Congratulations to Coach John Calipari and our 2012 National Champion Kentucky Wildcats. They have been the best TEAM all year. It just so happens they were also the most talented collection of players. Great job guys. The Big Blue Nation is proud of you.
2012 National Champions!!!!!!!!!!!
The Mail Box is a feature we’ve added for addressing fan concerns. As the need arises, we’ll provide fans the opportunity to post your concerns relating to UK sports in the form of a letter to Athletic Director, Mitch Barnhart. The rules are pretty simple. Be respectful and sign it with your real name. If you would like your letter to be included, send a copy to Chad@bigbluearmy.com. I’ve included another letter from me in the mailbox this week. The following email letter was sent to Mitch Barnhart on Signing Day with a carbon copy to Joker.
Dear Mitch,
Now that Joker and the staff have wrapped up a strong 2012 recruiting class, I would like to discuss what can be done by the UKAA and the fans to help move the football program forward. Much has been made of the hurdles that UK faces with capital improvement projects due to the bonding structure within the state. I can appreciate the challenge you face with balancing the demands of the athletic department and the resources available to meet those demands.
Unlike many of the fans that would rather complain about the lack of commitment to football, I would like to propose a solution. Since the city is now taking the lead on the Rupp Arena renovations and most of the University’s bonding capacity over the next few years will be tied up with capital improvements on the academic side, you’ll need to be very creative in order to keep football from being left behind.
With the SEC expanding and two new teams coming on board next season, UK cannot afford to ignore the football program and let it continue to fall behind. Football is the cash cow for the entire athletics department and more and more fans are growing tired of being “milked dry” with no visible commitment from the Athletic Department. Even with the challenges of funding, now is the time to be bold.
I don’t believe UK needs to have the biggest football facilities in the SEC in order to show a commitment to football. However, I do believe that UK needs to demonstrate that it’s committed to having a great college football atmosphere. Commonwealth Stadium appears cold with very little character. Any facility improvements should be focused on adding character as much as capacity.
I’ve read or heard somewhere that it would take around $150 million to renovate Commonwealth Stadium. With little or no ability for state bonding in the near future, these renovations could be delayed forever. That’s why I’m proposing “The Kentucky Football Project”.
The Kentucky Football Project would be a joint effort between the Athletic Department and the fans to make Kentucky Football relevant. What I suggest is that your office prepares a draft of all the improvements you would like included in a $150 million renovation. Once completed, allow architects and engineers to submit proposals for how to structure the construction and renovations into 4 completely separate phases. Upon selection of a proposal, a marketing campaign would be launched announcing the planned improvements. Each phase would have a target completion of 3 years with the Athletic Department committing $10 million dollars per year toward the project until completion.
One of the major criticisms of the Athletic Department by the fans and certainly a challenge for the coaching staff on the recruiting trail is the perceived lack of commitment to football at Kentucky. Of the approximately $80 million annual athletic budget, more than half comes from football either directly or indirectly as part of the media and licensing revenues. It’s very frustrating to football fans to see $10 million plus being committed to soccer and track capital projects and no progress is being made on a Commonwealth Stadium renovation.
I’m not suggesting that the other sports should be ignored, nor am I suggesting that nothing has been done for football. The new scoreboards, ribbon boards and sound system were very much needed and certainly improve the atmosphere at Commonwealth. However, Kentucky needs to do more to remain competitive in the SEC. Let’s face it: if football doesn’t go, nothing goes. With the SEC expansion, it’s likely that a new media deal will generate new revenues. Considering the Athletic Department can’t count on any additional bonding capacity in the near future, 100% of any new revenues should be committed directly to football capital improvements.
I’ve listed below a few of the improvements that should be considered as part of the Commonwealth Stadium capital improvements. If the Athletic Department would make the commitment as I’ve proposed, I’m confident the fan base would band together to make significant contributions to this project. This would be a bold move by the Athletic Department, but would show that Kentucky is committed to winning at football. It would definitely make life easier for Joker Phillips and his staff on the recruiting trail and should pave the way for improvement on the field. Additional success on the field would increase ticket revenue as well as K-fund contributions. These revenues could be used to fund the next phase of the project or spent on the other programs within the department. When football wins, everybody wins.
Improvement suggestions:
– Recruiting room
– Club level seating
– Stadium club
– Additional luxury suites
– New press box
– Chair back seats throughout (UK Blue)
– Revamped outside décor
– Ring of Honor memorial at team entrance or something around stadium exterior
– Limestone/brick on interior wall surrounding field
– Structural design to allow for future bowling of upper decks of the end zones
– Blue field turf in the end zones similar to the Nutter practice field
– Large UK or Cat logo at midfield
The Kentucky Football Project would make a huge statement about UK’s commitment to competing for championships in all sports. A key portion of this suggestion would be an independent fan fund raising drive. I would love to talk to you about the feasibility of my plan and would certainly be interested in participating in the fan fund raising efforts for this project.
Please contact me to discuss at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Chad Thomas
One of the all time favorite Wildcats doing what he does.
That guy is electrifying. Congratulations Randall. Keep reppin’ the Big Blue.
Congratulations to UK’s own Dermontti Dawson on his selection to the NFL Hall of Fame Class of 2012. Dermontti has long been considered one of the best centers to ever play in the NFL. He changed the game with his athleticism and run blocking from the center position. He was a 6 time Pro Bowl selection for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Read his bio on the Hall of Fame Website:
Congrats to one of the all time greats. The Big Blue Nation is proud.
We’ll update the commitments as they roll in throughout the day.
Signed in December
Kory Brown
Today
8:05 am
Patrick Towles
8:07 am
Jordan Watson
8.08 am
Daron Blaylock
8:09
Zack Blaylock
8:10 am
Jon Toth
8:15 am
Patrick Graffree
8:16 am
Fred Tiller
8:17 am
Jonathan Reed
8:17 am
Josh Harris
8:18 am
Zach Myers
8:19 am
Thomas Chapman
8:20 am
Dyshawn Mobley
8:27 am
A.J. Legree
8:38 am
Lanston Newton
8:52 am
Cody Quinn
8:57 am
DeMarcus Sweat
9:16 am
Jordan Swindle
9:47 am
Justin Taylor
9:51 am
Landon Foster
10:10 am
Shawn Blaylock
10:12 am
Khalid Henderson
10:21 am
Jalen Whitlow
This board is looking great. Just a few more to go.
11:05 am
T.J. Jones
11:23 am
Kadeem Thomas
12:14 pm
Sterling Wright
That’s a wrap folks. I would like to say congrats to the coaching staff on what appears to be a very good group of signees.
WELCOME NEW WILDCATS!!!! The Big Blue Army is looking forward to seeing you on the field.
We’ve started a new feature on the site. As the need arises, we’ll provide fans the opportunity to post your concerns relating to UK sports in the form of a letter to Athletic Director, Mitch Barnhart. The rules are pretty simple. Be respectful and sign it with your real name. If you would like your letter to be included, send a copy to Chad@bigbluearmy.com. I’ve included another letter from me in the mailbox this week.
Dear Mitch,
I’m writing to follow up on a letter that I sent after the Georgia game. At that time I expressed how much I like Joker, but I didn’t believe he had displayed the qualities necessary to lead Kentucky to the next level. In fact, it was apparent that the program was heading in the wrong direction and a change needed to be made. While I’m still not convinced Joker will get the job done, I do agree with your decision to retain Joker as head coach. The effort against Georgia was a significant step in the right direction and the UT game showed as much heart and spirit as I’ve seen a Kentucky team display. Everyone involved with the program deserves a huge pat on the back.
As I had stated in my last letter, there is nothing I would like to see more than for Joker to be successful at Kentucky. With that in mind, I would like to review a few of the areas the team or Joker have been deficient. I know that your year-end review of his performance will be coming up. My hope is that you’ll take these comments into consideration during that process.
The offense was horrible this season. This offense has been successful in the past and when it works, it works. It’s understandable that the loss of a veteran quarterback and key receivers would create some problems. However, it seems this offense is only truly effective when we have a senior quarterback that’s started for two or three years. The offense needs to be tweeked so that a first year starter or a backup can still be effective without 3 years of game experience. At least have a simplified version that every quarterback on the roster is comfortable with. The success of Matt Roark in the UT game also made it clear that the Wildcat formation needs to be a regular part of the offense. If for no other reason it can be used as a change of pace. I could see Bookie Cobbins being very effective in the Randall Cobb playmaker role next season.
The biggest problem I see with the offense is still the overall lack of aggression. Joker made a point to let fans know every time he took a chance with a fake punt or going for it on fourth down. It seemed as if he did some of these things just to say “I told you so”. I never got the impression that the overall philosophy was aggressive. He made a significant change to the defense in this manner after last season by bringing in Rick Minter. The attack mentality of the coach showed through on the field in the way the players attacked. I’m not suggesting that Joker demote or fire Randy Sanders, but he should at a minimum give the directive to be more aggressive. There are two members on his staff that’ve been on the offensive staff with Bobby Petrino in the past. Petrino has one of the most aggressive and overall best offenses in college football. Why not put Nord over running backs or tight ends where he’s had success in the past and seek input from him and Mike Summers on some wrinkles they picked up from Petrino.
Another area that needs to be improved before next season is Jokers’ ability to motivate the team. The team seems to come out flat or start slow on way too many occasions. This problem goes back to when Brooks was head coach, so it must be something in the game preparation. As a side note that may or may not be related, Joker seems way to loyal to the older players on the team. If a veteran is not performing well, stick a young guy in right away. Don’t wait halfway through the season to give a guy some reps. Since the team will not be bowling this winter, I would recommend that Joker spend as much time as possible at the Craft Center watching John Calipari interact with his team. Coach Cal is probably the best in the business at relating to young people. Joker could certainly learn a few things from him.
The final area that I think needs improvement before next season is Joker’s ability to instill faith in the fan base. The simple answer is to win a lot of games and score a lot of points. If that’s not happening, then the fans need to see that Joker is determined to change it and change it soon. In addition, it would help if he’s not defensive when the fans start to criticize poor performance. Instead, direct that defensive attitude toward opposing coaches or fans. There is no way he should have been so gracious in the beating that South Carolina put on the team. Sure, it’s our team’s job to stop the other team, but he could have at least acted like he was extremely upset about the performance and not so thrilled with Spurrier for tacking on an extra score. Show some emotion. It came across as if he was completely okay with being bullied.
With all that said, Joker is coming back next season and I wish him the best. Let’s take the positive momentum from the win over Tennessee into the off season and carry it over to next year. The absolute best thing that could happen for this team and Joker is to come out and beat the tar out of UL in the opening game. Anything less than a bowl game next season will be completely unacceptable.
Go Big Blue!!!
Chad Thomas
Ding Dong....The Streak Is Dead
What a day! Kentucky wide receiver Matt Roark started at quarterback on the last game of his senior year and lead Kentucky to a 10-7 win over Tennessee. The 26 year streak is dead. In one afternoon, Roark changed his legacy as a Kentucky football player and may have changed that of his head coach as well. Roark will go down as the hero, but the Kentucky Defense needs to be recognized. On a day when Kentucky didn’t have a quarterback healthy enough to take a snap, the defense shut down the UT offense and put the Cats in position to pull off an unbelievable upset.
With the streak breaking win over UT, Coach Joker Phillips can breathe a sigh of relief as his job is safe for at least one more year. As someone that just last week wrote a letter to Mitch Barnhart calling for Joker to be replaced, I will say that I believe Joker has earned the right to return next season. I still am not convinced Joker is the guy to take Kentucky to the next level, but we’ve seen more heart and emotion in the last 2 weeks than we’ve seen at any time during Joker’s coaching tenure. Hopefully, he’ll take this momentum into the off-season and carry it into the UL game next year.
We’ll revisit the coaching situation and what Coach Phillips needs to be successful long term at Kentucky at a later time. For now, let’s enjoy this victory. Kentucky beat Tennessee in FOOTBALL.
The effort by Matt Roark, Danny Trevathan, Winston Guy, the coaching staff and the rest of the team was absolutely gutsy. Today is your day guys. The Big Blue Army salutes you.
We’ve started a new feature on the site. As the need arises, we’ll provide fans the opportunity to post your concerns relating to UK sports in the form of a letter to Athletic Director, Mitch Barnhart. The rules are pretty simple. Be respectful and sign it with your real name. If you would like your letter to be included, send a copy to Chad@bigbluearmy.com. I’ll get this started with an email I sent to Mitch today.
Dear Mitch,
I am writing to express my concern with the state of Kentucky Football. I’ll start by saying that I’m personally a fan of Joker Phillips. When he was named the Head Coach-In Waiting, I was excited about the opportunity to maintain what Coach Brooks had built and the possibility of taking some steps forward. The decision to promote Joker was made for the stability of the program and with good sound logic. Joker is a UK alum and this is his dream job. There are few people, if any that want Kentucky to be successful in football more than Joker does. If successful, Joker would be here for the long haul. I love the thought process and I bought in 100%.
What I had envisioned is Joker bringing a youthful exuberance that was not there with Coach Brooks. I fully believed that his passion for the University of Kentucky would shine through in every aspect of his job. I thought it would be obvious in his recruiting, in his relationship with the players, in his play calling and in his dealing with the public and the media. The problem is not much, if any of that is happening and what I see on the field is not what I had envisioned.
This season has been as painful to watch as any season I can remember. As a Kentucky football fan, I have developed the ability to excuse a season full of bad performances on the hope that the future would be better. We lost some very good players after last season and an adjustment season is somewhat understandable. However, the whole reason for making Joker HCIW and then promoting him to head coach was to maintain STABILITY and not take a step backwards with a coaching change. With the loss to Georgia, Kentucky will be sitting home for the holidays for the first time in 6 years. Throw in the performance against Vanderbilt with bowl eligibility on the line and I would call that a step backwards to say the least. I would also call it completely unacceptable no matter what the circumstances of the season are.
There have been plenty of bad seasons in Kentucky football history. It’s hard to say, but this one is certainly in contention for the most disappointing. As I mentioned before, Kentucky football fans have developed the ability to accept a bad season and point to the future. Unfortunately, that is not happening this year. As much as I wanted to see Joker be successful, there has been nothing to point to as a reason to believe the future will be better. It’s easy to say that injuries and the lack of playmakers are why this season has been bad. It’s easy to say that this offense has worked in the past, so it’s not the coaches. It’s easy to SAY things will be better in the future. The facts are, it’s easier to believe they won’t be better.
The problems seen this season are not isolated. Joker started to lose the faith of the fan base last season. The team often looked unprepared and started many games slow. Even the best performances of the season usually involved recovering from a horrible start. It was obvious that Joker and the staff were having trouble getting the team focused or properly motivated before the games. As the season went on, it seemed as though the team was not getting any better.
The Tennessee game was the beginning of the end for many fans. After finally starting a game quickly, the entire team fell apart when Derrick Locke fumbled the ball going in for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead. The team never recovered. The decision to punt the ball on 4th and short in Tennessee territory while trailing in the fourth quarter told many fans all they would need to know about Joker as a head coach. Was he going to be the kind of head coach that played it close to the vest (read this as conservative) and tried to keep it close with a chance to win at the end or was he going to be the kind of coach that inspired his team to go out and take a victory against all odds. The answer was obvious that Saturday in Knoxville. Unfortunately, it was the former and not the latter.
From that point forward, the team has been on a steady decline and the fans have jumped off the bandwagon little by little. The bowl game in Birmingham was a train wreck from the word go. As one of the fans that traveled to that game, I will never understand how our team was completely manhandled by a team with no coach. That’s one of the least inspired performances I’ve ever witnessed. Even without Mike Hartline available for the game, there is no reason to be that unprepared. After an entire offseason trying to make excuses for why we looked so bad and to believe that was the exception and not the rule, I traveled to Nashville to watch the team pick up where they left off. The effort against Western was just as uninspired as the bowl game. I’m still amazed we didn’t lose that game.
I’ve had the discussion with many fans about whether it’s fair to dismiss a coach after 2 seasons. It’s been a common theme since the UL game that you have to give a coach at least 3 years to implement his plan. If I’m not mistaken, Joker was hired to continue the momentum that was started by Coach Brooks. In fact, the entire justification for promoting from within instead of taking advantage of rare consecutive winning seasons and conducting an open coaching search, was to ensure that the program kept the momentum going in the right direction. Joker was hired to NOT change things, rather tweak them where necessary to take the next step up the ladder.
In this case, I think it’s fair to dismiss Joker after THIS season. Actually, I think it’s unfair to the fans and short sighted if he is not dismissed. Joker was given the Kentucky program in the best shape it has been in decades. In two seasons, the back slide has been so significant that the entire fan base has gone past the point of anger and gotten to apathy. There is no HOPE that the future will be better and there is no sign that the administration cares. I respect the decision to publicly back Joker at mid-season and state that he would absolutely be back next season. However, with the performances that have happened in the last several weeks, I don’t believe that’s in the best interest of the University of Kentucky football program. There is no sign that things will be better next season. Why ask the fans to suffer another uninspired season just to feel better about giving a great guy another year to prove he deserves to be the coach. From everything I can tell Joker is a great guy. So was Bill Curry. Neither man possesses the ability or the innovation to inspire the fan base and elevate the program to a level of success that has previously been unattainable.
What Kentucky needs is a vision fans can believe in. CM Newton had the right idea when he said Kentucky needed someone that pressed, ran the fast break and shot threes on grass. As much as people are upset about what Hal Mumme allowed to happen while he was here, there is one thing that’s a fact. Kentucky football has never been more popular and more exciting than when Hal Mumme took over. As much as Kentucky football fans would love to see our program compete for SEC and National Championships every year, we know that’s unlikely. Realistically, what Kentucky fans expect is a team that is fun to watch, that is well prepared every game and consistently makes it to bowl games and finishes in the middle of the pack or better in the conference. In a conference as tough as the SEC, we want to be the hunter, not the hunted.
The following are the qualities Kentucky needs to look for in a head coach:
1) Is the coach charismatic and does he have vision? Kentucky is not Alabama. The job at Kentucky is as much about Marketing as it is about coaching. The head coach is the ambassador of the program. He needs to be able to sell his vision to the fans, to boosters, to recruits and to the team.
2) Has the coach built a program before? Kentucky needs someone with experience winning with less talent and taking a bad team and making them better. Odds are strong that Kentucky will not lead the SEC in recruiting anytime soon, so we need to find someone who’s demonstrated the ability to do more with less.
3) Does the coach have a strong offensive identity? While defense is certainly key to championship level football, offense fills stadiums, gets you on SportsCenter and attracts recruits. It’s my belief that Kentucky can build its’ brand much more effectively by hiring a coach that immediately improves the offense and then works to build a championship defense over time.
4) What is the coach’s level of experience? While there are many examples of an assistant coach that went on to have success, I believe at this point Kentucky needs someone that’s proven his skills as a head coach at the Division I or professional level. If someone at the professional level, I believe he should have some previous experience coaching in the college ranks.
5) Does the coach have the desire, work ethic and confidence/swagger to take on the challenge of building a winner at Kentucky? This cannot be underrated. The Kentucky job is not like other jobs in the SEC. Not only is there a tough schedule and very little history to work with, but there are the challenges within the university. Kentucky Football has to co-exist with Kentucky Basketball. It’s important to have a coach that understands this reality and can find a way to feed off of the success of the basketball program. It wouldn’t hurt to have a guy with enough confidence in what he does that he’s borderline cocky.
I don’t think there’s some magic solution of hiring some “big name” coach that will have Kentucky competing for championships. However, I believe if the criteria above is used to identify quality candidates then chances of success are good. Also, I think Kentucky should make it clear from the beginning what we want and should make no apologies about interviewing several candidates. We may be surprised at who ends up making the strongest impression.
With the qualities I mentioned above in mind, I have a short list of potential candidates I would like to see Kentucky interview if the necessary change is made. As much as I hate it for Joker, making a change is the right thing to do for the program.
1) Jon Gruden – Granted, the chances are slim, but phone calls are cheap. Unfortunately, his salary would not be. I don’t believe that spending money for the sake of spending money is a formula for success. I prefer to look for value. That said, having a SuperBowl winning coach on the sidelines may be worth quite a bit.
2) Mike Leach – Without having the benefit of an interview with other coaches, Leach would be my top choice and appears to be hands down the top choice of the majority of UK fans. He has been successful over an extended period of time. He has never had a losing season. His Texas Tech teams were among the national leaders in graduation rates. He knows Kentucky. It would be irresponsible to hold his association with Mumme against him. He wasn’t a part of any of the problems when Mumme was here and he didn’t have problems with the NCAA while he was the head coach at Texas Tech. The whole deal with Adam James has been proven under sworn testimony to be more of a witch hunt than an actual problem with Mike Leach. Leach may be a little eccentric, but he would excite the fan base from Day 1. He is probably the highest profile coach that Kentucky would have a legitimate shot at landing. Since he is currently unemployed, UK may be able to get him at a bargain price for the first few years until Joker’s buyout is off the books. In addition, his wife loves Lexington so he may stick around for the long haul even if bigger programs decide to come calling.
3) Larry Fedora – I don’t know much about Fedora personality wise, but he meets most of the other criteria I mentioned above. He has Southern Miss performing at a level above both of their Mississippi counterparts in the SEC. He’s spent time on an SEC staff at Florida and has recruited the South. He would certainly be worth talking to. He would not carry the “buzz” of a “Big Name” hire, but he still may be a viable candidate.
4) Kevin Sumlin – Another coach that has his team putting up crazy large offensive numbers. My biggest fear here is would his success transfer to the SEC. Again, he would definitely be worth talking to, but wouldn’t fill the seats right away like a Leach or Gruden.
I appreciate you taking the time to let me express my concerns and share my opinions. I realize it would be a very difficult decision to let Joker go after only two seasons. He’s a Kentucky guy, we all wish him the best. That said, letting him go is the right thing to do. Two years may not be enough time to build a winner, but it’s enough time to judge whether someone has the program going in the right direction. Sadly, I along with countless other fans believe that Joker has shown he is not the right guy even if he has 10 years. It does nobody any good to put the change off for another year or two. The result will end up the same and many fans will have walked away in the meantime.
Thank you,
Chad Thomas
I currently have 5 season tickets. I’m likely keeping my tickets no matter what choice you make, but from conversations I’ve had with a bunch of other season ticketholders, I’ll be in the minority.
This has been all over the internet, but I thought it was still worth putting up here so that a few more people may get a look at it. If Kentucky Football fans want a change, we need to make our voices heard to all parties. Voice your opinion to Board of Trustee’s members. Voice your opinion to State Senators. Kentucky Athletics needs the ability to obtain bonding without being tied to the bonding capacity of the university. The Athletic Department is one of the few athletic departments in the country that run in the black. The fiscal responsibility is there. Allow UK Athletics to obtain bonding separate from the university as a whole. Stand up and be heard.
This weekend the UK football team will travel to Baton Rouge to take on the #1 ranked LSU Tigers. With the way the Cats have played to this point in the season, an upset may be tough to come by. However, don’t be shocked to see a good number of Big Blue faithful make the trip. An opportunity to see the #1 team in the nation in Death Valley combined with a couple days in New Orleans is tough to pass up. I know of at least 2 bus loads of the Big Blue Army that will be heading from New Orleans over to Baton Rouge to invade Tiger Stadium.
Unless something crazy happens, I think the real invasion will take place at the bars in New Orleans before and after the game. We can’t control how the team plays on Saturday, but we can certainly help the Bourbon Street economy.
Shout out to Big Blue Army member, Eddie Lee. He’ll be down there with a rowdy group of friends to celebrate his bachelor party. If you plan to be down in New Orleans this weekend, look for him at Razzoo’s around 9:00 pm on Friday. He’ll be the drunk guy with beads on.
Anyway, the Cats must try to make some progress this week. Facing the LSU defense, it may be considered progress if they can score a single touchdown and gain over 200 total yards. Of course, the game is not decided on paper, so the Cats still have a chance. It may be 1 in a million, but there is a chance. Go Cats!!!!!! Give us a reason to turn Bourbon Street on its’ ear.
Not all was bad Saturday night for the Cats as the boys in blue picked up a couple of commitments. Despite losing 48-10 to the Gators, UK picked up two key commitments from Kadeem Thomas and Shadrach Thornton. Thomas is a middle linebacker from Tallahassee and Thornton is a running back from Georgia. He is thought to be the Cats top target at the position. Quietly as the Cats have struggled on the field, they have continued to put together another solid class off of it. The question now is, can they keep it together until signing day. If they continue to struggle as they have, we’ll find out just how good this staff is on the recruiting trail. Let’s hope that they can turn things around on the field and keep all these guys on board.
Check out the two newest Cats below. Welcome to the Big Blue family Mr. Thomas and Mr. Thornton
Kadeem Thomas
Shadrach Thornton
I previously asked the question of who would RISE for Kentucky Football. After the first two games of the season, it appears that Josh Clemons may be ready to accept that challenge. The true freshman from Georgia scored a TD in the game for the second game in a row. Not only did he score, but he did so in record breaking fashion. His 87 yard TD scamper was the longest run from scrimmage in Commonwealth Stadium history. So like Randall Cobb did in his opener with the Packers, Josh Clemons has given the fans something to be excited about. Combine the play of Clemons with a defense that appears to be better than recent years and solid punting and kicking and this season may have more promise than we thought this time a week ago.
There is still a lot of improvement that needs to be made, but right now the Cats are 2-0. With the way U of L looked the first 2 weeks, you have to be optimistic about UK’s chances of starting 3-0. The key thing for the Cats at this point is to win next week and then improve every week going forward. The first 3 games of the conference season present a challenge. Go 0-3, but improve each week and there are 6 winnable games to close the season. 7-5 will be a real possibility. Win one of those 3 games and a GREAT season is still possible. So no matter how bad the team has looked the last couple of weeks, the record is still 2-0, which is the best it could be no matter how we looked.
Check out Clemons’ record breaking run below.
Randall Cobb, in his first NFL game, breaks records and scores TD’s. The Legend of Cobb continues. It is such a pleasure to see our man Randall tear up the NFL like he did the SEC. We are so proud of him. Now, it’s time for the next KENTUCKY star to RISE. Who will it be? Our roster has a lot of guys that have the talent to shine. Do any of them have the heart….time will tell.
Check out the videos below for a little inspiration.
Randall’s first TD
And he adds another just for kicks.
Congrats to one of the favorite Cats of all time. Keep on representing the Big Blue Nation in style.
This has been posted several times around the web, but I thought it was worth posting again as a reminder that it’s up to the fans to change the culture around UK football. I applaud UK fan Michael Martin for putting this together. He has some good ideas. Post your thoughts in the comments section on any additional suggestions you may have. GO CATS!!!! Football is finally here.
It’s good enough for our practice field, but not in the stadium?
This week, the UK Athletic Department sent out a survey on the Gameday Atmosphere at Commonwealth Stadium. I applaud the effort as this has been a hot topic of mine for several years and has really gained some momentum over the last year…at least on the message boards. Good to see someone in the AD’s office has been paying attention. Anyway, if you didn’t receive the survey or haven’t taken the time to complete it, please do so. Let’s show the Athletic Department that the football fans care and provide some insight into what needs to be done to change the culture around Kentucky Football. I’ve attached the link to the survey below. In addition, I’ve reposted some suggestions I posted on this site last year around this time. Some of the suggestions have been addressed, but I’ll leave them for reference. Please add your suggestions below and most importantly, share them in the comments section of the survey. Go Big Blue!!! #Rise.
KENTUCKY FOOTBALL GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE – TAKE THE SURVEY NOW (LINK)
Let’s add some excitement.
Please respond to this post with your thoughts on what can be done to improve the atmosphere at Commonwealth Stadium on gameday. This is our chance to be the “Gameday Atmosphere Committee”. Please be specific with what you would like to see. Give examples of songs you would like played, etc. I’ll start with a few.
1) Paint the endzones blue (wanted this for years). We’ve got a practice field with blue endzones, why not the official field. If it’s a problem painting the real grass, use synthetic grass or field-turf in the endzones
2) Add more color to the inside and outside of the stadium. The industrial look must go. I think the banners on the outside in the corners are a good start, but much more color can be added. There should be no mistaking this is the “Home of the Wildcats”. Give it a nickname. The Lair, The Cathouse (ha,ha), The Scratching Post. Paint sayings on the walls. “the Cats are on the prowl”, etc. Paint paws and scratch marks on the concourses and walkways leading to the stadium (like at amusement parks) with sayings (warnings, ex: “wildcats on the loose” “visitors beware”).
3) Get a custom song that can jam over NEW loudspeakers. I love the sound and the feature line of Cat Scratch Fever. Buy the rights and have the words re-written so that it’s appropriate for the game. Heck, have Ted Nugent do it or use the Marcus McClinton “We Believe” and redo the intro with the current team. Or possibly use some of the songs by The Rally Squad (great tailgating cd), those are high energy “Kentucky Wildcat” songs.
4) Do “SOMETHING” when the team enters to field. The inflatable helmet, player introductions, Wildcat on a motorcycle, the Heartbeat, run out of a cage…something. If the “heartbeat is gonna be used, it should start out low and build as the team is ready to enter the tunnel(tunnel cam a necessity). By the time the team is ready to run out, it should be so loud it can be heard downtown. That’s how you’ll get the fans to participate. If you want the fans in their seats before the game, you need to start a tradition that continues to build over time and makes the fans want to be a part of it.
5) Get flashy with the uniforms. I know the traditionalists won’t like this, but the only tradition Kentucky has in football is a bad one. We need to become the “it place to be”. We are a Nike school and with the sales that a generated by our basketball program, we should have enough influence to convince Nike to make us their “flash” program of the East. Like em or not, Oregon gets a lot of good players because they are perceived as a fun place to be…cutting edge. We don’t have to go quite as far as Oregon, but have some fun with it. Let the players pick the combinations. You’d be amazed at some of the reasons an 18 year old kid will choose a school.
6) Send the band director to Georgia State or Grambling or just have him/her watch the movie Drumline. The high school bands here in Lexington have more creativity than our band. Don’t just change it a little, make a drastic change. Challenge them to be creative and high energy.
7) Play high energy music during timeouts. Especially during crucial times of the game and when the crowd is already energized.
Give public updates on the plan to expand the stadium. Provide a timeline for the improvements. Add pressboxes above the Alumni Drive side of the stadium and bowl in the endzones. The recruiting room could even be above the current luxury boxes on one end of the stadium. Allow people to get excited about it and have a deadline for completing the project. Note: this should be slated AHEAD of any new basketball facility. Football is the revenue sport and Rupp is already one of the most storied facilities in sports. The basketball program does not NEED a new facility right away. The football stadium upgrades are NEEDED.
9) Stop the “Firstdooooown Kentucky” stuff. Have a voiceover of Tom Leach screaming TOUCHDOWN KENTUCKY to be played LOUD when the Cats score followed by the WILDCAT ROAR (again, LOUD) right afterwards.
10) Publicly state we want to have the most exciting gameday atmosphere in college sports and then back it up by forming a committee “of fans” that will present ideas on how to make it happen and then implement those ideas.
Those are just a few of my thoughts. Let’s hear yours.
Kentucky unveiled the new Nike Pro Combat uniforms they’ll sport for this season. While the changes weren’t radical, I like them. The strip on the helmet and adding a white helmet option give them some flexibility. The checkerboard pattern on the shoulders is a nice tribute to Secretariat and the horse industry. All in all, they did a nice job. I wouldn’t be shocked if a black “special edition” is introduced at some point.
Check out the photos from UK’s site: UK Athletics
Could this be a preview?
The twitter world revealed that UK plans to introduce their new uniforms for the upcoming season on Thursday. The picture above is a photo that’s been floating around the internet for several weeks as a possible rendition of what the new threads will look like. The new uniforms are supposed to be “Nike’s latest technology”. I’m not sure what that is, but I would assume it would be the Nike Pro Combat uniforms. So whether these are the new digs or not, let’s hear what you would like to see in the new uniforms.
DeMarcus Sweat, a 6’2″ WR out of Stone Mountain (Stephenson), Ga has committed to play football for the Cats. Sweat committed after a weekend trip to Lexington, making it official after returning home to discuss it with his parents. Sweat is the 7th player from Stephenson headed to D-1 in this class, the 5th headed to the SEC. Kentucky is looking at a few other players from the high school that puts out a lot of D-1 talent annually.
Welcome aboard DeMarcus. It’s great to have you as part of the Big Blue family.
The new "Lambeau Leap"
Congratulations to one of our favorite Wildcats of all time. Randall Cobb will be scoring touchdowns for the Green Bay Packers next season (barring lockout). Though Randall fell a little further in the draft than most of us would have preferred, he ended up in a good spot with a very good team. The defending SuperBowl champions selected Cobb with the last pick in the 2nd Round. So not only will Randall go in with a monster chip on his shoulder for being overlooked 63 times, but he’ll be catching passes from one of the best in the game at this time. As a Cowboys fan, I hate seeing Randall go to Green Bay. However, as a Randall Cobb fan, this is a great situation for him. Now having 2 former Wildcats on the Packers roster, makes it tough to not pull for them at least a little.
As of yet, Derrick Locke has not been selected. This draft has been weighted heavily on the defensive side of the ball, so it’s not a surprise that Derrick is still waiting. Maybe the Packers will become UK North and select Derrick in the 4th or 5th Round.
See ya at the stadium
This should get you in the mood.
Thanks to UK Athletics for the video. Here’s hoping that everyone will make time this Saturday to come by Commonwealth Stadium and check out the 2011 version of the Kentucky Wildcat football team. The Big Blue Tailgate Crew will be there bright and early and hopefully the rest of the Big Blue Army will show up as well. If you make it, please stop by and visit with us and introduce yourself. We’ll be set on the BCTCS side of the stadium next to the Nutter Fieldhouse. You won’t miss us. The grill will be going and the music will be blasting all day long. The coaches and team are not the only ones that will be having Spring Practice that day. If you expect to tailgate well in the Fall, then you need to practice in the Spring.
Time to be the man.
Kentucky started Spring football practice today after what has seemed like an extremely long off-season. Joker Phillips will have his work cut out for him this Spring. Now that Mike Hartline, Derrick Locke and Chris Matthews have graduated and Mr. Everything Randall Cobb will be doing his thing in the NFL, Joker and staff must totally re-tool the offense. Just like after the 2007 season, Kentucky lost almost all of the offensive production. Now it’s time to find out who will be the next stars in the Kentucky backfield.
There are plenty of candidates for the coaching staff to choose from, the question is, will any of them step up and be the man. The first option is obviously, Morgan Newton at QB. It’s hard to imagine the UK football team having a good season without Morgan Newton being a huge part of the equation. There’s also candidates at receiver. LaRod King, EJ Fields, Aaron Boyd, Brian Adams and Gene McCaskill. All of these guys have either the raw ability or some amount of previous success to be able to step up and become the go to guy. At running back there are options as well. Ray Sanders looked impressive backing up Derrick Locke. Brandon Gainer redshirted, but has a ton of talent and could make an immediate impact. Even CoShik Williams has looked good at times. All of the guys mentioned above better step up quickly. If they don’t, they may be passed by.
Joker and the crew signed a solid class in February and many of those guys have the talent to come in and play right away. So while all the fans are still lamenting the loss of Cobb and Co., Joker and the staff will be looking for the guys that want to be next.
Who do you think will be the standout players on offense ths season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
Go Big Blue!!!!!!!!!!
Cats get a tough draw. Play ‘em one game at a time and take this thing home. Who you got?
MVP - Darius Miller.......Sounds Good
Kentucky won its’ 27th SEC tournament championship today with a 70-54 victory over the Florida Gators. The Cats came together this weekend and showed America they’ll be a team to reckon with in the NCAA tournament. The men in BLUE overcame multiple injuries and a short bench to win 3 straight games. In the process, they avenged 2 previous road losses against Ole Miss and Alabama and won the rubber match with a hot Florida squad. UK looked very good in this tournament. If they can continue to play with same amount of effort, poise and focus, they’ll be a Final Four contender. I would not like to be a 1 or 2 seed with Kentucky in my bracket.
The Kentucky freshmen are really growing up, but what has made this team so much better over the last few weeks has been the play of the veterans. Josh Harrelson and DeAndre Liggins have stepped up their games and become major factors on the court. The biggest factor in this team becoming a legitimate Final Four contender though, is the play of Darius Miller. Ever since Miller made a public apology to the fans and his teammates via twitter after failing to play aggressively and take a late game shot, he has been a different player. No longer “Disappeariuos” Miller, Darius has become a team leader and has consistently made big plays down the stretch. If he continues to play the way he has the last few weeks, the SEC tournament may not be the last MVP award he wins. And if that happens, today may not be the last time this team cuts down some nets.
Now that the BIG BLUE ARMY has completed the invasion of Atlanta, it’s time to focus on the Big Dance. What city will be taken over next?
GO BIG BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!
Moving On Up
Congrats to our man Randall Cobb who proved to be faster that expected and probably improved his draft stock. D. Locke showed well also, posting the 6th fastest 40 time (4.40) at the combine. Our Cats are looking good and hopefully today helped make each of them some well deserved $$$. Locke would probably say that his time was actually disappointing, although still very fast. Randall performed well in all aspects and most people believe he solidified himself as a late first round or early second round guy. Either way, it’s nice to see our Cats do well and we wish them the best in the NFL.
It’s good enough for our practice field, but not in the stadium?
*Note: Most of this is a reprint from an article I wrote back in September. Since Coach Tee is asking for suggestions, I thought I would bring it back.
Let’s add some excitement.
Please respond to this post with your thoughts on what can be done to improve the atmosphere at Commonwealth Stadium on gameday. This is our chance to be the “Gameday Atmosphere Committee”. Please be specific with what you would like to see. Give examples of songs you would like played, etc. I’ll start with a few.
1) Paint the endzones blue (wanted this for years). We’ve got a practice field with blue endzones, why not the official field. If it’s a problem painting the real grass, use synthetic grass or field-turf in the endzones
2) Add more color to the inside and outside of the stadium. The industrial look must go. I think the banners on the outside in the corners are a good start, but much more color can be added. There should be no mistaking this is the “Home of the Wildcats”. Give it a nickname. The Lair, The Cathouse (ha,ha), The Scratching Post. Paint sayings on the walls. “the Cats are on the prowl”, etc. Paint paws and scratch marks on the concourses and walkways leading to the stadium (like at amusement parks) with sayings (warnings, ex: “wildcats on the loose” “visitors beware”).
3) Get a custom song that can jam over NEW loudspeakers. I love the sound and the feature line of Cat Scratch Fever. Buy the rights and have the words re-written so that it’s appropriate for the game. Heck, have Ted Nugent do it or use the Marcus McClinton “We Believe” and redo the intro with the current team. Or possibly use some of the songs by The Rally Squad (great tailgating cd), those are high energy “Kentucky Wildcat” songs.
4) Do “SOMETHING” when the team enters to field. The inflatable helmet, player introductions, Wildcat on a motorcycle, the Heartbeat, run out of a cage…something. If the “heartbeat is gonna be used, it should start out low and build as the team is ready to enter the tunnel(tunnel cam a necessity). By the time the team is ready to run out, it should be so loud it can be heard downtown. That’s how you’ll get the fans to participate. If you want the fans in their seats before the game, you need to start a tradition that continues to build over time and makes the fans want to be a part of it.
5) Get flashy with the uniforms. I know the traditionalists won’t like this, but the only tradition Kentucky has in football is a bad one. We need to become the “it place to be”. We are a Nike school and with the sales that a generated by our basketball program, we should have enough influence to convince Nike to make us their “flash” program of the East. Like em or not, Oregon gets a lot of good players because they are perceived as a fun place to be…cutting edge. We don’t have to go quite as far as Oregon, but have some fun with it. Let the players pick the combinations. You’d be amazed at some of the reasons an 18 year old kid will choose a school.
6) Send the band director to Georgia State or Grambling or just have him/her watch the movie Drumline. The high school bands here in Lexington have more creativity than our band. Don’t just change it a little, make a drastic change. Challenge them to be creative and high energy.
7) Play high energy music during timeouts. Especially during crucial times of the game and when the crowd is already energized.
Give public updates on the plan to expand the stadium. Provide a timeline for the improvements. Add pressboxes above the Alumni Drive side of the stadium and bowl in the endzones. The recruiting room could even be above the current luxury boxes on one end of the stadium. Allow people to get excited about it and have a deadline for completing the project. Note: this should be slated AHEAD of any new basketball facility. Football is the revenue sport and Rupp is already one of the most storied facilities in sports. The basketball program does not NEED a new facility right away. The football stadium upgrades are NEEDED.
9) Stop the “Firstdooooown Kentucky” stuff. Have a voiceover of Tom Leach screaming TOUCHDOWN KENTUCKY to be played LOUD when the Cats score followed by the WILDCAT ROAR (again, LOUD) right afterwards.
10) Publicly state we want to have the most exciting gameday atmosphere in college sports and then back it up by forming a committee “of fans” that will present ideas on how to make it happen and then implement those ideas.
Those are just a few of my thoughts. Let’s hear yours.
Moving On Up
Kentucky stars Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke have impressed in their pre-draft work. So much so, both are moving up the draft board.
Randall Cobb has impressed so many with his versatility that ESPN now lists Cobb as the #3 WR and 29th (right behind Cam Newton) overall player in the draft.
Locke impressed many scouts with his speed at the Senior Bowl.
It’s great to see former Cats do well. Here’s wishing Randall and Derrick the best of luck in the draft and in their future. They have been a pleasure to watch.
ESPN Draft board (link) Check it out.
Draft Buzz (article link) Nice read.
We’ll update the commitments as they roll in throughout the day.
9:10 am
Josh Clemons
Nile Daniel
Eric Dixon
Farrington Huguenin
Jabari Johnson
Ashley Lowery
Darrian Miller
Tim Patterson
Demarco Robinson
Maxwell Smith
**Lamar Dawson chose USC** That’s all I’m going to say about that.
10:10 am
Zach West
David Washington
10:30 am
Theltus “Bookie” Cobbins
Glenn Faulkner
10:45 am
Rashad Cunningham
10:59 am
Marcus Caffey
11:14 am
Christian Coleman
11:24 am
Shaquille Love
11:42 am
Darrell “DJ” Warren
11:54 am
Alvin Dupree
12:30 pm
Josh Forrest
12:45 pm
Demarius Rancifer
James Elliott
**Jon Davis to Illinois** Tough day for instate guys
2:18 pm
Daylen Hall
3:00 pm
Bubba Tandy
3:20 pm
Daryl Collins
#1 recruit
First, I would like to congratulate Joker Phillips and Mitch Barnhart for securing what may be the most important recruit of the season. With season one of Operation Win ending in a less than spectacular fashion, losing Tee Martin would have been a disaster from a public relations point of view. Though Tee could have been replaced from a coaching standpoint, he has quickly proven to be an SEC caliber recruiter. I’m glad to see UK step-up and do what was necessary to keep Tee on board. I think we’ll see the dividends from that decision begin to be paid with this recruiting class.
Due to the lackluster performance in the Tennessee game followed by a no show in Birmingham there’s been a bit of a negative vibe around the program the last several weeks. However, this is shaping up to be the best recruiting class Kentucky has had in a very long time, if not ever. While other classes may have had one or two marquee players, not many have had the quality of depth of this class.
Joker and Tee were on the road last week making a final push to close this class strong and secure the guys that have already committed. With the exception of Jon Davis, it appears they’ve done a pretty good job. I’m not hearing any rumors of a late flip or anyone making a strong push. I hear Mississippi State is still trying to get David Washington, but all indications are that he will sign with the Cats.
The obvious big fish is Lamar Dawson. Dawson has been very hush-hush throughout the entire process and not much has been leaked yet. He took his final recruiting visit to UT over the weekend and all indications from the UT camp are that the visit went very well. Landing Dawson is a huge priority for the UK staff and Chuck Smith in particular. With Chuck’s ties to the Boyle County program and Lamar playing the position that Chuck coaches it is critical for Dawson to sign with the Cats. If he spurns UK for UT, it will only pour salt in a wound that is gaping wide open from the last two misses against the Vols on the field. Losing Dawson would be a tough blow. Losing him to Tennessee would cause a huge backlash against Joker and the entire program from a large portion of the fan base. In the end, I believe Lamar will choose the Cats.
I don’t have as strong of an opinion about Davis. He has been committed to Kentucky for a long time and he has not officially decommited, so the Cats are the team to beat. However, this recruitment has taken a bit of a strange turn in the last couple of weeks leaving many believing that Davis is second guessing his decision. He has been under extreme pressure from the UL community in Louisville to not go to UK. I would not be surprised to see him change his commitment to UL or even Illinois. However, I’m still holding out hope that his bond with Joker is strong enough to keep him with Kentucky.
Aside from the two instate guys above, there are still a number of guys that Joker and the staff are working on. Daryl Collins, the WR from Alabama that’s currently committed to the Crimson Tide but being pushed to greyshirt is still considering the Cats. If Alabama doesn’t come through with a full offer for this coming season, UK has a shot at flipping him. They’ve also stayed in contact with Clint Tucker, the DT from East St Louis, IL that was originally a UK commit but switched to Illinois. UK would love to switch him back, but that would be a stretch at best. He’s likely to stay with the Illini.
If the trend from prior years holds, Joker and Co will have a surprise or two up their sleeve. I’ve heard rumors about another OL to replace Nick Martin , but I haven’t heard anything concrete. It’ll be interesting to see if the staff can pull in some top talent at the last minute.
National Signing Day is a great day. Schools all across the country get to be excited about the new guys coming in and dream of the success these guys will have. Some schools will celebrate some last minute good news while others will be heartbroken by a last minute change of heart. In the end, nobody really knows how good a class is or isn’t until 3 or 4 years later when those players are the core of the team. So no matter what happens for the Cats tomorrow, just remember that we won’t really know the outcome for a couple of years at best. Enjoy the ride.
On a side note, Dawson and Davis sure would make the wait a lot more pleasant. Go Cats!!!!
Doron Lamb leads Cats to win over Bulldogs
After a week off and plenty of time to think about their loss on the road to Georgia earlier this month, UK came out strong and looked like they would handle the Bulldogs with ease. Kentucky cruised to a 15 point halftime lead and held steady through much of the second half. Give Georgia credit though, they didn’t quit and got close enough to make it interesting at the end. The Cats just couldn’t slam the door shut. In the end, UK pulled out a 66-60 win to move to 4-2 in the conference and remain undefeated at home under John Calipari. Go Cats.
