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Author Topic: Memorial Coliseum Renovation
Jarcat
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Member # 95

posted 08-12-2017 10:44 AM      Profile for Jarcat   Email Jarcat   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Memorial Coliseum

This place holds many fond memories for me, for sporting events certainly, but many others as I grew up in the 50's and 60's in Lexington.

I was glad to hear Mitch Barnhart say
quote:
He stopped short of saying UK would need to start from scratch, and complete demolition isn’t an option. The biggest challenge is once you touch one part to fix it, that affects all other parts of the venue.


I remember going to several UK games there as a kid in the 50's, attending Christmas season kick-offs and seeing Santa being dropped from the ceiling, I had my high school graduation there in 1963, I saw Bob Hope doing a stand-up comedy show in "the round". He stood there and told jokes for about 3 hours non-stop and had the audience rolling in the aisles with laughter.

I was a member of the Lady Cats booster club during the Valerie Still, Lee Wise, Patty Jo Hedges era. They were fun to watch and enjoyable to look at (if you know what I mean).

I guess one of the most memorable games I saw there was a Freshman game between UK and Tennessee. The Vols had a big center by the name of Tom Boerwinkle.We had a little guard , Ronny Lyons, who ran circles around this big Boerwinkle guy. The crowd noise that night was deafening. It made the varsity game almost anti-climatic.

Currently I've had season tickets to the Lady Cats games (I still call them "Lady Cats", "UK Hoops" is an awful name) for several years now and thoroughly enjoy the games.

I hope when and if they do renovate Memorial they'll consider putting hand railing in the aisles. This old man is very uneasy negotiating those steps especially going down.

Yes that old building holds a lot of fond memories for me.

Thanks for indulging me while I tripped down memory lane.

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The truth is out there

Posts: 3014 | From: Lexington, KY | Registered: Sep 1999  |  IP: Logged
catmandoo
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Member # 1284

posted 08-12-2017 01:35 PM      Profile for catmandoo   Email catmandoo   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Jarcat, when you are such a devoted and life long fan Cat fan like you are you can post anything you want. It was a great post and hope all TCD'ers get the opportunity to read it. You mentioned Ronnie Lyons and can promise you that anyone whoever seen him play will remember him and he will always be a special Cat. I remember him for his free throw shooting as he was a 80% plus free throw shooter for his UK career.

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http://www.ukfightsong.com/

Posts: 186357 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001  |  IP: Logged
SCWC
Player
Member # 2464

posted 08-12-2017 03:32 PM      Profile for SCWC     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Jarcat, I too enjoyed the walk down memory lane. I have quite a history with Memorial but nothing along the line of yours. It is still basketball heaven for me and I love watching the Lady Cats and women's volley ball teams play their games from that great arena. I follow all UK sports that are televised except Soccer and through the WatchESPN app have become a huge fan of our ladies volleyball team. I see they are ranked 14th in the pre season polls. My great nephew is at UK now, plays in the band and plays in all the events at Memorial. I just found out from him that the pep band get 20.00 per game for playing for the events in Memorial but do not get paid to play for the mens events in Rupp. Live long and learn, that is what we have done. Were I in the Lexington area, I too would be watching all those sports live. I also enjoy watching the ladies softball team play. Men's basketball has always been my major love affair with UK but over the years I have become a fan of many of the ladies sports as well as the three major men's sports of Basketball, football and baseball.
Posts: 17777 | From: Myrtle Beach, SC | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged
Bama Cat
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Member # 153

posted 08-12-2017 05:57 PM      Profile for Bama Cat   Email Bama Cat   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Probably my only chance to watch basketball in Memorial live was back in 1965. The old college all star game was played for years and it was played in Memorial at least a couple times I think. I can't find any info on that game on the web and they don't mention it on the Memorial Collisium Wikipedia site. I got to see Rick Barry, Bill Bradley, Gail Goodrich and Cassie Russel play. I would think there would be something somewhere on the web about that game.
Posts: 14119 | From: berea, ky, usa | Registered: Sep 1999  |  IP: Logged
catmandoo
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Member # 1284

posted 08-13-2017 02:32 PM      Profile for catmandoo   Email catmandoo   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Here is some interesting info on Memorial where you can see how big a part Memorial was in UK basketball.

The building is known for its air of great tradition. While it was the home of the UK men's basketball team, it hosted the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament ten times, four times as a regional site (1957, 1958, 1967, 1968) and six more as a sub-regional site (1955, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1967, 1975). As home to the University of Kentucky Wildcats, it saw two NCAA men's basketball national championship teams (1951, 1958), two NCAA men's basketball runner-up teams (1966, 1975), one NIT Men's Basketball champion (1976), and 16 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Men's Basketball regular season champions. Overall, in 26 seasons (1950-51 to 1975-76), the University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team posted a home record of 307–38 (.890). Memorial hosted a first-round game in the 2009 National Invitation Tournament on March 17, 2009 between the Wildcats and the UNLV Running Rebels,[2] with the Wildcats winning 70–60.[3] The game was held at Memorial instead of Rupp Arena due to a scheduling conflict with the KHSAA boys' high school basketball state tournament scheduled at Rupp that week.[4]

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http://www.ukfightsong.com/

Posts: 186357 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001  |  IP: Logged
clydeh
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Member # 7

posted 08-13-2017 05:34 PM      Profile for clydeh   Email clydeh   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
I attended many games in Memorial beginning in 1961. Cotton Nash was a great player during that era. I am glad to hear it is being updated.
Posts: 845 | From: Cullman, AL, USA | Registered: Aug 1999  |  IP: Logged
catmandoo
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Member # 1284

posted 08-13-2017 09:21 PM      Profile for catmandoo   Email catmandoo   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Clydeh, in 1961 Nash averaged over 23 points, 13 plus rebounds and close to 3 assists per game. Like you say Cotton was truly a very special Cat.

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http://www.ukfightsong.com/

Posts: 186357 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001  |  IP: Logged
jerseycat
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Member # 9

posted 08-17-2017 09:21 AM      Profile for jerseycat   Email jerseycat   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Saw many a game while attending UK, 1965-1969. Runts, Issel/Casey/Pratt, etc. Loved the place.....very unique to me. Anyway, most memorable moment forever ingrained in my memory was not a good one.....Regional final 1968 @ Memorial. We are playing Ohio State....last second shot by a kid named Hoskett goes in....we lose by a point. Depressed to this day about seeing that in person.

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UK Class of 1968

Posts: 1789 | From: Red Bank, NJ | Registered: Aug 1999  |  IP: Logged
SCWC
Player
Member # 2464

posted 08-17-2017 09:42 AM      Profile for SCWC     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Jerseycat, I remember that game against Ohio State just like it was yesterday.
Posts: 17777 | From: Myrtle Beach, SC | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged


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