Lexington going football-mad

[BOURBON TOWN CAT FAN]

By Brett Dawson
bdawson@courier-journal.com (mailto:bdawson@courier-journal.com)
The Courier-Journal


LEXINGTON, Ky. — Keenan Burton will admit there have been weeks when it wasn't much fun to be a University of Kentucky football player.

The weeks after big losses. The weeks when Burton and his teammates would prefer to walk across campus with hoods up and heads down, a Southeastern Conference beating still fresh in their memories.

There have been dark days.

They seem distant now.

As the Wildcats prepare for a Dec. 29 date with Clemson at the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn., their campus and town are in the throes of a delayed-reaction football frenzy.

"People are making up for lost time," said Burton, a wide receiver from Manual High School. "A lot of people didn't think we were going to have a successful season, but now that we have, you have a lot less naysayers, a lot of people who really want to show their support for the program."

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061212/SPORTS0301/612120410

[TrueblueCATfan]

Just wondering...........IF UK has sold 24,000 and the place hold 69,000 who has the other 45,000.....surely Clemson did not sell that many

[BOURBON TOWN CAT FAN]

TrueblueCATfan wrote: Just wondering...........IF UK has sold 24,000 and the place hold 69,000 who has the other 45,000.....surely Clemson did not sell that many

Most likely alot of Cat fans, like myself, bought them through ticketmaster, which doesn't count towards either school's total.

I wonder how many ticketsare tied in with travel packages and haven't been claimed yet ?

[hoosierhateruklover]

Probably scalpers....Never could figure out why they were soo tight with student tickets when there are soo many scalper tickets on ebay that have been on there before the teams were even announced.

[DenCat]

I thought I read that the bowl sold approximately 20,000 locally.

[TrueblueCATfan]

BOURBON TOWN CAT FAN wrote: TrueblueCATfan wrote: Just wondering...........IF UK has sold 24,000 and the place hold 69,000 who has the other 45,000.....surely Clemson did not sell that many

Most likely alot of Cat fans, like myself, bought them through ticketmaster, which doesn't count towards either school's total.

I wonder how many ticketsare tied in with travel packages and haven't been claimed yet ?

thanks......so the 24,000 is just what UK sold...becasueI really believe we will have over 40,000 fans there..I can't wait...hope the weather is nice.........I will take sunny and 60

[bleedbluelady]

Burton happened by the crowd once the students were let inside the Coliseum, and he rounded up several teammates -- including linebacker Wesley Woodyard and tailbacks Rafael Little and Alfonso Smith -- for an impromptu meet-and-greet.

"We tried to shake everybody's hand that was there," Burton said. "We just wanted them to know we were going to try to put a show on for them, and we appreciated their support."

It turns out the appreciation was mutual.

"I've been to too many Kentucky home games to count, and I can't ever remember seeing the students and the players interact like that," said Tyler Shockey, a junior from Pikeville, Ky., who was at Memorial Coliseum that evening. "They went out of their way to talk to everybody, and we let them know how much we appreciated them. It was really cool."

:):thumbup Says a lot about our players.

[BOURBON TOWN CAT FAN]

TrueblueCATfan wrote: BOURBON TOWN CAT FAN wrote: TrueblueCATfan wrote: Just wondering...........IF UK has sold 24,000 and the place hold 69,000 who has the other 45,000.....surely Clemson did not sell that many

Most likely alot of Cat fans, like myself, bought them through ticketmaster, which doesn't count towards either school's total.

I wonder how many ticketsare tied in with travel packages and haven't been claimed yet ?

thanks......so the 24,000 is just what UK sold...becasueI really believe we will have over 40,000 fans there..I can't wait...hope the weather is nice.........I will take sunny and 60

http://www.weather.com/outlook/driving/interstate/monthly/USTN0357?from=tenDay_topnav_driving

the week before the bowl, the long range forcast is for 70degree temps, I hope they hang around !!

[Kitty]

TrueblueCATfan wrote: BOURBON TOWN CAT FAN wrote: TrueblueCATfan wrote: Just wondering...........IF UK has sold 24,000 and the place hold 69,000 who has the other 45,000.....surely Clemson did not sell that many

Most likely alot of Cat fans, like myself, bought them through ticketmaster, which doesn't count towards either school's total.

I wonder how many ticketsare tied in with travel packages and haven't been claimed yet ?

thanks......so the 24,000 is just what UK sold...becasueI really believe we will have over 40,000 fans there..I can't wait...hope the weather is nice.........I will take sunny and 60
I thought I read on Clemson's website that they only sold 11,500 through their university.

[trublue4life]

BOURBON TOWN CAT FAN wrote: TrueblueCATfan wrote: Just wondering...........IF UK has sold 24,000 and the place hold 69,000 who has the other 45,000.....surely Clemson did not sell that many

Most likely alot of Cat fans, like myself, bought them through ticketmaster, which doesn't count towards either school's total.

I wonder how many ticketsare tied in with travel packages and haven't been claimed yet ?

I got 15 through ticketmaster. I'd say there will be 35,000-40,000 Cat fans in the crowd. UK could easily sell 10,000 more if they could get them.

[Brian McCat]

It's about time they come around. They missed a really good, exciting football season.

[7lives]

BOURBON TOWN CAT FAN wrote:

http://www.weather.com/outlook/driving/interstate/monthly/USTN0357?from=tenDay_topnav_driving

the week before the bowl, the long range forcast is for 70degree temps, I hope they hang around !!

I think you misread that. That 70 degrees is the record high temp forDecember 29th in Nashville. The forecast only extends to December 21st and stops.

[7lives]

7lives wrote: BOURBON TOWN CAT FAN wrote:

http://www.weather.com/outlook/driving/interstate/monthly/USTN0357?from=tenDay_topnav_driving

the week before the bowl, the long range forcast is for 70degree temps, I hope they hang around !!

I think you misread that. That 70 degrees is the record high temp forDecember 29th in Nashville. The forecast only extends to December 21st and stops.
I misread your post. You said a week before. The 19th they have 71 and on the 21st it drops to 51.

[RV]

bleedbluelady wrote: Burton happened by the crowd once the students were let inside the Coliseum, and he rounded up several teammates -- including linebacker Wesley Woodyard and tailbacks Rafael Little and Alfonso Smith -- for an impromptu meet-and-greet.

"We tried to shake everybody's hand that was there," Burton said. "We just wanted them to know we were going to try to put a show on for them, and we appreciated their support."

It turns out the appreciation was mutual.

"I've been to too many Kentucky home games to count, and I can't ever remember seeing the students and the players interact like that," said Tyler Shockey, a junior from Pikeville, Ky., who was at Memorial Coliseum that evening. "They went out of their way to talk to everybody, and we let them know how much we appreciated them. It was really cool."

:):thumbup Says a lot about our players.

Good stuff. Fine young men. :thumbup

[Doug Hardin]

I'm not complaining about the newfound football hysteria for both of our 1-A state schools. Unfortunately, I think it's one of the main contributing factor for why I can't exactly get top dollar for my UK-UL basketball tickets.

[poodoo]

RV wrote: bleedbluelady wrote: Burton happened by the crowd once the students were let inside the Coliseum, and he rounded up several teammates -- including linebacker Wesley Woodyard and tailbacks Rafael Little and Alfonso Smith -- for an impromptu meet-and-greet.

"We tried to shake everybody's hand that was there," Burton said. "We just wanted them to know we were going to try to put a show on for them, and we appreciated their support."

It turns out the appreciation was mutual.

"I've been to too many Kentucky home games to count, and I can't ever remember seeing the students and the players interact like that," said Tyler Shockey, a junior from Pikeville, Ky., who was at Memorial Coliseum that evening. "They went out of their way to talk to everybody, and we let them know how much we appreciated them. It was really cool."

:):thumbup Says a lot about our players.

Good stuff. Fine young men. :thumbup

Absolutely. Too, thanks for sharing, bleedbluelady. KUDOS to Keenan for rounding up some of his teammates and being so nice to the UK students. Of course, we are not at all surprised.:cool:

How I love these guys, and how I would love for them to pull off the upset and MAKE HISTORY, winning a bowl game for the first time since 1984! They are such fine young men and so deserve it. Regardless, it is so good to see them HAPPY and getting well-deserved RESPECT from UK fans. :)GO CATS!

[johnkyblue]

Doug Hardin wrote: I'm not complaining about the newfound football hysteria for both of our 1-A state schools. Unfortunately, I think it's one of the main contributing factor for why I can't exactly get top dollar for my UK-UL basketball tickets.
No way. If anything it should make them more expensive. I would say this year for UK, a learning experience, and the downturn in general of UL basketball (maybe 2005 was a pinnacle where UL has to reload, but I don't think so) are deciding factors.

Playing UL in any sport only increases the rivalry. I got mad when I found out we lost to them in women's basketball.