SxSE: Bat Cats

Photo by Amanda Rykoff 

♦ Shively Field at Cliff Hagan Stadium

• Opened: 1969, rebuilt in 2002
• Capacity: 
• Named After: Bernie Shively, former UK Athletic Director; Cliff Hagan, former UK basketball player

♦ New Kentucky Ballpark fare for the UK Wildcats Baseball - the Ballpark Hot Brown - Turkey Dog with Cheese Sauce, Diced Tomatoes and Bacon... actually healthier than the original hot brown!! funny that UofL didn't think of this first as it is Louisville food! (first-thoughts.org)

♦ This advice on going to a UK game at Cliff Hagan Stadium makes it sound very similar to a trip to Taylor Stadium at Mizzou (from ksrcollege.com):

If you are a student, admission is FREE!!! For everyone else single game tickets are $5 and season tickets are $55 for reserved seating and $35 for general admission (just pay the extra 20 bucks and get reserved seating). Complementary parking is available at Parking Structure 7 or behind the right field wall. Whatever you do, DO NOT PARK in the lot adjacent to the stadium!!! It is a trap set by the university parking service to ruin your day. One more piece of advice; dress warmly, epically for the early season games.

♦ Catching up with Johnsburg's Jerad Grundy at Kentucky (Chicago Tribune)

The atmosphere at Kentucky home games is something Jerad Grundy had never experienced as a player.

The decibel level at Cliff Hagan Stadium does not approach that of Rupp Arena, but basketball isn't the only sport that has Kentucky fans excited these days.

Grundy, a Johnsburg graduate who transferred to Kentucky after stops at Miami and Heartland Community College, is a top-of-the-rotation pitcher for the Wildcats (25-1), who won their first 22 games and are ranked No. 2 nationally by Collegiate Baseball and No. 10 by Baseball America.

"It has been crazy," said Grundy, who is 3-0 with a 2.88 ERA in six starts. "People are noticing. When we played South Carolina, they had to turn people away. It is indescribable playing in the SEC. It feels like every game is like a World Series game. It is so intense and everyone on field is so talented."

♦ UK is not KU

• KU's legendary basketball coach was Phog Allen; UK's was Adolph Rupp.  Rupp actually played for Phog Allen at KU.

• UK Coach Gary Henderson and KU Coach Ritch Price are both from the West Coast, Henderson from Southern California and Price from Oregon.

•  UK's colors are blue and white; KU's are blue and red

• UK's mascot is an actual animal that exists;  KU's mascot is a ridiculous imaginary dodo bird

• UK has a live bobcat msacot; KU does not have a live jayhawk.

• UK fans' favorite cheer is a back-and-forth "Blue!" "White", which is is just as annoying but makes more sense than KU's nonsensical "Rock Chalk Jayhawk!"
  
  
• UK recognizes the value of a geographic and historical rivalry with a team from a different conference. The Kentucky vs. Louisville rivalry dates back to 1912, somewhat short of the Missouri-Kansas rivalry.
  

  The yearly men's basketball game is called the Battle for the Bluegrass and the yearly football game is played for the Governor's Cup trophy. Many of the schools' other sports teams also play annually despite the fact that the teams are not in the same conference. (Wikipedia)

• Mizzou fans have yet to form a strong opinion about UK.  On the other hand, KU still sucks.