Calipari, 252-69 in nine seasons at Memphis and 445-140 overall, was named the Sports Illustrated coach of the year before the start of the NCAA tournament, the first time he received SI’s award. Calipari was the Naismith coach of the year last season, joining Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski as the only coaches to be named twice to the award since its inception in 1987.
Calipari went 193-71 in eight seasons at Massachusetts from 1988 to 1996, culminating with an Elite Eight appearance in ’95 and a trip to the Final Four in ’96.
Calipari, a graduate of Clarion State (Pa.) in 1982, also coached the NBA’s New Jersey Nets from 1996 to ’98, going 72-112 before his ouster early in the 1998-99 season.
But he can absolutely coach. And in the two years since I wrote my last take on whether he should come to UK, he has shown that he can take a team to the elite level, and that he can attract some of the best talent in college basketball and craft a system in which that talent can thrive.
I suppose if you’re UK, the best case scenario is that Calipari can use the power of the program’s prestige to get in on the very best talent every year, and that the program’s in-place safeguards can ward off some of the less-savory assumptions, if not elements. You bank on the fact that the NCAA has not stuck anything on Calipari in his blindingly successful time in Memphis.
But you’d also better understand — those assumptions that follow Calipari, will now attach themselves to your program. Which, while among the most storied in college basketball, is also one of the most penalized in college basketball.
I suppose my bottom line is that I have more of an appreciation for Calipari as a coach than I had two years ago.
The reward — big-time success and exposure — is a given. But the spotlight at Kentucky is very bright. And if anything turns up in the glare, fans in Lexington need only cast a glance up to Bloomington to see the risks involved.
It’s still a risk for UK. But it appears to be a Cal-culated risk that UK may well be ready to take.
IT IS OFFICIAL!!! COACH CAL is now Coach of the Big Blue Nation!
GO CATS!!!
GO BIG BLUE!!!
Take a moment and let me know how you feel about this hire. I know I”m excited as hell. And don’t worry. No comment will be censored. I’d just like to know how the BBN feels about the hire.
I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.
GETTING BUSY FINALLY WRITING MY BOOK. I’ll BE STOPPING IN HERE FROM TIME TO TIME TO POST A WITTICISM OR TWO. FOR THE MOST PART, I’ll BE CONCENTRATING ON THE BOOK.
UNTIL NEXT TIME…
Hey! I’m Dave and this is my blog.
If you’ve found your way here, WELCOME! I hope you enjoy looking around.
This is my little piece of the world where I give a bit of opinion on politics, sports and the world in general. Lots of clips from my travels in Asia and other parts of the globe.
I’m enjoying life out here in Afghanistan. I’m not in the military despite the uniform. I work with the Afghan Police as a Logistics mentor. It’s an incredible experience and I very much enjoy it. I actually look forward to going to work each day. Love it. Always something interesting going on in this part of the world.
Living in Bangkok now. Out off of Ramkamhaeng. Out in the ‘burbs. It’s a nice, slow, easy life for now. Trying to write a book about my travels and taking it easy after 7 years off and on in Afghanistan. Nice to be settled for a while. Living with Unny, my girlfriend, and two dogs Malalai and Cierra. It’s a nice change of pace.
Maybe this time next year, I’ll be the author of a best selling book. Who knows. Stranger things have happened.
I travel a bit in Asia and elsewhere. I’ve grown quite fond of Thailand and Cambodia. If you are interested in Southeast Asia, you’ll find plenty here and I hope you enjoy it.
Getting ready and planning my latest trip for September/October. Heading to the Holy Land. We’ll try not to get blown up by Palestinian suicide bombers. Maybe see some old friends in Tel Aviv.
That’s all for now.
Peace, Dave
The road to truth is long, and lined the entire way with annoying bastards
GETTING BUSY FINALLY WRITING MY BOOK. I’ll BE STOPPING IN HERE FROM TIME TO TIME TO POST A WITTICISM OR TWO. FOR THE MOST PART, I’ll BE CONCENTRATING ON THE BOOK.
UNTIL NEXT TIME…
“the free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it – basically because you feel good, very good, when you are near or with them.”
― Charles Bukowski, Tales of Ordinary Madness
On his first full day in Lexington, Billy Gillispie stood grinning in front of thousands of adoring University of Kentucky fans who came to an impromptu pep rally in Memorial Coliseum. He bathed in Big Blue love before going to a news conference introducing him as UK basketball coach.
Despite that outpouring of affection, Gillispie found himself fired two years later because his UK bosses did not believe he understood the nature of his job and its connection with fans.
” … Dedicated and passionate fans deserve a coach that understands that this is not just another coaching job,” Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said in reading a statement at another news conference on Friday.
Winning and losing didn’t end Gillispie’s time as coach after two seasons, although his .597 winning percentage was the the worst for a UK coach since Basil Hayden’s one-season 3-13 record in 1926-27.
Ironically, failing to connect with those around him cost Gillispie his job. Ironic because in his time here, Gillispie repeatedly emphasized the importance of building relationships.
“We obviously did not achieve the results we all desired on the floor this season,” Barnhart said of UK’s 22-14 record. “Those results can occur when you are trying to grow a program. We clearly understand that.
“However, it is as important to represent the Kentucky program and the basketball program, more specifically, in a manner which best utilizes our incredible tradition, assets and platform. …
“It is my evaluation that we have not done all we can to manage the entire scope of the program and all that we expect.”
UK President Lee T. Todd echoed that reasoning. He said he spoke to Gillispie during protracted — and ultimately futile — contract negotiations about the public nature of the job.
“It’s kind of like the president’s job,” Todd said. “Nobody really writes out exactly what you have to do. Philosophically, we wanted someone that represented the entire Big Blue Nation. … This is a unique opportunity, a very unique job.”
Gillispie did not answer reporters’ questions. Holding a cell phone to his ear, he walked through raindrops in and out of Wildcat Lodge to tell the players the news and then the Craft Center to clean out his office.
Gillispie and his assistant coaches had reason to be busy. In what suggested a good-riddance sentiment, UK asked them to pack up their belongings and leave their offices by 5 p.m. (about three hours after Gillispie learned his fate in a meeting at Todd’s official residence).
The Southeastern Conference Tournament served as a stage to expose how differently Gillispie and his bosses viewed the UK job.
Gillispie, who saw celebrity as a hindrance, said the UK coach must recruit great players and coach them. Period. He did not embrace the suggestion of also being an ambassador, which showed itself in his first pre-season when he did not speak to the Lexington Rotary Club, something his predecessors did annually dating back to at least the 1950s.
Barnhart, who called fan interest in UK basketball a “cradle-to-grave love,” noted how fans drove to Omaha, Neb., earlier this week to watch the Cats play Creighton in the National Invitation Tournament.
“There is a clear difference in how the rules and responsibilities overseeing the program are viewed,” Barnhart said. “It is a gap that I do not believe can be solved by just winning games. It is a philosophical disparity that I do not believe can be repaired.”
Todd and Barnhart also spoke of their desire for coaches to provide a rewarding experience for the athletes.
The father of leading scorer Jodie Meeks suggested that Gillispie’s demanding style was distracting, if not a hindrance.
“You don’t want to throw gasoline on the flames, but, clearly, a lot of things happened behind the scenes that made it difficult for the kids to play basketball and focus on winning,” Orestes Meeks said.
Of his relationship with Gillispie, the elder Meeks cited his son’s UK record 54-point performance at Tennessee on Jan. 13.
“I got calls from every coach he ever had: baseball, basketball, all of them,” Meeks’ father said. “Except his current coach. His current coach never called. That said a lot to me. … “
“When you start placing blame, tell them when the ship misses the harbor, do they blame the harbor?” Orestes Meeks. “I don’t think it’s anybody’s fault but his own.”
Originally, Gillispie and UK had a whirlwind romance consummated with a hiring in the first 24 hours. Without mentioning those details, Barnhart acknowledged his surprise at the unhappy ending.
“This is not a place I thought we would be at this point, or one that I would want to be,” the UK athletics director said. “However, after long and deliberate discussions, President Todd and I have decided we must charter a new direction for the University of Kentucky men’s basketball program. Unfortunately there are times when a situation and the people involved do not create the right chemistry or right fit. It is our belief that is where we are and where we find ourselves with Kentucky basketball today.”
Barnhart said he and Todd have talked for a month about “dramatic differences” in how the administrators and the coach view the job of coach. Gillispie’s comments at the SEC Tournament about the job’s public component not being in the “job description” seemingly sealed his fate.
After denying any regrets in the hire, Barnhart said, “He’s a good basketball coach. Sometimes it’s not the right fit.”
Say what you want about the rabid nature of the Wildcats’ basketball fans, but after all these years, that’s really all they want. And is it so much to ask?
They want a slick, sharp coach on the bench. They want him to unleash a team such as the Cardinals upon the rest of college basketball like Huns attacking the Great Wall. They want to break the scoreboard, demoralize the opposition and serve notice upon the field.
Most of all, they want possibilities.
Frankly, they want to be Louisville.
And if you know a Kentucky basketball fan, you know how painful that must be to admit.
Tell me. Short of a scandal or three, has there ever been a worse day to be a Kentucky fan? First of all, Gillispie was fired in disgrace, which either came much too early (the prevailing national opinion) or much too late (the overwhelming viewpoint of the Wildcat faithful). Then, before you can dribble a ball the length of a court, their designated next-guy, Billy Donovan, flatly turned them down … again. Evidently, having two years to reconsider didn’t change a thing for Donovan.
Then, after all that, they had to withstand this:
Louisville, the new team of Kentucky’s old coach, looks a lot like a champion-in-waiting.
The Cardinals were darned near perfect against Arizona on Friday. They ran, they shot, they passed, they defended, they rebounded. They drubbed Arizona 103-64, the most points Louisville has scored in an NCAA Tournament game. If it hadn’t been for a late burst of mercy, the 39-point margin might have been 60.
For one night, at least, the Cardinals had the look of greatness. They are so deep, so skilled. The players come at an opponent all at once, and all can dribble, and all can shoot. They dunk, and it is like hearing an airplane break the sound barrier. It is difficult to tell guards from forwards or subs from starters. Stopping them is like trying to hold back a flood with a sponge.
Want to know how wonderful the Cardinals were? Just ask Pitino, who sounded like Roger Ebert at a foreign film festival.
“Fabulous,” Pitino said.
“Brilliant,” he said.
“Dominating,” he added.
So it went. Pitino, 56, also said “tremendous” and “great” and “terrific” and “beautiful” and “unselfish.” You kept waiting for him to give his team an enthusiastic thumbs-up. For the record, Pitino also suggested that humility was very, very important.
The thing is, who is going to disagree? The Cardinals shot 57 percent from the floor, and 93 percent from the free-throw line, and they outrebounded Arizona, and they had 29 assists to only nine turnovers. It looked as if everyone else was playing one game of basketball, and the Cardinals were playing something better, something more pure.
Did anyone see a flaw? Oh, Pitino apologized for the final dunks of the game, but they were just exclamation points on a paragraph. The message already had been sent.
Who is going to stop Louisville if the Cards play this close to capacity? Pitt? North Carolina? Connecticut?
Anyone?
“It’s going to be hard to beat them if they play like that,” Arizona coach Russ Pennell said. “I think it has to be someone who has the quickness to really put pressure against their fullcourt press. Yet Louisville kind of preys upon people who do that.”
For the opponent, that’s the conundrum. For the Cardinals, it is matching their own excellence.
“We know we’re not going to play like this again,” Pitino said, “because of the types of defenses we’re going to run into now. It’s going to be a totally different type of game. We did a great job getting second shots tonight. Michigan State and Kansas don’t give you those.
“Guys, we all know we’re one game from the Final Four. We’re three games from the national championship. I think this team has stayed grounded. Their egos are in check. I’ll find something to be upset about. We’re not going to fall in love with ourselves because we had a good game. We understand what we’re up against.”
In the old days, back before the Wildcats were in a snit — you spell it with an “N” and an “I” and a “T” — coaches at Kentucky used to talk like that. They, too, played like a regal team about to storm the castle. They, too, looked like the team to beat.
As for that brunet in the fifth row cheering on the Cardinals?
No, that wasn’t Ashley Judd.
Was it?
If Tubby had left to the Hawks, UK could have hired Pitino and all would have been right in the Big Blue Nation. Instead, Tubby waits until he’s decimated the team to leave. Mitch screws up and makes a bad hire and Lee Todd steps in and fires him.
One could blame CM Newton for making the wrong hire. He hired the wrong assistant. Instead of hiring Billy D back in 97, he hired the guy who would be the cause of the storm now crashing through the Big Blue Nation.
Oh, and by the way, UL is on the way to the Final Four and probably a Championship. lol
It could be worse. The moon could crash into the sun tonight. haha
This all sounds like a really bad Univision Soap Opera from Mexico.
With the loss to Notre Dame in the NIT, Billy G is gone. So say the talking heads. It’s all over the message boards. I think UK is making a mistake.
I think given the time and space to grow into the job, Billy G would have made a fine coach at UK. Let’s face it. UK has no Roy Williams waiting in the wings. That may never come to pass now. In years to come, UK will regret this day. Billy Gillispie is going to go somewhere and take some team to the Final Four. He’s going to win some Championships. And he’s going to do it with a team of players that he recruited.
UK and it’s fans are going to look on ruefully and be left with thoughts of what might have been. We may be looking on happily. Having recently watched our Team win a Championship with Calipari or some other coach. If the UKAA makes the right hire post-Gillispie. Or we make look on wistfully. Wishing that we and the UKAA hadn’t made the mistake of a precipitous decision to fire a coach who just needed a bit of time to turn it all around.
I’m a bit saddened by all of this. Two years ago, I was excited. It was the end of the Tubby era. I thought we would enter a Golden Age with the gunslinging, Dr. Pepper drinking man from Texas. I had a rug made in Herat, Afghanistan and mailed it back as a welcome gift to Billy Gillispie. I wonder what will become of that rug. Will Gillispie take it with him or leave it for the next coach. It won’t be something that he will look on with fond memories if he takes it with him. For all I know, it winds up in the garbage. Hopefully, he’ll pass it on to the next coach if he doesn’t want to keep it himself.
Both sides have made mistakes. Both sides need to step back and re-evaluate before they move on. Billy G needs to sit down and realize that UK is not just any other job. Mitch and Pres. Todd need to realize that they have a coach who can win and who needs the time to make the transition from the small pond to the Big Blue Ocean. The fans need to make this same realization. G needs to learn how to manage this program and be it’s caretaker and not only it’s coach. Patience is called for here.
If not, I think we are making a mistake of epic proportions. I’m no one to whom anyone will listen. No one to whom anyone should necessarily listen. These things may have already been discussed by one side or the other and dismissed for all I know.
Something just doesn’t feel right, though. And the truth doesn’t seem to be out there. Those outside the circle may never know the truth. Certain people have an invested interest in keeping the truth away from the general public. Such is always the case. Some folks are saying that they are only telling “10% if the story.” Perhaps, there is a lot more out there concerning Gillispie that we don’t know. If it’s in the interest of the UKAA for it to come out, it will be made plain. If not, we will never find out. Perhaps, that’s simply damage control.
Lots of the things that people are complaining about seem to be small to me. If Gillispie were winning already, he’d be forgiven most of this. But since it’s taking longer to win, he’s been hit hard. I don’t think Gillispie realized how big of a jump he made and how fast he was expected to produce.
It’s probably all moot now.
It seems as if the regretful decision has been made. We’ll see.
I know this much. If Mitch doesn’t hit a GRAND SLAM Coaching Hire this time around. He’s next! If not, Lee Todd should be.
The next phase of UK Basketball, begins Friday. Will it be the beginning of a new Coaching Era or an extension of the ongoing era. I’m hoping that G stays on and leads UK to many victories. I’ve never liked the media anyway.
That’s the word I’m hearing from some pretty solid sources.
Actually, I was hearing that Gillispie will not be fired. If G leaves, it’s going to be more of a split due to irreconcilable differences. A mutual decision to part ways. I’m sure there will be a buy out involved.
UK is jumping into the abyss.
I’ve also been told the following:
The player mutiny is nonsense rumor mill tripe. Certainly, there are a couple of players who dislike Gillispie. Meeks and Patterson are NOT those couple of players. Meeks and Patterson are not considering the jump to the League because of Coach G. They support G and are declaring or not declaring based upon their draft status. They will decide based upon real world criteria and not the fantasies of internet rumor mongers and the media. The players who won’t be coming back are guys who shouldn’t be coming back. The Carruth wannabees. Think AJ and Deandre. Team Cancers. From what I’ve been told AJ doesn’t see the purpose or value of an education. He hasn’t lived in his dorm for most of the season. Krebs has been all by his lonesome. Liggins is another problem child. Think that Vegas trip was his only refusal to go in a game. Think again. He’s supposedly done it throughout SEC play as well. Deandre is playing the game right now. The only way that he’ll be back is if he continues his change of attitude. If he doesn’t convince G [or the next coach], he’ll not be returning. Supposedly, he’s been a real challenge this season and I have a hard time understanding why G has put up with it. Don’t be surprised if both AJ and Deandre are sitting on some other bench next year.
Folks who are concerned about the contract and why BCG hasn’t signed it. Some think it’s the clause that sets down the criteria for BCG to be fired. Some think it has to do with charitable contributions and foundations that is the sticking point. Others are saying that it has to do with a “personal life” clause. I’m hearing that such is not the case. Word on the wind is that it’s the same clause that kept Billy D away. Apparently, Mitch wants final say on recruiting offers. He wants final word or veto power concerning recruits. BCG [and most other Coaches who are worth a damn] will not agree to this. Coaches should have final say in recruiting. As long as the guy meets NCAA guidelines, BCG and almost any other coach should have the final say in recruiting. Not the AD. This isn’t the NBA and the AD is not the General Manager. Apparently, Mitch thinks that everyone is as inept a recruiter as TLT. There seems to be more than this but that’s all I got.
Last thing, the media is brewing this storm because of their personal distaste for BCG. My opinion on that is screw the media. Not everyone needs to be at their beck and call and on bended knee. The media does ask stupid questions that are a waste of time. And the media picks it’s heros and it’s villains based upon who kisses up to them. Sycophants like Coach K get all the good press. Any coach who doesn’t kiss their collective asses gets bad press. Wooden was a God. Despite his teams being bought and paid for by a booster. USC gets a free pass in Football. UNLV and UK get burned because Rupp and the towel biter didn’t play their game. Apparently, Matt Jones has a hard on for BCG because Matty was not treated with kid gloves by BCG at an early press conference. If so, Matt has a pretty large ego. He’s a freakin’ blogger. He’s not a real media figure. He’s lucky he gets a media pass. That’s funny, though. Matt Jones was the biggest Tubby Homer on the planet. Almost as big a homer as the guy who runs A Sea of Blue.
On the recruiting front. If BCG is fired, UK better hit a GRAND SLAM on the coaching hire or Daniel Orton is gone. Larry Orton was being polite when he stated that Daniel Orton would reconsider his options if BCG was fired. I’m told that there is no chance that Daniel comes to UK if BCG is not the coach. ”Zero. Actually, less than zero.” Is what I’m told.
There is also the tale being told that the UKAA canvassed the players. Asking if they’d return if BCG was fired. I guess they are weighing their options. Fire Billy and these guys leave/stay. Don’t fire Billy and these guys leave/stay. Jockeying for leverage in contract negotiations? Trying to gauge how hard the program will be hit with a BCG firing. UKAA has to know that they will hurt the program by firing BCG this year. Allowing the pressure to build, though, allows them to have maximum leverage in contract negotiations. Playing hardball, I reckon. Mitch not making a statement of support allows the pressure to build. He apparently thinks this will aid him in the negotiations after the season and will allow them to get the concessions they desire. Will Gillispie give that much control over recruiting to the AD. I don’t think any coach would do that. I think Billy G will allow some contract concessions such as making the hand shake circuit and being nicer to the media. But ceding recruiting decisions to the AD, I don’t think it will happen. BCG and any coach that UK will want will walk away from that deal.
The last thing that I’ve heard is that it’s all over. The “that’s not in my job description” statement was the straw that broke Billy’s back. Billy has supposedly been told that he will not be returning next season. The players are said to know as well. But they supposedly “demanded” that he be allowed to coach them through the NIT. The word is that there is an anointed individual in the wings and he’s still in the Tournament now. Calipari? Pitino? Wright? Dixon? I don’t know.
So that’s the latest that I’ve heard. Could all of that be true? If it is, this program is a mess. Perhaps, it’s time to part ways with Mitch unless he has some magic up his sleeve that puts UK in the Final Four in 2010 or 2011. This whole mess is inexcusable. From the TLT departure catching him off guard to the Billy D fiasco to this mess with Billy G. Does Barnhart have a clue? I’m beginning to think that he does not.
Just things I’ve heard around the water cooler. I’m no one to whom anyone should pay any heed. After Kentucky plays the last game of the season, somethings going to happen. I don’t even think G and Mitch knows for certain what that might be. No one else knows for sure either. That’s simply my opinion.
[On ancient Athens]: In the end, more than freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life, and they lost it all – security, comfort, and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free and was never free again. –Edward Gibbon
“Government is good at only one thing. It knows how to break your legs, hand you a crutch, and say, ‘See if it weren’t for the government, you couldn’t walk.’” – Harry Browne
“The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.” – Cornelius Tacitus (55-117 A.D.)
“Written laws are like spiders’ webs, and will, like them, only entangle and hold the poor and weak, while the rich and powerful easily break through them.” – The Scythian Philosopher, Anacharsis (6th century BC)
“Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.” — Otto von Bismarck, 1st Chancellor of the German Empire (1815-1898)
“One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation” -Thomas Bracket Reed
Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. – John Adams (1814)
If you are not free to choose wrongly and irresponsibly, you are not free at all. – Jacob Hornberger (1995)
Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. – George Washington
No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session. – Mark Twain (1866)
There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him. – Robert Heinlein
A wise and frugal government which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government. – Thomas Jefferson (1801)
The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground. – Thomas Jefferson
The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule. – H.L. Mencken
The power to tax is the power to destroy. – John Marshall
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. – C. S. Lewis
A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves. – Edward R. Murrow
Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt. – Herbert Hoover
They’re out there. Thousands of folks running around. Rumor mongers galore.
I’ve heard that Gillispie is out as soon as he loses the last game of the year. Because everyone or most everyone is convinced that he will lose. Probably to Creighton.
Miller, Meeks and Patterson will transfer or go to the NBA if Gillispie returns. Liggins is gone. Mike Porter is going to graduate early and leave no matter what happens because of family issues. His wife is about to have their baby and Mike needs to get a job and support his family.
Calipari is already on board
Pitino is in the wings waiting. But he might be on his way to Arizona as well.
Donovan has changed his mind [again] and wants to create his own Camelot.
90% of the Big Blue Nation is supposed to want Billy G gone at year end.
A Big time Booster who owns a bank or two is financing the buyout of Billy and the hiring of Calipari. Calipari supposedly wanted to come last time but was blocked by his contract and boosters at Memphis. This time. Nothing stands in his way.
I have no idea what is going to happen. G is still recruiting as if he is staying. The JUCO kid, Konner, just signed and he’s supposed to be the real deal. Instant Impact. As opposed to flighty JUCOs Galloway and Harrelson.
There are so many rumors floating out there that I can’t keep up with them. Bloggers are going crazy. Sportswriters are swearing that he’s gone. Bromley, Bozich, Seth Davis have all come out stating that G is as good as gone. Citing “sources close to the program” or “sources within the program.”
And it’s not that Billy G is losing at a clip that makes Tubby look like a winner in his last two years. It’s that Billy G doesn’t seem to understand the role of a Kentucky Coach. He seems to think that he can coach and play his X’s and O’s and it ends there. He doesn’t seem to understand that he’s expected to BE the program. He’s supposed to kiss babies and shake hands and represent the program in the news. He’s got to glad hand the boosters and give autographs.
Then there are the rumors that he’s all over the parties on campus doing his best Bruce Pearl impression. These rumors are completely unbelievable. In this age of instant celebrity and sleuthing/outting via Youtube and webcams and cellphone cams and video recorders, there would be a record of any shenanigans. Thus far, NADA. Not a single video or picture of a drunken Billy pawing on College Frosh at Sorority or Fraternity parties. Not a single pic of a sloshed Billy G. Not one.
But that doesn’t stop morons from spreading the rumors or the gullible masses from believing every and anything that they hear concerning these rumors. It seems that some people live to tell. And the rowdier the rumor, it seems the more people are willing to believe it.
Come Monday, we’ll see.
If Billy goes up to Omaha and his boys lose, next week is judgement week. The dirty truth comes out.
Will he resign?
Will deep pocketed Boosters buy him out and bring in a big name like Calipari?
Is Pitino the “once and future” coach of the Cats?
Will Donovan pull a Roy Williams and come the second time he’s asked?
I have no idea. We’ll know soon enough.
My favorite rumor is this gem from you tube:
DUI got caught drinking with ramel bradley while he was a senior last year… tisk tisk silly redneck i guess thats what you’d expect from a school with a hick tradition like kentsucky.
This is nothing new. The so-called mainstream media has simply followed the sensationalist example of their little sister media–The National Enquirer. This is our national discourse.
We are a nation of dummies being led by the nose down the slippery slope to national madness.
Europe’s Hedging on Inmates Clouds Guantanamo Plans
(New York Times, March 16, 2009, Pg. 1)
European countries that have offered to help the Obama administration close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay have begun raising questions about the security risks and requirements if they accept prisoners described by the Bush administration as “the worst of the worst,” according to diplomats and other officials. The concerns, and a deep suspicion of whether the American intelligence community will share full information on the prisoners, are likely to complicate the resettlement effort, which is critical to President Barack Obama’s fulfilling his pledge to close Guantanamo within a year of his taking office.
EU Could Aid U.S. by Taking 60 Detainees
(Financial Times, March 16, 2009)
Up to 60 Guantanamo Bay detainees could be taken in by European Union countries, according to the bloc’s senior justice official. Jacques Barrot, the vice-president of the EU, said Europe’s response to any U.S. request that it take former detainees would be a “test issue” ahead of a trip he is making to Washington this week. “We are open to co-operation to help close Guantanamo as long, of course, as the methods used there are not replicated in other places,” he said, adding that Washington would need to give the EU complete information on the background of the detainees sent to Europe.
U.S. Challenged on Sealing of Detainee Files
(Washington Post, March 16, 2009, Pg. 15)
The Justice Department has filed “unclassified” records in federal court outlining the government’s cases against more than 100 detainees at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, but the records are not being made public. The move has triggered a legal skirmish with detainees’ attorneys, who say the excessive secrecy greatly complicates their work, especially in light of looming hearings. Three news organizations have also joined the fight, saying the government is keeping valuable information from the public. The government says it wants to keep the records from public view for now as a national security precaution after it discovered classified information in the documents.
Afghan War Hits Peak of Disfavor: In Poll, More Call Action ‘Mistake’ (USA Today, March 17, 2009, Pg. 1) American support for the war in Afghanistan has ebbed to a new low, as attacks on U.S. troops and their allies have hit record levels and commanders are pleading for reinforcements, a USA Today/Gallup Poll shows. In the poll taken Saturday and Sunday, 42 percent of respondents said the U.S. made “a mistake” in sending military forces to Afghanistan, up from 30 percent in February. That is the highest mark since the poll first asked the question in November 2001, when the U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban government that sheltered al-Qaida terrorists responsible for the 9/11 terror attacks.
Kentucky takes out Ole Miss in the first round. The team played energetically and seemed to be running on all cylinders. Darius Miller makes a statement and shows his potential for good things in the 2010 season. Meeks gets his 25. Patterson gets his after announcing that he’ll be back in 2010.
I’ll take it.
On Patterson, if he still is staying come the NBA Draft…I’ll believe it. The kid has to take into account his draft status and such before making a definitive statement. But it sounds like he has no problem with the coaching staff.
This has been a strange year at UK Basketball. Hope Pat and Jodie stick around and make next year phenomenal. Next year is a pivotal year in the Billy Saga. Let’s hope the tournaments of 2009 are harbingers of good things to come.
Six days off could end up refreshing the 20th-ranked Tigers, who begin their push for their first SEC tournament title in 19 seasons with a Friday rematch with the Wildcats in the quarterfinals.
The Tigers (25-6) have been one of college basketball’s surprise teams under first-year coach Trent Johnson, riding a 13-game win streak in conference play to their first regular-season league title since 2005-06. LSU clinched the championship with a 73-70 victory at Kentucky on Feb. 28, rallying from 12 down before hanging on for the win.
LSU played like a team that was mentally and physically tired after that game, falling 75-67 at home to Vanderbilt on March 4 and 69-53 at Auburn on Saturday.
The Tigers shot a season-low 32.1 percent against Auburn and scored their fewest points since a 47-45 loss to Tennessee last season.
“Their focus was not lacking, but there were some guys who were tired and banged up and all those kinds of things,” Johnson said. “Days off at this time of the year would benefit any team. … I’ve been in situations where you had a bunch of guys with a day off, and we came out at struggled.
…and they lost.
Question is will that be Billy Gillispies last game in the SEC? Will UK slide into the backdoor of the NCAAs or are they NIT bound? If they do go to the NIT, what happens then?
I’m not very excited about an NIT bid. If I was home, I’d watch anyway. Here, in Afghanistan, Ii won’t get the chance to watch. AFN pretty much ignores the NIT in favor of the NCAA. Which is the way it should be with the programming/air time as tight as it is.
Obama Issues Reassurances On Guantanamo Prisoners
[Kansas City Star, March 12, 2009]
Obama Issues Reassurances On Guantanamo Prisoners [Kansas City Star, March 12, 2009] Barack Obama said that he would never put communities like Leavenworth at risk in deciding where to relocate prisoners once Guantanamo is shut down. Fort Leavenworth is one of several military prisons being talked about as a replacement for the Guantanamo detention center.
If President Obama is not going to put the talibs and al Qaeda prisoners of war in Federal Prisons, where will he put them? Are they going to become a part of the stimulus package? Will he build a new maximum security prison in South Dakota somewhere? If he is still going to hold them and process them at his leisure, what is the difference between his policy and the Bush policy. The name and location of the facility in which they will be held?
This is mere eyewash. It’s a huge lie and cover up. Obama is turning out to be nothing more than Clinton II. I thought the Dems voted against a Clinton in their primaries.
Guess they’re like FPOTUS Bush in that they “can’t get fooled again.” Only they did. As did the other voters who ushered him into office on his campaign pledge of “Hope and Change.” Camelot II is turning out to sound a whole lot like Hope II. The man from Hope [Arkansas]. And Change. From Clinton to Clinton Lite.
Taliban Lieutenant Is Former Detainee
[Washington Times, March 11, 2009, Pg. 2]
U.S. officials said the Taliban’s new top operations officer in southern Afghanistan is a former Guantanamo detainee. Abdullah Ghulam Rasoul was among 13 prisoners released to the Afghan government in 2007.
Guantanamo could be the future downfall of President Obama. He has a long think ahead of him concerning what to do with all of the prisoners in Guantanamo. If this guy was released, imagine the monsters who’ve NOT been released.
But I’m certain that they are all nice guys who are completely innocent. Right…
On another note of Obama brilliance:
Taliban Ridicules Talks
[FNC, March 10, 2009]
President Obama’s suggestion that he would be opened to negotiating with moderate Taliban elements in Afghanistan is being ridiculed by the Taliban. A spokesman for the group said the idea was illogical because there are no moderate Taliban.
They’re marking it alright. Marking it right off the calender. It means nothing to these women. And even less to the men who force them to wear these disgusting bits of cloth.
My opinion. These things should be outlawed INTERNATIONALLY. The hijab. The Burqa. The Chadori. The Veil. They should all be outlawed.
This is the Minaret of Jam. It’s about a 4 hour drive northeast of Herat on the road to Chist-e Sherif. The tower has the Sura of Miriam inscribed on mud brick mosaic tiles on it’s outer surface. The sura of Miriam is the story of the mother of Jesus as told in the Qur’an. Very little is known for certain about the origins of the tower. Only that it is an ancient relic dating to sometime around the Ghurid Dynasty of Afghanistan’s history.
he Minaret of Jam is a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in western Afghanistan. It is located in the Shahrak District, Ghor Province, by the Hari River. The 65-metre highminaret, surrounded by mountains that reach up to 2400m, is built entirely of baked-bricks. It is famous for its intricate brick, stucco and glazed tile decoration, which consists of alternating bands of kufic and naskhicalligraphy, geometric patterns, and verses from the Qur’an (the surat Maryam, relating to Mary, the mother of Jesus). For centuries, the Minaret was forgotten by the outside world until rediscovered in 1886 by Sir Thomas Holdich, who was working for the Afghan Boundary Commission. It did not come to world attention, however, until 1957 through the work of the French archaeologists André Maricq and Wiet. Herberg conducted limited surveys around the site in the 1970s, before the Soviet invasion of 1979 once again cut off outside access. The archaeological site of Jam was successfully nominated as Afghanistan’s first World Heritage site in 2002. It was also inscribed in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in Danger, due to the precarious state of preservation of the minaret, and results of looting at the site.
The photos below were taken by an Afghan friend and colleague a few years ago. He actually took them with a cell phone camera. Great photos for a cell cam. At the time, he was working with the Province Governor as a liaison for NGOs. He and a few friends climbed in a 4WD and took the 8 hour trek over some nasty terrain to visit the Minaret. They came south and west from the city of Chagcharan which is the capital district of Ghor Province. Ghor Province is a part of Herat Region which is where I am working at the moment.
It would be amazing if I were able to visit the Minaret of Jam myself and get out to Chist-e Sherif which is a few hours drive from the area where the Minaret was built. Alas, it is a treacherous drive and if the terrain doesn’t get you, the taleban or bandits might give it a go. Perhaps, I will get my chance at some future time. As for now, it is not to be…
Minaret Jami
I just returned from Ghor where I picked up this carpet depicting the Minaret. (21 October 2009)
We’ve all been wondering what the problem has been with this years edition of Team Kentucky–”the undecipherables.” Perhaps, the problem is the Star. If Jodie will sabotage a game like this, maybe he’s been doing it all along. It’s no secret that this team has a dearth of scorers. So when your team’s Star tells the opponent that he has been given a REDLIGHT on scoring/shooting. That allows the opponent all the room it need to crash down on the only other scoring option left. That would be Patrick Patterson. And Patterson was getting hammered in this game. Doubleteams left and right.
I don’t know about you. But if I were Patrick Patterson and I found out that my team mate gave away key information like that, I’d have a problem.
That leaves the question: Why would Jodie do such a thing?
Was it frustration? Vindictiveness against Coach G? Arrogance? Awkward Strategy? Was it subterfuge?
Maybe he didn’t say it or maybe Jerry Tipton is simply trying to brew more controversy within the fan base.
The more likely possibility:
Jodie was trash talking with Shipman and the Gators to try to get open. The Gators believe him and crash down on Patterson leaving Jodie and the guys open.
Whatever it was. It didn’t work. Jodie didn’t get open a whole lot more.
UK lost. The Gators won.
And UK is NIT bound barring a miracle run to the SEC Championship down in Tampa.
