Happened to run across a blurb from a new SI article about Louisville and Kentucky on Facebook today about the week leading up to the Final Four, so I clicked on it. First, I noticed that it was written by "William F. Reed." I thought that was familiar. Then, I noted the references to watching games in 1955, Ali/Frazier I, and thought - wait, that's Billy Reed.

I know lots of people hate Billy Reed but I've never really understood why. Then I read this:

Calipari and UK were made for each other. Calipari freely admits that he's running an NBA prep school for one-and-done superstars. This is just fine with those in Big Blue Nation, who have long regarded academics as mostly a nuisance. Unlike any Wildcat coach since Rupp, Calipari owns the fan base, and the true believers deeply resent any insinuations about Calipari's recruiting methods or his Final Four appearances that were vacated at UMass and Memphis (Calipari himself was never charged with any wrongdoing).

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/basketball/ncaa/mens-tournament/2012/03/29/kentucky.madness/index.html#ixzz1qXdP3ClH

Now I get it. Sentence No. 2:

Calipari freely admits that he's running an NBA prep school for one-and-done superstars.

False.
Sentence No. 3:

This is just fine with those in Big Blue Nation, who have long regarded academics as mostly a nuisance.

Also false, and a direct insult to Kentucky fans and alumni. Yeah, that degree hanging on my wall? Total nuisance, dude.
Look, I embrace Calipari's approach to this basketball program and the fact that, to me at least, he's doing what's in the kids' best interest rather than his own or even that of the team. But to say, even offhandedly, that fans don't care about academics is careless, insulting, and blatantly untrue. Do we, as fans, celebrate the team's accomplishments on the floor more than their performance in class? Of course we do; find me a fanbase that DOESN'T.
Sure, it's a nitpicky criticism of an otherwise fairly decent article, but this notion that all Kentucky fans are stupid is infuriating. Kiss my ass, William F. Reed, and best of luck with that new nom de plume.