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This Board Might Be Too Far GONE

I just don't understand them. We have zero control or influence over any of it. We're fans. This is supposed to be fun.

To so many of them, it clearly isn't fun and they think their misery is somehow going to rectify things they think are wrong. That if they're just angry enough, that somehow holds Cal accountable and he'll do better.

It's the downside of this being "the commonwealth's team." You get the unbridled anger and emotion because it's such a source of identity and belonging. People remove all perspective, logic and reason.

The internet also fuels it. Folks seek this place out to vent. The fans I interact with daily aren't nearly as tense as this online segment fueled by sportswriter hot takes and rival trolling on social media.

But it'll sort itself out. It always does. We'll be the top program in the world and they'll disappear like they always do.
 
If Cal stayed here another 10 years I think you could be right. This isn't about getting rid of Cal after a "slump." It's about recognizing that Cal's original success here was built on a foundation of recruiting superiority that no longer exists, and frankly given his comments I don't see changing.

After the Wisconsin loss in 2015 I had a feeling that Cal's tenure would end here in a slow burn, that we'd never make another FF. I think it took something out of Cal, out of the fans, and maybe even out of potential recruits. I think Cal probably leaves in 2-3 years. I think there's a chance he leaves after this year. Pay attention to recruiting for next year. We have one guy who didn't sign, a KY kid who will play here even if Cal isn't the coach, and another kid who might hang around. So Cal wouldn't leave us empty handed. If we don't close strong w/ 2-3 of the top remaining players I'm not sure Cal can stomach another year of teaching kids how to get into a stance and rub off a screen and grab the ball with two hands when rebounding.
Or a different way of looking at it is that this could be the change our fan base was looking for. Missing on the “Top 5 players” (however arbitrary those rankings are) may be a blessing in disguise. Maybe this will force Cal to pivot and build a more traditional lineup with alpha dogs that feel under appreciated with a chip on their shoulder. These are the types of kids Cal does great with. Even if they make mistakes, they compete.

Personally, I feel like we have gotten too “nice” of kids the past few years. Sure they’re great guys with no issues but they all seem to have a “cool guy” attitude. We can benefit from tougher system guys that may play awful at first, but build into a great team their junior and senior years and run beautiful offensive and defensive sets. I would love to have a team that we could personally grow attached to and be invested in. Sure we will have a bad down year here and there but what team doesn’t go through that? I’m of the impression that Freshman can get you to the Final Four, but 17 and 18 year olds can’t get you over the hump.
 
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It began after the cheesehead loss in 15. Times change and the game has totally changed in just a few years. Cals pitch is old and archaic. Top kids have realized they're going to make it without him. Most don't care about winning and most certainly don't care about tradition. Those days are gone and probably for good. I glad Cal doesn't cheat and I hope he never learns their ways. It's hard to see us take a dip but totally understandable. Cal put the fear of God into college ball for a few years but I fear those days are leaving quickly. Can he reinvent himself? Of course he can. Will he? I don't think he's that kind of a guy. He's still very relevant but not where he was just a few years ago.
We have fallen 1 spot in recruiting!
 
Nah! I’ve been around this board for 15 years, it’s not any worse now than I’ve seen in the past, the Mods use to deal with the trolls a little quicker, been some real meltdowns on here through the years! Lol
 
I never understand the "well we've only won 8 titles in 80 years" or whatever. Since Cal has been at UK four programs have won MULTIPLE championships: Duke, UCONN, Nova, UNC. There's absolutely no reason UK should not have at least one more title. This is about being one of the top programs in the country and closing the deal.
It happens. Duke hasn’t been the best team the last two times they have won the title. UCONN probably wasn’t for at least one of those titles. We had that distinction in ‘98. Yet we won. I’ve read somewhere that the best team only wins the whole thing about 30-something percent of the time. With matchups and such, the NCAA tournament is a pretty random animal.

Yes, I’m sure some mistakes were made by Cal that might have cost us. He isn’t perfect, but I’ve been extremely happy with what he has accomplished. And I’m all for him being our coach.
 
I’m guilty. I am a sunshine pumper. Why? Love my Cats and Cal. I’ve been a fan since 1962. Seen all of our coaches come and go. Witnessed NC’s with Hall, RP, Tubby and Cal. I’ve seen a lot of ups and downs. Through it all UK is still UK. We are the standard and we are everyone’s super bowl. No other team has our history or ou fan base.

Cal is the best recruiter to ever coach at UK, hands down. Why is he having a hard time getting bigs? Well, bad luck this year with penny getting hired at Memphis. Kids picking other schools so they can be the man. Bad luck. Hell I don’t know and neither do any of you. I believe that Cal will get his every year. We already have 2 top ten players coming in next year, and knowing Cal we will get more by the spring. I don’t know of any current coach that could replace Cal and be more successful.

I guess if your not happy you could just stop posting an find another team to follow. If it makes you happy to post negative things everyday then please continue to post.

I choose to be happy. I choose to trust in Cal and our team. Come March everyone posting negative BS will disappear and those of us that really love our team and Cal will still be posting.

Since I’ve been on my meds, I’m doing great and loving life. Nothing like being on the outside. Hospitals especially mental health hospitals is no place to live out your final days. Booneville is a small town and I enjoy being back home. I’m going to Gatlinburg next week-end with my girl. Last time I was their was 2000 and I had a great time. Girlfriend says that we’re going to Hogg’s and Honeys. Just been wondering if they have hogs or honey’s. I don’t want to ask my girl but do any of you know anything about this place?
 
I have been thinking the same thing lately. I've spent years telling fans to stay the course, take the bad with the good. I see much more good than bad. Every year we have so many fans calling out Cal and trashing the team only to see them embracing it all in the end and posting their lofty expectations again. I mean don't get me wrong I want to win it every year and cuss at the TV like a madman, fight with other fans, but always for us. The best in college basketball. I get fed up with certain players and Cal makes some moves that drive me crazy, but then I remember what it was like before.

With Cal I feel like there's always a chance and it's been one hell of a ride. Some people don't get that Cal has to remake a team every year. Teach the most basic things and get a new group to buy in again and again. It can't be easy. Plus on top of that he has a fan base who thinks any loss is too many. I hate losing more than anything, played competitive sports from 1st grade through college. Each loss ruins my day, sometimes my week and beyond. I hate fair weather fans. I have been called a sunshine pumper, but have been right more than wrong with us turning things around. This year, 4 games, 3-1 and people are throwing in the towel and predicting the end. This might be the biggest overreaction of our fan base yet and that's saying a lot. Dook was bad, I hate them more than anyone and it feels like that has turned up the negativity vibe to an all time high. Don't say recruiting. We have 2 top 10 guys and are far from done. How many times has it looked like it would be an avg. class only to see us back at #2. We are Kentucky, the best and we have Cal the best man for the job. We always have a chance.
 
Blows my mind how people get so mad on a message board.

People are way too thin skinned.

Use the ignore feature. It's not that damn hard.

I've got a bunch of posters on ignore, and I'm sure plenty ignore me.

Real life is tough enough without taking message boards as serious as some of you seem too.
 
There’s a reason I don’t post as much as I used to.

The older I get, the more I realize this stuff isn’t worth getting all worked up over. If we go 0-40 it affects my actual life zero.

I’m not a negative guy by nature, so I try to avoid negative people. They bring me way down
I disagree with this whole sentiment. If you REALLY love Kentucky, them doing bad does or at least "should" affect your actual life, right?
 
I have been thinking the same thing lately. I've spent years telling fans to stay the course, take the bad with the good. I see much more good than bad. Every year we have so many fans calling out Cal and trashing the team only to see them embracing it all in the end and posting their lofty expectations again. I mean don't get me wrong I want to win it every year and cuss at the TV like a madman, fight with other fans, but always for us. The best in college basketball. I get fed up with certain players and Cal makes some moves that drive me crazy, but then I remember what it was like before.

With Cal I feel like there's always a chance and it's been one hell of a ride. Some people don't get that Cal has to remake a team every year. Teach the most basic things and get a new group to buy in again and again. It can't be easy. Plus on top of that he has a fan base who thinks any loss is too many. I hate losing more than anything, played competitive sports from 1st grade through college. Each loss ruins my day, sometimes my week and beyond. I hate fair weather fans. I have been called a sunshine pumper, but have been right more than wrong with us turning things around. This year, 4 games, 3-1 and people are throwing in the towel and predicting the end. This might be the biggest overreaction of our fan base yet and that's saying a lot. Dook was bad, I hate them more than anyone and it feels like that has turned up the negativity vibe to an all time high. Don't say recruiting. We have 2 top 10 guys and are far from done. How many times has it looked like it would be an avg. class only to see us back at #2. We are Kentucky, the best and we have Cal the best man for the job. We always have a chance.
You say "I get fed up with Cal, but then I remember what it was like before." You do realize that Kentucky basketball dominated the 90's in spite of Cal, right? Also, you know we had Adolph Rupp and Joe B hall and all of that before Cal, right? What I really want to ask you is, do you understand that Cal is simply trying to carry on a tradition, he didn't start it, ya know? In other words, we will be here after Cal.
 
You say "I get fed up with Cal, but then I remember what it was like before." You do realize that Kentucky basketball dominated the 90's in spite of Cal, right? Also, you know we had Adolph Rupp and Joe B hall and all of that before Cal, right? What I really want to ask you is, do you understand that Cal is simply trying to carry on a tradition, he didn't start it, ya know? In other words, we will be here after Cal.
No shit. I meant Billy G, you know the guy before Cal. But since you mentioned it, How long did Rupp have to do what he did and in a completely different time. As they showed during the game the other night Cal and Rupp have the exact same record this many games in. Joe B won 1. Tubby won 1 with Pitinos players, but yes we dominated the 90's, a much different time. You took what I said completely wrong. I have no doubt we will still be on top after Cal. I was talking about the current situation and the negativity towards Cal. Bottom line is no coach at KY has won more than 1 besides Rupp. So you really didn't follow my point, we will always be KY and the best there is in college basketball, but we should embrace a great coach in Cal while we have him.
 
You say "I get fed up with Cal, but then I remember what it was like before." You do realize that Kentucky basketball dominated the 90's in spite of Cal, right? Also, you know we had Adolph Rupp and Joe B hall and all of that before Cal, right? What I really want to ask you is, do you understand that Cal is simply trying to carry on a tradition, he didn't start it, ya know? In other words, we will be here after Cal.

Right . . .

And who is the next Rupp?
 
Again, how is it an old and archaic system recruits better than every team in the sport save maybe one each year. Utter nonsense.

Part of that is there are more openings on this team every year. When you consistently return less than 25% of your offense you should recruit pretty well.

Would you agree with that or would you again say that something really stupid?
 
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I think there’s a flaw in human nature in that our memory is too emotional. We remember the extreme posts and articles on any view point because they draw the most emotion. And so if 10 people have mild but legitimate concerns on the programs direction and one other chimes in on the “end of the Cal era” (lol). We remember that one post and lump the reasonable in with that.

Same happens in the other direction, which is why “sunshine pumper” might get overused.
 
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It's sad really, the majority of posters are negative, or obvious trolls. I don't see it rebounding at this point. Actual fans are the minority now and derided as "sunshine pumpers". Go ahead and tell me how you are the real fans, haters, while you bash the coach and team for being 3-1, but only the second best recruiting class. Kick dirt over it, or burn this sucker down, it ain't coming back.
No one can question my loyalty to UK. The place changed my life. But I’m in the camp who sees Cal’s magic fading. I love the guy for his integrity, but it is what it is. There are plenty of good posters here, you just have to wade through the weeds to find them. And yes the weeds are growing. That’s what weeds do.
 
It's sad really, the majority of posters are negative, or obvious trolls. I don't see it rebounding at this point. Actual fans are the minority now and derided as "sunshine pumpers". Go ahead and tell me how you are the real fans, haters, while you bash the coach and team for being 3-1, but only the second best recruiting class. Kick dirt over it, or burn this sucker down, it ain't coming back.

You should want honesty in your fan base. There are obvious trolls, but there’s also a large number of those with “blue tinted glasses” as well (we saw it with Tubby and Clyde).

Be honest: you don’t have to troll, but you can also take off your blue tinted glasses as well.
 
Not my point. The point is often we return so little that having a top-ranked class is not necessarily going to lead to success. All classes aren't equal.

Then I stand corrected on your point. I’m just utterly flabbergasted that anyone thinks class ranking would be sufficient for success. It is but one square on a very long list of things that must happen to win a championship. Physical talent does not translate to success at either the college or professional level. The AAU system is design to showcase offensive talent only. All this is well known. Yet we have fans that cry like somebody robbed them of an entitlement.
 
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No one can question my loyalty to UK. The place changed my life. But I’m in the camp who sees Cal’s magic fading. I love the guy for his integrity, but it is what it is. There are plenty of good posters here, you just have to wade through the weeds to find them. And yes the weeds are growing. That’s what weeds do.

So what’s your point? You have a solution or you just bitching.
 
Some people don't get that Cal has to remake a team every year. Teach the most basic things and get a new group to buy in again and again. It can't be easy. .


that's not true - he chooses to do that with his recruiting choices and his philosophy of being a players first coach

It would actually be easier to recruit 3 or 4 Jeff Sheppard/Jules Camara types that would learn his system and develop over the years to mentor the young studs coming in, to show them how to prepare for away games and to be a steady calming influence on the programs as we go thru the season.

But he'd rather load up on talent or keep that scholly open in the hopes that the next great player is just waiting for that offer from UK.
 
I think we get very good recruiting classes. We get the kids that Cal wants and he does a better job than any coach developing them. Shea was not even thought to be a OAD. Ulis would have been at another school 4 years. Just look at Cal's players in the NBA. They do much better than majority who go elsewhere. Cal does not get the credit he deserves for how good of a coach he is. And the obvious reason the top recruits go elsewhere.....we don't pay or arrange special benefits for players to come to UK! If Cal had done that or was doing that, you better believe he'd have been hung by the NCAA by now. They hate him. Heck they even showed what hypocrites they were with Enes. Didn't care they only hurt Enes and not Cal. The NCAA is one corrupt garbage organization.
 
Ppl pout every year and the start but they have goldfish memories and forget they do it every single year.

The duke game sucked...but it compounded everything bc then fans tightened their nooses that they would allow the team a normal progression afterwards in any other game...if we dont win every game moving forward by 20 ppl will complain.

It's weird, they absolutely cannot see what they ate doing well and then focus what they are going to grow on...like last game..if a team hits that many 3's and loses that means a lot of other good things were going on. But most UK fans are so one dimensional they absolutely have to be in misery.
 
I've got a F'n life,, myself.. But a spades a spade.. Cal hasn't been the same since the KAT team.. A blind man can see this.. We used to get whomever we wanted.. Now we're pretty much getting options b through c.. Just dont see Cal getting us #9.. Hope im wrong,, but just dont see it..
 
I believe in legit. criticism where warranted. But over the last month this place is absolutely infested with rather obvious trolls. I believe our mods. are being a little to liberal where this is concerned. I'm not suggesting a heavily policed board where nearly all contrary views are verboten and immediately banned, like over on Louisville's board. But there are some rather obvious and obnoxious trolls running wild on this board, and it's getting worse. It's childish and annoying.
I agree! You go to any other rival board and do half of what these obvious trolls or like the Memphis St trash has done recently and you’re banded! It’s time for them to put out the trash so the real fans can try enjoy chatting with our fanbase!
 
Yeah my dad helped put things in perspective for me today. I've been pretty down on Cal, but my dad said he's got 25 years of life on me and has witnessed a shit ton of mediocre, and underachieving basketball in his life. His teens and twenties were spent watching Joe B. Hall underachieve and lose to Tennessee WAY too often with top 5, 10 recruiting classes over the course of his 13 year Kentucky tenure (we're from Knoxville). Lived through the Sutton scandal while I was merely a baby/toddler.

Obviously we both went through the Tubby and Gillispie tenures.

He told me to just calm down and enjoy Calipari while we have him. Things haven't always been as good as they've been in Cal's 9 years and they won't always be as good when he does leave.

That said, we lose to North Carolina in our next actual big game and I'll be right back pissed off again. Inevitable and thus is the life of a competitive sports fan who hates losing and is way too passionate about Kentucky athletics.
 
I never understand the "well we've only won 8 titles in 80 years" or whatever. Since Cal has been at UK four programs have won MULTIPLE championships: Duke, UCONN, Nova, UNC. There's absolutely no reason UK should not have at least one more title. This is about being one of the top programs in the country and closing the deal.
And two of those teams have cheated to do it!
 
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