It's official! John Calipari to become 7th Kentucky Basketball Coach

John Clay reports that it's official! He links to Dan Wolken's article at the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

After nearly a full day of reflection and struggle, John Calipari decided today to accept the head coaching job at Kentucky and leave the University of Memphis after nine seasons, according to a source close to Calipari.

A news conference to introduce Calipari as the new Kentucky coach will take place Wednesday in Lexington, Ky.

The Louisville Courier-Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader reported that Calipari called former Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall to discuss the program and its tradition.

Calipari leaves Memphis after nine seasons, the last four of which elevated the Tigers’ program to heights never before seen in school history, including an appearance in the 2008 NCAA championship game.

Calipari’s deal at Kentucky is expected to be in the range of $5 million per year. Despite those mega-numbers, which will make Calipari the highest-paid coach in college basketball by a wide margin, Memphis had indeed offered a better deal, according to sources close to the process.

On Monday afternoon, just when it appeared certain Calipari would accept Kentucky’s deal, he met with influential Memphians including William B. Dunavant, John Stokes and Paul Tudor Jones, according to a source. Later in the night, Fred Smith went to Calipari’s house for a meeting.

Their last-ditch efforts to get Calipari to stay included a lucrative retirement package and incentives that one Memphis booster described as unique.

Late into Monday evening, a source closely connected to Calipari described the situation as “intense” and said Calipari was divided about whether to leave. He showed up at Gibson’s Donuts in East Memphis on Tuesday morning and indicated he would make a decision in the afternoon.

The latest on Calipari

Wow, it feels like 2007 all over again...

Here's the latest report from the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

University of Memphis basketball coach John Calipari, his wife and various members of the Tiger basketball staff left Calipari's house late this afternoon in three vehicles.

Calipari's white Audi was part of the caravan, but the coach, who has been mulling a multi-year, multi-million dollar offer to become coach at the University of Kentucky, appeared to be in the back seat of a blue sports utility vehicle.

The group left just after a pizza company delivered pizza and soft drinks to fans and media camped outside the house, waiting to hear Calipari's decision.

The destination of the group was unknown, but there is a private plane scheduled to take off from Memphis International Airport at 5:16, according to its filed flight plan, and land in Lexington about an hour later.

Kentucky is one of five jobs in all of college basketball that no one in the right mind would turn down the opportunity to coach. The other four historic basketball programs are Kansas, UCLA, North Carolina, and Duke. The only reason why Memphis does so well is that they are in the very weak Conference USA.

Bonus Quote of the Day

"I think all along he's always been thinking in the back of his head, 'I'd love to be (on a big stage).' And how can anybody fault him? If he leaves, they're going to be upset, but it's because he's done such a phenomenal job. If you leave and you've done a bad job they're happy that you're gone. So you can't win."
--Larry Brown, AP, March 31, 2009

Quote of the Day

"Kentucky is a great opportunity. They need a big name, a high-profile coach to get players. And when it comes to recruiting, he’ll always have the top prospects in the country, no matter what school he’s at."
--Chris Douglas-Roberts, New York Times, March 31, 2009

Calipari makes it official: He's leaving Memphis

WREG:

News Channel 3 has learned from a source very close to the situation that U of M coach John Calipari is leaving to be the new coach at the University of Kentucky.

Right now, Calipari is at his home meeting with members of his staff explaining the decision.

We have live crews stationed in the area as well as working with our sister station in Lexington, KY.

Hat tip: Sidelines

John Calipari to decide his decision today

Memphis Head Coach John Calipari will officially decide on his decision today but it seems apparent that he's likely heading to the University of Kentucky.

John Calipari told friends at a Memphis donut shop this morning he would make his decision about the Kentucky job "this afternoon."

And, yes, that is what this has come to: Tracking the man to a donut shop.

Calipari dropped by to see a collection of buddies at Gibson's Donuts at Mt. Moriah at 9:35 this morning.

Unbeknownst to him, The Commercial Appeal had a source -- we'll call him Deep Crueller -- at a nearby table.

Calipari stayed for exactly eight minutes. In that span, he said:

** In addition to Kentucky, Arizona came after him over the weekend offering not a salary but a blank check. Calipari said, "No thanks."

** He was in the Memphis Athletic Office Building yesterday but slipped out a side door.

** He loves Memphis but is drawn to the history and prestige of Kentucky. Calipari said it's one of five programs -- along with North Carolina, Duke, UCLA and Kansas -- any coach would have to consider.[...]

If you're into reading tea leaves -- or coffee grounds, if you prefer -- Calipari did say two things that should have Memphis fans worried.

"Things will be OK here," he said.

And also: "Taking the job is the easy part of the decision. Leaving here is the hard part."

Kentucky's 7th Head Basketball Coach: John Calipari

If all media reports and indications are to be believed, welcome John Calipari as the 7th head coach of the University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball program.

The reported off is $40 million over six years, an NCAA-record $6.67 million per anum.

Here's the latest from Rick Bozich:

All systems remain go on bringing John Calipari from Memphis to Kentucky as the Wildcats' new basketball coach. Folks from UK did indeed have a productive 3 1/2 hour meeting with Calipari yesterday.

Word is that Kentucky has received an all-clear from the NCAA as well as from the Southeastern Conference to hire Calipari, if an agreement can be reached. The two sides are still negotiating.

I've been told the earliest a new coach will be announced is tomorrow -- and it might be Wednesday or Thursday.

However, WHAS-11 has reported it to be official:

WHAS11 News has learned that Memphis coach, John Calipari, has decided to take the offer to be the new University of Kentucky basketball coach.

Calipari just concluded his ninth season at Memphis and has a 137-14 record over the past four seasons in which the Tigers were the only team to earn either a No. 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. He guided Memphis to a national runner-up finish last season, and the Tigers (33-4) were ousted in the West Regional semifinal on Thursday night.

He currently has the top-rated recruiting class in the country headed to Memphis, but his latest recruit 6-foot-10 DeMarcus Cousins committed verbally within the past month and could follow Calipari to Kentucky if the coach leaves.

Landing Calipari won't be cheap. He has four years left on his contract paying him $2.35 million annually. He also has an annuity averaging $1 million over the deal through 2013.

Calipari's coaching staff...

Here's the staff that John Calipari would be bringing with him to the University of Kentucky:
John Calipari - Head Coach
John Robic - Assistant Coach
Orlando Antigua - Assistant Coach
Josh Pastner - Assistant Coach

The never-ending Calipari news...

I'm depending on Sidelines right now for any kind of news since KSR is almost always down during the coaching carousel.

Here's what we know right now.

Gary Parrish thinks it's close but not a done deal.

Kentucky officials expect John Calipari to accept an offer to become their program's next basketball coach, a source close to the school told CBSSports.com on Monday. The source said UK believes it could introduce Calipari within the next 48 hours, that athletic director Mitch Barnhart is merely waiting for the "Yes" he believes is imminent, barring an unsuspected hang-up in the final stages of negotiations.

"It's close, but it's not quite done," one source on the Memphis side told CBSSports.com. "Kentucky is pretty sure it's done, but you know Cal, he could change his mind at the last minute."

A source said Calipari has the guidelines of the offer in place, and that "his people are reviewing it." The source said the offer would make Calipari the highest-paid college coach in America, though details remain sketchy. A separate source said the Memphis assistants are already touching base with recruits to make sure they'd jump to the SEC with them, and a different source said Memphis freshman Wesley Witherspoon would likely follow Calipari to Kentucky.

Kentucky has officially asked for permission to speak with Calipari.

University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson released a statement that said he had been contacted by Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart and has granted Barnhart permission to talk to Calipari about the coaching vacancy.

"We have given Kentucky permission to talk with John (Calipari) about their position," Johnson said in the statement. "However, I will tell you that we are elated with the job John has done as our head coach and we will do everything in our power to retain his services at Memphis."

Memphis is expected to make a strong bid to keep Calipari with a financial package that would make him the highest paid coach in basketball, according to another source.

Jody Demling has some news on recruiting.

I have heard and ESPN's Doug Gottlieb said on a SportsCenter flash a bit ago that it's likely Xavier Henry will seek a release from Memphis and follow Calipari to UK. The 6-foot-6 Henry is ranked as the No. 1 player in the Class of 2009 by ESPN.com and is a consensus top five player in the country by the scouting services. He has signed with Memphis and would need the release to go elsewhere.
Now, with that said John Wall - the Rivals.com No. 1 ranked player - and Demarcus Cousins - another top-five prospect - are not signed. Wall is uncommitted and I have been told has inquired about the new situation and Cousins has committed to Memphis.
I have also been told Calipari would bring his entire staff from Memphis. Some of those guys have already been making calls asking about current recruits.

Is John Calipari headed to Kentucky?

Two years ago, a lot of Kentucky fans were not interested in John Calipari becoming the next head coach of Kentucky basketball. Now, they are. Calipari has led his teams at Massachusetts and Memphis to a few final fours. He knows how to get the job done.

Memphis might have a strong program but remember, they play in a very weak conference. DePaul would have been better off staying in the Conference USA than Memphis.

Here's a take of what Calipari is risking if he decides to coach at Kentucky:

Does he want to be rich enough to buy a Caribbean island?

He can do that by staying at Memphis.

Does he want to win a national championship?

He can do that here, too.

Does he want to coach in front of sellout crowds, be celebrated as one of the most important figures in a city of a million and raise his son, Bradley, in an environment where the family is understood and embraced?

If Calipari wants all that, he should turn down the Kentucky job.

But does Calipari want to become a part of the gilded establishment? Does he yearn to transform his image from wildly successful ruffian to accomplished member of the mainstream?

Calipari can only do that at Kentucky. He can only do that by taking the job in Lexington and winning big.[...]

Would Calipari succeed in his first two years at Kentucky?

Yes, he probably would. He'd bring DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall -- two prize Memphis recruits -- along with him to Lexington. He'd try to persuade Kentucky's Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson to stay. If they came back, Kentucky would be ranked in the top five at the start of the year. As Calipari likes to say, it would be on like Donkey Kong.

The season would be interesting. Calipari has never been successful in an elite conference before. He won big in the Atlantic 10 at UMass. At Memphis, he didn't win a title until Louisville and Cincinnati left.

The SEC will never be confused with the Big East or the ACC, mind you. It was a downright hideous league this year. But winning at Florida, Arkansas and even Vanderbilt is harder than winning at SMU, Tulane and Rice.

So, absolutely, it's a risk. It's picking two in the bush over one in the hand.

Another article indicating Calipari is headed to Kentucky.

While Calipari did not say explicitly what he planned to do, players left the meeting convinced that Calipari would take the job. According to the source, Calipari told the team that Kentucky was the Notre Dame of basketball.

Meanwhile, ESPN.com reported Monday morning that Calipari met with Kentucky officials over the weekend to discuss an outline of a deal to replace Billy Gillispie.

A source told The Commercial Appeal on Sunday that Calipari had expressed interest in the job and could meet with Kentucky this week but that a meeting was “not definite.”

Memphis officials, according to multiple sources, had no direct knowledge of a meeting between Calipari and Kentucky if one indeed took place over the weekend. Kentucky still had not asked Memphis for formal permission to speak with Calipari as of 9:45 a.m., according to sports information director Lamar Chance.

Either way, Memphis is expected to make a strong bid to keep Calipari with a financial package that would make him the highest paid coach in basketball, according to another source.

It doesn't matter what money that Memphis might be offering. It's Kentucky. It's one of the top basketball programs in the nation.

Andy Katz writes on the matter.

Calipari met with Kentucky officials on Sunday at an undisclosed location, at which time he was given an outline on the length of a deal and contract dollars to succeed Billy Gillispie, the source said.

But more than the money, Calipari has to decide if he wants to leave a program in Memphis that he has transformed into a national championship contender for one of the most tradition-rich programs in the sport that has recently fallen upon hard times.

Calipari's top recruit, DeMarcus Cousins, has made an oral commitment to Memphis, but because national letters of intent do not have to be signed until next month, Cousins could easily follow Calipari to Kentucky if he were to become the Wildcats' coach.

Calipari has a longstanding rivalry with Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who coached Kentucky to a national championship in 1996, and would have the opportunity to go head to head with him within the borders of a state that considers college basketball to be the national pastime.[...]

Calipari, 252-69 in nine seasons at Memphis and 445-140 overall, was named the Sports Illustrated coach of the year before the start of the NCAA tournament, the first time he received SI's award. Calipari was the Naismith coach of the year last season, joining Duke's Mike Krzyzewski as the only coaches to be named twice to the award since its inception in 1987.

Calipari went 193-71 in eight seasons at Massachusetts from 1988 to 1996, culminating with an Elite Eight appearance in '95 and a trip to the Final Four in '96.

Calipari, a graduate of Clarion State (Pa.) in 1982, also coached the NBA's New Jersey Nets from 1996-98, going 72-112 before his ouster early in the 1998-99 season.

I want off Mongiardo's email list

Actually, I unsubscribed a while back. Then I got two emails. I unsubscribed again and got this message:

Couldn't unsubscribe your email address. Check below for the error:

You have no active membership accounts for the related mail list(s).

Who in the heck is in charge around there? I don't need the spam mail.

Kentucky recruiting...

Here's where we stand on recruiting...

For now, here's the recruiting list: (all are committed except the ones marked with the 'S' in front of their names)

CLASS of 2009
s-Jon Hood, G, 6-6, 185, Madisonville
s-Daniel Orton, C, 6-10, 260, Oklahoma City (Okla.) Bishop McGuinness
Konner Tucker, 6-2, 175, G, Jacksonville (Tx.) Lon Morris
s-G.J. Vilarino, PG, 6-0, 160, McKinney (Texas)

CLASS of 2010
Dakotah Euton, 6-8, 215, F, Scott County
Dominique Ferguson, F, 6-9, 200, Indianapolis, Ind.
K.C. Ross-Miller, 6-0, 170, G, Irving, Texas

CLASS of 2011
Vinny Zollo, F, 6-8, 215, Clark County

CLASS of 2012
Michael Avery, G, 6-4, 185, Lake Sherwood (Calif.)

University of Kentucky Head Coach Billy Gillispie Fired

I thought Gillispie should have been given another year. Steve Lavin commented on ESPN News that Billy Gillispie could be a good fit on a local stage, but not on the national stage.

Kentucky.com:

The University of Kentucky announced Friday that Billy Gillispie is out as men's basketball coach.

The school scheduled a news conference for 4:30 p.m. to discuss the coaching change. UK is not planning immediately to announce the hiring of a new coach.

Kentucky assistant coach Glynn Cyprien was seen leaving the UK basketball offices after the announcement, carrying a box of office supplies. He said the coaching staff had been ordered to leave by 5 p.m.

The widely anticipated move ended a two-season tenure marked by surprising losses and an over-riding perception that Gillispie was not the "right fit" for UK.

The parting of ways came after Gillispie met with UK President Lee Todd and Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart. After the meeting, the players were told.

Gillispie had a record of 40-27, a winning percentage of .597. That was the lowest winning percentage for a UK basketball coach since Basil Hayden had a 3-13 record in 1926-27.

The press conference is starting soon.

2009 MLB Predictions

I don't claim to be a prophet but I just happen to make smart guesses. Anyway, here are my predictions for the 2009 Major League Baseball season.

National League
East: Philadelphia Phillies
Central: St. Louis Cardinals
West: Arizona Diamondbacks
Wild Card: Los Angeles Dodgers

NLCS: St. Louis Cardinals over Arizona Diamondbacks

Cy Young: Brandon Webb, Arizona Diamondbacks
MVP: Albert "El Hombre" Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
ROY: Cameron Maybin, Florida Marlins

American League
East: Tampa Bay Rays
Central: Minnesota Twins
West: Los Angeles Angels
Wild Card: Toronto Blue Jays

ALCS: Minnesota Twins over Toronto Blue Jays

Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays
MVP: Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins
ROY: David Price, Tampa Bay Rays

World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Minnesota Twins

Conway considers run for Senate

Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway is considering a run for the United States Senate.

Attorney General Jack Conway of Louisville has given his strongest indication yet that he plans to seek the Democratic nomination in the 2010 Kentucky U.S. Senate race.

"There's a good chance I'll run for the Senate," Conway, 39, said yesterday morning during an interview on ICN6 cable's Northern Kentucky Magazine program.

"I've been saying all along I owe Kentucky voters my best effort at attorney general ... so I'm going to get through the (legislative) session," he said. "And I'll say something in the coming weeks."[...]

"I'm encouraged by the level of support I'm getting," Conway said. "It would be a tremendous honor to run. I'm looking at it very seriously. Kentucky needs a new generation of leadership in that particular Senate seat, so I'm excited about the possibility."

Two well-known Democrats who have run for statewide office -- Central Kentucky Rep. Ben Chandler and state Auditor Crit Luallen -- have also expressed interest in the race.

But Conway said the three "have been talking," possibly an indication that the three have agreed that Conway will run and the others won't.

"Ben Chandler has said publicly he is considering the race," Conway said. "Ben is a friend, Ben is a political ally. I have been talking to Ben. Crit Luallen is a friend, an ally, I think of Crit as a big sister. She is considering the race as well. And all three of us have been talking.

"I think amongst the three of us, what we want is a credible candidate, we want the best representation for Kentucky that we can get in the United States Senate, and if that happens to be me, great, if that happens to be Crit or Ben, I'd be supportive of that," he said. "But we're talking."

2009 NCAA Tournament Pairings and Times

Reminder: All games except for the opening play-in game are aired on CBS.

Opening Round
At UD Arena
Dayton, Ohio
Tuesday, March 17
Alabama State (22-9) vs. Morehead State (19-15), 7:30 p.m

EAST REGIONAL (BOSTON)
First Round
Thursday, March 19
Greensboro, N.C.
Texas (22-11) vs. Minnesota (22-10), 7:10 p.m.
Duke (28-6) vs. Binghamton (23-8), 30 minutes following

Philadelphia, Penn.
Villanova (26-7) vs. American (24-7), 7:20 p.m.
UCLA (25-8) vs. Virginia Commonwealth (24-9), 30 minutes following

Friday, March 20
Boise, Idaho
Xavier (25-7) vs. Portland State (23-9), 7:25 p.m.
Florida State (25-9) vs. Wisconsin (19-12), 30 minutes following

Dayton, Ohio
Oklahoma State (22-11) vs. Tennessee (21-12), 12:25 p.m.
Pittsburgh (28-4) vs. ETSU (23-10), 30 minutes following

Second Round
Saturday, March 21
Greensboro, N.C.
Duke-Binghamton winner vs. Texas-Minnesota winner, 5:45 or 8:15 p.m.

Philadelphia
Villanova-American winner vs. UCLA-Virginia Commonwealth winner, 1:05 or 3:35 p.m.

Sunday, March 22
Boise, Idaho
Xavier-Portland State winner vs. Florida State-Wisconsin winner, 2:20 or 4:50 p.m.

Dayton, Ohio
Pittsburgh-ETSU winner vs. Oklahoma State-Tennessee winner, 2:50 or 5:20 p.m.

Regional Semifinals
Thursday, March 26
TD Banknorth Garden in Boston

Regional Championship
Saturday, March 28
Semifinal winners

SOUTH REGIONAL (Memphis)
First Round
Thursday, March 19
Greensboro, N.C.
LSU (26-7) vs. Butler (26-5), 12:20 p.m.
North Carolina (28-4) vs. Radford (21-11), 30 minutes following

Kansas City, Mo.
Clemson (23-8) vs. Michigan (20-13), 7:10 p.m.
Oklahoma (27-5) vs. Morgan State (23-11), 30 minutes following

Portland, Ore.
Gonzaga (26-5) vs. Akron (23-12), 7:25 p.m.
Illinois (24-9) vs. Western Kentucky (24-8), 30 minutes following

Friday, March 20
Miami
Syracuse (26-9) vs. Stephen F. Austin (24-7), 12:15 p.m.
Arizona State (24-9) vs. Temple (22-11), 30 minutes following

Second Round
Saturday, March 21
Greensboro, N.C.
North Carolina-Radford winner vs. LSU-Butler winner, 5:45 or 8:15 p.m.

Kansas City, Mo.
Oklahoma-Morgan State winner vs. Clemson-Michigan winner, 3:20 or 5:50 p.m.

Portland, Ore.
Gonzaga-Akron winner vs. Illinois-Western Kentucky winner, 5:40 or 8:10 p.m.

Sunday, March 22
Miami
Syracuse-Stephen F. Austin winner vs. Arizona State-Temple winner, 12:10 or 2:40 p.m.

Regional Semifinals
Friday, March 27
FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.

Regional Championship
Sunday, March 29
Semifinal winners

MIDWEST REGIONAL (Indianapolis)
First Round
Friday, March 20
Dayton, Ohio
Louisville (28-5) vs. Alabama State-Morehead State winner, 7:10 p.m.
Ohio State (22-10) vs. Siena (26-7), 30 minutes following

Miami
Utah (24-9) vs. Arizona (19-13), 7:10 p.m.
Wake Forest (24-6) vs. Cleveland State (25-10), 30 minutes following

Minneapolis
Kansas (25-7) vs. North Dakota State (26-6), 12:30 p.m.
West Virginia (23-11) vs. Dayton (26-7), 30 minutes following
Boston College (22-11) vs. Southern California (21-12), 7:20 p.m.
Michigan State (26-6) vs. Robert Morris (24-10), 30 minutes following

Second Round
Sunday, March 22
Dayton, Ohio
Louisville—Alabama State-Morehead State winner vs. Ohio State-Siena winner, 2:50 or 5:20 p.m.

Miami
Wake Forest-Cleveland State winner vs. Utah-Arizona winner, 12:10 or 2:40 p.m.

Minneapolis
Michigan State-Robert Morris winner vs. Boston College-Southern California winner, 2:30 or 5 p.m.
Kansas-North Dakota State winner vs. West Virginia-Dayton winner, 2:30 or 5 p.m.

Regional Semifinals
Friday, March 27
Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

Regional Championship
Sunday, March 29
Semifinal winners

WEST REGIONAL (Glendale)
First Round
Thursday, March 19
Kansas City, Mo.
Memphis (31-3) vs. Cal State Northridge (17-13), 12:25 p.m.
California (22-10) vs. Maryland (20-13), 30 minutes following

Philadelphia
BYU (25-7) vs. Texas A&M (23-9), 12:30 p.m.
Connecticut (27-4) vs. Chattanooga (18-16), 30 minutes following

Portland, Ore.
Purdue (25-9) vs. Northern Iowa (23-10), 2:30 p.m.
Washington (25-8) vs. Mississippi State (23-12), 30 minutes following

Friday, March 20
Boise, Idaho
Marquette (24-9) vs. Utah State (30-4), 12:30 p.m.
Missouri (28-6) vs. Cornell (21-9), 30 minutes following

Second Round
Saturday, March 21
Kansas City, Mo.
Memphis-Cal State Northridge winner vs. California-Maryland winner, 3:20 or 5:50 p.m.

Philadelphia
Connecticut-Chattanooga winner vs. BYU-Texas A&M winner, 1:05 or 3:35 p.m.

Portland, Ore.
Washington-Mississippi State winner vs. Purdue-Northern Iowa winner, 5:40 or 8:10 p.m.

Sunday, March 22
Boise, Idaho
Missouri-Cornell winner vs. Marquette-Utah State winner, 2:20 or 4:50 p.m.

Regional Semifinals
Thursday, March 26
University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Regional Championship
Saturday, March 28
Semifinal winners

FINAL FOUR
Ford Field in Detroit
National Semifinals
Saturday, April 4
East champion vs. South champion
Midwest champion vs. West champion

National Championship
Monday, April 6
Semifinal winners

The CBS play by play and analysts for each site are as follows:
Greensboro, NC: Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg
Dayton, Ohio: Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery
Philadelphia: Dick Enberg/Jay Bilas/Carter Blackburn
Portland, Ore.: Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner
Miami: Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel
Minneapolis: Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
Kansas City, Mo.: Tim Brando/Mike Gminski
Boise: Bob Wenzel/Craig Bolerjack

Pi Day 2009 is now available!

Chag Purim

Have an easy fast and don't drink too much tonight!

Meanwhile, I'm laying low these next few days...

Monday Monday...

Will Ferrell is now going to be starring in a cop comedy? What's the deal with those of late?

A bidding war broke out on Tuesday for the action-comedy B Team, which will be directed by Adam McKay and star Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as cops, Variety reports.

Thank G-d for Brian Williams. He has yet to give in to the dark side of Twitter.

Brian Williams was the first evening news anchor to blog, but he has yet to Twitter.

Many of his colleagues in the news media have jumped on the micro-blogging platform, which allows users to distribute 140-character “Tweets” over the Web and through text messages, but the NBC News anchor so far is holding out.

“When you Twitter, the subject line automatically is, ‘What are you doing right now?’ And the answer I have to that question at any moment of the day isn’t interesting enough,” Williams told Jon Stewart during an appearance Thursday on “The Daily Show.” “It’s not interesting enough to my family and friends. My dog doesn’t wake up when I come home.”

Joe Gerth is stalking Mark Riddle.

Attorney General Jack Conway, who is mulling a run for the U.S. Senate, was spotted in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday with Mark Riddle, his political consultant.

Riddle and Conway spokeswoman Allison Martin wouldn't confirm that Conway was meeting with officials from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, but that's certainly the expectation.

Riddle's initial response when asked about a meeting with committee officials before his flight home was, "What, are you stalking us?"

Food Watch in Chicago!

I had a really rough week so I really needed this laugh, thanks to NBC Chicago. I'd get into it, but this blog really isn't the place for that discussion. Now, what is this about manna in Chicago?

Vitamin Water's new commercial with THE SCHMUCK who made THE SHOT

It wasn't as bad as it was made out to be...at least Pitino tells THE SCHMUCK to give it a rest. I lived through THE SHOT once. I don't need to be tortured like this again.

Breaking news!

New song to be released next week exclusively at The Kentucky Democrat.

Developing story...

Robin Williams to undergo heart surgery

Please keep legendary comedian, Robin Williams, in your thoughts and prayers as he undergoes heart surgery.

Robin Williams needs heart surgery and must cancel the remainder of his one-man comedy show, "Weapons of Self-Destruction," his publicist said Thursday.

The 57-year-old actor needs an aortic valve replacement, Diane Rosen said in a news release. Williams' representatives would not say when the comedian was admitted to the hospital or where.

"I'm so touched by everyone's support and well wishes," Williams said in the statement. "This tour has been amazing fun and I can't wait to get back out on the road after a little tune-up."

Williams was already in Florida when he canceled four shows in the state earlier this week after experiencing shortness of breath.

Former first lady Barbara Bush, 83, was recovering well from her aortic valve surgery this week, her doctors said. Replacement valves are either manmade or made from living tissue from human or animal sources.[...]

The Academy Award-winning actor got his start as a standup comedian in the 1970s. His high-energy act led to a guest spot on "Happy Days" as Mork from Ork and later the starring role on "Mork & Mindy."

He has appeared in dozens of feature films — both comedies and dramas — over nearly three decades. He won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1997 film "Good Will Hunting." Other notable films include "Dead Poets Society," "Hook," "Mrs. Doubtfire" and Disney's "Aladdin."

The world without Robin Williams would not be as funny as it is with him.

My Old Kentucky Home

It's Senior Night. You deserve it after that tragedy of a basketball game. This gets to my emotions every time, especially when I am actually out of the state. In Chicago I may be, but I'll always be a Kentucky fan.

Meshugene Men

Last year, they gave us Jewno. This year comes the brilliant parody of Mad Men entitled Meshugene Men. It's another well-done job as they promote The Shushan Channel.

WTF?

WTF is this and why is it on a political blog?

Seriously, why bother reading those blogs anymore? If this is what I now should expect from the Kentucky blogosphere, than I guess the tabloids are out of business.

And are they paying for a flight? Because I don't make that kind of money to waste on a silly duel like this. I improvise a lot of my material as it is and if I wanted to get back at some of these Kentucky bloggers (okay, only two of them but who is counting anyway) who have nothing at all to do but complain about everything in general, I would know exactly what I would do and how I would do it, but that's not for grabs right now. It's still playing in my head as it is...and would probably either shut them up or go straight through without understanding.

And, um, I do not even have the rights to make a sequel to Lazy Sunday. You have me confused with The Lonely Island.