COLLEGE FOOTBALL

WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL COACH WILLIE TAGGART WAS IN TOWN TUESDAY TO SPEAK TO THE HOPKINSVILLE ROTARY CLUB. WKU OPENS THE SEASON SEPTEMBER FIRST AGAINST KENTUCKY AT L-P FIELD IN NASHVILLE.  WKU OPENS THE HOME PORTION OF THE SEASON SEPTEMBER 10^TH HOSTING NAVY AND WILL OPEN CONFERENCE PLAY OCTOBER FIRST HOSTING ARKANSAS STATE. ALSO ON THE HILLTOPPERS SCHEDULE IS A NOVEMBER 12^TH GAME AT L-S-U.   HEAR COMMENTS FROM COACH TAGGART ON SPORTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON THE WHOP FAMILY OF STATIONS.

KENTUCKY COACH JOKER PHILLIPS WAS BUSY ON THE RECRUITING TRAIL TUESDAY, PICKING UP TWO COMMITMENTS FOR THE 2012 CLASS.  THE COURIER JOURNAL REPORTS THE WILDCATS RECEIVED COMMITMENTS FROM JEFFERSONTOWN HIGH SCHOOL TIGHT END/DEFENSIVE END DANIEL ROSS AND OFFENSIVE TACKLE T-J JONES FROM MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA.

THE BIG EAST CONFERENCE HAD ITS FOOTBALL MEDIA DAY TUESDAY. LOUISVILLE WAS PICKED TO FINISH 7^TH—DESPITE A 7-6 RECORD AND A BOWL APPEARANCE LAST SEASON. WEST VIRGINIA—FEATURING FORMER CHRISTIAN COUNTY STANDOUT KEITH TANDY—WAS PICKED TO WIN THE CONFERENCE.  COACH CHARLIE STRONG SAID HE’LL USE THE 7^TH PLACE PICK TO MOVTIVATE THE CARDINALS WHO REPORT TO CAMP TOMORROW. LOUISVILLE OPENS THE 2011 SEASON SEPTEMBER FIRST AGAINST MURRAY STATE.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

THE COURIER JOURNAL REPORTS THERE WILL BE A SECOND EXHIBITION GAME BETWEEN THE KENTUCKY LEGENDS AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC NATIONAL TEAM WHICH JOHN CALIPARI IS COACHING IN THE TOURNAMENT OF THE AMERICAS.  ONE NIGHT AFTER THE TEAMS PLAY IN RUPP ARENA AUGUST 15^TH, THE TEAMS WILL PLAY AT THE K-F-C YUM CENTER IN LOUISVILLE. FORMER LOUISVILLE COACH DENNY CRUM HAS ALSO BEEN ASKED TO BE A HONORARY COACH FOR THE GAME.

FORMER TENNESSEE BASKETBALL COACH BRUCE PEARL IS INTERVIEWING FOR A COACHING POSITION IN THE N-B-A’S DEVELOPMENTAL LEAGUE. THE KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL REPORTS PEARL IS INTERVIEWING THURSDAY WITH THE TEXAS LEGENDS. PEARL WAS FIRED AT U-T MARCH 21^ST AFTER LYING TO NC-AA INVESTIGATORS CONCERING RECRUITING PRACTICES.

NFL

AS TENNESSEE TITANS RUNNING BACK CHRIS JOHNSON CONTINUES HIS HOLDOUT FOR MORE MONEY, IT’S GIVING JAVON RINGER A CHANCE TO GET SOME WORK AT RUNNING BACK.  TITANS COACH MIKE MUNCHAK TELLS THE TENNESSEAN RINGER FITS PERFECTLY INTO THEIR OFFENSE. MUNCHAK ADDS RINGER HITS HOLES QUICKLY AND IS GREAT ON PROTECTIONS. FOR NOW, RINGER AND THE OTHER RUNNING BACKS ARE GETTING A LOT OF WORK UNTIL JOHNSON RETURNS.

NHL

THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS AND TEAM CAPTAIN SHEA WEBER ARE FOUR MILLION DOLLARS APART ON A NEW DEAL.  THE TENNESSEAN REPORTS THE TEAM OFFERED FOUR POINT 75 MILLION DOLLARS, WHILE WEBER’S AGENT OFFERED EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR ONE SEASON.  AN ARBITRATOR WILL MAKE A RULING IN THE NEXT DAY OR SO, LIKELY GIVING A FIGURE CLOSER TO WHAT WEBER WANTS. WEBER IS THE THIRD PLAYER IN PREDS HISTORY TO GO THROUGH ARBITRATION.

GOLF

THE POWERBILT KENTUCKY OPEN BEGAN TUESDAY AT PERSIMMON RIDGE GOLF CLUB IN LOUISVILLE.

HOPKINSVILLE’S MITCHELL MOORE IS TIED FOR 31^ST WITH A 74, TYLER MITCHELL OF CADIZ IS TIED FOR 44^TH WITH 75, LOGAN LOFTUS IS TIED FOR 55^TH WITH 76, JONATHAN GRABARA FIRED 84, DARON MORRIS 94.    BLAKE WATTS OF NEW ALBANY, INDIANA IS THE LEADER WITH A 65.

HOPKINSVILLE HIGH’S DAYTON JONES FIRED A TWO DAY TOTAL OF 163 AT THE CRAIG RUDOLPH MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT WHICH CONCLUDED TUESDAY AT CLARKSVILLE COUNTRY CLUB.

THE WINNER WAS CLARKSVILLE JUNIOR HUNTER RICHARDSON WHO FIRED A TWO DAY TOTAL OF 142 ACCORDING TO THE LEAF CHRONICLE.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

THE KENTUCKY HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCED TUESDAY THERE WILL BE NEW SITES FOR THE STATE SOCCER AND WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS.

THE SOCCER SEMIFINALS AND FINALS WILL BE PLAYED IN EARLY NOVEMBER AT DUNBAR HIGH SCHOOL IN LEXINGTON. THE MATCHES ARE MOVING THERE FROM GEORGETOWN COLLEGE IN PART BECAUSE DUNBAR HAS A NEW FIELD TURF SURFACE.

THE STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS WILL MOVE TO THE ALLTECH ARENA AT THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK IN FEBRUARY.