John Calipari finally has his NCAA basketball championship. He’s riding high, the king of the basketball world, wanting everything his way.
Proclaiming “We are Kentucky,” he wants to establish new boundaries for long-time rivalries and move big games to neutral venues, making it easier for UK to prepare for the year-end tournament action. Taking advantage of a unique recruiting system that attracts one-and-done players and piles up wins, he wants to further improve his odds, bullying rival schools if necessary.
A week after Calipari said Indiana University had refused to compromise on that series, IU released a letter showing just the opposite. Indiana had suggested a a four-year contract that included home and away games, along with two games at a neutral site. UK rebuffed the suggestion, saying that would force Kentucky to cancel the series with the University of Louisville.
What one has to do with the other makes sense only in that Calipari is committed to softening the schedule. Proposed dates with IU have been replaced with teams like Portland and Samford, for example.
What would be funny if it weren’t so sad is that he seems to expect the rest of the world to go along with his schemes. Calipari seems to believe UK deserves preferential treatment, as if he has earned respect and admiration of his colleagues with all the wins during his tenure.
Not surprising that this is happening at UK, whose fans believe college sports revolve around their basketball team, ignorant of the preeminence of football. That misconception, when combined with their collective arrogance and the distorted ego of a coach who has bought into that kind of thinking, is more likely to breed disrespect and contempt from their associates and competitors.
UK has said that they have a policy that they want to only have 2 year limits on contracts with other schools because they want to have flexibility in their program for scheduling. So UK treats all non conference scheduling this way and feels it’s best for their program. Makes sense…so why is this so hard to understand? Why should UK make an “IU” exception? IU knows this…UK has publicly stated that this is their policy now under Calipari…again, why is this so hard to understand? Why does UK have to do what Rick Bozich or a bunch of other people want? Why can’t UK have a policy that is consistent with all teams they play and do it their way? Did UK just not win a championship…and now UK should be bullied by IU and the media to do it differently?
UK has offered to play the next 2 years in Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium. Am I missing something again here? Isn’t that a lot more convenient for IU fans then UK fans? More ticket sales…a boom to Indianapolis’ economy…national TV audience…split the stadium 50/50 like they did a few years back. This is a bad ideal????
IU is the one that has given up for this year. UK still has kept 2 open dates that can be worked out to this yet IU wants it their way. Which is fine…why can’t UK do it their way and say this is our policy…if you don’t want to do it then we will look else where.
UK is not the bad guy here! UK has a right to have a 2 year policy if that’s what they think is best for UK. UK wants to have some stadium games on the schedule and it was done like this before in the UK/IU series.
Calipari is not very good at negotiating, acting as if he’s the one with the only good ideas and other people’s opinions don’t count for much. That doesn’t make him many friends outside of the UK fan base.
There are a lot of misconceptions about Calipari. He is on top right now and any time you are on top there are going to be people that dislike you. He isn’t paid to make friends nor would any coach at a top university be very popular outside of the university that employs him.
Calipari is very confident which comes off as arrogant by many. The same could be said about Pitino. Calipari has brought in 4 straight top recruiting classes…he will have put 15 players in the NBA after just 3 drafts…he just won a championship…and he’s at the pinnacle of the coaching profession and he’s doing things his way. I’m sure that pisses off a lot of people outside of UK’s fan base.
While he should be at the top of his game, there’s something about Calipari that suggests insecurity. Maybe it’s a reaction to all the negative things he has been associated with at other programs. Or maybe it’s something else. Whatever it is he feels a need to assert his superiority and demean other programs when it’s not necessary or appropriate. It’s a real flaw in his character.
I don’t understand these segments about UK….why worry about them Charlie? Keep it focused on the cards!!! Don’t let the bitterness take over.
Sorry man but sometimes it’s appropriate, especially when UofL is affected by their actions.
Baseball twice
Softball three times
A classic case of a head coach not being properly monitored by the athletic director. How long and to what further extremes will Cal continue to go unchecked and provided the “carte blanche” at UK? And, will his past performances at other basketball programs eventually catch up with him?
Lest we forget, college athletics is (for the most part) about student-athletes. Posturing, power-brokering and autocracy seem to be the three tenets of UK’s men’s basketball program.
A far cry from ideals that Mr. Naismeth came up with when he looked at a peach basket and a ball and wondered…”What if…?”
Beat twice this year? Are we talking baseball?
Who asked for Little Brother’s opinion? Just pray Cal doesn’t decide to drop Lewisville next.
You’re just hoping Cal does drop them
You are so Spot on, Charlie!
Hear! Hear!
“a UofL grad and longtime fan”.
Enough said
So you disagree? Must be a UK fan.
Yes and very proud. BTW – did we beat UofL twice this year? Are you having trouble because of those games.
Nailed it. Right on the head.