I'm ecstatic and all in on Pope.
Hear me out. One of my core childhood memories was watching the unforgettables play with my grandfather. I love this team with a passion. A decade ago I was helping Funchester build a computer capable of streaming the games for all of you to watch, and also pouring money into paying for bandwidth hosting to re-stream games so everyone could enjoy them. I've always been super invested in this team. However, over the past 6 years or so, my interest waned, not because we weren't winning, but because I grew tired of not getting to know any of these players. I missed the Patrick Patterson's, the Tayshaun's, The Derek Anderson's, etc. I was also tired of seeing all these 5* recruits, these world beater rosters, showing glimpses of what they could do, but ultimately underperforming and playing for the name on the back of the jersey, not the front. After moving to North Carolina 4 years back for work, I stopped watching the games as much, then only checking scores and highlights online after the game, then not even doing that.
I respect Coach Cal. He did amazing things for this state. He gave me the opportunity to get absolutely smashed at the Tin Roof in 2012 and wander limestone with the crowd celebrating the national championship. It was a wild night I'll never forget. He was charitable, a good ambassador for the state, and for better or worse, truly cared about the players and their futures. I wish him nothing but the best.
As a kid I had a mark pope jersey. All I would talk about were the cats. They were my identity. I'm so excited to be able to get back to that with him as our coach. I feel connected to the program again, I feel hopeful for the future. Pope is brilliant on and off the court. He's an insanely hard worker, by all accounts an amazing human being, he will have all the resources UK has to offer to get players that fit his system, a NIL war chest that should lead the league in capacity, and most importantly, he bleeds blue. If given the leash he deserves, I am supremely confident he will have us hunting for titles in the next 3-4 years.
Hanging banners is in his blood and he will put the program first over everything else. How in the world can you not be excited for that? Put aside your hatred for Mitch, he'll be gone soon...for now, rally around one of our own and show him the respect he deserves. Can you imagine how insanely special it would be to be hanging a banner in a few years with a coach that hung a banner as a player? Wouldn't that be infinitely more special than doing so with a coach that has no ties to the program other than a massive salary?
If this works, it will work BIG. And I, for one, am insanely excited to see it happen.
Go big blue!
Hear me out. One of my core childhood memories was watching the unforgettables play with my grandfather. I love this team with a passion. A decade ago I was helping Funchester build a computer capable of streaming the games for all of you to watch, and also pouring money into paying for bandwidth hosting to re-stream games so everyone could enjoy them. I've always been super invested in this team. However, over the past 6 years or so, my interest waned, not because we weren't winning, but because I grew tired of not getting to know any of these players. I missed the Patrick Patterson's, the Tayshaun's, The Derek Anderson's, etc. I was also tired of seeing all these 5* recruits, these world beater rosters, showing glimpses of what they could do, but ultimately underperforming and playing for the name on the back of the jersey, not the front. After moving to North Carolina 4 years back for work, I stopped watching the games as much, then only checking scores and highlights online after the game, then not even doing that.
I respect Coach Cal. He did amazing things for this state. He gave me the opportunity to get absolutely smashed at the Tin Roof in 2012 and wander limestone with the crowd celebrating the national championship. It was a wild night I'll never forget. He was charitable, a good ambassador for the state, and for better or worse, truly cared about the players and their futures. I wish him nothing but the best.
As a kid I had a mark pope jersey. All I would talk about were the cats. They were my identity. I'm so excited to be able to get back to that with him as our coach. I feel connected to the program again, I feel hopeful for the future. Pope is brilliant on and off the court. He's an insanely hard worker, by all accounts an amazing human being, he will have all the resources UK has to offer to get players that fit his system, a NIL war chest that should lead the league in capacity, and most importantly, he bleeds blue. If given the leash he deserves, I am supremely confident he will have us hunting for titles in the next 3-4 years.
Hanging banners is in his blood and he will put the program first over everything else. How in the world can you not be excited for that? Put aside your hatred for Mitch, he'll be gone soon...for now, rally around one of our own and show him the respect he deserves. Can you imagine how insanely special it would be to be hanging a banner in a few years with a coach that hung a banner as a player? Wouldn't that be infinitely more special than doing so with a coach that has no ties to the program other than a massive salary?
If this works, it will work BIG. And I, for one, am insanely excited to see it happen.
Go big blue!
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