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Vol with question about UK fandom loyalties.

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vfl2407

Sep 26, 2016
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As a lover of college sports, I’m always interested in how fans became fans, if their fanhood is mobile, how intense it is, etc.

As for me, I grew up only 5 blocks from UTs campus. Sold cokes as a kid at Neyland and snuck in at night under the fence to play there with friends. Went to college and later worked at UT.
So, my fanhood was set early and I root for UT in all sports.

But, I know some people that only root for UT in one sport. Some Lady Vol hoop fans I know actually root against UT football for various reasons. Some UT football fans are UK or non men’s basketball fans. And now that men’s basketball is getting better, some are saying they like basketball more.

Anyway, getting to my question.
Do you know many UK basketball fans that don’t care about UK football or vice versa?
 
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Grew up watching and loving the Cats in basketball, unaware that they had other athletic programs. Found out about UK football on accident by flipping through the channels and landing on a game. I watched one game of Tim Couch chucking the rock and was instantly hooked. Still love Kentucky basketball but it pales in comparison to the way I feel about the football team.
 
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There is a pretty significant cadre of UK football fans who resent the neglect and mistreatment of the football program by several hoops-centric AD's over the years. Some, like myself, find that between this and the one and done dynamic and Coach Cal cult of personality, they could care less about UK hoops. I might name 2-3 hoops players for you. I can give you the football 2 deep off the top of my head, with the specialists.

I watch a couple of non-conference games before New Year's, then tune out until March, when I'll tune back in if they make the Sweet 16. It would warm my heart if UK hoops was never again mentioned during a UK football game or feature. I'd far prefer the programs' roles were reversed.
 
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southindycat said:
There is a pretty significant cadre of UK football fans who resent the neglect and mistreatment of the football program by several hoops-centric AD's over the years. Some, like myself, find that between this and the one and done dynamic and Coach Cal cult of personality, they could care less about UK hoops. I might name 2-3 hoops players for you. I can give you the football 2 deep of the top of my head, with the specialists.

I watch a couple of non-conference games before New Year's, then tune out until March, when I'll tune back in if they make the Sweet 16. It would warm my heart if UK hoops was never again mentioned during a UK football game or feature. I'd far prefer the programs' roles were reversed.
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me too brother
 
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southindycat said:
There is a pretty significant cadre of UK football fans who resent the neglect and mistreatment of the football program by several hoops-centric AD's over the years. Some, like myself, find that between this and the one and done dynamic and Coach Cal cult of personality, they could care less about UK hoops. I might name 2-3 hoops players for you. I can give you the football 2 deep of the top of my head, with the specialists.

I watch a couple of non-conference games before New Year's, then tune out until March, when I'll tune back in if they make the Sweet 16. It would warm my heart if UK hoops was never again mentioned during a UK football game or feature. I'd far prefer the programs' roles were reversed.
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What’s kind of weird is when I get asked how hard it’s been to be a fan of our football program, I can honestly tell people that it’s actually harder being a U.K. basketball fan.


I love both equally. Always have, always will.

And now that I live in Lexington, I’m going to attend some U.K. baseball games as well.
 
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uksam21 said:
me too brother
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Me three. Grew up in Lexington and the 24/7/365 coverage of everything basketball either makes you a huge fan or turns you off. It turned me off. Now, having lived away from KY for 30+ years, I watch during the NCAA tourney and pull for them. But I'm a very casual basketball fan at best. Many years I haven't watched any of the FF if UK isn't in it. Just don't care.
 
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I was born in 1968 in Frankfort - Lex is 30 minutes away. The first teams I really remember are the '74-'75 final four team and the 1976 Peach Bowl team. Not having any context, I thought our football team was a traditional power just like basketball.
I graduated from UK and have just always loved them. I love them equally, but it's like having two kids - one you don't worry much about because they're driven for success. The other you love and root for despite their struggles - you're convinced they just need confidence to know they're good enough to be as successful as the other one.
 
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grew up in west Kentucky. went to games at Vandy and Lexington from about age ten on. went to grad school at UK. Live in Lexington. its just how it is.
 
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southindycat said:
There is a pretty significant cadre of UK football fans who resent the neglect and mistreatment of the football program by several hoops-centric AD's over the years. Some, like myself, find that between this and the one and done dynamic and Coach Cal cult of personality, they could care less about UK hoops. I might name 2-3 hoops players for you. I can give you the football 2 deep of the top of my head, with the specialists.

I watch a couple of non-conference games before New Year's, then tune out until March, when I'll tune back in if they make the Sweet 16. It would warm my heart if UK hoops was never again mentioned during a UK football game or feature. I'd far prefer the programs' roles were reversed.
Click to expand...

Very interesting on the one and done thing and the cult personality.
I know Vol hoop fans that will never forgive UT for firing the cult like Pearl and not fighting the NCAA over his show cause. Think it’s funny that now that Barnes is doing well that they stay away. Fans are crazy.
 
vfl2407 said:
As a lover of college sports, I’m always interested in how fans became fans, if their fanhood is mobile, how intense it is, etc.

As for me, I grew up only 5 blocks from UTs campus. Sold cokes as a kid at Neyland and snuck in at night under the fence to play there with friends. Went to college and later worked at UT.
So, my fanhood was set early and I root for UT in all sports.

But, I know some people that only root for UT in one sport. Some Lady Vol hoop fans I know actually root against UT football for various reasons. Some UT football fans are UK or non men’s basketball fans. And now that men’s basketball is getting better, some are saying they like basketball more.

Anyway, getting to my question.
Do you know many UK basketball fans that don’t care about UK football or vice versa?
Click to expand...


UK basketball fan, Alabama football fan, New England Patriots fan, and Golden State Warriors fan. In women’s basketball I follow UConn
 
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Went to my first UK FB game in 1977 and was hooked on this curse ever since. Great season this year, but I am not certain about the future. Only went to one BB game ever, was boring. Had season tickets for years until Barney thought we are Alabama, now they sell tickets sometimes for $10. I expect next season to be 6-6 or 7-5 and a half empty stadium.
 
1977CatFan said:
Went to my first UK FB game in 1977 and was hooked on this curse ever since. Great season this year, but I am not certain about the future. Only went to one BB game ever, was boring. Had season tickets for years until Barney thought we are Alabama, now they sell tickets sometimes for $10. I expect next season to be 6-6 or 7-5 and a half empty stadium.
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You are the kind of football fan that I was rooting my heart out for last week against Georgia.
Wish your fandom could have been rewarded with an Eastern title.
 
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vfl2407 said:
Anyway, getting to my question.
Do you know many UK basketball fans that don’t care about UK football or vice versa?
Click to expand...

Someone did a poll on our basketball board last week and the results were about one third of the members there actually valued a win of the basketball team over Duke as more important than the football team beating Georgia to in the SEC East.

So I think the that is probably a pretty good indication that there is a minority of hard core basketball only types. I would think there is probably about the same number of football only or mostly types.

There has always been a misconception by those outside the program that Kentucky fans don't care about football but that's simply false. As has been pointed out by others our football program has historically suffered due to lack of administrative support in the way of funding and promotion, and some bad hiring of both ADs and coaches. All that has changed now we have arguably the best AD in college sports that has all of our programs doing great and a top down commitment to have a competitive SEC caliber football program. Right now it's all working pretty good and the football fan base is growing rapidly. It's the ole "build it they will come" thing.
 
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I like both UK football and Basketball.....always have. I graduated undergrad from UK but was a fan from the time I was born I guess. I am a football fan first which has been tough through the years but enjoy the basketball games also just think football is a better spectator sport.

I live close to the Tennessee line on the Kentucky side and have always been bugged through the years by the (UT football / UK basketball fans).....at least historically always seemed bandwagon and disingenuous. But I gotta say that even with UT's recent fall in football and UK having an uptick season that these fans are still split UKb/UTf ......seems weird to me but doesnt seem to have been bandwagon and pulling for the winners like I always thought. I don't know what causes the split personality fans but in my case I will guess it is geographical location.....
 
Sawnee Cat said:
I can only speak for myself. College football is my favorite sport and I am loyal to only one team. Kentucky. I have no second or third favorite. I also like college basketball but not as much as football. Again I have one team, Kentucky and no second or third.

Just Kentucky.
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And as much as I want my team to win tomorrow to get us to a bowl game, I will be happy for loyal UK football fans like you if you can go 10-2 and get a great bowl game to go to. Sugar maybe?
 
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vfl2407 said:
And as much as I want my team to win tomorrow to get us to a bowl game, I will be happy for loyal UK football fans like you if you can go 10-2 and get a great bowl game to go to. Sugar maybe?
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Thinking Fiesta or Citras or if you win tomorrow Outback. I think Georgia winds up in the Sugar
 
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vfl2407 said:
You are the kind of football fan that I was rooting my heart out for last week against Georgia.
Wish your fandom could have been rewarded with an Eastern title.
Click to expand...

We'll get there, and maybe sooner than people think. I don't subscribe to the assumption that this was our best shot for the NEXT 40 years. I don't even think it will prove our best shot in the next 4. We are going to put a respectable defense on the field next year, and thereafter. We have great kids returning, even if we lose some great ones, and promising kids rising on the chart. Its called building a football team.

Any significant improvement in the offense will yield a more dangerous football team than we put on the field this season, even if it is not yet clear where the "star power" is going to come from. I see where it CAN come from right now.

If Darin Hinshaw wants to earn his check (and I know he does, he's obviously a proud professional) you will see a better Terry Wilson (not that he's a bum now) and a better passing game out of us next season. As many have pointed out, a lot of Terry's problems seem to be the receiving corps, rather than him, though there is plenty of room for improvement in both. Hinshaw and Smith have a lot of work to do, but I think they get it done. Job one is probably finding a go-to outside/deep threat to complement Bowden in the slot.

If we can field a high average passing game against SEC defenses, the running game will take care of itself with or without Benny, as much as we'll all miss him. We have similar RB's of yet to be determined ceiling already on roster, and will be adding the APB change up we've lacked since Boom made his bad decision. Rose is sort of a tweener, but if he packs on another good 10 pounds in the off season, I really like his potential for a surprising junior campaign, with the sky the limit if he returns for his senior season. He really has developed, and I expect he will continue to do so.

In short, I think we might be a more complete team next year.
 
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Just go over to the UK basketball board OP and see how many of those usernames you see pop up here on the Lair. I'd wager its under half. Those fans are no fans at all.


And I'm sure you'll agree, the worst of the bunch is the UK basketball/UT football "fan." I just ignore those people. They are just bandwagoners.
 
I was born in '89. My first memories of watching sports are of high school football games, then of UK basketball games around the '96 season. However, I also have old memories of watching Couch & Co., and some of my fondest sports memories are of a UK football game actually being on TV (like UPN channel 30?) on a Saturday when I had time to watch. For me football and basketball were almost always on equal footing, but in about 2012 something just clicked for me with football, and basketball just pales in comparison. I think I love UK football more than any other team because I love an underdog. Almost my whole life, aside from UK basketball, most of my teams have been underdogs year in and year out. And I stinkin' love it.

To answer your question, I run across some people who say they are a "member of BBN" or something like that but are only fans of the basketball team (usually are fans of Notre Dame, Alabama, or some other powerhouse in football - :flush: ) Don't run across too many vice versa.
 
southindycat said:
We'll get there, and maybe sooner than people think. I don't subscribe to the assumption that this was our best shot for the NEXT 40 years. I don't even think it will prove our best shot in the next 4. We are going to put a respectable defense on the field next year, and thereafter. We have great kids returning, even if we lose some great ones, and promising kids rising on the chart. Its called building a football team.

Any significant improvement in the offense will yield a more dangerous football team than we put on the field this season, even if it is not yet clear where the "star power" is going to come from. I see where it CAN come from right now.

If Darin Hinshaw wants to earn his check (and I know he does, he's obviously a proud professional) you will see a better Terry Wilson (not that he's a bum now) and a better passing game out of us next season. As many have pointed out, a lot of Terry's problems seem to be the receiving corps, rather than him, though there is plenty of room for improvement in both. Hinshaw and Smith have a lot of work to do, but I think they get it done. Job one is probably finding a go-to outside/deep threat to complement Bowden in the slot.

If we can field a high average passing game against SEC defenses, the running game will take care of itself with or without Benny, as much as we'll all miss him. We have similar RB's of yet to be determined ceiling already on roster, and will be adding the APB change up we've lacked since Boom made his bad decision. Rose is sort of a tweener, but if he packs on another good 10 pounds in the off season, I really like his potential for a surprising junior campaign, with the sky the limit if he returns for his senior season. He really has developed, and I expect he will continue to do so.

In short, I think we might be a more complete team next year.
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I totally agree with you on this!
 
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Born and raised UK Fan!! Not just a football or basketball but all sport UK fan. It’s in my families blood. Have a son that graduated from UK and he is all UK as well. It is part of our DNA. When my kids were young we had season ticket to Football and would travel to UK basketball games. It was a great way to spend family time together tailgating at football games. Now my 7 year old grandson is carrying the torch and will continue our long family tradition of UK sports.
 
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I prefer college football VS other sports. I love Sat afternoons watching games till 1 or 2 in the morning The football fans are usually level headed, and less argumentative
As a family, we go to an assortment of UK sports, great seats and atmosphere. The kids get to meet the players in soccer Vball, and baseball which makes for a awesome ride home.
 
I was born a UK fan in both sports and attended UK. I remember when I was a little kid getting permission to stay up late to watch UK football games on tape delay. I loved both sports equally, but as I got older I became more of a football guy just because I enjoyed the sport more. Now I might watch a couple regular season basketball games a year and then watch the SEC and NCAA tourny's.

College basketball has just become unbearable to watch for me, most games just look like a glorified pick up game and with the nonstop TV time outs the players never get into any real flow. It's just an all around bad product and I'm not really interested in it anymore. I will always pull for UK in any sports, hell we could have a spelling bee team and I'd want them to be #1 and go undefeated.
 
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I was a student at UK from 74-78 when we had a great football and a great basketball team, and so did UT (remember the Ernie and Bernie show? younger folks, google it). The rivalry between the two schools was never stronger than it was then. UT basketball is back on the upswing now, although the UT football team is having down year. I support ALL UK sports, football, mens and women's basketball, baseball, volleyball, T&F, soccer, softball, etc.
 
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I was born and raised in the Lexington area, graduated from UK in 1995, and have been a fan since childhood. You could say that my upbringing, including my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and so forth all had a strong influence on me following and enjoying the highs and lows of UK wildcat sports.

I'm sure that I'm about to commit heresy, but I actually prefer football AND baseball to basketball. Don't misunderstand.....I still enjoy basketball and love to see the cats prevail, but I'm much more interested in football and baseball programs. I think it's unfortunate that our UK baseball team doesn't get the attention and coverage that it deserves. They've had some outstanding players in recent years, including several that have gone on to MLB.
 
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Glenn's take said:
Most of the basketball only fans aren't really "fans" at all. They just like to support a winner. If they started losing they would just be "fans" of somebody else. A lot are Alabama football fans.
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This is unfortunately pretty accurate. A big segment of the basketball crowd came on board to be part of the hype and attention. That phenomenon started when Pitino got here with the hype he brought and coincided and was fueled by ESPN and other outlets that offered constant national attention to college sport and specifically bit time programs. Made it easy for folks to "jump on the bandwagon".

I grew up in Lexington and before that the vast majority of UK fans were basically fans of both sports.
 
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Grew up in SE KY. Big fan of all UK sports. There are Vol fans there along the border. And not too many, but a few who are UK basketball/UT football fans.

UT has always been the biggest rivalry for me in football. Much more than UofL. And winning at Neyland would mean a lot to me this weekend.

But most of us always had respect for Pat Summit and the UT women’s program.

Basketball is also a great rivalry. Historically, it’s been our biggest rivalry. But Florida, LSU, and Arkansas have surpassed it for periods of time. It was definitely intense when UT was at Stokley.
 
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Glenn's take said:
Most of the basketball only fans aren't really "fans" at all. They just like to support a winner. If they started losing they would just be "fans" of somebody else. A lot are Alabama football fans.
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Not so when it comes to me, and most of UK fans.
I follow lady cats basketball, volleyball when I find it showing on TV as well as men's basketball and of course football. And that goes to any other UK sports activities.
I also follow other college sports no matter who is playing.
Seldom watch pro games, it is all about money, as you witness how players change teams, without having any feelings about their previous team.
 
I watch basketball pretty intently beginning in January. From then ‘till early April, it is a good warmup to Spring practice.
 
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