AC Slater

Well, I was certainly wrong about this one. With practice starting soon, I thought they would stick with Volker, then move on. I respect the Beechwood Admin. for sticking to their guns here. They didn't like what was going on and proactively found a solution. Kudos to them. I would love to see Coach Rash bring home another title to NKY!

Beechwood is one of the worst-paying districts in NKY.

Volker will convincingly win a state title at Beechwood this fall, and shortly after, Beechwood will hire a new coach as Volker takes a coaching job in Ohio, as he has been open about wanting to do all along, especially if a GCL job opens and he is able to get it. JMO.

Who do you believe was the best team from your school (or the team you adopted as yours) that ended up not winning a title, and why?

Does anyone know who all has joined Coach Brown on staff?

I was fortunate enough to go to a practice too. Aside from the obvious increase in energy from the previous staff (if you never got the chance to see a practice towards the end of Stoops' tenure, it was like watching paint dry) that you mentioned, I couldn't help but notice how everything Stein and Co. do revolves around competition. Even communication at the LOS was a competition between who could get calls out quicker between the O and D. The schedule is brutal, but I feel positive about the way the cats are trending. Hopefully, we can knock a few traditional favorites off during the season.

I could see both bumping down the line one more spot to OT at the next level. Great frames that could handle the weight increase and would make very athletic OTs.

Obviously, that is a wide range. I honestly thought it would be higher.

Mitch deserves a lot of credit for taking UK athletics to another level through the drastic improvement in facilities, taking UK football to a level that I, and I think many others, never thought possible, and making programs within the department that were traditionally irrelevant, relevant. It is also fair to highlight some choices/circumstances that happened on Mitch's watch that he did not get nearly enough criticism for, IMO. This includes the absolutely absurd contracts he gave to both Calipari and Stoops. Mitch was so fortunate to get bailed out by Tyson Foods/Arkansas, who made Cal a perfect offer at the perfect time, and Stoops, who was willing to take his buyout over numerous years rather than pay him in the 60 days UK was contractually obligated to. I am not sure how anyone can defend those two contracts. Secondly, the JMI contract has been a cluster and a hindrance every step of the way. He simply handed over all control to an entity that, by the nature of its business, does not have to put UK Athletics' interests at the forefront of its decision-making. Finally, the potentially criminal issues with the swim/dive programs and cheerleading programs have been mostly swept under the rug, to Mitch's benefit. Taking all of that into account, I still think Mitch's tenure was overall positive and wish him the best in his retirement, but the cushy gig that amounts to essentially a job recruiter seems ridiculous to me, especially when UK announced budget cuts just this past month, and Barnhart made north of $25 million over the course of his career at UK. I can't blame him, though. You don't say no to that kind of deal. I blame the board of trustees that signed off on the deal.

When you say Malone's, are you referecing the steakhouse from the BHG based in Lexington? Also owns Drake's?

How many players ended up suiting up for the Baby Birds? I heard they were down a few from an already small roster. Sounds like a great game.

That's an interesting idea. Steve was a DC before being a HC. With Bob Sphire currently running the defense, bringing Steve on could be a way to free him up to only HC duties. My gut tells me Steve will take some time off though.

I'll take a stab at this. My top 10 are: 1. Seinfeld 2. Friends 3. Two and a Half Men 4. MASH 5. Home Improvement 6. The Office 7. Everybody Loves Raymond 8. Modern Family 9. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia 10. Fresh Prince

Due to recent injuries, I could see his timeline fast-tracked, and I honestly hope it is. He is fun to watch and a great player.

Huge difference in joining the team a week into the season and waiting until tournament time. Again, I am glad he is playing and hope he has an incredible year and stays healthy doing it. My only issue was saying that he should be able to wait weeks and weeks into the season and join the team for districts.