Caron Butler’s Unoriginal Hair and Analysis of Tyler Herro

NBA TV analyst Caron Butler and his brand new hair seems to have stumbled on some old takes (Read this, his new hair is absurd). The oldest, in particular, is about Miami Heat newcomer, Tyler Herro. He says that Herro, after a very impressive Summer League, reminds him of two former Heat players.

Butler said, “He’s got a little bit of everything in him; I see a little bit of Jason Williams, I see a little bit of Rex Chapman, I see a little bit from an athletic standpoint, being explosive… Just being aggressive. His mentality, he’s extremely comfortable out there on that platform, on that stage knowing that everybody’s watching. And he’s having fun.”

Really, Caron? Rex Chapman and Jason Williams? Did you come up with that comparison all by yourself there, bud? I am all for the former Cats getting high praise in the NBA, but that take by Caron Butler is somehow more unoriginal than his hair.

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Every white basketball player to come through Kentucky since the 90’s has been compared to Rex Chapman. John Hood even got the same comparison. Caron Butler is about 30 years late on this take. I believe the first headline written after Tyler Herro changed his commitment from Wisconsin to Kentucky was “The Next Rex Chapman Is Coming to Lexington.”

To be completely fair, Herro does play a lot like Chapman, more so than others that have been given the same praise, but it doesn’t sound like a lot of effort was put into that take. To me, Herro plays a lot like Jamal Murray, Devin Booker, or maybe even a young Paul Pierce. How hard would it have been for Butler to put a little bit of thought into that? Also, the Jason Williams comparison doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Yes, Herro made some sweet passes in the Summer League, but it’s a stretch to say the least. Herro’s game and White Chocolate’s don’t exactly match up.

Even though Chapman and Williams are relatively lazy names to throw out, that is still very good company to be grouped with. Herro is going to be a star in this league and it is only a matter of time before players are being compared to him and not the other way around.

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Everyone Is Sleeping on the Broncos and Chris Harris Likes It That Way

The AFC West will prove to be the toughest division in the NFL in 2019. This division may be the best it has ever been, at least since 2013 when three of four teams made the playoffs. The Chiefs look like they will walk their way back to the AFC Championship game, the Chargers are definitely capable of winning 11 games again, the Raiders added Antonio Brown and Gruden looks like he may be figuring out this whole coaching thing, and the Broncos have hired a defensive mastermind to lead their incredible defensive talents.

On top of all four teams that have a reasonable shot at making the playoffs, there are three elite quarterbacks that can change just about any game. I’ll let you guess who they are, but one of them has a Super Bowl MVP and a pretty sweet beard.

Even before the season starts, everyone is already thinking that the Chiefs will win the division. NFL analysts are thinking it, the Broncos homer inside me is thinking it and even Chris Harris is thinking it.

Harris told Pro Football Talk, “The Chiefs are the team to beat right now,” Harris said. “They’ve won it, I think, the past three years so until somebody knocks them off they’re the team beat. I’m telling you right now, I like being the underdog right now. Teams are sleeping on us and so I like taking that approach this year. They’re going to have to wake up when we hit them in the mouth”

I have to take Chris Harris’ side on this one. No pressure is the best way for Vic Fangio to start his career. Every other team sleeping on the Broncos can lead to some major upsets. The defensive genius of Fangio mixed with the defensive playmakers could spell trouble for Rivers, Mahomes and especially Carr. In fact, I think the Broncos can beat the Chiefs if they can keep it close until the end of the game and force Andy Reid to make wise choices when it comes to timeouts.

ESPN Does Not Include Kentucky In Top 10 of SEC

As Football season finally approaches, predictions are coming out daily. When SEC Media day began, I for one was hopeful we’d get an ounce of respect just because we went 5-3 in the league last season, but yet again I was wrong. The Louisville Courier Journal released their predictions for the SEC and had Kentucky ranked fourth in the East, behind Georgia, Florida, and Missouri…two teams Kentucky beat last season (on the road) and play at home this season but that’s not what is dumb. ESPN decided to run their ranking of SEC teams and well, Kentucky isn’t even in the top 10 and oh yeah, there’s only 14 if you forgot.

ESPN ranked the top teams in the following order: Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Florida, Auburn, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and then Missouri. To be fair, I do think the top three are accurate and there is no argument from probably anyone. Kentucky should fit in before or after Florida but with the game being at Kroger Field and Kentucky whooping their ass last season Kentucky should be fourth. We lost important parts to both our defense and our offense, beginning with Josh Allen and Benny Snell but we bring back our QB, a fantastic O-Line and D-line, and oh yeah Lynn Bowden who will probably get over 1,000 this year.

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Kentucky Football is going to be something special this season, all of Big Blue Nation knows that. The team will use this hate as motivation much like they did last season and our offense is going to be special. If Terry can be Florida game Terry, he could break some records and lead our offense to heights we haven’t seen since 22 held down the fort. AJ Rose and Smoke will be more than enough to balance the loss of Benny but Lynn Bowden will steal the show. We saw how special he could be last season, especially against Florida and Penn State, but I’d expect it much more often this season. Our defense will struggle at first, much like any new defense. But with the D-Line coming back in a big way, Stoops will get his defense back to top shape in no time.

As a Kentucky fan my entire life, we’re not used to being good at football. This is a special time in the Bluegrass and we need to take full advantage of it. Embrace the hate, just like this team will. And when it is all said and done, they’ll make the media look dumber than they did last season. For more Kentucky news, follow us on Twitter @soft7sports and on Facebook.

Could 2020 be Calipari’s Best Class Yet?

With the 2019 recruiting class coming to an end with only the possible reclassification from N’Faly Dante, it’s time to starting looking at 2020 and how they team could look. With expectations high in 2019, Kentucky could possibly lose: Hagans, Quickley, Montgomery, Richards, Maxey, Brooks, Juzang…there are endless possibilities. Realistically, we lose 2 out of 3 guards (Hagans, Quickley, Maxey), probably lose both our centers (Montgomery, Richards), and either Brooks or Juzang, and Sestina for sure due to being a graduate transfer. So we could be looking at another complete rebuild down in Lexington, but with Calipari at the helm it isn’t impossible to say the least.

To start, N’Faly Dante would be a nice addition to this class if he doesn’t reclassify. I do think his recruitment opens up a ton if he doesn’t reclassify, but I like Kentucky’s chances. I’ve written a ton on him as it is, so check it out here.

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Another name to keep an eye on is Brandon Boston Jr. The #10 player in the class and the #2 shooting guard, Boston is a very versatile player who many see as a lock to Kentucky but is also considering Duke and Auburn. He is an amazing shooter as well as a great rebounder but needs to work on his strength if he wants to make it in the long run, but Cal can bring so much out in him.

Jalen Green is another player Kentucky has their sights on as he is a top 5 player and would be Kentucky’s first since 2015. He is a heavy Memphis favorite but as we saw him in the Peach Jam, the dude can ball. Again, Memphis is the favorite but Calipari has been in touch with him a lot more recently so only time will tell. Penny could also fail big time this season which would lose him recruits and respect.

In terms of forwards, the class is stacked with virtually no one leaning anyway. Isaiah Todd was one that many people thought would reclassify to join Kentucky in 2019 but once he ruled that out he opened up a little bit. Many people still see Kentucky as a lock but North Carolina is also in the mix. Makur Maker is another one but with no offer from Kentucky it seems his interest will shift until he gets one. He has spoken very highly of Calipari and his staff but they’re focused more on N’Faly. Cliff Omoruyi would be a work in progress, but he’s coming from the same school Briscoe and Whitney came from so Cal has ties there.

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Lastly, wing Scottie Barnes. Scottie was the first one offered in 2020 from Kentucky. Cal offered him when he was a sophomore in high school which is super rare for Calipari. Barnes could be a special player and could be a (healthy) Jarred Vanderbilt when he arrives. Great rebounder, great passer, great defender, but scoring could improve. With Kenny Payne taking the helm on his recruiting, if we want him we’ll get him. Oregon is considered the favorite but with a year, so much can change.

There is still so much time to figure out the 2020 class and I’ll provide updates when I can. But with 4/5 of these guys, Calipari can bring him maybe his best class with it headlining N’Faly Dante or Scottie Barnes. I think we’ll be just fine after we win #9 this season. For the latest updates, follow us on Twitter @soft7sports and on Facebook.

The SEC Referee Twitter Can Really Only Go Poorly

Because the NBA Referee Twitter account went SOOO well, the SEC has decided that they will start their own. If there is one thing that everyone knows, it’s that drunken southern football fans whose team just lost because of a blown call are surprisingly reasonable. This is going to be a disaster.

And here we are on day one of the account. A month and a half from the start of the season and it is already going exactly how everyone expected.

If you want some old unresolved memories brought up for no reason at all, go ahead and take a gander at the replies to that tweet. Some of them are funny, but some of them cut deep. What seems to be the overall theme of the page is serious hate of Alabama. Half the replies are examples of blatant favoritism for the Tide. Don’t expect that to change, but maybe the SEC will finally notice it.

This is going to be a train wreck for the SEC referees and I AM HERE FOR IT. I am all for holding referees accountable, but why are referees the only people on the field who aren’t allowed to make mistakes? Quarterbacks throw interceptions, linebackers miss assignments, safeties miss tackles, you name it. But the only thing people remember years later is how a 50/50 call at 100% speed did not go their team’s way.

Follow us on Twitter @soft7sports for much more SEC football talk, humor and updates on our upcoming podcast with @secsportstalkCF.