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Basketball Documentary 12/12 Rivalry Photos

Red V. Blue is the basketball documentary of basketball documentaries.

If you like college hoops, you will love Red V. Blue. It combines the passion of college hoops with the interesting history and ongoing current events in the Louisville—Lexington feud.

Although Duke-North Carolina has long been touted as the premier college basketball rivalry in America by the national media, the Louisville Cardinals-Kentucky Wildcats rivalry should be given equal consideration.

This is why we are making Red V. Blue: To make a college basketball documentary that puts Kentucky basketball on the map!

December was awesome. To kick the week off, we interviewed Oscar Combs at the former offices of Cats Paws Magazine. Inside there is UK memorabilia from wall-to-wall. Oscar gave us the tour and history behind his Kentucky basketball goodies. He even let his try on his 2012 championship!

After we visited Oscar in Lexington, we caught up with Tony Vanetti on the Afternoon Underdogs Show in Louisville at the Fan Outfitters in St. Matthews. Tony was giving away tickets to the basketball game at the Yum! Center, so the fans showed up in force to enter the contest and peruse the merch. Tony and Dave also featured a debate featuing obnoxious UofL fan and obnoxious UK fan, which was entertaining to say the least.

After the Afternoon Underdogs, we went to Anchorage to check out the Hardwood Classic, a basketball event featuring UK and UofL alumni that benefits “Crusade for Children.” We filmed some of the game and then interviewed former UofL player Luke Whitehead and former UK player Derek Anderson.

Saturday was the day of reckoning in Kentucky. Before the game, PG and Aaron were at PRIME Lounge in downtown Louisville conducting interviews. During the game, PG and Aaron operated in the upper levels, while Wade and Rory covered the action down on the court. The contest was close, but the Cardinals came out on top!

On Monday we sat down with the voice of the Wildcats Tom Leach at UK’s Memorial Coliseum. Tom talked about Cawood Ledford, Bill Keightley, and how cool it was to call his first UK championship game last year in New Orleans. Check out the slideshow below — more pictures are coming!

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Congrats to the Louisville Cardinals!

Congratulations to the Louisville Cardinals for the hard-fought victory over the Kentucky Wildcats today in Louisville. Yesterday we interviewed Oscar Combs, filmed the Afternoon Underdogs radio show and then captured the Hardwood Classic where we sat down with UofL’s Luke Whitehead and UK’s Derek Anderson. Today we were at the Yum! Center filming all the action live courtside and in the upper levels. It’s been a blur, but a good one!

Boxing Brouhaha

At the Louisville Legends Amateur Boxing Club we met with boxer Earl Heyman and his trainer James Doolin. Heyman attended Ballard High School and played as a defensive tackle for the University of Louisville from 2005-2007. Today he is training to become a professional boxer. Doolin expects Earl to make his professional fighting debut sometime in 2013, a debut that Heyman hopes to make in Louisville, KY. Ironically, Heyman’s trainer James Doolin is an outspoken, diehard Kentucky Wildcats fan despite attending the University of Louisville. The two rib each other in good humor for the cameras as Earl does sit-ups and shadow boxes. Red V. Blue weaves slice-of-life stories with interviews of former coaches and players to highlight the extraordinary circumstances that helped create and sustain one of the nation’s fiercest college rivalries.

Matt Jones, Mike Rutherford, Pat Forde, the 101 Club & More

Check out some production stills from our interviews with Matt Jones, Mike Rutherford, Pat Forde and UK superfan Ken Curlas. Ken is a member of the 101 club, a service organization which dedicates itself to furthering the University of Kentucky. Members of the 101 club are instantly recognizable by their distinct blue blazers, and you’ll see them at every UK home game sprinkled around Rupp Arena. Ken is an alumnus of the University of Kentucky and has an entire wing of his house decorated in Wildcats memorabilia. Ken was kind enough to invite us into his home where he spoke about the old days of Memorial Coliseum, the transition from Adolf Rupp to Joe B. Hall, the 101 club, and the 2012 national championship, among other topics.

Dueling Barbers

In Louisville, KY, our cameras go inside WAG’s barbershop, a “divided” establishment where UK and Louisville fans once sat side by side. Boone clipped the Wildcat fans, and Mark Wagner and Mark Wagner Jr. clipped the Cardinals supporters. You may remember them from Adam Lefkoe’s “The Rivalry” YouTube channel.

After the 2012 UK national championship, the barbers butted heads, and Boone struck out on his own. “Designed by Miracles” was the result, a barbershop with an interior painted entirely blue and white about twenty blocks east of WAG’s on Broadway Avenue in downtown Louisville. For Red V. Blue we check in with Boone and the Wagner family before reuniting the barbers for a passionate debate on UK-UofL basketball.

Denny Crum, Joe B. Hall + Adam Lefkoe

Last week’s Red V Blue production shoot couldn’t have been more fruitful. The week started out with an interview with Coach Denny Crum, who led the Louisville Cardinals to two national championships. The next day we sat down with Coach Joe B. Hall, who led the Kentucky Wild Cat to a national championship both as a coach and a player. Then we were off to Paintsville in eastern Kentucky where we interviewed some local diehard fans. Friday night we finished off the trip by interviewing WHAS sports anchor Adam Lefkoe in Louisville, who rocked out some great stories in between his TV spots. Stay tuned for further developments.

Final Four Shoot

Our dream final four match-up between the Louisville Cardinals and Kentucky Wildcats did not disappoint. And neither did the documentary shoot. We talked with a ton of Louisville and Kentucky fans and even a couple former players. Derwin Webb spoke to us outside of the Super Dome in New Orleans, and Matt Simms bumped into associate producer Aaron Mikel while he was filming in Louisville. In New Orleans we filmed interviews on both Friday and Saturday on Canal Street and throughout the French Quarter. 1 a.m. Friday night we hit Bourbon Street in the pouring rain to talk with some of the Final Four’s most devoted fans and party animals. The next day we hung outside the Super Dome on Loyola Avenue and spoke with fans en route to the historic final four match-up. And along with fan interviews we also documented some of New Orleans’ best street performers. In Shelbyville, KY, Aaron Mikel visited the Main Street Barbershop before heading to Louisville and filming around the city. Below are some production still photographs that producer P.G. Banker snapped on the big day in New Orleans. Thanks to everyone who participated and congratulations to the University of Kentucky for polishing off the Kansas Jayhawks and winning the national championship!

Dream Final Four Showdown in New Orleans

Our prayers and dreams have been answered. The Kentucky Wildcats will be facing off with their arch-rivals the Louisville Cardinals for a place in the NCAA championship game in what I believe will be their first ever Final Four skirmish. So far we interviewed fans at the December 2011 rivalry game outside of Rupp Arena as well as fans outside of Louisville’s home opener. And we will be in New Orleans to document this historic occasion for all those Card-n-Cat fans who will be unable to make the journey. Producer Wade Smith and director Rory Owen Delaney will be interviewing red and blue fans outside of the Super Dome, in the French Quarter and all around the city to get their reflections on the event (both pre and post game) so keep an eye out for our film crew — we would love to talk with you!

New Orleans is one of America’s most unique cities, making it the perfect host for one of America’s most unique college sports rivalries. Plus the final four showdown also gives me — and other Cardinals fans — the chance at an early revenge. Instead of having to wait for next year’s rivalry game on December 29th Louisville supporters will get the opportunity to beat Big Blue when it really counts and advance to the national championship game.

Go Cards

Thanks to the Dunkel Brothers for finding this classic Louisville t-shirt. They are two of the biggest Cards fans that I know. Good looking out, guys!

New Poster

Alright so we tweaked the poster. The Kentucky Wildcat is in the background of the BLUE text now.