what might be interesting? I don't know! (mr. pope voice)

• UK Football
• Whether or not global warming is a myth
• Going to war

This is a football Saturday in October, so I feel like it would be appropriate to talk about some football. I am a big UK fan, but people think I'm crazy when I say that I am a more passionate about UK football. I have issues with the way our football program is being lead right now. Ask Jack and Cameron and they will tell you that I voice my opinions strongly about our coaching and our athletic director. So here we go.

Kentucky plays in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The SEC is undoubtably the toughest conference in college football. Kentucky is not known as a football school for obvious reasons, but under Rich Brooks, UK football has been put on the map. As of late, under the head coaching of Joker Phillips, UK football is gradually falling off of the map. I believe that the lack of success begins at the top of the athletic food chain.

Mitch Barnhart has been involved with athletic departments for about 30 years, and has been a part of "successful" football programs according to himself. I have yet to see that whole success thing in our football program under him and I don't see it going anywhere unless he makes some bold decisions. Kentucky basketball is Kentucky basketball and every person that has any clue about sports in general knows that. Simply because of that, Kentucky basketball will always have the resources it needs, both from the University and from outside sources. More attention needs to be put on football because Kentucky basketball will always be prominent. Football, believe it or not, brings in more money than any other sport; almost every other sport combined. The problem is that not nearly enough of this revenue is being put back into the football program. Kentucky has nice facilities, but not compared to the top tier teams of the SEC.

Coaching has a significant part in the success of any sport. The hiring decisions and the coaching decisions have been mind-boggling. Barnhart knew he needed a basketball coach to save his job, so he went on a nation-wide coaching hunt. He offered John Calipari $6 million per year to come and coach at UK. This hire saved his job. Coach Cal said that he would have come to UK for less and it was not about the money, but who would turn down six million per? This is what I mean when I say more attention needs to be put on the football program. Joker Phillips was named as "coach-in-waiting" before Rich Brooks retired. Now Phillips is the head coach and I completely disagree with the decision to make him coach. Brooks had almost 40 years of coaching experience, both in college and in the NFL; Joker has no head coaching experience anywhere, and it shows. "Coach-in-waiting" is a tag put on an assistant coach that is being pursued by other schools, and the current school wanted to keep him from leaving. NO ONE WANTED JOKER. So why would we name him coach in waiting? Anyone would want to coach in the SEC; all you have to do is offer good money. Why not go on another nation-wide coaching search? It certainly seemed to work out for basketball. Joker is being paid $1.1 million per year, which is last amongst SEC schools...even Vanderbilt. As shown with the Calipari situation, we obviously have the money to pay a coach; so why won't we go get one?

Prices have gone up for football season tickets, but the quality of football has been going down. It has become so bad under Joker Phllips that fans have booed the coaches in every home game this season. He asks for patience from the fans. He deserves no patience after we have yet to see any improvement in 18 games under him. How much more patience does he want? Fans have become upset because expectations have been raised due to Brooks' success. Brook took us from a level 4 to a level 7. Fans went through 6 years to get to that level 7, now they want to go from a 7 to an 8 and so on. Fans are angry because with the hire and performance of Joker Phillips, we have gone back done to a level 4/5 which makes fans feel like they have wasted 6 years. I could go on and on about this topic so I'll leave it at that.

The lack of money being put into the football program, the lack of attention on the football program, the decision making, and the overall acceptance of mediocrity has turned our football program in the wrong direction. Better football=more money..we all know that's what really matters to the University. They need to do what it takes to take our football program back in the right direction.