Wikipedia's Friday News and Views

Good morning, sweet KSR readers, and welcome to your News and Views for Friday, January 15.  Today, we proudly shine our powerful KSR light of recognition on the 9th birthday of Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that has added fluff to so many of our research papers and factual fire to our online nerd fights (and some "interesting" to Larry Glover).  They say you aren't really important until you have a Wikipedia page (not true) or unless you've spent countless hours bouncing from one entry to another, starting with the Tianneman Square entry and ending with the Brooklyn Brawler (it can be done).  Either way, there's no doubt that this is one of two sites to revolutionize the internet.  Settle down, Matt Jones, I was talking about AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com. A couple of quick notes (some similar to El Capitan Jones' from earlier....he copied me) on an exceptionally late night for me...  - I don't want to start things off on a downer, but there was tragic news out of Owensboro Thursday night as Southern Indiana center Jeron Lewis died after hitting his head on the floor in a game against Kentucky Wesleyan.  Obviously our prayers and thoughts go out to his family, friends and teammates.  What a terrible story.  - On their new show The Bracket, Andy Katz and his ESPNU buddies (WARNING: Lowell Galindo) talk, not surprisingly, college basketball.  On his first show early Friday morning, Katz talked with Coach Cal who said that, although he prefers to go only 8-deep in the tournament, he could use a 10-man rotation in the post-season this year because his team is so deep.  He cited the 1996 UK team as an example of a deep team going with a 10-man rotation.  - An article from The Good Doctor got some message board attention as fans discussed some comments made by Eric Bledsoe's high school coach (who doesn't seem to shy about speaking his mind).  Coach Ford, who thought Bledsoe should find a new school once John Wall committed to UK, admitted that those statements were wrong and that he hopes that #24 returns to UK next year to showcase how he can run a team when John Wall isn't around.  He also acknowledged that Bledsoe has mentioned the NBA Draft, which makes him no different than anyone else who has ever picked up a basketball.  - Coming off of their upset of #1 Kansas, I fully expected Tennessee's basketball team to come crashing back down to earth and struggle with Auburn.  However, despite being down early, Lady Pearl's team looked pretty good again and put a beatdown on the Tigers.  At some point, they have to come crashing down, right?  - On that note, let me go on record right now and say Auburn is beyond pitiful.  Saturday is going to have a non-conference feel to it.  - In pro-live blog news, Auburn's Lucas Hargrove has a star shaved in his hair....because nothing says "I'm the third-leading scorer on a team that lost to Sam Houston State, Central Florida, Troy and Missouri State" like a little hair flair.  At least Gene McCaskill's hair flair was elaborate.  - In other SEC news, Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnardo posted a triple-double with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks in a close win over Arkansas.  He will foul out in 20 minutes or less when he faces Kentucky on Feb. 16.  Also, I would like to make it known that I could not disagree more with Andy Katz' analysis that "Varnardo does not get handouts on blocks".  If they called jersey grabs, he'd have less than half.  - Matt mentioned this earlier, but it bears mentioning again.  Whatever mystique the Tennessee football position held as of Tuesday morning is now severely tarnished.  The latest rumor is that Duke head coach David Cutcliffe will be hired as the Vols head coach, giving him his third tenure in Knoxville.  The Vols could certainly do worse but, if they're the program that they believe themselves to be, you don't lose a coach after one year and then strike out publicly with an assistant coach and then a mid-major head coach before settling on the guy who was the offensive coordinator when you pushed your coaching legend out the door.   - Since it's a slow night and I'm kind of mailing it in a bit, take a look at this piece from the Kernel analyzing how Kentucky's basketball record is tied to the financial success of local businesses.  This, of course, is a change from the success the bar scene had the past two years.  - On a personal note, I had to spend some time at a roller skating rink Thursday evening for a school skating party, which begged one pressing question.  Is there a worse place to have an elementary school function than a skating rink?  If pedophilia was a religion, skating rinks would be their temple. That's it for now.  Stay tuned throughout the day as we do our best to make you at least a tiny bit interested in the Auburn game on Saturday.  See you in a few...