By the way, I thought this was interesting in comparing Joe B.'s tenure and Tubby's:

 

Joe. B's UK record as coach: 297-100 (74.8%) in 13 years.

Tubby's UK record as coach: 262-82 (76.2%) in 10 years.

Great post by MT, and good points also about Joe B.

 

I can respect JD's post and the way he presented it. I'm on the other end of the issue, but I give him props for how he said what he did.

 

I have a related question. How much influence do the so called bashers and haters have on the young kids of today and their lack of allegience to UK?

 

If Daddy and Uncle Tom and Grandpa and everyone else in the family are downing UK, running down the coach, moaning about the fall of the empire all the time, then how much blame do they take for kids not wearing UK gear and cheering for the Cats?

 

I know UK is struggling, but we have a lot of "fans" who are jumping off the ship and I don't feel that is what a fan does. I'm here for the good and the bad. It doesn't mean I like everything, but I'm not going to denouce my UK fan status because things aren't going my way. I hope my kids learn something about loyalty and dealing with things when circumstances are less than ideal.

 

I don't think it is fair game to bash UK (players, team, coaches, et al) at every chance and then complain because the fan base is slipping or because kids aren't supporting them anymore. Cause and effect, at least to some degree. (and I wonder about the effect the same thing may have on recruits)

Thank you all for the support. I am surprised to see so many agree with me. I thought we were the 'silent' majority? :sssh: :thumb: I guess I will break my vow of silence briefly to say 'thanks'!

 

Anyway, I admit that I have been disappointed the past 2 seasons. But I just don't see that as any reason to jump ship.

 

As far as Kentucky kids not wanting to play at UK anymore, that is rubbish. If UK offered Ty Proffitt (not saying they should have, just IF they had), he would have jumped at it. Instead, I get to cheer for another team a little bit harder to support him in the Fighting Irish. I still don't cheer for UT, but I do enjoy watching Lofton play so well. If other players like Pettigrew and Knowles don't end up at UK, I will cheer for their successes as well. After all, they are OUR kids just the Cats are The Big Blue Nation's kids!

 

GO CATS!

Is it me or is these post becoming extremely boring!!!!!

 

 

:sleep: :sleep: :sleep: :sleep:

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.

 

I understand that there is no one on this team to relate to being that Carter is the only Kentucky boy and isnt playing. But what about Sparks and Moss last year? Both guys wanted to play for UK so bad that they were willing to pay their way through college (Sparks 1 year, Moss all of them). I think that if we would have went to the Final 4, 2 years ago and had a better year last year, that those 2 would be ranked right up there with Cameron Mills and the Unforgettables. Well right below them, because they were amazing.

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: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: Thank you MT for this post. You are like a lot of us on here a TRUE U.K. Wildcat.

 

Imo you have just said what a lot of us feel, only the "loud" minority have seemes to taken over most of the posting.

 

GO BIG BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:dancingpa

JD I can respect your post (to a point) by the way you worded it. I don't think it was a total "OTS bashing" thread. If this is really the way you feel then enjoy whatever team that you choose to support (if any). Just one request - when things are going good and U.K. is back on top again PLEASE don't be coming back, imo U.K. doesn't need fair weather fans. I agree with an earlier statement and I I would ask you the question - Did you ever stop to think that when the kids that you say are not growing up idolizing U.K. basketball that it is partly or all to blame on people like yourself ? When all a kid hears is negatives then what do you expect them to think or believe? Negativity breeds negativity

I lost my gusto as a UK fan after this years UK/UL basketball game. You have an entire state rivoted on the game. Tradition, rivalry, bragging rights all at stake. During the game less than 1 minute was played by a player on either team who was raised in Ky. Why should an entire state care about a game more than the players who are playing in it? The boys/men on that court had no idea what the UK/UL rivalry meant. Personally, I am sick of both programs overlooking good Ky talent with great heart for great talent elsewhere with 0 heart. This is no more Tubby Smith's doings that it is Ricky P's. I will give Coach Brooks and Cohen credit for bringing in good Ky athletes. I hope they will continue with this as there programs continue to improve.

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!!!

 

My hero!

I lost my gusto as a UK fan after this years UK/UL basketball game. You have an entire state rivoted on the game. Tradition, rivalry, bragging rights all at stake. During the game less than 1 minute was played by a player on either team who was raised in Ky. Why should an entire state care about a game more than the players who are playing in it? The boys/men on that court had no idea what the UK/UL rivalry meant. Personally, I am sick of both programs overlooking good Ky talent with great heart for great talent elsewhere with 0 heart. This is no more Tubby Smith's doings that it is Ricky P's. I will give Coach Brooks and Cohen credit for bringing in good Ky athletes. I hope they will continue with this as there programs continue to improve.

 

You have got to be joking if you dont think that anyone playing in that game had some Kentucky pride. Lucasz Obrzut has more Kentucky pride then half the fanbase!!! That is a fact. Bobby Perry KNOWS Kentucky, and he lives it. Jodie Meeks knows what its like and he has that pride. You dont have to be from Kentucky to have and appreciate Kentucky basketball.

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!!!

 

Perfect post!:thumb: :thumb:

Given the crap we've had to read on here all year I'll just give a hats off to everyone in this thread at this point... :thumb:

I lost my gusto as a UK fan after this years UK/UL basketball game. You have an entire state rivoted on the game. Tradition, rivalry, bragging rights all at stake. During the game less than 1 minute was played by a player on either team who was raised in Ky. Why should an entire state care about a game more than the players who are playing in it? The boys/men on that court had no idea what the UK/UL rivalry meant. Personally, I am sick of both programs overlooking good Ky talent with great heart for great talent elsewhere with 0 heart. This is no more Tubby Smith's doings that it is Ricky P's. I will give Coach Brooks and Cohen credit for bringing in good Ky athletes. I hope they will continue with this as there programs continue to improve.

 

Don't act like it has always been nothing but Kentucky boys. UK's top 12 scorers all time are as follows: Dan Issel, Kenny Walker, Jack Givins, Keith Bogans, Tony Delk, Jamal Mashburn, Kevin Grevey, Tayshaun Prince, Cotton Nash, Alex Groza, Ed Davender, & Louie Dampier. Other than being great scorers what do most of them have in common? Except for Givins, none of them were raised in the Bluegrass. I was young back then, but I don't remember people not supporting the team as much because Walker, and Davender weren't from Kentucky. I was never an issue until recently.

Don't act like it has always been nothing but Kentucky boys. UK's top 12 scorers all time are as follows: Dan Issel, Kenny Walker, Jack Givins, Keith Bogans, Tony Delk, Jamal Mashburn, Kevin Grevey, Tayshaun Prince, Cotton Nash, Alex Groza, Ed Davender, & Louie Dampier. Other than being great scorers what do most of them have in common? Except for Givins, none of them were raised in the Bluegrass. I was young back then, but I don't remember people not supporting the team as much because Walker, and Davender weren't from Kentucky. I was never an issue until recently.

:thumb: good points made here strike. Imo once a player puts on that Kentucky jersey that makes him a 'Kentucky Boy" to all the true fans. I also would love to see in state kids play at U.K if they have the talent and fit the needs of the team at the time. My point is that once they pull that "Kentucky" jersey on they are citizens of the Big Blue Nation no matter where they are from. :thumb:

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.

 

 

I feel your pain. The worst mistake I ever made was listening to KY when they fell behind 31 and turning it off. I was supposed to be asleep, but of course KY was playing so I had the radio to my ear. I've missed games this year and not even cared. I've still watched the majority of games and I still love KY, but watching them lose and play with limited/no emotion makes me sick.