Back when we were doing the fan poll for the Top 50 Players in UK History, I noticed a trend in the voting. Most of the votes came for the more “modern day” players, guys who had played within the last five to ten years or so. I mean sure, a lot of the bigger-named legends made it on the list, like Kenny Walker and Dan Issel and Rex Chapman to name a few, but what about guys like Cotton Nash? Or Frank Ramsey? Or Louie Dampier? While they still got a good amount of votes, the number they got didn’t come close to justifying what they had accomplished for Big Blue.
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[SIZE=1][I]Have you forgotten Todd Svoboda already??[/I][/SIZE][/CENTER]
We discussed several reasons for this lag in votes. We thought it could be due to a young reader base, who probably weren’t familiar with most of those names. Since I didn’t ask for the age of the voters when they sent their ballots, there’s no real way of knowing for sure.
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[I][SIZE=1]Pictured: Artist rendition of the average fan poll voter.[/SIZE][/I][/CENTER]
After thinking it over, I think I may know part of the problem: The availability of game footage from past eras.
Case in point, I’m 31 and I’ve been watching Big Blue for as long as I can remember. I try not to miss many games, and I love looking over the stat line after each game, to see how our guys matched up against the other guys. I live, eat and breathe Kentucky basketball, but I’ve never once saw a Cotton Nash game in my life.
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[SIZE=1][I]Seriously, is that not the best name in sports history??[/I][/SIZE][/CENTER]
A quick glance on Amazon shows a few Kentucky-themed DVDs, each with varying reviews. But they’re only showcasing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Big Blue history. These DVDs may check off the bullet points of the storied history of the program, but they leave a lot to be desired.
I wish the university would start making a lot of these old games commercially available. Someone once told me the Wazoo network airs (or aired) a lot of older games, but that’s a channel I don’t get on my already-overpriced satellite package. There are a few games (or highlights, at least) floating around on YouTube and other video sites, and I’m sure Joe Somebody from down the street has a few old games recorded on VHS you could borrow, but having a DVD collection of a few of the past seasons would be great. You just know people will buy it too. You could slap a UK sticker on just about anything and it would sell.
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[SIZE=1][I]Like this thing, whatever it is.[/I][/SIZE][/CENTER]
I don’t think I’m asking for much here, just a DVD set of maybe the best games of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, something along those lines. Not only would some get to relive old memories, other fans could see firsthand for the very first time some true Kentucky legends.
I’d be the first in line to buy ‘em.
