Pitino Era Fools...
by the spork on Mar 14, 2009 1:01 AM EDT
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PrintTru deleted something last night that I wanted to be seen. He didn't want it to be seen because it was a response to a stupid post about Tubby. I, and many others, are a product of the Pitino era, and most of us are not spoiled brats that some of you around here tend to believe, one notably that is a stat stating freak. I'm so sick and tired of it. All I hear is you don't know what its like, you just think we should win it every year, you know what, we aren't as stupid as you think. We understand, maybe even better than you, the state of college basketball. How often do you watch ESPN? I know that when I had a rear projection TV that the ESPN ticker was stained on to my screen. ESPN not a credible source you say, fine. I frequent many college basketball sites every day including rivals, scout, yahoo sports, cbs sports, and of course aaron's blog and aseaofblue. I can also say that I played basketball and have seen it coached, and say that it doesn't mean squat. So many people want to come on here and say that "I coached little league basketball and I know" or "my brother played in such and such league and I know" blah blah blah. I've read the history books, I've seen the banners, and I know that we're not going to win it every year. I forget off the top of my head, but I believe it was 1978 to 1996. 18 years between championships, wow, why wouldn't I think we should win it every year.
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UK Basketball will be great again....
…and anyone that thinks it should happen right away following a coaching change of the magnitude that took place at UK is basically naiive.
I must admit ...
… I’m a little unclear on what you were trying to say. It looks like you are saying that it is unreasonable to expect UK to win the national championship every year, and if so, of course I agree.
UK should be a lot better than it is right now, although we have had teams during the Pitino era and since that we could have said the exact same thing. The difference is where we are saying it from — it’s a world of difference saying a 25 win team should have been better and saying a 19 win team should have been better.
I’m sorry your comment got caught in a Tubby Eruption.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Basically...
what I’m saying is that I know, as most of us do, that we are not going to win it every year. I was born in ‘86, so I know I’m not the most seasoned ball fan, but I’m not stupid in my expectations. There are a lot of people that grew up watching Pitino who are not unreasonable in their expectations. I can see how that last bit wasn’t clear, sarcasm is a hard thing to show in typed words.
I have a lot of older friends that I work with in the 50-70 year old range. I find that they are extremely unreasonable, much more so than my friends close to my age. Not lumping you all in this one group or anything, just saying that the irrational behavior isn’t exclusive to one age group.
NP on the deletion, this comment would’ve gotten lost among the Tubby debate anyways.
spork
Thank you for insight re your work environment. That says a lot about the older generation which I would have assumed to be supporters. But sometimes what I assume is not always correct. Especially with a new hire.
Thanks for your support of Coach G. Sometimes the real old timers cannot see the big picture? They cannot understand the true scope of recruiting…it is way past their time…and I love the old timers, but sometimes they cannot see past the big picture.
Forty sees it and thank God we have have him to see past the season we had this year. We had a winning season this year, but as I have learned, the majority of UK fans, even here, thought we would go bonkers through the SEC. Not.
Are you and Forty seeing each other?
If so, send me a ‘save the date’ please.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
I Have Never Stated That Anyone Should Expect UK To Win Title Every Year
But I do have a much better understanding of some historical facts about UK basketball than some others may have.
The 1990’s were an aberration. Certainly a GREAT aberration but that’s what they were. The only other decade like the 90’s at UK was the 1940’s. The 50’s weren’t far off but Uk was not dominant in that decade like 40’s or 90’s.
Except for No FF in 2000’s, the W-L record is remarkably close to the 1980’s and not far off the 1960’s.
So those who expected UK results like 1993 to 1998 all the time, it’s not going to happen. It hadn’t happened at UK in almost 50 years.
More reasonable goals are 1 NCAA title and 2 FF per decade (UK historical averages). The 1960’s – 80’s – and 2K’s fall short of those numbers.
But if you expect 4 FF and 2 NC per decade like the 90’s, look only back to the 40’s for similar results.
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 14, 2009 9:54 AM EDT reply actions
I am a "Pitino Era Fool" and Proud of it!!
I loved everything about that era. From the “Pitino Bombinos” to the “Unforgettables” to the National Champions of 96. The heartbreak of Duke and Michigan,the Brassow tip-in at Maui with RP running on the floor like Jimmy V trying to find somebody to hug,the miracle comeback at LSU,the great wars against Arkansas where we would usually lose to them during the season but usually win against them in the SEC tourney. I loved to listen to RP talk before the game and after. The run and gun,the full court press,shoot the three if you are open no matter where as long as you were past mid court. Beating teams 100-60. Being rated in the top 10. Winning SEC championships,going to the Final Four,winning a National title. Yes we had to deal with the possibility of RP leaving every year,the rumors of where he was going and then seeing it happen after the 97 season. RP was first class. The Armani suits,the smile,the foot stomp on the sidelines during the game,the funny eastern accent here in the bluegrass and Rupp Arena rocking’. I loved it all and I miss it. I miss the fun of it all. You can compare records and stats of other coaches and other decades out the wazoo but there was never a decade with so much fun being a Wildcat fan and I desperately want it back somehow and someway.
maysville,
I agree with everything you said about the 90s except the last sentence. There have been other decades with that much fun.
The run and gun didn’t originate with Coach Pitino. There were not Armani suits, but there were brown suits. And Coach Pitino’s foot stomp had nothing over Coach Rupp’s. YOU WERE NOT THERE in the earlier decades. Some of us have been. I wasn’t there in the 40s, but I know (knew, actually) people who were, and the incredible swagger (not a word they would have used) of the Fabulous Five and the 25-0 Hagan-Ramsey team in the early 50s was apparently something to behold. When they came out of the locker room, they knew they were going to beat you, you knew it, and you knew that they knew it.
I’m always careful to “blame” zealots on both ends of the spectrum for being unrealistic. The older Rupp-era folks, now dying out, who didn’t like Pitino (for many of the reasons you cite, ironically) had the same expectations you do. Nobody likes having the fun taken out of a season. The only desireable thing age brings is a perspective that you get thrown from the horse sometimes. And sometimes the horse kicks you while you’re on the ground.
All that said, I desperately want it back, too. I just have less time to wait than you do.
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
Here's How I Put It
Pitino had 8 great years at UK winning 81% of his games and 81% in NIT. He dominated SECT in his time at UK.
He would have had to repeat those 8 years 4 TIMES MORE to accomplish what Rupp did at UK.
Rupp won 82% of his games over 41 seasons and 63% of his NCAA or NIT games when all were Elite 8 or Sweet 16 caliber opponents. No 1st or 2nd round Gimmes back then.
Rupp so dominated the SECT that the conference STOPPED PLAYING IT in early 50’s (until 1979). He won 27 SEC titles in 41 seasons (Pitino won 2 in 8 years, 3 in you count 1991 like I do).
UK won 85% of its basketball games from 1931 through 1959 seasons. UK was the dominant team BY FAR of those 3 decades.
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 14, 2009 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions
OOPS Edit Feature BADLY NEEDED
Pitino won 81% of NCAA (not NIT) games at UK.
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 14, 2009 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree
Yes I didn’t live through the great Rupp years of the 40’s and 50’s but I was around for the final part of his reign where many thought he was far past his prime. I know that Rupp was a great inavator and the fast break style he had was very exciting including all the winning that went with it.. What I remember more are the Joe B years,the Sutton years,the Pitino years,the Tubby years and now BG. Joe B was a very good coach and had class but I wouldn’t say it was excatly fun. Sutton was a disaster,enough said there. Tubby had great success for the most part but his style of play was sometimes like enduring a root canel. And BG’s style I’m still scratching my head over. The Pitino years and the great success is what I relate to and just the fun of it all like I described. Coach Rupp was a tremendous coach who just don’t get the credit because of so many saying he was a racist which fog his accomplishments. I admire him greatly because he will always be the coach that all UK basketball coaches will be compared to. As they should be.
by maysvilleblue on Mar 14, 2009 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Now, pretty much all that, I can agree with.
Geez, it WAS fun in the 90s, with the movement, shooting, hard-core defense, etc. But, everybody doesn’t coach that way. I absolutely hated Dean Smith’s “four corners” for the last several minutes of any game in which UNC was ahead, BUT, if I had been a tarheel (ptui, ooh, ’bout gagged there!) fan, I would have loved it. ’Cause they won.
Rupp had probably slipped a little in his latter years, but one of the big factors in his not having a NC team past 1958 was, as Forty has often pointed out, the reluctance of the SEC to integrate. (Notice I didn’t say his reluctance.) Still, despite that, the 68-70 teams were exciting, high-scoring, high-performing teams. Forty and I disagree about how much coaching Rupp did vice Hall in those days, but we can all agree that the teams were good, and exciting to watch. That’s what we want back.
I think all us old folks are just saying that it’ll come back. Not as soon as any of us would like, ‘cause it didn’t happen this year for sure, but it’ll come back.
No moral victories--it's all about Ws and Ls!!!
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