The discussion of Coach Cal going here and there seems to be the concern keeping all of my blue blooded UK friends up at night. While several of them (which is more than usual) are facing this head on, and realize that the word of a college coach is not really as strong as oak, (Jerry Maguire reference) others seem to suffer from a strong does of denial, which is what I have come to expect. I don’t say this to ridicule or take easy shots at my Wildcat friends, for that is 2nd rate Louisville territory and I will leave that to them, but if you truly believe Coach Cal is not considering a jump to the NBA you are only kidding yourself. And while I find it hard to believe in this day and age that any program, regardless of stature, could believe a coach who says, “I will be the coach of (insert team) next year, I can hardly blame my friends from the Big Blue Nation for clinging on to some hope.
As fans of the University of Kentucky they are not used to the seat they have been forced to sit in the last four years. With the history and resources of UK Basketball how could they comprehend that they would have to settle on a guy like Billy G and not making the tournament, or come to grips with the possibility that Coach Cal (like Coach Pitino years before him) would even consider trying to make another soon to be failed run at the NBA? I know, I know it’s not fair guys but it’s life, and no matter how many tweets Coach Cal and Matt Jones send to the contrary, there is more truth to the recent Chicago Tribune article than you want to believe.
WKU fans, on the other hand, have become somewhat numb and humble to the fact that a coaches’ commitment to the university is day to day at best, and even when they say, “This is not a stepping stone job,” it is in fact just that. (Hey Coach Horn, how is that South Carolina weather treating you?) Now I’m not trying to draw parallels between UK and WKU basketball for I fully realize they are two totally different animals, I’m just saying maybe for once all my UK bretheren, who are always lecturing me on the ins and outs of college hoops, should for once sit down, listen, and take a lesson from a Hilltopper (or a second lesson, we will chalk up the 2001 game in Rupp as Lesson #1)
The video above is affectionately titled “Calipari, Memphis is where I want to be,” and was fillmed following Coach Calipari’s return from the National Championship game with Memphis in 2008. The video runs about 8:43 but the interesting part for most starts around 5:21, enjoy.
Marquis Teague plans to attend the University of Kentucky to play for John Calipari.
The waiting is over, and it is official. Marquis Teague is going to attend the University of Kentucky to be featured in John Calipari’s dribble-drive offense; he will not be a member of cardinal nation, which begs the question, why did Teague choose UK?
The answer to the question is actually quite simple, dollars, and before UK fans begin mass e-mailing me about how Calipari isn’t paying his players, that is not what I am referencing. I am referencing the dollar bills available by being a one and done player who is drafted in the lottery.
Louisville fans will bemoan the presence of World Wid Wes (if you don’t know who he is, just click the link and read on), but at this point, Calipari doesn’t need any help. He only has to point to exhibit A, B, and C. He has managed to sign the top rated point guard five years in a row (Rose, Evans, Wall, Knight, and Teague), and the first three players were all lottery picks.
So, back to the question posed in the title of this article, do championships matter in recruiting? The answer is that they haven’t mattered in a long time. When players were lining up to play for Rick Pitino at UK, it was because he was sending players to the association in droves. Now, that person is John Calipari who in one year will send almost the same number of players as Rick Pitino has in 10 years at Louisville.
You might say, “Well, at some point doesn’t not winning championships matter?” To the fanbase, yes, it will matter. But, in regard to recruiting, it doesn’t make much difference. As long as Calipari keeps sending players to the NBA in one year, he will keep getting the players, regardless of the number of elite eights and sweet sixteens that he racks up.
We all know by now that Syracuse, Kansas, and Kentucky are locks for #1 seeds in the upcoming 2010 NCAA Basketball tournament. The thing no one seems to know is who will secure that final top spot. Duke and Kansas State were the next teams in line and they both lost this past week. Purdue just lost their superstar Robbie Hummel and are now expected to go in decline mode the rest of the way. That leaves Ohio State as the next most likely candidate. The Buckeyes do possess Evan Turner who appears to be the front-runner for Player Of The Year. The problem is that I’ve never heard of a seven loss team getting the elusive #1 seed. Granted, most of their losses were to good competition. They did falter though by 22 at Wisconsin and then lost to a Michigan team that currently boasts a losing record. My pick for the fourth #1….. New Mexico They’re led by former Iowa coach and IU great Steve Alford. He’s guided the Lobos to 27-3 overall mark. The three losses were all to teams with winning records. The only eyebrow raiser was losing to a 19-12 Oral Roberts University squad. ORU is not exactly a quality loss, but seven wins above .500 is nothing to sneeze at either. We’re heading into the big conference tournaments next week and I fully expect that some more opinions will change on who should claim the fourth and final top spot. The one thing that I do know for sure is it’s going to be pure madness!
This guy is definitely a fan! He meets all the criteria.
It seems like an odd discussion to even have, but in a state like Kentucky where college sports holds a great deal of importance to its citizens and its identity, it begs the question, what makes a fan? Is it acceptable to cheer for a team, which is not your Alma mater? What criteria exist for measuring the authenticity of fanhood?
Let me state for the record that I consider myself a fan of Western Kentucky University and the University of Louisville. With that said, though, I actively root for all the state schools. I believe in a tier system. If WKU plays Louisville, I cheer for WKU. If Louisville plays Kentucky, I cheer for Louisville. If Kentucky plays Indiana, I cheer for Kentucky.
I reject the notion that you have to have a direct connection to a university to be a fan of it. You don’t have to have attended the university, and you don’t have to have had worked at the university, especially in a state like Kentucky where our collegiate teams are our professional teams.
However, you do need to have at least some connection to the institution. Perhaps, it is proximity, family ties, or values instilled by parents, but you need something. I’m always suspect of someone who is a die-hard fan of Duke or North Carolina, but have nothing that attaches him/her to the school except for watching them on TV.
So, let’s first start with the criteria to be a fan, which are the following:
Connection / Relationahip to the University (direct or indirect)
Suffering through the hard times and remaining steadfast
Actively following the team through at least two outlets (you recieve a pass if you are over the age of forty)
Owning at least two pieces of apparel / items promoting the institution
Win/Loss has had at least a small emotional impact on you at least once
ONE – As stated previously, to be a fan, you need to have something that connects you to the university. It doesn’t have to be a direct connection, but you need to have something. Maybe a cousin went to school there. Maybe a friend played on the team. Maybe you lived near the school for a few years. Some type of relationship has to exist between you and the institution.
TWO – If you have only recently joined a teams fanbase during a successful period, you are by definition a bandwagon fan. That is fine, but you should acknowledge that you are bandwagon fan, which means bragging and arrogance should be kept to a minimum. If you suffer through losing and/or hardship, but remain steadfast, then you deserve the right to celebrate the return to success and act like a poor sport when you win (but, you should fully expect others to hate you).
THREE – If you only watch games that are conveniently available on television, then you are not really a fan. At the minimum, you need to read newspaper articles as well or occasionally go to games in person or listen to radio broadcast. Additional credit is given for seeking out broadcast of games through bizarre means (online pirate broadcasts, watching the gamecast on espn.com, etc.).
FOUR – You may ask, why two items? The answer is simple. You may not be a fan of your Alma mater, but chances are you have at least one item emblazoned with the school’s name. Additionally, if you have ever went to a game with a friend of a school for which you aren’t a fan, chances are you were given a shirt, wore it, and kept it. I have lots of shirts like this, but I’m not a fan of any of these schools. If you are really a fan of a school, people know it, and they buy you items with the school’s logo on it. Plus, you put your money in things you value.
FIVE – It doesn’t have to be weeping or suicidal thoughts with a loss or rioting joyously with a win. But, if you don’t at least feel a small sense of temporary elation or momentary sorrow depending upon the outcome of a game, then you really aren’t a fan.
That’s it. That’s the criteria for being a fan. Now, in regard to the question of the necessity to be a fan of your Alma mater. I don’t think that one necessarily predicates the other, but you should not actively cheer against the institution that educated you.
I’m okay with apathy, but hatred for your alma mater seems a bit overboard (unless your school wronged you, and your vengeance for the school knows no bounds). I know people who attended the University of Kentucky, like the university, but hate the sports teams and actively cheer for all of them to lose. That seems a bit ridiculous.
I’m certain that many of you won’t agree with my criteria or assessment, and that is fine. I would argue with you, but that is probably pointless. Fans are usually (but, not always) irrational. A Louisville fan that thinks that any of their recent recruits are as good as John Wall, a Kentucky fan that doesn’t think Charlie Strong was a good hire, or a Kentucky/Louisville fan that thinks the WKU program is closer to Murray State or EKU than Louisville or Kentucky is irrational. Arguing with people like this is like arguing with a four year-old, pointless.
