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It finally happened. With their win over Auburn on Saturday, the Kentucky Wildcats are finally bowl eligible after clinching their sixth victory. Wait...wrong sport.
This is the worst Kentucky basketball season in nearly 100 years. The negativity coming from the fan base is palpable, particularly here on the good ole internet. If you spend any amount of time on Twitter at all, you will have all of the information you have to believe that Big Blue Nation is done with John Calipari and this team.
But if you ask people inside the program, you get a different story.
Former Kentucky media member and current Director of Content Development and Digital Media TJ Beisner has a very unique perspective on this program, and he took to Twitter to share his experience with fans interaction this season.
I’ve spent over half my life covering/working with UK basketball and I have to be honest...this year has been eye-opening to the power of BBN.
— TJ Beisner (@tjbeisner) February 16, 2021
DMs, emails, letters, etc. to Cal have to be 30:1 in terms of encouragement vs. negativity. Same w/ players. And it’s very appreciated. https://t.co/86adq8K5Ea
“I’ve spent over half my life covering/working with UK basketball and I have to be honest...this year has been eye-opening to the power of BBN,” Beisner wrote. “DMs, emails, letters, etc. to Cal have to be 30:1 in terms of encouragement vs. negativity. Same w/ players. And it’s very appreciated.”
John Calipari spent time on his weekly call-in show praising Kentucky fans as well. He gave a personal thank you for the encouragement he has received via social media and when out in public, and he issued a thank you on behalf of all of the players and the staff.
“The support and love we have felt from the Big Blue Nation with all that is happening, with even our recording being the way it is, has been something special,” Calipari said. “And you know what? These kids needed it.”
For those of us that spend a lot of time on social media, we may get a different view of what people are saying about this program. But it is refreshing sometimes to take a step back and realize that humanity is not a dumpster fire and some people are loyal supporters of things they really care about.