For the last 10+ Years, I have lived in Japan.  For 30 years, I have been an avid University of Kentucky Basketball Fan.  My current perspective is very, VERY interesting to say the least....

Though I live in Japan, and teach in Tokyo, I was born in Tennessee, and for the first six-and-a-half years of my live, was raised in Kansas.  I'm the son of a pastor, the brother of a pastor, and am myself a Tentmaker Missionary.  Though I love a lot of sports and sprots teams, I bleed blue between November and April.

My family moved to Kentucky when I was seven years old.  My Daddy was born and raised in Tennessee (though he bleeds orange in the Fall, in Basketball season, he bleeds True Blue) and my Momma in Indiana.  Daddy is a pastor, and from 1979 until 1992, our family lived in the Bluegrass, where my Dad pastored two churches.  When  was 7, I didn't even know what the sport of Basketball was.  When we moved to Kentucky, I got a good dose of what Basketball -- particularly the High School and College Flavour of this tremendous sport -- was all about.  The first name I ever associated with Basketball was Kyle Macy, the outstanding Point Guard for the University of Kentucky who was, essentially, the oil which made the UK Machine run during his career at UK. We lived first in Central City, Kentucky, south of Owensboro, in a basketball crazy county called Muhlenberg.  Later, we moved to Nicholasville, a mere ten miles south of the heart of the Big Blue Nation, Lexington, and the University of Kentucky. My brother, our friends, and I made frequent trips to play pick-up ball at UK's Blue Courts.

I have been a fan of University of Kentucky Basketball ever since.  I watched and wept and cheered anyway when Eddie Sutton nearly brought the Death Penalty to UK.  I watched and cheered, and was overjoyed to see the way Rick Pitino rescued and returned UK to national glory and prominence.  In my college years, I went to an NAIA University in Kansas.  Durign my seven-year life as a college student, I received many of tghe jeers and taunts from Kansas Fans at how terrible UK Basketball was, how Kansas -- despite being in 3rd place in all-time wins -- was "better" than UK basketball because  f Kansas being (allegedly) scandal-free (later I found out the Kansas endured scandals in her history, just as Kentucky had), and how Rick Pitino was second rate when compared to Roy Williams. 

Then came the 1992 NCAA Tournament and the East Regional Final....

I was sitting in the Commons Area between the two Men's Dorms on the campus of MidAmerica Nazarene University, and had watched the entire game of this Regional Final.  Many of my College Classmates told me in no uncertain terms how Duke was going to blow UK away, having totally and terribly unerrated and underestimated both Coach Pitino, and his "Unforgettables".  During one debate with a friend about the upcoming game (he was an avid Kansas fan, and was nearly tear-stricken when Roy's Boys had choked the night before), I was told how great Grant Hill, Christian Laettner, and the rest of the duke Blue Devils were.  In that debate, I told him, in no uncertain terms, as well, that John Pelphry would match up just fine with Hill, that Jamal Mashburn would do very well agaisnt Laettner, and that Bobby Hurley would have his hands full with Sean Woods and Richie Farmer.  I also said that Duke had no answer to Deron Feldhaus, who -- though fairly undersized at 6'8" -- was a vicious rebounder and hustler on the team.  As a UK fan watching that game, I was not disappointed.  Not only did the "Unforgettables" and Mashburn step up, but so did Aminu Timberlake, Roy Brown, and the rest of the UK Bench.  When Laettner hit that last shot with 2.1 left, I was dazed, stunned, amazed, and pretty numb to see UK go down in such a colossal contest.

Since that time, and later, after having come to Japan, I have noticed something about the University of Kentucky Basketball Team and Program:

The Mainstream Media and General Press LOVE to see Kentucky go down in plames.

The Movie Glory Road is but one glaring example.  In this movie about the Texas Western Program under Clem Haskins, the fact that Kentucky started five white boys agaisnt TWs five blacks is clearly shown, with UK and Rupp painted as racists being implied.  What isn't shown is is the fact that Duke, as well, started five white players (but since Duke never played TW, they didn't get the racist paint UK and Rupp received in this movie:  Jon Voigt -- who portrayed Rupp -- even commented in a conversation to Rupp's son that this portrayal of The Baron was inaccurate).  When Kentucky has won and won and won again, the media is basically silent.  However, when Kentucky loses or has some disadvantage, it is all over the wires, front pages, and lead sports stories everywhere else.

This season under Coach Gillispie has been no exception.  The press -- EVEN HERE IN JAPAN -- have placed glaring headlines portraying Kentucky as soemthing other than what she is:  A great program on a rebuildign and regathering road.  In my time in Japan, however, I have come to love and follow my beloved Kentucky Wildcats with even greater interest than when I was growing up in the bluegrass or in college, and my time in college taught me something invaluable, somethign that has stuck with me in my almost-11 years here in Japan:  there is no place like home, and there are no fans like Kentucky Fans.  We stick with our 'Cats even when times are tough.  Even when we have a coach like Sutton, they 'Cats are still our 'Cats, and, like Ronald Reagan stated as President, there are always great days ahead.  My time away from Kentucky has also taught me that the MSM and General Press wil always fail to give Kentucky the respect and prestige they so readily heap upon the UCLAs, the UConns (a wannabee program if there ever was one), the UNCs, and other programs that have gained and maintained tradition.  However, we UK fans (and, even U of L fans now agree, seeign that they have "our Coach" as theirs) know better, and know the truth:  The University of Kentucky Wildcats are #1 in the NCAA Basketball realm, and all others want the glory that UK already possesses...

In my first couple of comments here in A Sea of Blue, I know that I have commented about Tubby Smith.  Per the rules, and per the ire of some UK Fans, I won't divulge here my opinions and thoughts abut Tubby.  I will, however, just ask you all one thing:  please view me as a true fan of the UK Wildcats.  I love the 'Cats, and will until the day I'm fertilizing dasies.  Thank you for taking the time to read this post.  Feel free to comment in any way, shape, or form....