your University of Kentucky Wildcats football team received some bad news as defensive end Jeremy Jarmon was suspended for the 2009 season after testing positive for an NCAA banned substance. This was a huge blow for a team that was going to lean heavily on its defense. The offense was very inexperienced and the defense was full of experienced lettermen. The Cats still ended with a better record than I had anticipated for the 2009 campaign, but one has to wonder what they would've been with Jarmon on the line. Coach Steve Brown had to work his magic to get some brand new players to step up in Jarmon's absence. The suspension ended Jarmon's career at Kentucky, as an appeal had been heard but denied. The bad news ended there as he was now available for the NFL Supplemental Draft. The Washington Redskins quickly nabbed JJ and the rest is history, however recent it may be.

your University of Kentucky Wildcats received some criticism from a friend in Minnesota as former point guard Saul Smith let his feelings be known about the hiring of John Calipari. And, surprisingly, Jerry Tipton was the guy doing the interview. I'm convinced Saul was simply trying to get some publicity before the new #11 put everyone else who wore the number out to pasture. His Facebook quote:

“Bad bad day for my alma mater,” Smith wrote on Thursday. “The UK athletic program will never regain its true champion nature with Businessmen running it. Never, no matter how many so called blue chip players you bring in. You can’t sacrifice your integrity for success. You just can’t do it. I’m an alum and I deserve a clean-ran program, plain and simple. Period, and if anyone disagrees, you, my friend, shouldn’t support the program I played 4.”

That last part makes him better than you because his Dad let him play on the team. Tipton then got a few quotes from him saying, "Coach Cal is my guy," and “I don’t think he knew about (the Derrick Rose situation), so he says.” Saul later said everything was taken out of context, but his daddy didn't "pay" for players. The Facebook quote was then mysteriously deleted and Saul went back to his life of irrelevance.

Rick Pitino said he was interested in C.M. Newton's offer to become the next head coach of Kentucky. On his weekly television show, Pitino announced he would be flying to Lexington to tour the UK campus and discuss the job opening. Rick Rote, the host of Pitino's show, told the New York Times Rick said, "Joanne and I are going out Tuesday. I plan to make this as quick as possible. I'm hoping I'll be back, but if not, the Knicks will have the biggest cheerleader in Lexington." Statements like these would become all to familiar to Cat fans as Traitor Rick is now known to make these type of statements at every stop.

Coach Rick Pitino and his NCAA Champion Kentucky Wildcats took a trip to D.C. to visit Slick Willy in the White House. Pitino and Mark Pope were the presenters of what was some bad comedy where everyone had to fake laugh for the cameras. Some highlights:
• Pitino noted that since Clinton and Al Gore took office in 1992, "the SEC is dominating the Final Four. Please re-elect them." Hang on........maybe that did work.
• Mark Pope jokingly told Clinton he hoped the President would change his allegiance from Arkansas to Kentucky. Oh SNAP!
The Cats gave President Clinton a #1 Kentucky jersey, Al Gore a #2, . Antoine Walker told the Lexington Herald-Leader, "It was a great experience for me. I've never been to Washington before." Walker then shimmied away.

your University of Kentucky Wildcats received a commitment from Freak Show, John Wall. With all due respect for everything else that happened on this day in Big Blue history, this news takes the cake. We were able to witness a point guard with talent none of us had seen before. It only lasted for one year, but the ride was top notch. That's it, I got nothing else for ya.

Kentucky Athletic Director C.M. Newton let everyone know he would be going after New York Knicks head coach Rick Pitino to succeed Eddie Sutton as the University's head coach. This news angered New York Knick top brass, as they were in the middle of a playoff run. The Knicks were preparing for a Game 7 in Chicago against Michael Jordan and the Bulls. The New York Times referred to the courting of Rick Pitino as "The Kentucky bombshell." Years later he had restaurant sex while eating linguini.

Dan Issel and Artis Gilmore led the Kentucky Colonels to a 3-0 lead in the ABA Finals, beating the Indiana Pacers 109-101 in Indianapolis. Issel had 26 points and Gilmore had 41 points and 28 rebounds to help the Colonels win their first and only ABA Championship just a few days later. The Colonels were the overall #1 seed in the playoffs after winning 23 of their last 26 games. Former Rupp Runt Louie Dampier added 13 points in the victory. The Colonels, ironically, were known for having great crowds and a rabid fan base, and consistently had one of the better teams in the league. In the Championship year, Kentucky was coached by NBA all-time great coach Hubie Brown. Kentucky was a member of the ABA for all nine seasons and amassed the most wins of any franchise with 448.