VIEWPOINT
Letters To The Editor
Mail All Letters To: VIEWPOINT, the Cats* Pause, P.O. Box 7297, Lexington, KY 40522
'Cats, Cops & Cawood
Dear Sir:
Kentucky basketball is exciting to me! In fact, it is so exciting that I am willing to do more than just read about the games in your newspaper. No, mere words are not enough, in spite of the literary abilities of your staff. The next best thing to being there is to watch and/or listen to a live broadcast. That is a tough chore here in central Florida. Yes, my wife has gotten used to waving goodbye to me as I drive away on game nights, not knowing when I will return. She used to resist my game trips. But now she has a bag of popcorn and a small shopping list ready for me after I've come out of the bedroom wearing as many articles of clothing that say "Kentucky" as weather permits. You see, none of the radios in my house can pick up WLW-AM 700, but if I get in my car and go to the Winn-Dixie Plaza on the edge of town, it comes in loud and semi-clear! I have to park on the north side of the building to shield my antenna from the Latin American stations from the Caribbean basin. Cawood Ledford and I meet there nearly twice a week.
This season's UKIT was no exception. I backed into my parking place in front of the already closed Eckerd Drug Store facing north. After finding Cawood and Ralph, I began to read my TCP when my loyalty to the Big Blue was about to take its biggest test. Out of the corner of my eye, a white flash caught my attention. "Oh," I sighed, "it's only police car. There's another one. . .and another one. They are turning in! They are turning their lights off!! They are surrounding me!!! What do I do, Lord?" I did not have a problem telling them why I was there, my only concern was how long would I have to turn the radio down to talk to them? "They won't send me home, will they? Here they come. They are getting out of their cars. Look at that, three female police officers! Oh, no! At least men would understand!! Worse yet, what if they are Gator fans!!! Well, it won't be long now, they are coming over."
As I rolled down my window, I felt I better initiate this discussion:
'Cat Fan: "Would you like me to get out of the car?"
Officer No. 1: "No, stay put."
Officer No. 2 (As she shines her flashlight in the passenger window): "We've got an alarm off in the drug store, don't move."
'Cat Fan: "Oh, I couldn't even hear it for some reason. (Turning the radio down) Now I hear it. (Noticing her puzzled look, I continued). . This is Kentucky basketball!"
Officer No. 2: "Oh, yeah?" (Chuckle, chuckle)
'Cat Fan: "Yes! You see, I can't pick up the game in my house, so I have to come here to hear it."
Officer No. 2: "I see." (She turns to meet the other officers behind my car. After some mumbling and a loud burst of laughter breaks the tension of the moment.)
'Cat Fan: "I guess that means they believe me."
Officer No. 3 (After they get the alarm turned off): "That wraps it up." (They returned to their cars and sped off into the night with Kentucky back into the lead.)
Yes, Kentucky basketball is exciting to me!
The poor Gator fans down here can't even sell out more than one basketball game each season. They wouldn't even sell that one out if it wasn't for people like me helping them out. Maybe I'll see some of you there when the 'Cats come to town! I know you guys will cover the game well as usual. Keep up the good work so that those of us who live in the outer fringes of the world can get a glimpse of the excitement we once knew back home!
Sincerely,
Bob Hensley
Winter Haven, Florida
Upset With WHAS
Dear Sir:
While my dander is still up, let me vent some of my anger in this letter. First, let me say I am referring to the dispicable way (Louisville Fairdale running back and UK recruit) Craig Walker was set up on Van Vance's phone-in talk show last night on WHAS. Personally, I like Van Vance and admire his quick wit and ability to take over and turn the program in the right direction. I also understand that with the U of L publicity department being a heavy contributor to WHAS and his program, that a lot of what goes on is out of his control.
The event I am referring to happened just as the Kentucky-Auburn game was getting ready to start on WAVE and the Kentucky Network. So I am sure many of you Big Blue fans missed this. However, Craig Walker did not miss it and I am sure he was deeply embarrassed by it. As I said before, it was a "setup," with the parties involved being given "hot line" phone numbers to call in to WHAS. One of these, was unquestionably a U of L publicity agent. He called in requesting to speak to Craig Walker about why he chose UK over Louisville. Well, quite conveniently I must say, he was on the phone trying to defend his choice.
I just wish you could have heard this U of L backer, or agent as I call him, berate Kentucky and the way he put Craig Walker on the defensive. This agent said that he could understand Craig's decision if he had chosen Notre Damebut Kentucky, which would be lucky to have a 2-9 won-lost record this season, was unbelievable. He appealed to Walker's patriotism and loyalty to the city of Louisville rather than going 65 miles away and playing in Lexington. He, also, made reference to the hostility to expect when he returned to Louisville after four years playing football in Lexington.
I really bled for this young man and kept hoping that he would tell this agent to go "fly a kite." This was all done in very poor taste, unsportsmanlike, and useless, as Craig Walker had already made his commitment. Although, I am sure his enthusiasm has taken a tumble. And just think what other young signees and future prospects might be thinking.
Respectfully,
Charles L. Morgan Crestview, Florida
True Fans?
Dear Sir:
 What kind of fans do we have out there? It seems everybody is sending in a report card or has some expert opinionated observations. Why? Why can't you be a true fan?
Throughout the years we've had the football team break our hearts. But you know their hearts were broken, too. They felt as bad as we did. I once made the statement that I was tired of that some thing every year. My buddy brought it to my attention. He said, "You're not a fan." I said, "Now wait just a minute. I've bled Blue for 20 years!" (Where have you heard that before?) He said, "If you can't take it when the going gets tough, you're not a true fan." I've never forgotten that. It makes sense to me, and I might be disappointed sometimes, but I know those kids out on that field are playing their hearts out for me and every real, loyal 'Cat fan from everywhere.
Last year's basketball team played some of the most exciting basketball I've ever seen. They won a number of games on heart alone. How. many times have you heard, "Rob Lock is a non-force inside," "Rex (Chapman) is just trying to hard," blah, blah, blah? Myself, I'd like to thank them for an exciting season, which was bound to make them hungry for this one.
Now a few words about this season: What would Mr. (Bill) Hench (Viewpoint, Feb. 13) like to do after we have a bad game? Grade them? Then go out and recruit other players, before the next game, to replace those that don't make the grade? This here is our team. It's the only team we have, and frankly, I think we have some dandies on it. How could you write what you did about Winston Bennett? He could play on any college team in the country. Dean Smith would eat his heart out. So would that tough guy (?) from north of the border. This team's free-throw shooting has gone from last to first. In fact I think Mr. Lock led the league and free-throw percentage and the team in field-goal percentage.
Well, I think that we should pat these men on the back, give 'em a big smile and say, "Let's go get 'em." Let the chips fall where they may. Nuff said.
Steve Marples Westmore, Tennessee
P.S./ would like to express my condolences to Derrick Miller for the loss of his grandmother. Mam-maws are something special.
UK Basketball Is. . .
Dear Sir:
Every year at this time all across the country, basketball teams and their fans get prepared for the NCAA tournament. All of these schools firmly believe in their abilities and their asperations are limited only by their imagination. With all the hoopla around, it makes me think of a question: What is Kentucky Basketball? Kentucky Basketball is not a place, or a particular person, nor is it being No. 1 in the polls. Kentucky Basketball is a feeling. It is the pride and tradition that
has been handed down from legends such as Adolph Rupp, Dan Issel and Louie Dampier to tommorrow's legends like Winston Bennett, Eddie Davender and Rex Chapman. Kentucky Basketball is a young boy who lives in rural eastern Kentucky lying by his bedside at night with an old A.M. band radio listening to Cawood and Ralph call the action and dreaming of someday suiting up in the Blue and White and representing UK. Kentucky Basketball is two old men sitting on the front porch of a farmhouse discussing the incoming freshmen and tears rolling down the face of these men as they watch the UK seniors' final game in Rupp Arena. Kentucky Basketball is hundreds of fans gathering at the airport in Lexington to welcome home the 1984 team that lost in the first round of the Final Four in Seattle. It sickens me to hear some people talk in disgust of our program, some may even say that tradition is stronger in Carolina or Indiana. I once saw a six-year-old boy cry after the 'Cats had lost, but the. very next game nobody cheered louder for UK than that kid didthat is Kentucky Basketball. It is alive and strong today and it always will be as long as there is that one little boy, somewhere in eastern Kentucky, listening to the 'Cats, and dreaming! If you want to find Kentucky Basketball today, you don't have to go to Lexington, because it can be found in the hearts and souls of elderly and kids alike, from the two old men in western Kentucky, to the little boy in the mountains, to this 17-year-old college student in Pine Knot, Ky.
Go Big Blue!
Bill Simpson
Pine Knot, Kentucky
Statistics Don't Lie
Dear Sir:
I just finished reading a letter to the editor from Mr. Tom Fowler of Dunnville, Ky. In this letter, Mr. Fowler urges us to look at the percentage of turnovers in comparison to minutes played, Rob Lock vs. LeRon Ellis. With calculator in hand, I turned to the Wildcat statistics in the same TCP issue and here's what I found: Lock turns the ball over once every 13.61 minutes, Ellis every 13.69. Out of curiosity, I also found that Lock scores a point every 2.3 minutes and grabs a rebound every 3.7 minutes (compared to Ellis' 2.8 minutes per point and 4.4 minutes per rebound). Maybe Mr. Fowler should research a little better before writing these three paragraphs ripping Lock. Come on people, quit blaming Rob and check out the 46.9 shooting percentage of two certain guards.
Bobby Tandy Lexington, Kentucky
C'mon Earl
Dear Sir:
This letter is to Earl D. Bell of Smyrna, Tenn. I hope you read this aloud and please use only one side of your mouth to do so. [Continued On Page 22]