There was an interesting article online recently debating whether University of Kentucky fans as a whole knew enough about football to form a dedicated fan base. It brought up some interesting points on both sides of the coin and has spawned several heated discussions at my own local watering hole. It’s really been quite interesting. Tonight we are going to look at some of the key points.
To be straight forward the Kentucky Wildcats have rarely been very good at playing football in their long history. They have one national championship from 1950. They have a total of two Southeastern Conference Championships. They have played well enough to gain fifteen bowl invites. They’ve won eight bowl games. So the argument can and has, been made that their lack of success has numbed the fans through the years. This has led to a unusual set of circumstances that may exist in Lexington. The UK football team routinely ranks in the Top 25 in attendance every season (2011 not withstanding), but the crowd at Commonwealth Stadium can be described as lukewarm at best the majority of the time. Football games are more of a social event than a sporting event. Many purchase tickets that go unused as they sit in the CWS parking lot and watch the game on television. When folks don’t happen to wander into the stadium, they don’t focus their attention on the game as other fans do. Rarely does a roar sweep the crowd without a touchdown or a turnover (or an appearance by the basketball boys). Essentially, Kentucky has very little home field advantage.
The concept also applies to road contests. Regardless of fan-hood, the Big Blue Nation travels with the best of them but once at a bowl game, they disappear amongst an opponent’s rabid fans. As a student I was amazed by the number of people that traveled to Nashville in December to parade around in blue and partake in C-A-T-S chants, but had no intention to go to the game.
On the other side of the fence there is the Kentucky basketball program with all of it’s glory. Rarely have they been anything less than very good at their sport. They have numerous SEC and National titles. This has led Kentucky to be a basketball-first state, at the college and high school level. Besides North Carolina, Indiana, and New York, in most states football is the top sport. It’s the most popular sport in America. A lot of places don’t even pay attention to college basketball until the NCAA tournament starts.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being a fan of UK basketball, I’m just trying to put this into context. Kentucky is a basketball oriented state, many of the best athletes play basketball instead of football which dilutes the high school talent base. Many kids grow up wanting to play for Rick Pitino or Coach Cal, and don’t learn to play football. Which again is fine, to each their own, but it can become a problem when the people who don’t understand football begin to talk about it. It’s hard to talk to other SEC fans and have to listen them talk about Kentucky fans’ ignorance. Especially when you can’t argue because you know they are often right. Again don’t get me wrong, there some great UK football fans out there who know their stuff and can create stimulating conversations. But if you can’t name half of the teams starters…maybe you aren’t qualified to call the plays.
To be successful in football Kentucky needs a culture change. At the University, where the football recruiting budget costs roughly as much as Big Blue Madness does every year. And with the fans who have to realize that the team needs support, not boycotts. They aren’t going to win the SEC in front of empty stadium and there are more constructive ways to express your point. They need a change in the locker room, where players dread leaving after a loss. And in the stadium where boos rain down even when the team is leading. It’s not something that can happen overnight but Kentuckians are passionate and where there’s a will there’s a way…
What are your thoughts? Can Kentucky support a good football team? What obstacles stand in the way of creating a football culture in the Commonwealth?