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VIEWPOINT
Letters To The Editor
Mail All Letters To: VIEWPOINT, The Cats' Pause, P.O. Box 7297, Lexington, KY 40522
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(UK vs. NC). Thanks.
D. Tucker Charlotte, N.C.
No luck, Columbus
Dear sir:
As I live in Columbus, Ohio, please tell me what radio station 1 can listen to the 'Cats this season.
Pauline McGinnis, Columbus. Ohio
(Editor's Note: Our sources in Columbus tell us they cannot pick up UK broadcasts anywhere in that area.)
'Adolph Ball', Part II
Dear sir:
You have been around Kentucky basketball long enough to know better than to call this "Pitino Ball." Hell, this is just a reincarnation of "Wildcat" basketball Adolph Rupp style. Rick Pitino never invented this type and should not receive credit for it. He should, however, get credit for reviving it. It has lain in limbo for years. I can hear Adolph now, "By Gawd, this is what the doctor ordered."
They can't shoot worth a d, but they have the biggest heart I've seen since "Rupp's Runts. The salesman-studcnt-teacher of the game from "Noo Yawk" is not only a reviver-rejuvinator. but a singular individual who upstaged "Sir Robert" of Indiana. He stole the man's camera. Folks around here who say we need an interpretor for Pitino aren't as old possibly as I am. Hell, I remember the Baron and Kentucky Basketball. Don't you?
Thank God and Pitino for revival,
Tom Fowler Dunnville, Ky.
sign him so he had to blame someone.
Second, I really got a chuckle out of how Mr. Combs said Denny Crum circumvented NCAA rules by putting Robbie Valentine on a federal grant. Is Rick Pitino doing anything different by asking Keith Peel to walk on his first year and then get a scholarship? It is no wonder Peel took this as an insult and opted for another SEC school. I wonder how some of the current walk-ons feel about this? This should tell them that there will be no scholarship next year.
Third is another writer's "opinion" concerning Howard Schnellenberger's new contract. The contract contains a clause that if Schnellenberger wins the national championship, he will receive a monetary bonus. The writer states that this is the "win at all cost" mentality. However, this writer "accidentally" left out that the contract also states that if Schnellenberger graduates all his players he will receive the same amount.
The word around here is that Rick Pitino was never close at all of getting Morton. Pitino's staff sent a feed up to some Louisville media in order to make it seem that Pitino "was" so close to signing the blue-chipper. . .and from Louisville for that matter. If there was any roguish recruiting it belonged to Pitino. Pitino played games with Morton and Stephen Davis. Pitino said to Morton that he will be a star at U of K and how much everyone in Lexington loves him. All the while Davis was left to play second fiddle. It is no wonder U of K never signed either one. or Andy Penick or Keith Peel for that matter.
Finally, another reporter noted how U of L signed Morton who has yet to pass the ACT. Before the U of K folks pass judgment on a U of L recruit, they better not forget Shawn Kemp. Sean Woods. Johnny Pittman and Reggie Hanson. These type of cheap shots are for the "kitty litter" only.
They say that misery loves company. This explains why U of K media and fans want to find something on the University of Louisville.
Jim Lally Jr. Louisville, Ky.
Cheap shots, Oscar     What Copper Bowl?
Dear sir:
The other day a friend brought in The Cats' Pause to work. He knew that this Kitty Cat Trash would stir up an argument, and it sure did. The issue of concern was the edition in which up to eight pages were devoted on the Dwayne Morton so-call illegal recruiting.
It is a wonder where Oscar Combs gets his stories. Probably from Fred Cowgill (WLKY-TV, Louisville). But more amazingly is how quickly he forgets what was...and still is taking place in his own backyard.
First, Mr. Combs mentions how the University of Louisville illegally recruited Cedric Henderson. If this was the case, how come he never went to U of L? Instead he opted for the Univeristy of Georgia. I guess Mr. Combs is still upset because U of K was also recruiting Henderson and wasn't able to
Dear sir:
The Wildcat Quiz section in a recent issue of The Cats' Pause stated that UK played in the 1960 Copper Bowl and Calvin Bird was the MVP.
I have been unable to find any record of UK playing a bowl game in 1960, or in the Copper Bowl any other year.
Would you please print more information related to this game.
Thank you,
Bruce Webb Willisburg, Ky.
(Editor's Note: The Copper Bowl in 1960 was a college all-star game played in Phoenix, Ariz.)
Christmas, TCP style
Dear sir:
Please renew my brother's subscription to The Cats' Pause (for about the fifth year). This is my Christmas present each year to him. I am sure he will enjoy it very much, especially for the next three months as he will be recovering from very serious throat surgery.
As I think of the upcoming basketball season I can't keep from thinking of the year of "Rupp's Runts" (size did not hinder them from becoming a great basketball team).
With the return of Kentucky-style basketball (fast breakshooting when open-pressing defense), I see a group called "Pitino's Runts." I feel that it is going to be a better season than we might think possible due to so many problems this past year.
I am glad to see the resurrection of the student/athlete.
Thank you for your continued good paper, The Cats' Pause.
John Hunter,
Huntsville. Ala.
P.S. Adversities and problems sometimes have ways of bringing out the best in us.
Don't stop the presses
Gentlemen:
Here is my renewal to TCP. I don't want to miss a bit. Keep 'em rolling on down here in Tennessee.
I hope "everybody" gets their licks in nowappears Alabama and LSU are very tough this year.
Good luck to Rick Pitinohe doesn't have to have "briars" in his blood to be liked by Kentuckians but he does need a goodly amount of "blue." Shucks, anybody who loves roundball is a "Kentuckian's" buddy. We'll take any "V/" we can get this year. So far we're undefeated.
Hope we can get an equal caliber football coach as Jerry, and we would like to beat Tennessee and the "big brothers?"
Keep up the fast-breaking.
Charlie Shepherd, Chattanooga, Tenn.
An unwise change
Dear sir:
I write my displeasure with the decision to drop Marty Brennaman and Larry Conley as the broadcast team on delayed telecasts in favor of Ralph Hacker and Jim Master. At a time when this is the only avenue through which we can see the 'Cats, we have been given "local" personalities to do the broadcasting as opposed to professionals.
The loss has been ours all the way.
Hacker is an adequate color announcer on radio who comes off bland and deadpan as the play-by-play announcer. If we had a dollar
for every time Jim Master has proclaimed that someone was "doing a great job," we'd all be rich.
The comparison of these neophytes to the professional job that Brennaman/Conley peformed last year is no comparison at all.
Marty Brennaman is an exciting, knowledgeable announcer who would project well into Cawood's position in the inevitability of his retirement. Ralph Hacker's aspirations are no doubt similar, and the move to eliminate Brennaman altogether from the UK broadcasts has paved the way for his own succession.
If the University of Kentucky had used the same logic in hiring the best talent instead of the best talent available, we would probably be following the progress of coach Nolan Barger (head high school basketball coach at Lexington Tates Creek) or Bobby Washington (head high school basketball coach at Lexington Bryan Station) instead of Rick Pitino.
We deserve better.
Sincerely,
Don Hogan
Frankfort, Ky.
Guilty is the sentence
Dear sir:
Please use this letter as a complaint to whomever is responsible for not having the University of Kentucky basketball games on a 50.000-watt station.
Those morons ought to have their names published so that all of the UK fans can make sure that they are never put in any kind of responsible role again. Mr. Larry Jones (in the Dec. 9 edition) put it correctly when he said, "Those responsible have taken away something (listening to UK) that was a tremendous pleasure for us out-of-state listeners."
Now, I listen to a station (1360 AM) that I had to find by going from one end of the dial to the other.
And I am very appreciative of that station. Except now, Cawood comes in clearly about every 10 to 15 points scored instead of the play-by-play.
Heck, I along with many others would probably pay or make a contribution to somehow get the games on radio or be able to watch them on taped delay.
Larry, I'm with you. I am disheartened, discouraged and thoroughly disgusted, 'nough said.
Sincerely,
John Thomas Knoxville, Tenn.
Davis at point guard?
Gentlemen:
Another plea for a 50,000-watt station as it gets quite cold sitting with my radio on my
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