Only way I watch a game next year

[Aike]

1. Cal is gone

Or

2. Reed miraculously comes back


Reed is a once in a generation Kentucky player, not just because of ability, but lineage, bleeding blue, etc. So if that kid came back, I would continue to support him.

Get a new coach, I’m all in.

Otherwise, I am done. Can’t fully express all the ways I loathe Cal at this point.

I could handle him being a bad coach. A bad coach with some humility, who brought in good kids but choked too much. I wouldn’t like it, but I could handle it.

I can no longer deal with the arrogance and condescension. It’s unhealthy.

 

[Fox2monk]

1. Cal is gone

Or

2. Reed miraculously comes back


Reed is a once in a generation Kentucky player, not just because of ability, but lineage, bleeding blue, etc. So if that kid came back, I would continue to support him.

Get a new coach, I’m all in.

Otherwise, I am done. Can’t fully express all the ways I loathe Cal at this point.

I could handle him being a bad coach. A bad coach with some humility, who brought in good kids but choked too much. I wouldn’t like it, but I could handle it.

I can no longer deal with the arrogance and condescension. It’s unhealthy.

I’m sure I will still watch as I have been the last couple years. Watch the ones I’m almost sure we win, or tape it/turn it off when it goes off the rails inevitably. I agree if Reed and others return I’d consider it. I would almost guarantee our defense will be better but honestly our fundamental teaching is so poor that it probably won’t matter.

 

[know1]

Looks like you won't be watching games most likely.

 

[BigBlue1992]

I can’t handle him saying in February that “we still gotta figure out how to play”. This results from laziness.

He doesn’t do any homework or scouting during the off-season. Soon as the last game is played (for us it’s usually the first game in the NCAA tournament) he should be preparing for the next season and getting to know his personnel.

A good coach doesn’t wait until October to start scrambling around coming with strategies. That should start in April as by the end of the month our roster is almost complete.

Kentucky isn’t a 9-5 job if you want to succeed. He kicked ass in his first 7 or 8 years then thought he could cruise to the finish line.

Maybe a stupid thought but a few weeks ago when Prince and Patterson came to Rupp all I could think about is why doesn’t Cal allow one of the best defensive players to ever play in the NBA show the team some pointers on defense, even if it’s only over a period of a few days. Who knows, maybe players would respond better to a guy like Prince who’s played at the highest level against the best.

Cal’s arrogance just won’t allow it though!

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

1. Cal is gone

Or

2. Reed miraculously comes back


Reed is a once in a generation Kentucky player, not just because of ability, but lineage, bleeding blue, etc. So if that kid came back, I would continue to support him.

Get a new coach, I’m all in.

Otherwise, I am done. Can’t fully express all the ways I loathe Cal at this point.

I could handle him being a bad coach. A bad coach with some humility, who brought in good kids but choked too much. I wouldn’t like it, but I could handle it.

I can no longer deal with the arrogance and condescension. It’s unhealthy.

All from Cal:

(after making minimal halftime adjustments): "Did you see what I did in the second half? No? Come on...SOMEONE out there surely saw right? One of you bennies had to see the change..."

"You aren't gonna like what I'm going to tell you, but I took 'em bowling. I know...it's (waving arm angrily while imitating UK fans) 'why would you do that, Cal' and...just let me coach my team."

"Our fans get mad at me because I put these kids first."


"Don't come after these kids. Come after me. Let my players be young and get better."


These are just some of doozies that Cal has recently sprung on our fan base. In each case, he condescendingly takes shots at our emotions, our loyalties, our traditions, and our intelligence.

He's done. Matt Jones had a great show yesterday where he addressed how impossible Cal is to work with and how Cal turns on the younger media guys if they don't write 100% positive pieces about him. Jones also pointed out how everyone, including Mitch, is just tired of Cal taking digs at the fan base.

 

[KentuckyCat420]

Reed Sheppard is not fixing the Kentucky basketball program, he’s just not.

 

[247CATS]

Is your “way too early” model out for next year yet?

 

[bigblueinsanity]

I can’t handle him saying in February that “we still gotta figure out how to play”. This results from laziness.

He doesn’t do any homework or scouting during the off-season. Soon as the last game is played (for us it’s usually the first game in the NCAA tournament) he should be preparing for the next season and getting to know his personnel.

A good coach doesn’t wait until October to start scrambling around coming with strategies. That should start in April as by the end of the month our roster is almost complete.

Kentucky isn’t a 9-5 job if you want to succeed. He kicked ass in his first 7 or 8 years then thought he could cruise to the finish line.

Maybe a stupid thought but a few weeks ago when Prince and Patterson came to Rupp all I could think about is why doesn’t Cal allow one of the best defensive players to ever play in the NBA show the team some pointers on defense, even if it’s only over a period of a few days. Who knows, maybe players would respond better to a guy like Prince who’s played at the highest level against the best.

Cal’s arrogance just won’t allow it though!

The worst part is he knows exactly how we need to play. He just couldn't or wouldn't play the way we needed to win. Everyone could see by January rob and reed had to start and play major minutes. But he couldn't bench dj or Edwards. Then z came along and was much better than Bradshaw, but Bradshaw had to play.

Like I posted a few times over the last half of the season, that was a final four team but only if cal was willing to hurt some feelings. He wasn't, so we lost. In a low possession game, he gave up several possessions to his guys rather than the right unit. Then z barely ever got back in despite playing very well.

So he knew exactly how to play. He just didn't know how he was going to play while getting everyone their minutes. After his lifetime deal, he switched from a goal of winning games to one of getting guys to the league regardless of wins. That is exactly what must stop even if it takes him leaving. We absolutely need our coach to focus on winning while developing guys. Its far from impossible. He just doesn't want to do it

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Cal really (rightfully) pissed off the fanbase when he constantly dissed reed. He was pissed because fans liked reed more than DJ. Ironic because it wasn't just because he was from ky and a legacy - he was clearly also much better.

Those statements were way, way, way out of line and egregiously bad.

 

[BigBlue1992]

The worst part is he knows exactly how we need to play. He just couldn't or wouldn't play the way we needed to win. Everyone could see by January rob and reed had to start and play major minutes. But he couldn't bench dj or Edwards. Then z came along and was much better than Bradshaw, but Bradshaw had to play.

Like I posted a few times over the last half of the season, that was a final four team but only if cal was willing to hurt some feelings. He wasn't, so we lost. In a low possession game, he gave up several possessions to his guys rather than the right unit. Then z barely ever got back in despite playing very well.

So he knew exactly how to play. He just didn't know how he was going to play while getting everyone their minutes. After his lifetime deal, he switched from a goal of winning games to one of getting guys to the league regardless of wins. That is exactly what must stop even if it takes him leaving. We absolutely need our coach to focus on winning while developing guys. Its far from impossible. He just doesn't want to do it

Oh yeah for sure. He definitely knows who needs to be playing but I’m not sure if he knows how we need to play. I have no idea what happened around 2018 but ever since then we couldn’t guard a statue.

 

[502 Wildcat]

I’m with you Aike, but I’ll take it a step further.

Just getting Reed back isn’t enough. Also need to see him cut some of this recruiting class loose, commit to using more older players from the portal (his philosophy of using primarily freshmen with experience as a supplement is backwards), and we need an elite defensive-minded assistant coach.

If all of those things happen (they won’t), I’d give him one last run.

 

[Aike]

Reed Sheppard is not fixing the Kentucky basketball program, he’s just not.

Did I say he was? I said I would support him because he’s a talented Kentucky kid who bleeds blue and I enjoy watching him play.

 

[Aike]

I’m with you Aike, but I’ll take it a step further.

Just getting Reed back isn’t enough. Also need to see him cut some of this recruiting class loose, commit to using more older players from the portal (his philosophy of using primarily freshmen with experience as a supplement is backwards), and we need an elite defensive-minded assistant coach.

If all of those things happen (they won’t), I’d give him one last run.

I’m not giving Cal any run. I would watch Reed despite Cal.

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

As for me, I'll watch every available televised game, same as I have since the early 80s. Doesn't matter to me who the coach is, or what the roster looks like.

The Wildcats are my team and that won't change.

 

[Aike]

Cal really (rightfully) pissed off the fanbase when he constantly dissed reed. He was pissed because fans liked reed more than DJ. Ironic because it wasn't just because he was from ky and a legacy - he was clearly also much better.

Those statements were way, way, way out of line and egregiously bad.

It’s crazy. If Reed had been CJ Fredrick and DJ had been John Wall, 95% of us would have been saying play DJ 34 minutes and play Reed 15-20.

We aren’t stupid. We want to win. Of course we enjoy watching Kentucky kids, but most of us want the best players on the court playing the most minutes together.

 

[Aike]

As for me, I'll watch every available televised game, same as I have since the early 80s. Doesn't matter to me who the coach is, or what the roster looks like.

The Wildcats are my team and that won't change.

Awesome. People should do what they want. Cal has hijacked this program, and all I can do about it is stop watching. That’s my line.

 

[KentuckyCat420]

Did I say he was? I said I would support him because he’s a talented Kentucky kid who bleeds blue and I enjoy watching him play.

I want him back as much as anybody, he made the good things about this season special.

I just don’t want to see people get in the “well if Reed comes back maybe we give Cal one more year” type of mindset.

I just need to see John Calipari never on our sideline again, I fear the dust is going to settle and everyone is going to convince themselves one more year isn’t the worst thing, AGAIN.

 

[Fox2monk]

I can’t handle him saying in February that “we still gotta figure out how to play”. This results from laziness.

He doesn’t do any homework or scouting during the off-season. Soon as the last game is played (for us it’s usually the first game in the NCAA tournament) he should be preparing for the next season and getting to know his personnel.

A good coach doesn’t wait until October to start scrambling around coming with strategies. That should start in April as by the end of the month our roster is almost complete.

Kentucky isn’t a 9-5 job if you want to succeed. He kicked ass in his first 7 or 8 years then thought he could cruise to the finish line.

Maybe a stupid thought but a few weeks ago when Prince and Patterson came to Rupp all I could think about is why doesn’t Cal allow one of the best defensive players to ever play in the NBA show the team some pointers on defense, even if it’s only over a period of a few days. Who knows, maybe players would respond better to a guy like Prince who’s played at the highest level against the best.

Cal’s arrogance just won’t allow it though!

Exactly, it’s February and he’s like we haven’t worked on out of bounds stuff, we don’t know how to manage the clock. End of game situations are things we teach the last day of the year. It’s freaking ridiculous and this team had the summer to work on this stuff!

 

[CROCAT]

You fairweather fans can kick rocks. The Revenge Tour™ has just been postponed to next season.

When King Cal goes on a rampage with his vaunted recruiting class centered around a 17-year-old, I don't want to see any of you jabronis jumping back on the bandwagon. Honestly, with such an X&O mastermind patrolling our sidelines, I think 40-0 is a real possibility if we play our cards right

 

[Aike]

I want him back as much as anybody, he made the good things about this season special.

I just don’t want to see people get in the “well if Reed comes back maybe we give Cal one more year” type of mindset.

I just need to see John Calipari never on our sideline again, I fear the dust is going to settle and everyone is going to convince themselves one more year isn’t the worst thing, AGAIN.

I want Cal gone first and foremost. I seriously doubt that Reed’s return would be tied to Cal coming back. Maybe the opposite, but I don’t know. Just saying that I would watch a Sophomore Reed no matter who was on the sideline.

 

[Aike]

You fairweather fans can kick rocks. The Revenge Tour™ has just been postponed to next season.

When King Cal goes on a rampage with his vaunted recruiting class centered around a 17-year-old, I don't want to see any of you jabronis jumping back on the bandwagon. Honestly, with such an X&O mastermind patrolling our sidelines, I think 40-0 is a real possibility if we play our cards right

Good points

 

[FitchandMurray29]

Aike’s one of the best on here. I won’t stop watching regardless but I’m sure like everyone, more apathy has set in for me as well.

People should fan however they choose. If Cal’s behavior isn’t tolerable for them, it isn’t tolerable. They could easily have won a couple games this weekend regardless of his lacking coaching and imo that shouldn’t make a difference for whether people continue to watch. It shouldn’t be about results, it’s about process and the whole experience, because as fans that come on here we’re the 365 day variety not a few weeks in March like the rest of the country.

I need a lot to get excited again. A new coach alone won’t do it. It has to be a hire I like and he has to have an off-season that gives us a legitimate chance to compete right away. That should be definitely doable in the portal era. I’m not sure there’s anything Cal could do to get me excited. Get Reed back, kick Somto to the curb, have him round up the money for top transfers for the first time(Oscar was different for many reasons), staff changes, etc. Even with that it’s probably become too toxic to actually work and all those things won’t happen.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Looks like you won't be watching games most likely.

You haven't been wrong much

I think you are this time. It's not tenable.

 

[UKUGA]

In all seriousness: after the last 5 years, why would you come play for this guy?


People will play for a jerk who wins, but why come play for a jerk who no one likes, will mess you over, and won’t win?

 

[NociHTTP]

Reed Sheppard is not fixing the Kentucky basketball program, he’s just not.

Exactly. People are just having a difficult time with the idea of pushing Cal out, or not being able to watch their favorite Kentucky kid play. Cal is never doing anything successful here again.

 

[L.O.D.]

I will dvr games and watch as I fast forward to last 10 minutes and that's it. Maybe watch if I hear Reed is going off..

I won't get invested again till Cal is outta here.

 

[mdlUK.1]

As for me, I'll watch every available televised game, same as I have since the early 80s. Doesn't matter to me who the coach is, or what the roster looks like.

The Wildcats are my team and that won't change.

Exactly. Cal and his replacement will be gone one day but the Wildcats will be here and I will continue to support them.

 

[Aike]

In all seriousness: after the last 5 years, why would you come play for this guy?


People will play for a jerk who wins, but why come play for a jerk who no one likes, will mess you over, and won’t win?

I think the Nike influence and NBA prep and connections are the only reasons.

It isn’t about the University of Kentucky winning championships, and hasn’t been for quite a while.

 

[cats2010]

Reed Sheppard is not fixing the Kentucky basketball program, he’s just not.

I agree with Aike though and I’m right there with him. I will not (nor do not want to) watch another cal coached team but an exception will be made if Reed returns. He’s too much of a great player to not watch him regardless of cal. Save KY, no, really no one can at this moment with Cal at the helm. That ship has sailed.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Losing fans is one thing.

Losing Superfans is Toxic. Toxicity isn't sustainable.

 

[KY Long Rifle]

@Aike, I understand how you feel. We are in a bad place right now, with a narrow and foggy path forward. We should not be in this position at Kentucky.

 

[SkyPrince1]

Awesome. People should do what they want. Cal has hijacked this program, and all I can do about it is stop watching. That’s my line.

How could you not watch out of simple curiosity?
No matter how mad you are it's hard to just flip a switch and be oblivious to UK basketball.
Makes no sense to not watch and then go online to check the score/boxscore.
April to September is a sports wasteland for me so Im pumped for football on Labor Day weekend and by the time Nov rolls around I'm ready for basketball.
Idk what would have to happen for me not to be front and center for the Champions Classic vs Duke.
Spending big money on tickets and travel I can agree with.

 

[Aike]

How could you not watch out of simple curiosity?
No matter how mad you are it's hard to just flip a switch and be oblivious to UK basketball.
Makes no sense to not watch and then go online to check the score/boxscore.
April to September is a sports wasteland for me so Im pumped for football on Labor Day weekend and by the time Nov rolls around I'm ready for basketball.
Idk what would have to happen for me not to be front and center for the Champions Classic vs Duke.
Spending big money on tickets and travel I can agree with.

I have other things to do.

I used to watch every Braves game. Now I only tune in during the postseason.

Used to watch every Laker game, but the NBA has become an abomination. I will watch every now and then, but mostly because of AD.

Kentucky Basketball is by far my favorite. Have lived, slept, and breathed it for over 40 years.

Between the whiny, narcissistic bully of a coach, the gambling focus and crooked refs, I no longer enjoy myself.

I enjoyed Rob/Reed/Reeves this year. Cal destroyed that.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

Cal really (rightfully) pissed off the fanbase when he constantly dissed reed. He was pissed because fans liked reed more than DJ. Ironic because it wasn't just because he was from ky and a legacy - he was clearly also much better.

Those statements were way, way, way out of line and egregiously bad.

This it comes down to ego. Cal prefers certain players over others (the ones he puts in the dog house.) when the dog plays better than his favorite (ESPECIALLY when they dog is a fan favorite) his ego can’t handle it. He’s a fat loser with an ego of glass.

 

[frigimall]

1. Cal is gone

Or

2. Reed miraculously comes back


Reed is a once in a generation Kentucky player, not just because of ability, but lineage, bleeding blue, etc. So if that kid came back, I would continue to support him.

Get a new coach, I’m all in.

Otherwise, I am done. Can’t fully express all the ways I loathe Cal at this point.

I could handle him being a bad coach. A bad coach with some humility, who brought in good kids but choked too much. I wouldn’t like it, but I could handle it.

I can no longer deal with the arrogance and condescension. It’s unhealthy.

After the Oakland game, I've had enough with the Cal system. I'll just follow the scores on ESPN from now on. Until Cal is gone, I'm not investing any more time.

 

[FitchandMurray29]

I have other things to do.

I used to watch every Braves game. Now I only tune in during the postseason.

Used to watch every Laker game, but the NBA has become an abomination. I will watch every now and then, but mostly because of AD.

Kentucky Basketball is by far my favorite. Have lived, slept, and breathed it for over 40 years.

Between the whiny, narcissistic bully of a coach, the gambling focus and crooked refs, I no longer enjoy myself.

I enjoyed Rob/Reed/Reeves this year. Cal destroyed that.

The fact that college basketball has also turned into the NBA with an insane amount of player movement and being a nightly 3 point contest to determine the winner has definitely impacted my passion for the sport separate from the 30 something UK games each year.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

+Cal is gone

I understand wanting to watch if this team returned but that would just be another year of false hope.

 

[Oldbluefart]

I heard stories about Michael Jordan getting cut from his high school team.
I am now starting to believe his high school coach was John Calipari.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Aike’s one of the best on here. I won’t stop watching regardless but I’m sure like everyone, more apathy has set in for me as well.

People should fan however they choose. If Cal’s behavior isn’t tolerable for them, it isn’t tolerable. They could easily have won a couple games this weekend regardless of his lacking coaching and imo that shouldn’t make a difference for whether people continue to watch. It shouldn’t be about results, it’s about process and the whole experience, because as fans that come on here we’re the 365 day variety not a few weeks in March like the rest of the country.

I need a lot to get excited again. A new coach alone won’t do it. It has to be a hire I like and he has to have an off-season that gives us a legitimate chance to compete right away. That should be definitely doable in the portal era. I’m not sure there’s anything Cal could do to get me excited. Get Reed back, kick Somto to the curb, have him round up the money for top transfers for the first time(Oscar was different for many reasons), staff changes, etc. Even with that it’s probably become too toxic to actually work and all those things won’t happen.

I watched the coach of Kentucky get scared and coach scared against Oakland a mid major program. I can’t have that coach on Kentuckys sidelines anymore

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

+Cal is gone

I understand wanting to watch if this team returned but that would just be another year of false hope.

Every update I see from media with Kentucky makes it sound like he is back, and the only change that will happen is him firing some assistants, and bringing in more of his guys as assistants