Kentucky Wildcats Athletics: What we learned over the summer
By Paul Jordan
Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
JOHN CALIPARI IS A BIG THINKER AND HAS GREAT IDEAS
This we know. It’s nothing new. But John Calipari does not get the credit he deserves for his big ideas.
A couple of years ago, Calipari was mocked and ridiculed for his comments that the bigger schools and conferences should secede from the NCAA and play as their own entity. And what happened? As if on cue, the big conferences had an all assault on the smaller conferences and started stockpiling teams. And two years later, the public sentiment is that something has to be done about the NCAA. And now Mark Emmert is admitting that things have to change. And I know that rival fans will say that the NCAA has been hated for years, but John Calipari is the one that got this stone moving.
While he should be vindicated, Calipari remains the most polarizing figure in college basketball. Mostly because rival fans just want to hate on Cal when they should be embracing his ideas. But most fans don’t take the time to actually read a story and educate themselves. They just read the headline and then hop on Twitter to blast. Do we know what Roy Williams thinks about the NCAA? He probably loves them right now, but what about other top coaches? No other top coach has the stones to publicly blast the very core of their governing agency. In an era when college athletes are starting to sue the NCAA for the use of their likeness, Calipari’s thoughts on players getting paid are not only relevant, but right. But due to how bloated and big the NCAA is, it can be done.
Also the fact that John Calipari continues to bite the hand that feeds his team is downright stunning. All fans throw the “one and done” tag at Kentucky and John Calipari hates the rule as much as anyone and is actually fighting to change it. Calipari knows that his reputation and the Kentucky brand will bring the NBA hopefuls to Lexington, but he seems set and ready to have that rule overturned. OF course, there is an ulterior motive as now Cal will rule the “two and dones” if the rule goes away, but the fact that he pubicly hates the rule is amazing.
A similar analogy would be if Tom Crean stood up and said “Hey, I hate scheduling all these out of conference cupcakes at home every year and I am going to start scheduling some real teams to play in November”. It’s not going to happen.
Manndatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
LOUISVILLE FANS ARE STILL OBSESSED WITH BIG BROTHER
Face it. It’s been a tough year to be a Wildcat fan as our rivals 70 miles away had a stellar season and trumped us in seemingly every sport.
Football? Check.
Basketball? Check.
Baseball? Check.
Women’s Hoops? Check.
So congrats to the University of Louisville on their amazing year. You kicked our arse last year. And you would think that with so much success, their fans and fan sites would be inclined to savor their season and you know, focus on their team. But as in the tradition of little brothers, they simply can not let it go.
Case in point is the fact that John Calipari is writing a new book. Good for him. I actually ordered a crappy Papa John’s Pizza way back to get an autographed copy of Calipari’s “Bounce Back” and it is displayed on my Kentucky bookshelf, but I have not read it yet. I am the biggest supporter of Coach Cal but the news of him writing a new book, excited me about as much as the prospect of having to order another Papa John’s Pizza to get another free book.
And being a proud member of the BBN, I really am not that upset by statements like this which will be in Calipari’s new book.
"I coach for the names on the back of the jersey—not the front. My players. They’re sent to me by their fathers, their mothers, their grandmothers, their aunts—whoever in this world raised them and loves them."
I am well familiar with Calipari’s “Players First” mentality and I respect it. But I do not buy into the opinion that these players are “rented” and that Calipari does not instill Kentucky tradition in them. Boogie Cousins left UK three seasons ago and he can not stop coming back to UK. So whether a player is here for one year or four years, they are always part of the BBN. And Calipari’s comments about coaching for the name of the back of the jersey was no big deal to me. It’s Calipari and it’s his schtick. I get it. It’s not a slap in the face to Adolph Rupp, Joe B Hall, and Bill Keightley. And for the most part, the BBN gets Calipari’s comments. So the news of a new book was mentioned but met with a general shrug of the shoulders.
Except for Jeff Sheppard and Louisville bloggers.
Despite the success of the greatest season of all of times by their beloved program, two prominent Louisville blogs decided to post the news of John Calipari writing a new book.
And of course, they blasted the “back of their jersey” comment in their headlines.
Why? They are still little brother and obsessed with Kentucky.
It’s America. If they want to write about our basketball coach, it is their right. But it’s also my right to look at it and call it all rather silly. And it is the Louisville sites right to twitter blast this site because they don’t agree with what I write which has happened on several occasions. And while that’s petty, that’s fine. Four years of blogging has given me thick skin. Thank$ in advance for the hit$ though when you blast this on twitter.
I gave up trolling other sites on January 1 and have not been happier. My intent is not to troll a site to but to point out a phenom that happens, which is certainly in my right.
Would Louisville sites write a post if Bob Huggins wrote a book? Coach K? Roy Williams? Or whoever their biggest basketball rival is at the moment? Of course not. Coaches books are kind of silly (in my opinion) and kind of non news. But because John Calipari from Kentucky writes a book, they have to comment.
Why?
I honestly don’t know. Kentucky fans have a reason at least to follow and comment on Rick Pitino. The man rebuilt the program, won a national title at Kentucky, and has a banner hanging in Rupp Arena. I now some Kentucky fans and sites are pretty dysfunctional about this but I have actually accepted the fact Rick has gone. I have said many times that Pitino’s banner needs to remain at Rupp and I am eternally thankful for what Rick Pitino did at UK. So at least UK fans and site have a reason to obsess and discuss Pitino. The man is a part of our history. And some Kentucky fans are obsessed that Pitino ever left to begin with.
But Louisville fans obsessing over a Calipari book? Coach Cal has no connection with the University of Louisville that I know of. He attends the Derby every year, but that’s no reason to stalk his every move.
Except that he is Kentucky. And they are eternally obsessed with Kentucky.
End of story.