<em>Phantom</em>'s Thursday Morning Wakeup

by:Nick Roush•06/02/16•

@RoushKSR

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Matthew Murphy | Variety[/caption] Last night I had the honor to see Phantom of the Opera at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. I enjoy a good musical from time to time, and considering it's my sister's favorite thing ever, I entered with high hopes. I left a little confused. There's no denying that it was one of the most impressive live performances I've ever witnessed. I couldn't believe how they could change the stage and the scenes so effectively. The special effects were even better. I'd never go to an opera because I wouldn't understand the language, but to hear orchestra music accompany that type of singing was extremely impressive. Still, it's not something I would see again. A dude from The Voice played the Phantom and there were plenty of times when I couldn't understand what the hell he was saying/singing. There were a few parts of the story that just didn't make sense, probably because I couldn't understand all of the words. The only was I can explain my sister's love for the play is because she shares the name of the female lead, Christine. If you like the theater stuff, it's got two more weeks in Louisville. It's great to see once, but I won't see it again. Now, on to today's news...

Calipari's Preseason SEC Tournament is...Something

Of all the ideas John Calipari's had, this is one of them. During a visit to the SEC Meetings yesterday, he proposed to the coaches that because the postseason tournament doesn't impact seeding, move it to the beginning of the year to promote the conference. He didn't stop there. He made his pitch on The Paul Finebaum Show, only to double down on Twitter afterwards. Cal wants to play the tournament in the New Superdome (I can handle that), but he wants to run with two courts and split the stands down the middle, giving fans two games to watch (I can't handle that). Even though Ken Pomeroy might not think it's the worst idea... https://twitter.com/kenpomeroy/status/738231624488230912 ...it's probably the worst idea.

The Search for a New Baseball Coach

Gary Henderson submitted his letter of resignation yesterday, ending 13 years of service to the University of Kentucky. With a contract expiring after next season, it was either grant an extension for recruiting purposes or part ways. The latter route was taken after consecutive NCAA Tournament misses and early SEC Tournament exits. Trey Hunstman will give you a few names to keep an eye on later today.

UK Commit Receives a UofL Offer

3-star Georgia outside linebacker Jamin Davis committed to Kentucky in March. His stock is gaining momentum over the summer and Louisville is trying to cash in, extending an offer early this morning. https://twitter.com/jamindavis25/status/738339209145114626 Davis' primary recruiter was Andy Buh. Hopefully his departure doesn't harm the relationship he built with UK.

The NBA Finals Begin Tonight

It's a rematch from last year's Finals, but not really. LeBron actually has other good players healthy, instead of leaning on Delly to provide production. As terrible as the Cavs were last year, they still took two games of the series against basically the same Warriors team, just without the "73 win" label. After a fantastic Western Conference Finals, this has the potential to be one of the best NBA Finals we've seen in a long time. You have until tonight at 9:00 to a pick a side before the action begins on ABC.

The Penguins Lead the Stanley Cup 2-0

I'm not a hockey guy, but I'm always cheering against the Penguins. First, they have Sidney Crosby, the worst Canadian since Bieber. He won his country a gold medal, but even they hate him for being a softie. Softies don't deserve the Cup. Secondly, I have a friend who must not be named that is the worst sports fan ever; the guy that cheers for all of the good teams (and the Cubs). His teams don't deserve to win. Last but not least, the San Jose Sharks have the coolest uniforms in all of sports, maybe the best to ever be made and that's not Rick Pitino hyperbole.

Doron Lamb is Packing His Bags

https://twitter.com/DLamb20/status/738322914198622209 Moving is the worst, but I got a friend that works for the Dolphins if you're trying to mix things up. You know where to find me #TeamNoSleep.

We've Added New Writers

And they're pretty good. If I would have applied with this same group, I probably wouldn't have made it. With that being said, please don't be too cruel when you start seeing new names. It'll take them a little time to get the hang of this thing, but once they do you're reading experience will be exponentially better.