Feinstein Responds to Bozich

[.S&C.]

And also I can't wait until Duke and their bandwagon fanbase sees what reality like when you have to win without your builder. Try being Duke instead of University of coach K. There will come a day when 18 years old recruits don't know who he is and don't care. Ask indiana how well Bob Knights recruits for them today.

And in any event if UK wins the title this year, that will be 4 titles for Duke and 4 titles for UK since Dukes imaginary cut off line at 1992. And we've had the more success going on 6 years coming up.

Couple that with our imaginary cut off line of never, and I'd say we are easily everyone's Super Bowl more so than Duke.

Clown.

 

[KMKAT]

Originally posted by musrat59:

Feinstein is no Einstein.

He also officially proclaimed that no one is saying his name right, like Joe Theeeseman.

 

[Joneslab]

Originally posted by uk78:
Actually, I felt he was being pretty honest on the things he dislikes about Kentucky.

Then talk about that.

But don't use your dislike for the one-and-done thing to build your argument for why Virginia is #1.

 

[MWes11]

57s57 seconds ago
John Feinstein will be on KSR Radio tomorrow morning to explain why he votes UVA #1 over Kentucky
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[bluinbville]

The problem is not so much JF reply as Bozo's original column. His justification for UK over OVA as #1 has next to nothing to do with what happens on the court. This allows the Bobby Knight worshipping JF maneuvering room to say what he wants.

BTW, JF's golf books are pretty good reads.

 

[Jkwo]

There are no winners here. Bozich's article was really, really, really weak.

There are great arguments for why UK and UVA are not in the same universe - bring up the historical data, the win margins against like competition, etc. UK is head and shoulders better than anybody in a long, long time to this point - But Feinstein is right that past draft picks have nothing to do with these two teams comparatively.



And Feinstein is also a transparent anti-UK lunatic. And that's fine, on his own time. But it affects his work. You can be objective and point out UK's flaws and problems in history while still giving them a fair shake - many writers do. He does not. He goes out of his way to take shots. What does the UTEP game have to do with any of this? Nothing. He's got an agenda.

 

[CHAMPCAT11]

I could handle his UVA vote if he made valid points about his reasoning. But Kentucky could go 40-0 and beat UVA in the final game by 50 points and if he wrote an article about the game he would find a way to discredit UK. Hell, UK could go undefeated for two seasons and he'd still spew hate about UK. I'm kind of old to use the term 'haters gonna hate' but in this case it's so true. Some people in this world are just ass holes. John Feinstein is one of those ass holes.

P.S.- I wanted to add that I think UVA is really good and they have a good coach. But to say that their overall body of work is as good or better than UK's is a joke.

 

[BoulderCat]

I really don't have any issue's with how he votes, it is a poll. He's entitled to his opinion. Or much of what he said. I also don't believe the number of guys you have drafted is relevant except that it's obviously helping Cal continue to sign some of the best player's in each class, and produce great, winning teams. My measure of UK's success is how many games they win, whether they win the SEC, and whether they win the national title. I'm happy for the young men who go on to play in the NBA, but it's not how I measure our success.

What I do take issue with is his saying UK's players don't go to school. We know this simply is not the case. How people continue to say this without being called on it is beyond me, especially such a nationally respected journalist. I assume UK's PR guy cannot send copies of the player's transcripts as that would be a privacy violation, but I'm sick and tired of someone at UK not calling guys like this on their statements. I wish guys like John Wall and Brandon Knight would send him their transcripts that showed they not only went to class, but excelled. Same for Alex. Then if he claims those aren't valid he would be questioning the integrity of the University which I except UK would respond to.

 

[DrH. Lecter]

He never actually explained why he voted UVA #1. Just a rebuttal of Bozilch's list of why UK should be #1. That list, other than the times scoring over 80 points (at least a basis for comparing teams)...is the reason to vote a PROGRAM #1 rather than a team for this season.

But clearly FrankenFeinstein is a Dookie UK hater who does not need an excuse to vote against us.

 

[ukalum]

Originally posted by BoulderCat:
I really don't have any issue's with how he votes, it is a poll. He's entitled to his opinion. Or much of what he said. I also don't believe the number of guys you have drafted is relevant except that it's obviously helping Cal continue to sign some of the best player's in each class, and produce great, winning teams. My measure of UK's success is how many games they win, whether they win the SEC, and whether they win the national title. I'm happy for the young men who go on to play in the NBA, but it's not how I measure our success.

What I do take issue with is his saying UK's players don't go to school. We know this simply is not the case. How people continue to say this without being called on it is beyond me, especially such a nationally respected journalist. I assume UK's PR guy cannot send copies of the player's transcripts as that would be a privacy violation, but I'm sick and tired of someone at UK not calling guys like this on their statements. I wish guys like John Wall and Brandon Knight would send him their transcripts that showed they not only went to class, but excelled. Same for Alex. Then if he claims those aren't valid he would be questioning the integrity of the University which I except UK would respond to.

I think Feinstein differentiates between attending class while there, versus going to school there. I interpreted "going to school " means going until you get a degree. The clue was when he said "please don't tell me Kyrie Irving is a Duke alumnus. He never said UK players don't go to class, as did Bobby Knight.
This post was edited on 1/28 5:51 PM by ukalum

 

[O'boro Cat]

I'll save everyone the trouble of reading that article. Here is what he said in one sentence,

"I don't care what you racist hicks think."

 

[TBCat]

Originally posted by Joneslab:

1. The times each program has been called everybody's Super Bowl; 2. The number of McDonald's all-Americans on each team; 3. The NBA Draft picks each school has produced the last four seasons; 4. Famous recruiting tussles between the teams and 5. How many times each team has scored 80 or more this season.


Somebody sent a link to the story to Feinstein, a guy I respect immensely and have known for more than three decades.

John sent me an e-mail with comments about the story on Wednesday morning. He said I could share it at WDRB.com.


Here is his response:


"Hey, Rick - Someone just sent me your Kentucky-UVa column. I'm honestly not sure why anyone in Kentucky CARES that I've voted UVA #1 the last three weeks, except I guess that it's me and I'm evil incarnate.


I'm guessing if the kid in Indy (Zach Osterman of the Indy Star) had voted UVA #1 this week instead of me it would have barely been noticed. I gotta say your five points are pretty much EXACTLY why I've voted for UVA!


1. Everybody's Super Bowl. If that's the criteria, then Duke has to be #1 every week since 1992 regardless of record...


2. McDonald's All Americans. Really? Who cares? I admire teams that win without McD AA's, who are often determined by who they sign with -- as in Kentucky, Duke, UNC. JOEY BEARD was a McDonald's All American. Joe Smith was not. There are a hundred like examples...


3. NBA draft picks? How in the world is that relevant to THIS season? And, again I love teams that win with great college players. No one did that better than (former Indiana coach Bob) Knight. How many future NBA All-Stars played for U-Conn last year? But they WON...


4. Recruiting battles? (UK coach John) Calipari recruits one-and-dones who are passing through Kentucky not going to school there. I feel the same way, BTW, about the one-and-dones at Duke (Feinstein is a Duke grad). Please don't tell me that Kyrie Irving is a "Duke alumnus." Most of Bennett's players will stay 3 or 4 years and graduate. I prefer his style but both apparently work....


5. Scoring 80 points or more? Bennett's style is 100 percent opposite that. It may not be pretty--Kentucky this year ain't exactly pretty either--but it works and HAS worked for years."


One thing more. John wasn't finished. He is not happy that that UTEP-Kentucky game might not be played next season, 50 years after Texas Western's landmark victory over Adolph Rupp and the Wildcats in the 1966 NCAA title game that was played in College Park, Md.


Texas Western was the first NCAA champ to start five African-Americans, defeating a Kentucky program that had yet to integrate. He added this:


"Far more relevant is Kentucky's refusal to play UTEP on the 50th anniversary of the most important college game ever played. Kentucky people always yammer about how Rupp was unfairly cast as a racist, villain. Fine, let's play the game and let the story be told from BOTH sides. THAT matters, not my stupid vote in the AP poll…"

This is why I can't stand Matt Jones and his attempt to interview people that don't vote for UK. What does he really think he is accomplishing? Why give air time to stupiditiy and this reasoning is stupid.

None of this states why Virginia should be #1 or why they are better than UK. He is just stating that he doesn't like UK which we get. His rational of not giving it to UK because we recruit All Americans instead of real college players. I challenge him to be consistent about this point during football season and refuse to make Alabama, LSU, Ohio State or Auburn #1. We already know he won't do that.

His last part has nothing to do with why he refuses to vote for UK but shows his arrogant elitism. Why should UK play Texas Western. What difference would it make? Texas Western isn't relevant anymore. The only reason to play the game would be to give snobs like Feinstien a pedestal to preach at us. This stupid remark proves what I have stated all along. The North Eastern media have no intention of letting UK play that game without writing endless numbers of "tisk, tisk Kentucky" stories. Stating that Kentucky fans always "yammer" about Rupp being treated unfarily so let's play the game. Well explain to me what playing the game would do shut the Feinsteins of the world up. If we win would that prove anything? The only story they would write would be to hammer UK and for that we are to accept a meaningless game against an irrelevant opponent. UK would be stupid to ever play that game. There is nothing we could do to come out looking good and clearly the likes of Feinstein are just itching for a forum to drag Rupp's name through the mud. And it would a PR disaster for UK if for some reason we lose that game.

 

[WeWant9]

Skimming that made me realize why I just stay away from pretty much all sports media these days. I didn't really see any point he made as to why he's voting for UVA over UK. It was just him saying he likes how UVAs program is ran, and the typical bs of UK players not going to school. We get it, you don't like the OND era but here you are still reporting on college basketball. I would have a lot more respect for these clowns if they just straight up came out and said I despise and hate UK basketball. Instead they pussy foot around it and throw little sophomoric barbs at UK and then try to act like they are being unbiased. They then scold the UK fans as ignorant hicks when they get called out for their little digs and don't present facts.

Also, who really cares about a game against Utep. I mean seriously, a team who has done absolutely nothing in the past 25 years should just be given a game against UK. How in the world would us playing 50 years later let us tell the story of Rupp. The media has already painted him as a racist, you really think they'd try and change the story or let UK have any say on who he actually was? I really see nothing to be gained from the game.

 

[Levibooty]

"Far more relevant is Kentucky's refusal to play UTEP on the 50th anniversary of the most important college game ever played. Kentucky people always yammer about how Rupp was unfairly cast as a racist, villain. Fine, let's play the game and let the story be told from BOTH sides. THAT matters, not my stupid vote in the AP poll…"

It matters to Feinstein because he could once again besmirch a dead mans reputation with false accusations that have been countered by the very people that were actually there and played for Rupp. It doesn't matter to Feinstein what the truth is just that he again could have a chance to peddle his filthy bile.

If there are two sides to the story as he says, then he is on the side that lies, the side Satan practices his evil tricks.

 

[G-PIP]

Originally posted by TheFolker:
""Far more relevant is Kentucky's refusal to play UTEP on
the 50th anniversary of the most important college game ever played.
Kentucky people always yammer about how Rupp was unfairly cast as a
racist, villain. Fine, let's play the game and let the story be told
from BOTH sides. THAT matters, not my stupid vote in the AP poll…"

How about let's let Duke play them since their team was just as white as ours in 1966?

Agree completely. It's not fair to single out UK and lay all that abhorrent racism that existed then on UK. Practically every major college was guilty - and it's not even really the colleges' fault since the policies were dictated by racist POS politicians and decision makers.

If Texas Western winning that game accelerated the demise of the evil system that existed, then I'm glad they won. But it's not fair to try to lay the burden of that shame all on UK, and it never was.

 

[BoulderCat]

Originally posted by ukalum:

Originally posted by BoulderCat:
I really don't have any issue's with how he votes, it is a poll. He's entitled to his opinion. Or much of what he said. I also don't believe the number of guys you have drafted is relevant except that it's obviously helping Cal continue to sign some of the best player's in each class, and produce great, winning teams. My measure of UK's success is how many games they win, whether they win the SEC, and whether they win the national title. I'm happy for the young men who go on to play in the NBA, but it's not how I measure our success.

What I do take issue with is his saying UK's players don't go to school. We know this simply is not the case. How people continue to say this without being called on it is beyond me, especially such a nationally respected journalist. I assume UK's PR guy cannot send copies of the player's transcripts as that would be a privacy violation, but I'm sick and tired of someone at UK not calling guys like this on their statements. I wish guys like John Wall and Brandon Knight would send him their transcripts that showed they not only went to class, but excelled. Same for Alex. Then if he claims those aren't valid he would be questioning the integrity of the University which I except UK would respond to.

I think Feinstein differentiates between attending class while there, versus going to school there. I interpreted "going to school " means going until you get a degree. The clue was when he said "please don't tell me Kyrie Irving is a Duke alumnus. He never said UK players don't go to class, as did Bobby Knight.

This post was edited on 1/28 5:51 PM by ukalum

If that's what he meant, fair enough. Funny though I don't recall seeing many/any statements from him about UNC player's getting degree's and majoring in something that didn't require them to go to class. I guess it's OK with him not to go to class as long as your working towards a degree in a discipline that doesn't require classes, just one paper a lot of middle school student's could probably write.

 

[preacherfan]

If that's what he meant, fair enough. Funny though I don't recall seeing many/any statements from him about UNC player's getting degree's and majoring in something that didn't require them to go to class. I guess it's OK with him not to go to class as long as your working towards a degree in a discipline that doesn't require classes, just one paper a lot of middle school student's could probably write.

Feinstein has been critical of UNC** in the past. I recall him talking about how Dean Smyth had students dragging Sheed Wallace to class trying to keep him eligible.

I would like to hear his take on the current situation at UNC***.

 

[Kampus Korner]

For a guy supposedly intelligent as John Feinstein, his comments to Bozich are a non sequitur. Were he in freshman English class, his response would be given a C- and a direction to rewrite it. Feinstein, of course, has despised the University of Kentucky basketball program for years. It is glaringy obvious that his animus towards UK is so intense that it causes him to abandon his otherwise persuasive writing skills. He embraces UK fan criticism as a "Red Badge of Courage". He takes great delight in kibbitzing with his fellow UK haters as they arrogantly dismiss most UK fans as a mix of Cro Magnon's and Neanderthals. His condescending tone is repugnant to basic civility. He is what he is, a passionate Duke fan who is eat up with jealousy about the success of John Calipari and UK

 

[bigbluefattycat]

As I sit here just as pissed as the next poster at Feinstein I have to ask the simple question:

If you were a media member with a vote and Duke was 19-0 with their 9 McD's along with an undefeated SEC team let's say last years' Florida team at 19-0. Who would you vote for #1?

That's right you laying smack down on Duke and loving it!

Your rational would be. "I still hate Laetner". Damn right. Eat it Feinstein.

The difference is we shouldn't have a vote and the way Feinstein is voting he shouldn't either.

 

[Blue Bigfoot]

This is what happens when you give a vote to a emotionally stunted, pseudo-elitist. It isn't about the best ball team you see, it's about how they make him FEEL, so has to be a Miss Congeniality contest. Virginia is "Doing it the right way," while that team of Mercenaries in that low rent, Podunk, racist hick state, are ruining the integrity of the game.

It's going to be interesting to see what he does with his vote, after Virginia is the first to break their undefeated streak (and they will be). Will this intellectually dishonest Child change his vote to Duke or Gonzaga?

 

[3rex]

Why do we, or Matt Jones, care so much about who dares not vote for us? Seems to make us look a little petty, in my opinion.

 

[YouKay]

What a whiny baby loser Feinstein is. I'm just surprised he didn't figure out a way to throw in the "$10,000 in an Emery envelope" garbage he usually does when he writes about UK. He's a sick bastard who has never gotten over 1978.

So he doesn't like one and dones? Does he have a clue that before Alex Poythress was hurt UK was starting two juniors, two sophomores, and a freshman? I'll bet he doesn't even know their names, or the names of UVA's starters.

 

[UKYcat1865]

Originally posted by 3rex:
Why do we, or Matt Jones, care so much about who dares not vote for us? Seems to make us look a little petty, in my opinion.

So you think Matt Jones interviewing the 65 out of 66 that voted UK #1 would make for more interesting sports talk radio?

 

[83Cat]

Originally posted by Desperado_1955:
I think this sumbitch should just be ignored, including his little paltry vote. Going on and on about it only gives him a platform to let his ish spew out of his mouth.

I agree completely.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Matt Jones is going to have him on Thursday. I think that is a mistake...the guy is a troll, but Matt knows how to get the ratings in there. He will softball Feinstein for the most part, and then trash him when he gets off the phone. I hope I'm wrong, be a man and tell that jerk to his "face" how stupid he is MJ.

 

[Kampus Korner]

Originally posted by UKWildcats#8:
Matt Jones is going to have him on Thursday. I think that is a mistake...the guy is a troll, but Matt knows how to get the ratings in there. He will softball Feinstein for the most part, and then trash him when he gets off the phone. I hope I'm wrong, be a man and tell that jerk to his "face" how stupid he is MJ.

Agreed. For all of the bravado he woofs about before interviewing a UK hater, Matt Jones generally "spits out the bit" when he actually interviews someone well known who hates UK. Then, as you point out, Matt returns to eviscerating the guy after the interview is finished.

 

[FFWhite]

What does any of this do with who has the best team. Feinstein has proved to be voting based on reasons other than who is the best team. Same as voting for UVA because they have prettier uniforms. He is voting a protest vote. He is a rebel without a cause(clue).

 

[JPScott]

Originally posted by FFWhite:
What does any of this do with who has the best team. Feinstein has proved to be voting based on reasons other than who is the best team. Same as voting for UVA because they have prettier uniforms. He is voting a protest vote. He is a rebel without a cause(clue).

Exactly.

Not only that, but Feinstein's typical response is 'why do you care so much'?

The response to this is if Feinstein cares so little about taking his responsibility seriously, why should he even have the privilege of voting in the first place? If he is unwilling to defend his pick with actual basketball reasons, then he should give up his vote in favor of someone else who will.

 

[3rex]

Originally posted by UKYcat1865:

Originally posted by 3rex:
Why do we, or Matt Jones, care so much about who dares not vote for us? Seems to make us look a little petty, in my opinion.

So you think Matt Jones interviewing the 65 out of 66 that voted UK #1 would make for more interesting sports talk radio?

lol.....didn't realize those were the only 2 options

doesn't sound like much of a show

 

[Joneslab]

Generally I think the conversation with the guy that didn't vote for Kentucky isn't important, but it is sometimes interesting to hear. Jones had the guy from Indianapolis on last week and that was a pretty good discussion.

This is different. Here Feinstein is firing some shots and taking it into a much different arena. His points don't seem to have to do with Kentucky/Virginia but something "larger," i.e. the way Cal does thing vs. the way Bennett does. Not only does it border on the non sequitur, there's some just bad logic in there.

So to me that's fair game.

People are quick to say, "Who cares?" when this kind of stuff comes up. And I get that. As I said above, part of me is glad there are Feinsteins in the world; Cal uses them to play the "no respect" card. But Feinstein pretty radically moves the goalposts. The polls and AP votes don't matter, but this is something different--and so it's fair game and pretty logical that a fan would take offense at some of that stuff.



This post was edited on 1/29 9:11 AM by Joneslab

 

[3rex]

oh, I agree it could make for some good discussion, depending on who the person is, and how knowledgeable & reasonable he is.
My point was more toward a perception that we are somehow offended if anyone has the nerve to vote for someone else.

Feinstien, or however you spell it, is another story entirely. He has an agenda. It has nothing to do with who he thinks is the number 1 team, which is a problem since that is the whole reason why you supposedly vote.
He pretty much reveals himself in his #4. He hates Cal & the OAD system that he manages to attach Cal to alone, which is crazy since his dukkies have had their share as well.
I wouldn't give him any air time, or even acknowledge him at all. Its just playing into his desire for attention.

I have to say, as a golf fan, I enjoy his books on that subject. Otherwise I could care less what he says, or thinks. or even who he votes for or why.

 

[TankedCat]

Matt Jones should have Dan Kane (if he hasn't already) on one day and then someone from the NCAA on another to talk about the investigation.

I really don't give a flip about Feinstein.

Jones isn't going to do anything with him other than fill up air time with UK listeners (I understand that is his goal but its shooting fish in a barrel)

 

[FiveStarCat]

Breath 1: "Why do you care so much? Sports are too important to you."

Breath 2: "Don't forget to buy my book about sports!"