By Keith Taylor
Special to NKyTribune
It’s (almost) football time in the Bluegrass.
In 33 days, the Wildcats will kickoff a new era in revamped Commonwealth Stadium, starting over in a facility Kentucky has called home since 1973. The new beginning couldn’t have come at a better time, as this season will be my first in covering the Wildcats for KyForward.
My past experiences as a veteran sports editor for two daily newspapers — The Winchester Sun and Richmond Register — have prepared me for the next phase of my journalism career, one that I consider well in line with the changing times.
When I started my sports writing career, laptops, cell phones and the Internet weren’t considered communication tools with the outside world, nationally, regionally and locally.
Back then, which we won’t refer to as the old days just yet, the printed newspaper, television and radio served as the main cogs to an engine that delivered news to readers, viewers and listeners.
That was before the Internet age. Since then, cyberspace has taken over not only nationally, but globally. A new generation of readers, viewers and listeners caught the wave of the web and started getting their information from a desktop, laptop, smart phone and mobile devices.
Long gone were the days of waiting until the next day to catch up on the coverage of yesterday’s Kentucky football and basketball games. The information became available almost immediately and most of those stories are written on site as opposed to driving to the paper office or transcribing words written on paper to someone waiting on the other end of the phone to type in a game story or column.
Aside from crashes and computer breakdowns that happen from time to time, the way we cover a game now, through Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms, allows fans to connect and engage in the conversation.
I can’t think of a better way to communicate with others than talking about the Kentucky Wildcats. My passion for Kentucky began at an early age when my dad and I would watch ball games on delayed telecast even on those school nights when mom thought I was in bed.
All of my family members — on both sides — had a big influence on my love for the Wildcats. They are Kentucky fans, win, lose or draw.
I remember my first game in person watching the Wildcats during the 1983-84 season and recall getting my picture taken with the late Melvin Turpin and Fred Cowen when the Wildcats made a visit to Richmond to support the Meals on Wheels program in 1982.
Like many Kentuckians, I grew up bouncing a basketball in the driveway (mine was gravel with a goal attached to the garage) and one day playing in Rupp Arena, hearing my name called on the public address system scoring the game-winning basket.
That dream never became a reality, but covering the Wildcats is an equally big deal for this Kentucky boy and one that I cherish and enjoy each time I cover a game.
For those who don’t understand, just blame it on my roots.
I have never scored a touchdown or scored a basket for the Wildcats, but I’m ready to cover the athletes who make those things happen at the University of Kentucky.
Keith Taylor is a sports columnist and senior reporter for KyForward where this story was originally published.