Where’s the respect for Brooks’ Cats?
October 19th, 2009 | 
Author: By LARRY VAUGHT
When will the University of Kentucky football program start getting the respect it deserves?
Go back to the 2008 NFL draft when Wesley Woodyard, who now plays for the Denver Broncos, was undrafted when UK coach Rich Brooks, a former NFL coach, tried to tell the pro scouts and coaches that Woodyard could play.
But what made me wonder even more is what has happened the last two weeks.
Quarterback Mike Hartline was injured and knocked out — probably for the season — on a hit at South Carolina after the play clock had expired. Any competent officiating crew would have blown the play dead and protected the quarterback. Instead, this crew let the play go and Hartline got nailed.
The Southeastern Conference called it a “regrettable” error. What about the national media? No reaction. Yet the media went on and on about the legal hit UK’s Taylor Wyndham put on Tim Tebow. That play was played over and over. It made “60 Minutes” and other shows.
What if Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, had been knocked out for the year by Wyndham and the play should have been blown dead? What if Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, had gone down against Texas Saturday when the play clock had expired before the snap. National media members would have gone crazy.
But since it was Hartline and Kentucky, there was nothing.
Now take a look at this week’s college football polls. Auburn, the team Kentucky beat 21-14 Saturday and should have won by more, received votes in the Asssociated Press and USA Today polls. One is picked by media members, one by coaches. While the Tigers are unranked after losing their second straight game, they did get votes. So did Arkansas, the team that beat Auburn two weeks ago and could have beat Florida Saturday.
What about Kentucky? Nothing. Not one vote. Granted, UK has three losses. But two are to Florida and Alabama, who are both No. 1 in a poll. The other was the road loss to South Carolina, another top 25 team, when UK was without its two starting cornerbacks, starting offensive tackle and starting quarterback for the second half.
If Kentucky wins its next three games to go to 6-3, will the Cats get ranked? Probably not. After all, the attitude is it is only Kentucky. Just ask Hartline.
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10 Responses to “Where’s the respect for Brooks’ Cats?”
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Great question. I was wondering the same thing. Not to mention on the dead play the tackler also had the left rear side of the shoulder pads. That grip by his neck and the insuing pull back and sideways looked to me how the knee was injured. I thought that should have been a penalty. I am pretty sure that is now illegal in both college and the pros(take a good look at the replay and you will see what I’m talking about). Still no mention and no respect. As my sister says. It is what it is! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. GO BLUE OR STAY HOME!!
Larry, wow, that is the most bitter you have been in any of your articles. I agree with you about Hartline, but the reality is this: The national press has its’ media darlings and Hartline isn’t one of them. Nor, for that matter, is UK when it comes to football. While this does indeed suck, it is the way it has been for my entire life. Even when UK was beating #1 LSU and highly ranked the national media spoke of them as an afterthought. It was like “oh yeah, here is a pretty good Kentucky team, but they won’t be there at the end of the year, so let’s move on to these other teams”.
As far as the rankings, no, the cats will not be ranked if they win the next three games. They will probably make it in if they run the table (Which is very possible with the progress they are making). I know that this is apathy talking, but I don’t really care if they are ranked in football this year. The only reason to care about rankings, other than bragging rights, is if you are in that very top tier and have a chance at winning the national championship. No matter how big a fan someone is, I think they would agree that we aren’t going to do that this year. As far as bragging rights, I brag about my team anyway. I don’t need the morons who do the rankings approval to make me proud. Rankings are also fodder to fuel an opponent to beat you. Let’s just fly below the radar the rest of the year. Let’s run the table and go to a decent bowl game. Don’t be bitter. Big Blue Nation doesn’t need rankings to know how good all of our teams are and how proud we should be of them and the individuals that they are comprised of. GO BIG BLUE!!!
[...] Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger wants to know where is the respect for Rich Brooks’ Cats. [...]
Not trying to be bitter guys, but as you noted this has been going on for years. Fair is fair. Give the kids/players what they deserve. Maybe you are right Jim. flying below the radar has worked well for Brooks. But it sure didn’t help Hartline
Larry,
I think someone has to say something and that’s what you did. You did the same in the CM Newton article(well you gave CM the platform). Keep the bullets by the gun cause we need them now and then. I agree fair is fair and that was not. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. GO BLUE OR GO HOME!!
I will keep the bullets handy for when we need them
I agree with you Larry 100%. It’s a real shame that UK FB gets so little respect, even from the Powers to be in the SEC head office. Maybe the zero penalties called this week against Auburn was their way of a make up but they owe us for years of blown calls. GBB!!!
Let’s hope it was a start but they do owe UK a bunch. You are so right about that
We don’t need no stinkin’ respect in the media! I have realized this over the past 3 years when I recieve the college football wrapup issue and startup issue of SI. BTW, for the last 3 years UK football has been marked as a program on the decline by SI! It just shows why we play the games…
SI obviously needs to start doing better homework. Glad those of us here on this site are a lot more astute about our Cats