Kickin' It in the L-E-X

This is always a cool trip. Football has taken over the south, but in a couple of states basketball is still king.

I sometimes wonder about that. Why are some states "football" and some states "basketball?" I'm not sure I get it. Why is Ohio a football state and Kentucky a basketball state? Why is North Carolina a basketball state, while South Carolina's a football state?

Whatever the reason, I'm glad that Lexington is basketball-crazy and that it always will be.

When you're sitting in Rupp Arena, it's not quite as nostalgic or awesome as Allen Fieldhouse or Cameron Indoor Stadium. But the fanaticism is what makes the experience so memorable. Rupp Arena is connected to a hotel which is connected to a mall and food court. And everyone wears blue. It's hard to do the scene justice.

About 20,000 (an early-arriving crowd) go to the game and about half of them stay after the game for John Calipari's postgame radio interview. They are here for the action, not the party (for the most part) and the Big Blue Nation is what makes makes the event more memorable than the venue.

Of course I can't sponge in the experience since I'm locked in away from the action. But there are worse views.