Finally… a Good Decision for UK Athletics
Posted by Trent on March 31, 2009
Yes, it’s confirmed! Even Mitch Barnhardt can’t mess this up now. John Calipari is on his way to the Bluegrass. And I think we can all agree, this is a perfect fit for everyone… I had the privilege of watching Calipari in action when his Tigers came down to Orlando to tackle the Golden Knights of the University of Central Florida (a game he only won by two or three points–leading me to ignorantly overrate Memphis for the rest of the season). While I am excited about the comparisons to Rick Pitino, I also think we have moved passed him. Calipari is energetic, young, talented, and public savvy enough to take on the hype and pressure of becoming the figurehead for the Wildcats. We don’t need someone like Pitino. Let Calipari be his own man.
It’s true, UK fans have short tempers and grant very little slack. I loved Tubby Smith and was sad to see him leave but it seemed as if he was booed out of the city and he certainly didn’t deserve that. I was willing to give Billy G. a chance at the beginning of the season and after we recouped after the VMI loss I defended the Cats and the turn-around I saw coming right around the corner. But after failing to compete with a less-than-average non-conference schedule and lackluster at best SEC, it seemed Billy G had just given up. Calipari is the big name that we have desperately needed since Tubby’s withdraw and I have confidence in saying he will not disappoint. You can almost relate it to Torre going to the Dodgers or Nick Saban going to Alabama; sometimes it’s time for a change and it’s almost fate when the perfect coach is available.
Even better news is the great press UK has received over the last week and a half. (I am surprised how frequently people have used the words “crumbling… failing… broken” etc to describe our program. It’s not like we’re the Indiana Hoosiers and completely off the radar, we did almost win 20 games this year…) But now we have gone from being made fun of and rejected as a legitimate contender to hisorically the greatest. It’s almost funny how quickly commentators can change their negativity to more accurately reflect the prestige of the University of Kentucky. There is absolutely no question that the Wildcats were the best team of the 20th century in college basketball (if you look at the entire century) and now we have a chance to take that back from UCONN, UNC, and Duke. [Yes, UCLA has all those championships but one decade a century does not make. UK was over in the better NIT at the time anyway.]
On a slightly different note, Dick Vitale believes that committed freshman should not be allowed to transfer their intent to the school that their coach has transferred to and I completely disagree. I’m not intimately familiar with big time college athletic recruiting but I would imagine 70%, if not more, of the kid’s decision is based on the relationship he/she has established with their soon-to-be coach. If that coach is then not there when they show up in August it is as if they have been locked into a warped shadow of the dream they thought they would be living. For an area always so concerned with the students, and their success/happiness, I find it completely counter-intuitive to not allow them to follow the coach.
This is a great time for UK fans and central Kentucky in general. We deserve it and it’s time to be a national condender once again. Now, if Mitch Barnhardt could only find Tommy Tuberville’s numer… I’ll even take Chris Petersen….
