Most of Cals UK players (opinion piece)

[TNCatfanforever]

There are a few exceptions very few

They were recruited to be here 9 months
Their visits were expensive and UK paid
They used our brand
They used our facilities
They are the from the best training table
They slept in our beautiful WildCat Lodge
They used our trainers and training room
They used our Dr.s and medical facilities
They used our rehab staff.
Our brand had them on Ntl tv 2 times a week
We were patient when their rehab took 3 times longer than other places
We wore their jerseys and cheered for them like no other.
Most were drafted after a year to make millions.
Their coaches promoted them and started them above winning to get them drafted
They played for their name not UK


Now we have learned that’s all they wanted and most never cared about the millions of diehard life long 70 year old fans like me. They were here because they were promised to start and get drafted not to play for Ky. So they turn on us when their Coach bolts town because he has lost his support and has been a major disappointment and a miserable failure the last 4 years. Hopefully Cals jersey or none if those who have spoken negatively of UK will ever hang in Rupp. Thank you John Wall and Rick Pitino for telling America what UK basketball is.


Hopefully when Cal comes to Rupp next year he is soundly reminded of how we feel. Boooooooo

Thank you Mark Pope for taking a huge risk under a media microscope and some fan abuse to attempt to restore the meaning of UK basketball to those who wear the jersey

 

[flacat22]

Man, Cal’s gone, rent that space he’s occupying in your head to someone else. Maybe change your avatar so you’re not constantly triggered. It’s not healthy.

 

[FtWorthCat]

I love most all of Cal's former players, with few exceptions. I hope they still feel welcome at UK and help support us trying to compete against the Chicken-Jones-Waltons money.

 

[Slowwalker]

We had some great kids who chose to come here. Whether that was because of Cal, or a combination of Cal and all that UK has to offer (most likely), they still came here.

Bash Cal all you want, but you are talking about 18 year old kids and you have zero clue what any were thinking when they made their decision.

Move on. That era is over. We should be thankful that all those great players came here and went on to have amazing success.

 

[shaudyshaud]

What did Cal players do wrong ? Ashton Hagan and Kyle Wiltjer had some weird reactions to it .

I didn’t agree with Boogie but he said he will still support big blue . John Wall also said he wants to build a relationship with the next coach. Marquis Teague said he is still going to pull for Kentucky even though he didn’t agree with people wanting Cal out .

I think most will still support UK while also supporting their old coach .

 

[king of cali]

So so stupid

 

[King Pope]

There are a few exceptions very few

They were recruited to be here 9 months
Their visits were expensive and UK paid
They used our brand
They used our facilities
They are the from the best training table
They slept in our beautiful WildCat Lodge
They used our trainers and training room
They used our Dr.s and medical facilities
They used our rehab staff.
Our brand had them on Ntl tv 2 times a week
We were patient when their rehab took 3 times longer than other places
We wore their jerseys and cheered for them like no other.
Most were drafted after a year to make millions.
Their coaches promoted them and started them above winning to get them drafted
They played for their name not UK


Now we have learned that’s all they wanted and most never cared about the millions of diehard life long 70 year old fans like me. They were here because they were promised to start and get drafted not to play for Ky. So they turn on us when their Coach bolts town because he has lost his support and has been a major disappointment and a miserable failure the last 4 years. Hopefully Cals jersey or none if those who have spoken negatively of UK will ever hang in Rupp. Thank you John Wall and Rick Pitino for telling America what UK basketball is.


Hopefully when Cal comes to Rupp next year he is soundly reminded of how we feel. Boooooooo

Thank you Mark Pope for taking a huge risk under a media microscope and some fan abuse to attempt to restore the meaning of UK basketball to those who wear the jersey

Wait, we didn’t make kids we were recruiting pay for their visits, that’s crazy. You’re such a victim, you should file a civil lawsuit and use all of this made up BS as your evidence. What a joke some of you weirdos are.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

They won you a title and 4 final fours you ungrateful old prick.

 

[kydmb99]

Most of Cal's players represented the school very well and won lots of games. Move on.

 

[Estil]

I love most all of Cal's former players, with few exceptions. I hope they still feel welcome at UK and help support us trying to compete against the Chicken-Jones-Waltons money.

Well (as Gomer Pyle would say) you don't love them...I mean you like them but you don't love them. Now if any of them was kin folk you might love them...

 

[TNCatfanforever]

Well (as Gomer Pyle would say) you don't love them...I mean you like them but you don't love them. Now if any of them was kin folk you might love them...

Funny. I said it was my opinion and mine only

 

[track42]

I wouldn't say that.I think we had a lot of great players and guys who who did give it their all.Not liking Cal doesn't mean we have to turn on our past players.

 

[TNCatfanforever]

I wouldn't say that.I think we had a lot of great players and guys who who did give it their all.Not liking Cal doesn't mean we have to turn on our past players.

If you look closely I said not all and only those who are bashing us now. Cal wasn’t fired (he should’ve been) but like Tubby he knew he was about to be so he left.

 

[ManitouDan]

There are a few exceptions very few

They were recruited to be here 9 months
Their visits were expensive and UK paid
They used our brand
They used our facilities
They are the from the best training table
They slept in our beautiful WildCat Lodge
They used our trainers and training room
They used our Dr.s and medical facilities
They used our rehab staff.
Our brand had them on Ntl tv 2 times a week
We were patient when their rehab took 3 times longer than other places
We wore their jerseys and cheered for them like no other.
Most were drafted after a year to make millions.
Their coaches promoted them and started them above winning to get them drafted
They played for their name not UK


Now we have learned that’s all they wanted and most never cared about the millions of diehard life long 70 year old fans like me. They were here because they were promised to start and get drafted not to play for Ky. So they turn on us when their Coach bolts town because he has lost his support and has been a major disappointment and a miserable failure the last 4 years. Hopefully Cals jersey or none if those who have spoken negatively of UK will ever hang in Rupp. Thank you John Wall and Rick Pitino for telling America what UK basketball is.


Hopefully when Cal comes to Rupp next year he is soundly reminded of how we feel. Boooooooo

Thank you Mark Pope for taking a huge risk under a media microscope and some fan abuse to attempt to restore the meaning of UK basketball to those who wear the jersey

Hats off to you for having the sack to say what you said .. you may get bashed, some young ones don’t care about the university being a stepping stone to the nba . Older fans do for the most part .

 

[NociHTTP]

Wait, we didn’t make kids we were recruiting pay for their visits, that’s crazy. You’re such a victim, you should file a civil lawsuit and use all of this made up BS as your evidence. What a joke some of you weirdos are.

Cal is that way >>>>>>> G O N Z O

 

[NociHTTP]

So so stupid

Take your judgemental axe out of here.

 

[3Eye]

The vast majority of Kentucky’s players that Cal signed were good young men.

 

[bookerfan66]

The vast majority of Kentucky’s players that Cal signed were good young men.

Yes.Cal sucked at the end but I still liked our players.

 

[trueblujr2]

There are a few exceptions very few

They were recruited to be here 9 months
Their visits were expensive and UK paid
They used our brand
They used our facilities
They are the from the best training table
They slept in our beautiful WildCat Lodge
They used our trainers and training room
They used our Dr.s and medical facilities
They used our rehab staff.
Our brand had them on Ntl tv 2 times a week
We were patient when their rehab took 3 times longer than other places
We wore their jerseys and cheered for them like no other.
Most were drafted after a year to make millions.
Their coaches promoted them and started them above winning to get them drafted
They played for their name not UK


Now we have learned that’s all they wanted and most never cared about the millions of diehard life long 70 year old fans like me. They were here because they were promised to start and get drafted not to play for Ky. So they turn on us when their Coach bolts town because he has lost his support and has been a major disappointment and a miserable failure the last 4 years. Hopefully Cals jersey or none if those who have spoken negatively of UK will ever hang in Rupp. Thank you John Wall and Rick Pitino for telling America what UK basketball is.


Hopefully when Cal comes to Rupp next year he is soundly reminded of how we feel. Boooooooo

Thank you Mark Pope for taking a huge risk under a media microscope and some fan abuse to attempt to restore the meaning of UK basketball to those who wear the jersey

For all of the literally over a billion in contracts that former Cal players have earned in the NBA, I hardly ever saw where any of them gave much back or contributed to NIL in some capacity to help UK or even to thank Cal for getting them to where they are. It would have been nice to see some of these guys band together and make a financial commitment of some kind to go towards facility upgrades or an NIL program. The number of guys we’ve sent to the NBA the past 14 years is unprecedented.

Not sure it would have mattered. Cal could have the Lakers roster and still find a way to lose games he shouldn’t.

 

[King Pope]

Cal is that way >>>>>>> G O N Z O

Uh OK. What the hell does that have to do with trashing our former players? You weirdos are so dumb. Defending UK players makes you a “Cal Nutthuger” according to this goof. Since you hate UK players so much maybe you should kick rocks. Trash like you are an embarrassment to this fanbase.

 

[catlogic15]

Why do I give a shit that former players, most of which I wouldn’t recognize if they walked through the door, don’t give a shit about UK? Move on.

 

[Hoover1234]

So, we're now going to trash our former players... Wtf, this place is a hot mess. Y'all hate John Wall now? Y'all hate AD, who helped bring #8. Stupid as ****!!

 

[TNCatfanforever]

So, we're now going to trash our former players... Wtf, this place is a hot mess. Y'all hate John Wall now? Y'all hate AD, who helped bring #8. Stupid as ****!!

You didn’t read the post. John Wall was an exception. Read carefully before commenting.

 

[AJG-15]

Here is my take :So if have a divorce you going to hate your kids?

I look at all players that played at UK as our kids and I am going to love them all.

I am also going to appreciate and applaud all the Coaches that won a title at UK, including those still alive Pitino, Tubby and Cal cause while they were here they continued Rupp tradition.

Sure no one won more than one title but still if you ask them they all love Kentucky and still do…. Look at Pitino reaction now . Look how happy Tubby was when he come back to be honored. Time will heal all wounds and eventually I am hoping we will act classy towards Cal too and honor him.

And about the players, Mark POPE was a Pitino guy , should Uk not hired him following the same logic. I bet that in the future some of Cal guys will become coaches and I am pretty sure we would like to consider them, for UK job not to mention for their donations or kids to play at UK like Sheppard does. They are all part of our legacy, players ,coaches ALL. Love them and appreciate them!

 

[king of cali]

You didn’t read the post. John Wall was an exception. Read carefully before commenting.

You said there were very few exceptions, as in miniscule.

A good number of the players were good young men and represented the university well. No need to hate.

 

[NociHTTP]

Uh OK. What the hell does that have to do with trashing our former players? You weirdos are so dumb. Defending UK players makes you a “Cal Nutthuger” according to this goof. Since you hate UK players so much maybe you should kick rocks. Trash like you are an embarrassment to this fanbase.

No one is trashing our former players. Only facts were presented. Defending Calipari, and the things that his players do or don't do, that reflect their coach, makes you a Calipari Nutsack Chigger. Send UKBB4EVER our love.

 

[TopCatCal]

There are a few exceptions very few

They were recruited to be here 9 months
Their visits were expensive and UK paid
They used our brand
They used our facilities
They are the from the best training table
They slept in our beautiful WildCat Lodge
They used our trainers and training room
They used our Dr.s and medical facilities
They used our rehab staff.
Our brand had them on Ntl tv 2 times a week
We were patient when their rehab took 3 times longer than other places
We wore their jerseys and cheered for them like no other.
Most were drafted after a year to make millions.
Their coaches promoted them and started them above winning to get them drafted
They played for their name not UK


Now we have learned that’s all they wanted and most never cared about the millions of diehard life long 70 year old fans like me. They were here because they were promised to start and get drafted not to play for Ky. So they turn on us when their Coach bolts town because he has lost his support and has been a major disappointment and a miserable failure the last 4 years. Hopefully Cals jersey or none if those who have spoken negatively of UK will ever hang in Rupp. Thank you John Wall and Rick Pitino for telling America what UK basketball is.


Hopefully when Cal comes to Rupp next year he is soundly reminded of how we feel. Boooooooo

Thank you Mark Pope for taking a huge risk under a media microscope and some fan abuse to attempt to restore the meaning of UK basketball to those who wear the jersey

And one of his players Shaedon Sharp refused to play in games. John Calipari is the only coach in the history of college basketball that would have allowed something like this to happen. God I'm glad Calipari left here.

 

[ralphdaltonfan]

You haven't been around many teenagers lately have you?

You do realize the University uses players too? That's the give/take of this industry.

Players are going to be loyal to their coaches more often then not.

Cal may be a lot of things but he keeps up with his ex players which a lot of guys do NOT do, so that loyalty to them matters as it should. Like how he ran the program? Understand. But not getting how players would be loyal and respect the guy who brought them here and still keeps up with them to this day-whether they are elite NBA guys or just normal working class joes. He can't fake that. UMass and Memphis guys are very loyal to him as well and he didn't have many pros at all there.

 

[podgejeff_]

Hopefully Cals jersey or none if those who have spoken negatively of UK will ever hang in Rupp.

I hate to break it to you but it's practically a guarantee his jersey is going to hang in Rupp.

 

[fredmanthecatfan]

With very few exceptions, I really like our former players. I think the majority of them were/are good kids/young men.
What I did not like was the culture that Cal created for them. For many, they were led to believe they were failures if they were not 1 and done. Better to take a risk on going late in the second round than to come back to school. Guys like WCS, Poy, Lamb and T Jones were the exception.
The roster from one year to the next was chaos. No building a cohesive roster from year to year. With few exceptions, I don’t blame the players for that. Cal was guiding them through that process and Cal had them convinced that they were playing for the University of Calipari’s NBA development at Lexington. It was a 1 year program. Being a sophomore was like having to repeat a grade unless you were a transfer.
So the kids really got sold a bill of goods. For some, it worked out. For others it didn’t.

 

[Bluegrassking]

Trashy, petty, wrongheaded, childish, and small.

 

[Fox2monk]

There are a few exceptions very few

They were recruited to be here 9 months
Their visits were expensive and UK paid
They used our brand
They used our facilities
They are the from the best training table
They slept in our beautiful WildCat Lodge
They used our trainers and training room
They used our Dr.s and medical facilities
They used our rehab staff.
Our brand had them on Ntl tv 2 times a week
We were patient when their rehab took 3 times longer than other places
We wore their jerseys and cheered for them like no other.
Most were drafted after a year to make millions.
Their coaches promoted them and started them above winning to get them drafted
They played for their name not UK


Now we have learned that’s all they wanted and most never cared about the millions of diehard life long 70 year old fans like me. They were here because they were promised to start and get drafted not to play for Ky. So they turn on us when their Coach bolts town because he has lost his support and has been a major disappointment and a miserable failure the last 4 years. Hopefully Cals jersey or none if those who have spoken negatively of UK will ever hang in Rupp. Thank you John Wall and Rick Pitino for telling America what UK basketball is.


Hopefully when Cal comes to Rupp next year he is soundly reminded of how we feel. Boooooooo

Thank you Mark Pope for taking a huge risk under a media microscope and some fan abuse to attempt to restore the meaning of UK basketball to those who wear the jersey

I agree 100%! Screw every single one of them who act like Cal invented UK, and like they riding with Cal. Go to Arkansas where they don’t care about you for all I care. When Cal retires remember to rep that Arkansas gear tho.

 

[FtWorthCat]

For all of the literally over a billion in contracts that former Cal players have earned in the NBA, I hardly ever saw where any of them gave much back or contributed to NIL in some capacity to help UK or even to thank Cal for getting them to where they are. It would have been nice to see some of these guys band together and make a financial commitment of some kind to go towards facility upgrades or an NIL program. The number of guys we’ve sent to the NBA the past 14 years is unprecedented.

Not sure it would have mattered. Cal could have the Lakers roster and still find a way to lose games he shouldn’t.

You obviously didn't watch any of the telethons, because former Cal players were very generous in those.

 

[kybloo92]

Being loyal to your coach and alma mater doesn't have to be mutually exclusive as some of these ex-Cats are making it out to be. Chuck Barkley was right, Cal just out in front of the posse. Has no one to blame but himself. Mitch did not fire CCC, he left on his own validity after saying he would be back the week before. Can't blame us.

 

[TexKat]

Even if at a minimum all must admit that the plethora of blue chip athletes that came and went under Cal's tenure none of them got in trouble with the law for "extra cirriculator" activities and/or got UK under any heat with the NCAA. It's actually pretty amazing in todays world. THAT I'm thankful for

 

[RaginRondo]

I love most all of Cal's former players, with few exceptions. I hope they still feel welcome at UK and help support us trying to compete against the Chicken-Jones-Waltons money.

This is so overplayed and it’s not meant for anything other than to make things appear that Arkansas has what no else has. It’s purely Pr.

If they had all that access to those wealthy avenues they would be absolutely killing it in football. They’ve not budged against the big dogs. Those entities are not going to throw unlimited cash at Arkansas basketball. They just want to make it appear that way. Hell Tennessee is outspending Arkansas in football probably 3-1.

We’re going on what? 3 years of NIL? Why is Arkansas not outbidding everyone for players? They couldn’t pull recruits over UK when Calipari wasn’t getting any support from our side.

People need to chill with this they’ve just had their PR campaign out in full force and people are caught up in it. Wealthy people like Jerry Jones don’t give a damn about Arkansas basketball or John Calipari. neither do the Waltons. And Calipari certainly isn’t going to change anything from Mussleman. And why did mussleman leave if they had it that good? He wouldn’t.

Calipari will not be able to pull the same types of classes year in and year out at Arkansas. I suspect his classes will go from top 2 into the 5-15 range. He was already losing a lot of ground to Duke as it was, now he doesn’t have a power program. If John Calipari thought he’s now with the most money in the nation , as Arkansas wants to make it appear, he wouldn’t look like he just got a terminal disease diagnosis, which he does.

I cannot wait for this to subside. Arkansas isn’t turning into a juggernaut that would have already happened under Mussleman who’s 10 times the coach of Calipari and had every bit as much support. Arkansas is small potatoes compared to UK and that’s not changing.

 

[WildmanWilson]

Like it or not, Cal turned UK into an NBA training camp. He benefitted from it because it kept the NBA caravan coming. He had his crutch to learn on that it’s about the players. If he won great. If not then it’s still about the players. He would ride that train until he ran out of track. And it did. The players are all about getting to the league. That’s understandable but they don’t truly care about UK. At least most of them. That’s just the time we live in now. Only home grown talent really cares.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Well (as Gomer Pyle would say) you don't love them...I mean you like them but you don't love them. Now if any of them was kin folk you might love them...

You think Pope can walk late le Chester?

Sew up his fingers?

Take off on Cary Grant?

Mimic Edward G Robinson?

 

[MrHotDice]

There are a few exceptions very few

They were recruited to be here 9 months
Their visits were expensive and UK paid
They used our brand
They used our facilities
They are the from the best training table
They slept in our beautiful WildCat Lodge
They used our trainers and training room
They used our Dr.s and medical facilities
They used our rehab staff.
Our brand had them on Ntl tv 2 times a week
We were patient when their rehab took 3 times longer than other places
We wore their jerseys and cheered for them like no other.
Most were drafted after a year to make millions.
Their coaches promoted them and started them above winning to get them drafted
They played for their name not UK


Now we have learned that’s all they wanted and most never cared about the millions of diehard life long 70 year old fans like me. They were here because they were promised to start and get drafted not to play for Ky. So they turn on us when their Coach bolts town because he has lost his support and has been a major disappointment and a miserable failure the last 4 years. Hopefully Cals jersey or none if those who have spoken negatively of UK will ever hang in Rupp. Thank you John Wall and Rick Pitino for telling America what UK basketball is.


Hopefully when Cal comes to Rupp next year he is soundly reminded of how we feel. Boooooooo

Thank you Mark Pope for taking a huge risk under a media microscope and some fan abuse to attempt to restore the meaning of UK basketball to those who wear the jersey

Ditto, Well said.