TRUE BLUE RANTS & RAVES

• Bud R says:
  You touched on one very important item that has not recieved the attention it deserves...........Mitch Barnhart!!!! When we talk about coaches not being the "right fit" for Kentucky, the same should apply to the athletic director.
  
• Bud R says:
  After last nights Miami game, all I see and hear is how "John Wall saved the game and his legacy has begun". Let's get one thing clear right off the bat, "I am glad he is a Wildcat and his contributions are going to be great". However, unless I have been watching different games then everyone else out there, I don't know where all this hype is coming from. It is clear that he is a freshman and has a LONG WAY TO GO before he stands out as a superstar. In my opinion, he is a good player, but I have yet to see any of the GREAT plays that have been shown from his HIGH SCHOOL games........"HIGH SCHOOL" is the key word here. This is a much higher level of play and he will not have his way on the court as he has had in the past. It is critical that coach Cal gets him more involved as a TEAM player.
  
  The true dominant player on the court continues to be big Pat P. and he will carry the team a long way this year. But if we want to avoid another season like last year, there needs to be several other players to help out. At this early part of the season, I see a couple more players that will be dominant, and even though it is early, Wall is not one of these players. The whole country is talking about him being the #1 draft pick, but I just don't see it. I look for Patrick to be the #1 guy.........at least the #1 guy from Kentucky. If we all ignor what we have heard and go by only what we have seen so far, I would wonder if John Wall could even be drafted in the first round. Just like Paterson did, spending more than one year at the college level will only make him better and improve his stock for the NBA. He has a long way to go!!!!!
  GO BIG BLUE.
  
• TrueUKFan says:
  I cannot stand coach Brooks at all. Although my dislike of him is for several reasons, I'm only referring to what I just heard him say on the news. And this is not the first time he has said something just like this. He was talking about how good it was to win the sixth game but that the team ought to want more. I certainly am with him on this. He said that it was there for the team to take and if they didn't take it, well, they had no one to blame but themselves. You mean to tell me that none of the blame would go to any one on the coaching staff? You mean none of the blame wouldn't go to the OC who has been hurting Kentucky all year by not knowing how to use the best athlete on the field, Randall Cobb? Just witness the South Carolina and the Miss. St. games. Not only were these 2 games which the Cats could have won, they were games which they should have won. Blame? Coaches, especially an OC named Joker, who by the way, is the-coach-in-waiting. This means that all of the terrible things we have seen on the offensive (and believe me, it has really been offensive) side of the ball , we will continue to see for another 6-7 years. It's obvious that Mitch the AD doesn't have the same love and respect for our football team as he does for our basketball team. How else do you explain the huge gap between Coach Cal and Coach Brooks? And it only took Mitch 2 years to realize that the basketball program needed another coach, yet we have suffered through 7 years of Brooks & Company. And please, don't come back with the fact that Brooks has taken UK to 3 straight bowl games. The first bowl, ok. I'll give him that. But to praise him for going to 3 straight Mickey mouse bowl games, with one of them being the same bowl, is a little too much. I honestly believe that Brooks and Mitch have lull some of the fan base into believing that winning 6 games, becoming "bowl eligible", and going to however many bowls that this coaching staff can take us to in a row, is something to be proud of. I'm sick of doing this year after year. If anyone believes that this is growth, then I question your knowledge of football. I realize that you could care less what I think about what you think but I think it anyway. Well heck, I've got to stop this right now as I've written more than I meant to write. I really only wanted to touch on Brooks' "blame" game  but got carried away. I'll end with this thought . . . if UK finishes with a 6-6 record, whether they get an invitation or not, they are not worthy to go to a bowl. Plain and simple. Not worthy.
  
• Darrell says:
  It didn't take long for me to have my ears.... and my belly full of Dave Baker and Kyle Macy's blabber on the TV coverage of the Miami game.  Baker talks for the sheer pleasure of hearing himself, and Macy continually coaches from the color mic, even though he clearly isn't a coach.  If he could coach, he'd still be doing it.  The only thing he should coach is free throws, if anyone would listen.  I'd personally rather see the producers save their salaries and just pay Rob Bromley twice as much and let him sing both parts.
  
• Tony Pulliam says:
  We need to have our coaches learn to play offense & defense. Not calling the same plays. No rushing on defense? Lets stay with one QB so he can learn, we need him next year. Joker needs to take care of the offense and put some long passes in, this makes the defense honor a long pass. Who fires up the team on the sideline???? All i see on TV , Coaches just standing on the sideline????
  
• ernest says:
  i am pretty sure we will get a bowl gdme with 6 wins, however if we beat georgia or tn. will we get a better bowl?
  
• kdad205 says:
  Joker IS a joke.   First off, in the S.Carolina game Cobb takes us all the way down and gets in for a TD, 2 point conversion ties it, but nooooo, Joker thinks we'll fool em and not let Cobb touch the football on the conversion try.   THEN, with a chance to beat Miss St.  Joker again thinks we'll fool em bad and not let Cobb touch the football the entire 4th quarter.  Right now, at half time of the Vandy game, Cobb has touched the football 6 times.   AND, our great defensive coach, Steve Brown NEVER puts any pressure on the QB other than what the 5 down linesmen can do on their own, but yet we can't cover ANY passes.  Come on here, do SOMETHING, don't give the QB so much time to find a receiver, OR at least cover his receivers.
  
• TrueUKFan says:
  UK's coach-in-waiting. Who was responsible for this? Brooks? AD Mitch Barnhart? UK's President? I assume Brooks came up with it, took it to the AD and they then took it to UK's President for approval. Why was this done? Do they really believe that Joker is such a great OC that someone else was going to woo him away from UK? Yeah, right. I remember Joker when he played and I loved him. But being a really good player does not mean that this translates into being a good coach. In fact, I believe that we have seen just the opposite.
  
  How many fans truly believe that our AD is doing everything he can to get the best football coach he can get at UK? If you do then think about this. . .Billy G. was fired after only two years as UK's BB coach. I know it's said he was fired for not being a "people person" coach. Yeah, ok. Don't get me wrong. I am so glad that he was let go and even more glad that we got Coach Cal. But here's my point. . .the BB coach was let go after only 2 years, yet we've have this football head coach, who by the way, was in retirement for 6-7 years when the AD hired his "friend" to be UK's head football coach. I believe I'd come out of retirement too for about $7-800,000 a year! So the BB coach was fired in 2 seasons, yet this football coach, who, by the way, holds a 32-41 (.44% win/loss) record in six seasons at Kentucky, and a 123-150-4 (45% win/loss) overall record in 24 seasons as a college football head coach, is so great that our AD still wants him to lead our football program. His record at UK and his overall record are both losing records. When Brooks came to Kentucky, the Wildcats were hurting with a 9-14 record. Brooks led the team to slowly win more games with a record of 17-30. So our coach wins 8 more games while losing 16 which is a whopping .36% win/loss. So, for whatever reason, our AD, not to mention some not so enlightened fans, believe that we now have turned the corner and are ready to compete for the SEC title. Wow! In fact, Mitch the AD believed in Brooks so much that Brooks received a raise in pay to $1.6 million per year! Let me get this straight. You have a losing record, finish next to last in your division, get beat horribly by Florida each year, lose at least a game or 2 a year which we certainly should win, yet get a raise to $1.6 million a year! I believe I'd come out of retirement too for this kind money. Oh yes, I forgot about those 3 bowls we went to and won. I guess they're worth this kind of money.    
  
  Now please, spare me the we-are-doing-it-the-right-way speech, as if anyone who has a great year after great year is not doing it the right way. When our BB fortunes change under Coach Cal, what are you going to think? Is he going to have to do poorly to get the same doing-it-the-right-way speech? I certainly hope not.  And then we always have the we've-won-3-straight-bowl-games fans. Well, if there were not just about as many bowl games as there are teams going to those bowls, not only would UK not be thinking about winning those bowl games, UK would not even have gone to those bowl games! And then there are those who believe that anyone who talks about UK's coach must not truly be a UK fan. Surely a UK fan would have only great and glowing things to say about their football coach. And I know that under Brooks we have gotten more talented players to come to UK. But what good does it do UK to get better players (like the man Cobb) if the OC does not know how to use the better players they get. If Cobb had be used correctly in the South Carolina and the Miss State games, UK could certainly have won them both. But don't let anyone at UK kid you. Even with this upgrade, UK (thank God for Vandy!) is always, year after year, at the bottom of the SEC. We are always picked to finish last or next to last. And we always do. By the way, this is the end of the 3 straight bowl games for Brooks. And this is a shame as I love this team, lead by one of the best overall athlete to have ever played at UK. . .Randall Cobb. What a player! Too bad our OC/coach-in-waiting doesn't know how to use him. Let's see, who do we have left to play?  Vandy, Georgia, and UT. Well, Vandy is not the win that UK can count toward the 6 wins to become "bowl eligible" as some of the fans like to do year after year. Georgia. Come on, it's Georgia. Between the hedges. On one of the ESPN channels. And then there's UT. Nuff said.
  
  Year after year, it's always, and I do mean always, the same. We have those who, just as soon as the season starts, look at the schedule to see when we will become "bowl eligible". Bowl eligible. What does this mean for UK? Well, for the fans, it means picking out the 6 easiest teams on the schedule and seeing what the chances are of beating them. This certainly is not the way to get better. The fans will become satisfied with becoming "bowl eligible", become satisfied with going to a minor bowl (they may as well change the name of the Music City Bowl to the "UK Bowl in Music City"), and becoming satisfied with a 7-6 record. And I truly believe that even the players are somewhat affected by this mind set.    
  
  If we continue along down this road with Brooks and then with the "coach-in-waiting" after Brooks decides to retire again, we are in danger of never having the kind of football program which the fans of Kentucky want and deserve. It's a misnomer that Kentucky is only a basketball state and don't care about football. Of all the college football teams who are traditionally bad year after year, UK has the best following of fans. The fan following is the reason why UK is picked to go to the bowls they end up going to. A university can have both  good basketball and football teams. Look at Florida. And while not a Florida, there are other universities who do good in both.          
  
  Did you know that Cincinnati, although #4 or 5 in the country, plays in a stadium which seats a little over 36,000 people. Now I ask you, with the facilities that UK has to offer, don't you think that we could get a coaching staff who could give the fans of UK a winning program year after year. And to those who believe that UK could never become a team which could beat Florida or Alabama or Tennessee on a yearly basis, just look at what happened at Northwestern a few years back. Went from the bottom of the Big Ten to winning the Rose Bowl. And it certainly didn't take the years which Brooks has already been at UK and the years that it will take the "coach-in-waiting" should that thing be allowed to stand.  
  
  I believe that this will be UofL's Coach Kragthorpe's last year. Why? Because UofL's AD will listen to their fans. They all want to return to the days of Coach Petrino. Remember those days UK fans? Not pretty is it? And they will do this. They will once again become the #1 football school in Kentucky, beating us year after year after year, being mentioned as a BCS team. And what will UK's AD do while this is going on at UofL, not to mention other places? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! I don't know about you but I'm sick of the way it has been, the way it is, and the way it will continue to be if the coach-in-waiting actually becomes head coach. And it's up to us, the fans, to let Mitch know that something has to be done. Not only is a change in the coaching staff at UK wanted and needed, but it is deserved! And Mitch, if the football problems continue, this will prove beyond the shadow of a doubt, that you know absolutely nothing about football. Nothing!
  
  In closing. . .Mitch, please come to the realization that UK fans want as good of a football program as we have of a basketball program. UK has great football fans who are dying to have a football program whereby we don't just look to get "bowl eligible" or have any more games whereby we are on the losing end of a 63-3 score.  And last, but not least Mitch. . .Boise State's Coach Chris Petersen, a Coach-Urban-Meyer-in-waiting. Now this is a "in-waiting" coach who would be worth having. Think about it Mitch. Really, really think about it. I guarantee you other AD's are.
  
• Martyman says:
  I want to rant & rave a little bit.  First I will Rave a little.  When I first learned that John Wall was heading to UK after his alledged break-in of an empty house in North Carolina, I couldn't help but think that this young man might be trouble.  Then this AAU Coach fiasco and the NCAA investigation of it.  I couldn't help but think of my first impression.  But, after watching him on court and listening to how he handles himself in the media on and off the court.  I applaud John Wall and I hope he has a great year here at UK.  
  The second Rave is giant Kudoes out to Will Fidler.  Not only did Coach Brooks smack him down, but he is doing it again by moving and injured Hartline up the roster to the number 2 spot and dropping Fidler down to number 3.  What does will do....Take it like a Man!  This leads into my FIrst Rant....
  My First Rant goes out to the UK Football Coaches.  Coach Brooks should be chastised for treating Will Fidler like some crummy left-overs that nobody wants to fool with any longer.  Joker Phillips needs to open up the passing attack.  The key word here is attack!  We cannot come back when we're behind by chipping away at that mountain with a toothpick.  True we do not have Andre' Woodsen and that cast of receivers.  But, we have to use what we do have better.  Morgan Newton has a rifle for an arm and he has to be given the right plays to keep UK's attack, attacking.  Not chipping!!!!
  My Second Rant is for Deandre' Liggins:  What ever you did to get into Coach Cal's dog house, you don't seem to be coming out to play anytime soon.  So, either move your belongings into that doghouse and plan to settle in for a long winter on the pine, or learn not to make Coach Cal mad at you....DUH!
  
• todd hall says:
  play calling is too predictable from the staff offensive & defensive. Cobb is the best player on the field & does not touch the ball on 1st & goal from the 4 or on the last drive. We never work the middle of the field on O, same vanilla D without wrinkles. We are not good enough to think we can just lineup & blow people off the ball on both sides.