By golly, if Mark Story can be a clown for what he writes, then Pat Forde is one two for asking basically the same questions Story did.

 

STORY LINK

I agree! Forde is also a clown.

I didn't enjoy the cute tone of the article. Heck, just give me the facts. What is it about journalists these days that causes them to want to be so cutesy in their writing style? If Calipari had a higher percentage of players with troubles than a lot of D-1 programs, let me see the numbers. If Wes has been involved in NCAA violations, let me know them. If Calipari has had any infractions directly with the NCAA, let me hear them. Why resort to innuendos if you've got the info and numbers to back up your argument?

 

Funny how this writer forgot to mention the high percentage of seniors graduating at Memphis, isn't it? I wonder why that laudable accomplishment was left out of his article?

 

You have to admit Scribe, that some of these same sportswriters tore Mitch and UK a new one when they hired Brooks. I think most reasonable people would say that the hiring turned out to be a very wise one and the critics (fans and sportswriters) were very wrong. If the sportswriters were so wrong on the Brooks hiring, just why should I listen to these writers now when they are being critical of the Calipari hiring?

 

I wish journalists, all journalists, would just go back to presenting me with the facts and letting me make my own conclusions. I'm smart enough to do it and my guess is that most other readers are too. I don't want nor need a writer's spin on the facts; I just want the facts. Frankly I care as much about this writer's opinion on the hiring of Calipari as I do about his opinion on global warming, which is not at all.

I hate how he pronounces the E in his last name...

 

Why can't it just be ford...like the car company?

There is a difference between a sports writer and a sports columnist. A sports writer takes the facts and creates a story with that. A sports columnist takes his ideas, sprinkles in some facts and some speculation and creates his column from that.

 

Story and Forde are sports columnists in addition to sports writers.

 

And I agree on your point about Barnhart and Brooks.

Actually, Forde and Story (and Bozich, Clay, Eric Crawford) only do straight stories very rarely. Usually, if anything, they're helping out by gathering info for the main writer (example, the co-byline for Bozich and Brett Dawson on some of the Calipari stories).

 

Those guys get paid to opine. And opinion columns lend themselves to humor, on occasion.

 

Forde did a better job than Story with his piece, I will say. But the bottom line is these are questions Barnhart and UK fans should be very concerned about. I guess 20 years ago seems like an eternity to most folks, whereas 50 years ago seems like yesterday to many of the same folks. Selective memory, I suppose.

Actually, Forde and Story (and Bozich, Clay, Eric Crawford) only do straight stories very rarely. Usually, if anything, they're helping out by gathering info for the main writer (example, the co-byline for Bozich and Brett Dawson on some of the Calipari stories).

 

Those guys get paid to opine. And opinion columns lend themselves to humor, on occasion.

 

Forde did a better job than Story with his piece, I will say. But the bottom line is these are questions Barnhart and UK fans should be very concerned about. I guess 20 years ago seems like an eternity to most folks, whereas 50 years ago seems like yesterday to many of the same folks. Selective memory, I suppose.

 

I agree with you that there are questions that Barnhart and UK fans should be concerned about and given UK's history we should have heightened concerns and questions whenever we hire any coach. I've got no problem with that being the position of Forde and Story. I don't want to relive the sanction days for sure. But just lay out the facts for me, all the facts and I'd be fine. It's been a while since I read his article this morning, but did it mention that UK checked with the NCAA and the SEC about hiring Calipari to see if either institution had any problems with the hire and they didn't? If not, why not? That would seem to be any important fact Forde's readers should know in determining whether it was a dumb hire I'd think. That's the kind of omission that really bothers me and causes me to question not only the validity of Forde's opinion but the integrity of him as a person.

 

If they want to opine, then their articles should be in the Op/Ed section and not the sports page, would you agree?

 

And unlike them, I'll admit I'm biased. I'm not a fan of journalists. I find more and more examples of sloppy journalism on TV and in the newspaper. I absolutely cannot stand it when journalists sprinkle in their opinions in news articles. I'll further admit that I can at times be picky. When a newsanchor states there was a spectacular crash, it drives me nuts. Don't give me your opinion that it was spectacular. I'll decide it was spectacular. Tell me it was a 4 car crash and 3 people died. That may or may not be spectacular to me. Keep the adjectives to yourself.

I didn't enjoy the cute tone of the article. Heck, just give me the facts. What is it about journalists these days that causes them to want to be so cutesy in their writing style? If Calipari had a higher percentage of players with troubles than a lot of D-1 programs, let me see the numbers. If Wes has been involved in NCAA violations, let me know them. If Calipari has had any infractions directly with the NCAA, let me hear them. Why resort to innuendos if you've got the info and numbers to back up your argument?

 

Funny how this writer forgot to mention the high percentage of seniors graduating at Memphis, isn't it? I wonder why that laudable accomplishment was left out of his article?

 

 

I don't think his Graduation rate was all that stellar. I believe that it is lower than the current UK level?

I don't think his Graduation rate was all that stellar. I believe that it is lower than the current UK level?

 

Said in the press conference 19 of his last 22 seniors graduated/will graduate. That's really strong. Don't know if that just a blip and the longer history is poor or that's indicative of the graduation rate since he's been at Memphis.

I agree with you that there are questions that Barnhart and UK fans should be concerned about and given UK's history we should have heightened concerns and questions whenever we hire any coach. I've got no problem with that being the position of Forde and Story. I don't want to relive the sanction days for sure. But just lay out the facts for me, all the facts and I'd be fine. It's been a while since I read his article this morning, but did it mention that UK checked with the NCAA and the SEC about hiring Calipari to see if either institution had any problems with the hire and they didn't? If not, why not? That would seem to be any important fact Forde's readers should know in determining whether it was a dumb hire I'd think. That's the kind of omission that really bothers me and causes me to question not only the validity of Forde's opinion but the integrity of him as a person.

 

His contention is more, it seems, one of "how much vetting was actually done" in the short period between BCG's firing and Cal's job offer. How much real research can you actually do in, what was it, 48 hours?

 

And again, it's a column. They get pretty wide berth.

 

If they want to opine, then their articles should be in the Op/Ed section and not the sports page, would you agree?

 

No. Mostly because the op-ed page is generally for hard news. The features/lifestyle section of the paper has feature/lifestyle columnists. The sports page has sports columnists. The business page has business columnists. For the ease of the reader, it's better to keeps like things in the same section. Especially when you consider there are lots of people out there who never look at anything but the sports page.

His contention is more, it seems, one of "how much vetting was actually done" in the short period between BCG's firing and Cal's job offer. How much real research can you actually do in, what was it, 48 hours?

 

And again, it's a column. They get pretty wide berth.

 

 

 

No. Mostly because the op-ed page is generally for hard news. The features/lifestyle section of the paper has feature/lifestyle columnists. The sports page has sports columnists. The business page has business columnists. For the ease of the reader, it's better to keeps like things in the same section. Especially when you consider there are lots of people out there who never look at anything but the sports page.

 

I agree that 48 hours may seem to some like a short vetting period. However, how does he know for certain that all the vetting was done in the short time between the firing and hiring? Isn't it possible that before Gillespie was even fired, some background work on possible candidates was being conducted? How do we know for certain that Calipari hasn't been on Barnhart's radar screen for quite some time and that Barnhart hasn't been looking into Calipari since December, or January or February?

Two years ago Cal wasn't an option due to concerns many people have mentioned. Why does the fact that they have chosen him remove the previous concerns? I can understand getting caught in the whirlwind of excitement, but it was only two years ago that 97% of BGPers were happy with the BGC hire.

 

This could be the best hire UK ever makes, but if ends up blowing up, you can not say the warnings weren't known. The columnists are providing an objective look that overzealous fans can't bring themselves to make.

There is a difference between a sports writer and a sports columnist. A sports writer takes the facts and creates a story with that. A sports columnist takes his ideas, sprinkles in some facts and some speculation and creates his column from that.

 

Story and Forde are sports columnists in addition to sports writers.

 

And I agree on your point about Barnhart and Brooks.

 

 

You took the words right out of my fingers with the difference between columnists and writers. I always shake my head when people read a column, which is a 'take', and then say the person is putting their own spin on it. OF COURSE HE/SHE IS! It's an Op/Ed piece for all intents and purposes. Crazy!

I don't think his Graduation rate was all that stellar. I believe that it is lower than the current UK level?

 

 

I believe the APR is .927 @ Memphis, ~.941-ish at UK, if I remember correctly.

Memphis

 

 

 

UK