The best answer ...

by Truzenzuzex on Feb 5, 2009 9:35 AM EST Comment 22 comments

... to the question of "does fan negativism hurt the program" I have ever seen was given by Jeff Drummond at The Cats Pause:

Fans are fans no matter where you go. Highs and lows. Like Cats and Canes said, our meltdowns tend to be pretty entertaining around here, but they're nowhere near as nasty as you see a lot of places.

But to answer the original question, I think persistent negativity can hurt. It nearly torpedoed Brooks & Co. that year where Hudson bit the bullet and "resigned." It cost the Cats at least one major recruit (Brandon Deadrick) and probably quite a few others. People should be aware of that if they push it too far. It can eventually hurt your chances of getting the very thing (players) you need to turn things around.

I think that is exactly right. It also addresses the meme that UK fans are more lunatic than others, which we talked about in here the other day.

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Of course...only one man's opinion.

…and I think its fair to say a biased one as well. Certainly given the somewhat recent activity of blogs, I don’t think anybody knows the real affect on prospects or players even yet. Same goes with the continual chatter from radio.

'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'

by HozeKing on Feb 5, 2009 10:55 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Opinion nor no ...

… biased or no, I think he is exactly right. There is no way to meaningfully quantify this issue that I know of, so we pretty much have to go on what makes sense.

This makes sense. That’s enough for me.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Feb 5, 2009 4:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I Rarely Agree With Jeff Drummond About Anything BUT

In this case, I think he’s (close to being) right.

I’m a fan of 3 programs – UC (since 1958), UK (since 1966), and my alma mater Purdue (since 1969). Each of those programs has a fanbase with a similar mix – some positive, some negative, most somewhere in the middle.

Where I think Drummond misses the mark is on the SHEER NUMBER in the UK fanbase. I think only Notre Dame (football) is comparable.

by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 5, 2009 4:57 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

UK fanbase...

I am a HUGE UK fan. Have been since birth but I would imagine that the fan base at places such as North Carolina,Kansas and Indiana are about the same size as Kentucky. And I think those fans expect just as much as we do from their team. I get sick and tired of national sports media portraying UK fans as expecting too much. You don’t hear that about those other programs and their fans. It’s also hard for me to believe that a recruit would decide not to come to UK because of “fan negativity”.

by maysvilleblue on Feb 5, 2009 7:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Not EVEN Close

I see UK stuff all over the country (even the world).

I don’t see UNC, IU, or KU stuff anywhere near as much.

by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 5, 2009 7:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

agree

and if you talk to those people, anyone wearing UK stuff is a UK fan. not true for the other schools…can’t tell you how many people respond “not really, i just liked the way it looked/the colors” when you ask them if they’re a fan.

Not sure if this is true about people wearing Duke apparel…i just stay away from them.

GO BIG BLUE!! GO BIG BLUE!!

by UKWildCatFanatic on Feb 5, 2009 7:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Duke Apparel

It is true with Duke apparel and North Carolina as well. People that dont even follow college basketball tend to purchase the apparel of the “big name” schools. People do also buy them because they like the colors and the logos, but the majoriity (of non-followers) simply buy who they have heard of.

by kentuckygirl0724 on Feb 6, 2009 9:13 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

so many people buy UNC because they like that pansy blue…i refuse to buy anything that shade.

GO BIG BLUE!! GO BIG BLUE!!

by UKWildCatFanatic on Feb 6, 2009 9:45 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Close

I been all over the country and to a few places in the world. I always take something UK to wear. T-shirts,sweatshirts,caps and I always run into UNC,IU,KU and yes even the dreaded Dukie fan wearing their apparel. I have had great conversations with some of these folks about college basketball. Now there is no question we are the best fans in the world but those folks do their teams justice too in their support. And there are alot of them around. Even in the subdivision where I live,50 miles from Lexington,there is a UNC fan and a IU fan. And this is a subdivision of 12 houses.

by maysvilleblue on Feb 5, 2009 8:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you Forty

I don’t think a lot of UK fans realize how huge our fanbase is…or how dedicated we are. The Internet is great in one sense for UK fans who are truly dedicated to our beloved Cats, but then not so, for the ones that want to spout extreme negativity when we lose, when they cannot understand what is happening right now within the program.

Basketball is a work in progress and the Football team has given us all hope with Brooks and staff.

Thank you Forty for your continued optimism…it mean a lot to me.

by kykat51 on Feb 5, 2009 7:46 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Tru, I'm thinking most agree with me.

(# fans)(dedication)(enthusiasm)/patience = extreme factor

But before you get too defensive, underdstand that three of the functions are a good thing. :)

'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'

by HozeKing on Feb 5, 2009 10:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I suppose ...

… it’s a matter of perspective, maybe even semantics. I don’t think you could rationally argue what you seem to be insisting.

As Inigo Montoya famously said, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Feb 5, 2009 10:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Error

Division by zero.

;-)

Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."

by chirop1 on Feb 6, 2009 7:44 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Haha!

Love it.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Feb 6, 2009 8:50 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hilarious.

Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
--O.W.

by blbskue on Feb 6, 2009 10:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hmmm...

Given my background, I should have stuck to a chemistry equation example. :)

'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'

by HozeKing on Feb 6, 2009 11:12 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Point of View

One has to look into the psyche of today’s college athlete. For very recruit that we push away for being too over the top, we may just as well gain another who enjoys the atmosphere. I believe that alot of coachs shuddered when thinking about the UK vacancy after Tubby left, however Coach Clyde never thought twice about it. BCG has the ability to stoke the flames here at the greatest program of all time and withstand the fire. We ask for more from our Coach’s and Player’s and when they deliver they are rewarded with ever-loving adoration.
As the saying goes, you get what you ask for. Well, we asked for a coach who would restore us to National Prominence, and I feel like we’re on the right track. I’ll leave the analyzing to those who are better equipped to do so. But I don’t remember us being ranked at all last year were we? Maybe I missed it as I was in Baghdad. Where, by the way, you can’t walk into a chow hall without seeing a Kentucky Flag hanging so beautifully by every entryway. Best fans in the world? My rifle says YES.

“Slow is Smooth, and Smooth is Fast”

by BigBlueSergeant on Feb 6, 2009 1:01 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think ...

… we were ranked in the pre-season, but not after the G-W loss.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Feb 6, 2009 6:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Correct

Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."

by chirop1 on Feb 6, 2009 7:44 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

UK was ranked 20th in preseason last year.

http://statsheet.com/mcb/rankings/AP/2007-10-29

'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'

by HozeKing on Feb 6, 2009 8:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: BigBlue Sergeant

Thanks for your thoughts and your service.

Post more often if you’re able.

by Ken Howlett on Feb 6, 2009 5:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

UK In Cotacachi

Just spent a few days in Ecuador and in a small mountain town, Cotacachi, I was approached by a man and wife who noticed my Blue cap with White K and introduced themselves as being from Cincinnati and the first question was: What’s wrong with the Cats? And they weren’t even aware of the loss to MSU. Three in a row was literally incredible. Quite disappointed in Coach and questioned whether he was right for the job and Texans don’t know much about basketball. Point is passion comes in two flavors which IMO is better than no passion at all.

by Wild Weasel on Feb 8, 2009 12:10 AM EST reply actions 0 recs