It's UK vs Louisville - Today! Noon - CBS

Biggest game of the year today! KY will run over Louisville.
Mike's pick - UK 77 - Louisville - 68

Christmas Past - 1988

Justin - 7 years old - Lyndsey - 3 years old - on Hifner Rd in Nonesuch,KY

C-17 Santa

Justin feeling festive in the cockpit somewhere in the Middle East
Click on photo to enlarge

Joe B. Hall Celebration

Pictured left to right - Kyle Macy (Used to do some work with him while at WVLK Radio) Jack Givens (He lived next door to me my freshman year at UK) Rick Robey (lived two doors down from me) and Larry Johnson (beat him in ping pong once)

UK recognized the career of Joe B. Hall. It's been 25 years since his retirement. Seeing photos of the more than forty former players who attended Saturday's reception sure brings back some memories. Joe B had the difficult task of following Adolph Rupp and he did it by adding another national championship in 1978. The history and the tradition of UK basketball is what makes the program so special. It was good to see UK take a timeout to recognize a coach who should be in the College Basketball Hall of Fame. Joe is the only UK coach that was born and raised in Kentucky. I had a lot of fun with him in the 90's as I impersonated him in an on-going radio bit with Jack Pattie on WVLK. Thankfully, Joe has a great sense of humor.
UK is now 8-2 and ranked at #17 with recent wins over Indiana and Miss Valley State.

Can Young Very Talented Defeat Old Semi-Talented?

This photo does a great job of depicting UK's effort last night. They out rebounded the nation's #12 rebounding team.

If anyone wanted to play a drinking a game and take a swig every time time Jimmy Dykes said the word "young" they probably would have passed out before the first half ended last night. This young 17th ranked KY team was in a position to beat UNC in the final minute on their home court on Saturday. We just needed one more shot to fall. Then last night this young talented KY team took down 23rd ranked Notre Dame (5 seniors start) on a "neutral" court in Freedom Hall in Louisville that just happened to be filled with over 17,000 UK fans. Yes - UK owns the city of Louisville too despite another team there coached by little Ricky Pitino. Up next - the INDIANA HOOSIERS roll into Rupp for a 5:15 game on ESPN. Have I mentioned I like this team?

A Man Who Needs No Introduction

The Stuart Christmas Parade

FYI - I snuck into the parade. You can see me waving. I wanted to wave to little Kate as she watched her first parade.(I thought the lady with the flashlight was going to confront me but she didn't.)

KY Goes Bowling

along with 69 other teams. 35 bowl games kind of takes some of the luster off the invitation but KY will be playing Pitt in the BBVA COMPASS BOWL I'm sure you've heard of it.

My Leslie Nielsen Story

I met LESLIE NIELSEN in the early 90's when he was in Lexington for a celebrity golf tournament called the Children's Charity Classic. The organizer of the tournament was a friend of mine and asked me if I could escort Mr. Nielsen from the downtown hotel he was staying in to the WVLK Radio studios where I worked which was also downtown. As we got into an elevator together, he winked at me and showed my a small rubber device in the palm of his hand. Three or four others got onto the elevator and you could sense the nervousness of being in such closed quarters with such a big star. As the elevator started, Mr. Nielson twisted his body slightly and pressed in on his homemade "fart maker" which produced the perfect fart. His body language was precise. We both stayed straight faced as the others didn't know what to do. As the doors opened and as he walked out of the elevator he let another one rip and said "man, all this traveling and eating in different places is catching up with me." As we walked into the radio station, he told me to keep his secret as he continued to pull his favorite gag on others. When he got to the golf tourney and was posing for pictures with fans, he continued to have a blast with his fart maker. He explained to me that he had made it himself and he was very proud of it. What a great guy!

The Thanksgiving Jar - A West Tradition

This year's jar is dedicated to Justin and to Kacey. Justin is serving in the Middle East during Thanksgiving. We miss you and we thank you and all the families who sacrifice for our freedom and protection!

Here's how it works. Post something you're thankful for throughout the day on Thanksgiving via the comment section and I will add your note in the jar. As new notes are added, more notes will show up in the jar. See how it works? The tradition started when the kids were small. We would put a jar on the counter on Thanksgiving morning and as thoughts of things we were thankful for would pop in our heads, we would put a note in the jar. Then we would pull all the notes out at the end of the day and read them. We have much for which to be thankful!

KY Eyeballs the Maui Classic Championship

KY has put up two impressive wins on their road to the championship game tonight against UConn at 10pm on ESPN. (UConn upset second-ranked Mich State 70-67.)
We dismantled Oklahoma in the first game and out-toughed the Washington Trash Talkers last night 74-67. I said it before but I'll say it again; I really like this KY team! Big Blue Nation has taken over Maui and has their eye(s) on the championship.

I Like What I See - This Year Compared To Last

From what I have seen in the preseason and their home opener (KY won over East TN State last night - 88-65) I like this 2010-2011 edition of the Wildcats! Why you say? They can shoot very well from the outside, unlike last year's team. They are playing well as a team, unlike last year's team when at times they relied solely on size and talent. They have shown some killer instinct by not allowing teams back in the game after gaining a large lead. And, I think they are smarter than last year's team and will be more coachable. I also like seeing us apply full-court pressure. Last year's team was a constant highlight film. You couldn't look away for even a few seconds without missing a tremendous dunk or pass. But I have a feeling this year's team will be even more special and endearing to the fans. Who is my favorite player, you ask? Doron Lamb. He has a beautiful outside shot. Something I too was known for back in the day. :) The only difference is he hits his shots. He finished with 20 points.

New Season Starts Friday For Basketball And Saturday For Football

The 2010-11 basketball season officially begins Friday as KY plays EAST TENNESSEE STATE. The Bucs made it to the NCAA Tourney last year and were the Atlantic Sun Conference Champions so this first game will not be easy. The Buccaneers ended last season with a 29-point loss to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament and they will open the 2010-11 season with another loss to the Cats but KY is very young again this year after putting 4 freshmen into the NBA last year.
For the football Cats, their season sort of starts again on Saturday as they take on VANDY. KY's next two games; Vandy - Sat - at 12:21 on the SEC Network and TN on Nov 27th, will determine KY's bowl fate. I think we have a good chance to beat Vandy in Lexington but not so good at beating TN in Knoxville. If we lose both, say goodbye to any kind of bowl.

Some Common Sense From The Smartest Man In The World

An excerpt from a GOOD READ by the smartest man in the world.

"The president, however, remains clueless. In his next-day news conference, he had the right demeanor - subdued, his closest approximation of humility - but was uncomprehending about what just happened. The "folks" are apparently just "frustrated" that "progress" is just too slow. Asked three times whether popular rejection of his policy agenda might have had something to do with the shellacking he took, he looked as if he'd been asked whether the sun had risen in the West. Why, no, he said."

Powerful Ad

The first time I saw this ad was tonight - election night. I'm surprised I didn't see it sooner. At any rate, it's a very powerful ad. Probably because it's true.

UK Basketball Begins Tonight - Sort Of...

UK opens the "exhibition season" tonight as they play the intimidating and fearless PIKEVILLE BEARS in Rupp Arena. Most KY fans are ready for basketball season to begin after another SEC loss to Miss. State Sat night 24-17. (UK is now at 4-5 on the season) I predicted the interception Hartline threw in the last few minutes as the Cats drove for what could have been the winning drive. Some things never change. I am now predicting KY will go to their 5th bowl game in a row but it will be the most irrelevant bowl game for the Cats in the past 5 years as they finish with a disappointing 6-6 season. Time for some hoop action!

Who Will Be The New Biggest Loser?

Don't Be Skeered

Justin Receives An Emotional & Unexpected Sendoff

By Charles McMahon
October 29, 2010
PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire — The smiles on their faces said it all Thursday. One by one, all 91 members of the 16th Airlift Squadron of the U.S. Air Force made their way down the Heroes Walk at the Portsmouth International Airport at Pease into a room filled with cheering spectators waiting with coffee, doughnuts, camouflage bibles and warm smiles and handshakes.The event marked the 400th time since 2005 that the Pease Greeters, volunteers who attend landings and takeoffs of all military flights, have shown up to support the men and women of the nation's armed forces. Considered to be a milestone, Thursday's event featured hundreds of Seacoast veterans, residents, school children and even a few animals who gathered at the airport to say farewell to the troops before they headed overseas.The squadron, made up of mostly pilots, is headed to southwest Asia to conduct cargo flight missions in C-17 aircraft.

A Few Good Men