Race Day

So tomorrow is the big day. I'm not even sure that I have talked about it at all on the blog, but tomorrow I run the Weather Channel Atlanta Marathon. About 5 months of training for 4 and a half grueling hours. I struggled a bit with my 20 miler a couple of weeks back, and couple that with the fact I am just getting over strep throat it could get interesting. I have long since abandoned any visions of grandeur when it comes to a goal time. I am focused on finishing in one piece. I think burning 10,000 Calories justifies eating my weight in Mashed Potatoes right? Check back in to see how I did. If this blog isn't update for a couple of weeks, assume I didn't make it.

Game Day Preview

I had planned on giving you my breakdown of this year's UK basketball team after the first game, but barring last night's developments I feel like I should myself calm down a bit before trying to give an objective opinion. Let's just say that my man-crush status on BCG could possibly be wavering. However, we do have a big football game today and focus must be shifted.

Fun Fact: Vanderbilt is 0 for their last 19 attempts to become bowl eligible in the last 25 years. WOW! That includes a 0-3 record against the Cats. Part of that is the schedule tends to be front-loaded with easy out of conference games prior to the SEC schedule, but you figure the ball might bounce their way one time. Today is not their day.

So I have to make the preview quick because I must get back to work, but here's how it breaks down: when Vandy was winning they were turning over their opponents and not turning the ball over themselves. In the last 4 games they have committed 8 turnovers. With sloppy conditions, holding onto the ball should be at a premium. Also, Vanderbilt's offense is bad. REALLY bad. 115 out of 117 in D1 bad. So, if we don't give them great field position, I really like our chances.

Cats 24 Dores 10

WOW

Well, that was an ass-whooping of epic proportions.  Luckily enough, I was in person to witness it.  Never in the thousands of possible scenarios did I consider us forcing Tebow and the Gators into a 3 and out followed by 2 blocked  punts on our next 2 possessions.  I have had the pleasure of witnessing all 3 UK losses this year so I am beginning to feel like a curse.  Moving on from this, we will focus on the clash between the Cats and the Dogs.  

• We face a team in Mississippi State that is possibly more inept on the offensive end than we are.  I personally witnessed this ineptitude when they took a beatdown from the Yellow Jackets 38-7.  
• Once again, this one will be won and lost up front.  Jared Jefferies is returning at right tackle and it couldn't come at a more important time as he has to protect Cobb's blind side.  With Moncell Allen getting his first career start, the Cats will try to establish the power running game early and hope Cobb can use his playmaking ability to get the Cats out of some bad spots.  
• Can a true freshman lead the Cats to victory in his first career start on the road?  Will the defense get back to form after being embarassed in the Swamp?  Can the Cats become bowl eligible and return to the post season for the 3rd straight season for the first time since the 50's?  Win and Atlanta is still an option, lose and the season could go down the tubes.  All these questions will be answered in a short couple of hours.

A Confession

*Cue cheesy political ad music

My name is Derek Burden, and I approved this message. I would like to take this space to make a confession. I, Derek Burden registered superfan turned off the University of Kentucky football game last Saturday. I obviously kept the gamecast open and switched back to the game once it became clear we had a chance, but that is of no excuse. What is the world coming to when I am giving up on Kentucky? I declared vehemently on this blog that the football gods would not allow us to lose. Yet, I lost hope. This is my confession and hopefully I will be forgiven. Would I have gone home if I were at the game? I'm not sure, but I can guarantee you I will not allow this to happen again. That is my pledge. Thank you.

Do I Smell Bacon?

Let's just pretend like last week didn't happen. For the second week in a row, I get to see my beloved Cats lose live. Not so good. Because I am working today I will have to make this one short, but that makes it much more fun for lazy people (that's you Trissel if you still read this).

• Despite the fact that the Hog on the center of Bud Walton looks pretty cool, a pig is a stupid mascot. Let's be serious, the fat from your mascot is used to make gravy. Everyone loves gravy, but it is not too menacing.
• Arkansas has a QB named Dick. That does not bode well for your chances. D-Mac and Felix are not rollin through that door anytime soon.
• Under no circumstances will the football gods allow Kentucky to lose to Steve Spurrier and Bobby Petrino in consecutive weeks. That seriously cannot happen.

So those are the tidbits, but let me leave you with this: last time UK and the Hogs played in Commonwealth I endured a gut-wrenching 7-OT loss at the hands of Matt Jones and his floppy hair. For retribution, the football gods allow the ball to bounce our way every single time and we win by 7 TD's.

GO BIG BLUE!

T-town wrap-up and fake USC preview

Well, folks the trip to T-town was a memorable one, but the Cats came out on the wrong side of a game lacking in offense. I would love to rip on the Bama fans for being inconsiderate Rednecks, however that is not possible as everyone down there was nothing but kind. A couple of observations from their fans in general:

• Every person you talked to would end the conversation with "roll tide." I think in elementary school, they don't teach that sentences end with a "." they end with Roll Tide.
• The Quad is ridiculous. I have not seen the grove in Oxford, so I have no frame of reference, but it cannot be much better than the setup the Bama fans have. I have pics that will be posted later
• You can tell the difference between a non-football school (UK) and their counterparts when going on road trips. I realize Bryant-Denny has 20,000 more fans than Commonwealth, but the fans no when to cheer and chant, and are always in unison. We are getting there though.
• The "Million Dollar Band" compared to your 50 cent piece band is not even close. We need to add about 100 members to get even close.
• If I hear Sweet Home Alabama "Roll Tide Roll" one more time I will vomit all over myself

As for today's game UK goes from the classiest set of fans (Bama) to the biggest bunch of A-holes in USCe. The Cats have not beaten the Cocks (hehe) in the 2000s and have never beat Steve Spurrier. Chris Smelley has been inept at times this year, but seemed to turn a corner last week against Ole Miss. The running game is not much to speak of, and this game will hing upon the Cats getting to the QB with the front four. I don't often predict such a big victory in a game that should be close, but I say Smelley throws three picks and is sacked 4 times and the Cats win this on in a walk 28-10.

The Cats can't lose on my first trip home to Lexington this year can they?

Trip to T-ville

Well folks, the Misses and myself are shoving off for T-ville. Expect a full report tomorrow (hopefully with some pics). I have been told Bama fans are like UK B-ball fans coming off a 5 day meth binge, so we will see. We are heading down with no idea where to park and tailgate, so we are hoping for some Southern Hospitality and good Southern Tailgatin'. No time to break the game down, but my prediction is Cats 21 Tide 17.

Post Game Wrap-Up

I promised the lovely post-game wrap up on my re-welcome to blogging post. In this space I usually love to quote numerous delusional Card fans and their feelings about the game. However, this year I will refrain from quoting such delusional fans and preventing you from having to bathe yourselves, and only tell you that their only response in last year's basketball score.

This just in Card fan: your monopoly in football and basketball is over in this state. Feel better for a while, but Billy G and Rich B are on the scene and it is O-V-A!

For more info check the website: www.firekragthorpe.com for more info(it was launched after the game.

That's all I have for now, SEE YA LATER!

Football Time in the Bluegrass!

I have been overcome by a surprising combination of laziness and business during the last couple of months and have neglected the blog, thus losing my loyal following. Hopefully this is over with, and I will be able to keep the blog cruising along, but I will dedicate this short post to the big event of the day: the Cats taking on our dirty rivals to the west.

This game will come down to one thing: the battle in the trenches. The Cards do not have a linebacker that has recorded a D-1 tackle and are painfully thin at some positions on the D-line. With temperatures reaching over 100 on the field-turf expect depth to play a big role in this game. Folks will be cramping up all over the place, and fans will be dropping in the stands. Hopefully the Cats can avoid the big mistake and gradually wear them down with the ground attack. Coach Durbin's lock it down prediction: Cats 31 Cards 20.

Well Well Well

It has been a number of months since my last post. There is a reason for that: I was not ready to post my feelings. I come to you a humble and broken man. Let not the be a deterrent to what I have to say. "Beware the Ides of March." That's what the soothsayer said to Julius Cesar before his eventual demise and betrayal. Well, that is what was said to me before my life change. Let us please analyze the happenings after the Ides of March.

• During the second round of the SEC Tournament, a tornado struck the Georgia Dome and all of its in habitats were put at danger. It was not the first time I have been in a Tornado, but I hope it was the last. During Tornado 2K0 I was in Pep's Burritos, and it was not a pleasant experience.
• Fast Forward 2 more days: The Match results are coming out. For those of you not familiar with the match, it decides which sites a potential Pharmacy Resident will spend the next year of their life. In my case, I was hoping to find out I would be spending the next year as a hopeful resident at one of the 2 major academic sites in the city of Atlanta: Emory or Grady.
• Of these 2 sites, I was hoping for Grady. I interviewed at both places, and I hoped for a spot at one. Yet, March 15th came and went and I did not match with a residency program.
• At this point, I began the scramble for a pharmacist position at any hospital in Atlanta.
• Kelly Smith offered her assistance, and all Residency programs I applied to "were shocked I did not match anywhere."
• In the meantime, my beloved University of Kentucky Wildcats lost for the first time in the First Round of the NCAA tournament to our beloved douche bags of the North, the Marquette Golden Worthless Sacks of Garbage (Eagles).
• Apparently not shocked enough to accept me for their program, but so shocked that they did not want to accept me. This was obviously a low point in my career.
• Well, with the help of Dr Kelly Smith and others I was offered multiple opportunities in my career. One of these opportunities was to accept a staff pharmacist position at Grady Health System. I accepted the position, and here I am. Not where I want to be, but not that far away. Remember, if you want me, you better bring your A game.

Coach

W O W!

That's about all can be said about the performance this week. So instead of analyzing it, I prefer to simply ignore it and not acknowledge that it happened. Despite the bad week, it doesn't compare to the one our basketball obssessed brothers to the north are having. Is there any chance Robert Montgomery Knight makes a push to be back in Bloomington? If so, his reputation as the biggest horse's ass in the history of coaching would be cemented. On to today's game:

• All those "pundits" calling the John Brady firing a disgrace feel kind of stupid now don't they? If a real coach ever shows up down there, they will be a perrinial NCAA team and challenge for the SEC West yearly. What do Tasmin Mitchell, Big Baby Davis, Brandon Bass, Tyrus Thomas, Darnell Lazare, Garret Temple, and Bo Spencer have in common? They are all big time recruits signed by LSU in the last 5 years FROM BATON ROUGE. Not their home state, their home city. You could argue that NY or LA hasn't put out that much talent in the last 5 years. If someone who can coach his way out of a paper bag gets there, they will make more than the occasional lucky NCAA run that Dale Brown and John Brady did. Quick fact: did you know that Dale Brown had Chris Jackson, Shaq, and Stanley Roberts on the same team (all first round picks) and didn't make it to the sweet 16.
• LSU is long and has some shooters. This could give the Cats some fits. However, the Cats are motivated after getting embarassed and have an angry Ra Smoove comin' down to the Bayou. Will the rock make its reapearnce today? Time will tell.
• P Pat is angry. You won't hear him say it, but he is. He was dominated by the boomerang-throwing center from Vandy and embarassed on national TV. Look for him to bounce back in a big way today. The tigers have a big-time freshmen big man themselves in Anthony Randolph and if he can win the head-to-head it will go a long way for his confidence.
• It's always tough to play in the Maravich center. However the Cats have something to prove today and an angry Billy Clyde on the sideline. I say they take it 68-56.

State of the Union Part Deux

I know everyone has been anxiously awaiting the second part of my State of the Union. Despite the common belief that I waited just because I was too lazy to update in the last couple of weeks, that is in fact not the case. I was waiting for a big win by the Cats (like the one to Tuesday) so we can have a bit of a positive update. Before getting to the current status of the Cats, we will give a little review of the season.

As everyone knows, the Cats opened with 2 home games for the 2K Sports College Classic. HOWEVER, despite what the national media (idiots) believe, Kentucky did not "open up the season with a loss to Gardner Webb." They did however lose to the runnin' bulldogs in the second game of the season, perhaps one of the worst in Rupp Arena history. Maybe this would feel better if G-W continued to have a great season. However, they currently stand at 9-11 on the season. It wouldn't, unfortunately, be the low point of the season.

With a loss to G-W on the books, the season continued with a number of disappointments after that. For starters, the Cats are still without a road win, and losses to IU, UL, San Diego (Yikes!), UAB (in which Robert Vaden played one of the best halves of basketball I have ever seen), Houston, Miss St and Florida.

At points, I have doubted my man crush Billy G. We have been decimated by injury, and have lost several games that we should not have. However, it appears that it is possible we have turned it around. We have competed in all our SEC games and came through the first 4 SEC games against the best competition with a 2-2 record. Recently rivals wrote at article about Billy Clyde's season thus far. Here is the link: http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=766158 It talks about how hard CBC is on his players, but how powerful it was once they bought in. My favorite quote is from a role player on his A&M team: "But once Antoine and Acie bought it, it became contagious and we all bought in. Once the season began we started seeing that it was all worth it. I hated how hard it was at times but, looking back, I wouldn't trade it for the world." Folks, Joe and Ra Smooth have bought in, and it is gonna get nasty. Expect a prediction for the rest of the season after the Cats put a whoopin' on the Cocks 78-59 today.

**************BREAKING NEWS******************* Joe C will not play in today's game, I still feel confident the Cats winning but maybe by not as much.