Thank You Mitch & BBN...

[jauk11]

Only a decade , right? Fits your agenda! How about 50/60 YEARS of BASKETBALL ONLY ADS who passed on Howard Schnellenberger TWICE because he wanted control of the football program...there's you some facts! Like I said, MB has done more for ALL UK athletics than all others combined and that includes football!

LOL.

A dozen years of NOTHING above the bare necessities is not erased by two years of throwing money at football when it starts to come in faster than you can spend it-------the other SEC football teams bowls helped support us for FIVE years due to his non support of football, AND they are the reason we are getting $40,000,000 plus a year PLUS bowl money now. What are you going to do with all that money when you have a football program that is making MILLIONS for every other SEC team AND you have driven away so many fans you are LOSING money. He has so much now that he can't even spend all of it on the NON REVENUE sports.

You said you were one of the ones that gave up your GOOD season tickets------and got better ones-------why? Tons of fans (TWENTY THOUSAND, almost half our fans) gave up season tickets in the family for generations because of his penny wise pound foolish support of football, how can you even argue that, you said YOU were even one of them.

Apparently a LOT of those fans are a lot less forgiving, a lot of them will NEVER be back after being insulted by his arrogance. How much do you think the loss of TWENTY THOUSAND season ticket holders cost us-------and STILL is costing us. How much money in donations from football fans did he cost us, $45,000,000 for the Football Center (11 years after basketballs was built) AFTER he started spending on football, how much money was donated by football fans in the previous five years? The $40,000,000 a year from the SEC is NOT because of mitch, it is IN SPITE OF HIM.

Do you really think he had ANY choice but to throw a lot of that money at football-------and he still has MILLIONS to throw at the minor sports, how much of that is due to the minor sports, in your learned opinion.

Go ahead, don't TRY to answer any of the VALID points I just made (among MANY more, want a full rundown again?), your normal insults are all that I expect.

 

[jauk11]

Only a decade , right? Fits your agenda! How about 50/60 YEARS of BASKETBALL ONLY ADS who passed on Howard Schnellenberger TWICE because he wanted control of the football program...there's you some facts! Like I said, MB has done more for ALL UK athletics than all others combined and that includes football!

Yes, just the FULL DECADE he was here before his policies resulted in the destruction of a very profitable football program, with losing TWENTY THOUSAND season ticket holders and millions in donations resulting in TWO two win seasons, which resulted in the strike, which resulted in him being FORCED to start throwing the suddenly abundant money due to OTHER SEC programs around like a drunken sailor.

Which caused the football fans to donate $45,000,000 for the football center, 11 years AFTER basketball got theirs.

How much in donations did he lose in the meantime?

How much have we lost in ticket sales?

 

[The-Hack]

the other SEC football teams bowls helped support us for FIVE years due to his non support of football,

Jauk, we've been to about as many bowls under Barnhardt, as we had been for the 100 years prior.

He was not a miracle worker . . . . he couldn't turn a state and university with their collective heads buried in March Madness speculation 13 months a year into a football school overnight.

Your persistent criticisms seem to suggest that Barnhardt was hired as a dictator without boards, fans, state government and a century of lethargy to overcome.

Crediting other programs in the SEC is wrongheaded, too.

When the 12 (then) members of the SEC forewent their "Tier Three" profits to allow the SEC network all sporting events, Alabama and Kentucky were clearly the most profitable, standing alone. Presumably, A & M is also, now, in the top 3 draws for all sports programs and the resultant profits.

 

[sluggercatfan]

Jauk, we've been to about as many bowls under Barnhardt, as we had been for the 100 years prior.

He was not a miracle worker . . . . he couldn't turn a state and university with their collective heads buried in March Madness speculation 13 months a year into a football school overnight.

Your persistent criticisms seem to suggest that Barnhardt was hired as a dictator without boards, fans, state government and a century of lethargy to overcome.

Crediting other programs in the SEC is wrongheaded, too.

When the 12 (then) members of the SEC forewent their "Tier Three" profits to allow the SEC network all sporting events, Alabama and Kentucky were clearly the most profitable, standing alone. Presumably, A & M is also, now, in the top 3 draws for all sports programs and the resultant profits.

Stop it ...you are going to spin his head with too much truth and factual information like that a Great deal of the money to build the new facility and stadium upgrades, and yes, that's including the recruiting room, came from "basketball only" people who had NEVER donated a penny to football. MB DOES NOT get to run UK the way Jurich did at U6. He had to wait his turn as the UK hospital and new campus buildings were first priority with HIS bosses. Now He is getting money to get things done and is kicking ass whether juak thinks so or not. Now if he could just figure out negotationing coaches contracts that are unwarranted.

 

[jauk11]

"Jauk, we've been to about as many bowls under Barnhardt, as we had been for the 100 years prior."

Thanks, finally someone with some intelligence to argue the FACTS with-------maybe. The prior 100 years you had to do more than just break even or even have a losing record to go to a bowl game. Of course Bama did buy TWO bowl games (trips to Hawaii) when they went on probation at the same time we did, we had the 92nd ranked class and they had the 30th, we had 15 recruits, one four star that never played, ONE JC three star, and 13 two stars, some zeros, they had a FIVE star and four four stars with mostly three stars in NINETEEN commits and finished top thirty. UK SHOULD have tried to do MORE to overcome probation, not LESS.

"He was not a miracle worker . . . . he couldn't turn a state and university with their collective heads buried in March Madness speculation 13 months a year into a football school overnight."

Are you implying that we don't have a good football fan base, and they don't deserve more than he gave for OVER a decade? lol

He spent a LOT of money on the minor money losing sports to chase his overall athletics trophy, the sad thing is that if he had spent more on football he would have ended up with MORE money to spend on the minor sports. Most good business men invest in their MONEY MAKER.

"Your persistent criticisms seem to suggest that Barnhardt was hired as a dictator without boards, fans, state government and a century of lethargy to overcome."

He was the one that was supposed to be guiding the Athletic department, why was he making the big bucks when he allowed football to lose tons of money from fans on here that swore they would never donate a penny to football as long as he was in charge of spending the money-------partly because our PR man needed a PR man for himself. How much did the loss of TWENTY THOUSAND season ticket holders (close enough) cost us, and how much in donations. When he FINALLY started doing something for football the DONATIONS covered the $45M for the Football Facility, how much is the loss of season ticket holders still costing us, and how much in donations did he cost us, how long did it take to raise the $45M AFTER the football program finally started getting the proper support?

"Crediting other programs in the SEC is wrongheaded, too."

Right, most of the money from the $40M distribution is due to basketball, or maybe the Rifle Team? Congrats to them, by the way, buddy from Pleasant View made the US Army rifle team while I was in, toured his whole time in.

"When the 12 (then) members of the SEC forewent their "Tier Three" profits to allow the SEC network all sporting events, Alabama and Kentucky were clearly the most profitable, standing alone. Presumably, A & M is also, now, in the top 3 draws for all sports programs and the resultant profits.

"

How much did the Bama football program clear last year, how much did their basketball team clear? Where do you think the bulk of the FORTY MILLION Dollar SEC distribution came from, the rifle team? New NCAA champions, but champions don't come cheap.

Pretty sad when a State University in the best conference in the world with a long suffering fan base like ours (you one example) can't break even and qualify for a bowl game with FOUR OOC opponents for five years in a row, even more embarrassing losing to in state rivals that just started big time football TWO years in a row (they sposed to be SEC).

TWO two win seasons in a row was very predictable with the "recruiting room" and other support (lack thereof) that mitch gave football for OVER his first decade, and things ONLY changed because of the tremendous loss of money and fan support AND the tremendous influx of money from the other SEC schools that DID make football (the money cow) a priority.

About 2009 and 2010 when I started noticing the atrocious imbalance in the football and basketball budgets (a HIGHER recruiting budget for five or so bb commits as for 25 or so in football, an OPERATING budget about the same for a MUCH more expensive sport with EIGHTY FIVE rides than for bb with less than 15 for instance) I started wondering what was going on. The money spent on Midnight Madness, a bb recruiting tool, was about the same as UK's football recruiting budget. Our football recruiting budget was about a third of Thug U's when they have a ton more in state talent than us (even though a lot less than other SEC states), we have a pretty dismal football tradition compared to theirs, a 100,000 plus stadium that they filled, (like we filled ours in 07 when we had an exciting team-----even though they didn't break even in the SEC), and they used every trick in the book like the "Orange Pride" and the "recruiting service" that got Oregon in trouble. Plus a town that covers up everything AND a University that pays off rape victims suing them, heard anything about that since they spent millions buying off the plaintiffs (and their lawyers)?

About that time frame UK basketball, leading the nation in attendance almost every year, was clearing about $5M a year in a year when football cleared about $18M, and UK was one of a few programs even making money on basketball, (and that was about when Joker took over) a well known fact that the NCAA keeps most of the money from bb's money maker, the tourney, while football keeps almost all of the bowl money. Which adds even more money from football, not UK's small bowls, the big ones that teams that were serious about football went to. UK, with the BEST overall bb program in the land (and certainly the best facilities and support) should have made even more money available for football AND the minor sports, IF he hadn't put football on a bare minimum diet. Basketball was helping here when basketball wasn't adding anything to other schools athletic budget. UK's women's very good women's bb program (yeah, I know, mandated) was costing the athletic department a million or two a year at the time.

Tell me, what would you have done if you had run the program in the ground, lost almost half of your season ticket sales, a LOT of donations, just had TWO consecutive two win seasons (both MINOR OOC wins) AND you suddenly had tons of money rolling in from the SEC distributions PLUS bowl distributions PLUS selling off ancillary rights for more millions? What choice do you think he had but to try to salvage the Money Cow? He is spending money like a drunken sailor, a $12,000,000 buyout if a coach FAILS at the job he is already making millions coaching.

We got started at least ten years later than we should have-------and they do call mitch the Athletic Director, I think he even makes a healthy salary.

 

[law1127]

We appreciate your fandom,but mine started in 1950-51,in old alumni gym,if you know what that was! Football as an important sport to UK ,ended when Bryant left . I’ve known most of the ADs and they all came from a basketball background ,other than Bernie Shively. Mitch Barnhart,faults and all,has collectively done more for UK football than all of the other ones together. I was one of the Joker protesters,but am also able to understand the hidden influences and limitations placed on the athletic department over years ,until recently. With that being said,the genesis for the current improvements,was the fan strike, which forced the behind the scenes influencers,to realize the athletic department would go broke ,without a competitive football program. Ergo,here we are ,47 years later, but finally trying to catch up to the SEC in the favorite sport,football. Hope you can read this and follow this brief history lesson!

 

[sluggercatfan]

We appreciate your fandom,but mine started in 1950-51,in old alumni gym,if you know what that was! Football as an important sport to UK ,ended when Bryant left . I’ve known most of the ADs and they all came from a basketball background ,other than Bernie Shively. Mitch Barnhart,faults and all,has collectively done more for UK football than all of the other ones together. I was one of the Joker protesters,but am also able to understand the hidden influences and limitations placed on the athletic department over years ,until recently. With that being said,the genesis for the current improvements,was the fan strike, which forced the behind the scenes influencers,to realize the athletic department would go broke ,without a competitive football program. Ergo,here we are ,47 years later, but finally trying to catch up to the SEC in the favorite sport,football. Hope you can read this and follow this brief history lesson!

Jauk...why are you liking This? This is directed at you..."the fan strike forced BEHIND THE SCENES influncers( meaning basketball only people) to realize the athletic department would go broke if a competitive football program were not built...many of us like law1127 have known and BITCHED about this for ALL these years, but yet you continue to blame only MB...WAKE the hell up! You have NO clue what you are talking about when it comes to UK FOOTBALL history.

 

[jauk11]

Jauk...why are you liking This? This is directed at you..."the fan strike forced BEHIND THE SCENES influncers( meaning basketball only people) to realize the athletic department would go broke if a competitive football program were not built...many of us like law1127 have known and BITCHED about this for ALL these years, but yet you continue to blame only MB...WAKE the hell up! You have NO clue what you are talking about when it comes to UK FOOTBALL history.

First it was a civil post, and the reference to Alumni Gym struck a chord, played a little basketball there when I was at UK, saw Frank Antonini there once without any pads on, he was built like a Greek God. Watched him score six or seven TDs against Thug U's freshman team when our freshmen beat them 73-0, alas neither he or the rest of the team ever lived up to that, UK lost all the games to Thug U while he was there.

Then again you don't have the same interpretation of the "Behind the scenes influencers" as I do. I have posted several times that the "bean counters" finally realized that he was throwing millions of dollars away with his penny wise pound foolish approach to football, and they, as BEAN COUNTERS, NOT necessarily basketball fans, counting beans was their job, said it had to stop, who said it had to be "basketball only people"-----besides you, of course.

So, you agree that the STRIKE did influence the "behind the scenes influencers", AND you agree that they (whoever "they" were) realized the athletic department would go broke if a competitive football program were not built------AND they told mitch that, (realizing that from past history he seemed to have no clue about what was happening).

LOL, thanks for proving my point, he had no choice but to throw a lot of money at the football program, exactly what I have been saying in all my posts, and the strike was just ONE of the reasons. BUT the primary one. I wouldnl' even be surprised if some of the other SEC ADs complained about UK not carrying its part of the load in football, there was NO excuse for running a program that far underground.

Wonder what happened to the picture of the "recruiting room", I would guess several of the schools we recruit against still have a copy and remember the good old days. Bet they miss them too.

 

[sluggercatfan]

First it was a civil post, and the reference to Alumni Gym struck a chord, played a little basketball there when I was at UK, saw Frank Antonini there once without any pads on, he was built like a Greek God. Watched him score six or seven TDs against Thug U's freshman team when our freshmen beat them 73-0, alas neither he or the rest of the team ever lived up to that, UK lost all the games to Thug U while he was there.

Then again you don't have the same interpretation of the "Behind the scenes influencers" as I do. I have posted several times that the "bean counters" finally realized that he was throwing millions of dollars away with his penny wise pound foolish approach to football, and they, as BEAN COUNTERS, NOT necessarily basketball fans, counting beans was their job, said it had to stop, who said it had to be "basketball only people"-----besides you, of course.

So, you agree that the STRIKE did influence the "behind the scenes influencers", AND you agree that they (whoever "they" were) realized the athletic department would go broke if a competitive football program were not built------AND they told mitch that, (realizing that from past history he seemed to have no clue about what was happening).

LOL, thanks for proving my point, he had no choice but to throw a lot of money at the football program, exactly what I have been saying in all my posts, and the strike was just ONE of the reasons. BUT the primary one. I wouldnl' even be surprised if some of the other SEC ADs complained about UK not carrying its part of the load in football, there was NO excuse for running a program that far underground.

Wonder what happened to the picture of the "recruiting room", I would guess several of the schools we recruit against still have a copy and remember the good old days. Bet they miss them too.

It is 2018... when the hell are you going to stop living in the past? It makes ZERO difference if there are a thousand pictures of the place they hosted recruits...IT NO LONGER EXIST and YOUR BOY has a shiny new awesome place to host them in. I have toured this new facility and if there are fifteen better than UK'S now they must be awesome+ because ours sure are. You need to try and figure out why YOUR BOY cant figure out why his D keeps leaving wide receivers open all over the field and can't keep his biggest rival from needing a punter.

 

[jauk11]

It is 2018... when the hell are you going to stop living in the past? It makes ZERO difference if there are a thousand pictures of the place they hosted recruits...IT NO LONGER EXIST and YOUR BOY has a shiny new awesome place to host them in. I have toured this new facility and if there are fifteen better than UK'S now they must be awesome+ because ours sure are. You need to try and figure out why YOUR BOY cant figure out why his D keeps leaving wide receivers open all over the field and can't keep his biggest rival from needing a punter.

Dang, he's my boy now?

I wonder if he could loan me a couple million until payday, of course I don't work any more but mums the word on that.

My boy, lol.

And I will bet it made a hell of a difference to recruits when they were actually using it, UK really isn't just a basketball school, at the time, right. I wonder why Tee, our best recruiter, said he lied to recruits about our facilities-----after he left.

 

[law1127]

As we say,different time, different place! Now , let’s keep the pressure on now to be the best SEC football program possible!

 

[delk4three]

Dang, he's my boy now?

I wonder if he could loan me a couple million until payday, of course I don't work any more but mums the word on that.

My boy, lol.

And I will bet it made a hell of a difference to recruits when they were actually using it, UK really isn't just a basketball school, at the time, right. I wonder why Tee, our best recruiter, said he lied to recruits about our facilities-----after he left.

You remind me of Zipp.

 

[jauk11]

You remind me of Zipp.

Congratulations, you got a like-----from Sluggo. That's pretty easy if you criticize me.

Any FACTS to back up your OPINION?

Any particular thing in my post that you want to take issue with?

 

[fuzz77]

Congratulations, you got a like-----from Sluggo. That's pretty easy if you criticize me.

Any FACTS to back up your OPINION?

Any particular thing in my post that you want to take issue with?

jauk, people could and have backed up their claims with facts for years on this board yet they all shoot right over your head. At the same time you continue to repeat a lot of fake news that you've been called on. You obviously WAY, WAY, WAY overestimate the power held by Mitch and WAY, WAY, WAY underestimate the power that has been entrenched at UK for decades.
You ignore the people who have been on the inside and have talked about the obstacles that have prevented UK from taking action on the football front.
Cal has made reference on multiple occasions about "We'll always eat first" referring to UK basketball. While that reference has been made with regard to recruiting, it is also true with Athletic Dept finances and if you think Mitch Barnhart or anyone else in the Athletics department has the power to change that then you're simply delusional. The people that write the BIG checks want it that way.
UK is no different than anywhere else. If you wonder why something is the way it is, follow the money.
The fact that something has been true for more than 60 years and 6 or 7 ADs should tell you that it isn't the AD. ADs can be replaced and will be replaced if they fail to satisfy "the powers that be".

 

[sluggercatfan]

jauk, people could and have backed up their claims with facts for years on this board yet they all shoot right over your head. At the same time you continue to repeat a lot of fake news that you've been called on. You obviously WAY, WAY, WAY overestimate the power held by Mitch and WAY, WAY, WAY underestimate the power that has been entrenched at UK for decades.
You ignore the people who have been on the inside and have talked about the obstacles that have prevented UK from taking action on the football front.
Cal has made reference on multiple occasions about "We'll always eat first" referring to UK basketball. While that reference has been made with regard to recruiting, it is also true with Athletic Dept finances and if you think Mitch Barnhart or anyone else in the Athletics department has the power to change that then you're simply delusional. The people that write the BIG checks want it that way.
UK is no different than anywhere else. If you wonder why something is the way it is, follow the money.
The fact that something has been true for more than 60 years and 6 or 7 ADs should tell you that it isn't the AD. ADs can be replaced and will be replaced if they fail to satisfy "the powers that be".

He is amazing in his own mind. He is absolutely oblivious to the results ALL over campus since MB has become AD.

 

[UKRob 73]

He is amazing in his own mind. He is absolutely oblivious to the results ALL over campus since MB has become AD.

I don't want to get in this pissing contest. But you are showing your outright homerism. For someone who has been at a major college for 16 years, his list of new facilities, and major upgrades has been very sub par to say the least.
Let's all be glad that a few new things are FINALLY getting built or upgraded, but get out here claiming that his accomplishments over 16 years at a major college are anything special.

 

[fuzz77]

I don't want to get in this pissing contest. But you are showing your outright homerism. For someone who has been at a major college for 16 years, his list of new facilities, and major upgrades has been very sub par to say the least.
Let's all be glad that a few new things are FINALLY getting built or upgraded, but get out here claiming that his accomplishments over 16 years at a major college are anything special.

Name one AD at UK who has done more...or any 2 or 3 ADs who collectively done more?

I'll repeat what I have said countless times...those who complain about what hasn't been done or taken too long to et done have zero understanding of the inside politics at UK.

I would have thought when the whole issue about how to pay for the video boards broke out that at least a few of the hardheads would start to get at least a small clue about what Mitch and all the ADs that preceded him have faced. But I was obviously wrong.

Every AD not just at UK but at every school has a wish list a mile long of things they would like to do given the money to do so. It requires support from the President of the university, the Board of Trust and the state legislature. If those things are there, nothing is getting done.

 

[sluggercatfan]

I don't want to get in this pissing contest. But you are showing your outright homerism. For someone who has been at a major college for 16 years, his list of new facilities, and major upgrades has been very sub par to say the least.
Let's all be glad that a few new things are FINALLY getting built or upgraded, but get out here claiming that his accomplishments over 16 years at a major college are anything special.

Take a little walk around campus and get back to me. With all due respect, you are wrong. Certainly not homer for MB, but like has been stated before he has done a great job from a facilities standpoint...now his stupid contract negotiations to our fb and wbb coaches is questionable at best and pretty much outright stupid.

 

[UKRob 73]

Name one AD at UK who has done more...or any 2 or 3 ADs who collectively done more?



.

Well he has never had a new game facility for a major sport. So I would say the AD that built Commonwealth, the AD that built the current baseball stadium, the AD that built memorial etc.
Hell Jurich built a new football stadium, basketball arena and baseball stadium during Mitch's tenure, while Mitch had zero.

 

[sluggercatfan]

Well he has never had a new game facility for a major sport. So I would say the AD that built Commonwealth, the AD that built the current baseball stadium, the AD that built memorial etc.
Hell Jurich built a new football stadium, basketball arena and baseball stadium during Mitch's tenure, while Mitch had zero.

Where is Mr . Jurich today? He was as crooked as the day is long and more. Renovation of KCWS with the "precious" recruiting room, new fb practice facility, fabulous new track facilty, coal lodge and UK jyst agreed to a new lease at Rupp so it looks like a bb facility won't be needed anytime soon.

 

[WildCard]

...Hell Jurich built a new football stadium, basketball arena and baseball stadium during Mitch's tenure, while Mitch had zero.

Well, PJCS was under contract when he arrived. And I suppose you meant the basketball practice facility, not the arena.

But don't forget the soccer stadium, natatorium, lacrosse field, field hockey field, 2 football stadium expansions, golf course, volleyball arena and rowing house.

Peace

 

[jauk11]

It is 2018... when the hell are you going to stop living in the past? It makes ZERO difference if there are a thousand pictures of the place they hosted recruits...IT NO LONGER EXIST and YOUR BOY has a shiny new awesome place to host them in. I have toured this new facility and if there are fifteen better than UK'S now they must be awesome+ because ours sure are. You need to try and figure out why YOUR BOY cant figure out why his D keeps leaving wide receivers open all over the field and can't keep his biggest rival from needing a punter.

Name one AD at UK who has done more...or any 2 or 3 ADs who collectively done more?

I'll repeat what I have said countless times...those who complain about what hasn't been done or taken too long to et done have zero understanding of the inside politics at UK.

I would have thought when the whole issue about how to pay for the video boards broke out that at least a few of the hardheads would start to get at least a small clue about what Mitch and all the ADs that preceded him have faced. But I was obviously wrong.

Every AD not just at UK but at every school has a wish list a mile long of things they would like to do given the money to do so. It requires support from the President of the university, the Board of Trust and the state legislature. If those things are there, nothing is getting done.

It isn't supposed to be a political contest.

Yeah, I always thought it was a little funny that he couldn't raise the money to replace the scoreboards for twelve years with the improvements in those systems lately, after all it was scheduled to be obsolete in ten years when it was built, but when the Profs got upset with BORROWING some of the money football has GIVEN them for decades WITH interest he couldn't possibly get it planned in ten years but was able to replace the money in a day or two.

Yeah, I can see it now. Mitch says, hey guys, we got some great instate stars for a change, ended up with sellouts for all the home games in 07 even though we had a losing record in the SEC, but the luck is about to run out. We don't have any depth, remember what that five star WR for USC did to our rookie CB with one year of high school ball when both our CBs were out, that killed us, even though we had a better team overall. We even had a few four stars for the offense AND defense from IN STATE in 07, we even had THREE starters on offense above a TWO STAR, and now we don't even have a four star in state in 2010, Coach Brooks did an unbelievable job with the two stars, especially the five OL starters that AVERAGED below a 5.3 as commits, but things are going downhill in recruiting, and MOST of the other SEC schools are pouring money into football, they are even saying it is the coming money cow, I know, I know, sacrilege, but then our best basketball program in the nation did only clear one third of what football did, even with football having six times the player overhead, and that is with cutting corners everywhere in football, one third Thug U's recruiting budget, we spent more than football's recruiting budget for Midnight madness to get the five stars to visit.

Also could be some problems with the "recruiting room", rumors are our best recruiter is lying to commits about our facilities, doesn't go near the place. With $100,000 we could replace the folding chairs and folding projection screens and put some carpet on the floor, maybe put some walls up so it doesn't look like we have been using the corner of a warehouse for recruiting the past 15 years. The picture everyone has isn't a pretty one.

They probably told him nonsense, It's been OK for 15 years. the folding chairs will still hold up our OL, they aren't that large, and if you don't put up any walls to separate it from the warehouse you can advertise it as the largest "recruiting room" in the world. Here's $156,000, go hang some football pictures on a wall somewhere, that should make the football fans happy, you said yourself they are a bunch of microwave fans, .

"OK, OK, you are the boss, I only work here."

Poor basketball fans, they have been scrimping along for decades now, anyone been in the coal house lately, just how bad was the old digs, how does their housing compare to football's? Does anyone really think the money spent on basketball hasn't brought great benefits, and if the same money had been spent on football we would have enjoyed GREATER benefits, and MORE money available for the minor sports, NOT lost millions of dollars with losing about 20,000 season ticket holders, hard to get back, AND in donations..

You know, it is similar to the situation at Transfer U, if it was ONE thing you MIGHT be able to understand it, but when it is dozens of things you have to start to wonder. And I have mentioned a dozen odious things myself, with no one disputing the budget FACTS, etc,

 

[fuzz77]

Well he has never had a new game facility for a major sport. So I would say the AD that built Commonwealth, the AD that built the current baseball stadium, the AD that built memorial etc.
Hell Jurich built a new football stadium, basketball arena and baseball stadium during Mitch's tenure, while Mitch had zero.

Jurich did not build a basketball arena, the city of Louisville did...or do we credit Cliff Hagan with building Rupp Arena although it is owned by the city of Lexington? And as slugger asked...where is Jurich now?

So Bernie Shively who was AD at UK for 30 (1938-1967) years managed to build Memorial in 1950. Harry Lancaster oversaw the building of Cliff Hagan (1969) and Commonwealth (1973) ...he didn't have many options with Commonwealth as Stoll Field was practically falling down. Neither man had the burden of having to deal with Title IX. That leaves Cliff Hagan, CM Newton and Larry Ivy with big zeros...

BTW, ground was broken on Papa John Stadium on Jun3 19,1996... Jurich was hired Oct 21, 1997 so you crediting him with building a new football stadium is inaccurate.

If you were interested in truth then you would research the differences in how UL and UK are able to finance capital improvements and maybe ask the questions why there is so much difference? Why can UL athletics seek funding on their own and why UK's request must be bundled with other university needs often leaving them as the line items that get cut when seeking funding. If UL athletics can seek bonding for projects on their own, why is UK athletics bound to the bonding capacity of the university as a whole?

If you sought the answers to these questions then it would make more sense to you and you'd realize that your bash-anything-Mitch-does arguments were hollow and largely without merit. I can only assume that you don't seek those answers because you don't want to know.,

 

[fuzz77]

It isn't supposed to be a political contest.

This quote alone shows how clueless you are. EVERYTHING at this level is political. UK is a state funded institution. The strings to those funds are political. The approval process for projects is political.

 

[UKRob 73]

Well, PJCS was under contract when he arrived. And I suppose you meant the basketball practice facility, not the arena.

But don't forget the soccer stadium, natatorium, lacrosse field, field hockey field, 2 football stadium expansions, golf course, volleyball arena and rowing house.

Peace

No I'm talking about the yum center. I don't care that UL didn't pay for it, hell that's even better. The fact is Jurich was instrumental in getting UL a new basketball arena to play in

 

[UKRob 73]

You guys are homers. You are the same guys that slobbered Tubby, Billy Clyde and joker. You can't be objective.

 

[JDHoss]

@ bringing up Turtleneck in a positive light in this discussion. You've embarrassed yourself enough Rob, and should just sit out the rest of the discussion.

 

[sluggercatfan]

Jurich did not build a basketball arena, the city of Louisville did...or do we credit Cliff Hagan with building Rupp Arena although it is owned by the city of Lexington? And as slugger asked...where is Jurich now?

So Bernie Shively who was AD at UK for 30 (1938-1967) years managed to build Memorial in 1950. Harry Lancaster oversaw the building of Cliff Hagan (1969) and Commonwealth (1973) ...he didn't have many options with Commonwealth as Stoll Field was practically falling down. Neither man had the burden of having to deal with Title IX. That leaves Cliff Hagan, CM Newton and Larry Ivy with big zeros...

BTW, ground was broken on Papa John Stadium on Jun3 19,1996... Jurich was hired Oct 21, 1997 so you crediting him with building a new football stadium is inaccurate.

If you were interested in truth then you would research the differences in how UL and UK are able to finance capital improvements and maybe ask the questions why there is so much difference? Why can UL athletics seek funding on their own and why UK's request must be bundled with other university needs often leaving them as the line items that get cut when seeking funding. If UL athletics can seek bonding for projects on their own, why is UK athletics bound to the bonding capacity of the university as a whole?

If you sought the answers to these questions then it would make more sense to you and you'd realize that your bash-anything-Mitch-does arguments were hollow and largely without merit. I can only assume that you don't seek those answers because you don't want to know.,

Stop it with the FACTS will you pleaseyou are going to have them running head first into a brick wall. Mitch is far from being perfect-- coaching choices and stupid contracts that were not necessary --- but he has done an excellent job giving each coach on campus an atmosphere to recruit with.

 

[ukalum1988]

I don't want to get in this pissing contest.

..... and yet you did anyway. Keep it up, you're one of the best SH!t storm pumpers on this entire board.

 

[sluggercatfan]

No I'm talking about the yum center. I don't care that UL didn't pay for it, hell that's even better. The fact is Jurich was instrumental in getting UL a new basketball arena to play in

Once again the fried chicken center shows how big a crook TJ and all those in cahoots with him were. These guys should be in jail. The sad part is that someone who is "supposedly " to be one of our own, Mr. Jim Host , was right in the middle that fiasco . Can you name what he has ever done to help UK get some serious renovations done at Rupp?

 

[sluggercatfan]

You guys are homers. You are the same guys that slobbered Tubby, Billy Clyde and joker. You can't be objective.

Totally untrue and you are the one not will to listen to facts...Tubby couldn't deal with UK, BCG was a disaster and I was one of those that rebelled against Joker. I also talked to MB to his face about the microwave comment. I was civil he was civil, but he has done an excellent job with facilities for EVERY coach on campus.
Give you a little personal prediction. Within the next 5 years MB will leave the Ad job at UK and Dewayne Peevy will become the next AD at UK, and because of MB his job will be much easier and he will be able to hit the ground running.

 

[WildCard]

No I'm talking about the yum center. I don't care that UL didn't pay for it, hell that's even better. The fact is Jurich was instrumental in getting UL a new basketball arena to play in

Actually, it was then Mayor-For-Life Abramson. In recent years there had been many arena false alarms created by the "NBA to Louisville" interests but nothing ever happened. Or was going to happen.

However, when the Kentucky State Fair Board requested out year funding for a facility to "replace aging Freedom Hall" the "arena project" suddenly had substantial and tangible support. Over the years, the State has been very generous to the state owned KFEC facility.

The Mayor and the "arena committee" quickly stepped in and stole the project from the KSFB, seeking an improvement for "greater Louisville" rather than a KFEC project. Quite frankly, Jurich had little to do with the building of the arena. He simply saw it as a new facility with money making potential regardless of where it was built.

Peace

 

[sluggercatfan]

Actually, it was then Mayor-For-Life Abramson. In recent years there had been many arena false alarms created by the "NBA to Louisville" interests but nothing ever happened. Or was going to happen.

However, when the Kentucky State Fair Board requested out year funding for a facility to "replace aging Freedom Hall" the "arena project" suddenly had substantial and tangible support. Over the years, the State has been very generous to the state owned KFEC facility.

The Mayor and the "arena committee" quickly stepped in and stole the project from the KSFB, seeking an improvement for "greater Louisville" rather than a KFEC project. Quite frankly, Jurich had little to do with the building of the arena. He simply saw it as a new facility with money making potential regardless of where it was built.

Peace

WC...you know you are stretching the truth here quite a bit here that TJ and his cronies had nothing to do with the building of the chicken bucket.

 

[WildCard]

WC...you know you are stretching the truth here quite a bit here that TJ and his cronies had nothing to do with the building of the chicken bucket.

Not in the least.

Sure, UofL "wanted' a new arena because they correctly assumed they would generate more basketball revenue than they did in Freedom Hall. Isn't creating more athletic revenue one of the primary challenges for an AD?

But when you get right down to it, the only thing UofL did to "build it" is say they would play there (under certain conditions of course). And with no primary tennant, there would have almost certainly been no new arena.

FWIW, UofL offered the silos property, but the aforementioned city interests were much more interested in a downtown site AND cleaning up the waterfront. I think every nickel the city pledged to the project (~$100M ???) ended up going to LGE to move the downtown sub-station.

Peace

 

[sluggercatfan]

Not in the least.

Sure, UofL "wanted' a new arena because they correctly assumed they would generate more basketball revenue than they did in Freedom Hall. Isn't creating more athletic revenue one of the primary challenges for an AD?

But when you get right down to it, the only thing UofL did to "build it" is say they would play there (under certain conditions of course). And with no primary tennant, there would have almost certainly been no new arena.

FWIW, UofL offered the silos property, but the aforementioned city interests were much more interested in a downtown site AND cleaning up the waterfront. I think every nickel the city pledged to the project (~$100M ???) ended up going to LGE to move the downtown sub-station.

Peace

Nothing crooked behind closed doors, yea right? Come on...they got the sweetheart of all sweetheart deals and it was crooked as hell and screwed the taxpayers of Lou and the state and you know it.

 

[The-Hack]

Hell Jurich built a new football stadium, basketball arena and baseball stadium during Mitch's tenure, while Mitch had zero.

And Mitch had virtually zero support for getting those things done, whereas Ramsey and Jurich had mobster like power, that ultimately drove a major University and city into the ground to achieve the [largely] empty seats you refer to.

The crash at the end of their tenures hardly serve as a reference point to compare a successful AD to.

 

[The-Hack]

Not in the least.

WC, I have to give you credit.

With your attitude, you would have been the last off the Titanic, and while floating in the cold water, loudly proclaiming to others who floated by, that the Captain knew his sh!t, and that icebergs weren't really all that bad.

 

[UKRob 73]

Totally untrue and you are the one not will to listen to facts...Tubby couldn't deal with UK, BCG was a disaster and I was one of those that rebelled against Joker. I also talked to MB to his face about the microwave comment. I was civil he was civil, but he has done an excellent job with facilities for EVERY coach on campus.
Give you a little personal prediction. Within the next 5 years MB will leave the Ad job at UK and Dewayne Peevy will become the next AD at UK, and because of MB his job will be much easier and he will be able to hit the ground running.

Wasn't speaking of you, should have been more specific. Specifically jd and fuzz. They slobbered all over joker, BCG and tubby all the way to the end. They have no credibility on the matter.

 

[JDHoss]

Wasn't speaking of you, should have been more specific. Specifically jd and fuzz. They slobbered all over joker, BCG and tubby all the way to the end. They have no credibility on the matter.

False....at least for me anyway. The alarm bell went off for me when Otis Gillispie was squatting along the sideline with that patented smirk on his face as we were getting run out of our own arena by Gardner-Webb. Any doubt I had was removed the following year when we opened the season with VMI hanging 111 points on us in the season opener. Joker? I was indifferent at best to Joker being retained after his 2nd season, even after we beat UT without a QB. Tubby? I liked/like Tubby, but it was time for him to go after two straight sub-par seasons. You, OTOH, have been a Turtleneck fanboy and I'm guessing you're still a little raw after the turn of events at University Six that sent your hero packing. There were several Turtleneck fanboys here, but at least the rest of them had enough sense to not bring his "accomplishments" up in a thread.

 

[jauk11]

Name one AD at UK who has done more...or any 2 or 3 ADs who collectively done more?

I'll repeat what I have said countless times...those who complain about what hasn't been done or taken too long to et done have zero understanding of the inside politics at UK.

I would have thought when the whole issue about how to pay for the video boards broke out that at least a few of the hardheads would start to get at least a small clue about what Mitch and all the ADs that preceded him have faced. But I was obviously wrong.

Every AD not just at UK but at every school has a wish list a mile long of things they would like to do given the money to do so. It requires support from the President of the university, the Board of Trust and the state legislature. If those things are there, nothing is getting done.

On the other hand he DID accomplish a LOT of things for the minor sports, no one disputes that, some pretty expensive. A LOT of projects that weren't NEARLY as important as doing SOMETHING (anything) for the "recruiting room" that every one had the despicable picture of. Shouldn't he have been able to explain how important it was to the basketball idiots (more money good for everyone, football an amazing investment for EVERYONE), just symbolically if nothing else?

Name ONE thing he did out of the ordinary for FOOTBALL from 2002 to 2012, beginning of the strike, that wasn't an absolute necessity. And I actually would like to know.

A recruiting budget for football about the same as for the Midnight Madness recruiting tool for BB.

Check.

A recruiting budget about ONE THIRD of Thug U's when they have EVERY recruiting advantage in the world over us, attendance, tradition, in state talent, crooked cops and DA's, cheating at every opportunity, AND the "Orange Pride".

Check.

An operating budget about $11M for football with 85 rides as bb with less than 15 rides with a budget over $10M.. More coaches, SIX times the players, MORE expensive equipment, more injuries, more EVERYTHING. How was that even possible?

Check

Keeping Brown on as the (joke) Co-DC instead of firing him in order to save the buyout------which was about FORTY times less than Stoops.

Check.

Having Brooks donate part of his salary to Joker to keep him when Bama came sniffing around. What in hell was Brooks thinking, without Joker coaching the WRs and handling the recruiting UK could have been top ten in the nation in both, lol.

Check.

Putting off the scoreboard and sound system updates until the last possible minute, the ONLY major thing done for football, AND delayed as long as possible.

Check.

Calling the LONG SUFFERING football fans microwave fans and losing a lot of donations AND support in the process, our spokesman for sports needed a PR man.

Check.

UK's demise into TWO two win seasons, BOTH OOC nobodies? Entirely predictable considering the bare minimum support football received for the first DECADE of mitch's running the program.

Checj.

Hiring Brooks? Brooks rescued him.

Why doesn't someone TRY to dispute the FACTS I have read and posted numerous times in black and white instead of all the personal attacks.

Because they are FACTS, along with more too numerous to mention.