Would this article be written about any other team?

[SilentsAreGolden]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...y-favorite-south-region-final-four/447043002/

Says it would be an "embarrassment" if UK doesn't make the Final Four. That's a pathetic thing for a impartial journalist to say. That kind of pressure is never put on other programs. Even with the greatest collection of talent ever assembled last year, I don't remember any articles saying Duke was an embarrassment for not making the FF.

 

[jrpross]

Nope, they wouldn’t. That’s the media’s MO with Cal; bestow high expectations on him and say it would be an “embarrassment” not to reach them so he can be criticized if he comes up short. If it was Duke with this path, the article would be about how secretly tough our next opponent was, making them look like the hero underdog.

 

[stoneycat_20]

Duke's path so far #15, #7, #11seeds could be a #5 next.. We could have a #12, #13, #9, #7 So
Duke total could be 38 or 34
UK .........................41 or 45

 

[CatsnRoses]

Nope. But to be fair, I think it's more a Calipari vendetta than a UK one. A lot of the dweebs who happen to be prominent sportswriters can't stand him for one inane reason or another.

 

[nookam]

Since when is their such a huge difference in a 5 or 7 seed? Writer isn’t a journalist, he’s an idiot.

 

[Hoskins91]

Wording might be a little harsh but I agree with the sentiment in that we don’t have an excuse.

 

[musrat59]

A lot of the media has no clue how difficult it is to develop a bunch of freshmen over the course of several months.

 

[Wall2Boogie]

If Virginia doesn't make the final four it will be a travesty. Too soon?

 

[Bkocats]

Wording might be a little harsh but I agree with the sentiment in that we don’t have an excuse.

I don’t think it’s about the sentiment; on paper I agree there is no reason we should lose
The point is you won’t see an article like this written about Duke or Kansas. Maybe it’s not a bias per se, but there is no question there is a slant

 

[mj2k10]

I don't think the article was that bad. The point of it is that no matter what Cal says, UK is a big, big favorite to win the region.

OTOH, you do have to ask if someone was writing things like this in 2011, when Kansas went into their regional as a 1 seed just needing to beat 12 seed Richmond and the winner of 10 Florida State vs 11 VCU to make the FF? Which they failed to do. Which is an actual embarrassment, not just a theoretical one.

Or if people were writing things like this in any of the many other years when a region went completely kablooey in the 1st 2 rounds, and only 1 big name school was left standing.

 

[JC43]

I think Calipari invited this treatment with his theatrics on his underseeding...the "jokes" about going to Boise, playing Thursday night after just finishing conference tourney..etc. saw no other coaches on MSM commenting on their seed. Cal is like PT Barnum...any news bout Cal n UK in usatoday is free national exposure. Making it about Cal's potential failure not our ''youngest team to ever be in the sweet sixteen

 

[Hoopcatjc]

There is a method to Cal’s madness. He keeps the media focus on himself effectively deflecting the “poison” from his players.
He gets ahead of the rhetoric as soon as the brackets are announced and the media spends the next 3 weeks chasing Cal’s measured comments instead of our players.

I believe he’s orchestrating all of this and the media is just falling into it.

 

[Jamal Mercer]

I think I’m just going to avoid the Internet today. Way too long of a day to read irritating headlines on the web.

And no, I don’t believe anything like this is ever written about North Carolina, Duke, or Kansas. Or anyone for that matter.

 

[kats23]

Of course it wouldn't. But like others say, it's a Cal thing not a UK thing. It all comes back to the trashing of the committee Cal does on a regular basis. Right or wrong, the committee loaded up on us this year and it all fell apart. So the article is basically " Hey Cal, you got a break, but if you screw it up, you should be embarrassed for whining."

All in all stupid article and I hope we shut them up this weekend.

 

[MadaboutBlue]

Much of it is incoherent rambling and drivel. Frankly I couldn't find much interesting in it. There really isn't much actual news or quality writing anymore, however-just click driven infotainment designed to constantly search and probe for some level of controversy, even when there might not be much. In an odd way, Cal is the perfect man for today's media. He reminds me a lot of the guy in pro wrestling forty years ago that didn't mind whether he generated cheers or boos..as long as he was generating strong emotions one way or the other.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Stop clicking on stuff like this and people will stop writing ridiculous UK stories.

 

[preacherfan]

I don't think the article was that bad. The point of it is that no matter what Cal says, UK is a big, big favorite to win the region.

OTOH, you do have to ask if someone was writing things like this in 2011, when Kansas went into their regional as a 1 seed just needing to beat 12 seed Richmond and the winner of 10 Florida State vs 11 VCU to make the FF? Which they failed to do. Which is an actual embarrassment, not just a theoretical one.

Or if people were writing things like this in any of the many other years when a region went completely kablooey in the 1st 2 rounds, and only 1 big name school was left standing.

So, if "UK is a big, big favorite to win the region," what does that say about our seeding? Since when would a 5 seed be THAT heavily favored even against lower seeds?

To me, it just confirms that EVERYONE thinks the selection committee screwed up our seeding.

 

[Ky-troutbum]

If Virginia doesn't make the final four it will be a travesty. Too soon?

Right on time brother!

 

[Cat78Scot]

A lot of the media has no clue how difficult it is to develop a bunch of freshmen over the course of several months.

Apparently some of our fans in this thread have no clue either.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

Of course no other team would be written about like Kentucky. No question about that. Now watch Coach Cal use this to motivate his team and throw it back in their face. You don't think our team is going to read what the national media is saying. It is "us against the world" time in the UK locker room.

Coach Cal is smiling as he reads or hears about this junk.

 

[mj2k10]

So, if "UK is a big, big favorite to win the region," what does that say about our seeding? Since when would a 5 seed be THAT heavily favored even against lower seeds?

To me, it just confirms that EVERYONE thinks the selection committee screwed up our seeding.

They did, but not in a major way (at least in terms of seed line).

Kentucky was preseason top 5. Kentucky has a certain history. Replace Kentucky with Arizona, and Arizona is a huge favorite. Replace Kentucky with Duke, UNC, or Kansas, or maybe even Michigan State, even if they were 5 seeds, and any of those schools would be considered a huge favorite (maybe not Kansas, since Bill Self sucks so bad in the tournament).

It's amplified slightly more because it's Kentucky, but it wouldn't be THAT much different for any name school with a region like the South this year.

 

[jrpross]

Also why would it be an embarrassment to Kentucky to lose to one of these lower seeds but it’s apparently “just the way the craziness goes in March” when seeds higher than us lost to them to let them get here?

I agree, on paper we should make the final four, but these Cinderella teams get hot and start playing out their rear ends sometimes & it’s entirely possible our boys could come up short just like Zona, Cincy, Virginia, or Tennessee did.

 

[Blue Decade]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...y-favorite-south-region-final-four/447043002/

Says it would be an "embarrassment" if UK doesn't make the Final Four. That's a pathetic thing for a impartial journalist to say. That kind of pressure is never put on other programs. Even with the greatest collection of talent ever assembled last year, I don't remember any articles saying Duke was an embarrassment for not making the FF.

Who cares? It’s March. The trolls in the media need something to occupy their time. Ignore them.

 

[Aike]

Funny how our 5 seed was “just about right” on Selection Sunday, but now losing to a 7 would be an embarrassment.

 

[trav55]

Nope, they wouldn’t. That’s the media’s MO with Cal; bestow high expectations on him and say it would be an “embarrassment” not to reach them so he can be criticized if he comes up short. If it was Duke with this path, the article would be about how secretly tough our next opponent was, making them look like the hero underdog.

I agree. Then throw in the fact that Kentucky fans get criticized and have been raked over the coals for having expectations that are too high yet media members are the same people that wrote articles like this about how not reaching a final four is an embarrassment. What gives? If you listen to radio, you hear people talk about how calipari can’t coach and Kentucky fans don’t want to criticize coach cal then articles like this come out, so they’re all talking out of both sides of their mouth.

If Kentucky fans are happy with calipari and very few criticize him, doesn’t that debunk the “unattainable expectations” that our fans get labeled with? Then year in and year out the media tries to find any way they possibly can to criticize cal and yet we’re the ones labeled as unreasonable? They’re all hypocrites. But keep up that dialogue though. I remember an article years ago that said something to the effect of “cal made his bed, now he has to sleep in it” and that turned out to be a pretty cozy comfortable bed if I do say so myself.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

Can't have it both ways.

 

[KySpringCat]

The media is butt hurt by how the region has opened up before us and they want to remind everybody just how big of a choke artist would be if we were to blow it and not make the Final Four. It's clear bias against us. If we do what we are supposed to do then they begrudgingly write their congratulatory pieces on Sunday morning.

 

[Wall2Wall]

The price of being King.

 

[robman181]

It would be an embarrassment.

 

[awf]

Also why would it be an embarrassment to Kentucky to lose to one of these lower seeds but it’s apparently “just the way the craziness goes in March” when seeds higher than us lost to them to let them get here?

I agree, on paper we should make the final four, but these Cinderella teams get hot and start playing out their rear ends sometimes & it’s entirely possible our boys could come up short just like Zona, Cincy, Virginia, or Tennessee did.

I don't know if you noticed but, every team plays out their rear ends when playing Kentucky. I think they refer to it as the KY effect?

 

[drainthatub]

They have nothing else that would get hits.

 

[BlueElvis]

probably one of the same ass hats that said we wouldn't make it past Davidson..

 

[mikeinpikeville]

This year is no different than any other year. Upsets happen every year. I don't remember anyone saying that Duke had an easier road to the title in '15 having to play Wisky for the title instead of UK. You play who's in front of you.

 

[docholiday51]

Nope. But to be fair, I think it's more a Calipari vendetta than a UK one. A lot of the dweebs who happen to be prominent sportswriters can't stand him for one inane reason or another.

I think it is a fair amount of both,the media doesn't like Cal or UK either so the combination of both is just the biggest possible target. As long as Cal is here it will be this way and as long as K is at Duke they will get a free pass from the media and a get out of jail free card from the NCAA.

I wish someone from the board had a platform from which to put out articles that told the other side of the story with reference to UK,Cal.Duke ,K UNC,Roy and KU,Self. Just talk about facts and tell the truth for a change.