Is something happening to the competitiveness of the UK basketball fan base
- Thread starter morgousky
- Start date
Some people struggle with the opinions of others, you appear to be one of those people.
So, we have two groups of people, 1 that stands with Calipari and the other half likes Cal, but hates the NBA first system he runs. So basically, the first group are Cal first fans, which is fine, but why does your group feel the need to aggressively attack the UK fans? I don’t see it going the other way, it’s always the Cal fans getting upset and attacking, why?
Nope. I respect other's opinions perfectly. Just not a few people on this board. Different year. Same posts. Carry on.
Post 240 says differently. You listed a bunch of posters, me included, and claimed we're crying. Wtf is that?
I get it, you don’t agree with our takes on the state of the program, but that somehow means we're crying?
You don’t think our concerns have a base at all?
https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/members/kyjeff1.11050/ That's your posting since Richmond. Whatever concerns you might have are drowned out by the incessant whiny nature of your posts. have a good night. Im trying to watch the game.
i am in this crowd and I’m as crazy as some on the board. I know others the same as me, too. I’m not sure your premise is necessarily true.
Honestly I think UK media is having that affect. KSR which is huge in Kentucky, 2 of the 3 are football first fans and Matt likes talking football more the last 3 years. He doesnt have people like Cam Mills or basketball guys on to talk and hype up basketball .unfortunately the media has an impact...
Then you also have the Higgins stuff, and the FBI stuff, looks like we're getting cheated 20 ways to sunday and nothing we can do about it, it seems so passion wains that way too.
Finally the last few years of losing so many 2nd round and undrafted players or transfers.... the one and done is losing its luster a bit every year.
Please tell me you don't really think Gonzo is a great basketball mind. He compared Cam Fletcher to Deandre Hunter. Its the stupidest shit I ever read.
I remember watching games just knowing at any time they would blow the other team out. Go on a 30-4 run, with Cals teams, I feel like I wait till March before I even care because they are all learning the game. Definitely took the excitement away for me.
The Wisconsin loss in 2015 sucked the life out of program and fan base, just an opinion
UK games just don’t bring out the enthusiasm in fans anymore
Call it Cal fatigue if you will
UK games just don’t bring out the enthusiasm in fans anymore
Call it Cal fatigue if you will
Bro the thing is you’re probably the most aggressive, arrogant, intolerant, and unapproachable poster in this thread. Really, everyone else has understood the question and discussed it. You just keep going on and on saying the same shit. Now you’re linking to post histories you don’t like.
Im fine with it. You think we’re all a bunch of assholes. Is it so important we just have to keep hearing it?
Hear this a lot around Lex. Very strange compared to years past that’s for sure.
A poster in another thread just claimed a moral victory against Kansas.
That’s kind of what the OP was about.
Cal better get to changing things quickly. Just sayin, he’s about to have pressure in the next year or two if not.
That’s kind of what the OP was about.
Cal better get to changing things quickly. Just sayin, he’s about to have pressure in the next year or two if not.
22-19 against ranked teams since 2016.
Pretty sure UK paid about 40 million dollars for that result.
Pretty sure UK paid about 40 million dollars for that result.
As I get older, I just don’t get as upset over it like I did in my 20s.
I used to lose sleep over ballgames. Now I’m over it in an hour. It’s no longer life or death.
I still want to win it all every year, but after 12 years I’m used to being dog shit in November and December, better in January; good in February and clicking in March with a chance to win a title.
I used to lose sleep over ballgames. Now I’m over it in an hour. It’s no longer life or death.
I still want to win it all every year, but after 12 years I’m used to being dog shit in November and December, better in January; good in February and clicking in March with a chance to win a title.
I agree completely, it is a choice and a bad one at that. Imo, he doesn’t recruit basketball talent. He recruits athletes, some of whom are not good basketball players. 0 for 10 for 3’s last game and 3 for 20 tonight. That’s 10% and that’s horrible. I watched Gonzaga play. They had 3 players that scored 23 pts. or more in the game I saw. I do follow recruiting somewhat, and I never heard of any of their players being 5 star recruits. I’m now convinced that coaching and player experience is way more important than getting 5 star players who play one year and leave. I agree that players are important and getting to the nba is a life changer for players and their families. I also believe basketball coaches are hired by schools to win games and not be simply a steppingstone for players to get to the nba. Imo, that’s not why Cal is paid $8 million per year by Kentucky. I’m certainly more concerned about the name on the front of the jersey than the names on the back.
It is definitely apathy. Every year is the same old pile of stink and fans are tuning out. Our program was once larger than life. Now it has been reduced to nothing more than a sideshow between NBA drafts. I'm not going to emotionally invest myself in this crap. If the coaches don't care and the kids don't care, why the hell should I care? I didn't watch a single game all last season. And so far I haven't watched a game this season. Nor do I plan to.
I may check in after games to see how things went. I might even open the morning paper from time to time or check box scores. But I'm not interested enough in this damn circus that college basketball has become to follow it with passion like I once did. And that is especially true of UK where the circus act features a hot plate with dancing chickens. Our program has become a joke. Until the culture around UK changes and until we adopt a program first mentality again, then I'm simply not going to give a shit. The crap we've been fed in recent years is not UK basketball. It just isn't. If we're gonna suck anyway, I'd rather do it with 4 year kids with little NBA expectations who actually WANT TO BE HERE and care about something bigger than themselves.
I may check in after games to see how things went. I might even open the morning paper from time to time or check box scores. But I'm not interested enough in this damn circus that college basketball has become to follow it with passion like I once did. And that is especially true of UK where the circus act features a hot plate with dancing chickens. Our program has become a joke. Until the culture around UK changes and until we adopt a program first mentality again, then I'm simply not going to give a shit. The crap we've been fed in recent years is not UK basketball. It just isn't. If we're gonna suck anyway, I'd rather do it with 4 year kids with little NBA expectations who actually WANT TO BE HERE and care about something bigger than themselves.
UK under Cal pre 2016 was unprecedented and as good as it gets. UK post 2016 has been one disappointment after another.
Throw in that Cal's legacy is not about wins, losses, and championships, but about how many players he gets to the NBA, and I think it is very safe to say he has made a lot of old time fans upset. And those fans have been replaced by the everyone gets a trophy generation who thinks Cal is the only one that can coach at UK.
Trust me when I say this, a lot of folks didn't think we would be the same when Rupp, Hall and Pitino left. That was obviously incorrect, and it will also be incorrect to think that when Calipari leaves.
Throw in that Cal's legacy is not about wins, losses, and championships, but about how many players he gets to the NBA, and I think it is very safe to say he has made a lot of old time fans upset. And those fans have been replaced by the everyone gets a trophy generation who thinks Cal is the only one that can coach at UK.
Trust me when I say this, a lot of folks didn't think we would be the same when Rupp, Hall and Pitino left. That was obviously incorrect, and it will also be incorrect to think that when Calipari leaves.
Lol, I just saw on my Alexa screen it said “Polar Bear gets Army promotion” it’s things like this that make me question turning on a TV or turning on the computer anymore to see anything noteworthy.
Not to me, I watch UK basketball not just for three weekends in March, I watch it for every game of the season. Sitting around and not worrying about a team until 1-2 months before the tournament is a waste of a season. We play some of the best teams in November and December, those games mean just as much to me as every game prior to the NCAA tournament.
Oh, its absolutely worth discussing. If I was coming across as dismissive, I apologize.
1.) Apathy is pretty much common across all sports and has finally caught up to UK. When a family of four cannot financially afford to attend a game, the flat screen is the only option. With technology the way it is, it's not a bad one either. However, watching at home will never compare to a live game, I don't care what resolution you are watching. In a way, we have been sold out. You have to see the same thing with baseball.
The 90's were different. There was no YouTube, Netflix, and now Tik Tok competing for your entertainment dollar. There was no Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram clawing for your attention. For better or worse, we only have so much bandwidth.
2.) From a pure leverage standpoint, the lifetime contract was a mistake. However, I don't see the program devolving to the point where that leverage will ever be necessary.
3.) I do not see any better alternatives out there. The risk of another Tubby or Billy Clyde hire is far too great. I don't see Few leaving Gonzaga. Brad Stevens or Billy Donovan leaving the NBA does not appear to be an option. Izzo is probably too old at this point to make a move. Chris Beard seems like the only semi-realistic option and that is placing a ton of faith in a generally unproven commodity. Kenny Payne has ZERO experience.
Who would you prefer to hitch your wagon to, given the known we already have in Cal? The bird in the hand metaphor applies here.
I don't see Cal here for more than 5 years. The job is far too taxing on its own, let alone with the stress of rebuilding every single year. Hopefully there will be a better candidate available to replace him at that point.
I will say when Cal leaves their will good coaches want the job.. always has been , always will be . You just have to Pick the right one .
The bond between player and fan is based on one of two things, which unfortunately are mutually exclusive:
Longevity
Extreme Talent
We have been lacking in both over the past couple of years.
Darius Miller was a Kentucky kid that was here for four years. Were you any more connected to him than you were Anthony Davis? I wasn't, but maybe that is because I live out of state.
It is hard to keep teams straight from year to year when they completely change over all the freaking time. Again why it’s no fun being a fan anymore when the players are simply mercenaries that change out year to year.
This is pretty accurate.
Also, the best freshmen are now going to the G League. Because this is a recent phenomenon, I would expect a pivot, much like Cal has changed his attitude towards transfers.
If he doesn't change, we have a problem.
I will be honest here, and I know a lot of fans will probably rip me. I do love the CATS, but I've been falling off the past few years. I used to listen to every game (WLAP) and get personally invested. I was so upset at the losses, and I defended the team at every turn. I loved coming out her to Rafters and checking out the drama LOL. This board is just AWESOME.
This year, I don't even know whose on the roster. Boston, that's the only guy I know. I forgot they were even playing Kansas last night
Is't a sad state of affairs.
I guess I'm realizing as a 50 year old man, I'm spending WAY too much time worrying about what a bunch of 18 year old kids are doing. I started finding other things to do that were more productive, and my life got more productive.
Then, throw in COVID plus all the, um, political stuff. It's like, they make you feel bad about the past (you can't control), and they make you feel bad about the present. So, when you think of college basketball, you just feel bad and don't want to watch it. It is what it is.
So, I wish the kids and Coach Cal the best in the world. I'll try to catch a game when I can, but I doubt I'll invest myself in it.
That's just my honest feelings. Rip away.
Good luck, CATS!
This year, I don't even know whose on the roster. Boston, that's the only guy I know. I forgot they were even playing Kansas last night
Is't a sad state of affairs.I guess I'm realizing as a 50 year old man, I'm spending WAY too much time worrying about what a bunch of 18 year old kids are doing. I started finding other things to do that were more productive, and my life got more productive.
Then, throw in COVID plus all the, um, political stuff. It's like, they make you feel bad about the past (you can't control), and they make you feel bad about the present. So, when you think of college basketball, you just feel bad and don't want to watch it. It is what it is.
So, I wish the kids and Coach Cal the best in the world. I'll try to catch a game when I can, but I doubt I'll invest myself in it.
That's just my honest feelings. Rip away.
Good luck, CATS!
This post says it all. It is exactly where we are as a program. A farm team for the NBA. If you are like me and don't care one iota for the NBA then your interest drifts away.
Yesterday I did not know we were playing Kansas until I saw it on RR. I don't even have a UK schedule and years ago I would walk a mile to find one. My interest in the program is cold and getting colder.
It really doesn't matter any more.
Those are two very cautionary tales. We were headed in that direction before Cal was hired.
A basketball program levels to the expectations of its fans and almuni. I can't ever see this fan base allowing the results on the court to sink to the IU or UCLA level.
I think the fan base has lost some passion. It’s not the same it was 10 years ago. The 2015 FF loss was a kick in the nuts, but the 2017 E8 loss made me reconsider why I was investing so much time and energy in college b-ball. It seems like a lot of other people’s interest dropped off around that time too.
College b-ball is also just not all that fun of a product to watch anymore. I see it posted here all the time, and I was the same-
I use to watch every big game, now I only will watch UK games. Unless you have some connection to a Blue Blood program, college b-ball is basically a three week season in March.
College b-ball is also just not all that fun of a product to watch anymore. I see it posted here all the time, and I was the same-
I use to watch every big game, now I only will watch UK games. Unless you have some connection to a Blue Blood program, college b-ball is basically a three week season in March.
