Arnold Palmer's Monday Morning Wakeup

From David Bowie to Prince to Pat Summitt and Muhammad Ali, 2016 has already been a rough year for celebrity deaths. Then came last night’s news that Arnold Palmer passed away at the age of 87. Palmer won 92 tournaments and seven majors during his career, but his legacy will be bringing golf to the masses. Palmer popularized the sport in the 1950’s and 60’s much in the way Tiger Woods did in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. People my generation or younger will always remember Palmer as the grandfatherly type who opened each Masters alongside Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, but in his prime, there was no one cooler than “The King.” He was the sport’s first superstar, moving golf from the country club to the mainstream, becoming a popular pitchman, spokesman, and ambassador. Palmer flew his own plane and had his own drink; simply put, he made golf cool.

I could never do Palmer justice, so, on a sad morning, I’ll let ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi do it:

Now, here’s what you can see on KSR today…

Mark Stoops will address the media at noon

After a rough week of rumors and criticism, Mark Stoops has to feel a little bit better about life today. Saturday’s win over South Carolina was the most critical of his career, and, even though Kentucky will likely get slaughtered at Alabama this weekend, there are reasons for optimism for the rest of the season. The defense turned in their best performance of the season, the running game looked excellent vs. a good South Carolina defense, and Stephen Johnson is managing in Drew Barker’s absence. Check the site at noon for a live stream of the press conference and a bit later for Nick’s recap.

Can’t wait that long? A new depth chart drops around 11 a.m. Maybe it will give us some clarity on injuries (Cole Mosier, Dorian Baker). Maybe not.

Alabama favored by 34.5

The line opened at 31 yesterday and has already moved to 34.5. After watching Nick Saban take no mercy on his alma mater Kent State in Saturday’s 48-0 win, honestly, that sounds about right.

If you missed it in the post directly below this one, Richmond native Damien Harris tweeted (then deleted) that this weekend’s game will be “personal”:

Why punch down, Damien?

It’s NBA Media Day

Players report to training camp today, which means we’ll see lots of pictures and quotes of our former Cats in their new homes. John Calipari being John Calipari, he couldn’t help but get a humble brag in last night:

Good luck to all the NBA players, esp. our 30 guys reporting to NBA training camp Monday. It’s an exciting time of year for all. Go for it.

— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) September 26, 2016

I can’t wait until Coach K joins Twitter to tweet something similar later today.

Jacob Tamme and the Falcons take on the Saints

Not interested in tonight’s presidential debate? Flip over to ESPN to watch Jacob Tamme and the Atlanta Falcons take on the New Orleans Saints at 8:30 p.m. Tamme’s making Boyle County proud so far this season, with 11 catches for 126 yards and one touchdown. Something tells me Monday Night Football will be way more civilized than what goes down between Trump and Hilary tonight.

Happy trails to Charles Osgood

Unlike many CBS “Sunday Morning” fans, I did not grow up watching the program (we were an NBC news household); however, at some point in my adulthood, watching it became a thing. Maybe it’s because the show’s 90 minutes of soft-spoken features were soothing for the occasional hangover or I enjoyed seeing what bowtie Charles Osgood would sport each week, but “Sunday Morning” is now as part of my Sunday routine as my extra big green coffee cup and setting my fantasy football lineup. So, it was with a sad heart that I tuned in yesterday morning to watch Osgood’s final show. After 22 years as host, Osgood is retiring, a well-deserved move for the 83-year-old Emmy and Peabody Award winner. As I learned during his farewell show, Osgood’s path into the sunset includes a gorgeous villa in the south of France, but I will be sad not to tune in to see him deliver the news of the week, more often than not in verse. Watching “Sunday Morning” is a healthy dose of perspective to help reset me for the week. Osgood, Jane Pauley, Mo Rocca, Lee Cowan, Nancy Giles, David Edelstein, and the CBS writing staff put together some of the most fascinating features in news today, a refreshing break from the hyperbolic 24/7 CNN/Fox News/MSNBC news cycle. Pauley was named the show’s new host, and although I can’t wait to see what spin she puts on it, Sunday mornings just won’t be the same without Charlie and his bowties.

If you missed Osgood’s farewell show, click here to watch it in its entirety. See you on the radio, Charlie.

“Hey Kentucky” premieres tonight

We’re all excited for Matt’s new venture, so if you’re in the Lexington area, tune in to LEX18 at 7:30 p.m. to see it for yourself. The show will also be available online after it’s over. Later on, I’ll share some of the test episodes Matt did last week to get you ready.

Radio in an hour…