Looonnng time reader. The OP finally caused me to sign up and actually post. To be upfront: I was raised in a home that loved UK and hated UofL. I don't know why they were hated, this was during the Clayborn (sp?) years. There was no comparison between the universities or athletics department. Without boring anyone with details about why or how, I started to follow UofL as an underdog program; I began to like them; I began to respect what they were trying to do (become better against every possible odds); and finally I became a huge fan. None of that really matters at all except I think it gives me a prospective to this Q that maybe will help. I believe 100% what am going to share.
Everything above is correct. ADs, coaches, especially. But I also see above (just a bit) and in practically every thread on this board that involves UofL the bigger reason: UK has for generations prefered to mock and belittle UofL rather than face the reality/truth of what was being built down I-64.
I started following UofL when they played in a run down AAA baseball stadium. UK had just moved into new opportunity at CWS. over the next 30 years (or more I don't even know any longer) UK did literally nothing to try and advance itself in any way. As long as basketball was good there was NO effort to be better at anything, and certainly not football.
UofL on the otherhand 1st considered dropping FB, and then, deciding to keep it, also decided to build something it could not afford, had no experience in, and had no foundation for. They invested into an impossible dream, for the long haul.
To go back to the mid 80s when Bill Olsen set his sights on Howard is not just to look at someone with vision or passion, it's to face what appeared to be the impossible and pursue the impossible.
I was a student at Miami when UofL set its sights on Howard. He was larger then life in South Florida, and here I am watching tv from my dorm as Howard gets off the plane in Louisville as it become apparent he's going to take the UofL job. I was flabbergasted. That wasn't just a great hire, that was vision that exceed ability, but it was only that type of vision that would pull UofL out of the trash heap of history.
The same is true when they went after TJ. He was known at the time to be the brightest young AD in the country at CSU. No way he takes the job. He said "no" and UofL would not accept that "no". Leaders from the city and university sold a man who believes in impossible visions their own impossible vision for UofL. He finally said "yes".
The list goes on. No way they could get a new stadium. But the fans raised the money. No way they could turn gravel parking lots into among the very finest athletic facilities in the entire country. But they kept finding a way. No way they could replace Howard. TJ removed coaches that couldn't believe in the impossible. He hired John L. He hired Rick. He believed UofL could be the greatest athletic department in the country, just like Howard was sure UofL would win a NC.
But this isn't the real answer to the OP's question. It's not nearly so much what UofL did (frankly, as incredible as it is) it's what UK, empowered by its fans, did in response - nothing. No,actually worse than nothing. For 30 years UKs response has been to mock "little brother", to promise that as soon as "________" graduates everything will return to normal, that the pizza pit is a joke, that Rick will leave next year, that TJ would leave next year, the excuses continue all the way to today - "thugs" (everybody); "we're better than them"; "we do things the right way"; "id rather lose then be like the line beards". Etc etc etc. You can mock them if you want, but their trajectory is full steam ahead....
UK fans don't get it - UofL fans laugh at the "little brother" rhetoric. They see that while UK fans and administration was busy laughing, they were building something that was impossible. Having built it literally from the ground up has instilled a pride and belief that UK don't have access to understand. It's the type of belief that will carry UofL even further into the future.
Now, all these years later, Little Brother has a $100M budget, soon the largest stadium in KY, is a member of the ACC, is #3 in the country. All while UK laughed and mocked and did nothing.
The best thing that could happen to UK is for UofL to not just beat UK on the field, but blast onto the national scene. Maybe now UK will stop mocking and start building. But one word of advice - a lot of people on here act like all it will take is one great hire. Nope, in strange way, UK is where UofL was 30 years ago. One great hire will bring an impossible vision that might take 30 years to achieve. It's hard work. But it's absolutely worth it.
