Hello Big Blue Nation!

Now that UK is back at the top of the college basketball food chain, the Lee boys and I decided to ride their coat tails to the top by creating this blog. Anyone that knows us, knows that I am only kidding. Here at BBNR, we aren't fans of the bandwagon variety, the kind of fans that had quit caring about the Cats when the banners were no longer being hung in Rupp's Rafters every other year. On the contrary, we have tuned in religiously during these tough times for the Cats, waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for the Cats to put the Universe back in order and dominate the SEC again, much less all of college basketball. I am a little surprised it took us this long to start something like this. I guess the brave new world of Twitter gave Mike the confidence he needed to step out and share his thoughts about all things UK, and I am glad that he invited me and his brother JLee to come along.

To let you know a little about myself and my fanhood, one of my first memories was the infamous Laettner shot that broke my seven year-old heart. I cried myself to sleep that night, muttering "I hate Christian Laettner" late into the night. I wasn't old enough to understand everything that surrounded that team, and just why they were "Unforgettable." I just knew that I loved the Cats. The team proved to be aptly named. I haven't forgotten that team, and my love for the Cats is something that I will share with the rest of the Big Blue Nation until the day that I die.

My formative years saw our Wildcats become the team of the decade, and then begin a slow but steady decline under Tubby Smith. The success during my impressionable youth bred in my fanhood a sense of optimism that things were always about to turn around, but that optimism proved to be misplaced. That was until Calipari showed up. That was when the optimism quit feeling forced, but completely natural. I didn't understand what it took to be the perfect coach for UK until I witnessed Cal completely own every aspect of the position during his hectic off season. I have felt like UK was on the cusp of recapturing its past glory on many occassions the past ten years, but this is different. I think that the rest of The Big Blue Nation know what I am talking about, and I can't wait for it to start!