About the Guest(s):
Oscar Combs is a renowned sports journalist and a prominent figure in the world of UK sports. Born and raised in Jeff, a small community near Hazard in Perry County, Kentucky, Combs developed a passion for UK sports at a young age. He began his career as a sportswriter for the Hazard newspaper and started covering UK sports in the fall of 1965. Combs went on to find the Cats’ Pause, a publication dedicated solely to UK athletics, in 1976. He continued to cover UK sports as a writer and worked in television and radio. With nearly 60 years of experience covering UK sports, Combs is considered an authority on the history of UK athletics.
Episode Summary:
In this episode of Kentucky Sports Memories, host Gary Fogle interviews Oscar Combs, a longtime UK sports journalist. Combs shares insights from his extensive career covering UK sports and reflects on his favorite players and coaches. He also discusses the origins of the Cats’ Pause, a publication he founded to provide UK sports news to fans across the country. Combs highlights the impact of Eddie Sutton, a former UK basketball coach, and shares his admiration for Sutton's coaching abilities. The episode concludes with Combs discussing his current involvement in following UK sports and his love for the game.
Key Takeaways:
Oscar Combs has been covering UK sports as a journalist since 1965 and is considered an authority on the history of UK athletics.
Combs started the Cats’ Pause, a publication dedicated to UK athletics, in 1976 to provide UK sports news to fans across the country.
Combs admires Eddie Sutton, a former UK basketball coach, for his coaching abilities and believes he could have achieved even more success if not for his battle with alcoholism.
Combs has a deep appreciation for all the athletes and coaches he has covered and has never encountered a disrespectful individual among them.
Although Combs no longer attends sporting events in person, he continues to follow UK sports through social media and television.
Notable Quotes:
"I've never covered a guy at Kentucky that I didn't like. I've never covered an athlete at Kentucky that was anything but respectful in every instance." - Oscar Combs
"Eddie Sutton could coach the socks off anybody. You give him two players, he don't need five. All he needs is a go-to guy and a point guard to get him the ball." - Oscar Combs
Resources:
The Cats’ Pause - The publication founded by Oscar Combs dedicated to UK athletics.
Listen to the full episode of Kentucky Sports Memories with Oscar Combs to gain insights from his extensive career covering UK sports and his reflections on the players and coaches he has encountered along the way. Stay tuned for more engaging content from the podcast!
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