The outcome wasn’t what Kentucky fans wanted, but they were glad to be together.
On Saturday UK fans turned out at the Office Pub and Deli to watch the Wildcats play Louisville in a nationally televised game at the KFC Yum! Center.
The restaurant has been known to have standing-room-only crowds when UK games are televised. With COVID-19 and Gov. Andy Beshear's executive orders for restaurants, the crowds have been down this year.
With Office Pub now allowed to serve at 50% capacity for dine-in, fans showed up Saturday as the Wildcats lost 62-59.
“My kids can’t remember not being here,” said Lesa Hodge, who watched the game with her mother, Dora Kerns, and her sons, Jackson, 11, and Anderson, 9.
“When they were little they’d sit under the table,” Hodge said. “It wasn’t as loud. They’d have their headphones and iPads under the table.
“Anderson was born in February of 2011. In the final game that year, John Presley (owner of the Office Pub and Deli) walked around carrying him the whole game."
Kerns is a UK football season ticket holder but sat out this season, so she and her family watched football games, when they could, at the Office Pub and Deli.
“We like seeing everybody,” Hodge said. “We call this our pub family, and everyone is cheering for the same team.
“I’m happy for John and Mary (Presley). This is more (people) than we’ve seen in a while.”
While the Kerns and Hodge families don't normally watch UK football games at the Office Pub and Deli, they've been regulars for years for basketball games.
“We have a front-row seat," Kerns said, "and it’s as exciting as being at Rupp Arena, maybe more so.”
Jerry and Kathy Vance were in the back room of the restaurant Saturday, part of a group of 18 that were mostly family.
Like most people there Saturday, the Vances are lifelong UK fans. Jerry spent nine years as part of Committee of 101, volunteers wearing blue blazers who usher at UK home games.
“We came to just about all the games every year, but this year has been very unusual,” Jerry Vance said. “I called John and he said he was opening back up at 50%. I asked him about the back room, and he was so excited.”
“We usually have 45 to 50 people here,” Kathy Vance said. “A lot of them are the Kentucky River Campground crowd.
“This is our first game in the back room. We’ve called orders in and picked them up. We made sure we called in orders. All local businesses deserve support, and John has always been so good to us.”
Sitting in the front of the establishment, Jim DeShazer was keeping a close eye on the game.
The crowd became more animated as Kentucky came back in the final minutes, erasing Louisville’s lead.
“I’m a frequent flyer,” DeShazer said about watching games at the restaurant. “It’s been hard. It’s still Kentucky basketball, and I still watch every minute I can.
“I’d rather have a crowd around for games, but this season has been brutal to watch.”
Louisville pulled out the win in the final minute as Kentucky dropped to 1-6.
“It’s being able to watch with my brethren,” DeShazer said about games at the Office Pub and Deli. “This is like a religion. It’s Kentucky basketball.”
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