VIEWPOINT
Letters To The Editor
Mail All  Letters To: VIEWPOINT, The Cats'  Pause, Box 7297, Lexington, Ky. ^0502 ;
Lost A Great Leader
Dear Sir:
I was saddened to hear of the loss of the greatest coach of all time. Anyone fortunate enought to have attended UK games during Coach Rupp's tenure knows of the special significance of the man. He was Kentucky basketball. All basketball fans have lost a great leader and innovator.
Sincerely, Bruce A. Buchanan Fowler, Indiana
Rupp Meant A Lot
Dear Sir:
I wanted to express my feelings in The Cats' Pause, because many people like me read your outstanding paper. Coach Rupp has meant a lot to me, in my life, as Coach Hall does now -- he really started "something special" and brought us an awful lot of joy. Let's remember the good times and work to keep the Kentucky basketball program an excellent one.
Sincerely, Jack McKay
Street and Smith's B.B. Yearbook Bethel Park, Pa.
Fans Are The Greatest
Dear Sir:
Unequivocally, U.K. basketball fans are the greatest and deserve much of the credit for the continued success of the Wildcats over the years. I believe it is generally true that one a U.K. fan, always a U.K. fan. This is evidenced by the many "Cats' Pause" readers now living in neighboring or distant states who continue loyally to follow the Cats.
I am such a fan. If transferred to outer Mongolia, I would find a way to follow the Cats. My last act before boarding the plane would be to send a change of address to The Cats' Pause.
I share the optimism of many fans for the Cats to go all the way this year. However, in reading letters to the Editor, I get the impression that many fans are taking an NCAA Championship for granted. It was encouraging to read the recent analysis of such a possibility by some of the players themselves. Kyle Macy and Mike Phillips both were optimistic but at the same time realistic. Kyle and Mike both pointed out that the potential is
there, but hard work, team play and lady luck are necessary to accomplish the goal. Meet you in St. Louis.
Sincerely,
Joe D. Eaterling
Ashland, Kentucky
Rooting For The Cats
Dear Sir:
Enclosed is a check to renew my subscription to The Cats' Pause and also to give a new subscription to my brother-in-law, a U.K. graduate located in "Big Orange Country."
Needless to say, your paper is very welcome to all of the Wildcat fans here in Ohio, since the Cincinnati Enquirer gives very little mention to U.K. sports.
I was very saddened to hear of the death of the ''Baron'' who did so much for basketball by producing so many great teams and players at U.K. over the years. I was only 6 years old when he came to Kentucky in 1930, but fortunately I had older cousins who lived in Lexington and introduced me to basketball at an early age. Aggie Sale, Frenchy DeMoisey and Big Leroy Edwards were household words to me before I could underhand a basketball high enough to reach the basket. In fact they took me to see my first game in the old Alumni Gym. I was too young to remember who was on the team at the time but they looked like giants to a little squirt like me.
I have followed all the great U.K. teams and great players since the late 1930s and am looking forward to seeing a lot more. In fact, I'm hoping that this year's team will take it all again. I'll be in there rooting for them.
Sincerely, Richard Lawson Cincinnati, Ohio
Looking For Irish
Dear Sir:
Enclosed is a check to renew my subscription to The Cats' Pause. Please hurry, while watching the Wildcats handle Indiana last night I remembered I had forgotten to renew my subscription.
I've been a Wildcat fan ever since I canremember. I listened to Cawood Ledford, with my father as a child, and now my son enjoys the same experience with me.
Looking forward to watching the Cats claw Notre Dame on national TV.
Sincerely, Jack L. Arnett LaPorte, Indiana
TJear Sir:
Enclosed is my check for a 1-yr. subscription to The Cats' Pause. This is a Christmas Gift for my brother-in-law, Ray Sizemore, who lives in Hamilton, Ohio.
I have been saving my copies of The Cats' Pause and giving them to him, but decided he would appreciate getting such an interesting paper weekly.
My wife and I are big Wildcat fans and enjoy your paper very much. Keep up the good work.
Thank you,
Donald King
Pewee Valley, Kentucky
Baylor's Ranking?
Dear Sir:
Regarding that letter from P.W. Riggins of Grand Prairie, Texas, about Kentucky's loss to Baylor: at the end of the season I read that Kentucky is the number 7th ranked football team in the country ... I do not see the name of Baylor in the top twenty teams or, for that matter, anywhere in the fine print.
Sincerely, Jim Sales
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Big Dan Issel
Dear Sir:
We, meaning my family, have been following the Cats for many years. I'm not a native Kentuckian, but my wife is. She was born and raised in Danville, which of course is about 25 miles south of Lexington.
I can remember straining to listen to Cawood (whom we feel is the finest basketball commentator in the world) call the games during the 65-66, Rupp's Runts, campaign. At that time we were living in Rockford, Illinois, but we still listened to every game on WHAS out of Louisville.
From the summer of '66 until September of '77 we lived in Moores-ville, Indiana, where we picked up the radio broadcast very well, despite valiant attempts by Indiana radio stations to block out Kentucky basketball with broadcasts of the defunked Hurryin Hoosiers. This September we moved again, this time to Cape Coral, Florida. Once again we are straining to hear the "Write it Downs" on Mondays and Saturdays coming from WHAS.
Our all-time favorite is Big Dan Issel, a man that constantly proves to me that great hustle and desire can make up for less than fantastic ability.
We, as many others, were greatly disappointed over the loss to North Carolina last year, and became especially upset when Dean Smith had to prove his immaturity and incompetence by slandering Rick Robey. We are rooting hard for the Cats to prove to the rest of the country, this year, what we've known for years: "They are No. 1."
We are the Kottkamps,
Don, Ce, Jeff, Kim, Chris, Todd &
Heather
Cape Coral, Florida
Brown Socks
Dear Sir:
I want to write and give all the thanks to Coach Fran Curci, his staff, and the whole U.K. football team on a super season.
I enjoy The Cats' Pause each week, as I keep up with UK here in Baton Rouge. I was at the LSU game to watch what I think was one of Kentucky's greatest victories.
I would like to share this little story with you in closing:
I drove to the U.K. vs. Baylor game at Waco. After the game I returned disappointed, and I knew we did not get any breaks and a little extra luck, that you need with football. I thought about U.K.'s great basketball past and the late Coach Rupp. I recalled Coach Rupp's famous brown suit that he wore.
I have a pair of brown dress socks. I got them out, and decided to wear them every Saturday that U.K. played the rest of the season and in memory of Coach Rupp. Well, I don't know, but we never lost another game.
I just wanted to share this with you. Keep up the good work.
Sincerely yours, Donald Singleton Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Wants UK Records
Dear Sir:
I know there have been at least two (2) long-playing records released on "Great Moments in Kentucky Basketball." My title may be incorrect but the recordings' subject is historical moments in the University of Kentucky basketball program.
I want very much to obtain a copy of each and any others available. Can you help me with the how and where to obtain them? I will be most grateful for any assistance you can provide.
Sincerely, Walter J. Carmon Universal City, Texas