Kentucky has reversed its whites-only history

[Samwise Ganjee]

http://nypost.com/


Kentucky has reversed its whites-only history



By George Willis
April 2, 2015 | 2:46am





It was Texas Western's all-black starting five and a 72-65 victory over all-white Kentucky that helped propel integration in college basketball. But it wasn't enough to influence Adolph Rupp, the legendary Kentucky coach who during his 42 years there never recruited a black player and had only one on his roster, 7-footer Tom Payne, during Rupp's next-to-last season in 1970-71.
We're a long way from that now. Heading into this weekend's Final Four in Indianapolis, Kentucky's basketball program headed by coach John Calipari has become the African-American basketball player's best path to the American Dream.

This post was edited on 4/2 6:12 AM by Samwise Ganjee

 

[buckkiller]

Pretty cool how stuff works out sometimes! Very proud to be a Kentucky Wildcat fan and blessed to have a bunch of great young men represent the greatest college basketball tradition in the history of the game . NO MATTER WHAT COLOR OF SKIN! GO CATS!

 

[Captain Queeg]

Why post this? This article is a sham and outright slander to Coach Rupp. He started recruiting black players in late 1963, and even before that, he coached black players, and helped dozens of others get college scholarships. He also had coaching clinics for black coaches, opened Memorial Coliseum to black high school teams, constantly played teams with black players on it, and advocated for the SEC to integrate in the 1950's.

I'm sick of this slander about our history and Coach Rupp. Hell, the UK campus was integrated in 1949, long before any other southern school.

Instead of posting this on here, you should be emailing the writer. Mine has already been sent.





This post was edited on 4/2 6:22 AM by Captain Queeg

 

[UK!!!]

Captain Queeg is correct.

 

[blubo]

^ X 100 ^

 

[DrH. Lecter]

I disagree. The History whether correct or not has been written. We can scream about it all you wish...but that ship has sailed because of that one game in the 60s.

To this day there are people receptive to the UKKK crap that we see spewed by LilBro....UK'S racist history. To the degree that the NY Post is declaring that to be no longer the case and that we are now in essence 'assuaged' of that stain...then I am happy as hell. Take the half a loaf and run with it.

Wisky is getting hit for not graduating any black players. Be happy we are the good guys.

 

[Levibooty]

Originally posted by DrH. Lecter:
I disagree. The History whether correct or not has been written. We can scream about it all you wish...but that ship has sailed because of that one game in the 60s.

To this day there are people receptive to the UKKK crap that we see spewed by LilBro....UK'S racist history. To the degree that the NY Post is declaring that to be no longer the case and that we are now in essence 'assuaged' of that stain...then I am happy as hell. Take the half a loaf and run with it.

Wisky is getting hit for not graduating any black players. Be happy we are the good guys.

Well Yeah afterall it's not you or your family name being besmirched.

 

[BigBlueFanGA]

Originally posted by DrH. Lecter:
I disagree. The History whether correct or not has been written. We can scream about it all you wish...but that ship has sailed because of that one game in the 60s.

To this day there are people receptive to the UKKK crap that we see spewed by LilBro....UK'S racist history. To the degree that the NY Post is declaring that to be no longer the case and that we are now in essence 'assuaged' of that stain...then I am happy as hell. Take the half a loaf and run with it.

Wisky is getting hit for not graduating any black players. Be happy we are the good guys.

Media driven perception is not reality. I'll be happy when the dim witted and lazy journalists actually care to be honest. UK was integrated in 1949. Rupp had a black player on the high school team he coached in the 20's. I don't need some journalist to proclaim us "washed of our sins" when we weren't doing anything wrong to begin with. The specter of having to play SEC schools in the Deep South is the only thing that PREVENTED Rupp from being able to successfully recruit black players as early as 1963. The writer can take his backhanded compliment and shove it up his butt.

 

[BigBlueFanGA]

Ok, so after bothering to read the entire article, I'm more annoyed than I was. Nothing like printing lies.

 

[law1127]

Captain Queeg is absolutely correct, I knew Rupp and all he wanted to do was win . Skin color didn't matter, just like Bear Bryant !

 

[Teachable Moe]

I wonder if the Post would print a similar article and substitute "Duke" or "Vanderbilt" for "Kentucky". (Or the names of any of dozens of schools from that era that exclusively played white players. )

I bet not, but as the old saying goes, "It's an honor to earn the bullring." If you're the guy everyone's looking at, there's a reason for it.

 

[DrH. Lecter]

Originally posted by BigBlueFanGA:

Originally posted by DrH. Lecter:
I disagree. The History whether correct or not has been written. We can scream about it all you wish...but that ship has sailed because of that one game in the 60s.

To this day there are people receptive to the UKKK crap that we see spewed by LilBro....UK'S racist history. To the degree that the NY Post is declaring that to be no longer the case and that we are now in essence 'assuaged' of that stain...then I am happy as hell. Take the half a loaf and run with it.

Wisky is getting hit for not graduating any black players. Be happy we are the good guys.

Media driven perception is not reality. I'll be happy when the dim witted and lazy journalists actually care to be honest. UK was integrated in 1949. Rupp had a black player on the high school team he coached in the 20's. I don't need some journalist to proclaim us "washed of our sins" when we weren't doing anything wrong to begin with. The specter of having to play SEC schools in the Deep South is the only thing that PREVENTED Rupp from being able to successfully recruit black players as early as 1963. The writer can take his backhanded compliment and shove it up his butt.

You guys can thump your chest and yell the story from the mountain top all you wish...but that ship has long ago sailed. History will not reflect the truth when another narrative has gotten the traction and become conventional wisdom.

Example: Sarah Palin said "I can see Russia from my porch."

As a conservative I can scream and shout and stomp my feet pointing out that Tina Fey said that as Palin on SNL...you guys on the left are lying idiots. But the REALITY is that 99% of the uninformed believe that Palin said it and she is forever tarnished as the moron who believes she could see Russia from her porch...A LIE...but a lie told often enough becomes the truth.

And at this point in time there is no one who is going to actually research the nuance of what Rupp did or not do or Duke did or the rest of the SEC did back in the 60's. YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME fighting that battle. Only Rupp's Runts played Texas Western in the championship. Nobody else. So we get recorded in time with that narrative.

So count me as very happy that at least Cal seems to be able to turn that perception around within the black community and in the sports journalism community in the country. We have black fans in Louisville...more than ever in the past.

Some of you can bitch and moan about the portrayal of history but it does no good at this point, just change the subject....I suggest we move on and embrace our new and better place. Don't piss on the guy writing something good about us even if it doesn't make you 100% happy. He can do a lot more damage in the end if he chooses.

 

[Teachable Moe]

Originally posted by DrH. Lecter:
Example: Sarah Palin said "I can see Russia from my porch."

As a conservative I can scream and shout and stomp my feet pointing out that Tina Fey said that as Palin on SNL...you guys on the left are lying idiots. But the REALITY is that 99% of the uninformed believe that Palin said it and she is forever tarnished as the moron who believes she could see Russia from her porch...A LIE...but a lie told often enough becomes the truth.

Oh, for the love of Mike. The joke took hold because Palin had tried to gain credibility in foreign policy because, she said, you could see Russia from Alaska. It was like saying a janitor was an art expert because he sweeps the Louvre. The Tina Fey joke didn't come out of nowhere. Palin became the most recent Dan Quayle/George W Bush straight-line provider. A role she has eagerly pursued, BTW. And a role she's made a lot of money from.

 

[.S&C.]

I'm sorry but the libs on this board ( the usuals) are completely OBSESSED with the color of people's skin. It's a bit disturbing, disgusting, and tiresome.

 

[rickscot]

Well, I am a liberal, and Sarah is and always will be an airhead; stunning' but anairhead nonetheless.

 

[DrH. Lecter]

Originally posted by Teachable Moe:

Originally posted by DrH. Lecter:

Example: Sarah Palin said "I can see Russia from my porch."

As a conservative I can scream and shout and stomp my feet pointing out that Tina Fey said that as Palin on SNL...you guys on the left are lying idiots. But the REALITY is that 99% of the uninformed believe that Palin said it and she is forever tarnished as the moron who believes she could see Russia from her porch...A LIE...but a lie told often enough becomes the truth.

Oh, for the love of Mike. The joke took hold because Palin had tried to gain credibility in foreign policy because, she said, you could see Russia from Alaska. It was like saying a janitor was an art expert because he sweeps the Louvre. The Tina Fey joke didn't come out of nowhere. Palin became the most recent Dan Quayle/George W Bush straight-line provider. A role she has eagerly pursued, BTW. And a role she's made a lot of money from.

I am totally aware of the nuance. As with this issue...it has nothing to do with perception/reality. Pointing out that you in fact CAN see Russia from Alaska does not change anything. Rupp and UK 1960's are locked in to the same inaccurate narrative. If I were Palin and had a NYT reporter who writes a story saying, Palin, although really stupid back then, is now actually pretty smart now that she has "grown."

If I'm Palin I don't go argue that I was actually pretty smart back then. I take the compliment and move on. There is NO erasing that earlier perception. THAT my friend is the point....you honing in on the Palin example is simple PDS. I made a larger point. Lets not send this tread down a political rat hole.

 

[Dreklie]

But Kentucky fans are racist though!!! Isn't that obvious? I mean we cheer for a team that is predominantly black every year ... obviously we're so racist.

 

[wildcatdonf]

Sam, you might consider getting a bigger boat.

 

[crazyqx83]

Will there be a movie made about our all black rotation going up against wisconsin's team with only 3 black scholarship players and a 0% black graduation rate?

 

[jameslee32]

I luvs me a Palin defender.

Rupp was a man of his time, good or bad. End of story.

Hell I wouldn't even subject my dad, a man of the 50's & 60's, to the scrutiny of 2015.

 

[Teachable Moe]

Originally posted by DrH. Lecter:

I made a larger point. Lets not send this tread down a political rat hole.

Just a suggestion: don't dig the hole first.

 

[gakat3]

Originally posted by DrH. Lecter:

Originally posted by BigBlueFanGA:

Originally posted by DrH. Lecter:
I disagree. The History whether correct or not has been written. We can scream about it all you wish...but that ship has sailed because of that one game in the 60s.

To this day there are people receptive to the UKKK crap that we see spewed by LilBro....UK'S racist history. To the degree that the NY Post is declaring that to be no longer the case and that we are now in essence 'assuaged' of that stain...then I am happy as hell. Take the half a loaf and run with it.

Wisky is getting hit for not graduating any black players. Be happy we are the good guys.

Media driven perception is not reality. I'll be happy when the dim witted and lazy journalists actually care to be honest. UK was integrated in 1949. Rupp had a black player on the high school team he coached in the 20's. I don't need some journalist to proclaim us "washed of our sins" when we weren't doing anything wrong to begin with. The specter of having to play SEC schools in the Deep South is the only thing that PREVENTED Rupp from being able to successfully recruit black players as early as 1963. The writer can take his backhanded compliment and shove it up his butt.

You guys can thump your chest and yell the story from the mountain top all you wish...but that ship has long ago sailed. History will not reflect the truth when another narrative has gotten the traction and become conventional wisdom.

Example: Sarah Palin said "I can see Russia from my porch."

As a conservative I can scream and shout and stomp my feet pointing out that Tina Fey said that as Palin on SNL...you guys on the left are lying idiots. But the REALITY is that 99% of the uninformed believe that Palin said it and she is forever tarnished as the moron who believes she could see Russia from her porch...A LIE...but a lie told often enough becomes the truth.

And at this point in time there is no one who is going to actually research the nuance of what Rupp did or not do or Duke did or the rest of the SEC did back in the 60's. YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME fighting that battle. Only Rupp's Runts played Texas Western in the championship. Nobody else. So we get recorded in time with that narrative.

So count me as very happy that at least Cal seems to be able to turn that perception around within the black community and in the sports journalism community in the country. We have black fans in Louisville...more than ever in the past.

Some of you can bitch and moan about the portrayal of history but it does no good at this point, just change the subject....I suggest we move on and embrace our new and better place. Don't piss on the guy writing something good about us even if it doesn't make you 100% happy. He can do a lot more damage in the end if he choo

This post was edited on 4/2 11:53 AM by gakat3

 

[Samwise Ganjee]

Originally posted by wildcatdonf:
Sam, you might consider getting a bigger boat.

 

[dmaso44]

 

[Xception]

I want to applaud Wisconsin for trying to integrate .

 

[Mojocat]

Lector has it right, the issue has crystallized. More power to you if you want to push back and fight perception with truth, but in most quarters you'll be dismissed as odd, fringe, clueless, biased, etc.......

 

[Samwise Ganjee]

Originally posted by dmaso44:

Kingfish

Good eatin' there

Can't speak to her, but looks like quite a dish

 

[crazyqx83]

Originally posted by Xception:
I want to applaud Wisconsin for trying to integrate .

 

[JPScott]

Originally posted by DrH. Lecter:

You guys can thump your chest and yell the story from the mountain top all you wish...but that ship has long ago sailed. History will not reflect the truth when another narrative has gotten the traction and become conventional wisdom.

Example: Sarah Palin said "I can see Russia from my porch."

As a conservative I can scream and shout and stomp my feet pointing out that Tina Fey said that as Palin on SNL...you guys on the left are lying idiots. But the REALITY is that 99% of the uninformed believe that Palin said it and she is forever tarnished as the moron who believes she could see Russia from her porch...A LIE...but a lie told often enough becomes the truth.

And at this point in time there is no one who is going to actually research the nuance of what Rupp did or not do or Duke did or the rest of the SEC did back in the 60's. YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME fighting that battle. Only Rupp's Runts played Texas Western in the championship. Nobody else. So we get recorded in time with that narrative.

So count me as very happy that at least Cal seems to be able to turn that perception around within the black community and in the sports journalism community in the country. We have black fans in Louisville...more than ever in the past.

Some of you can bitch and moan about the portrayal of history but it does no good at this point, just change the subject....I suggest we move on and embrace our new and better place. Don't piss on the guy writing something good about us even if it doesn't make you 100% happy. He can do a lot more damage in the end if he chooses.

I agree with you on taking some good out of the article, in that the author does at least recognize that UK is a much different place today than it was in the past.

But I can't disagree more with the idea that people shouldn't even try to correct mistakes. The author made a doozy when he claimed that Rupp recruited no black players. (and this despite later admitting that Tom Payne played for Rupp. How did the author think Payne ended up at UK if Rupp didn't recruit black players ? Makes absolutely zero logical sense.)

I don't have a problem bringing up instances where someone makes a factual mistake when it comes to UK, and intend to do so. And frankly I'm not sure why anyone else (whether they're a UK fan or not) would take issue with stating the truth either. What is the upside of letting an inaccuracy be repeated?

Frankly if a UK fan thinks it's OK to let slanderous inaccuracies be repeated without someone speaking up, then IMO those people are part of the problem. And they should be ridiculed just as much as the sportswriters who fail to do any research or who fail to exhibit any critical thinking skills.

To your example of Sarah Palin, I'm not a fan of hers, but I have absolutely zero issue for someone to point out that technically she did not say those words. People can continue to correct that for 100 years to the point that no one alive was even present for the 2008 election, and it still doesn't bother me whatsoever that someone makes the effort to correct a common misconception.

In other words, I don't have a problem with the truth. And therefore don't have a problem with anyone who makes the effort to stand up for the truth. And frankly anyone who is apprehensive or fearful or incapable of processing the truth is not someone that the rest of us should pander to, IMO.

As far as the Rupp issue, I've read for years on this board a handful of supposed UK fans who suggest that standing up to fallacies is a lost cause and they counsel not to do so. First of all, I'm not sure what they're talking about because frankly I've seen a dramatic improvement over the type of irresponsible stuff that was regularly repeated as fact in the early 1990's so standing up for the truth does indeed work. Secondly, again what is the upside of letting lies continue to be repeated without someone standing up and taking issue with them when they're made.

I don't expect every UK fan to take issue with the liars who disparage UK and present them with actual facts, but I certainly don't expect any true UK fan to hold someone else back who is willing and capable of doing so.


This post was edited on 4/3 7:39 AM by JPScott

 

[UKDUNK]

Hoping we win this championship on Monday. #noclutter

 

[LowCountryCat]

Originally posted by Teachable Moe:

Originally posted by DrH. Lecter:

Example: Sarah Palin said "I can see Russia from my porch."

As a conservative I can scream and shout and stomp my feet pointing out that Tina Fey said that as Palin on SNL...you guys on the left are lying idiots. But the REALITY is that 99% of the uninformed believe that Palin said it and she is forever tarnished as the moron who believes she could see Russia from her porch...A LIE...but a lie told often enough becomes the truth.

Oh, for the love of Mike. The joke took hold because Palin had tried to gain credibility in foreign policy because, she said, you could see Russia from Alaska. It was like saying a janitor was an art expert because he sweeps the Louvre. The Tina Fey joke didn't come out of nowhere. Palin became the most recent Dan Quayle/George W Bush straight-line provider. A role she has eagerly pursued, BTW. And a role she's made a lot of money from.

Incorrect. She made the point that Alaska is in close proximity with Russia and had ACTUAL DEALINGS with them. Unlike the Community Organizer who never actually ran anything other than a campaign. It's also a well-covered-up fact that most of the Palin interview ended up on the cutting room floor. The media only used what it needed to make her look bad.

 

[StillBlue83]

People always look for a villain, they found Rupp fit that role nicely. Rupp will always be seen as the old hateful white man, it is not fair, but who said life is fair? None of this racist talk was brought up until after he was gone and couldn't defend himself. If someone wants to believe Rupp was a racist then the chances are they will believe that no matter what you tell them.

 

[JPScott]

Originally posted by StillBlue83:
People always look for a villain, they found Rupp fit that role nicely. Rupp will always be seen as the old hateful white man, it is not fair, but who said life is fair? None of this racist talk was brought up until after he was gone and couldn't defend himself. If someone wants to believe Rupp was a racist then the chances are they will believe that no matter what you tell them.

For some simple minded people that's true.

But I think that in large part, the majority of people are open minded enough to listen to multiple sides of an issue. (especially among younger generations who don't have strong preconceptions one way or the other.) I think most people are also intelligent enough to recognize how absurd it is for a small group of critics to try to single out UK and Rupp for this issue, when if anything they were ahead of their peers in many respects.

This post was edited on 4/2 10:34 PM by JPScott

 

[StillBlue83]

Originally posted by JPScott:

Originally posted by StillBlue83:
People always look for a villain, they found Rupp fit that role nicely. Rupp will always be seen as the old hateful white man, it is not fair, but who said life is fair? None of this racist talk was brought up until after he was gone and couldn't defend himself. If someone wants to believe Rupp was a racist then the chances are they will believe that no matter what you tell them.

For some simple minded people that's true.

But I think that in large part, the majority of people are open minded enough to listen to multiple sides of an issue. (especially among younger generations who don't have strong preconceptions one way or the other.) I think most people are also intelligent enough to recognize how absurd it is for a small group of critics to try to single out UK and Rupp for this issue, when if anything they were ahead of their peers in many respects.

This post was edited on 4/2 10:34 PM by JPScott

I think you severely underestimate the amount of simple minded people in this world. Look at how Calipari is viewed for an example, never named in any wrong doing and actually cleared by the NCAA, most major talking heads(Vitale, Bilas, etc) will say that Calipari was not involved in any wrong doing, yet the majority of people outside of UK fans still label him as a cheater.

 

[JPScott]

Originally posted by StillBlue83:

I think you severely underestimate the amount of simple minded people in this world. Look at how Calipari is viewed for an example, never named in any wrong doing and actually cleared by the NCAA, most major talking heads(Vitale, Bilas, etc) will say that Calipari was not involved in any wrong doing, yet the majority of people outside of UK fans still label him as a cheater.

I think one has to keep in mind that the claims of guys like Pat Forde and Jeff Goodman and Pete Thamel etc. on the internet and the rantings of rival fans on message boards are amplified in relation to the general public.

I do agree with you that a majority of people can be given a negative impression of someone or some thing by a small minority of outspoken critics on the internet or TV, but the negative impression is largely superficial and most people are open to hearing the facts before taking a strong stance either way.

 

[mktmaker]

Originally posted by StillBlue83:

Originally posted by JPScott:

Originally posted by StillBlue83:
People always look for a villain, they found Rupp fit that role nicely. Rupp will always be seen as the old hateful white man, it is not fair, but who said life is fair? None of this racist talk was brought up until after he was gone and couldn't defend himself. If someone wants to believe Rupp was a racist then the chances are they will believe that no matter what you tell them.

For some simple minded people that's true.

But I think that in large part, the majority of people are open minded enough to listen to multiple sides of an issue. (especially among younger generations who don't have strong preconceptions one way or the other.) I think most people are also intelligent enough to recognize how absurd it is for a small group of critics to try to single out UK and Rupp for this issue, when if anything they were ahead of their peers in many respects.

This post was edited on 4/2 10:34 PM by JPScott

I think you severely underestimate the amount of simple minded people in this world. Look at how Calipari is viewed for an example, never named in any wrong doing and actually cleared by the NCAA, most major talking heads(Vitale, Bilas, etc) will say that Calipari was not involved in any wrong doing, yet the majority of people outside of UK fans still label him as a cheater.

I don't think Jon or most of us "severely underestimate the amount of simple minded people in this world."

Like many of you, I have experienced many who slander Cal; I call them out on it and ask them the facts -- and then refute them all. They can't respond because they are ignorant of the facts.

Cal is steadily winning over the media. Aside from his astounding success on the court, those who interview him generally enjoy his personality. He doesn't use coachspeak. Kornheiser and Wilbon love to have him on Pardon the Interruption. Just this week on PTI guest host Jason Whitlock (of the KC Star) said he really likes Coach Cal.

This is the year that Coach Cal has shocked the college basketball world and showed them the way -- or be left behind.

The truth about Coach Rupp is a difficult sell...but I agree that we should stay the course and not let the revisionists win.

This post was edited on 4/2 11:20 PM by mktmaker

 

[Levibooty]

It appears the choice being presented in this thread is speak the truth or stay silent and accept the onslaught of lies. Seems to me a person cannot stay true if they are bearing false witness. If you witness a man being falsely accused and you do not speak for the truth then you cowardly acquiesce. To me that seems like it should being covered by the whole 'bearing false witness' thing.