Hoping Against Hope
by jbt36 on Mar 25, 2009 11:34 AM EDT
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PrintFirst off, being new to this site, I would like to congratulate the posters here for being genuine, thoughtful and realistic about a passion we all share.
These last few weeks have been very trying for everyone who loves the Big Blue. The rumors swirling around this program have been a burden to what should be an entertaining time of year.
Make no mistake, good people, we have brought this on ourselves. It all started with the Erruption Zone screaming for Coach Gillispie to play Alex Legion last season, continued through the boos for Michael Porter during various games in Rupp and culminated in the horrible final month of this regular season.
We have become a fanbase literally about to collapse under our own weight, too bloated and full of a sense of entitlement to realize or care that we are destroying the thing we are most passionate about.
Some people who should know better have made comments that deserve attention.
Does Kenny Walker (who was at one time my favorite former Cat) not understand that, if boosters and other had their way in 1975, he never would have had the chance to play for Joe Hall? Hell, Dan Issel and others in his class wanted Coach Hall fired as an assistant because his conditioning program was too tough.
Dick Gabriel, a respected voice in Lexington, keeps harping on the Jeanine Edwards interviews as if Coach Gillispie dropped trow and mooned ESPN's cameras. It stupifies the mind to imagine that this has been blown so totally out of proportion. Most coaches, including Roy Williams, Jim Calhoun, Coach K, Rick Pitino, Bill Self and John Calipari, have had interviews that were less than stellar and have made comments that seemed brusque. Were they endlessly dissected and cited as grounds for dismissal?
Dave "Buzz" Baker is another that keeps harping on this interview flap. If Coach Gillispie's comments to Miss Edwards play a part in the decision about his future then Baker should be canned for his treatment of Oscar Combs on the call-in show prior to every game this season.
As the game in Memorial showed, true Kentucky fans can and will support their team and program though thick and thin. And the thick times will return soon as long as we don't shoot ourselves in the foot by firing a good coach because of arrogance and the aforementioned sense of entitlement. If Coach Gillispie goes, our prospects for a return to the top of college basketball go with him, at least for the foreseeable future.
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Calling BS on this
Billy G and Mitch made this bed, now they have to sleep in it. Blaming the fans is a cop out.
Wrong.
From the moment he stepped foot on the sideline, people have been telling him who to play, how to play them and screaming bloody murder when he didn’t do it their way. He has seven new players on this roster and no upperclassman leadership. If you can’t see where the fans have played a part in this, you must not be able to see the nose on your face.
Several Juniors (Notably Meeks) Are Team Leaders
Only 1 senior, that’s true.
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 25, 2009 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Wrong take on Meeks.
Meeks leads by example. He has said on more than one occassion that he is not vocal.
i may be wrong
but over the past month, i am thinking ramon might be stepping up to be the leader.
by memphis wildcat on Mar 25, 2009 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions
So What
Leader by example or vocally, no different.
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 25, 2009 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Wrong. HUGE difference.
A real leader must be vocal. What do Manning, Jeter, and James all have in common? They are arguably the top leaders and vocal, in their respective sports. Of course, a real leader must be respected through his work ethic, but he can’t exceed as a leader unless you can verbally inspire, criticize, or just kick tail. I can’t think of one impressive thought from Meeks all year. Doesn’t make him a bad guy or certainly not a bad player, but if he’s the team’s supposed leader, I think that may suggest the root problem. Forty, you couldn’t be more wrong. Sorry.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
Meeks
I noticed during the post-game interview (video) that Meeks seems a little shy just from his body language. He is not a vocal person at all.
So the fans lost to Gardner Webb, Sand Diego, VMI etc?
The fans only play a pressure man defense, even when the other team rains 3s left and right? The fans pull a player after every little mistake he makes and sits them on the bench?
If you want to be a Billy G apologist that is fine, but get some common sense.
What would you have him do?
Set up in a 2-3 and let the 3’s continue to rain down any way? Despite what you may think, the issues on the floor had much more to do with personnel then they did with style of play. Everyone was soooo surprised when they recognized that we were in a triangle and two against Creighton. The fact is, we have played at least three variations on a zone this season. They are difficult to recognize because we “cheat” out of the zone a bit, but they were zones.
As for him yanking a player after one mistake I submit this – our margin for error was so small in most games this season that not pulling somebody could and in some instances ould have resulted in more losses.
No coach that has ever had an measure of success will tell you that there exists such a thing as a “game player”. If you don’t get it in practice, you won’t get it in a game, period. These guys practice every scenario so many times it should be second nature to them. When the screw up it is generally because of a lack of focus. Late in the season, Galloway and Liggins both gave us solid minutes because they started to understand their roles through practice – not because they were allowed to stay on the floor during a game.
So where in all of that is it the fans' fault?
The fans do not make coaching decisions. They may question them, but the bottom line is what happens in a game is on Gillispie.
We have become a fanbase literally about to collapse under our own weight, too bloated and full of a sense of entitlement to realize or care that we are destroying the thing we are most passionate about.
The fans have the absolute right not to settle for the mediocrity of the NIT.
agreed,
but expressing that opinion should be done constructively, not destructively.
i am not sure as a fan base we have been constructive – present company/blog excepted :)
by memphis wildcat on Mar 25, 2009 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree with memphis wildcat, many in the fan base
are often destructive in comments. Mainly because in the emotion of the moment, it is all to easy to lash out (me too!!) BG has only had two years, and that’s not quite long enough to change a program that has been using the prior coach’s system for almost 10 years.
The fans were a prick to Edwards on the sideline?
The fans were a prick to the ESPN all-access crew?
The fans haven’t signed a contract?
I just get sick and tired of people making excuses. The coach coaches the team, the players play. To blame the fans for all of this is tired.
fair comments but
i bet the collective gasp whenever porter/miller/anyone other than meeks passed on a 3 or the chants to play so-and-so or the booing by the crowd had a greater negative impact on the performance of the players at rupp that the interviews with edwards or the unsigned contract.
i do believe that it too strong to say “we have brought this on ourselves” …. but the fans do share in being part of the issue.
by memphis wildcat on Mar 25, 2009 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions
So you agree...
that a boo or gasp can have an affect on an individual player, but not on the team as a whole? These guys are a family. If someone says something derrogatory about your family, does it not have a negative impact on you?
In case you haven’t noticed, for the most part this team’s good wins have come away from Rupp. Several players have gone on the record as being disappointed in the behavior of some crowds at home. That they don’t take it further than that is a testament to their class, not a free pass to the fans.
Has an affect on Porter, but....
…the fear of getting yanked for shooting when he is told to get the ball to PPat and Jodie is worse.
The fans didn’t lose those games at Rupp. The coach and the players did.
Side note
Some of the gasps and boos are not directed at the player, but the situation. Example: I was at the Vandy game in January. When Porter and Miller were in their own area code and not shooting, the gasps and boos around me were directed at Billy G. With the comments of “Why doesn’t he let them shoot it when they are open?” etc. Just a one game sample.
maybe it was directed at BCG
but still had to have an impact on the players
i agree that the fans did not lose the game but i also believe that Rupp fans were not the best “sixth” man in their history this year. to that extent, we must accept our part in the current situation
by memphis wildcat on Mar 25, 2009 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Please explain the mechanism by which players are able to discern between gasps/boos directed at the coach
and gasps/boos directed at them, during a game, while they make a bad play or pass up an open shot.
I like important stuff just as much as the next guy, but please, for a little while, deliver us from meaning, baseball. That's your greatest glory, and we thank you for it very, very much. -- Craig Calcaterra
Dang, I was just going to say that.
I agree on the basis of the original post and we could debate the extent of the fans effect on the players til the cows come home.
At one time or another every player on this team has been blasted on the internet. Until I hear a player say he doesn’t ever read blogs I maintain that we do, at times, have negative impact on our players.
Until I’m comfortable the extreme naysayers have no effect I’ll remember Meeks after the Cray game talking about “no matter what the fans think…”.
(Please note I said “extreme”, the players should be able to handle some constructive criticism, it’s just that sometimes the angst is out of proportion of the deed.)
IMO
it is NO better to boo and shout criticism at the coach.
I believe in Billy G.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Mar 25, 2009 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Tink
You told us about a “fan” at Memorial, the one that sat next to you. Is that what you have more or less seen all season? I haven’t been to any games at Rupp this season, but the booing was very audible on the radio and TV.
Tink, i was at Memorial...
and there was booing at times, usually directed at the refs, but not at BG. There were exceptions though.
Well
the guy next to me was very vocal (and obnoxious) about booing – among other ridiculous and rude comments – directed right at BCG.
I believe in Billy G.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Mar 25, 2009 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Here in Lexington
that “fan” appears to be in the majority. Now I say “appears to be” because I dont claim to have talked to and polled every fan in Lexington. I just know that I (seriously) can count on one hand the number of BCG supporters that I have encountered – and believe me I have had some intense conversations on this issue and more often than not find myself alone in defending our coach. In addition, those that are against him tend to be VERY vocal about speaking out against him and often in very inapporpriate manners and places.
This is what has me so disgusted by this whole situation. I know that it is my decision and my opinion to be “Billy’s Biggest Fan” (as I have been sarcastically reffered to NUMEROUS times) but I wish you had some idea of the amount of time I have had to go into “defend-Billy” mode this season. There have been times after tough losses that I just wanted to be down with everyone else, but I cant help myself, as soon as the “Farr Billy” club would rear their ugly heads I would take it head on every time. Glutton for punishment, I guess.
I believe in Billy G.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Mar 25, 2009 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Without the fans...
…there would be no UK basketball program, (as we know it)…
Why do you think UK is UK…? In large part, it’s because of the loyal fan base poring money into the athletics department. As a matter of fact, I think that Basketball & Football are the only revenue baring entity at UK. (correct me if I’m wrong)
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
Correct. Besides, I thought that the UK fans were no different than anyone else. Right, Tru?
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
That's exactly right.
You see the same thing at Notre Dame, Alabama and Florida football. Same thing at UCLA.
But you know that. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Mar 26, 2009 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Who cares?
Who in here really cares in Billy G is a prick to some dumb broad on the sidelines asking stupid questions? If I remember correctly, that was during the first game against florida and the ignorant Jeanine Edwards asked a question that went something like, “you said before the game that you hoped to contain Nick Calathes, do you feel your team is accomplishing what you set out to acheive?” Now that more than likely isn’t word for word, but what a STUPID question. and I am a firm believer that when you ask a stupid question you deserve to be talked to like an idiot, because that is what you are. Nick Calathes dropped something like 17 or 19 points in the first half, HOW THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE’RE DOING YOU DUMB BROAD????
I think Billy G’s reaction was RIGHT ON THE MONEY!! That is no reason to fire the man. Do it based on performance, do it based coaching decisions, but don’t fire the man for calling a spade a spade. It was a stupid question and I would have answered the exact same way.
Correction About Issel And Hall
Issel was the only varsity Cat who did the running that Hall instituted in 1968 offseason.
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 25, 2009 11:42 AM EDT reply actions
No correction required.
Issel only got on board after meetings with Coach Rupp where Coach Rupp basically told him to take part and he would help him become our all-time leading scorer. Issel has never tried to hide the fact that he was not a fan of Joe Hall.
The Issel Bunch
Definitely tried to get Coach Rupp a waiver of the mandatory retirement rule.
Had they been successful, most of the 1971 recruiting class would have transferred.
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 25, 2009 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions
amazing how emotion clouds even the most rational of minds....
things are out of control..there is enough “blame” to go around. the desire for another FF or NC is so pervasive that i believe the weight of the entire program could bring itself down.
reminds me alot of the 75 to 78 time period – the fun had gone and the pressure was on – again, not just the fan base but at the team level as well as everywhere inbetween…
in a way, the NIT experience might relieve some of that pressure as we all appreciate going to the ncaa tourney – not just expecting it – a bit more. that being said, i know where not going to the ncaa has added to the pressure.
we will see how tonight affects the situation…….
by memphis wildcat on Mar 25, 2009 12:07 PM EDT reply actions
Been There, Done That
UK went to 1 FF (and 0 NC) in Rupp’s last 14 years at UK. Only 2 in his last 20 seasons.
UK went to 1 FF after 1978 NC until Pitino arrived and took UK back to FF in 1993.
Patience. FF by 2012 or sooner.
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 25, 2009 12:16 PM EDT reply actions
Agree
guess that is why “they” call patience a virtue – not many of us have it….especially uk fan(atic)s
by memphis wildcat on Mar 25, 2009 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree with a lot, but not all of this.
But I do agree completely on your point about playing Legion. I was both the Gardner Webb AND UNC games last season, and remember the chants for Legion, followed by cheers when he was put in, followed by boos when he was yanked and Porter was put back in.
I really turned my stomach. AT a game, CHEER for the damn team, no matter who is in and who is out. That was the first time I had ever heard fans AT a game get so vocal about who should be playing.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
--O.W.
My comment is so typo-ridden I won't even take the time to "fix" them. Ug.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
--O.W.
Good Post
Though I dont know enough about the Hall era to comment either way on that, I do know that there have been a number of fans that have been all over Gillispie since he got started. The “arm-chair coaching” is ridiculous and has become very vocal at games. Interviews with the players indicate that they do indeed hear things and know what is going on both within the media and the fanbase. I have said many times before that I do – in fact – place some of the blame (indirectly) on the fans that have behaved in this way.
I believe in Billy G.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Mar 25, 2009 1:02 PM EDT reply actions
cop-out....
It’s easy to blame the fans when that’s all you hear about on ESPN, but we’re just fans jack..! We do not hire, fire, promote, select, employee, pay or get paid…
Blaming the fans is the most ridiculous excuse in the world… And whom ever believes it’s the fans that got us into the is mess in “misguided”, to say it politely..
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
by vinceuk1 on Mar 25, 2009 1:10 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
You surprise me Vince...
I read an earlier post you made and it made a lot of sense. I’m not blaming the fans for this whole mess. But you ignore logic to suggest that the negative aura surrounding this program doesn’t affect the product put on the floor. Six games into his tenure, fans were chanting for Coach Gillispie to play somebody that has now proven to be a bust for two programs.
Michael Porter and Ramon Harris deserve high praise of shaking off all of the terrible things said about them to turn in solid seasons. They are the guys winning games by diving on the floor after loose balls and playing important minutes when battling the flu.
I don’t watch ESPN. I couldn’t care less what they said about UK, unless it affects our ability to put a quality team on the floor. But to think that our AD puts enough stock in them to consider firing a coach because he was “rude” to a sideline reporter and kept cameras out of a lockerroom during a team squabble scares the living hell out of me. It should scare you, too.
And you can bet your bottom dollar that ESPN won’t be quiet during a search for a new coach. Every single one of their moron talking heads will scream that the lunatics are running the asylum and, like Dick Vitale did three years ago, warn quality coaches away.
I can hear it now – “If you go to Kenucky, be prepared to win big in two years or find another place to coach!” You are avoiding reality if you don’t see that coming.
ESPN can...
…suck my BIG UK is #1 foam finger…! LOL
But I do think you’re correct…
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
Well, let's poll...
Hubert Davis and Digger Phelps before we decide to hire another coach. Once we get their blessings, then we can proceed.
ESPN and co will say whatever they think will
sell them ads. I agree with jbt36 that the most likely chant to come from them will be: “If you go to Kenucky, be prepared to win big in two years or find another place to coach!”
Anything to discredit UK will go a long way for their revenue. Hell, they were giving away free DVD’s of the movie about the 66 NC game to anyone who wrote to them saying they disliked UK.
how do you know that...?
There may be things going on that we have no clue about, that have nothing to do with “on the court” actions…
and there’s this…
Six games into his tenure, fans were chanting for Coach Gillispie to play somebody that has now proven to be a bust for two programs.
That’s my point..! We can only “chant”, nothing more.. fan are fans, no matter where you are, they chance NOTHING… I’m so sick of the fans getting blamed…
Thanx for your comment about my post, but me feeling sorry for Billy G. does not change my stance. I thought I made that very clear…
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
Vince, I can promise one thing...
If there were any truth to any of the rumors about Coach Gillispie’s off-court activities, someone would have posted a cellphone pic or something. The jackasses at the Herald-Leader have been on him since day one and would do anything to cause a problem.
The net is not drawn so tight around this program that damaging stuff would not leak out. And for all the speculators out their, not one as ever produced anything close to a viable reason why he should not be retained. So we are left with the “he was mean to ESPN” crap. And if they fire him for that, the whole damn bunch ought to go, Lee Todd included.
I'll be damn...
The jackasses at the Herald-Leader
We agree on one thing…! lol
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
Lets see...
…ESPN, Seth Davis, Billy Packer, Herald-Leader, Matt Jones, Billy Reed, Jerry Tipton, the RPI guy, Michael Wilbon, Jay Bilas, Alan Cutler, Larry Vaught, Jeff Goodman, that Doyle guy on CBSSportsline…. am I missing anyone? I want to make sure my list is up-to-date. :-)
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
Nobody cares if he was rude to Jeanine whatsherface...
There are tons of people who are not speculators and who are not passing around rumors….As our President said yesterday, “I like to know that facts before I blow off about something”.
Re: ikietoy
“Nobody care if he was rude to Jeanine whatsherface …”
That’s wrong.
Many, many people were upset with G over those two incidents.
All it takes is reading the threads here at ASOB to see that.
I personnally know several huge UK fans that were unhappy.
People already predisposed...
to not liking our head coach, I would imagine. Everywhere I have been, the only people that upset about it were the ones who didn’t want him in the first place. Other than that, the only comment I heard was “it could have been handled better”.
The jackasses at the LHL have been on him
because he didn’t recognize their importance to the program. He insulted them by treating them like they were just plain sports hacks instead of the gods they really are.
cc Billy Reed, Larry Vaught, etc.
I used to love reading Larry Vaught’s stuff, but he has truly let me down lately. His questions to the players have been pitiful. He has acted as a prosecutor, asking the same question several times in hopes of getting the response he seemed to be looking for. I commend the players for not falling for that trick and I thought Larry was above having his feelings hurt by a coach.
I am with the dissenters
First of all, what is the “this” that the fanbase has brought upon itself. Is it the losing, is it the possibility of a fired coach, what exactly has the fanbased brought upon itself. If you are saying that the mess with the coach has been caused by the fans, then you have not been paying attention to what is happening.
If BCG gets fired, it is not because of his won/loss record, it will be because the administration does not like him, period. Everyone knew that turning the program around and getting it on the final four level would take 3 or 4 years, so the fact that we are not there yet is not killing him. Plus, the administration has shown that they can put up with the vocal minority of whining fans that you seem to think make up the entire fanbase.
No, the fans have not brought this season or this season’s ending, whatever it may hold, down upon anyone.
I Think He Deserves More Time BUT
We are farther away from FF today in 2009 than in 2007.
Pitino made FF in 4 years. Rupp made it the first year his team ever played in NCAA tourney. Hall made it in 3 years. Tubby made it first year but never again.
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 25, 2009 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Now
Forty that is not true and you know it down in your blue heart.
I don't care who is coach as long as Kentucky is Kentucky!
I mean
about being closer two years ago then today.. There is no evidence supporting that.
I don't care who is coach as long as Kentucky is Kentucky!
Absolutely Farther Away From FF
UK won 1 game in NCAA in both 2006 and 2007.
Not very close to FF but CLOSER THAN 0 W in NCAA in 2008 and NIT instead of NCAA in 2009.
Gillispie deserves more time but his first 2 years are not headed toward FF appearance.
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 25, 2009 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions
How certain are you
“that NCAA tourney games won in current year”
is the right metric for
“how far we are from a final four”
I agree...
…Billy G. deserves more time as a coach, but if there are things going on behind the scenes that we do not know about, then that changes everything…
We’ll see…
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
The
state of Kentucky basketball is all of our fault. Just like in a marriage……..both sides have a story. Is there one side that should share most blame? Yes and that is the players and the coach. We need to accept blame too. We acknowledge these kids based on wins/losses…..final fours, championships, etc. We have no idea what they go through day in and day out. We listen to the media crap on our program and buy into it.. We flood KSR, ASOB, Catspause and gripe that these kids aren’t working hard enough or playing hard enough and WE WANT THEIR COACHES HEAD! So you know what if I played on that team and hard all this garbage, you are darn straight I am not going to feel very good about playing well on the court. Sports in 50 percent mental people. Do you think the Unforgettables did well just because Pitino taught them? NO! They did well because we loved them for who they were. I mean our first losing season in seventy years……..we still had good players but it was mental. They didn’t feel good about what was going on and we saw that on the court. We cannot cause these players to play poorly but we increase the poor play by getting down on them.
I don't care who is coach as long as Kentucky is Kentucky!
We brought this on ourselves...
Because Coach Gillispie has done nothing to warrant being fired. And yet a large segment of the BBN still screams for it and will celebrate if/when it happens.
They don’t like his PR skills, tell him to work on it. Don’t tell me that ESPN won’t turn on a dime and start talking about how we ran off another coach. Did it not strike you as odd that one minue they would talk about Tubby being chased out of town and then the next they would opine that our talent level was not close to where it needed to be and that recruiting had been down for several years? You think they can’t and won’t do the same thing all over again?
Now
hold on here……..if BG is fired its not OUR FAULT……its solely on himself. As a UK fan I am sick of being blamed on coaches leaving. I will take blame for being negative but I will not take blame for coaches leaving
I don't care who is coach as long as Kentucky is Kentucky!
Lets
just hope little baby Ben is up to the challenge.:)
I don't care who is coach as long as Kentucky is Kentucky!
here we go.... lol
Little “baby” Ben as you call him, has 2-rings in 4 years…. hehehe
How many does Vince Young have..????
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
oh my
Vince Young was the worst draft pick ever!
I don't care who is coach as long as Kentucky is Kentucky!
In rebuttal...
I present for your review: Ryan Leaf.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
Not what I said at all.
No one hs produced a credible reason for him to be fired but half of the fanbase is still screaming for his head. If no other evidence surfaces and he is still removed, it will be because our AD buckled to pressure brought on by fans and hurt feelings from ESPN.
Have you even considered the possibility
that the AD might have a spine and that he might dislike coach? Is it not possible that coach may be in hot water, not because of the fans, but because the administration thinks he is a jerk and do not think that they can work with him anymore? Is this not a possibilty in your world or are all problems the fault of the fans?
I would be conflicted...
about that. Coach Gillispie has said numerous times that Mitch is his boss and he tries to make his boss happy. So I have a difficult time believing that he would act in a manner that would lead Barnhart to believe they cannot work together. It hasn’t proven to be the case in other places he has been because AD’s from UTEP and A & M have been among his biggest supporters. It would be out of character for Coach to act contrary to that.
On the other hand, Lee Todd has made off-the-cuff comments in the past that indicate he does not like Coach Gillispie or his methods. I think everyone who follows the program remembers Todd’s comments about changing the culture of Kentucky basketball. And he has been quick to jump on moves that Coach has made (the Michael Avery situation comes to mind) without really getting all the facts up front.
It may be a case of personality clashes, but I believe that grown men should be able to put aside their differences and work toward a common goal, especially when that goal is returning Kentucky basketball to the ational spotlight (in a positive way).
Plenty of people have worked for me over the years that I didn’t particularly like. But if they did their best and helped my business, then I kept them. Doesn’t mean I would invite them over for a cookout, but I understood the value of their work.
I have met Coach Gillispie and I know others that have spent time with him. I like the man personally. Dick Gabriel stated a couple of weeks ago that he has been out with him, seen him out, etc. and that he could not be more kind and gracious to fans. In fact, Gabriel said that regardless of what Coach is doing, he has never seen him turn down an autograph request, photo or conversation about the team. Unless he pulls a Dr. Jekyll when he steps into Mitch’s office, then any suggestion otherwise is rank speculation on your part.
In my world, I go by the facts presented. And, as I have said numerous times on this thread, the facts as presented in the media, on message boards, etc. in no way warrant his firing, period.
Mitch has probably got a spine...
but he should have done enough investingating to know if he going to like the coach BEFORE he hires.
No, it will not.
Just be patient and you’ll see what is revealed.
Sorry, Deepthroat...
I didn’t know you had a bug in the AD’s office. Maybe I should copy your posting style.
Ridiculous...
Because Coach Gillispie has done nothing to warrant being fired.
Please tell me how you know this..? If you’re talking strictly on the court, then I agree…
But, from people close to the athletics department, (Dick Gabriel for one), it’s about more then that…
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
vinceuk1, I find myself agreeing with you more and more.
I am not sure if I should be scared or what?
Dick Gabriel had this interesting line
"Nobody warned him that Gillispie’s personality could set the entire athletics department on edge."
jbt36...
I have to give it to you man…. For this being your 1st post, you have created a nice debate, and that’s what ASOB is about… Kentucky fans having intelligent dialog…
Good job… (although we disagree)
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
I don't really think we...
disagree about much.
I am not satisfied with the product we put on the floor either. Losses to G-W and VMI are not acceptable. Losing to Georgia is not acceptable. A lot of teams seem to play their absolute best game against us and I tend to think that this has as much to do with style as it does with our lack of top quality talent. I too believe that Gillispie needs to make better decisions in certain instances.
But then again, we knew that, or should have known that before we hired him. He is not a finished product – he had only been a head coach for five years and still has some growing to do. Rick Pitino wasn’t a finished product when he came here but he had two major things working in his favor – he could sell ice to the eskimos and he had a stable of pretty decent young Kentucky kids who understood what a big deal it was to play for the university. Take away either of those things and Pitino’s reign here would not have worked out like it did.
I have seen flashes of brilliance with Coach Gillispie. He has a keen eye for match-ups. Even without having great athletes at every position, he has managed to put a team on the floor that holds its opponents to a league low shooting percentage. The man is not without skills and he continues to develop those skills at a pretty good pace. As I mentioned earlier, what we saw in the Creighton game was not the first “zone” we have played – it was just the most easily recognized.
To sum up, I believe we can grow with this guy and put together a lot of wins. And he has a rare commodity in these days of corporate coaches – he has a passion for the game that rivals any I’ve seen. When you look at coaches around the country, none of them bring that to the table. Pitino had it at one time, but I don’t believe that’s true anymore. More and more he looks like a man beaten down by expectations.
I think it would be a shame and a blow to our long-term success to pull the plug now. Unless he has taken a dump on Lee Todd’s desk.
well...
Unless he has taken a dump on Lee Todd’s desk.
Some might say he deserves a promotion for such an act… j/k
I hope you, Tink, kykat51 and all the other Billy G. supporters are correct and he leads us back to the promised land.. Hell, all I want is for Kentucky to be the Kentucky we knew in the mid-’90’s… I don’t care who the coach is…
Like Al Davis says, “JUST WIN BABY!”
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
I Think U Can Say 1990's (Certainly 1991 Through 99 Anyway)
UK won 82% of its games in 1990’s and 84% of its NCAA games in 1990’s. Both exceed Uk standards by a fair (%) amount.
I think UK excelled from 1975 through 84, winning almost 80% of its games and 72% of its postseason (NCAA or NIT) games.
You have to go back to 1940’s for any comparable results to the 1990’s at UK.
The 1950’s were good but Times Were A Changin’ even then.
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 25, 2009 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions
He will, Vince
He will.
I believe in Billy G.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Mar 25, 2009 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed, BG does have the passion, though he may not demonstrate the emotion...
…and yes, Coach P does look tired these last couple of years..
Coach Pitino
IMO the Caracter situation absolutely drained him last season. He does look better this year. I feel he is getting ready for retirement. He can do speaking engagements and write his books, enjoy his grands and kids.
Honestly.......
as far as fault we really don’t probably won’t ever know for sure. We can argue on it from here until eternity ends but there are simply thing behind the scenes that we are not privvy to.
Now, regarding the current firestorm, the media has really jumped on board with numerous journalists reporting that they believe BCG is gone after this season. BUT our lillustrious AD has said absolutely nothing to try to quell the storm after supporting Billy just a few short weeks ago.
However I do think the fans’ attitude has been pretty despicable over the last part of the season. That being said, I don’t believe it has/should have a great negative impact on the team/coach as a whole. Not saying it hasn’t had a negative effect, just not so negative as to affect game outcomes and the status of the coaches job.
BTW, welcome jbt36 and like Vince said, thanks for firing up a nice debate with your first post!
Maggard is reporting......
….. at his website that CBG is likely gone (fired?) based on conversations with MANY people.
It’s not official yet, but it sounds like he is out or will be out very soon.
TIFWIW.
GBB!!!
That Actually FAVORS Gillispie Returning
Maggard is only wrong on days that end in Y.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday…
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 25, 2009 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't read his site
But I would guess that it is probably more of the same stuff we have already heard from the media, etc.
Throwing Stones?
Does Coach do a better job at coaching than his critics do at their jobs? In my little public job every decision I make has its critics, many of whom are not very successful in their lives. That is just the way it is in the public eye.
amen to that.....
Damn…..I couldn’t have said it better myself!
My dad used to say “opinions are like assholes….everyone has one, and they all stink”
The same can be said for critics!
Simple
To one who is looking from the outside, it is simple to lay the blame at the feet of those whose conduct you can observe. Sure, the fans moan, groan and (regrettably) boo. What impact does this have on Clyde’s coaching? Hitherto, none. Was that gimmicky zone a sign of his acquiescence to fans’ demands, or to pressure from the administration, or neither? Who knows. Maybe he just felt like playing a zone to make a point. Well executed man to man is just as if not more effective in many situations.
I think to insinuate that the fans have brought this plague upon the program is a mistake. The fans have reacted to that which they have been able to observe, and have been willing to be led to negative opinions by mob mentality.
Truth be told, this dilemma should squarely be blamed on the three parties most visible, as well as those behind the scenes, those whose actions we “fans” are not able to observe. Who threw the first stone of negativity? Clyde? A booster? The administration? We all should have seen this coming when the parties couldn’t even come to agreement over the terms of employment well enough to sign a contract.
Then, we have the perception, real or otherwise, by our Alums that they are persona non grata, and Booster’s shunned, and we know not what else, because, we fans are not generally given such “access”. If the former players and Boosters feel that Clyde has given the program a black eye, followed by a few shots to the body, rest assured that no amount of NIT wins will serve as compensation.
I say blame not those who can only react, blame those who’s actions set in motion the whirlwind of negativity we are postulating about today.
I can only hope that when the winds die down, whoever is given the cherished keys to our basketball program realized that they are not made of wood, but of gold.
Although this piece is well written, I disagree with almost every word
Fans of most every major college basketball team bitch and moan about one thing or another during the course of a less than stellar year. UK fans are not unique in that respect … there just may be more of us.
Sense of entitlement — UK fans, like any other fan base, just want to win. If that’s a sense of entitlement, then so-be-it.
Image — Folks are upset with the way G has behaved in some instances, because of the negative image he is projecting, which reflects poorly on the University. I have never seen any of the coaches you mention say or do some of the things G has done while being “interviewed” by Jeanine Edwards or Tom Leach.
You make a mistake — Just because fans are critical of a coach, team, player etc., does not mean they don’t suppport that team or coach. Don’t confuse a critique with non-support.
Booing — I find booing college players reprehensible. On this we can agree.
With all due respect...
you should step outside your bubble and smell the charred flesh in the air. Some truly hateful things have been said about these players and this coach over the course of the this season on some of these message boards (not this one, but others). There is nothing there that I can discern as supporting the team or the coach. They are merely supporting the “idea” of Kentucky basketball by their willingness to talk about it.
Do we automatically assume that we are going to field a football team that goes to a bowl every year? Why not? But when it comes to basketball, by God’s divine hand, we deserve to be in the Top 10 no matter what the circumstance.
Basing an opinion on what one reads on message boards is ...
… using a very, very small sampling of fans, who are fringe fanatics, and many times lacking in anything beyond a fifth grade education. And in many cases, fans who want to do nothing but rant regardless of how the season is progressing. That’s your first mistake — You need to spend more time at ASoB, and not the “lowest common denominator” sites.
I do not live in a “bubble” as you suggest. I talk and listen to a great cross-section of UK fans who voice varying opinions about the state of the program. They are all supporters of the program, some financially some not, but they all love UK.
Why do we not assume that UK’s football team will go to a bowl game every year? That’s just silly! Tradition and history my man, tradition and history.
Give me a break ...
Non-sequitur — You were doing well until this response.
Listen, I have been critical of UK fans many different times, over a long period of time, and for many different reasons, but in this situation, to blame the fans for UK’s current predicament, in patently ridiculous.
But your sentiment regarding some fans, I agree with 100%. Just ignore the nonsense!
You don't like the response...
how about it didn’t work for Alabama or Nebraska football. How about – it hasn’t worked for Florida State. How about – it didn’t work for UCLA for many years after John Wooden’s departure.
Nobody is going to roll over for us because of our history. Those banners drawing dust in Rupp Arena don’t mean anything to the teams that come in to play. And I would hazard a guess to say they mean very little to the players currently wearing the uniform. They certainly don’t mean anything to recruits who only care about one thing – which coach can help them get to the big show.
I live in the heart of Kentucky and I know hundreds of UK fans. I go to Rupp and I hear the garbage being spewed.
Right now the vast majority fall into two categories. The first is a group I of which I am a member. We believe Coach Gillispie has done a fair job considering what he has to work with and we expect better things in the future. The second, and by far more vocal, believes Coach Gillispie was a mistake from day 1 and will not rest until he is gone, no matter what. It has been impossible to ignore the nonsense because the chant was taken up by every media outlet in this state.
Running an athletic program by mob rule is the absolute worst thing that can happen, but that is exactly what has taken place.
And unless Mitch Barnhart and Lee Todd can give some damn good reasons for taking the steps most believe they will take, I think they should pack up as well.
I say it again – Nothing that has been produced to this point deserves anything beyond a brief sitdown in the AD’s office. If they can produce something beyond that, they better do it before spending $6 million to get rid of a basketball coach before he has even had a chance to get his bags unpacked.
Fair Is Too Strong
I’d use “Below Average” job.
BUT he deserves more than 2 years.
by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 26, 2009 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions
jbt36
I don’t read all the blogs or message boards, but what I have seen at the LHL and KSR has been enough to turn my stomach many times.
Surprisingly, most of the comments on any article at the CJ from UK fans have been mostly supportive of the team and coach. It has been Cards fans that have been bashing the team.
****TWEEEEET***** FOUL on KyKat51
Not true. Low blow. Inaccurate.
What are you writing about?
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
The articles on the CJ about the Cats
Most of the UK fans are positive. It’s the Card fans that lend the negative side.
Well, excepting Paris whatever, he is a cancer to the UK athletic program, and supposedly a UK fan. We have dealt with him here.
I am not talking about the blogs as I have never been to them, except the CC. And I don’t even visit there anymore.
The 'articles"??
Do you mean the posts on the discussion boards??
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
No
Just the general sports news about the UK games, wins/losses. I am talking about the comments under those articles.
Oh...I think you mean the 'fans' comments or posts that follow the articles.
If so, I think it is fair that there are childish and rude comments from both camps. It’s silly really. I stopped reading those a long time ago. Any conclusion on any fan base would be pointless…I think.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
Ken is spot on
Particularly as it relates to criticism v. non-support. Fans have every right to be critical.
I support BCG getting time to fix his issues, and attempt to learn to be an ambassador of UK BBall. But I’m extremely critical of his performance in that role to this point. In fact, he’s been an abject failure as a “face of the program”.
Every right to be critical
Fine. But do they have the right to be hateful and hurtful? The booing and hateful comments that I have heard first hand have no place in Rupp or anywhere else for that matter.
I believe in Billy G.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Mar 25, 2009 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Of course they have the right ...
… but it is tasteless to boo a college player, but hey, it happens all the time at Universities across the country.
Once again, UK fans are not unique or different in that respect. But of course, that doesn’t make it right.
They may have the "right"
but it is classless and disgusting and makes me ashamed to be included with them as fans of the program.
I believe in Billy G.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Mar 25, 2009 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Tis true that UK fans are not any different
from the fans of other programs but UK FANS ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO GET TALKED ABOUT ON ESPN, CBS, ETC. ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS SOME NEGATIVE CONNOTATION CONNECTED TO THE PROGRAM……
Annc 1: “Those UK fans sure are passionate about their program!”
Annc 2: “Yeah…they made Tubby Smith leave and now are burning down Rupp Arena after the loss to Gardner-Webb!”
Annc 1: “They sure do follow their teams wherever they go!”
Annc 2: “I know! I was at the hotel earlier and I overheard two UK fans discussing how to get rid of their coach and UK had already been eliminated two days ago!”
No UK fans are not unique. But when it comes to the media…..we are the only game in town….and that’s exactly what we are to them….a freaking game, joke, imbeciles, dog n pony show, arrogant bastards who need to be brought down a peg or two.
We should know better than to question these analysts opinions or ethics. How dare we know something about basketball and question them about their opinions!!!
UK fans did not bring this whole sorry mess upon ourselves but the vocal, rude, and ignorant folks who show up to games and websites to spew trash surely have exacerbated the situation. You have the right to walk down the street screaming obscenities and giving your neighbors the finger if they don’t pick up their dog poop off their lawn but do you?
I would like to see people get this fired up about something other than a sports program that reaps MILLIONS off of us. How about getting fired up about your political leaders stealing money from you, or businessmen stealing money from you, or drug dealers stealing your kids from you!!!!!!!
Be critical but don’t be an ignorant ass and most of all……try to see all of this for what it is…..a damn game.
GO BIG BLUE!!!!
I wasn't talking about booing college kids
I suppose that is a form of being critical, so I should clarify.
Given that no one except Pitino could come in here today and truly know what it takes and are ready to be the head coach here, there are really only 2 types of coaches left:
1. The ones who can grow into the job
2. Those that can’t/won’t
He hasn’t grown into the position yet, but I remain hopeful that he can/will.
From the recruits...
he’s got coming in, the comments of current players, and the parents of those recruits, it doesn’t seem to me he has been an “abject failure” as an ambassador of the program. It only seems that people who don’t know him speculate that he is not putting a good face on the program.
And, if all of this goes down as most people are predicting, I wonder how the Big Blue faithful are going to feel about one of those former players poaching prized recruits. Daniel Orton’s father said in an interview the other day that “Oklahoma and Oklahoma State” are still very interested in luring his son away from Lexington. That would lead me to believe that Travis Ford is still in contact with the Ortons.
There is a line...
between legitimate criticism and negativity for the sake of negativity. What I have seen from wwaayyy too many of my brethren recently crosses that line by miles and miles.
Coach Pitino was pretty steamed at SI for the piece they did on him a few years ago.
I not followed UL well enough to know if RP and SI ever mended that fence.
I think...
…he was more steamed at the cartoon they had of his wife being dragged across the country tied to a pole…
if I remember correctly…
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
Support of the team..
One of the best ways to support anyone is to be positive….In this case if each one would be positive to at least 2 or 3 other people then maybe it might catch on with at least one…I agree that the fans have been awful to BCG…Maybe it is the economic times..or maybe its a funny perverse sort of elitism…I mean the man is a coach..If you respect a profession, you know how tough it is….Again today John Clay brought up Ms Edwards..It was not essential to the article….I emailed Tipton on Sunday and told him that whatever “ism” we were practicing was like hidden racism. I have heard the comments over and over in lexington…“Well he is a good coach,,just not "right for us”..In other words “not in our backyard”..He isnot like us so we don’t support him although we really can’t say that he has done a bad job…(2 years being not enough time to judge) “We just don’t really care for him”….I think that is some kind of perverse exclusion. I hope BCG stays…“My grandmother said all the time” If it was so easy, everyone would have one."This is certainly true about a NCAA crown.
Absolutely Correct
All of you are correct. The fans are not responsible for losses. However, as jbt36 is trying to point out, the fans are responsible for their reactions to the losses, and allowing themselves to be worked to a foamy lather by people only interested in generating hits on their websites, or eyes on their newspapers, or twisting the knife in the BBN’s gut a bit.
All this crap about the way Gillispie treats the media, how he handles himself off the court, how he runs the team, his defensive style, ad nauseum, are all red herrings for the larger issue – the W-L record. If we were 25-5 no one would give a rat’s a** about any of this crap.
And, as someone who lives outside the state, allow me to put to rest once and for all the notion that the men’s basketball coach at the flagship state school is some sort of representative or ambassador for the state.
No one outside the boundary of Kentucky who isn’t part of the BBN diaspora cares. More likely they don’t know where Kentucky is on a map, whether the university is KU or UK, what the team colors are, who the coach is, or even who the senior senator is. It’s just not that big of a deal elsewhere. I’m not saying that UK hoops is not a big deal, it certainly is to us, but all this ambassador / representative stuff is rationalization – in this case a defense mechanism against the torrent of bad publicity from firing a four time conference COY in his second season.
by The Lexpatriate on Mar 25, 2009 3:52 PM EDT reply actions
Not only naive
but not very farsighted. Considering how much money that ESPN is shelling out for the SEC, to think that they don’t want a strong UK come next basketball season is not very realistic. Bad UK = bad SEC most years.
You are incorrect there senor....
a bad UK USED to equal a bad SEC. Not anymore…..if you hear the announcers tell it, Florida and Donovan are the NEW KINGS of the SEC and if they are down THEN the SEC is down. As far as these media outlets are concerned UK is a has-been, an also-ran and good fun to beat up since it will get a rise out of the BBN which will get a rise in their viewership, which will get a rise in ad sponsorship. :)
The outlets you mention...
Will not put put it in a favorable light if he is fired, regardless of their previous positions. It will either be “they never should have hired him in the first place” or “they only gave him two years to turn things around and the Big Blue Machine has gobbled up a promising young coach”. Don’t kid yourself by thinking this will play out with anything other than another black eye for the program.
They didn't the other night.
As I seem to recall, the announcers the other night did not talk about the crazed fanbase but spoke of internal issues.
Just be patient
All of this will be worked out to the good of our program. You’ll see.
I do, Ken
And they all seem to be salivating at the opportunity to dust off their “UK fans are insane” memes at the earliest possible opportunity.
BTW, Urban Meyer, Bruce Pearl, Mike Gundy, Jim Boeheim – ever heard of these guys? Think they are media darlings? I’ve seen Bruce Pearl practically lick Jeannine Edwards during a halftime interview. Again, no one outside Kentucky sees the coach as an ambassador other than recruits – and Billy seems to have a pretty strong rapport with them.
by The Lexpatriate on Mar 25, 2009 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions
The coaches you mention did not conduct themselves the way G did in a one-on-one
interview with a reporter. Gundy – Totally different situartion, he was taking up for a player.
Pearl — Once again, totally different situation. I’m not sure what Boeheim and Meyer did that even comes close to resembling what G did.
“Again, no one outside of Kentucky sees the coach as an ambassador other than recruits” — Dogma at it’s finest.
I'm still at a loss...
as to what you are saying Coach Gillispie actaully did. If you are talking about him telling Jeanine Edwards she asked a bad question, telling Tom Leach he was not going to turn on his players, or asking a camera crew to leave before his team had a player-only bitch session after a bad loss, then everything he has done to this point has been protecting his team and his players.
It is ridiculous to suggest a man should be fired for this. Did you happen to watch our newly minted President’s press conference the other night? He did worse than this and nobody is calling for his impeachment because he was rude to a couple of reporters. And don’t get me started on the Special Olympics comment.
Could these instances have been handled better? Yes. Does it rise to the level of a firing offense? In no stretch of the imagination.
And again, I say if there are other issues they better bring them out in the open. Because it is simply not acceptable to get rid of him citing only these instances.
We'll agree to disagree
On who’s being dogmatic.
by The Lexpatriate on Mar 26, 2009 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions
The UK coach is a representative of the Basketball Program and the University.
All high profile people ARE. So is Rich Brooks but I bet you won’t see him showing “himself” all over town. That’s because Rich Brooks is an intelligent mature man….He’s not going to embarrass himself or the university. HE HAS CLASS.
I heard Brooks
More than once in his post-game conferences speak about the people that boo’d in Commonwealth last year.
Maybe Coach G. should have spoken up and said the same thing. He loves his players and has always taken up for them.
Or maybe Coach
Should have just said BS to the questions he has been asked repeatedly. Would that have worked?
Fantastic Post
Recommended
I believe in Billy G.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Mar 25, 2009 4:07 PM EDT reply actions
wE LOVE OUR WILDCATS and...
This silence from the athletic department should make us all think. Why on earth would Mitch not say anything? Ask yourself that question? If BCG was returning, we’d already know about it. Also ask yourself what on earth could “off-the court” problems infer? Just think about it.
I agree with those
that have said in today’s technology driven world had Billy done anything problematic off the court it would have been captured some way some how.
I believe in Billy G.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Mar 25, 2009 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Off the court issues
do not have to be of the lurid nature to cause a boss to want to fire an employee.
Correct.
But it better well be more than making a couple of athletic department secretaries cry before we this university hands out $6 million to a coach who will never walk the sidelines for us again. It is going to take a lot of “off the court” issues to make me believe this was the right thing to do.
1 or 2 rumors and i would agree with you...
…but my Goodness, seems like every time you read something or turn on the radio, there’s something new… (rumors that is)…
Who knows..? But one thing’s for sure, we should know something soon, you can’t keep secrets this long, with this many people searching…
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
I heard...
…he stepped on your Momma while smoking crack…?
See how this things get twisted…..? Who knows what really happen!?
;-}
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
From reading other boards.....
….. I think it’s pretty clear that Mitch and CBG do not have a good relationship at all. I know that has probably made the situation worse. I think there are also some concerns about the way CBG represents the University and also concerns about how he manages the program. I don’t think wins and loses are that much of factor, but it would certainly help if we were in the NCAA Tournament instead of the NIT.
GBB!!!
I don't know why we're having this conversation
We just won two games most people didn’t think we would and have chance to win again tonight. The buzzer beaters killed us this year. If we beat Louisville, LSU and South Carolina, we would have been a solid 8-10 seed, if not higher. I see no reason at all to fire billy g. He yelled at a reporter? So what. He hasn’t signed a contract. Dealing with nuts might make you a little hesitant. He’s a bad person—show me one iota of proof. Not Lexington gossip, not some reference on a blog. Proof, beyond the shadow of a doubt. Something beyond he went out for a beer and flirted with a 20 year old. Hell, that’s a good weekend for me too. The guy is not married and hasn’t killed anybody — yet.
yet..!
…and if he does, lets hope is Cutler… (just kidding, no hate mail please)
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
Ha ha ha..........
good attitude Daniel! You know, you’re a breath of fresh air in the middle of these heated debates. You go man! Cats are gonna win another tonight regardless of all this other BS!!!
As much as I would like to continue...
it will have to wait for another day. I have work to finish before I head home to settle in front and cheer for my Cats.
I have enjoyed this discussion immensly and I hope everyone involved will be with me when I say “Go Cats!”
MSQ...?
I think you just got confused with all the games lately..
Madison Square Qwest center… lol
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
Are you serious?
That is about as low as it gets. To blame the fans for Billy’s downfall is unfathomable. Not to mention there are inaccuracies throughout that nonsense.
If Gillispie is fired tonight
I will gladly accept the blame. Go Big Blue!
Count Me In
I support Coach.
If the university dismisses him because he doesn’t stroke their egos, he will just go to another college and be a champion there.
It’s time to stop living in past glories of the 1990’s. Those days are gone. Support the current players and coaches. They actually know more than we do about the state of UK basketball.
I agree about supporting the current coaches and players
BUT I think the “They actually know more than we do about the state of UK basketball” thing goes both ways. As in, if UK athletics administration makes the decision to part ways with Coach, then it may be for very good reasons that we can’t know about—because they know a lot more about the situation than we do.
by blue kentucky girl on Mar 25, 2009 9:34 PM EDT up reply actions
UK Fans
I haven’t read each and every post in this thread so I may be repeating things that have already been said but to put it simply,to blame UK fans for what happened this year is ridiculous. It’s bad enough when the ESPN gang brands UK fans as too demanding but it’s worse when some UK fans do the same. Even here it seems to be ok to point fingers at the fans but you better not go too far in doing the same to the coach or AD. I know some go overboard in their “Billy bashing” but I think this post is a clear cut case of “fan bashing”. As a UK fan do I expect a lot? You bet I do. Is merely getting to the NCAA tourney and losing in the first round enough for me?? No it isn’t. Is finishing .500 in SEC play good enough?? No it isn’t. Is finishing .500 in the SEC and going to the NIT while having two of the best players in the country good enough?? Positively,absolutely not. Do I blame the coach? Yes I do. But I also think he should be back IF he agrees to change some things and I mean the way he handles the media and the fans. If he doesn’t like doing those things or it isn’t in the “job description” then maybe he should go. As far as the boos and the shouts to “SHOOT” it’s hard for me to believe that college basketball players could be that thin skinned that hearing those things would affect their play to the degree they can’t function as players. I’m sure in all their years of playing sports they have heard that before. Blaming the fans is a cop out,pure and simple.
You don't think...
stalking Perry Stevenson on Facebook is out of line. You don’t think harrassing Michael Porter every time he stepped onto the floor affected him in some way? You don’t think “fans” wishing Ramon Harris a season-ending injury caused him any concern? What about the whole Porter-Liggins-Galloway debate that went back and forth for three months, with “fans” on all sides deriding all three players, may have affected their mental health, even to a small degree?
And it’s not just these things. It is the fact that state media outlets picked up on all of this crap and then proceeded to ask the players to comment on it – over and over and over again.
You expect to go on the road and hear that kind of garbage, but it is something completely different when you are hearing it in your own house.
Those kind of things...
such as “facebook stalking” ect. unfortunatly happen everywhere in our society today. And I never heard of any Cat fan I know wish an injury to any UK player. The kind of UK fans you seem to think are in the majority are very much in the minority. Just like the fans who did boo at Rupp were in the minority. If 100 fans are booing while the other 23,000 are quiet because things arent going well you will here those boo’s and it will sound like thousands. As far as Porter/Liggins/Galloway,they played just as poorly on the road as they did at home,so that argument doesn’t cut it,like much of your post. As a lifelong UK fan,I get sick at the blame being tossed my way when I’m not the one making coaching desicisions. But if,god forbid,I am critical about a coach or player,I somehow am a terrible fan. To me your post was as bad or worse than any directed at Billy G or any player.
by maysvilleblue on Mar 26, 2009 9:38 PM EDT up reply actions
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Community Guidelines
[UPDATED 01/18/2012]
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
