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You Might Want to Sit Down For This One

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What if instead he said "My goal was to get a top 10% student APR for our basketball program". Would you say "It's not about graduating students it's about winning and hanging banners." No difference at all.
 
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What he said is fine to me. Works both ways.
There are plenty of people who could care less about what happens to the players in the future also. They just care about winning a title and the players are just tools to accomplish that.

Well, getting 8 players into the NBA is one thing, but ensuring that they have the skills to stay is another. Make excuses all you want, but Cal's comments do make UK appear to be nothing more than NBA farm team.
 
Amazes me how so many people don't see the big picture and how Calipari is ALWAYS thinking about it. Plus you're just a fool if you think Cal actually believes this.[/QUOTE

I don't recall exactly what he said but in the past he said that if we won the national championship and none of his players got drafted he would consider the season a failure or he would be dissapointed. It was one of the two in some context. I think he cares for both however, I would say about 60-40 or 65-35 on putting players into the league over winning the title.
 
The purpose of the University of Kentucky is to prepare it's students to be successful in their chosen profession. You would be hard pressed to find one professor in the history of UK who has lived up to that mission as well as Cal has.
 
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Also, elite prospects today don't give 2 shits about tradition. Only you do and I'm assuming you're not a 17 year old elite basketball prospect.

You are correct. Elite prospects have been conditioned to not give a crap about UK's tradition. Tradition is the reason why they go to Duke, KU, UNC, etc. They were coming to UK because they once believed UK was their fastest track to the NBA, maybe not so much anymore.
 
I know that a lot of people are not going to believe it but there is a lot of coaches out there that if you paid them 8 million a year could and would come to UK and do just as well as Calipari. The effect you have been seeing the past several years is because of a marriage of a very good coach and the all time winningest program in basketball history. It is my opinion that there is plenty of coaches that could do what Calipari has done at UK if they were at UK. Heck maybe even better and win the NC when they get to the final four. I out of five or six is not setting the world on fire. I have always been a believer that talent can get you to the final four but coaching wins it because the talent is about even when you get there.

Jeez you people have swallowed Caliparis hype hook line and sinker and put him on a pedestal.

Dude, you are absolutely ridiculous. I hope to God you are not a real UK fan with the numerous asinine things you have said the last few days.
 
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Lets see some names then, if there are so many coaches out there that can make 4 final four appearances, and two championship apprearances, and a title, in 6 years it shouldn't be hard to give some examples. The only guy I would consider is K and he's not leaving Duke without paying him a ridiculous amount of money.

He won't respond. He has been spewing this same BS in numerous threads.
 
To some
Of the older posters on the board. Is this how the legion of doom started?
 
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Well, getting 8 players into the NBA is one thing, but ensuring that they have the skills to stay is another. Make excuses all you want, but Cal's comments do make UK appear to be nothing more than NBA farm team.
We are an NBA farm team but I can live with it as long as we win and the program stays out of trouble.I don't believe in 'players first' mantra Cal is preaching because I think the program is bigger than any player or coach.Always has been and always will be.
 
To me I think there are alot of fans that takes these statements wrong by Coach Cal. We know that from the beginning of the season and even in the Bahamas that this team had a team goal to win a Championship this year. If you watched the post-game and even a few days after the Wisconsin Coach Cal was extremely upset along with the players that we had went 38-0 and was that close to go undefeated 40-0 and win a National Championship. When these boys started at beginning of year there was discussions on going undefeated and winning a National Championship at 40-0! I believe that Coach Cal knows right now is a critical recruiting time for 2016 and even 2017 and throwing this statemet out there right now just helps our recruiting for 2016 & 2017. We are still looking at a couple of boys for 2015 so this statement only helps us in our recruiting efforts. Cal wants to win the SEC each year and head into the Tourney at a 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA tourney and get back to the Final Four for another possile National Championship!
 
We are an NBA farm team but I can live with it as long as we win and the program stays out of trouble.I don't believe in 'players first' mantra Cal is preaching because I think the program is bigger than any player or coach.Always has been and always will be.

Program is not jack without the good players it has had over the years. It is a stupid game to you and me, this is their lives. I'm not sure why that is so hard to understand. Whether they come here for the education and a chance to play at UK or they come here to play for Coach Cal and UK at the IT program right now in terms of wanting to go to for most people, and to get to the pros in a year or two...it is about the players achieving their dreams of playing professionally or getting a good job for a nice career outside of basketball.
 
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Program is not jack without the good players it has had over the years. It is a stupid game to you and me, this is their lives. I'm not sure why that is so hard to understand. Whether they come here for the education and a chance to play at UK or they come here to play for Coach Cal and UK at the IT program right now in terms of wanting to go to for most people, and to get to the pros in a year or two...it is about the players achieving their dreams of playing professionally or getting a good job for a nice career outside of basketball.
Hey I get that.They want to chase their dreams and make millions in the NBA I'm all for it.They want to graduate and become successful businessmen I'm all for that BUT while they wear that Kentucky jersey,I expect them to be at their best for the program and to put their best effort on the court.UK basketball is a business.The University reaps the benefits,the coaching staff reaps the benefits and the players reap the benefits.As a fan,I reap the benefits when they win games and stay out of trouble.All I ask is that we win and I have no problem with Cal.He is winning and the program is in good shape.It is not just a stupid game to me.I pay ALOT of money for those freakin tickets and I expect and demand a winner.Thus far I'm satisfied.If Cal wants to piss some fans off by making stupid ass statements about draft picks being top priority then that's between the fan pissed and Calipari.I doubt he gives a shit.
 
I wonder what people imagined a "Players First" program might be.
Cal's statements are blatantly foolish. They tarnish the University. They tarnish our rich tradition and history. They play directly into the hands of those that label us as nothing more than a feeder system to the NBA. Cal's job is not just to recruit and coach basketball. He's been handed a torch that is incredibly important to the very fiber of all Kentuckians as we take tremendous pride in our program. I think if Cal objectively weighs the gain in recruiting he makes by issuing these kinds of statements against the damage it does to the image of our University then he should conclude that it just isn't worth it. He could have talked about the great job the athletes did in the classroom and he could more often pay homage to the very tradition he seems to think just isn't that useful to him.

[Cynical Rant On]

The English perfected the university and Oxbridge thrived until WW1 or so when the collapse of the class system killed off the gentleman scholar. WW2 finished it off when education became a reward for soldiers -- they needed to be re-trained to fit into the world that their sacrifice made possible. The university became a feeder system for The Economy. That proved untenable as a model. Now, it's a scam to engorge money lenders.

Inter-collegiate athletics tarnish universities. Huge expensive expanses of dorm rooms that turn schools into landlords tarnish universities. The concept of university as trade school tarnishes universities. Endowment funds that enrich the money managers tarnish universities. And on and on. What doesn't tarnish universities? Is it even possible to tarnish them anymore?


[/Cynical Rant Off]
 
To some
Of the older posters on the board. Is this how the legion of doom started?

Some of the same names. Similar IQ. Much smaller group.

If team has a good year, they'll crawl back to their holes. If not, then there will be a dazzling display of arm chair division 1 coaching on display fueled by hours of guzzled beer.

I guess a seven page thread along with some smaller ones were insufficient to fully illustrate a profound ignorance of coach speak.
 
I have no problem with his statement. It is fir recruiting. If you don't understand that, you are lost and you just need to take a break from UK basketball until cal retires. He cares about winning, he loves our fans, and wants to be the greatest coach in UK history.
 
I know that a lot of people are not going to believe it but there is a lot of coaches out there that if you paid them 8 million a year could and would come to UK and do just as well as Calipari. The effect you have been seeing the past several years is because of a marriage of a very good coach and the all time winningest program in basketball history. It is my opinion that there is plenty of coaches that could do what Calipari has done at UK if they were at UK. Heck maybe even better and win the NC when they get to the final four. I out of five or six is not setting the world on fire. I have always been a believer that talent can get you to the final four but coaching wins it because the talent is about even when you get there.

Jeez you people have swallowed Caliparis hype hook line and sinker and put him on a pedestal.
Everybody else has already pointed out how laughably bad this post is, but I'd like to ask if 4 out of 5 Final Fours with a title "isn't setting the world on fire", then would you please list for me all the times it's been done before, and by which coaches? The list isn't very long, so I'm not asking much.
 
I want a coach whose priority is to win National Championships for UK.
Tubby and BCG's priority was to win National Championships for UK. Let's get one of them back.


I shouldn't be, but I am amazed at how dull a portion of our fan base is.
 
You are correct. Elite prospects have been conditioned to not give a crap about UK's tradition. Tradition is the reason why they go to Duke, KU, UNC, etc. They were coming to UK because they once believed UK was their fastest track to the NBA, maybe not so much anymore.


I am so surprised to see you complaining about Cal (again)...

Duke, UNC, KU all have better tradition than UK... no kids go there for the coach, the big stage, and media attention... :rolleyes:
 
I want a coach whose priority is to win National Championships for UK.


And if Cal would have said that would our record be better?

BCG's priority was just that...let him coach your team.

Mindless...
 
Everybody else has already pointed out how laughably bad this post is, but I'd like to ask if 4 out of 5 Final Fours with a title "isn't setting the world on fire", then would you please list for me all the times it's been done before, and by which coaches? The list isn't very long, so I'm not asking much.


C1180 has been trolling for almost 15 years now man... he's a professional.
 
Everybody else has already pointed out how laughably bad this post is, but I'd like to ask if 4 out of 5 Final Fours with a title "isn't setting the world on fire", then would you please list for me all the times it's been done before, and by which coaches? The list isn't very long, so I'm not asking much.

No no, JK, I believe him. No doubt these stealth coaches were discovered over long years spent on the pine while accumulating 100s of wins.

<Snort>
 
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Cal is a wonderful recruiter and he is by far my favorite UK coach of all time. I understand he is a master salesman and is constantly working on his image that he is projecting out to the recruits and tailors his words and actions accordingly. I am not blind to what his intentions are when he speaks publicly.

That said, Cal does represent the University and the fans. When me makes statements like the infamous "this is the greatest day in UK history" and "our goal is to get 8 guys drafted not win the national championship" those reflect on the priorities of the University and how it is perceived as an institution and the values of the Big Blue Nation.

Cal's statements are blatantly foolish. They tarnish the University. They tarnish our rich tradition and history. They play directly into the hands of those that label us as nothing more than a feeder system to the NBA. Cal's job is not just to recruit and coach basketball. He's been handed a torch that is incredibly important to the very fiber of all Kentuckians as we take tremendous pride in our program. I think if Cal objectively weighs the gain in recruiting he makes by issuing these kinds of statements against the damage it does to the image of our University then he should conclude that it just isn't worth it. He could have talked about the great job the athletes did in the classroom and he could more often pay homage to the very tradition he seems to think just isn't that useful to him.

Save these remarks for your in-homes. To the recruits. In your public statements be more aware of the tremendous pride people have for the University and the program in this state. Don't sell every last shred of our dignity so cheaply.
What DON'T you understand about the goal being getting MULTIPLE college players ready to go to the NBA by the end of the year? Don't you think a team with that kind of talent has the BEST CHANCE to COMPETE for a NATIONAL TITLE? And don't you think Cal knows that a bunch of DIRTY REFS can influence FINAL FOUR games REGARDLESS of the talent of a single team? Until the NCAA (or better yet, whatever organization we get to REPLACE them) puts in place an evaluation of refs like the NBA that PENALIZES poor ones (lower pay/fewer games/suspensions/firings) and REWARDS great ones (higher pay/more games/playoffs) there is NO TEAM whose goal of being NATIONAL CHAMP is realistic because of inconsistent/incompetent refs!
 
The guy is a used car salesman. Anyone who doesn't realize this by now has had their head up their butt the last six years. He is willing to say anything it takes to get the desired result. You should realize who he is trying to influence and enjoy all of the success he's brought you.
 
Do you want a boss who just wants to make money off of you?
Do you want a boss who expects you to come to work on time? Do you want a boss who wants to lose money? Tell me one boss who doesn't expect you to make money for the company so you can keep your job?

You must be a democrat or a government worker.
 
Do you want a boss who expects you to come to work on time? Do you want a boss who wants to lose money? Tell me one boss who doesn't expect you to make money for the company so you can keep your job?

You must be a democrat or a government worker.


Do you want a boss who openly says his number one goal is to make money off you?

You must be a right wing nut bag. See , I can play that game too.
 
I am so surprised to see you complaining about Cal (again)...

Duke, UNC, KU all have better tradition than UK... no kids go there for the coach, the big stage, and media attention... :rolleyes:

I am not surprised to see you hanging on his sack again.
 
Brianpoe, no offense as I'm trying to be funny, but you have so many "likes" in this thread when someone posts anything pro cal, it makes me wonder if your head is so far up his butt, he has to fart just for you to breath. It is actually healthy to hold people to task, to be critical. Unless they are egomaniacs, it usually makes them better. There is one irrefutable fact. Cal was hired to win championships. None of his bonus payments are tied to getting guys into the league. None of my great memories over the past 37 years have anything to do with draft day. I take pride in our pros, but my goal is simple, win championships. I do fully believe Cal is far more interested in his "progeny" than he is our history. I think he has it backwards. People tend to chase the goals they cherish. How many NC's has Cal sad he wants before he leaves UK? I know he wants his players to earn 3 billion but I have no idea what his NC goal is. Cal is not our program, the players are not our program. We, the most rabid fan base in sports, we are the program. I wish Cal would worry about that more and how many draft picks he has on the team less.
 
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Well, getting 8 players into the NBA is one thing, but ensuring that they have the skills to stay is another. Make excuses all you want, but Cal's comments do make UK appear to be nothing more than NBA farm team.

Now that's just wrong. This whole mess is caused by the draft and eligibility rules sponsored by the NBA and the players union. The NCAA is the NBA farm team and they passively fulfill that role. Only the uninformed and those with an anti-UK agenda would place the blame at Calipari's feet. UK fans fostering this travesty only serves to perpetuate the ignorance and agenda's of those like Tipton.

As far as assurances that the recruit is or is not ready to stick in the NBA is the fault of potential based recruiting. The college coach is not the one offering millions to children. The NBA is certainly not interested in whether the college program certifies the kid as ready.
 
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Hey I get that.They want to chase their dreams and make millions in the NBA I'm all for it.They want to graduate and become successful businessmen I'm all for that BUT while they wear that Kentucky jersey,I expect them to be at their best for the program and to put their best effort on the court.UK basketball is a business.The University reaps the benefits,the coaching staff reaps the benefits and the players reap the benefits.As a fan,I reap the benefits when they win games and stay out of trouble.All I ask is that we win and I have no problem with Cal.He is winning and the program is in good shape.It is not just a stupid game to me.I pay ALOT of money for those freakin tickets and I expect and demand a winner.Thus far I'm satisfied.If Cal wants to piss some fans off by making stupid ass statements about draft picks being top priority then that's between the fan pissed and Calipari.I doubt he gives a shit.

It's a stupid game in terms of relevance compared to the lives of people...that was my point.

And these players are at their best for the program and put the best effort on the court...so I'm not even sure why we are having this convo. In fact, Cal's teams have given more effort than most teams in UK history post Rupp dynasty era from 48-58 if you measure that by winning.
 
Brianpoe, no offense as I'm trying to be funny, but you have so many "likes" in this thread when someone posts anything pro cal, it makes me wonder if your head is so far up his butt, he has to fart just for you to breath. It is actually healthy to hold people to task, to be critical. Unless they are egomaniacs, it usually makes them better. There is one irrefutable fact. Cal was hired to win championships. None of his bonus payments are tied to getting guys into the league. None of my great memories over the past 37 years have anything to do with draft day. I take pride in our pros, but my goal is simple, win championships. I do fully believe Cal is far more interested in his "progeny" than he is our history. I think he has it backwards. People tend to chase the goals they cherish. How many NC's has Cal sad he wants before he leaves UK? I know he wants his players to earn 3 billion but I have no idea what his NC goal is. Cal is not our program, the players are not our program. We, the most rabid fan base in sports, we are the program. I wish Cal would worry about that more and how many draft picks he has on the team less.

You are stating exactly the problem. As fans, our number one priority or goal is winning national championships. It isn't Cal's, and that's OK. Make no mistake he wants to win, and tries his best to do so. So what it really boils down to is that fans like you are upset that Cal's priorities aren't the same as yours. You as a fan, however, get what you want regardless of whether his priorities are the same as yours or not. And yes, getting to 4 final fours, 2 championship games and 1 title in 6 years is exactly what the fans want. What difference does it make what Cals motivation is? people are acting like Cal is openly sacrificing titles for draft picks. He's not.
 
It's a stupid game in terms of relevance compared to the lives of people...that was my point.

And these players are at their best for the program and put the best effort on the court...so I'm not even sure why we are having this convo. In fact, Cal's teams have given more effort than most teams in UK history post Rupp dynasty era from 48-58 if you measure that by winning.
No arguments here at all.For me,I'm vey proud of the grade point average by our kids.When you factor in that our turnover rate is going to be high every season,keeping the kids focused on academics and keeping us from being penalized for a poor APR is an accomplishment.
 
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