I was just thinking about it- doesn't the magic generally disappear from something as you get older? You know when you're a kid, and the world is so big and you need someone to look up to, UK ball players are there. Do you think your kids don't see magic, or do you not see the magic?

I can see your point of view though, there was something warm and fuzzy about those mid-nineties Pitino years and recent teams has seemed to lack. I remember crying when Laettner hit The Shot. I don't think I could cry over any UK team anymore. But does that have to do with me being older? Or because UK has lost its luster?

 

You make an excellent point. One of my good friends who now lives in Raleigh, NC has two boys who are about 11 and 9. They make several trips a year to Lexington to go to Rupp. Trust me, these kids idolize the UK players and emulate them in the driveway, just as I did Kenny Walker and Ed Davender when I was their age. Thats just part of being a kid. I remember countless wonderful places from my childhood that I have visited as an adult and cannot seem to wonder why I ever remembered them so fondly. Heck, I even remember how I used to look up to high school basketball players, they just seemed so tough and mature to me. Now I go to some games and they just look like little kids.

...

 

I guess I'll have to start reading the entire thread before I reply. Appears he has softened his stance somewhat from the original soloquiy.

I was just thinking about it- doesn't the magic generally disappear from something as you get older? You know when you're a kid, and the world is so big and you need someone to look up to, UK ball players are there. Do you think your kids don't see magic, or do you not see the magic?

I can see your point of view though, there was something warm and fuzzy about those mid-nineties Pitino years and recent teams has seemed to lack. I remember crying when Laettner hit The Shot. I don't think I could cry over any UK team anymore. But does that have to do with me being older? Or because UK has lost its luster?

 

 

My dad and grandfather cried, they were 41 and 59 respectively.

 

I don't see kids with UK jersey's or shorts at school or practices, I see Duke, UNC, and Florida.

 

Up until the last UK basketball season that my grandfather was on this earth, even though he was suffering from Alzheimer's, the only time he even resembled himself was when Gunsmoke, John Wayne or a UK basketball game was on.

 

There should be magic there for sons and fathers watching the game and mothers and daughters making fun because the men of the house get made and yell at the tv.

 

UK basketball to me has nothing to do with age, race, or anything else other than my state being better at and kicking the butt of every other state at 4 things - bourbon, beautiful women, horse racing, and most importantly BASKETBALL. One of those - beautiful women - is of my own opinion, the other 3 should cause someone from Kentucky to fight if another person suggest other wise.

 

Its one of the few things that people from northern, southern, western, central, and eastern Kentucky see eye to eye on.

 

From Florida to California, seeing someone with that Big Beautiful K in Blue and White still provokes some source of pride but also doubts.

 

So to answer your question, NO, I refuse to believe that my age plays a factor.

I guess I'll have to start reading the entire thread before I reply. Appears he has softened his stance somewhat from the original soloquiy.

 

A few good memories every four years does not soften my stance, only reinforce it.

I don't see kids with UK jersey's or shorts at school or practices, I see Duke, UNC, and Florida.

 

I feel ya JD. :thumb:

 

I thought I was the man with my UK Denims when I was in elementary school, now what has happened? I also remember having Mashburns college and Mavericks jersey while I was still in elementary school, and a Delk, and, well I could just go on and on.......but like JD has said, what in the world has happened?

I feel ya JD. :thumb:

 

I thought I was the man with my UK Denims when I was in elementary school, now what has happened? I also remember having Mashburns college and Mavericks jersey while I was still in elementary school, and a Delk, and, well I could just go on and on.......but like JD has said, what in the world has happened?

 

The only thing i can figure is the parents dont buy the stuff for them. I dont think it is our children, I believe it is the parents frustration. The one's who grew up watching Richie Farmer and company are mad because they dont like Tubby Smith, and they wont let their children wear Kentucky stuff. I know thats a bit of a reach, but im going for it.:lol:

I feel ya JD. :thumb:

 

I thought I was the man with my UK Denims when I was in elementary school, now what has happened? I also remember having Mashburns college and Mavericks jersey while I was still in elementary school, and a Delk, and, well I could just go on and on.......but like JD has said, what in the world has happened?

Denim went out of style thats what happened. :lol:

This will be my last post on this subject, ever. I am so tired of this subject and while I am sure I will tied to the whipping post for this, ... I really don't care.

 

I can cheer for almost ANY kid who puts on the UK jersey in any sport. Whether it be in this era, the 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, now, etc.

 

Chuck Hayes, Tayshaun Prince, Keith Bogans, Jodie Meeks are among my favorite players in the more modern era of UK hoops.

 

Jeff Shepherd & Scott Padgett on the 98 championship team

 

Tony Delk and Walter McCarty on the 96 championship team

 

The Unforgettables (Mashburn, Feldhaus, Pelphry, Farmer and company)

 

Kenny Walker, Winston Bennett, Sam Bowie, Ed Davender and others from the 1980's.

 

Jay Schidler, Kyle Macy, Rick Roby, Mike Phillips, James Lee and others from the 1970's.

 

As far as dad's throwing things at TV's, my father has thrown things (and profanities) at the TV and radio during UK games as long as I can remember, 1960's to now. Not as much now as he has grown more patient and mature with age.

 

There is more anger from some of you UK 'fans' now then there was from many when Eddie Sutton almost destroyed the UK program. HE NEARLY BURIED UK HOOPS FOREVER!!!

 

I have more respect for a poster like GT who while supporting Huggins and despising those who ran him off, still supported those kids and coaches. If Huggs and the Bearcats had a bad season, he never stopped supporting them. Or RP who supports a team I love to hate. But he knew this wasn't going to be a great year for Duke but he STILL supported them and never jumped ship on the team or his coach. I have heard alleged UK fans state recently "I hope they lose so we can get rid of Tubby". My response? I will NEVER cheer for a UK team to lose, EVER. That is not what fans do. It flies in the face of what a 'fan' is supposed to be! Fans of a program are fans of a program regardless. Thru good times and bad. And if the past 2 seasons are too much for some of you to stand then jump. Jump high, jump hard and jump fast.

 

The bottom line is that I am a UK fan regardless. If I can remain a fan thru what Sutton's regime did to the program and the national shame it brought with it, and if I can remain a fan after what a few football coaches did to the program and take the verbal abuse I received from many for supporting Brooks, then I can live thru a few seasons below what some UK fans believe is rightfully 'ours', ... being the only team that matters.

 

I will cheer for Tubby and the Cats regardless of those 'fans' who will claim to no longer be a fan. I hope Tubby is back next year and we can weed a few more of you out. I can think of no better man to represent the team and university that I cheer for than Orlando 'Tubby' Smith. Maybe I can even get better seats like I did for football this season! But when they have a better season next year, ... I expect some of you will weasle your way back onto the bandwagon as you always do. But if Tubby were to leave (and I certainly hope he doesn't), I will still cheer for the Cats. Why? Because I have always been and will always be a UK Wildcat Fan!

 

GO CATS!!!

I was too young to remember my first UK game, but I do remember that taking the 4.5 hour trip from Pike County to Lexington as being a ritual about 3 weekends a year.

 

One of my first memories of UK basketball is after a game staying and seeing my dad and grandfather stand up and singing "My Old Kentucky Home"

 

UK basketball made the biggest impression on me in 1992, I was 13 and had watched John Pelphrey, Deron Feldhaus and Richie Farmer, boys from Eastern Kentucky, lead UK to within one shot of the Final Four.

 

Then in 1996 I watched a roster that consisted of 4 boys from Ky., 1 From WV, and 3 from TN., mixed with Walker, Sheppard, Pope, Turner, and McCarty win a NC.

 

In 1997 I watched a roster that consisted of 4 boys from Ky., 1 From WV, and 2 from TN., mixed with Edward, Turner, Mohammed, and Magloire lose in the title game.

 

In 1998 I watched 2 kids from Ky, 1 becoming an All-American, the other working his butt off to become a sharp-shooter, help lead UK to a NC.

 

All those teams was fun to watch, they pressed, shot the 3, and and played with a huge amount of pride. I could relate to guys, I was John Pelphrey and my brother was Richie Farmer on our court. Jamal Mashburn was the answer to every UK fans prayers, Turner was the almost perfect PG, Heshimu Evans is one of my all-time favorites, and in high school I wanted a tattoo like Ron Mercer. Later on I watched as my younger cousins were Padgett and Mills.

 

I wanted to be Jeff Sheppard, cause I would be able to ball and the ladies would love.

 

 

Now-

I don't see kids in Jr. High want to be any UK player

 

I see kids from Paintsville and Mason Co. go to Marshall and Tenn., or get ran off

 

I see my dad want to throw junk at the t.v.

 

I see uninspired play.

 

I see no pride.

 

I go to Rupp and I'm bored.

 

More importantly I can't relate to anyone on the past 5-6 teams.

 

 

 

You will get labled a Tubby basher but this is a good honest post, that I respect. The Tubby plaque is still wide spread but its losing its power slowly, but surely across the state.

You will get labled a Tubby basher but this is a good honest post, that I respect. The Tubby plaque is still wide spread but its losing its power slowly, but surely across the state.

 

Sorry, but his post wasn't a "tubby basher"-esque post.

 

Well written, JD... Truly. It's an opinion that I would help me respect a lot more if others came out and expressed similar feelings instead of the same tired arguments over and over again.

 

I commend you for bringing a new side to the argument.

I was too young to remember my first UK game, but I do remember that taking the 4.5 hour trip from Pike County to Lexington as being a ritual about 3 weekends a year.

 

One of my first memories of UK basketball is after a game staying and seeing my dad and grandfather stand up and singing "My Old Kentucky Home"

 

UK basketball made the biggest impression on me in 1992, I was 13 and had watched John Pelphrey, Deron Feldhaus and Richie Farmer, boys from Eastern Kentucky, lead UK to within one shot of the Final Four.

 

Then in 1996 I watched a roster that consisted of 4 boys from Ky., 1 From WV, and 3 from TN., mixed with Walker, Sheppard, Pope, Turner, and McCarty win a NC.

 

In 1997 I watched a roster that consisted of 4 boys from Ky., 1 From WV, and 2 from TN., mixed with Edward, Turner, Mohammed, and Magloire lose in the title game.

 

In 1998 I watched 2 kids from Ky, 1 becoming an All-American, the other working his butt off to become a sharp-shooter, help lead UK to a NC.

 

All those teams was fun to watch, they pressed, shot the 3, and and played with a huge amount of pride. I could relate to guys, I was John Pelphrey and my brother was Richie Farmer on our court. Jamal Mashburn was the answer to every UK fans prayers, Turner was the almost perfect PG, Heshimu Evans is one of my all-time favorites, and in high school I wanted a tattoo like Ron Mercer. Later on I watched as my younger cousins were Padgett and Mills.

 

I wanted to be Jeff Sheppard, cause I would be able to ball and the ladies would love.

 

 

Now-

I don't see kids in Jr. High want to be any UK player

 

I see kids from Paintsville and Mason Co. go to Marshall and Tenn., or get ran off

 

I see my dad want to throw junk at the t.v.

 

I see uninspired play.

 

I see no pride.

 

I go to Rupp and I'm bored.

 

More importantly I can't relate to anyone on the past 5-6 teams.

 

 

A few "moderate" seasons and you jump off the wagon? I don't get it. Must not have been a huge fan to begin with. :confused:

Hard to dispute that claim. No bashing involved, and a lot of well spoken emotion...

 

 

Might be well spoken, but it makes no sense to me. Seems like a fair weather fan to me.

This will be my last post on this subject, ever. I am so tired of this subject and while I am sure I will tied to the whipping post for this, ... I really don't care.

 

I can cheer for almost ANY kid who puts on the UK jersey in any sport. Whether it be in this era, the 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, now, etc.

 

Chuck Hayes, Tayshaun Prince, Keith Bogans, Jodie Meeks are among my favorite players in the more modern era of UK hoops.

 

Jeff Shepherd & Scott Padgett on the 98 championship team

 

Tony Delk and Walter McCarty on the 96 championship team

 

The Unforgettables (Mashburn, Feldhaus, Pelphry, Farmer and company)

 

Kenny Walker, Winston Bennett, Sam Bowie, Ed Davender and others from the 1980's.

 

Jay Schidler, Kyle Macy, Rick Roby, Mike Phillips, James Lee and others from the 1970's.

 

As far as dad's throwing things at TV's, my father has thrown things (and profanities) at the TV and radio during UK games as long as I can remember, 1960's to now. Not as much now as he has grown more patient and mature with age.

 

There is more anger from some of you UK 'fans' now then there was from many when Eddie Sutton almost destroyed the UK program. HE NEARLY BURIED UK HOOPS FOREVER!!!

 

I have more respect for a poster like GT who while supporting Huggins and despising those who ran him off, still supported those kids and coaches. If Huggs and the Bearcats had a bad season, he never stopped supporting them. Or RP who supports a team I love to hate. But he knew this wasn't going to be a great year for Duke but he STILL supported them and never jumped ship on the team or his coach. I have heard alleged UK fans state recently "I hope they lose so we can get rid of Tubby". My response? I will NEVER cheer for a UK team to lose, EVER. That is not what fans do. It flies in the face of what a 'fan' is supposed to be! Fans of a program are fans of a program regardless. Thru good times and bad. And if the past 2 seasons are too much for some of you to stand then jump. Jump high, jump hard and jump fast.

 

The bottom line is that I am a UK fan regardless. If I can remain a fan thru what Sutton's regime did to the program and the national shame it brought with it, and if I can remain a fan after what a few football coaches did to the program and take the verbal abuse I received from many for supporting Brooks, then I can live thru a few seasons below what some UK fans believe is rightfully 'ours', ... being the only team that matters.

 

I will cheer for Tubby and the Cats regardless of those 'fans' who will claim to no longer be a fan. I hope Tubby is back next year and we can weed a few more of you out. I can think of no better man to represent the team and university that I cheer for than Orlando 'Tubby' Smith. Maybe I can even get better seats like I did for football this season! But when they have a better season next year, ... I expect some of you will weasle your way back onto the bandwagon as you always do. But if Tubby were to leave (and I certainly hope he doesn't), I will still cheer for the Cats. Why? Because I have always been and will always be a UK Wildcat Fan!

 

GO CATS!!!

:thumb::thumb: : Congratulations on winning post of the year with this one. Very well said. You are a true example of what Kentucky athletics are all about!!!! Nice job.

Wow Mountain Thunder... I completely overlooked your post... Also very well said... Pretty much the same way I feel about the matter entirely. Good job summing up the feelings of many, myself included.

I'll cast my lot with Mountain Thunder. While both posts were well done, and well written, I tend to agree with UKPat02 that the way we view our favorite team and what we expect from them softens slightly as we get older. Not having a slew of KY kids doesn't bother me really, it just gives me more teams to follow and root for (like Penn) when they go elsewhere.

 

As M.T. said so perfectly, if I can survive (loosely) the Eddie Sutton Regime, I can survive anything. This era of KY hoops is reminding me more and more of Joe B. Hall's last few years. He had won a National Title, but he had replaced a legend, and to many he'd never measure up. Heck, a couple of years after winning it all in '78 you'd hear the "why couldn't Joe B. run a bank....he doesn't let his guards shoot" jokes all over the place.