Look if he had handled all of his stuff of the court with media, boosters, engagements and so forth...then people can probably live with this past season. He has not.

I am disappointed in the season, but it is forgiveable based on talent and so forth, even though there is enough there to make the tournament. I can see rebuilding...that is fine.

To do it with no class is incomprehensible.

 

This sums up the conversation my father and I had yesterday.

 

As the UK Coach, you might can afford to be surly and arrogant towards outsiders and even some insiders to the UK program. Or you might can afford to have a 20-14 season in a rebuilding year. But you cannot afford to do both.

 

When you are winning you can run things your way. But when you aren't winning, you had better be doing everything else right.

This sums up the conversation my father and I had yesterday.

 

As the UK Coach, you might can afford to be surly and arrogant towards outsiders and even some insiders to the UK program. Or you might can afford to have a 20-14 season in a rebuilding year. But you cannot afford to do both.

 

When you are winning you can run things your way. But when you aren't winning, you had better be doing everything else right.

 

Words of wisdom that hit me like a blind side from James Harrison. Many times on here I have defended BCG's treatment of the media and others and pointed at Pitino "the chosen one" as an example. I could not understand all the complaints when Pitino did a lot of the same. Thanks to your post and LABS, I truly understand it now.

This sums up the conversation my father and I had yesterday.

 

As the UK Coach, you might can afford to be surly and arrogant towards outsiders and even some insiders to the UK program. Or you might can afford to have a 20-14 season in a rebuilding year. But you cannot afford to do both.

 

When you are winning you can run things your way. But when you aren't winning, you had better be doing everything else right.

 

I was all for BG staying an extra year or two. Then he disagrees with Barnhart on his role. I don't know now. We may have cat that is way too tightly wrapped. I did just see Tobacco Road on HBO and Coach K and Smith were both bombs their first years. I don't know what to think anymore about Coach G except I do what my bosses tell me and he should be jumping and asking where to land. He especially should not be using the winning is my only job defense when he isn't winning.

Pitino inherited a mess when he arrived at UK. He played nicey-nice with the media and the fans and brought in a style of play that was fun to watch and have his team a chance to win.

 

BCG inherited somewhat of a mess when he arrived at UK. He hasn't played nicey-nice with anyone and has brought in a style of play that isn't fun to watch and doesn't give his team a chance to win in the SEC.

 

You tell me who had the better blueprint for success?

Pitino inherited a mess when he arrived at UK. He played nicey-nice with the media and the fans and brought in a style of play that was fun to watch and have his team a chance to win.

 

BCG inherited somewhat of a mess when he arrived at UK. He hasn't played nicey-nice with anyone and has brought in a style of play that isn't fun to watch and doesn't give his team a chance to win in the SEC.

 

You tell me who had the better blueprint for success?

 

I agree that Pitino came in while the program was in shambles. I dont agree that Pitino was nice with the media or fans that questioned him in any fashion, at least after he started winning. I know this may be hard to believe out of me, but there was no sarcasm at all in my previous post. I believe now that I have been too hard on those criticizing BCG's treatment of the media. He hasn't earned the pass yet. It's not that they liked what Pitino was doing, it was just overlooked because he was winning. That has a lot of merit in my book.

He was 14-14 in his first year and lost to Kansas by 55 points in his first year. The difference is, he didn't bristle at the press when they questioned him about losing by 55 points and he sure didn't throw his players under the bus.

Pitino went after Jerry Tipton in a press conference in 1992, after Tipton did a tongue-in-cheek story about a newspaper editor in eastern Kentucky that was criticizing Pitino for not giving Richie Farmer more playing time. The editor claimed Pitino didn't play Farmer more because he considered Richie a threat to his popularity among UK fans.

 

Tipton asked Pitino for comment on the story, and he declined. He also told Tipton that he shouldn't be writing the story because it was "a non-story."

 

The day the piece was in the paper, Pitino was doing his usual pre-game press conference. He lambasted Tipton in the press conference, claiming his story had no better use than for collecting coffee grounds.

 

Moral of the story ... Pitino wasn't always nicey with the press. He was often combative with them, which didn't bother the fans at all, for the most part.

It is a legal binding document, but there is some wording in there that UK could contest IMO.

There is some language that suggests that the document is binding if there is an effort within a time frame to hammer out a signed contract.

Then the timeframe becomes a contestable issue...has UK tried to get it done, has BCG's camp tried to get it done.

Is there "just cause"...and the like.

 

Look if he had handled all of his stuff of the court with media, boosters, engagements and so forth...then people can probably live with this past season. He has not.

I am disappointed in the season, but it is forgiveable based on talent and so forth, even though there is enough there to make the tournament. I can see rebuilding...that is fine.

To do it with no class is incomprehensible.

UK consented to have ESPN come for an inside look, however, over the course of a few days, BCG only alloted himself to be interviewed for eight and a half minutes.

I can see UK stonewalling ESPN. I can see ESPN stonewalling UK, but you cant consent and stonewall.

This is an excellent summation of why Billy Clyde is not the right man for the UK job.

He was 14-14 in his first year and lost to Kansas by 55 points in his first year. The difference is, he didn't bristle at the press when they questioned him about losing by 55 points and he sure didn't throw his players under the bus.

 

Because everyone knew he didn't have very good players. UK fans today seem to think because they have Kentucky across their chest, it automatically makes them good players.

Because of the mess that Pitino inheritted, he had the best oppurtunity in the country, the most proud program in the country at rock bottom.

Tubby inherited the program at it's all time high with no where to go but down a little, and BCG is inherriting it at a crossroads where it can go either way.

BCG is treating the program like he coaches his players. Tear them down, and then try to build them back like he wants them.

Because everyone knew he didn't have very good players. UK fans today seem to think because they have Kentucky across their chest, it automatically makes them good players.

Because of the mess that Pitino inheritted, he had the best oppurtunity in the country, the most proud program in the country at rock bottom.

Tubby inherited the program at it's all time high with no where to go but down a little, and BCG is inherriting it at a crossroads where it can go either way.

BCG is treating the program like he coaches his players. Tear them down, and then try to build them back like he wants them.

 

Sounds like Paris Island to me.

It does sound like a military camp with the difference being the general of this boot camp has no clue as to what he is psychologically doing.

Because everyone knew he didn't have very good players. UK fans today seem to think because they have Kentucky across their chest, it automatically makes them good players.

Because of the mess that Pitino inheritted, he had the best oppurtunity in the country, the most proud program in the country at rock bottom.

Tubby inherited the program at it's all time high with no where to go but down a little, and BCG is inherriting it at a crossroads where it can go either way.

BCG is treating the program like he coaches his players. Tear them down, and then try to build them back like he wants them.

I didn't bring Tubby into the argument, but he is indeed an easy target. How many of Tubby's players started again yesterday against LSU?

 

In two years, Pitino turned what you called "not very good players" into a team that waon 20+ games and would have won the SEC and been an NCAA lock.

 

In two years, BCG has turned what many call "not very good players" into what? An NIT team?

 

And yes, Pitino had Mashburn. But BCG has Patterson. It's a wash.

 

The one thing I don't understand is how Tubby Smith or any coach for that matter not get credit for coaching "another coach's" players to an NCAA title. He did it with "Pitino's players".

 

Yet, when a coach can't coach other players to success, it's still the previous coach's fault.

 

Kentucky fans want it both ways. They want to credit Pitino because Tubby Smith won a title with "his" players and they want to give BCG a free pass because he can't win with the players left for him.

Pitino went after Jerry Tipton in a press conference in 1992, after Tipton did a tongue-in-cheek story about a newspaper editor in eastern Kentucky that was criticizing Pitino for not giving Richie Farmer more playing time. The editor claimed Pitino didn't play Farmer more because he considered Richie a threat to his popularity among UK fans.

 

Tipton asked Pitino for comment on the story, and he declined. He also told Tipton that he shouldn't be writing the story because it was "a non-story."

 

The day the piece was in the paper, Pitino was doing his usual pre-game press conference. He lambasted Tipton in the press conference, claiming his story had no better use than for collecting coffee grounds.

 

Moral of the story ... Pitino wasn't always nicey with the press. He was often combative with them, which didn't bother the fans at all, for the most part.

True, but the difference is Pitino didn't verbally undress Tipton on national TV. And, as someone else said, they were winning.

 

Losing makes a lot of hidden issues suddenly visible to everyone.

I didn't bring Tubby into the argument, but he is indeed an easy target. How many of Tubby's players started again yesterday against LSU?

 

In two years, Pitino turned what you called "not very good players" into a team that waon 20+ games and would have won the SEC and been an NCAA lock.

 

In two years, BCG has turned what many call "not very good players" into what? An NIT team?

 

And yes, Pitino had Mashburn. But BCG has Patterson. It's a wash.

 

The one thing I don't understand is how Tubby Smith or any coach for that matter not get credit for coaching "another coach's" players to an NCAA title. He did it with "Pitino's players".

 

Yet, when a coach can't coach other players to success, it's still the previous coach's fault.

 

Kentucky fans want it both ways. They want to credit Pitino because Tubby Smith won a title with "his" players and they want to give BCG a free pass because he can't win with the players left for him.

 

Excellent post.:thumb:

True, but the difference is Pitino didn't verbally undress Tipton on national TV. And, as someone else said, they were winning.

 

Losing makes a lot of hidden issues suddenly visible to everyone.

 

Let it go. I havent seen Gillespie undress a player either. I agree that Tubby didnt get the credit he deserved, but let it go. I am still bitter that we ran him off, but lets try to go forward.