Welcome, Big Blue Nation!
- 16 comments
- Oscar Combs
- Posted in Columns
- 18
I’m back, just as I promised a few months ago. Now it’s time to rekindle the flames of passion with UK sports.
Here’s the website you’ve been waiting for. Nothing fancy, nothing Earth-shattering. Nothing boring. Just a place to visit when you want to spend time enjoying something new, or old, about University of Kentucky sports (particularly basketball and football) that will have you laughing, crying, giddy, or perhaps just a bit more knowledgeable than you were the day before.
After my 50 years of covering UK sports, starting with the Hazard Herald in 1965 and East Kentucky Voice in 1969, then founding The Cats’ Pause in 1976, as well as 20 years co-hosting the UK Radio Network pregame shows for football & basketball, I’m turning to this venue for a new adventure to keep providing BBN with stories, podcasts, blog posts & photos of current and past Wildcat heroes.
To say I’m excited would be an understatement. Let me be upfront. Don’t expect 24/7 breaking news coverage here every day. Not going back into a 24/7 grind mode. What I will have are some great memories and stories to share with you.
Here’s a sample of what you will get: I’ll be writing a post whenever I feel like it. That might be one a month, but more than likely it’ll be a few times a week. You’ll be enjoying tons of historical pictures of days gone by. Stories of players, coaches and referees from yesterday will pop up every now and then. Opinion pieces will be spirited. You might be surprised by what I’ll say about current affairs or controversial issues as they pop up. I might not always be right, but I’ll always be honest.
Most exciting, I think, will be a weekly podcast where I’ll be having conversations with sports figures you’ll enjoy hearing.
My first podcast is with a man who grew up with the great Wah Wah Jones in Harlan, then tagged along with Wah Wah on recruiting visits to Tennessee and WKU before spending 4 years as a student manager under Adolph Rupp. You will absolutely love hearing him tell stories about Wah Wah, Rupp, and football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. He’ll tell you about the real relationship between Rupp and Bryant. He’ll also explain how UK became half of the 1948 Olympic Gold Medal winning team in London along with the Phillips Oilers starting five.
Joe Bryant of the ’76 & ’77 football Wildcats and I will recall the 2 greatest back-to-back football seasons at UK in past 62 years, when UK won 1976 Peach Bowl, and how excited he is for his team’s 40th anniversary this year.
Also, we’ll continue having the very popular Twitter polls, to which so many of you have responded favorably. If you do not follow us on Twitter, be sure to join our 35,000 Twitter friends. It’s @wildcatnews.
One of the specialties will be keeping you up to date on Wildcats in the pros. Our first installment will be getting you ready for the Wizards-Kings exhibition game that will be played in Rupp Arena on October 15.
Before I move on, I want to give “special” thanks to my good buddy Beau Robinson who is putting together my podcasts and will be joining me in a podcast series of “remembering the past 50 years” of UK basketball and football. Also “special” thanks to my good friend Brett Morris who is the master behind creating this website and making sure everything works.
We’ll be adding more web content as time goes on. If you like, we wouldn’t mind you telling your friends about us. Just remember, the website is www.oscarcombs.com. We invite your feedback, suggestions and comments, whether it’s via Twitter @wildcatnews, or by e-mail: oscarcombs.oc@gmail.com.
So sit back and enjoy. We’re blessed to have you along for the ride.
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About author
Member of Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame. Former co-host of UK Radio Network's pregame football & basketball shows. Founder & former publisher of The Cats' Pause. Former publisher of East Kentucky Voice. Former editor of The Hazard Herald. Winner of 41 awards from Kentucky Press Association & Kentucky Weekly Press Association. Winner of 1977 U. S. Basketball Writers Association sports feature of year. Native of Hazard, Ky.
Thanks Oscar. Please give BBM organizers the comment that since few of us know the current players by number, it would be great if somebody identified who might be doing what in the night’s scrimmage. Talking heads can do their thing in another period of the event.
Go Cats and continue to Go Oscar!
Graduate of old Irvine High School back in the 60’s and have always enjoyed listening to Oscar and reading his articles. Oscar and Cawood are my two favorites along with Tom Leach and KSR radio. Go Cats!
What a great thing Oscar.I loved listening to the first podcast.I have already put this site in my favorites.
Hey Big O. Congratulations on yet another milestone. Proud of you and your always being honest and true to your roots. Good luck with your new venture!
Tweeted that I had forwarded the link to your website to a good friend of mine who bleeds UK Blue and lives in western Kentucky, but I don’t think it went through. Didn’t see it in my list. Anyway, glad to see this and hope nothing but good fortune follows you!
Great to have you back. Miss you and Russell Rice and the good old days. (Dating myself)
Congrats Big O you are the best😎
Two voices I associate with UK sports are yours and Cawoods. Keep it going!
It’s good to have you back with us. I’ve missed you on the radio!
Website seems great so far! Looking forward to hearing Oscar’s take on upcoming basketball season.
Congratulations “O”, looking forward to having you back at the conversation table.
Glad to see you still carrying the banner Oscar. You are number one (1) in Kentucky number one in the “nation.”
Been a wildcat fan for 35 years. Looking forward to what Oscar has to say,Thank you for all the years of service with the Big Blue Nation.
Gonna be a hell of a ride, great news!!!
cant wait Oscar your wisdom is going to be here for bbn to read from the greatest thank you so much and may god bless you and family. Farrell S
So this is what all the long meetings were about, looking forward to following along!!