H. Ross Perot's Monday News and Views

This is my first News and Views in some time, so it is only fitting that we honor the 80th birthday of one H. Ross Perot. For you youngsters who dont remember Perot, he ran for President in 1992 and 1996 as a third party candidate who tried to go against the establishment, a principle that we rebellious folks can all get behind. He was an odd amalgamation of a candidate...pro-choice, anti-gun control, anti-government spending, pro-environmental protections, anti-immigration, pro-gay marriage. In 1992, he was a legitimate contender to win the Presidency, at one point leading in the polls over Bill Clinton and George HW Bush. But then came a mysterious decision to drop out, an odd decision to re-enter, a debate performance perfectly mocked by Dana Carvey and a VP pick in James Stockdale that made "GRIDLOCK!" a catchphrase for a decade. He ended up doing well in the election (getting 20 percent or so) but procuring no electoral votes. He ran again in 1996 less successfully, but he may be best remembered as an answer to a trivia question. Pre-Monday Night Football on ESPN, what was the most watched show in the history of cable television? It was actually Perot's debate on NAFTA with Al Gore on the Larry King show. Yes kids, we were much more easily entertained in the mid-90s and would watch things today that wouldn't outdraw poker in the ratings. Perot was the last true Independent Presidential candidate with drawing power, and if one is to ever reappear, the Perot template, minus a bit of the crazy, is probably a good way to give it a strong run. To the the news: --- The big news tonight is that sources tell KSR that John Calipari and UK have reached a contract extension, and it will be announced on Monday morning. The extension is likely to give Calipari a total of 8 seasons left under contract as coach at Kentucky. Calipari and the University have been in talks since around this time last year and a deal coming at this point is very a good sign for his long-term future with the school. There are many particulars to the deal that will be interesting to dissect, but as of now, the most important point is this. With the prospect of leaving for the NBA always a possibility and Calipari occasionally seeming like a target of the NCAA, the school is showcasing a commitment to him and vice-versa. That is a positive sign for all of those that want to see Calipari in Lexington for a long time. We will have more on the deal on Monday as soon as it is announced. --- We are now finished with the NBA Draft and left with questions as to how our various beloved Cats will fare. Enes Kanter will be a star in Utah and could be part of a playoff team this season. The fit is perfect for Kanter in Salt Lake, although one of the logjam of big man will likely have to be traded to fit him in. Brandon Knight is in the depressing home of Detroit, but he is taking it all in stride and will have success. He even threw out a solid first pitch at the Tigers game this weekend. Josh Harrelson has taken NYC by storm, going to a Yankees game and becoming "Big Jorts" to a number of NY writers. The NY Post said this weekend that he will battle last season's 2nd round pick, Jerome Jordan, for a roster spot next season. And Deandre Liggins has headed to Orlando and will begin his journey to make that team. Liggins' ticket is defense and assuming he sticks with that mentality, he could make the final 15. It was a great night for all four guys and while Knight's spot may not be ideal, all can have futures in the league. --- This weekend did see an exercise in bizarre analysis on the NBA front concerning Brandon Knight. Today a Detroit Pistons blogger was quoted on ESPN (and seemingly in an agreeing way) as saying that Knight "wasnt good at playing basketball last year." His statement apparently derived from an "analysis" of his stats, specifically his offensive efficiency, which the blogger believed was less than ideal. Now I am a huge proponent of the stat movement in sports and this coming season will see KSR take UK basketball stats to a new level with a special blogger focusing on looking at the game from a statistical perspective. HOWEVER, statements like the one by the blogger showcase how statistics in the abstract dont tell the story. Knight is the all-time leading Freshman scorer at UK, led the NATION in freshman scoring and was the best player on a Final Four team. What is not to like? Yes he took a number of shots, but on the team he was on, Knight was needed to take those shots. If Brandon Knight played with four other efficient scorers, his numbers would be more efficient. But he had to play with guys who weren't as good as he at creating their own shot. Was there ever a game you watched where you felt Knight was doing anything but putting UK in its best chance to win? One can quibble if Knight was very good or great, but the notion that he "wasnt good at playing basketball" is simply stupidity showcased by an individual who didnt...oh say, watch the games. --- I will talk more about this in the coming week, but the scuttlebutt continues to be that Ryan Harrow is the story of the pickup games this June. Playing with the new Freshman and the returning players from last season, Harrow is the revelation thus far. He is able to get to the lane consistently and can score at will. Those who have seen much of the action say that he is the standout at this point in the games and would fight for a starting nod on this next year's team if he were eligible. Good news indeed for the future. --- Finally tonight, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of a longtime UK fan on the internet, Jonathan McIntyre, who passed away tragically on Friday at the age of 36. As recounted in this news report, McIntyre passed away on UK's campus after a fall in a parking garage. McIntyre was one of the longtime UK internet fans, going back to the days when there were only a couple of message boards sites and he was a consistent presence. He posted on Twitter as @mac4uk and was known to get into conversations with basketball people from all over the nation concerning his Wildcats. I have been around UK internet chat rooms and message boards since 1997 and McIntyre is one of those names that was always around, passionate about his Cats. He leaves behind a young family and our thoughts are with them through what must be a tremendously difficult time. We get things kicked off Monday morning at 10 am with KSR as we talk Calipari contract extension and the rest of the weekend news with Mark Krebs and the usual KSR cast of thousands. Check it out.