 Classic SI photo by Rich Clarkson |
Splendor in the Bluegrass
Legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp made basketball a religion in the commonwealth and turned the Wildcats program into a dynasty. During his 42 seasons at the helm (1930-72), Kentucky won 876 games and four national titles. Nicknamed the "Baron of Bluegrass," Rupp was a master at developing local talent; more than 80 percent of his players were products of Kentucky high schools. Rupp Arena, home to the Wildcats since 1977, stands as a monument to the coach.
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GREATEST ATHLETES |
Muhammad Ali, Louisville
The Greatest. Nuff said.
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Mary T. Meagher, Louisville
Established world records in 100- and 200-meter butterfly in 1981; won three gold medals (100- and 200-meter fly and 4³100 medley relay) at '84 Olympics.
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Wes Unseld, Louisville
Two-time All-America at Louisville; named NBA Rookie of the Year and MVP, with Bullets in 1969.
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FLASHBACK |
1978: The Cats Go Wild
With Goose Givens cookin' for 41 points and Rick Robey for 20, Kentucky won its fifth national championship 94-88 over gutty young Duke.
It was never easy for Kentucky. There was never any time to sit and smile. From the very first game this season, the Wildcats were haunted by their tradition, pressured by their opponents and driven mercilessly by their coach. All of the joys of winning had to wait until they had won it all. That glorious moment came last Monday night in the championship game of the NCAA tournament in St. Louis.
FULL STORY
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THE SI POLL |
Who do Kentuckians root for? SI asked the Bluegrass State residents to weigh in* on sports.
Favorite major league baseball team
Cincinnati Reds | 29% |
Chicago Cubs | 12% |
Favorite NFL team
Tennessee Titans | 14% |
Cincinnati Bengals | 13% |
Favorite NBA team
Los Angeles Lakers | 12% |
No favorite | 44% |
Favorite pro team
Cincinnati Reds | 14% |
Tennessee Titans | 10% |
Favorite college
Kentucky | 63% |
Louisville | 16% |
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Sports figure you'd most like to have dinner with
Pete Rose | 7% |
Michael Jordan | 7% |
Greatest athlete who ever lived in or played for a team in your state
Dan Issel | 14% |
Muhammad Ali | 13% |
Johnny Unitas | 12% |
Jamal Mashburn | 6% |
State's biggest rivalry
U. of Kentucky-Louisville | 87% |
U. of Kentucky- Tennessee | 2% |
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State's biggest rival
Favorite announcer
Dick Vitale | 18% |
John Madden | 13% |
More a fan of college or pro sports?
Favorite sport to play
Golf | 15% |
Basketball | 14% |
Baseball/softball | 12% |
Fishing | 12% |
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*Harris Interactive poll, conducted online, of 402 Kentucky residents who identified themselves as sports fans. Margin of error +/- 5%.
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FAST FACTS |
Admission to statehood: June 1, 1792 (15th state)
Area: 40,411 square miles
Bird: Cardinal
Capital: Frankfort
Economy: Agriculture -- Horses, cattle, tobacco, dairy products, hogs, soybeans, corn.
Industry -- Transportation equipment, chemical products, electric equipment, machinery, food processing, tobacco products, coal, tourism.
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Flower: Goldenrod
Nickname: Bluegrass State
Population: 4,041,769
Pro sports teams: None
Major college programs: Kentucky Wildcats, Murray State Racers, Eastern Kentucky Colonels,
Louisville Cardinals, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
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Sports Illustrated's 50th Anniversary |
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STATITUDES |
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2 Major league no-hitters pitched by Southgate, Ky., native and current U.S. senator Jim Bunning -- one of them a perfect game against the Mets in 1964. Bunning is one of only five players to throw a no-hitter in different leagues.
3 Fillies to win the Kentucky Derby -- Regret (1915), Genuine Risk (1980) and Winning Colors (1988).
8 NCAA individual national gymnastics championships won by University of Kentucky All-American Jenny Hansen during a three-year period from 1993-95, which still ranks as the most individual national titles ever won in women's collegiate gymnastics.
84 NASCAR Winston Cup races won by Owensboro, Ky., native Darrell Waltrip. A three-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion (in 1981, '82 and '85), Waltrip won his only Daytona 500 in 1989.
1990 Year Bernadette Locke became the first woman to coach major men's college basketball. Kentucky coach Rick Pitino named Locke -- then 31, a former All-America guard at Georgia and an assistant with the Bulldog women's team -- as one of his assistants.
8,160 Yards of total offense produced by Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch. Despite starting only 24 games, he shattered a number of Wildcat passing records, completing 795 of 1,184 attempts for 8,835 career yards and 74 touchdowns.
90,600 Number of mint juleps sold at Churchill Downs on Derby Day 2000, requiring 150 bushels of fresh mint, 2,000 gallons of julep mix (a concoction of bourbon and sugar water) and 60 tons of ice. The julep was declared the official drink of the Derby in 1975.
$1,085,760 Career earnings of Citation, the Triple Crown winner and product of Kentucky's Calumet Farm, during a 45-race career from 1947-51. The stallion was racing's first millionaire horse and finished in the money in all but one of his races.
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ENEMY OF THE STATE |
Rick Pitino
Now that Pitino is coaching archrival Louisville instead of the University of Kentucky, many basketball fans in the state consider him a traitor. Respondents' most hated opponents: Duke (26%) and the University of Tennessee (20%).
Rick Pitino | 38% |
Christian Laettner | 18% |
Bob Knight | 12% |
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