A Sad Day in Lexington

By now I am sure all of you have heard of the tragedy of the downed ComAir flight in Lexington this morning. It is one of the worst disasters in the history of the Commonwealth and it has truly rocked this town and the state. As the days continue and the names of the victims are released, it is likely the case that almost everyone will know one of the individuals on the flight or someone affected by the tragedy. When something like this happens it puts trivial differences (such as those about sports) in perspective and helps us focus on what truly is important. Since this is a sports site, we would be remiss if we did not mention the first of the victims released to the public, Jon Hooker, former baseball player for the University of Kentucky. Hooker played for the Cats from 1997-2001, where he was a pitcher for Keith Madison's team. Hooker played professional baseball for a short time in the Chicago White Sox system and for two Independent League teams. Hooker just got married to his girlfriend on Saturday night and the two of them were on the flight, heading to their honeymoon. Both Hooker and his wife were Kentuckians and their loss, especially on the heels of their wedding the night before, is truly tragic. We will continue to find out more of these stories in the coming days and each will be difficult to hear. Later this evening, we will get back to the normal activities of this blog, but I do think it is important to acknowledge these events going on in our area. This morning's events are truly tragic and are a reminder that every day truly is a gift and one that cannot be taken for granted. Most all of you who read this have some connection to the Bluegrass state and I know you join me in offering your prayers and condolences to all the families of the victims involved.