ACE

Carolina Roadhouse.....satisfaction guaranteed!

No one has a clue how good Manziel will be. I personally am optimistic. He will bring a level of excitement and enthusiasm that the Browns organization hasn't seen in some time. He is extremely similar to Fran Tarkenton. He has a set of skills that was extremely successful against some really good SEC defenses. You never know how it will translate to the Big Leagues. As a long time Browns fan, I am looking forward the ride.

Has anyone been to the Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge constructed just above the Hoover Dam? I've been there a couple of times. It's an awesome bridge and a great tribute to Tillman.

Sat in the right field Sundeck at Crosley Field about 1969(100th Anniversary of Reds baseball, I believe).....loved watching Bobby Tolan catch fly balls to right field. I sat there in pure wonder and amazement!

Here's a related question....for those who never write checks, how consistently

do you keep up with your checkbook(if you call it a CHECKbook) balance? I know the younger crowd prefers to use the debit card for everything....when I asked a banker how good the young crowd is at keeping up their balance the response was "they don't". They think the "banks balance" is always correct. Little do they know the bank makes errors.

I am a strong proponent of education. My philosophy was get in and out of college as fast and as expensively as possible-I came out of college with no debt and $200 in savings. I completely agree that the degree is all that matters, not the institution(unless, perhaps, you are one the elite super intelligent individuals). The degree opens the door of opportunity. It is then up to the individual to demonstrate the will to excel. It has been my experience that the degree not only provided a good solid long term job, but opened the door to other business opportunities along the way. All that being said, some of the most successful people I know, didn't come close to a post high school education. Those individuals demonstrated the ability to work 24/7 and had the will to succeed at all costs. They have the ability to communicate at all levels and make everyone feel important. They refuse to fail. In summary, an education is the safe route to go with the highest percentage of success for normal people. If you don't pursue the education route, be prepared to work with a relentless will to succeed.

It looks like(when the weather breaks) a group I play may be going to central Ky to hit it for a long weekend. Two of the courses mentioned about playing are Cherry Blossom and Canewood. I've never been to either. Can anyone tell me about these courses, their condition, etc..? Thanks.

Anyone familiar with Sundy Best?---country music duo from Prestonsburg....I am fast becoming a fan. They have a chance for some real success I believe.

In my first State Am, I had been playing well(was young and didn't know any better)...opening round I was minus 1 with three holes to play and finished even. Played with a guy named Kevin Carey(nicknamed Kevin Crush) and he literally hit it 75+ yards past me--I learned real quick there was no golf future for me. I made the cut and was never heard from again:)

I knew it was time for me to hit the road when I shot even par the first day at Gibson Bay and was tied for 36th Place. There are some really good amatuers in KY.

I tried to qualify and was successful both times. Lakeside in 1978(made the cut) and Big Spring in 1979(missed the cut. College got in the way and I never tried again. Maybe in 2016.

I've played in 4 State Ams. 1997 (Crooked Creek), 1998 (Eagle Trace), 1999 (Lake Forest) and 2010 (Gibson Bay).

Used to be a 4 day tournament until 1999.

Very fun time.

 

I haven't played Bellefonte in a LONG time. Wasn't a big fan of it, but it sure was nice!

BCC is short and tight. When good players come(AJGA, etc) they expect to chew it up, but the reverse happens. At the end of AJGA week there is only one or two players under par. It's a position golf course, few flat lies, several challenging greens. It's a fun, challenging beautiful course. I expect the top score in the State Am to be in the range of -12 to -14. Those guys can play.

The 2016 State Am will be conducted at Bellefonte Country Club(I am a current BCC member) in Ashland. Anybody played in previous State Ams or played at BCC?

Maybe I wasn't clear enough in my stance. Wiltjer wouldn't have played more than 5-7 minutes a game max on this team. No way you take Randle off the floor for more than a breather here and there if Wiltjer is option 2 at PF...

I don't disagree with that at all. I just thought there might be 7-15 minutes a game available to fill the SF or PF position when the matchups are favorable(of course, I understand KW's lack of favorable matchups). It just seems to me virtually every player on the team has shown periods of very inconsistent play and there would have been periods of time(maybe very few) where KW could have really helped. Of course, I could be wrong............wouldn't be the first time.

So the idea is improving this UK team by taking Randle off the floor and hoping things would have been better with Wiltjer eating those minutes........

 

No, that's not the idea at all.....most criticisms toward this team have been along the lines of poor/horrible free throw shooting, youthful inexperience, average shooting, quitting on the road(youth), lack of mature leadership. I personally believe Wilter "could" have been an asset in areas of weakness. Not a cure all by any means. The athletes around Wilter would have helped cover his weaknesses.

Very little. This team's major issue has been their defense. Wiltjer would've only made that aspect worse.

If the major issue is defense, then, perhaps he wouldn't have hurt too bad there(trading poor defense for poor defense) and would have been an upside on offense? Wiltjer was a 40% 3 point shooter(this team is 32%) he was 80% free throw shooter(this team is 68%)....I think he "could"have been a big help especially in road games where our youth has performed so poorly.

...have had on this UK team. Surprisingly, I don't recall hearing his name mentioned anywhere this entire year. Is it possible that, being surrounded by so many great athletes, that his experience, 3 ball, free throw shooting, etc. could have made a significant difference? We all know he is a defensive liability, but he had some nice positives to go along with the experience that we so desperately could have used.

Ashland's Jeff Tipton(6' 11")ad a very nice career at Morehead. Louisville Central have a very good 6' 11' player who played at UL, i believe. Also, Felton S

pencer.

Seems to me the objective should be to practice harder, get in better condition, get stronger and outwork your opponent. Not make excuses about fatigue. If I am not mistaken both teams have the ball pretty much an equal amount of time. Saben, it's time to adapt.

Ridiculous!

Guys, when you have daughters, let me know....I now know all the investigative tricks, to the point where I know qualify as a CIA agent in waiting:ylsuper:

I have 2 twenty-something daughters, both yet unmarried. We are very close and raising them has been a challenging at times for sure. They are a treat and I look forward to that closeness we have as we all grow older. It will be a difficult day to "give them away" but...hopefully they will be "prepared" for that day and that will help make it tolerable. I have a feeling I will have to dance with them at the reception to "Butterfly K

Kisses"---that's when the tears will flow.:isurrender:

I agree with you on all counts. All I am saying is "if" Stoops follows up with a couple more comparable recruiting classes(and his current track record shows that is a distinct possibility), then, we are on par with other quality classes of other "non elite" programs, who are subject to he same "bust" classes as we are. I am not guaranteeing anything, I just believe the odds for our success are as good as anybody and I am choosing "guarded optimism":thumb:

Love your optimism ACE but one problem I see is that " 2 more top 15-20 classes" is easier said than done (And I am not factoring in a class that was thought to be good is a bust). What happens if UK gets a 30-35 class in one of the next two years? Does that equate to more 6-6 seasons?

So, to summarize, it sounds like virtually nobody thinks a 9 win season is in the cards for Stoops-only 1 or 2 yes's. That's quite surprising to me because we got to 8 wins a time or two with very poor recruiting. Yes, we are still low in the SEC, but being 9th(and in the top 20) is a whole lot different from being #35 and 11th in the SEC. The gap appears to be closing dramatically. I still say 2 more top 15-20 classes and our talent is right there with most of the SEC. At that point coaching and experience is what gets you over the top. Going on record...9 wins will happen by 2017.

A lot of great comments, here is my take on the facts as I see them:

-in 14 months Stoops and staff have vastly exceeded any and all expectations in recruiting

-for the first time the UK name is being currently tossed around now with a few 5 Star players(may or may not happen, likely not), but we are now in the game and participating

-this type of recruiting is on par/competitive with almost all the best in the country, outside of the most elite programs, OSU, Bama, etc

-facilities are on track for significant upgrades across the board

-perceptions have begun to change

Therefore, provided that recruiting continues at the current pace or improves a bit, provided that the coaches perform at a level equal to their past successes and players given the opportunity to mature in a over a 2-3 year period, I see no reason that 9 wins will not become a very realistic possibility.

.....that being said, assuming that the Stoops and program continue making positive strides, when will the Cats have a minimum of a 9 win season? We have had 8 before, I believe, in the modern era-say last 25 years, but not 9. I do think it will happen, but will be 5-6 years down the road...say, 2017 is my hope.

...on Ashland's Ross Thompson and Stephen Friley(I apologize if this has already been mentioned). These are two tremendous young men. Excellent athletes in all respects, but even better young men away from sports. It's great to see young people who do the right thing in all aspects of their lives athletically, academically and personally.