Oh, Kentucky

Last words on last weeks' games: The Franklin-Simpson defensive coordinator (and former WKU football head coach) declined interviews all season. That's very intriguing to me--and not in any sort of sinister way. I wonder if he just decided he really likes teaching football skills but not all of the ancillary stuff that comes with head coaching. ... The returning Class A conquerors Friday night were met at the Leslie County line by police and fire vehicles on their trip home to Hazard. ... The Paducah Sun's Joey Fosko quoting Mayfield's sophomore quarterback, the little brother of the Cardinals' 2010-state-champion quarterback: "I watched from the stands two years ago when Luke had a game like that, and I know those guys worked their butts off in the offseason, and they won it last year. We’re going to do that and make sure we get back up here.” ... You know there are Mayfield fans out there who think this was the problem Friday. ... A slide show from Glasgow's trip to WKU. ... Senior pictures from Trigg County. ... The Fort Campbell Falcons take the field for their upset of Tilghman in Paducah. (The sign read, "BOTTLE THOSE TORNADOES.") ... Recapping historic seasons for Owen and Powell counties. ... It would be so great if Jim Bunning's grandson turns out to be great at UK. ... The Channel 6 camera operator ended up eating at McDonald's in Calvert City.

And, so, now it's on to basketball season! Here's what I know about KHSAA basketball so far: Estill County has a new-and-improved gym. "In seasons past, Beetle Lyle sounded like he had his head stuck in a pillow case trying to announce the game," reported the Citizen Voice & Times. ... Weather is already impacting schedules. ... I met Frank Ramsey at the Madisonville Kroger store on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. My 2-year-old and I were sitting on a bench, eating donuts and waiting for one of those carts with the little car in front; my daughter loves those things. This really tall guy comes and sits down next to us. My daughter would not share her donut with him. Once I realized who he was, I told him about how my dad always said that Frank Ramsey was the NBA's second-best point guard of his era--second only to his Boston Celtics teammate, Bob Cousy. Mr. Ramsey seemed completely uninterested in listening to such compliments, so instead we talked about Thanksgiving. He was planning to have 16 for the holiday at his house in Dixon; his son would be doing the cooking. Here's a picture I took on Christmas eve 2008; this is the only part of Mr. Ramsey's Madisonville's house that was spared by the 2005 tornado.


On to wrestling season, too.

And bowling.

Rock on, Lu Young! And Sheldon Compton! And Rita Britt!

Christmas parading in Henderson, Independence, (for 44 minutes-plus) Monticello and Paducah. Parade panning in Richmond: "If u r gonna put a float in parade put some effort into it people."

Wow. Graves County High's yearbooks are $65, and that's the early-bird price. Mrs. McGinty must be rich!