John Calipari knows how to take advantage of the technology age.
Last week, the new University of Kentucky basketball coach unveiled his Web site, CoachCal.com, at about the same time he started the official John Calipari Facebook page.
Calipari’s Web site has biographical information about the coach and his assistants, a blog maintained by Calipari and the site administrator, a direct feed to Calipari's Twitter account, and a store with Calipari and UK merchandise and several other features.
CoachCal.com also includes a version of the site in Chinese. Calipari visited China this summer and has often talked about the importance of the country to the future of basketball in the United States.
On the first day the site was launched, there were 20,000 page hits in the first 15 minutes. That bit of information came from Calipari’s Twitter account, which is one of the biggest in the country.
The Web site is free to all users but can be upgraded to include exclusive access to UK game day content and free merchandise.
Fans can also search and “friend” Calipari on Facebook and get the latest on the UK head coach.
Facebook is a free social networking Web site that allows people to add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves.
Calipari’s has more than 32,889 fans on his Facebook page as of Thursday afternoon. He has more than half a million followers on his Twitter account, www.twitter.com/ukCoachCalipari.
I wonder if Billy Gillispie is following along?
Baseball documentary
The premiere of the “Ashland’s Field of Dreams” documentary is less than a month away.
The PBS-style documentary, which has been almost two years in the making, will be shown on Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Paramount Arts Center.
The documentary deals with 1950s baseball in Central Park and is jam-packed with more than 70 interviews from players of all eras from here.
It is the brainchild of David Carter, a former area resident who was a CP-1 alum. Carter lives in Florida
Last summer, the first CP-1 Reunion took place in the park thanks to the efforts of Gary Wright, whose generous donation to upgrade Ernie Chattin Field ignited the CP-1 movement.
There is a Web site, cp-1.org, devoted to the Central Park project.
The second CP-1 Reunion will be Aug. 29 in Central Park starting around noon.
Conley speaking
Larry Conley has agreed to be the guest speaker for next summer’s 36th annual Elks Sports Day, according to honoree Nick Jordan.
Jordan played on an American Legion baseball team that Conley coached one summer.
Jordan, of course, is better known for his football exploits. He had an All-State career at Ashland and went on to play for Michigan State University in the late 1960s.
Tomcat Reunion
The annual Tomcat Reunion will take place Aug. 30 at the Elks Country Lodge picnic grounds.
The reunion has become a popular outlet for young and old Tomcat fans. Everything starts around 12:30 p.m.
Come armed with good stories. Reunion organizer Lafe Walters is always looking for some new material.
MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.
