A Post to Explain Some Things

Some friends of mine nudged me into starting this blog. Last season, I had the opportunity to attend every game of the Fourth Region Tournament at Diddle Arena in Bowling Green. Because I was helping a neighbor -- a good friend -- with some things at the tournament, I was able to sit at the scorer's table. During the games, I would grab a piece of paper and a pen and take notes about some of the better plays and interesting players. When I got home, I wrote e-mails to friends of mine scattered across the state. All of them are high school basketball fans. Several of them live out of state, too.

When the tournament was over one of them told me, "you should start a blog next season." I didn't give it much thought over the summer. I hardly even knew what a "blog" was, but a friend and a colleague showed me the ropes and landed me on "eblogger."

I had the concept, but I couldn't come up with a name. I sent an e-mail out to my friends, and my long time friend Spencer Brister, a basketball enthusiast in Owensboro, suggested "Pennyrile Pick and Roll." It sounded good. I liked it. Then, I launched it with the Bowling Green-Marshall County football game, and some wag suggested it should be the Pennyrile Hook and Ladder.

I'm pleased with the number of people who read Pick and Roll, and I wish I could thank each and every one of you. I've had a blast going to the games and writing about them.

I have a great passion for basketball, and, in particular, high school basketball. For years I've told people that high school athletes compete for the name on the front of their jerseys and not the one on the back. Pick and Roll has been my effort to give a little -- a very little -- back to the sport and the level of sport that I love so much.

The beauty is that the passion and the love is shared by so many. I've met a lot of truly dedicated basketball fans along the way this season, and I'm sure to meet more as the season trucks into district and regional tournaments. I wish there was a way to go to all the tournaments, but I'm just one person.

I'll get to a few more games this season. I'll probably go to the 14th District Tournament because it will be played just up the highway from my house. Then, I will be at all of the Fourth Region Tournament at Diddle Arena. I watched so much of that tournament last season that when I'd go to bed at night I could see the after image of the giant Red Towel on Diddle's court in my head.

I've got to hype this, though. I'm on a quest to attend all 15 games of the Sweet Sixteen in Lexington. That will be 15 games in about 60 hours. That will be a basketball crack house for a hoops junkie like me. I'll probably have to enter a 12 step program after those four days in Lexington.

If any Pick and Roll readers want to contact me, they can do so at trace.kirkwood@gmail.com. I will respond to any and all e-mails, and I hope readers will start leaving comments on the posts. If you want to take me task on something, do so. I will never take offense, and I will never rip into anyone commenting. I'm not that type of person. I try to keep everything on Pick and Roll positive, humorous, and somewhat informative.

Again, I want to thank everyone who reads PPR, and I want to thank Chris Gregory for the fine pieces he submits.