A Sunset in Lyon County, Kentucky Makes a Pretty Amazing Wallpaper

Here’s another beautiful picture that makes a great wallpaper for your desktop. It, too, is courtesy of Michael. It’s a gorgeous sunset he captured in Lyon County, Kentucky.

Click the smaller image above to access the larger one, then set as your background.

Enjoy!

Travis Ford Leaving UMass for Oklahoma State?

Will the free throw shooting machine that put Madisonville, Kentucky on the map leave UMass for Oklahoma State?  Sources indicate that’ll he’ll do just that.

Ford turned down an offer from Providence earlier this month, but Oklahoma State may be more to his liking.  Oklahoma State’s looking for a replacement for Sean Sutton who resigned under pressure.  During Sutton’s reign at the helm, the Cowboys were 39-29. Oklahoma State finished this past season with a record of 17-16 and lost in the first round of the NIT.  They were in the NIT both years under Sutton AND lost in the first round each time.

How has Travis Ford compared at UMass? . In three years at UMass, Ford has a record of 62-35 with two NIT appearances.  Ford has also been a head coach at Eastern Kentucky of the Ohio Valley Conference and NAIA Campbellsville University.  He led Eastern to the NCAA tournament in 2004-2005.

Former University of Louisville Player Marvin Stone Dies

I hope I never have cause to write such heartbreaking posts again  - especially back to back.  What an unbelievable week this has been.I’m sure you remember Marvin “Tree” Stone - the 6-foot-10 center who played at UK before transferring to U of L. 

Marvin became sick during halftime of a semifinal game on Tuesday night, April 1, while playing for Ittihad Jeddah in Saudi Arabia’s professional Elite Cup, according to eurobasket.com.  

A teammate (and former NBA player), Mahmoud Abdul-RaufAbdul-Rauf said Ittihad’s coach was talking to the team Tuesday in the locker room at Jiddah’s Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium at halftime against Ohud when Stone “started sliding down from the bench” and soon “was on the floor.”

“At first I think people thought he was having a seizure,” he said.  “We put him on the floor. I was rubbing his head trying to calm him down and some people were pouring water on his face. Then some five or six guys picked him up and put him in an SUV and they drove him off.”

Marvin was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.  He was only 26 years old.

Abdul-Rauf told the English-language Arab News newspaper that there wasn’t a physician on hand at the sports complex during the game.  He urged Saudi sports authorities to look into the situation and “provide professional care” at sports facilities like “the rest of the world does.”

26 years old.  I’m sure everyone will forgive me for punctuating that with a damn.

Sad Day for University of Kentucky Fans

Photo by James Crisp, APBill Keightley, Long-Time Equipment manager for Kentucky Basketball, Died on Monday, March 31.  The lovable Kentuckian,  affectionately known to UK fans as “Mr. Wildcat” was 81 years old.He apparently died from internal bleeding that resulted from an undiagnosed tumor on his spine. Earlier in the day,  Mr. Wildcat had been at the Cincinnati Reds season opener.  On the way to the game, he fell while exiting a bus but those with him didn’t think he had been injured.When he arrived at University Hospital, it was discovered Keightley had a tumor on his spine.Bill Keightley had been involved with Kentucky basketball  since 1962 and has become one of our state’s most beloved iconic figures.

Head basketball coach Billy Gillispie said, “He influenced each of us on a daily basis, and he was a great example of someone who loved his University more than anything. Obviously, he’s in a better place, but the void he leaves for all of us, and especially his family, is going to be a difficult situation. Our hearts go out to his family and the millions of Wildcats fans who he loved so much.”

You’ll be sorely missed, Mr. Wildcat.

* The photo above is, of course, Bill Keightley and UK Coach Billy Gillispie.  It was taken during UK basketball’s Big Blue Madness at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., on Friday, Oct. 12, 2007.  This was his 47th season with the program.  

I’m glad Coach Gillispie had an opportunity to get to know and love Mr. Keightley.  What better way for him to tap into what UK basketball really means?  I’m also glad Mr. Wildcat had an opportunity to meet Coach Gillispie - after all, he’ll be the next coach to take us to the Promise Land.  Then again… and again… and again….

….and Mr. Wildcat will be looking on from the greatest seat in the world, and smiling ear to ear.