Billy Reed, a former sports editor of The Courier-Journal and a senior writer with Sports Illustrated, knew Coach Adolph Rupp and covered the team known as “Rupp’s Runts.” He is a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Hall of Fame, the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame and the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame.

The writer has this to say about himself:

I was asked to be one of the founding editors of LEO but declined because all John Yarmuth was offering by way of compensation was the honor of it.

Coach Rupp once was so angry with me that the called me a “little turd.”

Going back to the early 1960s when I covered Dunbar High School, then the all-black city school in Lexington, I’m proud that I’ve always worked to give African-American athletes and coaches their fair share of recognition and respect.

Besides my career as a sports writer, I also did a general column for the C-J from 1974-77, succeeding Joe Creason.

I’ve exchanged e-mails with Ashley Judd about UK basketball.

I saw Elvis Presley in concert four times, including once just before his death, and I’ve seen the Stones three times.

When the late Jim Bolus and I won a Sigma Delta Chi national award for general reporting in 1973, the runners-up in our category were Bernstein and Woodward.

I remember Fontaine Ferry Park, Funny Flickers, T-Bar-V Ranch, the Rialto and the Mary Anderson, Bob Colglazier’s Ranch House, Peter O’s, the Patio Lounge, Falls City beer, Ange Humphrey and the old Parkway Field.

I’ve known every Kentucky governor since Lawrence Wetherby.

I was an usher in David Hawpe’s wedding and a teammate of Mitch McConnell’s in the Beechmont Pony League.

I still love Cosmo, the Trendells, the Carnations, Janie Moss and the Epics, and the original Monarchs.

I see my role at LEO as writing a general-interest column specializing in sports, politics, the media and entertainment. Furthermore, I will assist with story ideas, content, planning and staff development.

Last changed: January 10. 2006 5:03PM