WBN Nightcap: Is John Calipari Really Helping Kentucky Football?
John Calipari announces UK double-header in West Liberty, KY
This week Kentucky Basketball head coach John Calipari announced that he will stage another All-Star game consisting of former Wildcat players this fall, with the proceeds going to charity. This shouldn’t be surprising as Cal has shown an affinity for anything that gets UK in the news but also for giving back to the community. He has also expressed a past interest in holding basketball-football cross-promotions. It just so happens that this All-star event is scheduled to take place on the same day as Kentucky’s gridiron tilt against Western Kentucky on September 15th. The basketball event will take place at 2 o’clock with the football game kicking off at 7 p.m.
To Calipari’s credit he has been willing lend Joker Phillips a hand in the past, allowing recruits into his locker-room and games, even joining Phillips on the phone with a 2-sport recruit at least once. The two coaches seem to have a good relationship and Cal genuinely seems to want Phillips to succeed. Phillips has embraced the basketball influence on his team, calling it “crazy” to fight it. He has repeatedly thanked his counterpart for favors. So Rupp and The Bear they are not.
Now comes the part that people will hate: I think John Calipari’s involvement in Kentucky football should stop, sooner rather than later. It’s no secret that I personally prefer football to basketball. It is also no secret that Kentucky is a basketball school. I’ve long believed it can be great for both sports. And if Joker Phillips hopes to build UK football to that point, he will need to do so on his own. The last thing Joker needs is more loudmouths giving Cal credit for football success or saying he should coach the team. Or do the recruiting. Or fundraising. Well, maybe the fundraising. But seriously if Kentucky is going to buck the “basketball-school” label then the most prominent basketball coach in the nation can’t be in a position to get the credit.
In regards to the double-header Saturday, I think it’s a bad idea for UK football. In a year when ticket sales are already tepid, largely due to an exodus of basketball-first fans and folks who have taken a hit to the wallet, why schedule a basketball All-Star game that will take ticket sales from Commonwealth? Not to mention the folks who will skip the football game because they will miss tailgating. All this does is take attention away from football and put more of it on basketball. The window in which football is the only show in town is already small enough without All-Star events and Big Blue Madness stealing Joker’s thunder.
I’m not insinuating that Calipari is leading some dark conspiracy to keep basketball king in Lexington. I believe that he genuinely believes people will attend both events. Unfortunately he is wrong. On the other hand he is a very bright man and he never misses an opportunity to get his name in the news. I’m sure getting credit for trying to help football (as it will surely be spun) and make money for charity has crossed that promoter’s mind of his. Perhaps he simply views it as a win-win for him, and if it helps Phillips, so be it.