The Runts and 60th Anniversary Recognition

[Clevenger32]

I am guessing that you’ve heard that the Runts will have 60th Anniversary recognition at the Mississippi State game.

For those of us in our 70s this was the first great UK team we witnessed and in my case the first time I ever cried at the outcome of a game.

Some still argue one of the best passing cohesive teams ever put on a college basketball floor. All the team members are in their 80s now or closely approaching it. Only Ashland Blazer’s Larry Conley will not be in attendance due to health reasons.

If you are going to that game and you did not live during that time which is the majority of you, please appreciate what this team meant on and off the court to Kentucky basketball, the University, and UK people everywhere.

[Matt Dillon]

Actually, my fandom goes back to 1954 and I agree with what you said.

[WeWant9]

Well before my time, but one thing I love about UK basketball is our deep history. Always enjoy hearing stories from the Rupp days.

I say let Pat Riley handle the pre-game prep ha.

[Clevenger32]

Matt Dillon: Did not mean to be disrespectful to those older than 70 I just know that you would’ve had to be in your 70s to remember the Runts.. I was born in 1954 so I was 11/12 years old the year of the runts. X’s Pat Riley is 10 years older than I am. I saw today where somebody’s trying to get a petition up to put a statue of him up at Rupp Arena for his accomplishments in basketball high school, college, and professionally as a player and as a coach. I think that would be tremendous. However, should that statue be in front of Rupp or in front of memorial Coliseum or should there be some recognition of his accomplishments in front of both?

[South jones]

My earliest remembrance was Wah Wah so I remember the runts very well
I still believe that the Cats would have beat Texas western had the team been 100 % healthy for that game.

[samsdad]

My favorite team.

[capcat]

I remember sitting, standing and cheering for the Cats with my grandmother, who would be 130 now if she could be alive today. She taught me to love Kentucky basketball. I remember her shouts of “Louie Dampier!”
and “Adolph Rupp!” The legacy she left me with was one of cooking, listening to Kentucky games, and going to church.

[bthaunert]

I'm 49, so before my time, but I've always appreciated history. Some interesting facts:

1. That team started the season unranked in both the AP and UPI polls that year. The AP only ranked 10 teams and the UPI ranked 20 teams.
2. Schedules are fun to look at. The OOC schedule for UK that year was Hardon-Simmons, Illinois, Northwestern, Virginia, Air Force, Indiana, Texas Tech, Notre Dame and St Louis.
3. Kentucky played Tennessee in back-to-back games at the end of the season, losing the second one.

[Catsrock]

I know Rupp usually still has big crowds. BBN still dominates Nashville for at least one day of the SEC Tournament. But i fear future generations may not have the passion we have known. My sons are UK fans but I don’t know that it burns inside them like it did me growing up. No matter where you are on the scale of loving, respecting, hating Cal—you just can’t deny that staring years ago with one and dones that you develop less of a connection to the players than in the old days. If it’s been that way your whole life do you really have the same connection to the program? Lord I hope so. Combine that and a lack of feeling like you have a shot at the title year after year and you may just not have the fire in your belly. A generation or 2 of that and the history is just history.

Good luck getting the excitement back sooner than later Pope. Or at least his successor.

[South jones]

Dampier and Riley were the AA on that team but Larry Conley and Tommy Kron were the glue as evidenced the following year when they were the only two missing due to graduation and went 13-13 on the year.
RIP TOMMY KRON

[EKYCat]

I know Rupp usually still has big crowds. BBN still dominates Nashville for at least one day of the SEC Tournament. But i fear future generations may not have the passion we have known. My sons are UK fans but I don’t know that it burns inside them like it did me growing up. No matter where you are on the scale of loving, respecting, hating Cal—you just can’t deny that staring years ago with one and dones that you develop less of a connection to the players than in the old days. If it’s been that way your whole life do you really have the same connection to the program? Lord I hope so. Combine that and a lack of feeling like you have a shot at the title year after year and you may just not have the fire in your belly. A generation or 2 of that and the history is just history.

Good luck getting the excitement back sooner than later Pope. Or at least his successor.

I second this. I'm 43 and when I was a kid I didn't miss games if they were on TV. If not, I listened to them. Dad was the same way. It also helped that when I was growing up they were winning like crazy. I still care. Not as much. Probably because there are many more important things. I say that to say that my son is 15 and he is a huge sports fan. He plays ball for his high school and whatnot but he doesn't seem to follow the Cats like I did when I was his age.

To the OP's point. The Runts were obviously well before my time. But, I've read Cawood's book on the history of UK basketball and know about those teams and appreciate the history and what they did to propel the program to where it is (or where it used to be).

[Matt Dillon]

Matt Dillon: Did not mean to be disrespectful to those older than 70 I just know that you would’ve had to be in your 70s to remember the Runts.. I was born in 1954 so I was 11/12 years old the year of the runts. X’s Pat Riley is 10 years older than I am. I saw today where somebody’s trying to get a petition up to put a statue of him up at Rupp Arena for his accomplishments in basketball high school, college, and professionally as a player and as a coach. I think that would be tremendous. However, should that statue be in front of Rupp or in front of memorial Coliseum or should there be some recognition of his accomplishments in front of both?

No offence taken. I was merely making a statement as to how long I've been a fan.

[Pobilly]

This is my 3rd year in a row that I stopped watching the season games or listening by Thanksgiving. I love UK sports but I hate the poor state of the mens basketball team and football for the past several years. I gave it a go this year but could not stand to watch players that could care less to be in a game on national TV. Last year I did not watch again till the SEC tourney and watched live through the exit in the tourney and watched the tourney all the way through. I have not only not watched UK play but have not watched a live game or highlights of a game (any game) since stopping this year. I have watched the women play. They are a good team (not great but solid). I doubt right now if I will watch SEC tourney or NCAA tourney and that will be a first since longer than I care to remember. I get on here and read your comments, i get texts from my brother (far less now that he realizes I just do not care this year), I read the summary on UK athletics or a sports writers comments and that is it. My wife and I typically watch something she would have watched in the other room during games as she does not really care for sports since our 3 kids are grown and gone and we have no grand-kids as of yet. Doubt we will have any. Just different times. I am not a bandwagon fan (which is what it sounds like), the poor play really upsets my episodic ataxia and gets me out of sorts for days. This so far is the only way I have found to deal with it is to not watch. I have attacks on close games even when we are good and would step away for a few. lol

[Catsrock]

I second this. I'm 43 and when I was a kid I didn't miss games if they were on TV. If not, I listened to them. Dad was the same way. It also helped that when I was growing up they were winning like crazy. I still care. Not as much. Probably because there are many more important things. I say that to say that my son is 15 and he is a huge sports fan. He plays ball for his high school and whatnot but he doesn't seem to follow the Cats like I did when I was his age.

To the OP's point. The Runts were obviously well before my time. But, I've read Cawood's book on the history of UK basketball and know about those teams and appreciate the history and what they did to propel the program to where it is (or where it used to be).

I’m 53. Watched every game available. Arranged my schedule around them. Listened to Cawood anytime they weren’t on tv. That’s basketball and football. Football got me through a lot of Saturdays stripping tobacco. Whole family would gather and watch the coaches show on Sunday after church, too. Mom was/still is as big a fan as my dad. Families bonded with UK sports. Now, one son watches with me but both of them are more into NBA than college game. Each to his own, but I miss the way it was.

[Kennyskywalker34]

Man I miss Larry on commentary. He was outstanding. How many of the runts team have passed?