This past Saturday night the University of Kentucky lost to West Virginia in the Elite Eight of the NCAA basketball tourney. After the loss, I was flooded with a wave of emotions (as well as a lot of text messages) ranging from frustration, anger, and sadness. However, I've since had some time to reflect on this past season and I've changed my feelings on how things went. But in order to explain why I feel this way, I need to step back and explain where UK was.
It was almost a year ago that UK had just finished what some may call as the worst season in recent history. Billy Gillispie had just been hired the year before and managed to lose to teams that no program like UK should ever lose to (Gardner Webb and VMI) and lose horribly bad to Indiana and UNC. However, it wasn't so much the losing that drove UK fans, boosters, and the administration bonkers, as much as it was what was going on in and around Gillispie. There were a few things that led Gillispie down a path that only led to him being fired.
As documented on another blog (KentuckySportsRadio)
They were:
1. Lack of relationships with boosters and staff - "Within his first two months, he refused various meetings with influential alumni, cancelled a 60 year tradition of the Kentucky coach speaking at the Lexington Rotary Club, refused mutiple requests to do “program building” appearances at various in-state events and generally balked at doing all things that were not basketball related".. Additionally, he pissed off many members of the booster club and event some of the athletics dept.
2. Derrick Jasper situation - Jasper was coming off microfracture surgery, the same surgery that Greg Oden had as well as many other basketball players have had. Usually, the down time for a player after this surgery is a year to a year and a half. Additionally the blog states that " Gillispie challenged the young man a great deal on his “toughness” and if he was going to keep “letting his injury be an excuse.” The treatment turned Jasper off and he made the decision to transfer….thus taking away Kentucky’s best point guard prospect and, potentially even more importantly, a teammate that was well-liked" (Keep in mind that Jasper came back from this surgery after only 5 months of time off)
3. Not being liked by the media - Billy G not only managed to piss off boosters and fans, but he also managed to piss off the media. This was building for a long time as there were many issues that went on behind closed doors but a lot of it came out in the open on national tv one night in Oxford.
4. Player Relationships - Many people have said that 7-8 players were going to transfer out because of how horrible Billy G treated the players. He made kids sit in stalls in the bathroom locker room during halftime. He told a player that he had to walk back to the hotel from the arena on an away game. He kicked a player off the team for smiling during a game. There have been many more reports of abuse by Billy G as well.
5. "I'm not an ambassador to Kentucky" - Most consider this to be the straw that broke the camels back. After meeting with the President of the University and the AD, he came out saying this. This is what most people believe ultimately did him in. Billy G never embraced being the coach at UK and any fan of any major college program will tell you that a coach is the face of the program. In Kentucky, he's the face of the state and is more popular than the Governor.
With all that being said, Billy G was fired after not making the NCAA tourney for the first time in 18 years.
Enter John Calipari. He was a perfect fit for this job. Without getting into all the stuff that went on with the hiring and the players that followed...I'll save that for another blog. What I'll say is that he really put some much needed life back into the program. Say what you want about Cal, but anyone that has been around him knows that he puts a lot into philanthropy and the community. Cal started the telethon "Hoops for Haiti" and helped raise over 1 million dollars for the Haiti relief fund. Additionally he really brought the players to closer to the community than ever before and they were embraced more than ever before. Sure, there were maturity problems with those young players along the way, but these guys really did care about the fans that supported them.
Case in point...a lot of people that I talked to think that Demarcus Cousins is going to be arrested in a few years because of attitude problems and that he's selfish. You tell me if this is the same guy that is labeled selfish?
That was DeMarcus Cousins, Mark Krebs, Josh Harrellson, and Darius Miller going to the student basketball courts this past Sunday night (The day after their season ended) and played pickup basketball with the students. Not only that, but if you look at the video, they've got one extra player on their team. It's a boy with down syndrome and they're teaching him how to play. If that doesn't give you a special feeling about these players, I don't know what will. Not your typical "One and Done" selfish player if you asked me. The bottom line is these players care about their university.
So with all that being said, I'm happy. Happy that UK is relevant again on the national landscape and happy knowing that I believe my Cats are in good hands. We've got a great coach and I believe we're going to win championships with him. People can say what they want about him and our players, but I wouldn't trade them for anyone.
Thanks Coach Cal. Thanks Patterson, Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe, Miller, and the rest of you guys. Thanks for giving me a lot of fun and memories this past season.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
What to do?
Most people that know me, know that there are a few teams I can't stand.
That being said, I’m a tough spot tonight. I'm a UK fan, so is it possible for me to cheer for the least likable team on the planet for this one night if it means some good profit for the SEC? I really want the SEC to do well to shut the people up that say the SEC sucks, so I am leaning towards Big Orange tonight. Not to mention I like the SEC beating up on the Big Ten.
Root for this?!?!?!
That being said, I’m a tough spot tonight. I'm a UK fan, so is it possible for me to cheer for the least likable team on the planet for this one night if it means some good profit for the SEC? I really want the SEC to do well to shut the people up that say the SEC sucks, so I am leaning towards Big Orange tonight. Not to mention I like the SEC beating up on the Big Ten.
Root for this?!?!?!
Monday, March 22, 2010
SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP
I'm a music lover. Anyone that knows me or has seen my music collection at home can tell you that. I love the heart and soul that goes into making music. I wish I was musically inclined, but I'm not. If anything, I would make a great game show contestant or if I was lucky, a producer. However, give me a song to sing or an instrument to play and it would be a nightmare.
That being said, I love attending concerts. I take pride in that I've been to about every concert that I've ever wanted to see. Pink Floyd, U2, Rolling Stones, Oasis, Dave Matthews Band (around 20 times), Coldplay, Keith Urban, Willie Nelson, Ryan Adams, and many more. This past Friday night, my buddy Jeff called me to let me know that he had an extra ticket for John Mayer and wanted to know if I wanted to attend. I said yes and we headed down town for some dinner before and then went to the show. Once we found our seats we sat back and enjoyed what turned out to be a good show and an interesting evening.
Michael Franti opened the show and having never heard him, I was quickly drawn to his sound. He has a unique sound of reggae, funk, and singer-songwriter that makes for a great live show. He really did a great job of engaging the crowd and on more than one occasion, made his way into the crowd. Here's a clip I took of his while he was near us...
We then had two girls come down and sit next to us that were about 24 or so and were completely wasted. One girl had someone spill a beer on her and the gentleman that I am, I went and got some napkins for her to clean herself off. Apparently that was an invitation to start up a conversation as the two girls began speaking to Jeff and I. The one sitting next to me was very nice and well spoken (about as well spoken as one can be when you're plastered). The one sitting next to her friend enjoyed talking about herself and her modeling career. The act got a little old as did the girl sitting next to me when she continually fell on me time after time of drunk dancing. About the time that Mayer came on, Jeff got a text from a mutual friend of ours who told us they were at the show, close to the stage, and there were some empty seats. So, not wanting to deal with drunk chicks anymore, we headed that way.
Once we made it over to the seats, we stood and watched the show for a bit. About 5 mins or so after getting there, I feel someone slap me on the back. To which I turn around and there is a lady (prob in her 40's or 50's) sitting down with a nasty look on her face. She tells me, "Sit down", to which I reply "No." This answer apparently didn't set well with her and she told me again to sit down and again I told her no. She then asked me if I had a ticket, to which I told her I did and she asked to see it. Naturally I told her no and she grew angry. She told me, "Listen, you don't want to mess with me", to which I replied, "What are you doing to do? You aren't the boss around her and I don't have to sit down, so mind your own business."
Now let me say this...
I do not like conflict unless I'm the one starting it. So I don't like the fact that we've had this argument and for the next few moments, start to feel kind of bad about it. But then I realize that EVERYONE else is standing and having a good time, so why should I let this lady ruin a night for me.
My buddy Jeff heard the whole thing, so we talked about it for a few minutes and then got back to watching the show. About 15-20 minutes later Jeff looked at me and said, "dude, she's getting security on you." Whaaa?!?! Seriously? Because I wouldn't sit down, she is going to get security? Ok. Two can play at this game. I quickly asked Jeff to get our friends ticket stubs and hold on to them for a bit and a little while later, I felt someone grab me by the arm and tell me to come with them. So I looked at him with an innocent look and said, "What is going on?" He looked right back and said to follow him. So we walked up the stairs to the lobby area where the lady was standing and had this devilish grin on her face as to say, "I got you!!"
When I get to the lobby there are about 8 security guards standing around piercing holes through me. The security guard asks me for my ticket and I point to Jeff and he hands them over. He looks through them and says out loud, "yeah, these are their seats." Now, I would have given anything in the world to have a camera take a picture of this lady's face when he said that. She knew for a fact we didn't have seats there, yet we produced tickets that proved we did. So she completely goes into crazy mode. She starts accusing me of calling her a bitch and tells me that I'm not going to talk like that to her around her daughter. To which I replied that I never said that and that she needs to have her ears checked. (this didn't go over well with her)
About this time the really large security guard tells both of us to be quiet. He looks at both of us and says, "Look, there are two things we need to address here. One. Lady, you can't tell him to sit down at a concert. Two. Sir, you can't call her a bitch."
Hmmm....
Here's the response I had ready for this in my head.
"Sir, I did not call this lady a bitch....not a big one, or a little one. Just because someone acts like a bitch doesn't mean she is a bitch. Therefore, I did not call her a bitch."
That was what I wanted to say...
This is what I did say.
"Sir, I didn't call her a bi...(security guard interrupts me) "Sir, YOU CANNOT CALL HER A BITCH."
"Ok." (My reply)
He continued that we had both paid good money for these tickets and we should enjoy the show. To which I told them both that I WAS enjoying the show until she ruined it and decided to be sassy and bossy. I gave her a wink and walked off.
So the moral of the story is...
Honestly, I don't know...just watch your mouth when you're talking to people because apparently they hear things that aren't really said.
That being said, I love attending concerts. I take pride in that I've been to about every concert that I've ever wanted to see. Pink Floyd, U2, Rolling Stones, Oasis, Dave Matthews Band (around 20 times), Coldplay, Keith Urban, Willie Nelson, Ryan Adams, and many more. This past Friday night, my buddy Jeff called me to let me know that he had an extra ticket for John Mayer and wanted to know if I wanted to attend. I said yes and we headed down town for some dinner before and then went to the show. Once we found our seats we sat back and enjoyed what turned out to be a good show and an interesting evening.
Michael Franti opened the show and having never heard him, I was quickly drawn to his sound. He has a unique sound of reggae, funk, and singer-songwriter that makes for a great live show. He really did a great job of engaging the crowd and on more than one occasion, made his way into the crowd. Here's a clip I took of his while he was near us...
We then had two girls come down and sit next to us that were about 24 or so and were completely wasted. One girl had someone spill a beer on her and the gentleman that I am, I went and got some napkins for her to clean herself off. Apparently that was an invitation to start up a conversation as the two girls began speaking to Jeff and I. The one sitting next to me was very nice and well spoken (about as well spoken as one can be when you're plastered). The one sitting next to her friend enjoyed talking about herself and her modeling career. The act got a little old as did the girl sitting next to me when she continually fell on me time after time of drunk dancing. About the time that Mayer came on, Jeff got a text from a mutual friend of ours who told us they were at the show, close to the stage, and there were some empty seats. So, not wanting to deal with drunk chicks anymore, we headed that way.
Once we made it over to the seats, we stood and watched the show for a bit. About 5 mins or so after getting there, I feel someone slap me on the back. To which I turn around and there is a lady (prob in her 40's or 50's) sitting down with a nasty look on her face. She tells me, "Sit down", to which I reply "No." This answer apparently didn't set well with her and she told me again to sit down and again I told her no. She then asked me if I had a ticket, to which I told her I did and she asked to see it. Naturally I told her no and she grew angry. She told me, "Listen, you don't want to mess with me", to which I replied, "What are you doing to do? You aren't the boss around her and I don't have to sit down, so mind your own business."
Now let me say this...
I do not like conflict unless I'm the one starting it. So I don't like the fact that we've had this argument and for the next few moments, start to feel kind of bad about it. But then I realize that EVERYONE else is standing and having a good time, so why should I let this lady ruin a night for me.
My buddy Jeff heard the whole thing, so we talked about it for a few minutes and then got back to watching the show. About 15-20 minutes later Jeff looked at me and said, "dude, she's getting security on you." Whaaa?!?! Seriously? Because I wouldn't sit down, she is going to get security? Ok. Two can play at this game. I quickly asked Jeff to get our friends ticket stubs and hold on to them for a bit and a little while later, I felt someone grab me by the arm and tell me to come with them. So I looked at him with an innocent look and said, "What is going on?" He looked right back and said to follow him. So we walked up the stairs to the lobby area where the lady was standing and had this devilish grin on her face as to say, "I got you!!"
When I get to the lobby there are about 8 security guards standing around piercing holes through me. The security guard asks me for my ticket and I point to Jeff and he hands them over. He looks through them and says out loud, "yeah, these are their seats." Now, I would have given anything in the world to have a camera take a picture of this lady's face when he said that. She knew for a fact we didn't have seats there, yet we produced tickets that proved we did. So she completely goes into crazy mode. She starts accusing me of calling her a bitch and tells me that I'm not going to talk like that to her around her daughter. To which I replied that I never said that and that she needs to have her ears checked. (this didn't go over well with her)
About this time the really large security guard tells both of us to be quiet. He looks at both of us and says, "Look, there are two things we need to address here. One. Lady, you can't tell him to sit down at a concert. Two. Sir, you can't call her a bitch."
Hmmm....
Here's the response I had ready for this in my head.
"Sir, I did not call this lady a bitch....not a big one, or a little one. Just because someone acts like a bitch doesn't mean she is a bitch. Therefore, I did not call her a bitch."
That was what I wanted to say...
This is what I did say.
"Sir, I didn't call her a bi...(security guard interrupts me) "Sir, YOU CANNOT CALL HER A BITCH."
"Ok." (My reply)
He continued that we had both paid good money for these tickets and we should enjoy the show. To which I told them both that I WAS enjoying the show until she ruined it and decided to be sassy and bossy. I gave her a wink and walked off.
So the moral of the story is...
Honestly, I don't know...just watch your mouth when you're talking to people because apparently they hear things that aren't really said.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Lord. You Talkin' To Me?
It's pretty safe to say that McGugan is not a real common last name. So you could imagine our surprise when our friend Karyn Bridges sent us this photo.
This is Desselign. He is one of the guards that works on the compound where we'll be staying.
Now, after seeing this, do you think God is telling us something? Kind of sounds like GO! Whenever someone asks me from now on how God speaks to you, I'll show them this.
In case you were wondering, Mrs. McGoo and I are going to Ethiopia in June on a mission trip. You can learn all about it on Mrs. McGoo's blog. (http://itsnotmydiary.blogspot.com/2010/03/raising-support.html)
Probably best to not back out of this trip eh?
This is Desselign. He is one of the guards that works on the compound where we'll be staying.
Now, after seeing this, do you think God is telling us something? Kind of sounds like GO! Whenever someone asks me from now on how God speaks to you, I'll show them this.
In case you were wondering, Mrs. McGoo and I are going to Ethiopia in June on a mission trip. You can learn all about it on Mrs. McGoo's blog. (http://itsnotmydiary.blogspot.com/2010/03/raising-support.html)
Probably best to not back out of this trip eh?
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Game, Set, BEATDOWN
In what was supposed to be a close game, the Kentucky Wildcats put the gas on the throttle and put an ole fashion 29 point butt whoopin' on the Tennessee Volunteers by a score of 74-45. UT tried every trick in the book...flagrant fouling DeMarcus "Boogie" Cousins, 2-3 zone defense, and even sending Steven "Daddy's Boy" Pearl out to start a fight...NONE OF IT WORKED!In what looked like a sea of blue in Nashville, the Wildcats sent the Vols and all 8 of their fans back home with their tail tucked between their legs. The freshman all put up great numbers, led by Boogie who finished with 19 pts and 15 rbs and punked out all a whole team snitches and bud smokers in orange.
Bruce Pearl can now go home and work on his tan. He wasn't looking as orange today as usual.
We played like I lookSEC Semifinals: UK vs UT
Today is the rubber match between my beloved Wildcats and the Vols from Tennessee.
Let me say this...I HATE UT. No seriously, I really cannot stand that university. I have a couple of very good friends that are UT fans and they can tell you as well...I can't stand UT. Louisville I really can't stand either, but I'm not around them nearly as much being that I live in Memphis. Not to mention UK and UT actually have a rivalry, which can't be said about 'little brother' (Louisville)
Here are a few reasons I hate UT:
(1) Pat Summitt — Let me start off by acknowledging that this dude can coach. He is a great recruiter and any man that wins that many national championships should have his jock enshrined. I wonder what his wife thinks about him hanging out with college girls all year. I don't know about you, but I think something might be going on between Pat and his players. You know sexually. That shouldn’t happen.
(2) Phil Fulmer — This man is the greatest parole officer any felon could have. He gets you out of trouble, lets you play football and then even if someone makes him kick you off the team because you raped, killed or pillaged. Phil is fat and not liked in Alabama because he is a snitch and we all know what happens to snitches. (don’t you guys listen to rap music?)
(3) Bruce Pearl — Yes he reminds me of Howard Dean. “We’re gonna go to Kentucky, Florida, Mississippi and then Alabama… AARGH!!!!” He is the slimy used car salesman wearing the ugly orange blazer and when he is not constantly annoying you about something, he is fake baking at the tanning salon. That dude’s skin would make some sweet orange leather boots. And no need for orange dye for those boots by the way.
(4) Neyland Stadium — That place is huge, Tiny E. It is also the worst place in the conference to watch a game. The atmosphere is great, there are a lot of people, but guess what? It's horrible actually watch a game there and at some point all those people have to go to the bathroom at some point. My friend went to the bathroom there and came out with three STD’s and he didn't even sit down. The smell permeates through all the tunnels and concourse. It looks like Alcatraz inside and should be shut down.
(5) God Awful Orange and Rocky Top — Rocky Top is not even a fight song, it has nothing to do with the University of Tennessee. If you hear it once during a game, you will hear it 10,000 times. It is the most annoying thing ever. Have you ever thought about the words to that song? Simply amazing. And now onto the worst color ever. Orange. We all know the old joke. “Why do Tennessee fans wear orange? So they can go hunting on Friday night, the game on Saturday and do their prison road-work detail on Sunday.” Yeah, well, bile vomit looks the same.
There you have it. Reasons in less than 5 minutes that I hate UT. I could think of more, but I really don't want to be in a bad mood when the game starts.
Go Cats!
Let me say this...I HATE UT. No seriously, I really cannot stand that university. I have a couple of very good friends that are UT fans and they can tell you as well...I can't stand UT. Louisville I really can't stand either, but I'm not around them nearly as much being that I live in Memphis. Not to mention UK and UT actually have a rivalry, which can't be said about 'little brother' (Louisville)
Here are a few reasons I hate UT:
(1) Pat Summitt — Let me start off by acknowledging that this dude can coach. He is a great recruiter and any man that wins that many national championships should have his jock enshrined. I wonder what his wife thinks about him hanging out with college girls all year. I don't know about you, but I think something might be going on between Pat and his players. You know sexually. That shouldn’t happen.
(2) Phil Fulmer — This man is the greatest parole officer any felon could have. He gets you out of trouble, lets you play football and then even if someone makes him kick you off the team because you raped, killed or pillaged. Phil is fat and not liked in Alabama because he is a snitch and we all know what happens to snitches. (don’t you guys listen to rap music?)
(3) Bruce Pearl — Yes he reminds me of Howard Dean. “We’re gonna go to Kentucky, Florida, Mississippi and then Alabama… AARGH!!!!” He is the slimy used car salesman wearing the ugly orange blazer and when he is not constantly annoying you about something, he is fake baking at the tanning salon. That dude’s skin would make some sweet orange leather boots. And no need for orange dye for those boots by the way.
(4) Neyland Stadium — That place is huge, Tiny E. It is also the worst place in the conference to watch a game. The atmosphere is great, there are a lot of people, but guess what? It's horrible actually watch a game there and at some point all those people have to go to the bathroom at some point. My friend went to the bathroom there and came out with three STD’s and he didn't even sit down. The smell permeates through all the tunnels and concourse. It looks like Alcatraz inside and should be shut down.
(5) God Awful Orange and Rocky Top — Rocky Top is not even a fight song, it has nothing to do with the University of Tennessee. If you hear it once during a game, you will hear it 10,000 times. It is the most annoying thing ever. Have you ever thought about the words to that song? Simply amazing. And now onto the worst color ever. Orange. We all know the old joke. “Why do Tennessee fans wear orange? So they can go hunting on Friday night, the game on Saturday and do their prison road-work detail on Sunday.” Yeah, well, bile vomit looks the same.
There you have it. Reasons in less than 5 minutes that I hate UT. I could think of more, but I really don't want to be in a bad mood when the game starts.
Go Cats!
Friday, March 12, 2010
What I Dream About
I woke up last night thinking that I had to blog about this....
I have never been one to dream a whole lot, but for some reason lately, I have been. Yeah, I know, you dream all the time and you just don't remember it...blah, blah, blah...I'm tellin' ya, I didn't dream ok?
Like I said, more recently in the last couple of months I've been dreaming a lot. Here's the top 5 list of what my dreams are about (subject matter)
1. Zombies
I'm a big fan of Zombie movies...always have been since I was a kid. I don't really know what it is about Zombie movies that I like because they usually deal with a lot of death, gore, and the end of the world. Sounds kind of cryptic really, but for some reason they have an appeal to me. Most recently the Mrs. and I went to the drive-in to see a Zombie remake called "The Crazies" which was decent. I'd give it one eyelid closed.
2. Spring Break
For some reason I keep thinking I'm on a beach laying in the sand and getting some sun. Maybe it's because I'm on my spring break from school....I digress. But I'm not really doing anything in the dream other than laying with the Mrs. on the beach.
3. Spring Break w/ Zombies
For whatever reason, Zombies have completely taken over the beach and I have to save the Mrs. from a big breasted bikini-Zombie that wants to eat her brains.
4. Kelsey's Wedding (Doing the Thriller Dance)
I don't care if we are taken over by Zombies in the near future, this one better be the dream! For some odd reason I'm supposed to do the 'Thriller Dance' at her wedding...apparently I was supposed to do it at Brent and Robin's and I didn't get the memo. Maybe if I was eaten by a Zombie it would come natural to me...
5. (edited by Mr. McGoo)
Can't discuss this one in an open forum. Love you Mrs. McGoo
So there you have it...I'm tormented by Zombies. Maybe sooner, rather than later I'll be tormented by the John Wall Dance, BBQ, or the Democrats...or maybe the Zombies will eat the Democrats and they'll come after me...who knows...
I have never been one to dream a whole lot, but for some reason lately, I have been. Yeah, I know, you dream all the time and you just don't remember it...blah, blah, blah...I'm tellin' ya, I didn't dream ok?
Like I said, more recently in the last couple of months I've been dreaming a lot. Here's the top 5 list of what my dreams are about (subject matter)
1. Zombies
I'm a big fan of Zombie movies...always have been since I was a kid. I don't really know what it is about Zombie movies that I like because they usually deal with a lot of death, gore, and the end of the world. Sounds kind of cryptic really, but for some reason they have an appeal to me. Most recently the Mrs. and I went to the drive-in to see a Zombie remake called "The Crazies" which was decent. I'd give it one eyelid closed.
2. Spring Break
For some reason I keep thinking I'm on a beach laying in the sand and getting some sun. Maybe it's because I'm on my spring break from school....I digress. But I'm not really doing anything in the dream other than laying with the Mrs. on the beach.
3. Spring Break w/ Zombies
For whatever reason, Zombies have completely taken over the beach and I have to save the Mrs. from a big breasted bikini-Zombie that wants to eat her brains.
4. Kelsey's Wedding (Doing the Thriller Dance)
I don't care if we are taken over by Zombies in the near future, this one better be the dream! For some odd reason I'm supposed to do the 'Thriller Dance' at her wedding...apparently I was supposed to do it at Brent and Robin's and I didn't get the memo. Maybe if I was eaten by a Zombie it would come natural to me...
5. (edited by Mr. McGoo)
Can't discuss this one in an open forum. Love you Mrs. McGoo
So there you have it...I'm tormented by Zombies. Maybe sooner, rather than later I'll be tormented by the John Wall Dance, BBQ, or the Democrats...or maybe the Zombies will eat the Democrats and they'll come after me...who knows...
The Best Month of the Year
It's the most wonderful time of the year...
There will be much whistle blowing,
and elbows a-throwing,
cause March Madness is heeeeeerrrrreeee...
IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEEEEEEAAAARRRR!!!
That's right folks, it's March Madness! I can't think of a better thing to celebrate the month of March with (sans my anniversary to my beautiful bride - St. Patty's Day) than watching the NCAA basketball tourney.
As a UK fan, the past 5 years or so have been like watching the world pass you by. Not since Patrick Sparks 3 pointer against Michigan State have I been this excited about March Madness.
Let me explain....real short, short, brief history....
Tubby got lazy and stopped recruiting blue chip players and brought in talent that made Auburn look good and UK got progressively worse and worse. I got married, Tubby left for Minnesota, and UK hired Billy Gillispie. He was a hot name at the time and the Big Blue Nation was looking for someone to interject life into the program. After two years under BG's rein, he turned out to be more of a Bobby Knight disciple than Bill Self and was asked to leave. (His treatment of players and drinking issues led to his demise)
In one painful weekend (for me as a UK and Memphis fan), John Calipari leaves Memphis to come to UK and Lexington celebrates as Memphis has a coronary.
So, here we are...
UK begins their quest for a 8 national championship today as they play Alabama in the second round of the SEC tourney. As I said before, I'm really excited about this years tourney because UK actually has a chance. Unlike the past couple of Tubby and Billy G years.
UK has one of those teams that is good enough to win it, but young enough to lose in the second round. Yes, I realize we only lost two games this year, but we never really closed out anyone really well and never played up to our potential.
Here's hoping that we'll be John Wall Dancin' all the way to the finals!
Up first is Bama.
GTHB
There will be much whistle blowing,
and elbows a-throwing,
cause March Madness is heeeeeerrrrreeee...
IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEEEEEEAAAARRRR!!!
That's right folks, it's March Madness! I can't think of a better thing to celebrate the month of March with (sans my anniversary to my beautiful bride - St. Patty's Day) than watching the NCAA basketball tourney.
As a UK fan, the past 5 years or so have been like watching the world pass you by. Not since Patrick Sparks 3 pointer against Michigan State have I been this excited about March Madness.
Let me explain....real short, short, brief history....
Tubby got lazy and stopped recruiting blue chip players and brought in talent that made Auburn look good and UK got progressively worse and worse. I got married, Tubby left for Minnesota, and UK hired Billy Gillispie. He was a hot name at the time and the Big Blue Nation was looking for someone to interject life into the program. After two years under BG's rein, he turned out to be more of a Bobby Knight disciple than Bill Self and was asked to leave. (His treatment of players and drinking issues led to his demise)
In one painful weekend (for me as a UK and Memphis fan), John Calipari leaves Memphis to come to UK and Lexington celebrates as Memphis has a coronary.
So, here we are...
UK begins their quest for a 8 national championship today as they play Alabama in the second round of the SEC tourney. As I said before, I'm really excited about this years tourney because UK actually has a chance. Unlike the past couple of Tubby and Billy G years.
UK has one of those teams that is good enough to win it, but young enough to lose in the second round. Yes, I realize we only lost two games this year, but we never really closed out anyone really well and never played up to our potential.
Here's hoping that we'll be John Wall Dancin' all the way to the finals!
Up first is Bama.
GTHB
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Spring Break?!?!
So I'm a little behind on my blogging. For that, I apologize and will try to do better.
This week has been a sorta, spring break for me. I am currently on spring break, but I've done nothing that would suggest I've been on a break.
From the beginning of last week, we've been working on our guest room and trying to get it back to being a guest room and not a construction zone (which has basically been our whole house). For anyone that has seen our house, our guest room has had two doors in it. One when you walk right in the house and one that is on the other side of the room, near the bathroom. The door next to the entrance of the house couldn't close, so a while back I bought a lock to attach to it so that the door would stay closed. This solved very little as anytime doors were opened in our house and air was being pushed through, the door would open and close a bit.
So we decided to get rid of the door and put a wall up. Once we did that, the Mrs. decided it was a great time to paint, since she hated the color of the room. Combine that with the fact that we had my father coming in to stay with us, and it made for a busy couple of days. We finished painting on Monday night, just in time for my dad to stay with us beginning on Tuesday. Craziness
Monday, we started working on a few other projects:
1. Tear down half the wall leading to our kitchen and create a bar area.
2. Tear out a part of our cabinets and put in a dishwasher
3. Pull our our ceramic gas heater fireplace and replace it with gas logs
We accomplished all, but it has been a busy and dusty couple of days at the McGoo house. The dogs have definitely been bothered by it all, as have been my sinuses. However, the 'near' finished product is amazing. Hopefully I'll get some pictures up sooner rather than later.
I'm going to work on some other blogs...so I can say that I posted more than one in a small amount of time. Figured that would be cooler than posting a really long one about a whole bunch of stuff.
By the way, I want to say thanks to Dennis Hannah. Dennis and his crew did fantastic work on all our projects and if anyone needs some "handyman" work done around their house, give him a call. He's very good at a very reasonable price. 901-647-6150. If you call him, tell him Kelly referred you and he'll take great care of ya.
This week has been a sorta, spring break for me. I am currently on spring break, but I've done nothing that would suggest I've been on a break.
From the beginning of last week, we've been working on our guest room and trying to get it back to being a guest room and not a construction zone (which has basically been our whole house). For anyone that has seen our house, our guest room has had two doors in it. One when you walk right in the house and one that is on the other side of the room, near the bathroom. The door next to the entrance of the house couldn't close, so a while back I bought a lock to attach to it so that the door would stay closed. This solved very little as anytime doors were opened in our house and air was being pushed through, the door would open and close a bit.
So we decided to get rid of the door and put a wall up. Once we did that, the Mrs. decided it was a great time to paint, since she hated the color of the room. Combine that with the fact that we had my father coming in to stay with us, and it made for a busy couple of days. We finished painting on Monday night, just in time for my dad to stay with us beginning on Tuesday. Craziness
Monday, we started working on a few other projects:
1. Tear down half the wall leading to our kitchen and create a bar area.
2. Tear out a part of our cabinets and put in a dishwasher
3. Pull our our ceramic gas heater fireplace and replace it with gas logs
We accomplished all, but it has been a busy and dusty couple of days at the McGoo house. The dogs have definitely been bothered by it all, as have been my sinuses. However, the 'near' finished product is amazing. Hopefully I'll get some pictures up sooner rather than later.
I'm going to work on some other blogs...so I can say that I posted more than one in a small amount of time. Figured that would be cooler than posting a really long one about a whole bunch of stuff.
By the way, I want to say thanks to Dennis Hannah. Dennis and his crew did fantastic work on all our projects and if anyone needs some "handyman" work done around their house, give him a call. He's very good at a very reasonable price. 901-647-6150. If you call him, tell him Kelly referred you and he'll take great care of ya.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Attention Gaga
So there is this attention hound that is apparently pretty popular in the music circles these days and her name is Lady Gaga. I've heard some of her music and I actually think that she's not a bad singer, but what I can't seem to get over is her attire. Every time I see a picture of her somewhere, it screams "look at me, look at me, I'm an attention whore and I have very low self-esteem."
Need further proof? Here you go....
Waiter:"What would you like this evening"
GaGa:"How about the lobster?"
Waiter: "Ah excellent choice. Is that what you were planning to have when you came in?"
GaGa: "Nah that was just off the top of my head. Why do you ask?"
Waiter: "I could just see it in your face that you were a lobster person"
I don't really know why I wrote this, I just couldn't get over her outfits
Need further proof? Here you go....
Waiter:"What would you like this evening"
GaGa:"How about the lobster?"
Waiter: "Ah excellent choice. Is that what you were planning to have when you came in?"
GaGa: "Nah that was just off the top of my head. Why do you ask?"
Waiter: "I could just see it in your face that you were a lobster person"
------------------------->
I don't really know why I wrote this, I just couldn't get over her outfits
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
A preview of the week to come
I'm back. Fresh off a gold medal win at the Olympics, I'm back in Memphis and ready to take on the world. They take really good care of you while you're in the Olympic Village and it's good to see the US use their tax dollars for good things like massaging my legs before a race.....
So now that I'm back, I'm ready for a few big events this coming week.
1.LOST
It's safe to say that I'm ready for them to start answering some questions and from the sounds of it, this week is going to do just that. It appears that Jacob got Hugo and Jack away from the Temple because he knew something bad was coming that way. Lost is starting to take on forms of the book "The Stand" which was written by Steven King. I read that book a long time ago, but am seeing similarities to the current TV show. If you have read it, you know what I mean in saying this. The Stand was a great book that was about the end of the world and pitting good vs evil and how many 'soldiers' each faction could gather. This seems to be where Lost is going with the Jacob vs Locke angle. Should be interesting....
2. American Idol
If you read any of my posts from last week, I was not happy with the talent that was kicked off last week and with the overall talent that was on display. I've softened a little bit because I know that the people that were kicked off last week weren't good enough to win it or make it to the final 12, so I guess it doesn't matter what order the lesser talented people get kicked off. I'm really looking forward to seeing certain contestants this week and what they sing. Siobahn Magnus is one in particular that I think could really take off. Time will tell.
3.Kentucky Basketball
Fresh off the second loss of the season (and to a team I truly hate), the Cats look to rebound and close out the regular season with two wins at Georgia and home for senior day against Florida. It will be interesting to see how they respond to the loss as I am curious to see what the new addition of Lebron James to the squad will do to help them win the championship.
In all seriousness, Saturday is Senior Day at Rupp and one of the more special ones in some time. Even though Patrick Patterson is only a junior by class he is going to be honored as a senior and I can't think of a person that is more deserving of the honor. He will graduate in three years and has done all the right things during his time as a wildcat. I'll have more on him later in the week.
Until then...
So now that I'm back, I'm ready for a few big events this coming week.
1.LOST
It's safe to say that I'm ready for them to start answering some questions and from the sounds of it, this week is going to do just that. It appears that Jacob got Hugo and Jack away from the Temple because he knew something bad was coming that way. Lost is starting to take on forms of the book "The Stand" which was written by Steven King. I read that book a long time ago, but am seeing similarities to the current TV show. If you have read it, you know what I mean in saying this. The Stand was a great book that was about the end of the world and pitting good vs evil and how many 'soldiers' each faction could gather. This seems to be where Lost is going with the Jacob vs Locke angle. Should be interesting....
2. American Idol
If you read any of my posts from last week, I was not happy with the talent that was kicked off last week and with the overall talent that was on display. I've softened a little bit because I know that the people that were kicked off last week weren't good enough to win it or make it to the final 12, so I guess it doesn't matter what order the lesser talented people get kicked off. I'm really looking forward to seeing certain contestants this week and what they sing. Siobahn Magnus is one in particular that I think could really take off. Time will tell.
3.Kentucky Basketball
Fresh off the second loss of the season (and to a team I truly hate), the Cats look to rebound and close out the regular season with two wins at Georgia and home for senior day against Florida. It will be interesting to see how they respond to the loss as I am curious to see what the new addition of Lebron James to the squad will do to help them win the championship.
In all seriousness, Saturday is Senior Day at Rupp and one of the more special ones in some time. Even though Patrick Patterson is only a junior by class he is going to be honored as a senior and I can't think of a person that is more deserving of the honor. He will graduate in three years and has done all the right things during his time as a wildcat. I'll have more on him later in the week.
Until then...
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