A Proposing Running Back's Random Wednesday Thoughts

I am sorry, I am still not over the Boise State game on Monday night. I was looking back today at my non-UK favorite sporting moments, and I truly believe this was one of my top five (joining Sid Bream sliding home, Agassi-Sampras in the quarters at the US Open, Earnhardt winning Daytona and when the Bears did not come here to feathers ruffle). The game had everything and was most certainly the most exciting, exhilirating, goofy ending of all time. If you were watching it you know. Broncos' Coach Chris Peterson decided he would go schoolyard at the end, and call crazy plays, take crazy chances and realize that sports are fun.....and in doing so, he left a game that I liked so much I am going to buy it on ITunes.....and you should too. And when you throw in that the proposed to cheerleader is named Chrissy Popadics (yes really).....well it may just be too unbelievable an event to have really happened. Now onto more random thoughts..... (1) Kentucky is the best team in the country not ranked....period. There is simply no excuse for more people not giving Kentucky credit in the polls. Heck even old curmudgeon Jerry Tipton has the Cats 18th. This team, while not great, is playing very well and has beaten teams that are better than people realize (see Indiana giving Ohio State all they wanted on the road). UK is not ranked because the perception is (based on last year) that they arent any good. It will take some time (and a victory over a good team) to undo it, but it should be undone. (2) I kind of like the new Fox coverage of the BCS games. I was very skeptical prior to the start, as Fox does not show games during the season and the whole experiment smelled like a disaster to me. But Charles Davis is great at color commentary (already one of the best in the business), Thom Brennamen does a stellar job and they have even dug up old fossils like Barry Switzer for fun. Plus the sideline reporter during tonight's UL game was a dead on ringer for Ann Coulter, both in looks and ignorance. You go Fox! (3) There should be an Outside the Lines on when old athletes cry. Hosted by Dick Vermeil, it can chronicle all the times in history when we have had to watch our athletes on their final legs, cry like little boys during their farewell tour. The latest installment would of course be Brett Favre who looked old (gray beard for goodness sake) after beating my Bears on Sunday. I for one hope he comes back......nothing better than watching Favre win and lose football games....one of the few true "personalities" in football. (4) I am not saying it is certain, or even likely. But does anyone but me think that a case can at least be made for the argument that Kentucky finished the season playing better football than Louisville? (5) Go watch Stephon Pettigrew play for yourself this season. Prior to this year, I wasnt a believer that he was a UK-caliber player. I havent made up my mind yet, but he is slowly winning me over. Take an opportunity and go judge for yourself.....the debates on this kid will only heat up as the year goes on. (6) AJ Stewart is playing in Lexington this weekend. Go watch his team and show him some love. Judging Stewart on his team is tough as they are a great team and Stewart does not have to do a whole lot for success. But also watch and see Gabriel Charlie. The staff wont be at the game (road game at Ole Miss), but the Charlie performance is one to keep an eye on for the future..... (7) I have said it a lot and it bears repeating. Watch Friday Night Lights and start renting the HBO series "The Wire". Friday Night Lights is the best dramatic show on network television in my view and The Wire may be one of the best television shows of all time. Take a weekend, rent it and thank me later. (8) Louisville-Wake Forest has rivaled Utah-Pittsburgh as the worst BCS game of all time. Coming on the heels of the Boise State game, it had no chance, but I literally fell asleep multiple times tonight.....and I actually care about UL. All I know is that the other networks will be standing up and clapping when the final ratings are in..... (9) Folks, this UK football recruiting class is going to be a lot better than people think. This staff has already got commitments from a number of solid players and may be on the verge of stealing a great running back from West Virginia and the Maryland player of the Year from the Terps (or so the chatter from some Maryland people suggests). Regardless of these longer shots, the Cats are racking up SOLID players, something that simply is not the norm in Lexington. You never know about football recruiting until signing day, but a class that was thought to be a nothing year with little need, may end up being another step on the upward movement of the program. (10) Watch out for Houston. Athletic, good shooters......the recipe to beating a Tubby Smith team. I dont think they have enough talent or have gelled enough to pull it off.....but just watch out, that is all I am saying. (11) Finally, we mentioned this on the show, but it bears repeating here. The incident reported on the internet where Reggie Hanson was escorted off of a ComAir flight on December 27th was a true, albeit maybe somewhat misleading story. I spoke with the Media Relations person at ComAir who told me that Hanson left the flight after he either would not or could not turn his cell phone off. Exactly what happened to precipitate that decision to ask Hanson to leave is a bit unclear. However after leaving the flight, he talked with local authorities and was allowed to board a later flight. The Spokeswoman told me that "he is welcome on any ComAir flight in the future." So the reports that Hanson was asked to leave a flight after some incident involving his cell phone are true. But all of my investigations suggest that both sides describe it more as a misunderstanding than a lasting issue. Nevertheless with whispers of this incident still going, I did want to give the story as told to me by the airplane official to at least set the record straight. No Bowl Pick em for LSU-Notre Dame. We will pick up the last three games to finish the contest. Listen to EPISODE 19 live from the Music City Bowl. The sound is not great (we are still working on making it sound good when in a crowd).....but it was a fun time, and there is lots of informative stuff to nibble on.