Joker’s Choice

Joker’s Choice

by Matt Jones @ 9:00 pm. Filed under Blue Blooded Opinions

The decision is in…when Joker Phillips looked Brett Dawson in the eye and told him he was taking his talents to Hartline Beach, the Big Blue Nation exhaled that the big storyline of football camp was finally complete. As expected, the choice of Hartline has been controversial in Big Blue land. On KSR, Morgan Newton was the preferred choice by a 2-1 margin and Mike Hartline has collected a number of detractors during his long career in Lexington. Some of that is his fault and some of it is not. Many fans gave him too much grief initially for not being of the caliber of the guys who proceeded him, nearly all of whom spent some time in the NFL. Mike didnt help himself by twice making comments after losses that seemed to throw his teammates under the bus, and that stigma has stayed attached to him since that time.

However much of the criticism of Hartline has been unfair. I have made the case on here often that I believe UK football fans have unreasonable expectations and Hartline has been the greatest victim of that philosophy. When Andre Woodson took UK to two straight bowl games, Kentucky fans then wanted Mike Hartline to take them to the next step, a step that is virtually impossible for UK to reach. When that didnt happen, fans complained. Hartline’s record has not been perfect, but he has played well in a number of games. His 2-0 record against Louisville is important and he was playing very well before being injured last year against South Carolina. Hartline’s not perfect, but he plays consistently better than most fans ultimately give him credit for.

We should be surprised that Joker picked Hartline. Joker favors Seniors over inexperience and its clear that he feels Mike is a better game manager. I was a bit surprised that he didnt name a #2 today, leaving it open between Newton and Mossakowski, a decision that may have more to do with the future than it does with the present year. When the Cats go to Louisville, Hartline will take the field and the real question becomes how much of a leash he will get form the coaching staff. Phillips says that they are not running plays for a #2 guy and that “Mike is our guy”, but one has to wonder what happens if he comes out flat. But ultimately, while the decision may not be a super popular one in the Bluegrass, it now has been made and here is hoping the fans get behind it. Its Hartline’s time and even if you dont agree that the correct lever was pulled, now it has been pulled. Time to get behind it and support the QB as he goes for his third straight victory over the dirty Cards.

And with that, our Annual Louisville Hate Day is September 2nd…mark your calendars accordingly.

Matt Jones is an idiot. Hartline couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with a football with a running start. Things aren't kicking off on the right foot this year gents.

Did Joker really say "If I dont produce, in three years they'll get rid of my black ass." A little off topic I know, but I heard this from someone, I was just curious if it was true.

Blue Dude wrote:Matt Jones is an idiot. Hartline couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with a football with a running start. Things aren't kicking off on the right foot this year gents.

With Hartline at QB I believe we get 7 wins at best. With Mossakowski at QB I believe we can get 6 maybe 7 wins at best but at least we're building for the future.

a senior qb that couldn't seperate himself from a soph and a redshirt fresh until 2 weeks before the first game doesn't deserve to start. if they are that close talent wise (and given hartline's "spotlight" issues) then frigging start newton. i'd rather lose with a sophmore than with a senior. hartline was never good enough to be our qb, he was just lucky curtis pulley was a fudge up in life. and of course moss is gonna be the "most improved" during the off/pre-season. the kid got cut on last year so to go from no activity to where he is now is gonna be more improvement than anyone else has had. depth chart should be newton and then let hartline try to earn the back up spot over moss.

hartline divides the team. of course locke is gonna be on his nuts, hartline can't throw, locke is a back, he needs hartline in the game. on the other hand, cobb is a receiver and is in the newton camp. this is a cluster eff waiting to happen. hell, the video making rounds on all the broadcasts a few weeks back was of hartline passing to a receiver, the pass was behind him and the receiver caught it but that was going about half speed thru routes. put that at game speed and the receiver gets drilled or the defensive player has a pick six. this is gonna get ugly quick.

I look at the decision like this. Joker knows more than I do about winning football games. He also knows that wins=job security. So if Newton or Mossakowski gave us a better opportunity to win, he would have chosen one of them. I mean, do you think that he wants to get fired??

nope, lones