From 2012 - This is Kentucky Basketball

A blast from the past...I wrote this for Big Blue Lowdown in 2012 on the day before Kentucky claimed its eighth NCAA Championship over Kansas. I was surprised how emotional those few days were.

With the Kentucky Wildcats on the cusp of claiming their eighth national championship tonight, I find myself with mixed emotions.  On one hand, I am excited, thrilled, elated, and any other adjective one can find to describe the joy that this team has brought me this season and how happy I am about the win over Louisville on Saturday. 

But there is also nervous anticipation-the kind that comes from knowing without a doubt that the Wildcats are the best team in the nation – that they deserve to win it all – but knowing that the Kansas Jayhawks want it just as much, and, though they may not be as talented, certainly have the ability to take what UK fans believe is rightfully theirs.

I’m also feeling a little nostalgic.  I’m in my 40’s, and although I grew up in Southern Indiana, my blood is as Blue as it gets.  My dad was a Kentucky fan for most of his life, and I got my love for the Wildcats because of him, but something changed in his later years.  He became convinced that Coach Rupp was racist, and it turned him away from the Cats.  I didn’t realize this until later in life, and tried unsuccessfully to combat this notion that has no basis in fact. 

We had friends of the family that were really close, however, so close I called them aunt and uncle.  They were season ticket holders, graduates of UK, and as Blue as Blue gets.  They kept the Blue flame alive in me, much to the chagrin of my parents, who turned to the hometown Louisville Cardinals to follow.

The first Wildcat team I really remember following was the 1974-75 team that ended Indiana’s undefeated season in the Mideast Regional finals but lost the national title game to UCLA.  I remember being so proud of Wildcat Mike Flynn, who was from my hometown of Jeffersonville, Indiana. 

I remember the 1978 team that won the NCAA title over Duke.  Like many young Wildcat fans of the time, I copied Kyle Macy’s routine every time I shot a free throw, even though it didn’t help me nearly as much as it did him!

I remember suffering through the early 80’s and watching Indiana and Louisville winning two national titles each.  Even though UK had some terrific teams in that era, including the 1984 Final Four team featuring the Twin Towers (Sam Bowie and Melvin Turpin), I often wondered to myself whether the Cards and Hoosiers had passed my Cats by, especially after the debacle that was the Dream Game in Knoxville that saw the Cats fall to Louisville.

I remember heated arguments with my brother, a U of L fan, because neither one of us was mature enough or smart enough to understand that basketball isn’t worth arguing about, but that we could both co-exist as fans of heated rivals.

I remember the dark years, the sadness and anger that followed the disaster that Eddie Sutton visited on the program, landing Kentucky on probation, nearly getting the so-called death penalty, and the national disgust and ridicule that was heaped upon us, and deservedly so.  I remember the day the sanctions came out and feeling like I was at a funeral…but I also remember the elation I felt when Rick Pitino was brought in to resurrect the program back from the depths.

I knew Pitino would turn things around, but I never dreamed he would do it so quickly.  That 14-14 year of 1989-90 was one of the most fun seasons I remember, even though the Cats weren’t even on live TV.  It wasn’t that they were great-they certainly weren’t, but it was the fight that they had that made me happy.  In a season where the most optimistic forecasts were a six-win season, those Wildcats were already clawing their way back.

The next season the Cats rose to 22-6, and were still banned from post-season play, but it set up one of the most Unforgettable seasons in UK history.  Like many fans I was left weeping as Duke’s Christian Laettner ended perhaps the best game in college basketball history with a miraculous shot that has been shown countless times since.

Then there was the national championship in 1996 with Tony Delk, Walter McCarty, Ron Mercer, Derek Anderson, and company.  Like this season, there was little doubt about UK being the best team in the country.  The comparisons don’t end there.  Like now, the Cats were a perfect 16-0 in the SEC yet lost in the SEC tournament championship game.  That team also suffered just one regular season loss and then avenged it in the NCAA tournament.  They were arguably one of the best teams to ever wear the Kentucky uniform.

And they probably would have won it all again in 1997 if it weren’t for the knee injury to Derek Anderson - which would have led to the rare three-peat, as the Wildcats won it all again in 1998 under new coach Tubby Smith led by Jeff Shepherd.

When Tubby left, the Wildcats again faced dark times with new coach Billy Gillespie.  It takes a special person to coach at Kentucky, and it was obvious early on that the job simply overwhelmed Gillespie, who was fired after two seasons.

Again, the program was in need of a charge to put it back where it belonged, and they found it in John Calipari.

While many national media types groaned at the hire due to Calipari’s two vacated Final Four seasons, a closer look at both of those incidents show that Calipari was not implicated in either, and the Kentucky administration decided it was OK to hire him, and the rest is history.

What Calipari has accomplished in his first three seasons is astounding.  35-3 in his first year and an Elite Eight appearance, 29-9 last season and a Final Four appearance, and now 37-2 and playing in the national championship game - simply amazing!

There are those who don’t like the recruiting strategies of Calipari, but that’s not his fault-talk to the NCAA and the NBA about that.  His results speak for themselves.

Win or lose tonight, this season has been one for the ages.  37 wins breaks the school record for wins.  Anthony Davis has been the most dominant player in a generation, nearly sweeping all of the national awards and a lock to be the top pick in the upcoming NBA draft.  Though young, these Cats play with a fire and passion not seen in many years.

Seasons like this don’t come along very often.  1996 was one of them.  1978 was another.  After that, take your pick, but you see the trend.  Seasons like this come along once in a generation.  They are the seasons you remember forever, seasons that raise banners, and seasons that families talk about for their lifetimes.

Kentucky basketball is an emotional thing to those who call it their passion.  It’s more than a basketball game, and I don’t think those on the outside looking in don’t quite understand that.

It’s like a family.  We mourn its losses, including legends such as Coach Rupp and Bill Keightley.  We also weep with joy at its triumphs.  We feel empty when the season ends, and nervously watch the recruiting circuit to see who our next family member will be, and then we welcome them into the family as if they were sons, no matter where they come from.

Wildcat basketball is bigger than one coach, one player, or one team.  It’s the fabric that binds families, communities, and a Commonwealth.  It permeates every corner of Kentucky and is followed all over the world.  This is who we are, this is what we do.

This is Kentucky basketball.

Defunding Obamacare not necessary; step aside and let it implode

With yet another budget fight starting on Capitol Hill, it appears our elected representatives are up to their usual political games – none of which will even remotely begin to solve our nation’s fiscal problems.

Republicans, in their never ending fight against Obamacare, have voted to defund the implementation in the House and are now squabbling among themselves about tactics in the Senate.  Democrats, who control the Senate, will never let the House bill stand however, and Republicans know that.  The result – as usual – is a stalemate and a looming government shutdown.

President Obama has also weighed in by insisting he won’t negotiate with Congress on raising the nation’s debt limit.  Of course, this ignores that pesky Constitutional thing called co-equal branches of government, but who is quibbling?

The whole saga would be comical if very real consequences weren’t the result of this insanity.

I think the Republican tactic of falling on their sword over defunding Obamacare is dumb.  First, it’s a losing battle – House Republicans continually ignore the fact that it is impossible to govern by holding just one chamber of Congress.

Second, poll after poll shows that Republicans will share most of the blame for a government shutdown.  That isn’t a great place to be when the GOP is eying taking control of the Senate in 2014.  In fact, playing this game to its end will likely keep the Senate in Democrat control and give the Democrats more seats in the House.

That’s not to say I favor Obamacare.  I don’t.  It’s is, in my opinion, the single worst piece of legislation passed since Prohibition.  And the Supreme Court ruling that found it Constitutional defies common sense, logic, and the law in spite the senseless opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts.

What Republicans seem to not get is that fighting Obamacare at this point is a losing hand that they don’t have to fight.  If there is anything we know after five years of the Obama Presidency, it is the fact that incompetence reigns supreme in his Administration.

By all accounts, the implementation of Obamacare is likely to be much of the same, but on a much grander scale.  As such, the Republicans would be much smarter to just let the Affordable Care Act implode on its own.

Disagreement over issues shouldn't call one's integrity into question

There are times in my job when you just have to shake your head, and today is one of those days.  Some of the vocal vote “no” crowd is at it again – calling into question the integrity of anyone who happens to disagree with their stance on the school levy.

I posted a story today on the new Master Agreement, or contract, between the Board of Education and the Vandalia-Butler Education Association.  It is factual, with real numbers.  I reported based on physical copies of the contract from last year and the new one, as well as a meeting of over an hour with the one guy who knows the numbers better than anyone – Treasurer Dan Schall.

We looked at spreadsheets, made phone calls, and even got into the employee benefit system called PaySmarter to look at the numbers and how they worked.  It was the most extensive interview to date I’ve had with Mr. Schall and nearly all of it was on the record.

Of course, that’s not good enough.  Tonight I received a message from one of the more vocal anti-levy guys, Ben Jones, to go like a Facebook page that purported to “keep up with accurate analysis of information emanating from the Vandalia Butler school board and administration publicity mill.”

Out of morbid curiosity I went and looked and, predictably, there were multiple inaccuracies on the site, including posts about “escalating wages, salaries, health insurance contribution…” and the “$20 million mystery contract,” presumably referring to the Master Agreement.

Of course all of these things are factually incorrect.  The Master Agreement was approved at a public meeting on June 4.  There are no pay raises for the third straight year.  Out-of-pocket health care costs increased by more than 40 percent for everyone.  

And, to top it off, a question was raised as to whether the Drummer’s article “was based on their own analysis of the contract terms or were they just repeating what the board, administration and union rep told them.”

Obviously, the message from Mr. Jones seems to be that if the message doesn’t fit the preconceived ideas he has then there must be some grand conspiracy.  The Drummer Editor must be in cahoots with the Board of Education.

That’s laughable as well, as I’m sure I’ve been near the top of the Board’s annoyances for the better part of the past year. 

For the record, I do occasionally run press releases as is.  I don’t put my name on them.  That’s a fact.

The school district did send out a press release on the contract a couple of weeks ago which I refused to run without specifics.  That is a fact.

The article today did incorporate some of that release, especially quotes from people I had no access to.  None of the dollar figures were in the release – those came from me and my reporting.  Those are more facts.

Some in this community would rather smear me or anyone else who disagrees with them, even when they are wrong.  I’ve certainly made mistakes over the past year and a half, but when I have, I have owned that, publicly corrected the error, and apologized.

It would be nice to see the same from others, but I have my doubts as to if it ever will.

On heat waves and media over-hype

The heat wave is apparently over, and thank goodness.  Not because the temperature has dropped, however.  In fact, I have actually enjoyed having a little summer-like weather for the first time this summer.

The real reason I’m thankful is that, at least for a time, we don’t have to hear the local news media – of which I am a part – screaming about how hot it is through the radio and television every five minutes. 

Don’t get me wrong – I’m a weather junkie.  I love a good storm as much as the next guy and I have always found cold fronts and Bermuda highs to be somewhat fascinating.  I’m a weather nerd.

But here’s a news flash for all my media brethren:  Temperatures in the 90s in the middle of July is NOT news.  It just isn’t. 

Significant snow storms are news (although we could all get a refresher on the meaning of significant – a dusting is not what I have in mind.)  If it was 50 degrees today, that would be news.  If it is 80 degrees in January, that is news.  Even last summer’s heat was news due to the unusually high temperatures for so long.

But last week’s “heat wave?”  That’s wasn’t news - it is what July is supposed to be.  So how is that news?

Taking it a step further, since when do people need to be told to try to stay cool and drink more water? Seriously!  I’m pretty sure my parents didn’t have air conditioning and bottled water, but somehow they survived hot summers just fine.  Are people really that dimwitted that, in addition to the survival instinct we are all created with, we just can’t think to stay cool unless Channel 7 tells us to?

It’s a sad commentary on our society and speaks largely to the nanny state that it has come to be.  Politicians and media, presuming they are smarter than the rest of us, feel like they need to remind the dumb masses to drink water when it’s hot and to put a warm coat on little Johnny when he’s going to the bus stop in January.

I, for one, won’t participate.  Yes, I will post weather warnings for severe storms, blizzards, high winds, etc.  But I won’t insult my readers with reminders to drink water when it’s hot.  I’m pretty sure they have that down already.

Traffic cameras are a scam - and unconstitutional

Kudos go out to the Hamilton County judge who found a small village in contempt for violating his previous order against using cameras to catch speeders.  It’s nice to see a judge call traffic enforcement cameras what they are – a scam.

Of course, the usual list of municipalities and police departments are crying about how the cameras lead to less traffic accidents and increase safety, but here’s a news flash – no one buys that load of bull.

Traffic cameras have always been about one thing – raising money and fleecing the public.  Cities and police departments that are strapped financially found a cash cow in camera manufactures who provide the cameras free of charge in return for a cut of the profits.

Despite rulings by the Ohio Supreme Court, reasonable, rationale people who aren’t lawyers looking for a loophole know that traffic cameras are unfair and unconstitutional.  Owners of vehicles can be ticketed even if they aren’t driving the vehicle.  Drivers have no ability to confront their accuser and no way to challenge that the camera is working properly.

And drivers who get caught by traffic cameras are treated differently – as a civil matter and with no points on their driving record – than the poor sap who gets a ticket a block away at the hands of a real police officer.  Isn’t equal protection under the law a constitutional right?  Apparently not when it comes to traffic cameras in Ohio.

I’ve gotten a speeding ticket from a camera in a local municipality.  I sent it back to them with a note saying there was no way in hell I was going to pay it – and I meant it.

Thankfully, the Ohio legislature has gotten the message loud and clear.  The House passed a bill this week banning the cameras, and the Senate will likely pass the measure after the summer recess.

Then we can wait for the next scam that government tries to pull in the name of safety when the real reason is revenue.