The New(est) Dispensation of Kentucky’s Domain of Greed, Power, and Corruption

My institution, The University of Kentucky, continues to receive national media coverage for the embarrassments that take place on campus and in its administrative meetings.  Our latest shameful news is that the University Board of Trustees met today to discuss whether or not they would accept Joe Craft’s proposed gift of $7 million and the [...]

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The Cost of Replacing Rupp Arena

Several weeks go North of Center published my article on the prospect of a new Rupp Arena.  To my knowledge, IMG/ISG and the UK Athletics Department have yet to release any official news on the project, although those well-connected people have stumbled upon some rumblings.  See Kentucky Sports Radio’s blog post, “Is There a New [...]

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Sports and Patriotism

Last week I went to see the anticlimactic “Rumble in the River,” a preseason-esque 42-0 University of Kentucky drubbing over Miami (OH) in Cincinnati’s Paul Brown Stadium.
It could be that the game’s most interesting moment for me took place before the game commenced.  As per usual, I chose to remain seated during the performance of [...]

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Day One: Zombrano’s Temper and Chicago’s Upside

During the next couple of weeks I’ll be writing a special series on our road trip across the continent.  We’re taking a pastoral retreat away from the confusion and strife of Lexington.  We lit out for the territory today on a three week journey that will culminate in Victoria, British Columbia.  I hope that in [...]

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Speaking Truth to Power in a Press Conference

Yesterday, an ABC sports studio segment called attention to a recent tirade by UConn men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun.

Apparently, during a post-game press conference, a reporter blindsided Calhoun by asking him how he reconciles the fact that he is the highest paid state employee while there exists a $2 billion budget [...]

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If You Believe It, It’s Not a Lie

This past week has been great for Red Sox Nation.  We’ve seen our nemesis, Alex Rodriquez make an about face and admit in an interview with Peter Gammons that he has in fact used steroids (after evidence of his testing positive surfaced, of course).  This explains how a relatively slender infielder with the Seattle Mariners [...]

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The Tissue Thin Difference

Happy trails to John Updike, the novelist and essayist who died of cancer today.  I was supposed to read several of his short stories through the course of my undergraduate career in English, I’d imagine, but I’ll always remember him for his essay, “Hub Fan Bids Kid Adieu,” which is probably up there with H.G. [...]

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If Academia Operated Like the Professional Sports Universe

The recent Manny Ramirez saga, which culminated yesterday afternoon when the Red Sox traded him for fifty cents on the dollar to the Los Angeles Dodgers, has made me wonder: what would the world be like if academia operated like the professional sports universe? As Peter Gammons has explained, the Sox realized [...]

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An Improbable Hole in One

I have been golfing on a semi-regular basis for at least twelve years.  Even by conservative estimates, I have golfed about 200 rounds in my lifetime, which means that I’ve had about 800 realistic chances at getting an ace (assuming that there’s four par 3s on an 18-hole course).  That’s a lot of swings on [...]

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Notes on the 2008 Kentucky Derby

This afternoon I watched the Kentucky Derby the way I used to watch it before moving to Lexington, which is how most non-Kentucky natives watch “the most exciting two minutes in sports”: at home, lounging on the couch, and with mild amusement. I guess I have yet to assimilate fully and accept this Kentucky [...]

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