• I know a lot of UK fans are upset about not getting Lamar Dawson or Jon Davis (including myself), but folks, we still put together a top 30 class recruiting class. Several guys still signed with UK that had offers from the big boys, but go back and look at players like Wesley Woodyard, Stevie Johnson, Keenan Burton, Andre Woodson, Jacob Tamme, Randall Cobb, Myron Pryor, Trevard Lindley, etc. These guys weren't highly recruited and look at how well they did at Kentucky and how well some are doing in the NFL. Who would have projected these guys to do so well coming out of high school?

    We don't necessarily have to have 4 & 5 star recruits in every recruiting class. Those stars look good on paper, but it doesn't mean that those guys that have all those stars beside their name are going to have all-american careers or go on to play in the NFL.

    These young men from the football states that sign with Kentucky usually come in here with a chip on their shoulder, because they didn't get that offer by the school that they grew up dreaming about playing for. A perfect example is Randall Cobb. He was a Tennessee fan growing up and lived within an hour from UT's campus and never was recruited by UT until a few weeks from signing day and by then he had already been committed to Kentucky, because we had been after him since day one.

    Another example would be the two Super Bowl quarterbacks this year, Ben Roethlisberger & Aaron Rodgers. Neither were highly recruited as Ben went to Miami (OH) & Rodgers had one D1 offer and that was a offer to be a walk-on at Illinois. I'm not in no way saying anyone on our roster or in this recruiting class will have careers like those guys, but it's possibly and you don't have to play for the big boys and be a 5-star recruit to have a shot at playing the NFL.

    I know losing guys like Dawson & Davis are some hard pills to swallow, but lets not throw Joker and the rest of the staff under the bus just yet, because they're getting some guys in here that a few years ago would never even consider Kentucky.

    IF UK can continue to make bowls and finish with winning seasons and keep upsetting the likes of Auburn, Georgia, and the LSU's of the conference then maybe the next Lamar Dawson will sign with Kentucky and not leave the Bluegrass for one of the big boys.

    So as UK fans, let's not give up on Joker or the football team because we're competitive in the best league in college football and come within a field goal of beating the BCS National Champions, Auburn. It wasn't so long ago that we all can forget that.

    Follow Charlie on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Charlie_NOB


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    Comments 21 Comments
    1. lpool003's Avatar
      lpool003 -
      Ok, it is not that people are trying to find a reason to hate Joker or be negative about the program (at least I'm not). You proved my point yourself in your article though. We are supposed to believe we have taken the next step by getting a top 30 recruiting class and pulling in players who were recruited by the top programs (and please note that although some were recruited by top flight programs they were not necessarily offered by said "big boys"). Well, I think we are still at the same place we were the last few years, hoping a class of lower-rated players manages to develop. I understand the argument that schools like TCU, Utah and Boisie St. manage to do well with similar classes, but they are not in the SEC.
      Now, once again I am not trying to be negative but, I just can't get excited about getting a class full of 3 star players and losing out on just about all of our main targets. We also did nothing outside of Shaq Love for the interior line and managed to pick up 1, yes 1 SEC caliber linebacker. To even attempt to conceive a move to a 3-4 when we can only get a commitment from 1 SEC caliber linebacker is laughable to me. Where we needed help the most, we did not get it. We stockpiled WR's RB's and DB's which we already have an abundance of.
      Sorry, but I am just not buying what Joker is selling right now and I hope I will be proven wrong in a few years. I see no game changing talent, no true defensive help where we needed it the most and no freak athletes. I see a solid class that would do very well in the Big East, not the SEC. Like I said before, hopefully I am wrong but I just don't see why I should be so hyped about a class that is basically more of what we have seen before. Hopefully you can throw this post back in my face in a couple seasons but don't be surprised if I am right.
    1. littleboyblue's Avatar
      littleboyblue -
      Charlie, hate is a serious thing to accuse a person of. Hate can and usually does lead to a physical confrontation. Speaking for myself, I do not now and have never said that I hated Joker or his recruits. Because I don't like him, for whatever reason, is my personal business.
      This is another example of how the "political correctness" junk has infected every aspect of our society. I don't have to agree with you or anyone else about Joker Phillips. Just the fact that I don't like him is enough.

      To accuse anyone of hating him simply because they criticize his methods and his recruiting class of 2011 is as poor an excuse for saying that anyone hates. Man, you are way over the top on this. Now I guess you think that I hate you because we disagree. Not so, Charlie. Even though I've never met you, I still love you as a human being. Regardless of what you believe.
    1. tomas's Avatar
      tomas -
      Quote Originally Posted by littleboyblue View Post
      Charlie, hate is a serious thing to accuse a person of. Hate can and usually does lead to a physical confrontation. Speaking for myself, I do not now and have never said that I hated Joker or his recruits. Because I don't like him, for whatever reason, is my personal business.
      This is another example of how the "political correctness" junk has infected every aspect of our society. I don't have to agree with you or anyone else about Joker Phillips. Just the fact that I don't like him is enough.

      To accuse anyone of hating him simply because they criticize his methods and his recruiting class of 2011 is as poor an excuse for saying that anyone hates. Man, you are way over the top on this. Now I guess you think that I hate you because we disagree. Not so, Charlie. Even though I've never met you, I still love you as a human being. Regardless of what you believe.


      Damn bro. You seem to be taking this as a personal attack. He said people are hating on the recruiting class and Joker not literally hating them because that would be stupid. And you are hating on Joker because you are saying negative things not that you literally hate him as a person. You are being a hater. Now personally I think you hating is warranted because I think Joker lost the top two in-state recruits to sucky Illinois and probation USC.
    1. lewy's Avatar
      lewy -
      Still cant run with the big boys.
    1. littleboyblue's Avatar
      littleboyblue -
      Quote Originally Posted by tomas View Post
      Damn bro. You seem to be taking this as a personal attack. He said people are hating on the recruiting class and Joker not literally hating them because that would be stupid. And you are hating on Joker because you are saying negative things not that you literally hate him as a person. You are being a hater. Now personally I think you hating is warranted because I think Joker lost the top two in-state recruits to sucky Illinois and probation USC.
      Tomas, you can read can't you? In my comment, where did I say that I hated anyone? Hmmmmm? Where did you ever come up with the idea that it is hate to criticize? You say Illinois and Southern Cal (not our BB coach, he's from the north) are sucky. Why do you hate them so? What have they done to you personally? Please get real and clear on what you say. Phewwww!!
    1. tomas's Avatar
      tomas -
      Quote Originally Posted by littleboyblue View Post
      Tomas, you can read can't you? In my comment, where did I say that I hated anyone? Hmmmmm? Where did you ever come up with the idea that it is hate to criticize? You say Illinois and Southern Cal (not our BB coach, he's from the north) are sucky. Why do you hate them so? What have they done to you personally? Please get real and clear on what you say. Phewwww!!

      I don't know who you are you, but you obviously haven't joined the 21st century yet. Hating on someone means criticizing someone or something. He doesn't mean you literally hate him. You are criticizing Joker Phillips and the recruiting class therefore you are being a hater. And yes I was hating on Illinios when I called them sucky. Do I actually hate them? No. But I was hating on them. Maybe you should step out of your house and actually conversate with someone from the real world. The words mean different things to those of use who are intelligent you obviously are not and are giving a bad name to the rest of us UK fans. You must be some kind of stupid. And yes I am hating on you.
    1. gasher's Avatar
      gasher -
      If Joker don't do something with the way his team played at UT and against Pitt it won't matter what caliber recruits are brought in. They played with no intensity and no heart. Joker, you are one of my all time favorites and I hope you can get these players to play on the same level as UT, UGA,AU,UF and all the other elites of the SEC, but you are gonna have to light a fire under them. Maybe it was different on the sidelines since I was watching both games on tv but there was no excitement out of any of them.
    1. littleboyblue's Avatar
      littleboyblue -
      Quote Originally Posted by tomas View Post
      I don't know who you are you, but you obviously haven't joined the 21st century yet. Hating on someone means criticizing someone or something. He doesn't mean you literally hate him. You are criticizing Joker Phillips and the recruiting class therefore you are being a hater. And yes I was hating on Illinios when I called them sucky. Do I actually hate them? No. But I was hating on them. Maybe you should step out of your house and actually conversate with someone from the real world. The words mean different things to those of use who are intelligent you obviously are not and are giving a bad name to the rest of us UK fans. You must be some kind of stupid. And yes I am hating on you.
      Please don't include me in your low class of "21st Century" ding-a-lings. I was raised by people who understand what hate meant. It means to hate. And if one has never been called "stupid" by anyone then one hasn't really lived. No, Tomas, tu estas pendejo. LOL
    1. littleboyblue's Avatar
      littleboyblue -
      Quote Originally Posted by gasher View Post
      If Joker don't do something with the way his team played at UT and against Pitt it won't matter what caliber recruits are brought in. They played with no intensity and no heart. Joker, you are one of my all time favorites and I hope you can get these players to play on the same level as UT, UGA,AU,UF and all the other elites of the SEC, but you are gonna have to light a fire under them. Maybe it was different on the sidelines since I was watching both games on tv but there was no excitement out of any of them.
      Why should there have been? I wouldn't have cared about playing in the Toilet Bowl either. LOL
    1. littleboyblue's Avatar
      littleboyblue -
      Quote Originally Posted by littleboyblue View Post
      Please don't include me in your low class of "21st Century" ding-a-lings. I was raised by people who understand what hate meant. It means to hate. And if one has never been called "stupid" by anyone then one hasn't really lived. No, Tomas, tu estas pendejo. LOL
      "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways". Chew on this a while and mabye you will get real.
    1. littleboyblue's Avatar
      littleboyblue -
      Quote Originally Posted by tomas View Post
      Damn bro. You seem to be taking this as a personal attack. He said people are hating on the recruiting class and Joker not literally hating them because that would be stupid. And you are hating on Joker because you are saying negative things not that you literally hate him as a person. You are being a hater. Now personally I think you hating is warranted because I think Joker lost the top two in-state recruits to sucky Illinois and probation USC.
      By the way, I was addressing Charlie. No nariz en torta.
    1. tomas's Avatar
      tomas -
      Quote Originally Posted by littleboyblue View Post
      Please don't include me in your low class of "21st Century" ding-a-lings. I was raised by people who understand what hate meant. It means to hate. And if one has never been called "stupid" by anyone then one hasn't really lived. No, Tomas, tu estas pendejo. LOL
      Yes you must be the intelligent one seeing as you are a grown man who just used LOL like a 14 year old girl. You apparently must have the mental capacity of a 14 year old as well since you called me a dumbass in spanish. And no only people only get called stupid when they act like they have never read a book, despite what your mother told you when everyone made fun of you.
    1. tomas's Avatar
      tomas -
      Quote Originally Posted by littleboyblue View Post
      By the way, I was addressing Charlie. No nariz en torta.
      Seeing as I am Puerto Rican you just told me that there is no "nose cake". Further proving you are an idiot. If you are going to try and insult someone in another language you might want to get it right.
    1. littleboyblue's Avatar
      littleboyblue -
      Quote Originally Posted by tomas View Post
      Seeing as I am Puerto Rican you just told me that there is no "nose cake". Further proving you are an idiot. If you are going to try and insult someone in another language you might want to get it right.
      Estupido. No nariz en torta means keep your nose out of the pie. One of my best friends when I lived in Texas was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. You couldn't tie his shoes or speak Spainish like he did. He was a highly educated man. Not a potato picker.
    1. littleboyblue's Avatar
      littleboyblue -
      Quote Originally Posted by tomas View Post
      Yes you must be the intelligent one seeing as you are a grown man who just used LOL like a 14 year old girl. You apparently must have the mental capacity of a 14 year old as well since you called me a dumbass in spanish. And no only people only get called stupid when they act like they have never read a book, despite what your mother told you when everyone made fun of you.
      How many times have you read "The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbon? That's what I thought.
    1. littleboyblue's Avatar
      littleboyblue -
      Quote Originally Posted by tomas View Post
      Seeing as I am Puerto Rican you just told me that there is no "nose cake". Further proving you are an idiot. If you are going to try and insult someone in another language you might want to get it right.
      OK. You seem to be a very angry person, Tomas. Are you angry with the country you are now living in? Try cheering real hard for the BB team Saturday against Florida. I'm skeptical about their chances of winning but I hope they will. By the way this comment is in English. Hope it isn't too difficult for you.
    1. bigbluenation7's Avatar
      bigbluenation7 -
      i quit reading after 1 comment from both littleblueballs and thomas that was ignorance at it's finest
    1. tomas's Avatar
      tomas -
      Quote Originally Posted by littleboyblue View Post
      OK. You seem to be a very angry person, Tomas. Are you angry with the country you are now living in? Try cheering real hard for the BB team Saturday against Florida. I'm skeptical about their chances of winning but I hope they will. By the way this comment is in English. Hope it isn't too difficult for you.
      As I suspected you quickly turn to racial slurs to prove your lack of intelligence and then try to make up for it by saying you have read an impressive book that didn't have any pictures for you and your hilly billy family to read together. Secondly, Puerto Rico is part of America so it is not a different country. Thirdly, I was born and raised in Kentucky. And yes I have read "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire". And lastly, I gather that you are admiting that certain words mean differnt things in different dialects. Which means because you don't understand what hating on someone means doesn't mean it only means one thing. Just like if you spoke that to a Puerto Rican they would laugh in your face. But then I guessed you are used to people laughing in your face.
    1. littleboyblue's Avatar
      littleboyblue -
      Quote Originally Posted by bigbluenation7 View Post
      i quit reading after 1 comment from both littleblueballs and thomas that was ignorance at it's finest
      That's ok BigBlueNuts7. You're not too bright yourself. As a matter of fact I'll bet you are a rather boorish and dull person. Commentwise that is. Guess you have a referee complex. And you most certainly are a cut above the rest of the fan base. Ugh. Bye now.
    1. littleboyblue's Avatar
      littleboyblue -
      Quote Originally Posted by tomas View Post
      As I suspected you quickly turn to racial slurs to prove your lack of intelligence and then try to make up for it by saying you have read an impressive book that didn't have any pictures for you and your hilly billy family to read together. Secondly, Puerto Rico is part of America so it is not a different country. Thirdly, I was born and raised in Kentucky. And yes I have read "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire". And lastly, I gather that you are admiting that certain words mean differnt things in different dialects. Which means because you don't understand what hating on someone means doesn't mean it only means one thing. Just like if you spoke that to a Puerto Rican they would laugh in your face. But then I guessed you are used to people laughing in your face.
      The first sign of a truly uneducated, don't know what you are, is that they hide behind "racism".
      That shield is so old and worn out that it's not even worth going into. I have found over the course of my life those who hide behind racism are terribly insecure. I'll tell you something else, bad boy, I have no more time for these asinine discourses. You don't really provide much of a challenge. As we say heah in tha south, bye now. Burrrrrp.

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