Tubby's biggest problem is that he wasn't Rick Pitino.

 

Tubby's problem was that he has never taken one of his recruits to a Final Four.

 

Rick has taken 3 different schools to the Final Four. So, if by "he wasn't Rick," you mean "he didn't take his own players to the Final Four" then maybe I agree with you.

 

I'm tired of people acting like there is no possible way you could have ANY reservations about Tubby Smith without just being an unreasonable idiot who wouldn't be happy with anyone but Rupp or Pitino.

 

And just to set the record straight on MY opinion since it seems to get twisted. I loved most of what Tubby did while at UK. He represented the school very well, and won more than his share of games. At the end of his tenure, there were several things I wasn't happy with.

1) consistently missing on big recruits

2) seeming inability to connect with players ("turmoil" teams)

3) record losing streaks to UF/Vandy

4) record final four drought

I was NOT calling for him to be replaced when he left. I felt he had earned at least another 2 years to get things going again. You can probably dig up some old BGP posts to back that up. He decided to leave, and I was OK with that decision. I disagree that he was "run off." My personal opinion is that he wanted to hire Saul as an assistant and knew that wouldn't go over very well (especially after he had refused for years to replace his assistants).

 

Regarding BCG, I think he was a good hire. He has been successful at every stop. I haven't been 100% happy with the way he has handled himself, but I think 99.977% of the rumors about him are false. He has a long term plan with recuiting, and I've been pleased with the players he has gotten. I think he deserves at least one more year to show what he's capable of. If he fails to perform, then I'm all for replacing him.

Tubby's problem was that he has never taken one of his recruits to a Final Four.

That is your opinion, and a reasonable one.

 

But as far as the vast majority of UK fans I know, Tubby's biggest downfall is that he wasn't Pitino.

Tubby's problem was that he has never taken one of his recruits to a Final Four.

 

Rick has taken 3 different schools to the Final Four. So, if by "he wasn't Rick," you mean "he didn't take his own players to the Final Four" then maybe I agree with you.

 

I'm tired of people acting like there is no possible way you could have ANY reservations about Tubby Smith without just being an unreasonable idiot who wouldn't be happy with anyone but Rupp or Pitino.

 

And just to set the record straight on MY opinion since it seems to get twisted. I loved most of what Tubby did while at UK. He represented the school very well, and won more than his share of games. At the end of his tenure, there were several things I wasn't happy with.

1) consistently missing on big recruits

2) seeming inability to connect with players ("turmoil" teams)

3) record losing streaks to UF/Vandy

4) record final four drought

I was NOT calling for him to be replaced when he left. I felt he had earned at least another 2 years to get things going again. You can probably dig up some old BGP posts to back that up. He decided to leave, and I was OK with that decision. I disagree that he was "run off." My personal opinion is that he wanted to hire Saul as an assistant and knew that wouldn't go over very well (especially after he had refused for years to replace his assistants).

 

Regarding BCG, I think he was a good hire. He has been successful at every stop. I haven't been 100% happy with the way he has handled himself, but I think 99.977% of the rumors about him are false. He has a long term plan with recuiting, and I've been pleased with the players he has gotten. I think he deserves at least one more year to show what he's capable of. If he fails to perform, then I'm all for replacing him.

 

I think BCG deserves another year. However, usually where there is smoke, ... there is at least a spark and to say that 99.977% of the rumors are totally false is interesting. I know too many people who have witnessed some of this rumored activity and some of it is fact. I think it gets blown up bigger than it was, but there is some truth to many of these rumors. Also, much of what is talked about on here are actual quotes and cannot be attributed as being false.

 

As far as team turmoil, ... UK has had some of that last year and this year. Yet the BCG backers refuse to believe he had anything to do with it. Yet if there was any team turmoil with any of Tubby's players, it was all him. It cuts both ways. There is always some conflict with 18-23 year old kids. Fact is that Tubby still made the tourney every year, including 'team turmoil', .. and the SEC was MUCH stronger than it is now. That is fact verified by only 3 teams getting in the dance, and not 1 making it to the Sweet 16. During Rick and Tubby's tenure (especially Tubby) look at how many different SEC teams made the Sweet 16 and final 4.

 

As far as Tubby, he was run off. If you are at a job where people are calling for your head and want you gone every day and publicly, that is the same as being 'run off'. If Billy Clyde does stay, another year like this and he won't have to be fired, .. he will leave. And who could blame him. Back to Tubby, if he wanted to hire Saul as an assistant, it was his call. Yes he chose to leave, but given the circumstances, ... he knew it was time for a change and he made the call. But like Pitino said, UK is the kind of job you can only last about 7 or 8 years at. Tubbs lasted 10. Tubby did a better job with the 3 star guys than the 5 star guys. That is what the '98 team was full of. No All Americans, just good kids who loved to play the game. When he caved and started offering Mr Basketball schollys, they didn't work out. When he caved and got the McD AA, they didn't work out.

 

I will say this, ... the majority of the media in Kentucky have made no bones about the fact that they do not like BCG. They have been on him like white on rice most of this season. That has to be tough for him to deal with, no matter what he says. How could it not be.

 

The bottom line is that I hope BCG is back for 1 more year, UK shows improvement and we don't have 20 threads going at once on whether he will be back or who his replacement is going to be when he is still the coach.

I think BCG deserves another year. However, usually where there is smoke, ... there is at least a spark and to say that 99.977% of the rumors are totally false is interesting. I know too many people who have witnessed some of this rumored activity and some of it is fact. I think it gets blown up bigger than it was, but there is some truth to many of these rumors. Also, much of what is talked about on here are actual quotes and cannot be attributed as being false.

 

As far as team turmoil, ... UK has had some of that last year and this year. Yet the BCG backers refuse to believe he had anything to do with it. Yet if there was any team turmoil with any of Tubby's players, it was all him. It cuts both ways. There is always some conflict with 18-23 year old kids. Fact is that Tubby still made the tourney every year, including 'team turmoil', .. and the SEC was MUCH stronger than it is now. That is fact verified by only 3 teams getting in the dance, and not 1 making it to the Sweet 16. During Rick and Tubby's tenure (especially Tubby) look at how many different SEC teams made the Sweet 16 and final 4.

 

As far as Tubby, he was run off. If you are at a job where people are calling for your head and want you gone every day and publicly, that is the same as being 'run off'. If Billy Clyde does stay, another year like this and he won't have to be fired, .. he will leave. And who could blame him. Back to Tubby, if he wanted to hire Saul as an assistant, it was his call. Yes he chose to leave, but given the circumstances, ... he knew it was time for a change and he made the call. But like Pitino said, UK is the kind of job you can only last about 7 or 8 years at. Tubbs lasted 10. Tubby did a better job with the 3 star guys than the 5 star guys. That is what the '98 team was full of. No All Americans, just good kids who loved to play the game. When he caved and started offering Mr Basketball schollys, they didn't work out. When he caved and got the McD AA, they didn't work out.

 

I will say this, ... the majority of the media in Kentucky have made no bones about the fact that they do not like BCG. They have been on him like white on rice most of this season. That has to be tough for him to deal with, no matter what he says. How could it not be.

 

The bottom line is that I hope BCG is back for 1 more year, UK shows improvement and we don't have 20 threads going at once on whether he will be back or who his replacement is going to be when he is still the coach.

 

Tubby supporters, also gave him a clean slate on things they are blaming Billy Clyde on. That works both ways as well.

Tubby did a better job with the 3 star guys than the 5 star guys. That is what the '98 team was full of. No All Americans, just good kids who loved to play the game. When he caved and started offering Mr Basketball schollys, they didn't work out. When he caved and got the McD AA, they didn't work out.

 

I will say this, ... the majority of the media in Kentucky have made no bones about the fact that they do not like BCG. They have been on him like white on rice most of this season. That has to be tough for him to deal with, no matter what he says. How could it not be.

 

The bottom line is that I hope BCG is back for 1 more year, UK shows improvement and we don't have 20 threads going at once on whether he will be back or who his replacement is going to be when he is still the coach.

 

On Tubby doing better with 3 star guys that 5 star ones, I don't disagree. And if he'd made it back to a final four with his 3 star guys, nobody would have cared.

 

On BCG, he's brought some of the media trouble on himself. But honestly, I don't care about his relationship with the media. I think most people would accept it (even if they don't like it) if his record was better.

My personal opinion is that he wanted to hire Saul as an assistant and knew that wouldn't go over very well (especially after he had refused for years to replace his assistants).

 

What made Smith think about a change of address in earnest was his desire to have his son, Saul, join his coaching staff. Everybody knows what kind of pressure he was under to make changes among his assistants, even after the 2004-05 season that saw him a rebound or two away from that elusive second trip to the Final Four.

 

Call it loyalty, call it stubbornness, Tubby dug in. But toward the end, sources tell me, he agreed to clean house (with the exception of Dave Hobbs) if he could bring Saul on board.

 

Trouble was, UK has an anti-nepotism policy, the same one of which former Athletics Director Larry Ivy ran afoul when his step-son, Rob Manchester, landed a graduate assistant’s job with the football team.

 

LINK

 

For the record, I'm not Dick Gabriel.

 

Thanks to Wireman for the link!

LINK

 

For the record, I'm not Dick Gabriel.

 

Thanks to Wireman for the link!

 

Nice Read...http://www.wkyt.com/sports/headlines/41745352.html

Another QUOTE...I found interesting...

 

 

And that’s where I part company with Tubby Bashers.

 

Disguised Racism

 

They embrace the notion that the 1998 NCAA Championship was somehow tainted, or worthless, because Rick Pitino recruited most of the players. Funny, nobody ripped Roy Williams for winning a title with kids recruited by Matt Doherty.

 

And those same malcontents will tell you that the program has been going downhill from the day Smith was hired.

 

That’s where the racism buzzer goes off in my head.

 

And don’t kid yourself, it was there. From the season ticket cancellations the day Smith was hired to the cowardly, anonymous phone calls to the talk shows – a faction of UK “fans” made themselves clear.

 

That, to me, was far more disappointing than the events that led to the infamous Sports Illustrated cover, which included the headline, “Kentucky’s Shame.”

All I know is that I hope we start winning again, because it should completely put all this talk away. I think we all know how each one of us feel about Tubby one way or the other and there is going to be no changing. Both sides have said the same thing over and over now. Its a shame that we all are still doing this 2 years after he is gone. If we were winning then would be no problem. So I just hope we start winning and focusing on the present for now on, and forget the past. We are all guilty of bringing it back up, so hopefully when we start winning again that it helps stop all of us from bringing this back up, because things will be more positive then and everyone be happy.

All I know is that I hope we start winning again, because it should completely put all this talk away. I think we all know how each one of us feel about Tubby one way or the other and there is going to be no changing. Both sides have said the same thing over and over now. Its a shame that we all are still doing this 2 years after he is gone. If we were winning then would be no problem. So I just hope we start winning and focusing on the present for now on, and forget the past. We are all guilty of bringing it back up, so hopefully when we start winning again that it helps stop all of us from bringing this back up, because things will be more positive then and everyone be happy.

 

I couldn't agree more...:thumb:

Nice Read...http://www.wkyt.com/sports/headlines/41745352.html

Another QUOTE...I found interesting...

 

 

And that’s where I part company with Tubby Bashers.

 

Disguised Racism

 

They embrace the notion that the 1998 NCAA Championship was somehow tainted, or worthless, because Rick Pitino recruited most of the players. Funny, nobody ripped Roy Williams for winning a title with kids recruited by Matt Doherty.

 

And those same malcontents will tell you that the program has been going downhill from the day Smith was hired.

 

That’s where the racism buzzer goes off in my head.

 

And don’t kid yourself, it was there. From the season ticket cancellations the day Smith was hired to the cowardly, anonymous phone calls to the talk shows – a faction of UK “fans” made themselves clear.

 

That, to me, was far more disappointing than the events that led to the infamous Sports Illustrated cover, which included the headline, “Kentucky’s Shame.”

 

 

Yeah, of course, this is Kentucky. Just like Adolph Rupp, we are all racists:rolleyes: Bottom line is, most people didn't like Tubby because he wasn't Rick Pitino. Anytime, anyone follows a legend, they're pretty much hated. Have you noticed that. And as per Roy Williams and the Matt Doherty thing, Matt Doherty didn't go to two straight final games before Sweet Roy took over.

Yeah, of course, this is Kentucky. Just like Adolph Rupp, we are all racists:rolleyes: Bottom line is, most people didn't like Tubby because he wasn't Rick Pitino. Anytime, anyone follows a legend, they're pretty much hated. Have you noticed that. And as per Roy Williams and the Matt Doherty thing, Matt Doherty didn't go to two straight final games before Sweet Roy took over.

 

You need to copy and paste this and email it to Dick Gabriel...:thumb:

 

Those are his words...

You need to copy and paste this and email it to Dick Gabriel...:thumb:

 

Those are his words...

 

Yeah I know, I wasn't calling you out or anything, just venting. I liked Dick Gabriel better when he had his beard.

Yeah I know, I wasn't calling you out or anything, just venting. I liked Dick Gabriel better when he had his beard.

 

:lol: For some reason I liked the beard better also...

:lol: For some reason I liked the beard better also...

 

His organ donor card, also includes his beard. When he goes swimming, dolphins magically appear. His charm is so contagious, vaccines have been created for it. Danzig rules.

His organ donor card, also includes his beard. When he goes swimming, dolphins magically appear. His charm is so contagious, vaccines have been created for it. Danzig rules.

 

With Charm like that I bet He's not a Danzig fan...