Is not pessimism, not "realism", it is indifference. All these losses over all these decades are wearing me down.
After 40+ years as a fan, I will confess that on Saturday, I am a lot more interested in attending my friends Breeders Cup party than I am heading home afterwards to get changed and walk over to CWS to see Kentucky get pummeled by Tennessee. (and you just know they will) How can I get pumped up to go hear Rocky Top sung 100 times??
Saturday was not really an epiphany, and I wasn't even pissed off. Just depressed and in reality, why should I be? I am not even down on Stoops, he is just the latest actor on the stage in just another scene in the long running movie that is Kentucky football. Why can we never develop offensive linemen (ONE draft choice in 20+ years)?? Why can we never have a defense?? Even Vandy has put good defensive teams on the field. Missouri has more wins against Tennessee and Florida in the brief time they have been in the SEC than we have in 30 years. Why can we never pull an upset even with inferior talent??
There are parallels in other conferences. No doubt Indiana, Purdue and maybe even North Carolina fans ask themselves the same questions. Hell, even small private schools like TCU and Baylor (who hired away our coach a while back) have become powerhouses . . . while we go OT vs. Eastern Kentucky???
I hope we rally, and in truth, it is not beyond the realm of possibility to win 7 games this season (counting a minor bowl), which is progress, and not to be dismissed lightly. But when your whole season hinges on hoping to pick off Vandy in Nashville or maybe upset (yes, they will be favored) Louisville, who 30 years ago was the absolute doormat of college football . . . how much progress are we making, really? After all these years, am I supposed to get weak kneed over another trip to Birmingham, Memphis, or perhaps Shreveport??
Lots can happen in the next five weeks, but I am already weighing the pros and cons of tickets next year. Home schedule will be really bad, is it worth $1600 or so? And when guys like me start bailing, who can afford the tickets, then your program really does fall to the level of Illinois, Purdue, IU, Vandy, etc. with 35,000 on a lot of home games, unless a big team (Ohio State) shows up in droves to fill your stadium for you.
After 40+ years as a fan, I will confess that on Saturday, I am a lot more interested in attending my friends Breeders Cup party than I am heading home afterwards to get changed and walk over to CWS to see Kentucky get pummeled by Tennessee. (and you just know they will) How can I get pumped up to go hear Rocky Top sung 100 times??
Saturday was not really an epiphany, and I wasn't even pissed off. Just depressed and in reality, why should I be? I am not even down on Stoops, he is just the latest actor on the stage in just another scene in the long running movie that is Kentucky football. Why can we never develop offensive linemen (ONE draft choice in 20+ years)?? Why can we never have a defense?? Even Vandy has put good defensive teams on the field. Missouri has more wins against Tennessee and Florida in the brief time they have been in the SEC than we have in 30 years. Why can we never pull an upset even with inferior talent??
There are parallels in other conferences. No doubt Indiana, Purdue and maybe even North Carolina fans ask themselves the same questions. Hell, even small private schools like TCU and Baylor (who hired away our coach a while back) have become powerhouses . . . while we go OT vs. Eastern Kentucky???
I hope we rally, and in truth, it is not beyond the realm of possibility to win 7 games this season (counting a minor bowl), which is progress, and not to be dismissed lightly. But when your whole season hinges on hoping to pick off Vandy in Nashville or maybe upset (yes, they will be favored) Louisville, who 30 years ago was the absolute doormat of college football . . . how much progress are we making, really? After all these years, am I supposed to get weak kneed over another trip to Birmingham, Memphis, or perhaps Shreveport??
Lots can happen in the next five weeks, but I am already weighing the pros and cons of tickets next year. Home schedule will be really bad, is it worth $1600 or so? And when guys like me start bailing, who can afford the tickets, then your program really does fall to the level of Illinois, Purdue, IU, Vandy, etc. with 35,000 on a lot of home games, unless a big team (Ohio State) shows up in droves to fill your stadium for you.
