Kenny SKY Walker, and my baseball cards

Today I was approached by my 8 year old nephew, who wanted my baseball cards. Now I don't have as many as some people, but I have quite a bit, some complete sets and some packed in boxes. I decided that this was a good way to pass this tradition on, so I let him have the loose cards packed in the boxes. I had been buying him some cards, just whenever I was in a checkout line and thought about it. But as the wide-eyed boy, and his nephew, looked through the cards, there was a framed autograph on notebook paper with a basketball card.

I am sure you can tell by the title it was Kenny Walker's Knicks card the year after he won the slam dunk contest. While Mashburn and Pitino might have brought Kentucky back to relevance in the 90's, Walker and the twin towers battle in Seattle were my earliest experiences. My dad took me to the UKIT's, which I hate that they decided to end, when I got to watch two games in person. Granted we were in the upper section, but it was Rupp and UK.

One summer, my older sister took me by Wildcat Lodge. Of course with it being summer in the late 80's, there was hardly anybody there. Someone went to go see if they could find anyone for the 8 year old to get an autograph, exit Wildcat Lodge, Kenny "Sky" Walker.

While it probably was only 15 minutes, it seemed like he talked to me for hours about basketball, baseball, and the upcoming 3rd grade. While there were times this year I did not agree with him on the radio after games, I have still never forgotten how he spent his free time talking to a little cat fan after signing an autograph. He is still my favorite player to this day because of it. While there is plenty of other news such as the walkons being dismissed or Patrick Patterson's Q&A with CoachCal.com, a trip with some baseball cards down Memory Lane seems to dominate today's mail route. A trip I enjoyed and hopefully gives you a chance to remember you own trip with a Cat. I am your mailman, and that's some mail I enjoyed delivering. And if Kenny Walker ever reads this blog, Thanks Sky for you time all those years ago.

Seriously?

Are you serious? “I think as coaches, we want to ethically make sure that if a guy’s got a commitment, leave him alone." Tell Mississippi State that. Leave Scotty Hopson alone, did you? Remember the rumors last year of the phone calls to John Hood, after he committed to UK?

As on ZAGSBLOG, the big orange pearl is hinting about something as ugly as the blazer. Something that sounds as bad as Rocky Top. I HATE THAT SONG!

Just because someone decided that he did not want to a.) look like the mascot for Syracuse, b.) not play at a football school c.) have sweat drip on him for the pearly one and d.) want to play for a team that wins, of course that means someone else had something to do with someone using their head for something other than the perfect background for dart board material.

Where was the outrage last year when Hopson decommitted to MSU and ended up at the orange blob? But it just looks better this year on paper, isn't that right Kenny? Yeah, I didn't want to leave you out Mr Boynton. You know what I am talking about, where the yet to be freshman said UK just looks good on paper. And Ashley Judd is just pretty in pictures. The reason they look good on paper is because of something Florida does not recognize lately....talent. But who am I to judge or ridicule. That's what the message boards are doing now. I am just the mailman, and my route got extended to Knoxville and Gainesville.

The most electrifying..........

Finally, the Rock has returned... to the blog. Well, maybe not the Rock, but your mailman has returned to layeth the smackdown on the most electrifying blog on the World Wide Wes...er, Web.

Sorry to have been away for a while, but Mrs. Postmaster has had a honey-do list longer than last year's basketball team's shorts (yeah, I know that is the latest debate on Cat's Pause.) Not to mention our Junior Mailman that is about to turn 5 months. And this whole job thing can get in the way of the blogging, but anyway.

Wow how things are rolling in the bluegrass now. There is so much that has transpired since the last post. A Pilgrim left, but wants of piece of us. Jodie left, but signed a contract (congrats Jodie). Oh Henry, thank goodness you are staying in Kansas, and your little dog too, I mean brother. We had enough of over involved parent with Legion. Next year's roster has been published. Coach Cal had a faux buzz cut, pics with LeBron, at least the ones Nike didn't confiscate, and had to cool is daughter's guns for the Hair (aka Pat Forde). Did I mention, that after Facebookgate, I now want her to have her own twitter, devoted to nothing but one liners of the Hair.

But I want to concentrate on something that has become increasingly present on the mail route lately. Can you feel it? There is excitement in the Bluegrass again. The most electrifying basketball in the NCAA is again, the People's Champ. Does everybody make their own T-shirts now? I have never seen so many different shirts ( My personal favorite is the Cal Zone shirts.) Fans are not just hoping for a good season, they are excited about next season. All of which means I probably won't be able to get tickets, but at least they will be fun to watch again, and I'll be fun to be around after the game. I'll admit losing Jodie to the NBA will hurt, but what about the experience Darius Miller is getting. Patterson and Orton training together in California and news of the new guys getting along so well has the state buzzing. Not to mention that further ahead, seems like the top high school player that Coach wants, has UK atop their wish lists. Don't you think that last year at this time, Pitino's ordeal would be the only thing we would be talking about in the papers. But Coach Cal has more followers on Twitter than dollars the chick was wanting from FEBUK.

But you knew all of this, you're not just a fan, you are fanatic. And why not? We are finally relevant again. And I am the mailman laying the smack down, delivering the mail.

Great Wall of Kentucky?

SLAM is reporting that John Wall has committed to Kentucky. Matt Jones blogged that we will find out something today.

As much as I am happy to hear this and hope its true, I am equally ready to hear the recruiting over for the year so we can find out who stays and who goes. Could he be the final missing piece? Will Jodie stay in the draft? Is everybody's grades OK? There is still a summer of speculation before , well we speculate if Big Blue Madness is at Commonwealth? Are we a final four contender? Will Wall and Cousins be one and done?

There are still plenty of questions, but I am just delivering the mail. And this mail is worth reading to tell the neighbors before they read their mail.

Happy Mother's Day, Tywanna Patterson

It has been hard to keep up with all that is happening these days surrounding the University of Kentucky Wildcat Basketball team. Blink and Coach Cal has signed another five star recruit.

But the biggest recruit he signed so far has to be convincing Patrick Patterson to return to school even though he never had a work out for a NBA team. He was a projected first round pick by almost everyone. Happy Mother's Day Big Blue.

And Happy Mother's Day Tywanna Patterson. Your son seems to be completely a class act. Everyone who interacts with him just gushes about such character traits as good manners, being nice, work ethic, etc. Better yet, you have to be proud that he is on track to graduate in 3 years. So by coming back, he will get the diploma before the NBA contract. That speaks volumes of the young man you have raised.

Additionally, congratulations on your son's legend growing in UK lore. If Kentucky does something special next year, everyone will remember how Patrick came back for his junior year to help the Big Blue win. Wildcat fans have special places in their hearts and in their stories for the young men who hustle, put off the rewards of years of hard work to come back for one more year, and most importantly, for the one's that win. And your son fits all of the above. You should be very proud as I am sure you are. I am your mailman, and it has been my pleasure to deliver your mother's day card.

Maybe I should enter the draft, too

I have to go off topic. Worse than that, it is about Ohio State ( and I refuse to put THE in front.) But this is one of those stories that shows on yahoo when you log on. Being about basketball, I had to read.

Now, you never know the validity of blogs, so you must take it at face value. I am not a big fan of the Big Ten, other than it is technically college basketball, so I don't know for sure that he is even on the team. But if the post is true, pompous and arrogant would not begin to describe the NBA.

To summarize, somebody on the end of the bench has a blog to chronicle his splinters. Mr. stand up and clap when the players with talent do something enters his name in the draft. No kidding. NBA says you can't do that. Yes I can. No you can't..or else. From Jerry Seinfeld lore, "No Soup for you." BTW, did you know that the soup nazi has his own website. (picture from www.jimfravel.com) Seriously, like this scrub was getting drafted. People question how high Meeks would/will be this year. The NBA thinks he is making a mockery of the draft? Are they watching the playoffs? Didn't Detroit already do that with the Iverson for Billups trade? What about the "dress code" fiasco that they tried to enforce. It makes you want to support the NCAA about challenging the big bad NBA's withdrawl date. They thought when he entered his name in the draft he was making a mockery, then what do they think it is when they ask him to withdraw? And now when it makes headlines? Better yet, he is not offended. Or mad. He gets a kick out of it. And true to point, he may be the only person this year that was asked to leave, in that way the bouncer asks you to leave when you have had way too many.

Why not just let it pass? Is this a sign of the times? Maybe it wasn't so much he put his name in the draft, but he has his own blog. What could he have posted that they are so scared to be made public. Much like the tootsie roll pop, it will probably be left a mystery.

But it makes you wonder what would have happened if John Wall had tried the loophole to enter the draft this year. Is there a conspiracy? A cover-up? I don't know, but I thought about entering the draft, but alas they called me too. I have a blog. But that's not the problem. Karl Malone threatened to kick their collective butts if they let me. He wants ownership of the mailman. But this is my message, and I am just delivering the mail (Sorry Karl...or I mean Mr. Malone. Don't you remember the size of his arms?)

Kentucky's future days are numbered

That's right, our future days are numbered... thank goodness. I am really looking forward to seeing a number beside Kentucky. A place at the big table. A national rank. And not for just one week before we lose to a team that plays out of their mind and still should lose to the walkons.

It is something we have not seen very much the last four years since Chuck Hayes took that winners mentality to Houston. It assures television coverage. Future recruits see you that want to be seen. Better seeding in the tournament, NCAA not NIT, that is.

Several national pundits are ranking the Cats high. Even as high as fourth.

There is talk of both Patterson and Meeks returning next year after testing the NBA interests. Tom Leach feels it, and you have to value his opinion.

Demarcus Cousins has signed on.

Daniel Orton is still in the picture, his dad thinks its a good chance of happening. Better yet, now he is saying it himself.

The Henrys are visiting according to Jerry Tipton.

Liggins is staying.

And all of this with Calipari in charge. There are more numbers involved than the number next to Kentucky's name to show a national rank finally. There is a question of finding spots for freshmen, who will stay, who will leave. Porter is already gone, who else. On a side note, I want to wish Michael Porter all the best, no one has ever taken as much abuse from fans in such a classy manner since Saul Smith. With all the numbers involved, you need a Statistic professor just to figure it all, but wait a minute, Basketball U. is also an university. They probably have a few that would love some tickets to a few home games. So would I, but I am no professor. Or coach. Or statistician. I am just the mailman, delivering the message. And for once in a loooong time, no one is trying to shoot the messenger.