Please be Respectful to Damien Harris

[cathouse]

Regardless of which school he chooses to attend on Friday. For the #1 rated running back in the country to include UK in his final three choices has already elevated the Kentucky brand for many of the top teir recruits. Two years ago, UK was not even on his radar as an option. Now, this young man is making probably the most important and the most difficult decision in his life. I am greatful that he is considering UK strongly as the right place to continue his greatness. I will respect the decision he makes for HIS future, even if it is not UK. I ask all true UK football fans to join me in respecting Mr. Harris and his family Friday and let's hope he chooses to be a Cat. Please stay classy on this one.

 

[J0K3R]

Great Post..

Any one who says we dont need/want him or he isnt legit is a complete fraud of a UK fan and should be banned.

There is no denying this kid has skills and could change our program.

 

[irishcat1965]

I hope he picks UK. But if he picks Bama, I wish him the best. When you recruiting the best, there will be disappointments.

 

[permdaddy]

Sounds like he has chose Bama. Good luck too him can't blame the kid for wanting to play for Saban and Alabama. I hope he is the next Shaun Alexander.

 

[MrHotDice]

IMHO if Harris doesn't, pick UK he is making a very bad mistake. BAMA already has back on their team as good as Harris and it will be years before he starts. At UK he will play next year plus be a hero to Kentucky and his family. If that means nothing to him then he needs to go to BAMA. If he is as good as advertised he will play wherever he goes but if he doesn't pick Kentucky he will always be the kid that turned his back on Kentucky just like Alexander. Agree or disagree, I have no need for such people.

Ok, have at it.

 

[I am stupid]

I hope everyone can remain calm if he goes somewhere else. When you look at the decision he has to make it is NOT an easy one. Of course I love UK, and would play for them in a heartbeat over any team, he may not feel that way. For a player like him, it really is a business decision.

Honestly, it would be easy for him to display his talents at Alabama since they (typically) have the best O-line. At UK, it would be much harder, but definitely possible.

 

[TJS4UK]

Respectful and calm? Yes

Disappointed? Yes

If he picks Bama, he will be viewed no differently than Brian Brohm or Lamar Dawson.
This post was edited on 1/7 9:13 PM by TJS4UK

 

[O C-A-T-S 06]

I agree with being respectful to the extent of social media trash talking. There's not thing worse than that. But I'll just kind of be upset at the fact he kept the staff going. He literally only missed one home game. But here comes bama over the last month and a half putting on the press. Granted they are alaba. I'll Just feel really disappointed if he goes there. He can be a legend here or just another star there.

 

[Wildcats4EverandEver]

If he truly believes he is the man, go to Bama....competition thick in Tuscaloosa, wish Him the best

 

[Kooky Kats]

We need him. Bama wants him.

I hope he realizes the historic importance and difference he represents.

I say he's a Cat.

 

[nodef14]

Put yourself in this situation as a parent. Reverse the situation and pretend the kid plays basketball and has an offer from Alabama and Kentucky. You really want the best for your child and wouldn't be angry if he wanted to go play for the premier program in the country. He will probably play professional either way and it just comes down to wanting to stay close to home and maybe change the culture of the home program or just go ahead and sign with a top tier program. Can't fault the kid either way. Be respectful and mature and show class regardless of the decision.

 

[KumarCat]

If he picks Bama', I wish no will upon him. I also don't care about him anymore.

 

[southindycat]

I promise not to resort to vile epithets if he chooses Alabama. I also promise not to care any more about whatever career he might have in Tuscaloosa than I would were he from Mobile or Huntsville.

 

[hoss6901]

I agree, nobody should send his stupid, nasty messages, but that is unfortunately the world we live in. Anyone with a computer or phone has access to Twitter and can spew all the venom they want. I would hope no one on here would do that stuff.

I really hope he comes to UK, as it would be a game changer for the program - on and off the field. Plus, I am so sick of hearing about Alabama it is not even funny.

 

[jgraf_1]

If he was a qb, receiver, lineman, linebacker, corner, etc I'd totally get the pick for bama, but they have so many backs that even 5 stars from last and the year before are sitting. He won't play significant minutes until he's a junior. I'm not going to say it's a mistake because bama is never a mistake...I just don't understand it.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[CHAMPCAT11]

I wouldn't be disrespectful in any way for his choice if he chooses Alabama. I get that and respect that 100%. I DO think his decision to announce at his school that will be full of UK fans and knowing the BBN there will probably be a ton of other fans hanging around the school is a slap in UK's face. He's a young man and I hope he stays healthy and has a great career regardless of where he goes but he shouldn't toot the Bama horn in front of a huge contingent of UK fans. He should have done it differently if in fact he chooses Bama.

 

[UKWinsAgainYep]

I will be angry if he picks Bama....Some of you are losers who don't expect the best for UK football.

He should pick UK because he's from Kentucky. That's how big programs are built. Not by whining that we can't compete with schools like Bama.

 

[CHAMPCAT11]

Originally posted by UKWinsAgainYep:
I will be angry if he picks Bama....Some of you are losers who don't expect the best for UK football.

He should pick UK because he's from Kentucky. That's how big programs are built. Not by whining that we can't compete with schools like Bama.

Unfair to say this IMO.

 

[nodef14]

I agree. A lifetime of sub par football to support that argument. That's why we get the best basketball players regardless of what state they live in.

I'm all for UK football, but until they produce a consistent winner, you can't expect them to win recruits from the top one percent.

 

[TJS4UK]

Originally posted by nodef14:
I'm all for UK football, but until they produce a consistent winner, you can't expect them to win recruits from the top one percent.

I am glad that Howard Schnellenberger (a former UK player), and the kids that he recruited to Miami, didn't entertain your mentality since that Miami program was truly in the dumps. Otherwise, if they had thought like you, Miami's best players may have instead been playing for that Nebraska team that Miami beat for the National title. He sold those kids on staying home and doing something special. They did. Stoops and UK can too. Harris could be an important piece to that puzzle.

2 points...
Cinderella can go to the ball. (Kentucky/Miami)
Dynasties can and do crumble. (Bama/Nebraska)

Stoops is going into year 3 and UK is rising. Years 4 & 5 look even better. Why not UK?

This post was edited on 1/7 11:33 PM by TJS4UK

 

[THE_OAK]

I think he will end up pick UK, but if he decides to go to Bama you can't knock him for that either. I just hope he wants to stay close to home and try to help build his in state program. I wish him nothing but the best either way and hope he has a long and healthy career.

 

[SmashUL]

Only a complete and total moron would get on this kid for choosing Bama over UK... or Ohio St over UK for that matter. It would be like a top 10 bball player from Bama choosing UK over in home Bama. I mean if that kid stayed in Bama we'd call him crazy right?

 

[jnewc2]

Originally posted by SmashUL:
Only a complete and total moron would get on this kid for choosing Bama over UK... or Ohio St over UK for that matter. It would be like a top 10 bball player from Bama choosing UK over in home Bama. I mean if that kid stayed in Bama we'd call him crazy right?

Different deal..Stoops has been bringing some of the best HS talent in nation to UK..Alabama's bball coach can't say that

 

[BigSexyCat]

Damien has to do what's best for him. No need to be disrespectful.

 

[why_not_kentucky]

Do you think bama fans are having this same discussion.

 

[O C-A-T-S 06]

Hate when people try to compare Alabama basketball to UK football. Alabama basketball is terrible, in a bad basketball conference (outside of Florida and Kentucky traditionally) They are having a decent season now but they will never be a force in the conference especially with the way SEC basketball isn't divisions. UK football is a big time recruit and a couple of upsets/bowls away from getting some dominoes to fall, kids finally notice. This staff has had a ton of momentum so its really not comparable to Alabama basketball.

 

[teach them linear]

Ill show him the same respect he will have shown the BBN. If and its a big if ... he chooses Bama I will always pull against him hope he is buried on the depth chart and has no football success there what so ever!!! I don't pull for any of our rivals players to do well and by choosing Bama over KY he has switched his allegiance from our program and state and I would never treat him like anything other than a rival player. Hell he would deserve more respect if he chose UL at least there are a ton of fans here pulling for them, but even there I hope those local guys don't do well because it just dims the attraction to UK. Furthermore we don't need some slug posting a thread telling us how to act. If we want to share our opinions about how to act heres mine; act like your gf just dumped you, act like a friend just sold you down the river, act like you think he just made the dumbest decision you ever saw and as a KY fan you would never understand how anybody could pick anyone other than KY.

 

[why_not_kentucky]

Yea. Be good kids.

 

[O C-A-T-S 06]

Not to mention we have a fan base that actually cares about football. We have a solid 60,000+ in it for the long haul and another good amount of band wagons that will hop on as well when we start winning games. Alabama has like 14 fans for basketball.

 

[Wildcatredsfan]

If basketball players felt that way and we only got Kentucky boys how many games u think we'd win.

 

[O C-A-T-S 06]

I understand that but Alabama basketball isn't a great comparison. It'd be different if it were another state. I get the idea of what people are trying to portray.

 

[TJS4UK]

Florida basketball is a much closer comparison to UK Football than is Bama basketball, imho.

 

[teach them linear]

I feel the same way about 5 star basketball players if they leave our state they have rejected our values and I wish them well with the values of the state and program they have adopted! I think Damien Harris should know if he goes out of the state then look to his new state for admiration. I'll never think or talk about him as highly as I will of Tim Couch or Moe Williams regardless of his career success. Hell the Dawson kid I have no idea how he did after he rejected us and I damn sure don't want him coming back to Kentucky telling us how they do it out west.

When basketball players come here they are now ours, come home any time!!!

 

[zcats]

I would love to see him here and if he played at UK he would be a state hero. Having said that if he picks Bama I wish him the best and we will move on. He is a great kid by all accounts. He would have a much bigger impact here. The league will find you if you can play regardless where. UK has a bunch of young guys doing very well in the league right now despite our lesser profile the past few years. The last two years both Larry and Avery have made us proud not to mention Randall and the rest.

 

[TJS4UK]

Originally posted by teach them linear:
I feel the same way about 5 star basketball players if they leave our state they have rejected our values and I wish them well with the values of the state and program they have adopted! I think Damien Harris should know if he goes out of the state then look to his new state for admiration. I'll never think or talk about him as highly as I will of Tim Couch or Moe Williams regardless of his career success. Hell the Dawson kid I have no idea how he did after he rejected us and I damn sure don't want him coming back to Kentucky telling us how they do it out west.

When basketball players come here they are now ours, come home any time!!!

Pretty much.

 

[railroadkat_1]

No comparison between basketball period. Coach Cal is tearing it up but can only award 13 scholarships and play 5 at a time. Coach Stoops has 85 scholarships. 11 offense , 11 defense, 11 special teams. Don't try to compare the two sports because it's impossible ! GBB

 

[C1180]

If he picks UK that is big news but if he picks Bama he will just be another high rated player added to their list of high rated players. There is two ways of thinking be a difference maker for UK or be a cog in the Alabama juggernaut.

I won't trash the kid if he picks Bama because to me after picking Bama he will cease to exist. The only time there after that I will have any thought of him is if Bama plays UK and he gets in the game. I would then pull against him and trash him as a turncoat traitor.. Other than that I would care less about him.

I will be sad however that we have lost another high ranked Kentucky kid to yet another out of state big boy. It is this type BS that has kept UK bathed in mediocrity for all of these years.

 

[Hacksaw Cat]

Originally posted by teach them linear:
I feel the same way about 5 star basketball players if they leave our state they have rejected our values and I wish them well with the values of the state and program they have adopted! I think Damien Harris should know if he goes out of the state then look to his new state for admiration. I'll never think or talk about him as highly as I will of Tim Couch or Moe Williams regardless of his career success. Hell the Dawson kid I have no idea how he did after he rejected us and I damn sure don't want him coming back to Kentucky telling us how they do it out west.

When basketball players come here they are now ours, come home any time!!!

I had completely forgot about Dawson and had to Google his name to even remember who he was and where he went to school!

If DH chooses UK, awesome, if not, then wish him well, but move on to. I had posted earlier that I would be a temporary Bama fan if he chooses them, but to H-ll with that, UK or no one!

 

[appaws]

Remember we are talking about a kid. A kid choosing an educational institution and a place to play a sport.

Anybody who would say anything bad to (or about) a kid for choosing a different school and sports team than they prefer really needs to examine themselves and their priorities. Maybe visit their priest or pastor.

 

[medeski7]

Couldn't disagree more with this post, with the exception of saying or
doing anything directly to Harris. This is a loser mentality.

Culture
change and a winning atmosphere come only after the mentality has
changed. The mentality needs to be that elite local talent should stay
put because we are on the way to greatness. If you don't believe,
really believe, that we are working toward greatness, then that is part
of the problem. Wasting time on "we'll get 'em next time" sentiments is
for losers. Screw that. Get the best here and elevate the culture.