KSR Mailbag: Vol. 1, No. 12

Welcome to the KSR Mailbag! The idea for this feature wasn’t born from the many, many mailbags associated with sports blogs and TV shows…oh, no, that’s way too cliche. The KSR Mailbag was born from the halftime break in KSR’s live blogs, during which I would take over for the guys while they went to use the bathroom or flirt with the lady in charge of the nacho cheese dispenser. During those halftimes, you and I talked about just about anything: life, love, the pursuit of happiness, Triscuits vs. Wheat Thins…you name it, we covered it. Heck, sometimes we even talked about sports.

So think of this as the “halftime” of your week. Starting on Thursday of each week, tweet your questions to me @MrsTylerKSR with the hashtag #ksrmailbag, and if they’re worthy, they’ll make the cut and will be posted on Wednesday’s KSR Mailbag, along with my response. Leggo!

“@mrstylerksr:You’re a woman. Who are these ladies dating UL fans w/ linebeards and flat-billed hats?

— Drew the Employee (@DrewTheEmployee) August 29, 2012

This is a question I ask myself everyday. It must be the same women who think Axe Body Spray smells good, Ed Hardy is high fashion, and a man shotgunning a beer in three seconds is sexy. Or maybe they just like the tickle of a finely trimmed strip of facial hair. Who knows, I’m just glad I’m not one of them.

@mrstylerksr I need some cool suggestions on what to wear and do for Louisville Hate Day. Can you help? #ksrmailbag

— Ginnie Pruitt (@Fake_Kate_Upton) August 27, 2012

If I had thought about it sooner, I would have designed a line of #LouisvilleHateDay t-shirts for the KSR Shop, honoring some of the fan bases’ best moments, including:

“What, you can go longer than fifteen seconds?”
“Hide you kids, hide your wives, hide your tablecloths!”
“Louisville: 2011 Belk Bowl Runner-Up”
“The Other Basketball Team in Kentucky”
“Our Coach Does It Faster”
“My Kid’s Got More Ink Than Yours Does”

Feel free to add your own in the comments section.

[Disclaimer: I may or may not have listened to Joker’s pregame speech on loop before writing this.]

Absolutely. I’m sick of hearing how good Louisville is. They haven’t even played a game yet. On paper, are they a better team? Yes. But games are not played on paper. They’re played in the trenches, under hurricane force rains, and tropical humidity. Louisville thinks themselves all fancy, but what happens when they get smacked in their pretty little mouths–err, beaks? No one, aside from Ron Zook, is giving the Cats a chance to win, and that’s just how I like it. Nothing to lose! Balls to the wall! AIRING IT OUT ON THIRD AND LONG FOR GOD’S SAKE! We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on, we’re going to survive! Thursday, we celebrate LOUISVILLE HATE DAY!

Phew. Anyone got a light?

@mrstylerksr Missed the Pete Thamel interview with Bob Knight about the North Carolina academic scandal. Can you please repost? #ksrmailbag

— Terry Settles (@TSettles) August 28, 2012

Pete: So Bob, what do you think about this alleged “fraud” going down at UNC? I for one can’t figure out why people keep talking about it.
Bob: The University of North Carolina is a fine institution. All of their players stay for four years–
Pete: I hate to point this out, but I guess I have to. They actually had three players leave early for the NBA last season. …Please don’t hit me.
Bob: What?! Were they freshmen?
Pete: No.
Bob: Exactly. Plus, their coach drinks Coca Cola. Know what Calipari drinks?
Pete: Ooh! I know, I went through his trash last week. He drinks Diet Coke.
Bob: False. He drinks the blood of innocent children just trying to earn a degree.
Pete: …
Bob: Next question? What are you, some kind of pansy, Thamel?
Pete: Sorry, I just need to get Mark Emmert on the line.

@mrstylerksr If someone snitches on you for listening to ksr and tweeting at work does that automatically make them a UofL fan? #ksrmailbag

— Nicholas Hale (@The_Nick_Hale) August 27, 2012

Yes, you have my permission to smack them.

Excellent question. In my opinion, tailgates must have these things:

– A grill
– Meat
– Cheese
– Beer and/or other beverages
– TV to watch other games
– Assorted seating
– Cornhole
– Football to toss around
– UK paraphernalia
– Good music
– Veggie Tray

Bonus points:

– Couch
– Satellite
– Giant flagpole so your friends can tell where you are
– Firepit
– A body guard so no Louisville fans get in

Speaking of beverages…

Bourbonade is an awesome drink to take to tailgates. In case you missed the recipe earlier, here it is:

2 cups ice tea (unsweetened)
1/2 cup sugar
1 12 oz. can frozen lemonade
1 12 oz. can frozen limeade
1 750 ml bottle of bourbon
7 cups water

Mix all ingredients and chill. Makes one gallon.

Once it gets cold, spiced apple cider is always a hit, and you can never go wrong with a good whiskey sour. When it comes to beers, some of my favorite seasonals are just coming out: New Belgium’s Red Hoptober, Sam Adams Octoberfest, Schlafly Pumpkin Ale and Nashville’s own Yazoo Gerst. Thirsty yet?

Email from Austin Hutchins: If we somehow land the Harrison Twins (#2 and #4), Randle (#3), Andrew Wiggins if he reclassifies (presumable #1), and one of the top centers in the class, could that recruiting class ever be beat? The top 4 players in the nation coming to one school along with one of the 3 top centers? Talk about exciting!

I get butterflies just thinking about it. Can that class ever be beaten? I’ve learned to never say never with Calipari.

Add some milk. I know, it grosses me out too, but dang, they’re fluffy. Also, I add bits of cheese to the eggs before tossing them in the pan. Delicious.

If all else fails, go to Waffle House.

It’s 75 miles from Lexington (or, for Cards fans, 55 miles from Frankfort).

Email from Todd Hash: I noticed that when UK put single game tickets on sale there were non available in the upper deck sidelines. I assume those were being reserved for sale of the mini-packs. Any idea when UK might break up those mini-packs so fans can buy decent single game tickets?

Good question, you’d think at this point they’d be begging you to buy them. I’d say after the Louisville game, they’ll break the up and try to sell them.

@mrstylerksr What destination would #BBN fans like to see Coach Brooks capture in his famous Twitter photo journal? #ksrmailbag

— Brow_Down (@brow_down) August 29, 2012

Well, first, if you haven’t checked out Papa Brooks’ Twitter page lately, you should. Man is traveling to some pretty cool places these days. I’d like to see Papa take some international trips, maybe to Italy? I can see it now: Papa Brooks touring not the vineyards, but the tomato fields, examining each for firmness and color. From there, he could release a line of tomato sauces, salsas, and ketchups. He could be the Big Blue Nation’s Paul Newman!

The only thing I wish Brooks took more pictures of is himself. He’s rarely in any of the pictures he posts, except for what may or may not be a late night party pic of him and LaVell Edwards:

Last night at the western night here with old friend LaVell Edwards having a good time telling stories. twitter.com/UKcoachbrooks/…

— Rich Brooks (@UKcoachbrooks) May 30, 2012

Party on, Papa. On a related note…

@mrstylerksr Why are Rich Brooksh’s tomatoesh thso much better than mine? My sauce bringsh all the boys to the yard!

— Fake Lou Holtz (@FakeLouHoltzKSR) August 28, 2012

Fake Lou, I think we need a pep talk from you on Friday. You up to it?

Great questions this week, guys. Now, a question for you: I started the mailbag so we’d have something to talk about during the offseason. With the football season starting up, would you like to see #ksrmailbag continue to be a weekly feature? If so, keep sending your questions via tweet or email!