6th Round selection. Pryor, one of dozens of SEC players to hear their name called in Radio City Music Hall, was the only University of Kentucky player to get the nod. For those curious what opposing offenses are going to be looking at next year...


Congrats to the big fella, and here's to the chance that maybe, just maybe, he will help me not despise the Patriots as much as I do.

A host of Wildcats also have signed undrafted free agent deals as well. Among them: S Marcus McClinton (New England), P Tim Masthay (Indianapolis), and LB Johnny Williams (Jacksonville). Check out their new threads...

Outside of the draft, there was also a Spring football game, as the Blue team defeated the White team 28-23. From all indications it was a nice afternoon of football that showcased some surprises, most notably the play of reserve QB Will Fidler. Solid play from the defense, Randall Cobb, and the run game all gave the 20,000 or so fans on hand reason to smile.

Coach's Brooks' comments after the game...

Opening statement…
“Injury wise-it doesn’t appear that we had anything serious. E.J. Adams had a slight AC strain in his shoulder on a pass that he caught. Alfonso Smith sprained his arch in his foot. Danny Trevathan, on that last scramble by Mike Hartline, got a little bit of a hip pointer. Coshik Williams bruised the other shoulder, it wasn’t the same one. That was the extent of the injuries. From that standpoint it has to be the best spring that I’ve ever had as far as no serious injuries. So, from that standpoint it was excellent.

“I thought the effort all spring was excellent. Today, it’s never going to look as polished as you want when you mix and draft your team. Coach (Steve) Brown is 2-0 now in this game. So, he’s feeling pretty good. I think that there were a lot of good things that happened out there. There are some things that we obviously need to get better at. I think our fans got a great opportunity to see some new faces who will be doing some big things for us this next year. I was very pleased with the energetic crowd, and a very big crowd. I think it was the biggest crowd I’ve seen for a spring game since I’ve been here. It was fun for them I think, and it was fun for the players.”

(Editor’s note: spring game records are incomplete, but today’s attendance of 20,200 is the second-largest in UK history based on available information. The known record is 20,325 in 1987.)

On how the draft was constructed in allowing the Blue team to have Trevard Lindley, Micah Johnson, Jeremy Jarmon and Randall Cobb…
“You have an old draft guy on that side of the ball. Steve Ortmayer has run a lot of drafts in his day. It just works out how it works out. Joker (Phillips) had the first pick. Then each side got to take two at a time. So, hey, how it works is how it works. It ended up being competitive. It didn’t look like it would be in that first quarter. But, (Mike) Hartline, after what I thought was a shaky start throwing the ball, came back and did some very good things. He showed the competitor that he is when he brought his team back there in the second half. It was, I think, an entertaining game. Spring games are not always a really good, polished game. There were some turnovers. Most of them (turnovers) were by back-up players. The two interceptions were off of tipped balls.”

On the play of Will Fidler…
“I thought Fidler played the first quarter, and the first drive in particular, as well as I’ve ever seen him perform. Will’s problem isn’t arm strength. It’s usually been making the right decision, making it on time and he showed definite improvement in that area today. He started off like gang-busters. He had a pretty good guy to throw to (Randall Cobb) who made a few good plays. The one play Randall made reminded me of the one Dicky Lyons made when it was thrown behind him and he reached up and tipped it to himself and then turned it up the field and got some extra yards. Those are the kinds of plays that we need our receivers to make from time to time. Randall is obviously going to be a big-time playmaker and can help any quarterback I think look better. But, Will did a really good job early. He got some balls batted down later, which is not all his fault. We’ve got to get our offensive line a little more aggressive in getting the defender’s arms down. I thought he clearly closed the gap. And there was a gap. I feel much, much better about Will Fidler after this scrimmage. Obviously, he got the win.”

On the development of the receivers this spring…
“They’re not where I’d like them to be. We had a few guys make some plays. We had a young man not too many people knew about, but we knew about him in the last two or three weeks who has been impressive is Nick Melillo. He has put himself in a position where he is going to be looked at very hard in the fall. He doesn’t drop anything. He is physical. He plays hard. He plays fast. I’m encouraged from what I’ve seen from him. We did have some of our signees here today. I’m anxious to get them in here, one of them in particular was out here today a 6’5 200-pounder who runs fast -- junior college player Chris Matthews. It is going to be a lot more competitive. Some people in the receiving position helped themselves today and some people were either stagnant or took a step back. That’s what the competition will be all about. There are some plays, in particular early, that I wasn’t happy about Hartline all spring were his deep throws. Today they were similar. They floated a little bit too much. I will say this, the wind was blowing very hard and made it extremely hard to throw deep. When you do throw deep it better be a tight spiral or the wind is really going to take it over. That’s what happened on several of those deep throws. One of the balls that was intercepted down in the endzone our receivers have to come back and compete for that ball and not allow an interception. Although the defender made a good play, I thought the receiver did not compete for the ball as he should have.”

On the play of the linebackers…
“How long has it been since Kentucky had a linebacker fast enough to return kickoffs? (referring to Danny Trevathan) That’s the encouraging thing about the speed of our team. We graduated a couple of really good linebackers in Braxton Kelley and Johnny Williams and now you put Sam Maxwell and Danny Trevathan on the field. I promise you, as good as those two guys were who graduated, these two guys filled it up this spring. They had great springs. Trevathan can run now. He got a little worn down and he still has some things to learn but, he is a playmaker. He not only has speed, he not only is tough he is instinctive. That’s a great combination of things to have.”

Cats Elect Team Council

The leadership council for the 2009 Kentucky football team has been elected by the Wildcats, Coach Rich Brooks has announced.

The council is comprised of seven players, each elected by his own position group. The role of the council is to represent the team on issues that need player input and to bring team concerns to the attention of the coaching staff if needed. This year’s council includes:

Defensive Line – Corey Peters, sr. defensive tackle from Louisville, Ky.
Linebackers – Micah Johnson, sr. middle linebacker from Fort Campbell, Ky.
Defensive Backs – Trevard Lindley, sr. cornerback from Hiram, Ga.
Offensive Line – Zipp Duncan, sr. left tackle from Magnolia, Ky.
Tight Ends, Specialists – Ross Bogue, sr. tight end from Suwanee, Ga.
Wide Receivers – Kyrus Lanxter, jr. wide receiver from Alcoa, Tenn.
Quarterbacks, Running Backs – John Conner, sr. fullback from West Chester, Ohio

Wildcats Begin Final Week of Practice: Chased inside by rain, the Kentucky football team began the final week of spring practice with a two-hour practice Monday morning at the Nutter Field House.

“It was fine,” Coach Rich Brooks said when asked about the workout. “We haven’t had a stinker this spring, which is nice. Hopefully we won’t. We have two more (practices) before the spring game so we’ll see how it goes.

“The players have been working hard and learning. Everybody has a lot to work on. I’m pleased that we’re making progress for the most part. Some players have kind of leveled off and I’m not pleased with that. We just have to see how they finish the thing and what happens between the end of spring and next fall as well.”

The coach said he was happy with the evaluation of Saturday’s scrimmage film.

“I was very, very pleased,” Brooks said. “We had some young guys who didn’t play a lot last year that are pushing themselves up to the top of the depth chart and are going to be significant factors for us.”

Rich Brooks' Coaches Teleconference Highlights

Today was the SEC Coaches' Teleconference and Kentucky Coach Rich Brooks was dead last in the coach rotation. By sheer bad luck, I missed Urban Meyer and Lane Kiffin, but did catch Brooks. Here's the highlights...

A general spring practice report...
"We have 6 practices left, then we finish with the blue-white scrimmage. Overall, I'm pleased with the progress I've seen. Defensively it's an improvement over last year. Offensively, there isn't any question in my mind we'll be a better team. Hartline is doing some good things and Randall Cobb returned to full contact yesterday. We have a chance to do something that hasn't been done around here in a long time, and that's go to a 4th straight bowl game"

On Trevard Lindley and his return...
"There's not many people in the country and our league that can cover people on an island like Trevard Lindley. It's huge that he came back. Along with Micah Johnson and Jeremy Jarmon. Puts us in position to have a special defensive year. He's a very quiet guy, and just goes about his business quietly without a lot of talk or chest thumping. He just goes and plays"

On the QB position and who's The Guy...
"Based on what's here, I know what I want to do. We'll look hard at our incoming players so that may change in the fall. Right now, Hartline is the guy that fits our system the best. His production will be better with Cobb at receiver. Both Newton and Mossakowski are tremendous talents that are going to get a hard look. They throw it out of high school better than anyone we've had here. Newton has the added advantage of being a big guy. Mossakowski isn't as big or strong because he was coming off surgery, but is now cleared to lift and throw. Both guys fit our system well, and I believe they'll be ready to compete."

On the level of surprise regarding new to the league coaches or coordinators and their contracts...
"I'm an old guy. I'm surprised by everyone's salary. You see it here, with John Calipari. See it with football coaches making unbelievable money now. Coordinators are getting paid unbelievable money. It's gotten a little out of whack, but it speaks to the pressure that coaches are under to make the entire athletic operation operable. We net more out of football than we do in basketball. I'm not saying it's right, but it's market driven. In fact, I don't think it's right."

On whether players now are more difficult to to coach now as opposed to before...
"In a way, they are more difficult to coach. Probably because of the information age and the exposure. You see high school games on ESPN, five star, four star recruits, information is at a much higher level then before. They all come in believing they will play as freshman and play in the NFL. In reality, that ain't gonna happen. Dealing with that takes more psychology then it did before in terms of coaching. The pressure on them to be successful is so much higher."

The true highlight of the conference call was Brooks' response to a question posed to him about Twitter. Each coach that I heard was asked the same question, regarding their use of Twitter, if they thought it connected well with the recruits and fans, so on and so forth. This was Brooks' response:

"I do not Twitter. I email, but I don't Twitter. I think it's the latest new electronic craze that's getting all the attention. I don't think that it's much better than emails or phone calls."

Translation: "Twitter is bullshit". Gotta love him.

Kentucky Readies for "Rumble at the River"

The Kentucky vs. Miami University football game, to be played on Sept. 5 in Cincinnati’s Paul Brown Stadium, was branded as the “Rumble at the River” during a news conference at the stadium Tuesday afternoon.

UK Coach Rich Brooks and MU Coach Mike Haywood spoke of their excitement about the season-opening contest and the special game logo was unveiled... seen above.

Here are some selected quotes from Coach Brooks:

Opening statement …
“We are very excited to play this game. We are well aware of the history of Miami and I know about the great teams they have had in the past. I am a little leery and nervous since Coach Haywood is new, which means we will not have a lot of game film on him. They will have a new offense and defense. It will be a difficult opener at a neutral site. Hopefully, we will have at least half of the stadium in blue and white. It is a great venue and I want to thank Mike (Brown, Cincinnati Bengals president) for allowing this to happen at Paul Brown Stadium. I think this is a win-win for Miami and Kentucky … The experience for our fans to get to watch a football game in such a fine venue will be genuinely exciting. I think our fans are as excited to come here as Miami’s fans are to come here and spend the day and evening in Cincinnati. We are looking forward to it and I think our team is excited about the opportunity. We know we are in for a heck of a football game.”

On getting the teams together …
“I think that this game was in the works for a while. There were several options that I can’t speak to. This is a thing that we have pursued and as I mentioned this is a win-win situation for Miami and a win-win situation for us. We are very happy to play in such an outstanding venue.”

The players’ reaction about the opportunity to play in an NFL stadium …
“I know this is an outstanding venue. Many of our players have driven by it or been in it and now they get to play in it. I would assume it will be packed and it should be a great environment, not only for young players but for the veterans as well. We will all enjoy the experience.”

On preparing for the game …
“We don’t know a lot about Miami from a personnel standpoint but we do know that schematically they will be playing a completely new system. One of the things that we try to do is get a gauge of what they would run schematically by looking at game film. Overall, as much as anything, I think this game will be played on a lot of emotion. Miami will be excited to come into this venue to open up its season against a Southeastern Conference team and we will have to match that emotion and be ready to play. We have had some good success the last couple of years in our non-conference schedule and we have a lot to live up to. If you want to be in postseason play then every game counts and every game is critically important. That is one of the things that our teams have really understood in recent years. Every year is a new start and a new challenge. We had better bring our lunch pail because we are going to be in for a dogfight.”

On helping recruiting by playing in Cincinnati …
“It helps us because there is so much talent in the greater Cincinnati area. We have some players on our team from Ohio and we need to do a better job in that area, especially in Cincinnati. It is tough for us recruiting as the northern-most team in the SEC because we are moving into Big 10 country. As much as anything we need to sell the University of Kentucky and the SEC. This is an opportunity for some prospects to see us play in a local venue.”

As a MAC fan, I'm thrilled that the conference will once again get a showcase sort of game. However, as a Kentucky fan, I'm nervous. The MAC has a long history of knocking off BCS conference teams who may not be considered traditional BCS powers (See: BG vs. Pitt, Ball State vs. Indiana, etc.) and Kentucky has a bit of a checkered past in "should win" sort of games.

Regardless of the outcome, the game itself should be good exposure for both teams, great opportunity for the players to suit up in an NFL stadium and square off against a quality opponent. Football is right smack around the corner, and the next several months will be AGONIZING as we wait for the curtain to fall on the 09 season.

Kentucky Football Practice Report: April 8th

The Kentucky defensive line went from dormant to dominant during a mini-scrimmage at the end of Wednesday morning’s practice at the Nutter Training Center.

“I’ve been very upset with our D-line. I’ve been on them for three or four days about getting off on the ball and finally they did today,” Coach Rich Brooks said. “Obviously, our offensive line wasn’t quite ready for that, so that’s the tempo we need to practice … get our line ready to see full-speed, get-off-the-ball pass rush.

“We need to see that type of energy from our defensive front,” Brooks continued.“It was nice to see Wyndham and Ukwu (redshirt freshman defensive ends Taylor Wyndham and Collins Ukwu), two guys I wasn’t very happy with the first three or four days on their ‘get off,’ turn that dial up today and show they have some capabilities of really helping us this year if they’ll continue to play at that level.”

The Wildcats return to practice Friday morning. The first full scrimmage is set for Saturday.

Mason to Tight End: Redshirt freshman DeAunte Mason has moved from quarterback to tight end, Coach Rich Brooks announced following Wednesday’s practice.

“We knew he had an athletic ability when we recruited him, and we were going to give him an opportunity to play quarterback, but at this stage it doesn’t look like he’s going to be in the mix so we just need to try to get him in a position where he can have a chance to be successful,” Brooks said.

Mason, a 6-3, 220-pounder from Nashville, Tenn., was “Mr. Football” for Tennessee Class AAA as a senior at Pearl-Cohn High School. He went through a redshirt season at UK in the fall of 2008.

Spring Practice Calendar: Practices are open to fans. Practices are held at the Nutter Training Facility unless noted otherwise. Practices might be moved indoors to the Nutter Field House in case of bad weather.

Fri. April 10 - 9 to 11:15 a.m. (tentative)
Sat. April 11 - 10 to 11:40 a.m., Commonwealth Stadium (tentative)
Mon. April 13 - 9 to 11:15 a.m. (tentative)
Wed. April 15 - 9 to 11:15 a.m. (tentative)
Fri. April 17 - 9 to 11:15 a.m. (tentative)
Sat. April 18 - 10 to 11:40 a.m., Commonwealth Stadium (tentative)
Mon. April 20 - 9 to 11:15 a.m. (tentative)
Wed. April 22 - 9 to 11:15 a.m. (tentative)
Fri. April 24 - 9 to 11:15 a.m. (tentative)
Sat. April 25 - Blue/White Spring Game, 1:30 p.m., Commonwealth Stadium

Schedule-Gasms!

Granted, we are still months away from football season, but the fall will be here sooner than you know it. With that comes the return of the Cardinals and Wildcats to the football field. First we take a look at the Fighting Cardinals of Ball State...

Sept. 3 vs. North Texas
Sept. 12 vs. New Hampshire
Sept. 19 at Army
Sept. 26 at Auburn
Oct. 3 vs. Toledo
Oct. 10 at Temple
Oct. 17 vs. Bowling Green
Oct. 24 at Eastern Michigan
Oct. 31 vs. Ohio
Nov. 12 at Northern Illinois
Nov. 18 vs. Central Michigan
Nov. 24 at Western Michigan

Really, the schedule itself isn't all that daunting. At Auburn is challenging, but winnable, as they all are. The Cardinals get two warm ups before their first road game to West Point, and at worst, will be sitting 3-1 when conference play opens. As it usually does, the battle for the MAC West will come down to three games in November, two of them on the road. The Cardinals got the flip-side of this last year, with 2 of them at home. As for the conference games, expect the Cardinals to probably drop one of their last three, and perhaps one other throughout the season.

Chalk it up as a W: North Texas, New Hampshire, @ Army, Toledo, @ Temple, Ohio
Chalk it up as an L: None
Toss up: @ Auburn, BG, @EMU, @NIU, CMU, @ WMU

Assuming we split the toss ups, that's 9-3. At worst.

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For the Wildcats, it's more of the same, as a relative "Who's Who" shows up on the SEC slate for Big Blue.

Sept. 5 vs. Miami (Ohio) (in Cincinnati)
Sept. 19 vs. Louisville
Sept. 26 vs. Florida
Oct. 3 vs. Alabama
Oct. 10 at South Carolina
Oct. 17 at Auburn
Oct. 24 vs. Louisiana-Monroe
Oct. 31 vs. Mississippi State
Nov. 7 vs. Eastern Kentucky
Nov. 14 at Vanderbilt
Nov. 21 at Georgia
Nov. 28 vs. Tennessee

The good news for Kentucky is that the non-conference games are dispersed somewhat equally throughout the season, instead of right at the front. That means that should UK find themselves in the midst of a losing streak, there is a good possibility for some good karma points with a Louisiana-Monroe slumpbuster in October. They get Florida and Bama at home, and early, and if there's ever a time or location to play them, I guess that would be it. Road contests at Auburn, SC, Vandy and Georgia make the road a winnable place for UK this year. Young Mr. Kiffin makes his first trip as a Vol to Commonwealth on November 28.

Chalk it up as a W: Miami, Louisville, Louisiana-Monroe, Eastern Kentucky
Chalk it up as an L: Florida, Bama, @ Georgia
Toss up: @ South Carolina, @ Auburn, Mississippi State, @ Vanderbilt, Tennessee

Assuming the Cats can win three of their five "toss up" games, and that's a conservative estimation, then they're looking at 7-5. Not fantastic, but I think this team has great potential to do much much better than that. A lot of it will ride on how close the Florida and Alabama games play out. A close showing, or even an upset, will tip momentum and attitude in the Cats' favor and make a special season possible.

Either way, we're getting closer by the day to pigskin. And it can't get here soon enough.