Sports in Kentucky

=High school sports=

Despite the national stereotype that Kentucky is a diehard basketball state, at the high school level the state produces many times over more top nationally ranked football players than basketball. In the past ten years the state has produced many players ranked among the top 20 in their position, notably Tim Couch, Chris Redman, Dennis Johnson, Eric Shelton, Michael Bush, Brian Brohm, Mario Urrutia, Earl Heyman, André Woodson, and Micah Johnson. An increasingly growing number of top baseball talent is also coming from Kentucky, such as Brandon Webb, Austin Kearns, and Paul Byrd.

UK has had practically a monopoly on the state's top players, although UofL has made modest in roads in the past five years. The football Cardinals have historically depended on the states of Florida and Georgia for a majority of their talent, and currently over 65% of the team's starters are from those two states.

College sports

Despite a recent surge in the quality of the University of Kentucky football team, college basketball remains the sport of choice in most of Kentucky. Western Kentucky University's men's basketball program is one of the ten most winning in the history of the NCAA, and has one Final Four appearance (1971). Murray State University is a perennial threat to win the Ohio Valley Conference and appear in the NCAA Tournament, having done so 13 times. However, the question in Kentucky college athletics is most often "Red or Blue?" referring to the primary colors of its two flagship universities - the University of Kentucky (blue) and the University of Louisville (red).

The Battle for the Bluegrass

The rivalry between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils is perhaps the only in-state basketball rivalry that compares on a national scale to the rivalry between the Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals. A 2002 "Sports Illustrated" poll found that 63% of Kentuckians are Kentucky Wildcats fans, while 16% are Louisville Cardinals fans. [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/features/si50/states/kentucky/ Splendor in the Bluegrass] ]

A 2006 "Lexington Herald-Leader" article stated that interest in UofL sports is surging across the state of Kentucky, especially in Hopkinsville and Owensboro. [ [http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/sports/fans/15763558.htm Where is everybody? - "Lexington Herald-Leader"] ] An October 21, 2006 "Louisville Courier-Journal" article also stated that the total sales of UofL merchandise has tripled since 2001 and that the school now ranks 32^nd nationally in sales, up from 41^st in 2001. UofL ranks 2^nd in the Big East Conference and the 3^rd highest among all urban universities (to Southern California and Miami) in merchandise sales. UK's merchandise sales have steadily remained around 14^th in the nation, by far the best in the state. UofL now has more registered collegiate license plates than the University of Kentucky (18,300 to 17,000); a fourfold increase since 2004. In 1995 UK had a 15,000 plate lead on UofL. [http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061021/NEWS01/610210358 Racking up sales - "The Courier-Journal"] ]

Fuel was added to the fire of this rivalry when Rick Pitino, the UK coach who led the Wildcats to their 1996 National Title before leaving to become coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics, returned to the Bluegrass State to coach the Cardinals in 2001. Many in the state compared the move to the treachery of Benedict Arnold. The situation was exacerbated by the transfer of underachieving Wildcat power forward/center Marvin Stone. Stone's best season with the Cats was his sophomore season, when the former McDonald's All-American averaged 6.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. [ [http://www.nba.com/draft2003/profiles/StoneMarvin.html NBA.com Prospect Profile - Marvin Stone] ] Under Pitino, however, Stone averaged 10.7 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Cards, including a 16 point, 7 rebound, 2 block performance against the Wildcats in an 81-63 Louisville win on December 28. [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/college/men/players/1634/ CNNSI.com Player Profile - Marvin Stone] ]

College basketball

It is perhaps impossible to overstate the importance of college basketball in Kentucky. At least three college coaching legends have been associated with programs in the state of Kentucky: Adolph Rupp (UK), Denny Crum (UofL), and Rick Pitino (both UK and UofL). Also, several successful NBA players played in the state, including Pat Riley, Wes Unseld, and Dan Issel. Only the UCLA Bruins have won more NCAA championships than the Kentucky Wildcats, with the Wildcats ranking first in almost every other significant measure of a successful program.

NJCAA

Professional sports teams

Professional football, baseball and basketball all at one time had teams in Kentucky. The National Football League and National League had early franchises in Louisville, and the Kentucky Colonels were a mainstay of the American Basketball Association but folded when that league merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976. The New ABA added a Louisville-based team called the Kentucky Colonels, which was active from 2004 to 2006, and announced it would locate an expansion team in Murray, Kentucky in 2007. [cite web |url=http://media.www.thenews.org/media/storage/paper651/news/2007/01/19/Sports/American.Basketball.Association.Team.Looks.To.Bring.New.Energy.To.Murray-2653852.shtml |title=American Basketball Association team looks to bring new energy to Murray |publisher="The Murray State News" |date=2007-01-19 |accessdate=2007-02-14] That team was originally also named the Kentucky Colonels, but the name was changed to the Kentucky Retros in March 2007 in deference to the tradition of the Louisville-based teams. [cite web |url=http://www.abalive.com/news/releases/?newsid=2007031406004 |title=Kentucky team announces name change |publisher=American Basketball Association |date=2007-03-14 |accessdate=2007-03-16] The team eventually announced that they would relocate to Louisville [ [http://abalive.com/news/releases/?newsid=2007061806001 ABAlive.com - Home of the American Basketball Association ] ] . Pikeville, Kentucky will also become home to pro basketball in the 2007–2008 season, with the East Kentucky Miners joining the Continental Basketball Association [ [http://www.news-expressky.com/articles/2007/06/14/news/01team.txt Appalachian News Express ] ] .

The state is home to several minor league sports teams. The Louisville Bats of the International League are the AAA affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The Lexington Legends are a Class A minor league baseball team affiliated with the Houston Astros in the South Atlantic League. The Florence Freedom are a member of the Frontier League's eastern division, playing their home games at Champion Window Field.

Minor league baseball

*Louisville Bats (Triple-A International League affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds)
*Lexington Legends (Single-A South Atlantic League affiliate of the Houston Astros)
*Florence Freedom (IndependentFrontier League)

Football

*Lexington Horsemen (arenafootball2)
*Louisville Fire (arenafootball2)
*Louisville Bulls (Mid Continental Football League)
*Northern Kentucky Xtreme (Mid Continental Football League)
*Hardin County Wolverines (Mid Continental Football League)
*Kentucky Karma (National Women's Football Association)

Basketball

*East Kentucky Miners (Continental Basketball Association)

Hockey

*Louisville Chill (Midwest Hockey League)
*Bluegrass Hockey League (Benton, KY)

Former Professional Teams

*National Football League
**Louisville (NFL) (Brecks/Colonels) (defunct)

*South Atlantic League
**Lexington Giants (defunct)
**Lexington Indians (defunct)
**Lexington Red Sox (defunct)

*Frontier League
**Tri-State Tomahawks
**Kentucky Rifles

*KITTY League
**Bowling Green Barons (defunct)
**Paducah Indians/Chiefs (defunct)
**Hopkinsville Hoppers (defunct)
**Henderson Hens (defunct)
**Several Maysville based teams

*American Hockey League
**Kentucky Thoroughblades (moved to Cleveland, Ohio and became the Cleveland Barons (2001-2006), would move again to Worcester, Massachusetts and are now the Worcester Sharks)
**Louisville Panthers (moved to Des Moines, Iowa and are now the Iowa Stars)

*East Coast Hockey League
**Lexington Men O' War (Moved to Utah and became Utah Grizzlies).
**Louisville Icehawks (Moved to Florida to become the Jacksonville Lizard Kings).
**Louisville River Frogs (Moved to Ohio to become the Cincinnati Cyclones).

*American Basketball Association
**Kentucky Colonels (defunct)

*American Basketball Association (2000-)
**Kentucky Retros (defunct)
**Kentucky Colonels (defunct)
**Kentucky Pro Cats (defunct)

*NASCAR Busch Series race team Keith Coleman Racing, based in Eddyville (defunct)

*NASCAR Busch Series race team Brewco Motorsports, was based in Central City but now renamed Baker-Curb Racing and moved to Nashville

References

ee also

*Sports in Louisville, Kentucky