Popes team is lazy and soft !
- Thread starter Basil Cat
- Start date
Anyone that saw Otega Oweh hit the floor with his head and bounce up like Superman last night....and still call Pope's players soft....needs to have their head examined.
These Cal fans just can’t get over themselves
Not everyone that has been critical or hard on this team AT TIMES is a Cal Lover or Pope doubter . I think its legit to say we have been soft at times , and we lose our focus on blocking out and overall aggression on rebounding and D . We had a GREAT win last night but there were still times lots of things we need to NOT do . Or do better . Williams letting little 5'10 Z shoot a layup right in front of him . Chandler panicking on O and forcing a pass out that just isnt even close to being a good play. Oweh reaching back and meat hooking the guy after he's already cleared him. Overall great great win over a highly ranked opponent who oddly enough didnt seem to treat the game as their super bowl . Well they got their reward and we go ours . GREAT not to let those orange bums celebrate !!!
Really proud of our team - everyone involved - for the kind of effort, guts, determination in the face of adversity that they stared down - on the road - at Knoxville!!! Alongside Nashville, Knoxville has historically been the toughest road game in our league every season.
Kentucky teams of the past, and I go back to the seventies, it goes back much further, though.... Kentucky teams have some things to learn along the way in ways that other teams don't have to.
It goes FAR beyond being "everyone's super bowl" kinda' thing.
Effort, hustle, mental toughness in the face of hostility, even downright irrational hatred .... that's something I think our teams have to face down and overcome to truly join the greatest squads we have ever had. Talent matters, but look at the unforgettables. I point to that team as one that played with pride and fortitude in a time when things were down and morale was low for the program. They restored honor, faith and pride for the EFFORT they made.
It led to future success and continued greatness for the program.
SEC play always has been physical and we get poorly officiated road games on a regular basis. Hell, we even get questionable whistles at home games, unlike every other blueblood program ( Indiana is not, i repeat NOT a blueblood program ... LOL)
So we have to take the punishment, learn what we are up against, stay strong both physically and mentally and overcome it all. The hostile crowd circus like environments, other team pumped up to extreme heights, overcome the poor officiating. Its a lot to ask of young men.
I've seen the incremental steps our team has made. It all adds up to why we won last night.
Brea, in some of the previous games, once he got beat, he didnt pursue the other player to the rim, and they scored. Last night, in the first half, his recovery when Ziggy went past him, he didnt give up this time. He followed him and BLOCKED the shot from behind. It's things like that which should show you that they're learning, and HAVE LEARNED some of those lessons. There's plenty of examples, that's just one.
I guess I could go on, and I waste time just saying stuff, I know.
But I hope that, at least for some of you that seem to easily and readily give in to despair and your own doubts and fears about this team, man, how can I say it ? Give that *ish* up. It's not worth carrying that kind of baggage around, for anything. I have overcome a cancerous brain tumor in the 90's when I ahd brain surgery and I stood a 20% shot at NEVER opening my eyes again when I went under that fateful day. I survived. In 2008, I fell from the top of my mom's house and broke my back, permanently disabling me, putting me in a wheelchair for 7 LONG YEARS, from 2008 - 2015. I once weighed 335 lbs. Since 2015, Ive lost 168 pounds (Im half the man I used to be ! lol!) but most importantly, I finally got to stand up, walk again. I use a cane still, but I walk. MAN. I wish I could share with you all how that feels.
I overcame my own faults and flaws with alcohol and drug abuse, opioid addiction from the surgeries, and this past Nov 3 2024, was my 23rd year of sobriety and being drug free. And I dont smoke anymore.
I guess what I am trying to say is that YOU HAVE the power, with faith in my higher power (I can testify, AMEN!) I have overcome so very much. So it's easy for me to put sports in perspective, even though I am so passionate about Kentucky basketball. I hope you have that kind orf unshakable faith and the power you can get from that, well, I just remind myself to stay humble, be loving and compassionate. Have joy in my heart every day, live life and lewt happiness guide you. It's easy to lose sight of all that.
And as for our team this year ?
I am thoroughly enjoying seeing freshmen being developed as the season goes along. Enjoying watching them take the hostile environments, seeing it with their own eyes, and learning valuable lessons to harden them along the journey. It's GREAT seeing a team that has relatively unheralded players from all over come together as a FAMILY and restore pride with guts, determination and hustle, even though at times, it has been lacking.
I LOVE seeing a coach that, while we fans are enjoying the aftermath of a big road win over a rival, Coach Pope is on a video call to a grandmother .... what an incredible man to have as our coach. Hearing a Coach say the things Coach Pope has said, seeing absolutely BRILLIANT in-game coaching the likes of which we haven't seen for qa LONG time around here, at least not on a consistent basis, CCC had his moments, granted. And watching the fans come back together again, and seeing and experiencing my fanhood restored and renewed. A greater gift, I could not ask for.
I try to stay humble. Even though my birthday is late March, and I get to make a birthday wish, every year, I don't ask for anything except one thing. I wish Kentucky to be playing AFTER my birthday. It usually means we made the final four. I don't wish to win the title every year. It's unreasonable, foolish, and selfish to have that kind of thinking. But I stay humble about it, and so many times, I've seen it fulfilled.
and I'm sorry Ive gone on so long here. But thanks if you made it this far. I truly mean every single word......
Seeing our team step up, after the headlines this week was : " Kentucky basketball facing first real adversity under Coach Mark Pope as wildcats grapple with Andrew Carr injury"
Well, I'll simply close by saying that if everyone here faced adversity like that, and had the kind of result last night that all the hard work and faith that is being tested resulted in, then we wouldn't have fans coming out here that have a defeatist attitude and piss poor quality of faith in something they profess to be a "fan" of, much less LOVE something (as much as I do) .....
- end runt's rant #3,770
I hope ya'll are enjoying seeing the big & little things I'm seeing this year. It has rejuvenated my spirit and reignited my passion for Kentucky basketball !!
Go Big Blue !
Kentucky teams of the past, and I go back to the seventies, it goes back much further, though.... Kentucky teams have some things to learn along the way in ways that other teams don't have to.
It goes FAR beyond being "everyone's super bowl" kinda' thing.
Effort, hustle, mental toughness in the face of hostility, even downright irrational hatred .... that's something I think our teams have to face down and overcome to truly join the greatest squads we have ever had. Talent matters, but look at the unforgettables. I point to that team as one that played with pride and fortitude in a time when things were down and morale was low for the program. They restored honor, faith and pride for the EFFORT they made.
It led to future success and continued greatness for the program.
SEC play always has been physical and we get poorly officiated road games on a regular basis. Hell, we even get questionable whistles at home games, unlike every other blueblood program ( Indiana is not, i repeat NOT a blueblood program ... LOL)
So we have to take the punishment, learn what we are up against, stay strong both physically and mentally and overcome it all. The hostile crowd circus like environments, other team pumped up to extreme heights, overcome the poor officiating. Its a lot to ask of young men.
I've seen the incremental steps our team has made. It all adds up to why we won last night.
Brea, in some of the previous games, once he got beat, he didnt pursue the other player to the rim, and they scored. Last night, in the first half, his recovery when Ziggy went past him, he didnt give up this time. He followed him and BLOCKED the shot from behind. It's things like that which should show you that they're learning, and HAVE LEARNED some of those lessons. There's plenty of examples, that's just one.
I guess I could go on, and I waste time just saying stuff, I know.
But I hope that, at least for some of you that seem to easily and readily give in to despair and your own doubts and fears about this team, man, how can I say it ? Give that *ish* up. It's not worth carrying that kind of baggage around, for anything. I have overcome a cancerous brain tumor in the 90's when I ahd brain surgery and I stood a 20% shot at NEVER opening my eyes again when I went under that fateful day. I survived. In 2008, I fell from the top of my mom's house and broke my back, permanently disabling me, putting me in a wheelchair for 7 LONG YEARS, from 2008 - 2015. I once weighed 335 lbs. Since 2015, Ive lost 168 pounds (Im half the man I used to be ! lol!) but most importantly, I finally got to stand up, walk again. I use a cane still, but I walk. MAN. I wish I could share with you all how that feels.
I overcame my own faults and flaws with alcohol and drug abuse, opioid addiction from the surgeries, and this past Nov 3 2024, was my 23rd year of sobriety and being drug free. And I dont smoke anymore.
I guess what I am trying to say is that YOU HAVE the power, with faith in my higher power (I can testify, AMEN!) I have overcome so very much. So it's easy for me to put sports in perspective, even though I am so passionate about Kentucky basketball. I hope you have that kind orf unshakable faith and the power you can get from that, well, I just remind myself to stay humble, be loving and compassionate. Have joy in my heart every day, live life and lewt happiness guide you. It's easy to lose sight of all that.
And as for our team this year ?
I am thoroughly enjoying seeing freshmen being developed as the season goes along. Enjoying watching them take the hostile environments, seeing it with their own eyes, and learning valuable lessons to harden them along the journey. It's GREAT seeing a team that has relatively unheralded players from all over come together as a FAMILY and restore pride with guts, determination and hustle, even though at times, it has been lacking.
I LOVE seeing a coach that, while we fans are enjoying the aftermath of a big road win over a rival, Coach Pope is on a video call to a grandmother .... what an incredible man to have as our coach. Hearing a Coach say the things Coach Pope has said, seeing absolutely BRILLIANT in-game coaching the likes of which we haven't seen for qa LONG time around here, at least not on a consistent basis, CCC had his moments, granted. And watching the fans come back together again, and seeing and experiencing my fanhood restored and renewed. A greater gift, I could not ask for.
I try to stay humble. Even though my birthday is late March, and I get to make a birthday wish, every year, I don't ask for anything except one thing. I wish Kentucky to be playing AFTER my birthday. It usually means we made the final four. I don't wish to win the title every year. It's unreasonable, foolish, and selfish to have that kind of thinking. But I stay humble about it, and so many times, I've seen it fulfilled.
and I'm sorry Ive gone on so long here. But thanks if you made it this far. I truly mean every single word......
Seeing our team step up, after the headlines this week was : " Kentucky basketball facing first real adversity under Coach Mark Pope as wildcats grapple with Andrew Carr injury"
Well, I'll simply close by saying that if everyone here faced adversity like that, and had the kind of result last night that all the hard work and faith that is being tested resulted in, then we wouldn't have fans coming out here that have a defeatist attitude and piss poor quality of faith in something they profess to be a "fan" of, much less LOVE something (as much as I do) .....
- end runt's rant #3,770
I hope ya'll are enjoying seeing the big & little things I'm seeing this year. It has rejuvenated my spirit and reignited my passion for Kentucky basketball !!
Go Big Blue !
My bad … I was just watching 7’ 2” Williams watch Ziegler make 2 under basket. I think he just forgot to jump or even put his hands up. But overall, good game.
Little hint before making threads like this. It’s never as good or bad as it seems. It’s usually somewhere in between.
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