Derby Days Are Here Again

After basketball season, Derby Week is the most sacred holiday in all of Kentucky. This Saturday, the world will watch the “most exciting two minutes in sports”- no, not Rick Pitino after hours at Porcini’s. Throughout this week on KSR College, I’ll prep you with the essential information to the Kentucky Derby- from traditions, to wagering, to throwing a Derby party, to actually going to the event and surviving. Let’s start with a little Derby history.

The first Kentucky Derby was held on May 17, 1895, with a field of 15 three-year-old horses. It was won by Aristides and jockey Oliver Lewis, and was one and a half miles at the time (it changed to one and a fourth in 1896). The event has always been held at Churchill Downs, although the track wasn’t officially called that until 1937.

After the Kentucky Derby each year, it soon became common practice for thoroughbred owners to send their horses and jockeys to the Preakness Stakes (at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore) and the Belmont Stakes (in Elmont, NY). Collectively, these events officially became known as the Triple Crown in 1930 when Gallant Fox won the trio- althoughthe horse Sir Barton had won all three in 1911. These races had the biggest purse of all horse races, and since then winning the Triple Crown has become the main storyline of all Kentucky Derbys. Different countries have their own version of the horse racing triple crown, and only eleven horses have ever won the United States version.

The fastest time ever recorded at the Kentucky Derby was one minute, 59.4 seconds, by Secretariat in 1973. While it’s amazing that his record has lasted this long- 38 years, to be exact- it’s also notable that Secretariat picked up the pace continuously throughout the race. Secretariat completed the elusive Triple Crown trifecta, and his inspirational story was the subject of a movie last year, which I never saw but my best friend Layson and her horse-crazy family loved it with a passion. So there’s that.

While it’s easy to get caught up in the glamour of the horses- after all, who didn’t want a pony for Christmas one year?- the jockeys are obviously instrumental to a Derby win as well. In the past few years, the safest bet at the Kentucky Derby has been to choose whoever Calvin Borel is riding- he’s won three of the past five years, and will suit up for Take Charge Indy this Saturday. Borel knows how to win a Derby regardless of what horse he’s riding, and you can bet I’m including him in my Trifecta.

That’s it for today. Come back tomorrow for a look at Derby traditions- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

@KristenGeilKSR


Source: ksrcollege.com

Adios, 8pril

What a month. Today is the last day of April, and for having only thirty days, it felt like the longest month of my life. I think I finally learned to “savor the ride,” as everyone advised us to the entire season. Not a day has gone by where I haven’t worn a UK championship t-shirt,  or watched a video of Woodland and Euclid after the final buzzer and teared up for a moment.or stared lovingly at my front page of the Herald-Leader from Tuesday, April 3rd. I feel absolutely no qualms about saying that even VH1 would agree that this was the BEST MONTH EVER.

Before we move on from 8pril and into the season already known as Dy9asty, let’s take a quick look back at what April showers brought us (hint: much more than May flowers).

First and foremost, the men’s basketball team brought the glory back to the Commonwealth with the long-anticipated eighth national championship title. Combining talent unmatched by any other team in the nation and a brotherhood that was apparent to anyone with eyes, the Cats achieved a 38-2 record and John Calipari’s first national title. Ever since he was hired three years ago, Calipari has put his heart and soul into reinvigorating the program after the Dark Days of BCG, and his coronation was completed on a Monday night in New Orleans. The fans reveled in the streets, letting loose fourteen years worth of pent-up celebration efforts, and the best part is that everyone involved truly believes we can continue this high for at least the next season, if not longer.

Where’s Kristen?

But since Kentucky fans constantly have “On to the Next One” playing in their mental soundtrack, it was barely a week before we turned our attention to next year’s Wildcats. Shabazz Muhammad and Nerlens Noel, the two most highly coveted recruits from next year’s class, announced their decisions in an ESPN Signing Day special. Muhammad went first and declared his official move to the City of Angels, sending UK fans into a brief panic. Nerlens, however, saved the day and revealed his decision in the most dramatic way possible:

That picture will never get old. 

With our recruiting class solidly anchored, the time was finally right for UK’s starting five underclassmen to officially declare for the NBA draft. On April 18th, Calipari sat surrounded by Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, Marquis Teague, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Anthony Davis, who surprised absolutely no one by officially committing to the 2012 NBA drafts. BBN collectively wished them well, and the boys have reciprocated our appreciation by taking Kentucky by a storm, traveling constantly to all ends of the state to give fans autographs, pictures, and legitimate prom poses with these future NBA stars. The National Championship trophy also went our tour with Coach Cal, Matt Jones, and a fancy bus. The most important thing we learned from this road trip, aside from the fact the Calipari and his players are completely dedicated to the programs’ fans, is that Shoney’s in Elizabethtown was recently remodeled. 

I’m really hoping UK Athletics uses pictures like this in a new, Travelocity Gnome-style marketing campaign. Just a suggestion.

Post-season recruiting is in full session right now, and it’s looking like that will have to keep us occupied until the NBA draft on June 28th. The Cats have their eye on Anthony Bennett, whose enigmatic approach to his recruitment has everyone speculating. He’s not set to make a decision for another month or so, so there’s a lot of sitting, waiting, and wishing to be done in Big Blue Nation this May.

Finally, and honestly one of the month’s events that I have found the most genuinely thrilling, our editor in chief Ally Tucker has gotten The Call up to the main KSR site. She absolutely deserves her new position of weekend editor, and it seems like forever ago when the two of us were embarking on our original blogging adventures at Tuckers Tales (check it out for some giggles… and remember, it’s TuckersTales.net, not TuckersTales.com. Two VERY different sites). Ally has put in an incredible effort when it comes to promoting KSR College and keeping it functioning on a daily basis, and I can’t wait to see how she’ll help take KSR to the next level. This is how excited I am, and you should be too:

And on that note, goodbye, 8pril. It was unbelievable while it lasted. But now…

@KristenGeilKSR for the non-basketball news we face in the imminent future, including Derby, Olympics, and Monday Night Karaoke. Also, Ally, I really wanted to insert one of those pictures of you dressed up as Michael Jackson for his tribute skate at Champs, but I refrained. Figured it wasn’t professional. However, if anyone reading this wants to see it, get at me. 


Source: ksrcollege.com

The Background Behind Findlay Prep

I stumbled upon something quite interesting this morning while drinking my coffee and eating my omelette (yes, I’m fancy and grown up enough to make myself an omelette for breakfast). We know, thanks in part to our current obsession with Anthony Bennett, that Findlay Prep out in Nevada has become a basketball powerhouse as of late, winning three National High School Invitational championships in the past four years. But the history of Findlay Prep is actually more interesting than its present.

You see, Findlay Prep is not actually a school. It’s a basketball program that was founded by an auto dealer with the last name Findlay who decided that he wanted to start a basketball program similar to Oak Hill, but in his hometown of Las Vegas. Oak Hill, as you probably know, is a Virginia prep school that essentially functions as a factory to churn out elite college basketball players capable of playing with the best teams in the country (like Kentucky, but on a high school level). Similarly, Findlay Prep is simply “aligned” with Henderson International School and has been okayed by national authorities to play high school basketball. Besides Anthony Bennett, Findlay Prep has been home to other high school-turned-college superstars such as Avery Bradley (currently with the Celtics) and- wait for it- DeAndre Liggins, former UK player currently on the roster for the Orlando Magic.

But wait, it gets cooler. There’s a web series devoted to following Findlay Prep and the effort it takes to build and maintain a nationally-acclaimed program whose success relies on teenagers. You can find the web series here on YouTube- the latest episode features Anthony Bennett and fellow teammate Winston Shepard discussing their NCAA recruitment, something I’m sure all UK fans will want to tune into.

Kentucky fans should find this web series fascinating for many reasons- learning more about Anthony Bennett and relating to Findlay’s status as a basketball factory/powerhouse, just to name a couple. Here’s that first episode. After all, what better way to spend a lazy Sunday than obsessively watching every single episode of a web series?

I found this information on one of my favorite basketball blogs, stormingthefloor, so give them a looksie. For updates on the latest webisodes of Findlay Season, follow @FindlaySeason. For updates on college sports and more, follow me @KristenGeilKSR. 

Source: ksrcollege.com

Danny Trevathan to the Denver Broncos

With the 18th pick of the 6th round, the Denver Broncos selected outside linebacker Danny Trevathan to come out west. Trevathan, who led the SEC in tackles for the past two years, will join fellow UK football alumni Wesley Woodyard, Jacob Tamme, and Jeremy Jarmon. Trevathan has tremendous upside and is popular for being a high-effort player and ultra competitive. Congratulations to Danny; Denver’s BBN fan base just got even bigger.

@KristenGeilKSR


Source: ksrcollege.com

Winston Guy to the Seattle Seahawks

With the eleventh pick of the sixth round, the Seattle Seahawks selected former Kentucky safety Winston Guy. Guy, who was projected to be a free agent, is likely going to be a steal for the Seahawks- he was a three year starter who finished his senior year with 120 tackles/2 interceptions/2 pass breakups as a senior after posting 106/3/2 the prior year.

Congratulations to Winston and we’ll keep an eye on how he figures to fit into the Seattle playing style in the next few days. Shake your dreads in celebration!

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: ksrcollege.com

Documentary to Come Out About UK Fans

As we all know- from the videos that keep coming up of Woodland and Euclid after the title win this year (and I think it’s amazing that nearly a month later, yes, they STILL keep coming), from the comments y’all leave so sweetly on our blogs, from the calls to the radio show, from the hundreds of people who will come see an open practice on a random week day, and much much more- UK fans are the most passionate around. In fact, some may argue that we’re more famous than the individuals who play for our university. And finally, they’re going to make a movie about us. We’re going to Hollywood, BBN!

Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but still. Jason Epperson, a Winchester native and local director/writer/producer, has taken on the task of making a documentary about the “obsessive love story of UK fans.” Entitled “The Sixth Man: A Krazy Love Story,” the film will follow fans throughout the season and focus on the energy the fans devote to the basketball program. It is scheduled to be released in October, right before Big Blue Madness, to whet our appetites for the upcoming season. A few interviews with former Cats Jodie Meeks and Josh Harrellson have already been leaked, as well as our fearless leader Matt Jones. Check out the movie’s Facebook page for up to date info. I’ll leave you with some video clips.

Interview with Jodie Meeks:

 

Interview with Matt Jones:

Interview with Josh Harrellson:

@KristenGeilKSR for adventures in babysitting on this Saturday.

Source: ksrcollege.com

As If You Needed Another Reason…

By now you’ve heard that Terrence Jones’- excuse me, T Jones-  cameo on “Teach me Bout Kentucky” by Wes Grams. Aside from all the normal reasons to purchase this song on iTunes- the awesome subject matter, the fact that it’s a play off “Teach Me How to Dougie,” dope beatz, fat rhymez, etc- one more has come to light. WTVQ revealed today that a portion of the proceeds from that song will go to benefit Reese’s Rangers Breathe Foundation and- wait for it- the college and dental funds of KSR’s favorite, Stone Cold Willow. 

Do your Kentucky basketball fan duty and spend 99 cents on this song. Seeing Stone Cold Willow smile will make it well worth the dollar.

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: ksrcollege.com

The Downsides of “One and Done”

It’s nothing we haven’t heard before, but now that it’s the off-season, it’s still nice to be reminded that John Calipari is the savviest coach in college basketball. Steven Suarez of SBRForum.com dedicated a Tuesday post to the one-and-done trend in college basketball, detailing why it hurts the players and the game while still affirming that coaches like Cal aren’t doing anything wrong by recruiting the likes of Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

As Suarez accurately notes, “College basketball is a business and Calipari is the best CEO around.” With the NCAA’s requirement that athletes be one year removed from high school before declaring for the pros, collegiate athletes are placed at the low end of the financial totem pole, earning nothing for their hard work while coaches and athletic department officials make millions. Who can blame the kids for wanting to maximize their earning potential as soon as possible? Suarez argues that the rule has “turned these young future superstars into money-grabbers first and basketball players second,” placing their financially rewarding future careers ahead of developing as a basketball player and a college student.

As depressing a notion as that is, Suarez warns his reader not to expect changes to the system any time soon. If a player stays in college four full years, we now assume that he’s not talented and is only staying because he wouldn’t make it in the pros- whereas we used to praise this same kid for dedication to the program, the team, and his own betterment as a player and person (Darius Miller, of course, being the exception for Kentucky fans).

Suarez tentatively brings up college baseball’s rule that players stay a minimum of three years, and I would be interested to see one of our baseball writers do a situational compare/contrast (heyyyyy, John and David…) of why that works for baseball and whether it could work for basketball. Off the cuff, it seems like a three-year rule would help build program consistency, give players a longer time to develop without feeling the pressure to declare after one year in case of a future injury, and help a coach and a fan base build stronger relationships with a team. Our 2012 Wildcats were the exception rather than the rule when it came to their brotherhood, and I think it’s worth noting that most of them said something along the lines of  how they would be friends forever and would really miss each other next year (former Cats like DeMarcus Cousins have echoed similar sentiments about how they wish they were still playing college ball).

BFFL.

The article ends with Suarez reaffirming that the one and done rule prioritizes money over players, and Calipari is just playing the game the way it has to be played in order to win championships. It’s a quick, interesting read, and Suarez will complement it later this week with a look at the benefits of the rule. We’ll keep you posted.

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: ksrcollege.com

Baseball Players Get Awards, Too

Remember back in March when for about three weeks, KSR College could have been renamed “Anthony Davis Awards Roundup”? That was a good time in our lives. Well, don’t look now, but baseball season could have us feeling some deja vu. Two UK baseball players received significant honors today: sophomore lefty Corey Littrell was named to the initial watch list for the College Baseball Hall of Fame National Player of the Year, and freshman Austin Cousino was named to the USA National Team.

Littrell, who is from Louisville, is one of 51 players named to the initial watch list. He has a 6-0 record through his first ten starts of the year, and has a 2.51 ERA. Littreall has allowed 16 walks while striking out 52 batters in 61 innings.I can neither confirm nor deny that Corey is related to former Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell. The Pitcher of the Year award will be announced on June 30.

Cousino, a center fielder, is the first Wildcat to make the Collegiate National Team since John Wilson in 1999 (Collin Cowgill in 2007 and John Shelby in 2005 both received invitations to try out but failed to make the roster). This will be Cousino’s second time playing for a national team; in high school, he played for the USA U-16 National Team and was named the MVP of the 2009 International Baseball Federation World Champion. Cousino hit .545 during that summer, and is expected this season to break all of UK’s freshman hitting records. As the leadoff hitter, he averages .345 with 174 at bats, 44 runs, and 60 hits. Team USA will begin play with a series at Cuba July 5-9. Go America. 

Shout out to my little sister Rachel for making it NLI-official today and signing with Centre to play soccer next year! Just think, I used to be better than you at soccer. 

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: ksrcollege.com

Star-Gazing at the Derby

Red Barn Radio is apparently Kentucky manifested in musical form.

Kentucky is known for three things: basketball, bourbon, and horses. Now that the first has wrapped up, and the second is really more of a lifestyle than a seasonal thing, it’s time to focus on the third. The Kentucky Derby falls on May 5th this year, and the annual Barnstable Brown Gala guest list has come out. Here’s a quick look at what celebrities will be in the Bluegrass next weekend:

Mary J. Blige will be performing the National Anthem on Saturday. I have two hopes for this: one, that she is better than The Fray, and two, that she wears this hat.

Two and a Half Men’s Ashton Kutcher will be partying with the Barnstable Brown twins as well. I can only assume that he will not be as entertaining as Charlie Sheen would have been.

Country stars The Band Perry will be on hand to stop everyone from having too much fun by occasionally breaking into their mega-hit “If I Die Young” (which is, by the way, the worst song to karaoke to of all time).

These guys made the invite list too, somehow. I guess winning the state’s first national championship in 14 years gets you some celebrity cred in Kentucky.

Kate Upton. I would include a picture, but I’m on a work computer and I feel uncomfortable. Sorry, boys.

Derby regulars Boys II Men. Boys 2 Men? Boyz II Men? I’m never sure. Regardless, “Mo-Town Philly” is my jam, and I once saw the group in concert at the Kentucky State Fair. Fun fact of the day.

This guy. He was on Lost. I’m pretty sure he moonlights as Creed on The Office. So he’s a big deal.

Other notables: Tom Brady (but don’t criticize his bets or else Giselle will rip into you), Wynonna Judd, Darryl McDaniels of RunDMC (Tara Bilby), Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, and Erin Andrews.

The gala is a classic Kentucky event, but I can’t help wishing that John Calipari was in charge of the guest list. I’d rather see Jay-Z, Lebron James, Drake, and Bill Clinton over country stars any day. Maybe next year…

Want to come to my Cinco de Derby party? Follow me @KristenGeilKSR.

Source: ksrcollege.com