Yesterday after church I read the thread posted by the 42 year old who admitted to crying while watching the press conference. I found that strange to admit, and began reading post after post admitting the same thing. To be honest I got a bit emotional just reading the thread. Then I watched a replay of the event. I was completely overwhelmed to the point of not being able to speak. My wife laughed at me for being so emotional. I could not understand why I was so overcome.
Then I thought about it. I grew up in Kentucky rooting for Cotton Nash and Dan Issel. We moved away and I listened to Cawood fading in and out on WHAS 840 describing Ronnie Lyons long rage jumpers. I went back to go to UK while Macy, Robey and Givens won it all in 1978. I also slept outside Memorial Coliseum for tourney tickets I never used because we lost to Tennessee. I was at the last game ever in Memorial Colisuem for that miracle comeback, as well as the miracle comeback against Kansas in Rupp. I went to the Final Four in Seattle and saw our great team fold in the second half against Georgetown. I took my four kids to San Jose and saw UK win the regional final against Utah in 1997. We waited around outside after the game and Mark Pope came by to talk when he saw all our UK gear, and signed all my kids shirts. My oldest son is named Kyle. Like most of you, I lived and died UK basketball.
Ok, you get it. So why was I so overcome. I came to realize just how much our program was destroyed. It was no longer the source of pride for our State that it once was. It happened so gradually. The players came and went before we got to know them. The kids from Kentucky were deemed not good enough. We could deal with it when winning, but even then is was not as fun. I still watched the games, but I cared less and less. At the end, it was a better year, but I knew how it would end. I really had little hope, and I was right. Getting rid of Cal was great, but it was not enough.
The Press Conference brought it all into focus. We saw the videos. We saw the old players we loved. We saw the packed crowd of screaming fans. And we remembered how good it was. And we believed it could be that way again.
Then I thought about it. I grew up in Kentucky rooting for Cotton Nash and Dan Issel. We moved away and I listened to Cawood fading in and out on WHAS 840 describing Ronnie Lyons long rage jumpers. I went back to go to UK while Macy, Robey and Givens won it all in 1978. I also slept outside Memorial Coliseum for tourney tickets I never used because we lost to Tennessee. I was at the last game ever in Memorial Colisuem for that miracle comeback, as well as the miracle comeback against Kansas in Rupp. I went to the Final Four in Seattle and saw our great team fold in the second half against Georgetown. I took my four kids to San Jose and saw UK win the regional final against Utah in 1997. We waited around outside after the game and Mark Pope came by to talk when he saw all our UK gear, and signed all my kids shirts. My oldest son is named Kyle. Like most of you, I lived and died UK basketball.
Ok, you get it. So why was I so overcome. I came to realize just how much our program was destroyed. It was no longer the source of pride for our State that it once was. It happened so gradually. The players came and went before we got to know them. The kids from Kentucky were deemed not good enough. We could deal with it when winning, but even then is was not as fun. I still watched the games, but I cared less and less. At the end, it was a better year, but I knew how it would end. I really had little hope, and I was right. Getting rid of Cal was great, but it was not enough.
The Press Conference brought it all into focus. We saw the videos. We saw the old players we loved. We saw the packed crowd of screaming fans. And we remembered how good it was. And we believed it could be that way again.
