See the above post as to why the national media isn't all that hard on Kansas. Kentucky's record v. the top 25 is much worse, and given the hype of Kentucky's class as opposed to Kansas' it's no wonder Calipari and UK have taken more heat. Keep in mind Embiid has been a surprise and wasn't heralded the way Wiggins, Randle, Harrisons, etc. were.

 

To be fair Kansas had the #2 rated class and that was with Embid checking in at #25. Keep in mind Wayne Seldon was top 15 and Black was a transfer from Memphis.

On John Calipari’s radio show, it sounded like he responded to Yahoo’s Pat Forde’s article.

Here is what he had to say and you can decide for yourself.

“They’ve been doing that my whole career. You got, you know, guys waiting in the wings waiting for anything. And all of sudden, the story comes out, and it’s like, where was this build up and venim in this story? Oh my gosh. That’s part of it. I mean, you just, you just say hey, I do what I do. I know why I do it for kids. I’m comfortable in my skin doing what I do. I’ve made it very transparent how I do my job and what I feel about my job. I love coaching here, and all of the stuff that goes with it. Again, we lose a game and it’s an international incident. They’re talking about what’s wrong with me and the program on First Take. While yet other teams lose three or four games – oh they’re fine.

I mean that’s just being at Kentucky, it’s what it is. And our fans, look, they know they can tweak you fans. So they tweak you, and you go bonkers. I love it though. So then I don’t have to say anything, it’s like you’re an army for me. All they do is tweak me or tweak the program or tweak a guy and all of a sudden it’s like army ants coming at you and there’s no end to them. They come and they just keep coming. But, some of it they do to get your eyeballs on their site. Don’t do that. Don’t give ‘em your eyeballs now. Some of those people, those nasty dudes, don’t give ‘em your eyeballs. Paste it, and everybody read the paste if you want to read it, but don’t give ‘em your eyeballs. The guy will be in a soup line in another six months, don’t give him the eyeballs. Pencils, selling pencils ain’t a bad deal either. That’s why I go to church every day, because that’s how I feel sometimes.”

 

John Calipari Responds to Pat Forde? | Kentucky Wildcats Basketball | Nation of Blue | The Home to UK Fans Worldwide

They play a more demanding schedule? Let's be honest, a lot of the questions surrounding Kentucky have to do with the acknowledgement that the SEC is awful, and Kentucky still isn't getting the job done. South Carolina? C'mon.

I'm not defending Kentucky, they've dropped the ball big time. I was just reiterating that no matter how difficult your schedule is, it is more than fair to question how good your team is if you have the top two picks in the draft and you've lost 7 games during the regular season and needing last second shots to beat .500 teams. I liken it to IU last season. They had two All-Americans on their team yet struggled against what most felt to be inferior opponents. I still like KU to win it all though

Embiid came on to the scene late, but everyone that saw him knew he was an elite prospect. Time was the only thing that kept the hype lower than the others...

 

I saw him in the All-American games, and I just said to myself, "There's no way Dakari Johnson's the #1 center in the country." Embiid's like a freak of nature and I was really high on him out of high school. With that being said, I think people are getting too attached to Embiid. He'll be a hell of a NBA big, but common sense would tell any NBA GM to pick Wiggins, Parker or maybe even Randle over Embiid. I'm sorry, but today in the NBA a center's not going to win you a title.

.......

 

I had no idea there was so much venom towards Pat Forde...wow.

 

I like Pat's work, I like Pat as a guy, and while the article was clearly a caricature of the real issues, it wasn't that far-off. Calipari is a million great things, but he is a guy who shuns accountability. I find that characteristic to be really hard to root for.

 

Now Rick Bozich...there is a guy you can send to Timbuktu and I'll pay for the flight.

On John Calipari’s radio show, it sounded like he responded to Yahoo’s Pat Forde’s article.

Here is what he had to say and you can decide for yourself.

“They’ve been doing that my whole career. You got, you know, guys waiting in the wings waiting for anything. And all of sudden, the story comes out, and it’s like, where was this build up and venim in this story? Oh my gosh. That’s part of it. I mean, you just, you just say hey, I do what I do. I know why I do it for kids. I’m comfortable in my skin doing what I do. I’ve made it very transparent how I do my job and what I feel about my job. I love coaching here, and all of the stuff that goes with it. Again, we lose a game and it’s an international incident. They’re talking about what’s wrong with me and the program on First Take. While yet other teams lose three or four games – oh they’re fine.

I mean that’s just being at Kentucky, it’s what it is. And our fans, look, they know they can tweak you fans. So they tweak you, and you go bonkers. I love it though. So then I don’t have to say anything, it’s like you’re an army for me. All they do is tweak me or tweak the program or tweak a guy and all of a sudden it’s like army ants coming at you and there’s no end to them. They come and they just keep coming. But, some of it they do to get your eyeballs on their site. Don’t do that. Don’t give ‘em your eyeballs now. Some of those people, those nasty dudes, don’t give ‘em your eyeballs. Paste it, and everybody read the paste if you want to read it, but don’t give ‘em your eyeballs. The guy will be in a soup line in another six months, don’t give him the eyeballs. Pencils, selling pencils ain’t a bad deal either. That’s why I go to church every day, because that’s how I feel sometimes.”

 

John Calipari Responds to Pat Forde? | Kentucky Wildcats Basketball | Nation of Blue | The Home to UK Fans Worldwide

 

Sounds like Allen Iverson's Practice interview. Eyeballs 5 times.

I can't recall Coach Cal predicting UK as the #1 team in the country, so it's kind of puzzling that the pundits who are the very ones who predicted them as the best team in the country are now the ones throwing blame because they themselves were wrong.:idunno: Sure Cal has pulled some of the wrong strings, but it was fairly obvious from the beginning of the season that they were over hyped by the media.

Didn't Cal throw hints out there that this team could go 40-0 with the greatest recruiting class of all time. When things going bad media and critics are going to pounce on him. I think KY will be fine but Cal seems to be growing tired of the same questions. First three years he could do no wrong. Now he doesn't like being questioned. UK job the best in the game but it can also wear on the best.

Didn't Cal throw hints out there that this team could go 40-0 with the greatest recruiting class of all time. When things going bad media and critics are going to pounce on him. I think KY will be fine but Cal seems to be growing tired of the same questions. First three years he could do no wrong. Now he doesn't like being questioned. UK job the best in the game but it can also wear on the best.

It has been a recruiting ploy starting the day after UK won the title in 2012. He stated as such on Mike and Mike. Long before people knew of Randle, Young, etc. coming to UK. He was close to it that season and has talked openly about wanting to go 40-0. People took that as he was guaranteeing UK would go 40-0 this season. While not fully at fault, Cal is definitely culpable with the hype.

While I agree, UK does have the 9th hardest schedule in the country. It would probably be much lower if they took your advice and scheduled Indiana. Sorry couldn't resist

 

They may have the ninth-hardest non-conference schedule. I'm not buying ninth-hardest overall. That's putting way to much respect in the quality of play in the SEC.

On John Calipari’s radio show, it sounded like he responded to Yahoo’s Pat Forde’s article.

Here is what he had to say and you can decide for yourself.

“They’ve been doing that my whole career. You got, you know, guys waiting in the wings waiting for anything. And all of sudden, the story comes out, and it’s like, where was this build up and venim in this story? Oh my gosh. That’s part of it. I mean, you just, you just say hey, I do what I do. I know why I do it for kids. I’m comfortable in my skin doing what I do. I’ve made it very transparent how I do my job and what I feel about my job. I love coaching here, and all of the stuff that goes with it. Again, we lose a game and it’s an international incident. They’re talking about what’s wrong with me and the program on First Take. While yet other teams lose three or four games – oh they’re fine.

I mean that’s just being at Kentucky, it’s what it is. And our fans, look, they know they can tweak you fans. So they tweak you, and you go bonkers. I love it though. So then I don’t have to say anything, it’s like you’re an army for me. All they do is tweak me or tweak the program or tweak a guy and all of a sudden it’s like army ants coming at you and there’s no end to them. They come and they just keep coming. But, some of it they do to get your eyeballs on their site. Don’t do that. Don’t give ‘em your eyeballs now. Some of those people, those nasty dudes, don’t give ‘em your eyeballs. Paste it, and everybody read the paste if you want to read it, but don’t give ‘em your eyeballs. The guy will be in a soup line in another six months, don’t give him the eyeballs. Pencils, selling pencils ain’t a bad deal either. That’s why I go to church every day, because that’s how I feel sometimes.”

 

John Calipari Responds to Pat Forde? | Kentucky Wildcats Basketball | Nation of Blue | The Home to UK Fans Worldwide

 

Seems like an awful lot of "they're picking on me" stuff.

 

Hey coach — it comes with the territory as a public figure who makes gadzillions of dollars off the public dime coaching a kids' game. Get thicker skin or get out. That goes for all of them.

I don't know why any UK fan even cares what Forde says about UK or Cal at this point. We all know how he feels about Cal, let's just ignore it and move on.

 

I had no idea there was so much venom towards Pat Forde...wow.

 

I'd imagine that you can thank Matt Jones and the guys at KSR for getting the venom going. I know quite a few friends who refuse to read him at this point. I don't know if that says more about us than him, but I just don't care for him.

Seems like an awful lot of "they're picking on me" stuff.

 

Hey coach — it comes with the territory as a public figure who makes gadzillions of dollars off the public dime coaching a kids' game. Get thicker skin or get out. That goes for all of them.

 

Maybe I read it way different than you with Calipari glasses on but I read it that he has thick skin and doesn't care what they say about him and he wants the UK fans to feel the same.

Maybe I read it way different than you with Calipari glasses on but I read it that he has thick skin and doesn't care what they say about him and he wants the UK fans to feel the same.

 

If he didn't care he wouldn't whine about it. And he does whine about it. A lot.