With the UK Wildcats nursing a substantial lead Tuesday night against the University of Georgia, Darren Moscoe — Rupp Arena’s Big Blue Boogie-Man –took up his usual position in Section 12 at Rupp Arena to dance to the Billie Idol’s song “Mony, Mony” during the pre-planned TV commercial time-out to appear on the Rupp Arena’s Boogie Cam.
Like so many times before, the Boogie-man started to gyrate his hips up and down the stairwell as the big-screen camera followed him, in an effort to stir up the notorious crowd of hand-sitters.
What was different was the teenage girl danced her way up to him to join him and claim her 15 seconds of fame.
Not missing a beat the Big Blue Boogie-Man elected to not let a good stage-prop go to waste and lifted her up to include her into his signature move of crotch-sliding down the handrail.
This is the part a Risk Management and Safety professional shakes his head in total disbelief over what I call a typical “Cleatus B. Dangerous” Darwin move.
Let’s just say that the stunt didn’t end well, as they both went tumbling into fans and onto concrete steps, where they later stumbled their way onto ESPN Sports Center the following morning.
When I first saw it, I quickly envisioned hundreds of Lexington’s accident attorneys spending the following day dancing to the “Mony Mony” song themselves — as they feverishly tried to identify the girl, so they could reach out to the family to represent them in any future communications with Rupp Arena Lexington Center.
Thankfully, both of them appeared to be okay, but it was a scary moment nevertheless.
According to a buddy of mine who was positioned just above the scene, Boogie-Man, like any natural-born entertainer, didn’t skip a beat. He got right back up and finished his handrail slide routine after sending the girl to her seat.
As a mindful UK 101 Committee member working the game, he immediately called it into EMS and they later took the girl back for observations with her parent and never returned.
My professional belief is that we just may have seen the last of the Big Blue Boogie-Man dance shimmy routine, at least from that advantage point.
I have predicted for years that he would eventually hurt himself or someone one day, because the law of probability tells me so as a risk manager.
Anytime you mix in a little dancing, elevated surfaces, a handrail and speed from a crotch-sliding move, you have a recipe for injury.
After reading several posts on social media the following day, it’s obvious that the man behind the Big Blue Boogie-Man, Darren Moscoe, is somewhat controversial with the fans anyway.
Many love him for his shared passion for the Wildcats. It is obvious that he loves to dance and loves the attention he receives from his signature moves. Rupp Arena Lexington Center has continued to allow the spotlight to shine down on him as he has performed these risky moves over the years, becoming a staple for any UK game in Rupp Arena.
Darren grew up as an outcast in Frankfort and was nicknames “Fits” by his classmates because of the seizures he suffered as a young boy. Eventually the doctors diagnosed him with a neurological disease known as epilepsy; the same disease that eventually took my oldest sister’s life. His seizures intensified over the years and it often left him in a trance-like condition. As an adult with rage issues from the disease, he eventually spent time in a psychiatric hospital as an adult, where his brother tried to take care of him over the years.
He was later diagnosed with a life-threatening cancerous brain tumor and he underwent a dangerous surgery to remove it. After the surgery and several rounds of chemotherapy the seizures suddenly stopped, and his life began to transform. He was able to earn his driver’s license and hold down a job.
As a huge UK fan he eventually found his acceptance in the house that Rupp built where he danced his way into the hearts and minds of the fans over the years.
UK fans know he is a crowd favorite. He poses with them for pictures with him outside and inside Rupp Arena,—as I did last year with my brother-in-law Pat Riley last year. Yes, that’s his name but he isn’t THAT Pat Riley.
Some social media comments haven’t been kind, especially after his Sports Center appearance. Many take exception to his crotch sliding move, and one social media comment suggested that the handrail press assault charges. While another suggested that Rupp Arena officials send down an usher to disinfect the handrail immediately after his performance.
I have mixed opinion, but I would say that after watching my older sister Karen Moore ride out most of her adult life in a bed in a nursing home in a catatonic state, I am delighted to see him beat that God-awful disease and find a passion he loves. I equally delighted to see him gain some notoriety in such cruel world, after being belittled most of his entire life.
As a “True Blue” risk management and safety consultant, I would advise that Rupp Arena Lexington Center put a stop to the Big Blue Boogie-Man dance in Section 19. The incident this week could have resulted in a tragic accident.
However I would not steal the Big Blue Boogie-Man’s thunder and instead would find a way to move his dance routine down to the floor where it would be much safer for him to indulge in dirty dancing ways. He has earned it!
Preferably I would suggest they create his own personal space over near the student section behind the goal, where he can be truly appreciated as a distraction to the opposing team during their free-throws. Who knows, maybe he can earn credit for a couple of victories?
They say that life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain — and in this case The Big Blue Boogie-Man never stopped dancing well after the storm passed.
So let’s not rain on his parade. Turn him into an asset to the UK program and if he stumbles again, he can make it part of his routine.
Be Safe My Friends.
Keven Moore works in risk management services. He has a bachelor’s degree from University of Kentucky, a master’s from Eastern Kentucky University and 25-plus years of experience in the safety and insurance profession. He lives in Lexington with his family and works out of both the Lexington and Northern Kentucky offices. Keven can be reached at kmoore@roeding.com.