College Sports

Abominable Invisible Toilet Paper Seam Update

Okay, ladies and dudes, are Tom Jurich and Rod Blagojevich separated at birth or what? Similar hair, similar wardrobe, similar swagger. They both love having a huge ego. Both love playing dirty. Both get people fired if they don’t like what they have to say. Creeped out?

We hear through the terrible, America-hating rumor circuit here in Kentucky that DSCC folks are heavily researching Jack Conway (and everyone else) for 2010. Call us crazy, but we’re pretty sure no Democrat will be able to beat Trey Grayson. What a race this is shaping up to be.

Best line all day: No wonder we rely on touch rather than vision when confronted by a new roll of toilet paper and its Abominable Invisible Seam. [NYT]

You mean Ben Chandler is going to give up his cushy, easy job in order to run against Trey Grayson for the U.S. Senate? [Some Dude]

Poor Jesse Jackson, Jr. trying to buy a U.S. Senate seat. The crazy apple apparently doesn’t fall too far from the crazy tree. [ABC News]

If Ford didn’t need the money from the auto bailout, why’d it ask for it? [Huffington Post]

Got money burning a hole in your pocket? You’ll probably want to snatch up one of these Barry books. [Page One]

Oh, guess what, everyone has their panties in a twist because we’re bothered by the auto bailout and have the audacity to crack a joke or two. [The Bitters]

Jim King and David Tandy are going to fight each other until the bloody end. The King Mafia will probably try to print “Dr. King” signs for the west end again, he’ll figure out a way to get his daughter to, oh, who knows?, he’ll take all of your money and starve you to death and David will continue not being corrupt. And in other news, both want to be mayor. One will use the office for personal gain and for getting revenge. One won’t. [LEO Weekly]

Source: Obama at UK Tuesday

We hear from reliable sources that Senator Barack Obama will be at the University of Kentucky on Tuesday to campaign for the U.S. Presidency.

Obama staffers visited the school today in preparation.

We also hear that Obama will be playing basketball in an attempt to one-up his game at UNC.

How much fun will that be? The RPK will no doubt put out a press release to prove how elitist and unpatriotic basketball is. But it won’t be able to drown out the free media Obama is set to score.

Hollenbach Launches Financial Football Game

I swear we’re not joking. This day of political humor couldn’t get much better. Thanks to Jennifer Moore & Nathan Smith for their KDP email blast making this announcement. And for those visiting for the first time today, don’t forget to check the Cassaro Girls.

State Treasurer and Frank Simon supporter Todd Hollenbach has launched a video game called Financial Football (along with former UK quarterback Andre Woodson) that he plans to use to educate school kids across the Commonwealth. It’ll be available in schools and public libraries.

For real. Not trying to educate the millions of adults currently suffering through our economic situation, but children. Who will no doubt be rushing to play a video game about football and money. (Please, stifle your laughter) Kind of a nice gesture, we guess.

How much does this costs the state?

The bright side of this announcement: it’s not another press release about MySpace perverts on Dateline or whatever that another well-known constitutional officer likes to send out 24/7.

Joe B. Hall Endorses Bruce Lunsford

Joe B. Hall just endorsed Bruce Lunsford for U.S. Senate.

Take a look at the announcement:

As the former coach of the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team, I know what it takes to be a winner. Hard work, determination, the drive to fight for what you want and a willingness to be a team player are traits universal to the best athletes, the best business people, and yes, the best public servants.

It is the presence of all of those qualities in Bruce Lunsford, which has led me to endorse his candidacy to be our next U.S. Senator. Bruce is the right man for the job, a man who knows Kentucky, its people and its issues. He will work hard to change Washington. He is determined to make the American Dream more accessible to Kentuckians from all walks of life. He is driven to make Kentucky a better place to live, work and raise a family. Bruce will work with his colleagues and supporters to get legislation passed that will make all of these things possible.

For these reasons, I ask you to join me in supporting Bruce Lunsford in his bid to bring Mitch McConnell back to Kentucky for good.

The Lunsford team is suited up and ready to win. Bruce will change the way we do business in Washington. Be a part of the team today.

Sincerely,

Joe B. Hall

Louisville Arena Drama – Overspending, Corruption?

A Louisville contracting company president claims the Louisville Arena Authority is spending at least $1 million more than necessary to demolish two buildings on the arena site. Furthermore, it claims the Authority ignored the only bid from a qualified local contractor in favor of a Cincinnati company.

In January, the Authority announced it would pay O’Rourke Wrecking Company, of Cincinnati, $2.8 million to demolish the LG&E power substation and the Riverview Square building. Jon Davies, president of CRS Demolition of Louisville, says his company put in a bid to demolish the buildings for $1.6 million, but wasn’t even interviewed by Authority managers.

Davies said the bids were supposed to be considered on a point system — with 50 points for the amount in the bid, 10 for minority participation, 30 for qualifications and 10 for time frame. Davies said that based on that criteria, CRS would have had 100 points.

Another company, Dore and Associates of Michigan, submitted a bid that was less than O’Rourke’s, at$2.6 million.

Davies said he has been pitching the story to local media outlets, including the Courier-Journal, which he said has shown little interest in the story.

Basketball Players Get Special Treatment?

Surely you jest! And this time we’re not talking about free Escalades and Lexus SUVs.

Brandon Ortiz lays out a story we haven’t heard much about in a while.

Fayette Circuit Judge James Ishmael ruled that police were right in concealing the identity of a UK basketball star accused of raping Cynthia Wilson Smithers at Wildcat Lodge. The ruling comes after a 2006 opinion from the Attorney General supporting an open records request by the Herald-Leader in its attempt to cover the investigation.

Judge Ishmael wasn’t down with our sunshine laws, though, and claimed the OAG and H-L were being offensive for, you know, wanting access to public records. He says documents with redacted names are adequate for the purposes of scrutiny. We’re no lawyers but we’re not sure that’s a good argument. Well, not since he claimed UK’s basketball players aren’t public figures.

Aren’t UK’s basketball guys more well-known than Oprah in Kentucky? What on earth is the judge talking about?