Letter to the editor: Cal sells out players
- Thread starter Smashcat
- Start date
I HATE giving the Herald/Leader clicks!!
Could we get a synopsis of this ridiculous take?
Could we get a synopsis of this ridiculous take?
I'm now dumber having read that piece and the linked letter from the Memphis fan.
![[eyeroll]](http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/img/emoticons/rolleye/rolleye0011.r191677.gif "Eye roll [eyeroll]")
Smash is notorious for helping UK haters obtain traffic.
Cal: Young man, I'd like for you to make a lot of money. I believe you are ready to make a lot of money. I'd like for you to go do that now.
Cal is a bad, bad person. Bad.
Cal is a bad, bad person. Bad.
Can somebody please explain to me what this nitwit's problem is? I'm having trouble understanding on my own.
I would, but I don't get it either
trying to figure out, after the 30 for 30, how one could think that
but it looks like she was prepared to hate Cal no matter what
it's no wonder women get a bad rap when it comes to sports
yeah well
boys have cooties, so there
Just a missed informed "fan". She probably didn't even watch the 30 for 30 cause I don't know how anyone could get that from watching that program. Did she not see the segment about Wagner?
She is not a "fan". I guess it could be a guy named Carole but I doubt it.
She is not a "fan". I guess it could be a guy named Carole but I doubt it.
@Smashcat
Thank you for posting. I deal with these kind of people all the time and it's interesting to see one "articulate" their thoughts in print. I'm an English teacher by trade, so I will take special joy in tearing this down.
Let's begin with not what she writes but to whom she is writing. It's evident that she has no intention of changing anyone's mind. Instead, she has decided that she is her own audience, engaging in a self-pity party that only one person would listen too: herself. She bemoans how "alone" she feels, as if the goal of the University of Kentucky basketball program is to bolster her sense of self-worth. This is virtue signaling at it's finest; she's not making a point as much as she is seeking a connection with other malcontents. Her comments regarding UMass and Memphis are logically fallacious and factually incorrect. No, Cal didn't have one and done's at UMass--that's because that was more than 20 years ago, when teenagers in the NBA was astronomically rare. As for Memphis, it was clear that he was in the process of establishing a pipeline of NBA talent down there (see: Cousins, DeMarcus, Derrick Rose et al.). It's clear that Calipari recognized how basketball was changing far before he came to UK and far before virtually all coaches in college ball.
I do not fault the talented young men who love basketball and want to play in the pros and make money. Nor would I fault Calipari for supporting them if they had made a decision to go. But, in ESPN’s “30 for 30” documentary, I learned that he pushes them to go for the money. I think that is a very bad values message from the king coach.
Does Calipari "push" them into the NBA? Of course he does. If you are mentoring a young person, you try your best to aggressively pursue their goals in life. What kind of mentor would intentionally hold a kid back for their own selfish gains? Our author seeks cover for her own selfishness by claiming to "not fault" the players for going pro. Therein lies the great irony of her letter: the author isn't mad at Cal for putting the players' needs before UK's (after all, one could argue that they are one and the same), she's made because Cal won't put her needs before the players' needs. What she wants is to live in a world where she can comfortably regard the players of her favorite basketball team as her own property, that her wishes supersede the goals of young men who have done nothing but work had to be the best they can be. I would say "shame on her", if I believed she was capable of shame.
Thank you for posting. I deal with these kind of people all the time and it's interesting to see one "articulate" their thoughts in print. I'm an English teacher by trade, so I will take special joy in tearing this down.
I was comforted by the April 21 letter from the Memphis grad. I feel so alone for not being a fan of University of Kentucky Coach John Calipari. I never liked his “marketing mouth,” but gave him a chance until I watched him morph into the king of one and done. He couldn’t do it at universities of Massachusetts or Memphis. He needed UK to achieve his goal. He has pimped Kentucky basketball.
Let's begin with not what she writes but to whom she is writing. It's evident that she has no intention of changing anyone's mind. Instead, she has decided that she is her own audience, engaging in a self-pity party that only one person would listen too: herself. She bemoans how "alone" she feels, as if the goal of the University of Kentucky basketball program is to bolster her sense of self-worth. This is virtue signaling at it's finest; she's not making a point as much as she is seeking a connection with other malcontents. Her comments regarding UMass and Memphis are logically fallacious and factually incorrect. No, Cal didn't have one and done's at UMass--that's because that was more than 20 years ago, when teenagers in the NBA was astronomically rare. As for Memphis, it was clear that he was in the process of establishing a pipeline of NBA talent down there (see: Cousins, DeMarcus, Derrick Rose et al.). It's clear that Calipari recognized how basketball was changing far before he came to UK and far before virtually all coaches in college ball.
I picture him standing on a street corner when a limousine pulls up, and a bald-headed guy rolls down the window and says: “Whatta you got for me?”
“I have five more good ones,” Cal says.
“They’re not gonna want to stay in school are they?” the guy asks.
“Nah,” Cal says, “I told them they’ve already won the lottery. If they want a degree, they can go online and get one from the University of Phoenix.”
Here she employs a classic straw man argument. When you're trying to trash your opponent but they haven't actually done anything wrong, just make up a story that "illustrates" a truth that you can't prove with what actually happened. (In philosophical circles, this is called a Sorelian Myth, a lie that people pretend is true so they can advance their own agenda). Her "picture" is chocked full of nonsense that has been debunked for years. Cal's players very often come back to school to get their degrees, they generally make good grades when they're in school, and Cal goes out of his way to prep these kids for the dangers of suddenly coming into money. Never mind that all kinds of people leave college early for their careers (Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Richard Branson). I doubt our author is demanding that Gates and Zuckerberg go back to Harvard so she can type out poorly written letters on MS Word and post them to Facebook with a clear conscious. “I have five more good ones,” Cal says.
“They’re not gonna want to stay in school are they?” the guy asks.
“Nah,” Cal says, “I told them they’ve already won the lottery. If they want a degree, they can go online and get one from the University of Phoenix.”
I do not fault the talented young men who love basketball and want to play in the pros and make money. Nor would I fault Calipari for supporting them if they had made a decision to go. But, in ESPN’s “30 for 30” documentary, I learned that he pushes them to go for the money. I think that is a very bad values message from the king coach.
Does Calipari "push" them into the NBA? Of course he does. If you are mentoring a young person, you try your best to aggressively pursue their goals in life. What kind of mentor would intentionally hold a kid back for their own selfish gains? Our author seeks cover for her own selfishness by claiming to "not fault" the players for going pro. Therein lies the great irony of her letter: the author isn't mad at Cal for putting the players' needs before UK's (after all, one could argue that they are one and the same), she's made because Cal won't put her needs before the players' needs. What she wants is to live in a world where she can comfortably regard the players of her favorite basketball team as her own property, that her wishes supersede the goals of young men who have done nothing but work had to be the best they can be. I would say "shame on her", if I believed she was capable of shame.
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Ok, here's a synopsis...
Lady says she never liked Calipari to begin with, says he has a "marketing mouth." She then says she pictures Calipari as something like an Italian pimp, talking about how he "pimps" UK basketball on the street corner. She says she wouldn't have a problem with the players for wanting to live out their dreams but after watching the ESPN 30 for 30 she found out Calipari pushes them out the door. So now she's thoroughly disgusted.
The most ridiculous thing is that anyone would print that crap! Of course, this is the same rag that gives Jerry Tipton the opportunity to trash the greatest program in college basketball history on a daily basis, so why should anyone be shocked by this?
In the words of Egon Spangler... "print is dead!"
Lady says she never liked Calipari to begin with, says he has a "marketing mouth." She then says she pictures Calipari as something like an Italian pimp, talking about how he "pimps" UK basketball on the street corner. She says she wouldn't have a problem with the players for wanting to live out their dreams but after watching the ESPN 30 for 30 she found out Calipari pushes them out the door. So now she's thoroughly disgusted.
The most ridiculous thing is that anyone would print that crap! Of course, this is the same rag that gives Jerry Tipton the opportunity to trash the greatest program in college basketball history on a daily basis, so why should anyone be shocked by this?
In the words of Egon Spangler... "print is dead!"
BOOOOOOOO!!! YOU SOLD YOUR BIRTHRIGHT FOR A BOWL OF PORRIDGE!!!
I'm on board with a short booo.
Memphis people hate Cal more than any fan base in America. I talk about it a lot because I have to deal with it a lot. I spend no less than an hour a day defending Calipari relentlessly.
As far as this letter, eh, bring some new material. Cal is a lightening rod, but this isn't even close to the truth. For example, Cal was already hitting the OAD at Memphis, the 2009 class was set to go there. And Memphis fans loved promoting themselves into that kind of spotlight, as that's the success and recognition they always wanted. When he left he destroyed their program, not through probation or NCAA trouble (as they like to claim), but because he was their shot. They lucked out just getting him and they know it. When he left for Kentucky it just proved the reality that programs DO matter, and if Cal didn't stay in that situation, no one ever would. He made them a stepping stone program for life.
Memphis fans were left behind and now that the conference shifts have left them out, they know it's over. The Grizzlies have also helped to destroy a once rather proud fan base. Now they're reduced to Tubby, NIT's, and mid major status.
Cal is their scapegoat.
As far as this letter, eh, bring some new material. Cal is a lightening rod, but this isn't even close to the truth. For example, Cal was already hitting the OAD at Memphis, the 2009 class was set to go there. And Memphis fans loved promoting themselves into that kind of spotlight, as that's the success and recognition they always wanted. When he left he destroyed their program, not through probation or NCAA trouble (as they like to claim), but because he was their shot. They lucked out just getting him and they know it. When he left for Kentucky it just proved the reality that programs DO matter, and if Cal didn't stay in that situation, no one ever would. He made them a stepping stone program for life.
Memphis fans were left behind and now that the conference shifts have left them out, they know it's over. The Grizzlies have also helped to destroy a once rather proud fan base. Now they're reduced to Tubby, NIT's, and mid major status.
Cal is their scapegoat.
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Bitterness runs deep and long. If Cal should dump us for another program we would be like Carole
I worked 30 years as an educator. During that time, I was in a position to make decisions about course offerings. My bottom line was this: Unless the course has practical value; can be used by the learner in a manner that is beneficial to him, etc....there is no need for such courses. I was criticized by a group of people that espoused the "virtue" of education; knowledge for the sake of knowledge....This Carole guy reminds me of one of those people. They believe it elevates them to a higher level by having such values.
Again, as a former educator, the primary purpose of education is to enable a person to contribute to society and obtain meaningful, productive work. The role of educators is to prepare students to obtain employment, while instilling values such as hard work, honesty, team-work, etc.... With that standard in mind, Cal may be the foremost educator at the University of Kentucky
Again, as a former educator, the primary purpose of education is to enable a person to contribute to society and obtain meaningful, productive work. The role of educators is to prepare students to obtain employment, while instilling values such as hard work, honesty, team-work, etc.... With that standard in mind, Cal may be the foremost educator at the University of Kentucky
Well said. The Herald looking for anything to bash Cal, since they can't come up with something on their own. Joel Pett, Jerry Tipton and the other rats are swimming from a sinking ship. I wouldn't buy that rag if they sold it for a nickle.
They were waiting for Diallo to stay in the draft and unload multiple barrels on Cal(as much of the media would have done) when that didn't happen maybe they invented this person as a back-up plan
While she is spot on for what is happening, she blames Cal for helping kids who have the capacity to get what they want whether it's here or elsewhere. All Cal did was fill a need and increase the exposure of the program in the process.
Typically she ignores who these players are as people, how they work for charitable causes in and out of school and by doing so totally misses the big picture of wealth creation for dozens of families.
wouldn't surprise me in the least - especially with THAT newspaper
have you read this board?
One of the biggest things that impressed me about the recent 30 for 30 about Calipari was the fact that all his former players were very loyal and complimentary to him. If they felt he had treated them badly would this be the case? I think not.
This coming from an old lady that wears UK yoga pants and holds a basketball behind her back to take a picture like this. https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31...=383076e71e637760dc14e83f5b4267ed&oe=59A6B2F1
Just watched it yesterday,I thought it was well done and gave some insight as to what makes Cal tick.Like you said the loyalty of former players is impressive,it is also easy to see why Cal isn't a good fit for the pro game,he would be crazy to return there.He can build on his legacy at UK,he is a great fit here.If he can win one or two more national championships and continue to put players in the NBA at the rate he has thus far history will view him as someone that reshaped the college game.
here's the thing people that cry about cal being the king of one and done's don't seems to get: the NBA created this not cal, not the NCAA. if the NBA didn't draft guys after 1 year then most guys would stay in school, due the maximum amount of exposure vs over seas. I, like anyone, would love to see guys stay 3-4 years but it is a disservice to do what guys like k, roy and others do and hold these guys back for the program. from a fan stand point i want cal to do everything he can to win championships but from a human standpoint he's doing the right things by these kids. I could understand if they were treated like university employee's that jumped ship but they are unpaid amateurs that are thrown into blender that is NCAA d-1 basketball
Having trouble deciding whether I enjoyed BlueRattie or morgousky's post more. Well done to both of you.
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