Kentucky Wildcats Basketball: The Misadventures of the Traveling Wildcats
by Glenn Logan on Feb 24, 2011 11:22 PM EST
in Kentucky Wildcats Basketball
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PrintWoe is us. As usual, the Big Blue Nation runs up on some adversity and begins spinning so fast huge chunks of their basketball reality are flying off into the Outer Darkness. Suddenly, John Calipari is the semi-nude emperor, and the many fans who were so sure that talent was the way to success are now swearing fealty to the empiricism deities that rule the mainstream sports media.
How incredibly droll all this is. When the Kentucky Wildcats thrashed the Louisville Cardinals in the Poultry Palace, these same worthies were sure that Calipari was on the road to another 30-win season, was fully clothed in the trappings of the King of Kentucky, and had just handed Rick Pitino the reigns to his thoroughbreds and asked him to make sure they were fed before putting them up in the stable.
Then came the misadventures on the SEC byway. Kentucky fans can perhaps be forgiven for jumping off the bandwagon when the team comes along and drops every single SEC road game to date but one. To make matters worse, every one of those games had the maddeningly similar characteristics of being close, and execution errors in the latter parts of the game contributed strongly to each unfortunate result. There was always something -- a technical foul, a bad call or a no-call, a 25-foot last second three-pointer, a missed rebound, you name it. But in the end, they all look very similar not just on the record, but on tape as well.
So should the Big Blue faithful give up on this team? After all, watching basketball, unlike the trials and tribulations of real life, is nothing more than entertainment. It is completely optional. Nobody makes you watch, and no Kentucky supporter is entertained when the Wildcats seem to be spiraling slowly down the drain. It's hard to fault the non die-hard fans for abandoning ship, retiring their Blue and White attire for the year, and finding some really urgent spring cleaning to do in February and March when the Wildcats are playing.
We often fault those who, for whatever reason, abandon the team when the going gets tough. We shouldn't though -- people have a right not to watch things that might bring them pain and unhappiness, and watching the highlights on Sports Center requires far less emotional investment than taking two hours out of your life to watch every excruciating moment in 1080p.
One thing should be mentioned, however -- this Kentucky team has been far from excruciating. For most of the season, they have been very, very good. At home and at neutral sites, they are one of the best teams in the nation, no question about it. On the road, they have been strangely vulnerable and have looked far less impressive, even dysfunctional at times. Most fans and pundits chalk all this up to lack of experience, but that explanation really doesn't wash, since they now have a ton of experience -- far more than last year, in fact -- when it comes to close games on the road. Keep in mind, too, that they have no experience at all with close games at home -- there haven't really been any.
That's why explanations of chemistry problems, pure youth, gaping holes in the roster, thin bench, etc. really don't wash. Teams with problems like that demonstrate symptoms of them not just on the road, but everywhere else. No, the problems that this team is suffering from are not explained by any of these phenomena -- at least not yet. Perhaps Florida will expose them on Saturday, or Vanderbilt the following week. But if not, how do we conclude that this team is as badly flawed as many seem to think?
I can't think of a recent example of a team with this type of home-away schizophrenia. Fatally flawed teams virtually always demonstrate those flaws at home as well as away although to a lesser degree, and despite the fact that Rupp Arena has a major home advantage, it is simply not that major. There is no question at all that Vanderbilt has a stronger advantage, and yet they have lost not once, but twice, in Memorial Gym.
No, there is something else at work here, something not easily explained by lack of trust, or lack of leadership, or teamwork, or coaching, or a thin bench. What it is is most likely psychological, like a 45% three-point shooter with a pure stroke shooting 60% from the free throw line. Psychological afflictions do happen in college basketball, and in team sports everywhere, and not just to individuals on the team. One merely has to recall one of the great sports movies of all time, The Natural, to see how this works. The only good thing about this kind of affliction is that it tends to be temporary, at least most of the time.
What's to be done? I have no idea. Occasionally, there simply is no remedy -- the malady is fatal and the patient, in this case the team, simply expires. A new team rises from the ashes and the dysfunction is cured by the passage of time. In other cases, the patient recovers and goes on to achieve, or even over-achieve.
So who's to blame for all these crazy losses? Some blame Coach Cal. Others blame certain of the players, and people have pretty much made a case for all of them at one time or another. But that is all a fool's errand.
There are many decisions made during a game that could have affected the outcome, most within the control of the team (given perfect 20/20 hindsight), but some not. When you have so many chances to win, it's often tempting to pull out one or two as obvious mistakes by a particular player, for example the technical fouls on DeAndre Liggins at Vandy or Arkansas, or the failure of Darius Miller to pull the trigger at Florida.
In truth, though, there are others that are just as big that nobody remembers, like quick jumpers from Brandon Knight early in the shot clock that seem to make no sense, the short-arm layup by Terrence Jones, the defensive rebound that got away from Josh Harrellson, or the missed layup by Liggins. It really isn't productive to try to pin failure on one person, player or coach. Failure in every one of these losses has been a team effort.
So to those of my fellow Wildcat fans who are still with me, I suggest we do something that I was taught never to do in my sales training -- live in hope. Living in hope is a bad idea for salesmen and basketball teams, but it really isn't so bad for fans. It means you have to tie up your entire emotional investment not in a proven commodity, but in a team that has ups and downs and even some schizophrenic behavior. You can't logically defend your investment, because the team performance does not justify it. So you live in hope. You cut ties to reason, and records and statistics, and ... just hope. Stop protecting your feelings with early surrender as though you can say, "I told you so" and feel superior when you are actually miserable inside. Stop kidding yourself. Just hope.
It's really not so bad. Most of you are just like me and sacrificed your sanity on the altar of Kentucky basketball long ago. What else have you got to lose?
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Gotta’ put these losses behind them, buck up, and finish the season strong. If they can do that, they’ll do well. Tough games agaisnt Florida and Vandy, but those games are in Our House of Rupp. Tennessee on the road is always tricky, but if we can defeat Fla. and Vandy, it will give us some steam heading into K-Ville in March. I look for the ’Cats to pounceo n Florida and the Commodores, then step into K-ville and deal the Vols a blow.
"I will never leave you nor forsake you."
--Jesus Christ
bravo!
Seriously, this is great, great stuff, as was the Arkansas postgame. I think these losses are bringing out the best in Tru ;) These are just the thoughts that have been fermenting around in my mind for the last couple days—except in a nice well-ordered, readable format. I could not agree more. This “living in hope” thing—though it’s on the surface irrational, it’s the only way to be a fan that actually makes any sense at all, imo. It is so much more enjoyable and joyful to go through life with a hopeful and generous attitude in general—so if a leisure activity like following my precious Wildcats can’t be enjoyable, then what is the blasted point of it?
by blue kentucky girl on Feb 25, 2011 12:14 AM EST reply actions
And posts like these
are the real reason I’ve been coming back here for years!
"Expectations are high and you can't run from expectations. It's how you deal with them, expectations don't win games. Just like talent. Talent is what you're capable of; attitude determines how well you do it... Lay the foundation, work hard every day, control what we can control...If we're ready to play, then the expectations will come true." -Jimbo Fisher
by floundringaround on Feb 25, 2011 12:20 AM EST reply actions
Glenn, all we UK fans are looking for some rationale
It’s mindnumbing, as you have alluded to. I’ve come to the conclusion that this team just isn’t very good now. We may even have regressed. After beating ND and UL, we haven’t beaten a good team since then(good=ranked). We haven’t played a good team at home, yet. MSU almost beat us at Rupp. Thanks in large part to Rick’s meltdown and subsequent T(very similar to Ligs T and Clarke’s 7pt. stretch at the line), we were able to pull that one out. ND, on the other hand, has went on to a #9 ranking(whether we agree or not) and beaten Georgetown/Uconn/St. Johns(not ranked but playing very well)/UL and @ PITT. UofL has went on to a #16 ranking while beating Uconn TWICE and Syr. I’m not so sure that we could win either of those games at this point in the yr. Some people think that beating FL/Vandy is a given because it’s at Rupp. Not so fast my fellow BBN friends. We really haven’t beaten anyone at Rupp this yr. And, beating a totally demoralized USC, that was something like 1-6 in their last 7 games coming into Rupp, is not a yardstick that I would place a lot of faith in.
You’re absolutely right, Glenn, we have HOPE. Let’s at least not lose THAT one.
Never give up. Never surrender!
In my comment earlier today I opined that young talent, fatigue and a very thin bench were parts of this year’s disappointment. Yet I continue to watch every game I can get – here in southern UT (DTV sat.) and listen on the computer to those I can’t watch. I’m overjoyed that TBS, TNT and Tru will let me watch a far as the Cats can go.
I watched as the Cats won the NCAA in 78 from the OR coast and again in the 90s from western CO.
I was trilled to see Cal replace “he who shall not be named”. And, I do believe better times are coming. It’s just hard after last season’s wild ride to watche our talent lose all thosee close ones. I guess things balance out. Last year we won some games I thougt we probably could have lost. Oh well.
I thin Cal is a GREAT recruiter – I’m still not sure about his in-game coaching.
Redrock blue
Glenn
It’s not hope that we have lost. We have been hoping and praying that the ship would right itself. Like bigbill I to think we have regressed. I don’t have charts and proof. It is a feeling from watching all year. Most years the team makes a big improvement during semester break when they can practice more. This didn’t happen. I will be here watching and hoping like always. I have over 60 years invested in them and will ride it out. Go Cats.
I have that same feeling.
Not so much that we’ve regressed, perhaps more that we haven’t improved much. Maybe the rest of the basketball universe has improved, in the usual fashion, and caught up with us.
But the difference between these losses that have us so down and beating every one of these teams on their home floor is almost nothing. That’s what’s so maddening (that and the fact that we have no control over events). A shot here, a rebound there, and we’re in a completely different universe.
If we had won each of these games by 1 or 2 points, imagine how different things would be, how much better we’d feel about this team. The distance between these parallel universes is so slim, the least little thing is enough to take us there. So indeed, there is very good reason for hope.
Maybe the regression some of us are sensing isn’t the regression in the team we’re watching. Maybe it’s the regression of our hopes.
OK, maybe we haven't 'regressed'...............we've only 'stagnated'?
In one of my posts yesterday, I pointed out our wins over ND and UL and the direction the teams have taken since then. Those teams have moved up in the rankings, with quality wins over ranked opponents, while we more than likely have fallen out of the top 25. Since that time, we have NO quality wins. Since we have moved out of the top 25, I call that ‘regressing’. I guess we can change that Saturday.
by bigbill992001 on Feb 25, 2011 6:51 PM EST up reply actions
We have a NBA small forward in TJ that can't shoot from the perimeter and hates playing post
We have a point guard in Knight who never played the position previously and is learning very well but takes it upon himself to do to much at times. We have an off-guard in Lamb who may be the purest shooter we have had in recent memory, but is getting benched for not playing D. And we can’t for some reason utilize his greatest asset, shooting the three. To me his shooting ability out weighs his lack of defense.
I said this yesterday that I think we havn’t improved but very little offensively all year. IMO TJ really hates to have to play within Cal’s restraints placed on him – he hates having to be a post type player because he knows in the NBA he won’t be doing that. He wants to showcase his skills for the scouts playing as a three. He has the capabilty to be great but needs improvement in his offense. Again this is how I see it.
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
If TJ thinks the NBA won't expect him to have solid post moves
he’s got another think coming. I know he won’t be an exclusive back-to-the-basket player there, but they want to see the entire package.
I bet from TJ's perspective they arn't seeing it
He is actually doing great from what Cal has dictated him to do. But I sense a large reluctance on his part playing this role. I do admire his fortitude and sucking it up for the team. The scouts have indicated as such that they havn’t been able to judge his true small forward abilities from the play they see on the court – he knows that.
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
by KansasUKCat on Feb 26, 2011 11:35 AM EST up reply actions
Often in life I employ a basic psychlogy technique that helps me stay a little more sane.
The flow goes something like this. I need to solve a problem or understand a situation. It makes me crazy to even think of the problem or situation. I will do it tomorrow.
Thankfully as a fan I can wait until the next game or the tournament or next season. While I am waiting I can employ Tru’s concept of hope.
Works for me. With a clear head I can focus on the next game, make sure I have a good blue shirt to wear and just enough bourbon for the toast. See…it works if you just don’t circle back to “the team has a problem….or a situation….that makes us crazy to think about”. We can do that tomorrow ….after the next game. Just imagine…when they win we don’t have to make ourselves crazy.
Now who is it that we play next?
Let's keep things in perspective
Well, I’m not sure one should make an initial post following a bad loss. Especially, by someone who has been away from Kentucky so long that he has come to prefer a single malt scotch over premium bourbon. But, I grew up listening to Claude and Cawood, my first memory in Memorial was the Fiddling Five beating Temple in 57 and, over the years, I’ve celebrated the ups and endured – nay suffered – the downs.
Over the last 50 years, Kentucky has experienced 16 seasons with 10 or more losses. That’s 32% of the time divided between Rupp (2), Hall (4), Sutton (2), Pitino (1), Smith (5) and Gillispie (2). There have been 13 or more losses in 9 years (18% of the time) divided between Rupp (1), Hall (2), Sutton (1), Pitino (1), Smith (1) and Gillispie (2). And in 4 nightmarish years (8%), we’ve lost half or more of our games (Rupp, Hall, Sutton, Pitino).
Stuff happens. Sometimes chemistry or talent is lacking. Other times, player development takes longer. Occasionally, it’s simply a string of bad luck. But adversity defines joy and, strangely, I find myself enjoying this season as this very, very young team struggles to find itself and get over the hump.
Perhaps we should keep history in perspective and temper pessimism while enjoying a season that will all-to-soon be over. And perhaps, we should remember that these young Wildcats most need support and active encouragement when things aren’t going well.
by deltakeep on Feb 25, 2011 4:55 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Very well said - we do need to keep perspective
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
agree!!
I feel that “it” just has not happened with this team. Freshmen or seniors it doesn’t matter if “it” is not there.
Youth, experience, coaching, nothing can fix it, MAKE “it” happen or assure us it WON’T happen.
Ask Kenny Walker how “it” can come and go. He can recall in detail how they had “it” all the way to G-town and “it” flew out the door.
Changing how you think will change what you think.
by wilson452 on Feb 25, 2011 10:47 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
they couldn't put "it" in the basket
That game was really hard to watch. They couldn’t hit the ocean from the beach.
by bigbill992001 on Feb 25, 2011 6:54 PM EST up reply actions
3-33 FG shooting 9% in the second half doesn't win many games
I blames that loss on Joe B solely. He didn’t call any time-outs to stop the bleeding and the Cats kept collapsing. This the only game that I really thing coaching made the difference during Hall’s days, at least in my memory.
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
How About 92-90 W Over IU In March 1975?
Hall >>> Knight that day.
by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 26, 2011 8:35 AM EST up reply actions
PS
IU lost 1 game in 2 seasons (1975 and 76).
That was it.
by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 26, 2011 8:36 AM EST up reply actions
The closest IU came to losing in 1976
was against UK in Freedom Hall. We had them beat again until a prayer slap at the ball went in as the final horn sounded to put the game into overtime.
Oh for sure Joe had his good days
I’m just calling out what I thought was his worst day – the one that stuck in my heart like a wooden stake.
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
by KansasUKCat on Feb 26, 2011 11:39 AM EST up reply actions
Not All 10+ L Seasons Were Total Failures
1976 = 20-10 but NIT champs (when it still meant something)
1985 = 18-13 but Sweet 16 in NCAA.
2001 = 24-10 but Sweet 16.
2002 = 22-10 but Sweet 16.
This UK team may have 10+ L but it can make noise in SECT and NCAA tourney.
by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 25, 2011 6:53 AM EST reply actions
'79 Cats
Forty, you mentioned the ‘79 Cats in one of the other posts we had going. The ’78 Cats were 30-2 (similar to last year’s record, minus the NC unfortunately) and the ’79 Cats we 19-13 with 8 SEC losses (7 on the road). I wonder if there are any correlations to made between those two teams and the last two?
Actually 19-12 In 1979
Those Cats truggled most of the year but caught fire in SECT (March 1979). The W over Alabama (101-100) is one of the best ever W by a UK team.
Frosh G Dwight Anderson broke his hand (or arm) in opening minutes of LSU game but UK rallied to W it without him.
Had he been healthy, UK defeats Tenn in the SECT finals and earns NCAA bid. As it was, UK finished with 2 straight OT losses (SECT finals and NIT game at Rupp Arena).
I see similarities between 78 & 79 teams teams and 2010 & 11 teams. The 79 team had 6 HS A-A on the roster and was 2 deep at each position. The unexpected transfer of starting C Chuck Aleksinas in Dec 78 really hurt the regaular season W-L record.
by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 25, 2011 11:10 AM EST up reply actions
SECT
Well let’s hope these Cats catch fire in the tourney! Historically the GA Dome has been very kind to us. Pitino and Tubby teams had great records there! This year’s team needs to continue the trend there. The beauty of basketball is you never know what will happen in March!
the best part of post season is that until we get to the Elite Eight, most post season games are like home games for us
Atlanta, Nashville, even out West and in the northeast, we travel well, and most “neutral” court games have a home feel. Especially when they change the floor to the NCAA Black. Take away the color changes and most games like that feel like home.
I am now and shall forever be the Cat in The Hat, The Artist Formerly Known As ABC!!!
by Greg Alan Edwards on Feb 25, 2011 1:20 PM EST up reply actions
these guys will get it done
only because I believe in Obi One Kenobi ;)
I have kleptomania,
but when it gets bad,
I take something for it.
Heh.
I think the boys could use a little of the Jedi mind trick.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
As Andy Dufresne said in the Shawshank Redemption
“Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies”.
I still have hope – maybe it’s slimmer then it was in December, but it’s still a thread I cling to.
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
And Red said...
“Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.”
by maysvilleblue on Feb 25, 2011 7:45 PM EST up reply actions
Speaking from experience - as you age in life Hope is the most crucial thing to cling to
Hope that things may change, hope that tomorrow will be a better day. If I gave up hope I would probably be facing the Reaper very soon:-)
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
Well the only reason I posted what Red said...
was because I love the movie :-)
by maysvilleblue on Feb 26, 2011 9:37 AM EST up reply actions
Me too - one of my top five
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
by KansasUKCat on Feb 26, 2011 11:41 AM EST up reply actions
Hope is always there. But hope for what?
I have very little “hope” for this year. After 27 games, this team is what it is. And, worse, there’s some sense the team is regressing.
The spirit of Rupp cannot save this team from both Vandy and Florida. Tenn? They’ll beat UK in Knoxville. I see a 1-2 record before a 2-1 run in Atlanta. The season ends in the round of sixteen.
I “hope” I am wrong. Seriously though, what can this year’s hope be based on? A sweep of USC? A home win against the UT Coach Wack-a-doodle? Strong games against good teams two months ago?
I’ll reserve the majority of my hope for next year.
No matter where you're at, there you are
ALWAYS Hope!
2001 team started 3-5 but finished 24-10 as SEC co-champs, SECT champs, #2 seed in NCAA, and Sweet 16.
The 2011 team “can” W the next 3 then 3 straight in SECT for 25-8 recored headed into NCAA.
by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 25, 2011 11:12 AM EST up reply actions
Magic potion?
For the players I wish there was a potion for confidence, and they all take a big dose.
For the coaches I wish a big dose of encouragement.
For the fans a major dose of patience and understanding.
Negativity gets us nowhere in a hurry.
I don't think an emotional response is right at all
I believe it is performance versus expectations.
The 1989-90 team finished 14-14 losing some games badly. However, our expectations were not high at all coming into the season. What happened is that the team performed above our expectations and many remember that season fondly, myself included.
Our expectations for this team were much higher than 6 conference losses on the road.
Hey it could be worse
We could have Bruce Pearl as a coach about to get us rocked by the NCAA….
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel, is just a freight train coming your way...
@btcoop71
Excelente Glenn
I couldn’t have said that better (really, I couldn’t have).
Luv the blue, regardless. Share the wins, rejoice. Morn a loss, move on.
I promise everyone, it is painless.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
A fine line separates great success and mediocrity, and this season proves it.
19 or 20 more points and a half a dozen or so lapses is what has kept this team from being the number one ranked team in the country. Of course we aren’t the best team in the country, but it shows that this group has competed on a consistent basis. Not bad at all for an underaged, undersized and understaffed group. What could anyone expect after we lost Enes Kanter? This group has exceeded my expectations and what Cal has done after losing five players to the NBA is nothing short of amazing. We are way too hard on this group.
The same night we lost by one to the Hogs
Wisconsin won on the road by one and Notre Dame did the same, a one point win. Good teams just seem to do that. What’s the answer with this team – luck, bad decision making, selfishness, one key player having an off game or a combination of several of these imo.
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
by KansasUKCat on Feb 25, 2011 12:54 PM EST up reply actions
Just one of those years
That’s what I’m calling it. No question it has been maddening for the fans including me. I think this team will be tested at home vs. UF and Vandy. In fact I believe they will have a very difficult time with both especially the Gators who are,like it or not,the class of the SEC. I think it’s possible they could lose the next 3 and that’s something very few are talking about. What if that happens? Would that put them on the NCAA bubble? Can a team with a 7-9 SEC record…with only one road win… make the NCAAT? Just askin’…..
I am always all in...
but I’m also rational. I just didn’t know if another group of freshman could just step in and pick up where last years group left off. I also never counted on this team to have Kanter and he was the key for them being a FF contender. That’s why I am so suprised with so many on here calling this team a disappointment. There was a lot of discussion on here about what this team would do without Kanter and most felt they would struggle. Well that’s what happened. Kanter didn’t get to play and they have struggled. So why the surprise? And just because somebody says this isn’t our year it doesn’t mean they “jumped off the bandwagon”. Personally I still think this team could get hot in the tourney…on a neutral floor…and do some damage. But,I also think because of a bad seed,they could just as easily lose in the first round. Again,just being rational but I’m still all in because I’m a UK fan. I will always be all in.
by maysvilleblue on Feb 25, 2011 10:06 AM EST up reply actions
I don't think anybody doubts you.
I certainly don’t. There is no crime in recognizing a team’s limitations.
However, (you knew there was a “however” coming, didn’t you?) I AM a bit surprised by this team and I’ll explain why.
I expected this young, thin, small team to struggle (and I mean, young, thin, and small for UK). I was expecting losses at Florida, Vandy and maybe UT, but NOT OLE MISS. NOT ARKANSAS. The Georgia & Alabama losses can be forgiven; these teams are better than advertised. But this UK team has the firepower to blow out most of the teams in the West on their home floor and they simply have not done it.
That’s why I’m surprised. Others may be having a different experience.
So, I’m following Cal’s advice to his team. I’m not watching the scoreboard; I’m watching each possession and hoping for good results.
If there is one switch that can be thrown in this team’s psyche that will make them play everywhere like they do in Rupp, then they will be a handful for anybody they face.
Here’s hoping.
I dont know if anyone else had it happen, but I got some sort of a slam virus attempt when I tried to log in earlier this morning. System caught it, but it was definitely malicious
I am now and shall forever be the Cat in The Hat, The Artist Formerly Known As ABC!!!
by Greg Alan Edwards on Feb 25, 2011 10:06 AM EST reply actions
I got it yesterday
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel, is just a freight train coming your way...
@btcoop71
Please explain.
I need to make sure we warn the code monkeys and network gurus if something is amiss.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Feb 25, 2011 11:24 AM EST up reply actions
i got it as well (what GAE describes below)
i am involved with an internet company and we sometimes have the same issue with those serving ads to our site. sort of reminded me of that…
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Feb 25, 2011 12:16 PM EST up reply actions
Glenn
It pretends to be a virus and channels you to it’s own antivirus software site. It’s pretty sneaky,the mouse commands are reversed.
"SPORTS"--Not interested----"CATS"--Pull up a chair,I've got all night.
I have a request in to tech support about it.
Sorry about all who may have experienced this problem.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I got it just now
and also yesterday
by blue kentucky girl on Feb 25, 2011 6:51 PM EST up reply actions
screen alert pops up running a computer scan....locks up your desktop and internet explorer
if you do not catch it, it throws an alert onto your web browser that says you have viruses running through your computer, and you cannot get rid of it by doing anything except uninstalling and reinstalling internet explorer
I am now and shall forever be the Cat in The Hat, The Artist Formerly Known As ABC!!!
by Greg Alan Edwards on Feb 25, 2011 12:10 PM EST up reply actions
I had it happen also
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
by KansasUKCat on Feb 25, 2011 12:56 PM EST up reply actions
Glenn, probably a UL fan guru runs their protection system software:-)
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
by KansasUKCat on Feb 25, 2011 12:57 PM EST up reply actions
yesterday for me
I put it on my “do not tolerate” list. I keep a window open just for this situation. Googled it and dropped the hammer on it.
"SPORTS"--Not interested----"CATS"--Pull up a chair,I've got all night.
travellin' cats
Not to fret UK fans. This team was/is a break-even road team in conference, so they are actually only two losses off pace (Ole Miss and Arkansas). No excuses for those, and with luck, 1-2 more wins could have happened on the road. Larger issue is failure to close tight games, not ‘road’. That gets to coaching, especially when no discernible improvement occurs over time.
All we need is a) Win out, incl. @UT; b) get to Conf tourney finals; c) secure a 4-6 seed; d) get sent West, where the road is always easier. This team can win on neutral courts, the fans travel loudly, and Cal does have good tourney experience.
Nice piece Glenn
Sometimes I take for granted how well you say things concentrating mostly on what you say This was a nice read and I liked the content as well.
Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
Maybe that first bad loss on the road has had a snowball effect
They seem to not play team concept ball on the road for some strange reason. Some players try to take it upon themselves to hit the big shot without incorporating others. As much as I love him Brandon does that time to time tossing up the quick three.
At home they play more relaxed and within themselves, at least thats what I think.
The other thing is – how does Cal get productive minutes from Lamb who is the fifth best three point shooter in the nation. Maybe he was a liability at Arkansas, but who wasn’t. How many times did the rest of the Hogs beat our guys – seems like they all took turns.
If Doron gets beat for a quick two in the lane he has the capability to hit a three to offset that. Again in this game Lamb took just two three pointers and yes missed them, but he is the type of scorer that can come back and hit the next four in a row. He isn’t a streaky shooter like Brandon can be. Lamb is the most dependable offensive weapon we have imo. But how do we use him – how do we get him shots..?
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
A positive thought
Kansas, you’re right that Lamb needs to be involved every game. He’s too much of an offensive weapon to sit on the bench. But Cal has made it clear if you don’t play the D, you ride the pine.
One positive thing to take away from the Arkansas game is two of our three top scorers were a non-factor and we still almost won the darn thing!
It just ain't over yet!!
Thank you so much for ending your article with a message of hope!! I love this team just like other UK teams in the past. The losses are tough to take, but I feel pain for the players not anger at them. A true fan of the Big Blue doesn’t fade away and give up during hard times. As hard as some of our games have been to watch, I will be watching, cheering and hoping unitl the very last second played this season. And, then, only then, will I start looking to next season! Come on BBN keep the love alive!!
The love is alive and well..
This is a fun, entertaining team to watch. If you start having doubts, I have two words for you—
Gardner Webb.
Now those Billy G teams (and seasons) were ones to give up on, and I’m pretty sure that half of this year’s six man rotation are refugees from Billy G’s last disappointing squad. Therefore, before we label this year’s team as a bust or even a disappointment, please think back just a few years ago to the times when the likes of Gardner Webb, Virginia Military, and San Diego came into Rupp and defeated our Cats. When viewed in this context, most should agree that this year’s scrappy, albeit undermanned, team is more exciting, and a lot more fun to watch.
Folks, our glass is definitely more than half full, as we have three of the most dynamic freshmen in America wearing our colors, and another other-worldly recruiting class coming in next year. This is reason to celebrate, not mourn, in my humble opinion.
Now those Billy G teams (and seasons) were ones to give up on
…except for the one where he won Co SEC Coach of the year and everyone was singing his praises and pissed off that he had to share the honor with Pearl – scared to death he might take the OK State job – Joe Crawford heralded him as the Coach that made the most out of him as a player – and Patrick Patterson said he loved him.
I know the season after that was a disaster. I know nobody likes him but me, but that statement is just B.S. that first season was a good one. We had some losses but we had a “team” – fellowship-wise more than we do this season.
“And that’s all I have to say about that.” ~Forrest Gump
"Tink"
by kentuckygirl0724 on Feb 25, 2011 4:22 PM EST up reply actions
That Was 2008
6-7 in OOC.
12-4 in SEC.
0-2 in postseason.
by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 25, 2011 8:29 PM EST up reply actions
PS
I don’t have fond memories of 18-13 seasons, whether 1985 (Hall) or 2008 (Gillispie).
by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 25, 2011 8:30 PM EST up reply actions
Really?
Do you really prefer a team that went 18-13, lost to the likes of Garder Webb (at Rupp), and lost in the first round of both the SEC tournament and the NCAA tournament over this year’s team?
To each his own, I guess.
PS
Given the general perception that the players were miserable (and appeared that way on the court) under Billy G’s leadership, I have a very hard team accepting your contention that any of his teams enjoyed more fellowship than the teams we have seen so far under Coach Cal.
That said, I actually liked Billy G when he first came in. He just seemed to wear out his welcome pretty quickly with both the fans AND his players.
I'm with you
Billy G. was a disaster and no question the players were miserable. It was during his final year that I began to come here. I can still remember the debates about if he should be fired or given more time.
by maysvilleblue on Feb 25, 2011 5:07 PM EST up reply actions
Emperor Metaphor
"I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes." Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
Didn't get it, did you?
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Feb 26, 2011 12:15 AM EST up reply actions
Okay, I guess I should explain.
That was a gentle nudge at you. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Feb 26, 2011 12:16 AM EST up reply actions
Tourney Time
Have heart, Cats fans! Look no farther than the World Match Play golf today for a glimpse of the Elite 8 in March: Remaining Seeds are a 1, 3, 4, 5,6, 6, 11 and 12. My guess is that is about what we’ll see when tourney time rolls around. Kaymer as a #1 is the last #1 standing….my guess is he’s Texas, but the seeds and draw will say a lot about that. The 4-5-6 seeds in March will all have a good shot at history,because those seeded higher are hardly better this year. And Kaymer is no lock in a one-and-done.
Emperor Metaphor Defined
</Suddenly, John Calipari is the semi-nude emperor, blockquote>
It appears that the intent of emperor as a metaphor was lost in subtlety or perhaps translation. Emperor was meant to refer to the program and not to Calipari, and that its subjects were blinded by their reverence to the missing or deficient parts of the wardrobe.
The early wins over the Irish and the Cards merely added to the scales of undue optimism and further impaired the vision to the point of ignoring the realities that were later to emerge.
As for hope, certainly it has a place in the realm of fanhood and perhaps it does indeed spring eternal but misplaced hope has its own outcomes as Lord Byron so aptly noted:
But what is Hope? Nothing but the paint on the face of Existence; the least touch of truth rubs it off, and then we see what a hollow-cheeked harlot we have got hold of.
"I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes." Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
quotes
Paine and Byron are OK, but they didn’t play hoops. Better we quote the Baron than the Lord, Cawood than Common Sense, and get on to some good ol’ Jimmy Dan Connor ’kick ’em in the neck ’ basketball!
golf analogy
And to further the predictive analogy posed, the LOSING seeds today (i.e., 1/2 the Sweet Sixteen), were: a 2, a 5, three 8s, two 10s, and a 15.
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