Random notes: A UK graduate is trying to buy a struggling English football club

Random notes:

▪ University of Kentucky graduate Chris Kirchner, founder and chief executive of Slync.io global logistics, based in Dallas, wants to buy the distressed Derby County football club in England, reports The Athletic.

The 34-year-old Kirchner, who attended Tates Creek High School, wrote a letter to club supporters declaring his intention to buy the club, which plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. According to reports, the Rams have been plagued by financial problems.

“The administration process is complex, but I have informed the administrators that I’m willing to work through these complexities,” wrote Kirchner. “I understand and acknowledge that there are a number of interested parties in the club, but I wanted to go on the record at the start of the process and be upfront.”

According to its website, Slync.io currently is the title sponsor of the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament. It also has a partnership with professional golfers Justin Rose and Erik van Rooyen.

▪ Despite Houston’s scandalous history with regard to cheating, I’m OK with the thought of the Astros winning this year’s World Series. Dusty Baker is the reason. The Houston manager is 72 years old and has never won the big one in his long managerial career, which included six seasons (2008-13) and three playoff appearances in Cincinnati. Give me the Astros in six games.

▪ Are the Cincinnati Bengals for real? You bet they’re for real. Week three, they beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh 24-10. Last Sunday, they romped over the Ravens in Baltimore 41-17, running their record to 5-2.

What changed for Zac Taylor, who went 6-25-1 his first two seasons as Cincinnati’s head coach? Well, quarterback Joe Burrow is in his second season. He’s the real deal. And Burrow has a ridiculous weapon in his old LSU teammate and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who has 754 yards receiving through the first seven games of his career, most in NFL history.

But the Bengals defense is much-improved, as well. Owner Mike Brown opened his wallet for free agents on the defensive side of the ball and the Bengals are reaping the dividends. They rank fifth out of 32 teams in points allowed at 18.3 per game.

Can they keep it going? The Bengals visit the reeling New York Jets on Sunday. Hello 6-2. The Cleveland Browns come to Paul Brown Stadium on Nov. 7 in a key matchup before Cincinnati’s bye week. There’s no reason to expect a collapse.

▪ Kentucky football’s 51 yards rushing in the 30-13 loss at Georgia on Oct. 16 was UK’s fewest since the Cats were held to 48 yards on the ground in a 2013 loss to Florida. That was Mark Stoops’ first season as the Kentucky coach.

▪ How will UK’s Chris Rodriguez bounce back from his performance at Georgia? The Bulldogs held the SEC’s leading rusher to 7 yards on seven carries. “He’s a big boy,” Stoops said Monday. “He’ll handle it the right way.”

▪ Since Stoops took over at UK, LSU’s Ed Orgeron is the eighth SEC football coach to lose to Kentucky and be fired, step down or retire in or after the same season. He joins Tennessee’s Jeremy Pruitt (2020), Vanderbilt’s Derek Mason (2020), Missouri’s Barry Odom (2019), Arkansas’ Chad Morris (2019), Tennessee’s Butch Jones (2017), Missouri’s Gary Pinkel (2015) and South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier (2015).

▪ Former UK basketball star Tyler Herro is off to a hot start with the NBA’s Miami Heat. First two games, Herro scored 27 points in a 137-95 blowout win over Milwaukee, then 30 points in a 102-91 overtime loss at Indiana. Monday night, Herro was held to 13 in the Heat’s 107-90 victory over Orlando.

▪ Mississippi State’s Mike Leach may be king of the Air Raid, but Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe leads the nation in passing yards per game at 430.6. A transfer from Houston Baptist, Zappe is completing 71.1 percent of his passes.

▪ Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin refuses to say if he has been vaccinated for COVID-19 even after the school has mandated that all employees must be vaccinated by Dec. 8. Would a coach really give up an SEC job because he refuses to get vaccinated?