Wildcat Whisperer: Thanks for joining us.Sam Bowie's Uniform Shorts: No problem, it was great to get out of that storage bin for a little while, if you know what I mean.
WW: Well, we really are glad you're here. So tell us, what have you been doing for the last 28 years?
SBUS: (Sighs) I've been all over man. From Lexington we first went first to Portland of course, then Big Sam made stops in Jersey and LA before he hung 'em up back in '95. It was a heckuva ride, though, I gotta tell ya. Mainly I've just been kept in different boxes and bins, you know, with old trophies and other memorabilia. But the good news is I'm 100% polyester, so I don't have to worry about moths or anything.
WW: That's good to hear. So, where are you from originally?
SBUS: Made in China, baby. From a straight-up sweat shop. Believe me, nobody cared about working conditions over there back in the day. I hear things have improved, though. Progress.
WW: And speaking of progress, I gotta ask...how long is the inseam exactly?
SBUS: Believe it or not, I'm one of the lucky ones, since Sam was over 7' tall. My inseam is a solid 5 and a quarter inches, which used to pass for standard. So don't get me started on the capris those guys are wearing these days. I think at this stage, the pendulum has actually swung too far in the opposite direction. A little bit further south and guys will be needing cuffs on those shorts, you know?
WW: Good point. I guess we can blame Michigan's Fab Five for starting that trend, along with Michael Jor..
SBUS: Whoa! Had to go there, didn't you!
WW: Jeez, I'm sorry, I had meant to avoid that particular subj...
SBUS: (laughs) I'm just playin', man. It's cool. Sam made his millions, had a nice little career, so no hard feelings. Just because you're considered by some people to be the biggest NBA draft bust ever, that doesn't mean you were a bad player. Hardly anybody compares to MJ anyway.
WW: True, true. So did you and Sam always get along?
SBUS: Oh yeah, sure. Sam's cool. Well, there was that one time back in '81 when we were about to take the court against Ole Miss, and I looked up at Sam and said, "Go get 'em, buddy. Break a leg." Oh man, he shot me the dirtiest look you could ever imagine! He didn't speak to me again until Selection Sunday. But other than that, it was all good.
WW: Any particularly fond memories of your time at UK?
SBUS: For one thing, I must say, that Bill Keightley was a prince among men. He never, ever washed us in cold, it was always in warm. Only the best fabric softeners. Folded crisp, fresh out of the dryer. But of course, it wasn't just the way he took care of the equipment, it was how he took care of the players. That guy truly was Mr. Wildcat. He deserves every accolade, the banner in Rupp, all of it. He loved Kentucky basketball, and Kentucky basketball players especially. Nobody ever had a bad word to say about Mr. Keightley. For him, it was always about the people, the relationships. The wins were nice, sure, the championships, but at the end of the day, it was about helping young men reach their potential, helping them grow into maturity. They just don't make 'em like that anymore.
WW: (wiping moisture from eyes) Wow, sorry, must be my allergies. Kind of dusty in here. (Sniffs) Anyway, um, the Sports Illustrated cover, that must have been nice, right?
SBUS: Actually, that was a different model. They switched uniform suppliers and went with a different style, with the UK logo on the front of the shorts rather than the sides, and if you look really close, the lettering is slightly altered, too.
WW: Oh, I beg your pardon..
SBUS: Common mistake.
WW: Well, I apologize again. I suppose we had better wrap this up. So is there anything else you'd like to add, anyone you'd like to say hello to?
SBUS: Yeah, thanks again for having me, and just a quick shout-out to Freddie Cowan's old socks. Those guys were really funky, man! Tell 'em I said, "Peace!"
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment