It's certainly no secret that the year 2020 will be remembered as one of the most difficult in history. So much of our society was severely effected by the Corona virus pandemic that spread throughout the world. Here in the US it has been traumatic and many have died from it and many other's have been infected but managed to recover. All areas of society have been touched by it including the world of sports, both college and professional.
Right here in the basketball-crazy bluegrass state our beloved UK Wildcats were on their way through a rocky season and to a berth in the NCAA tournament in which many thought they would have a deep run. Those expectations were cut short as the entire 2020 NCAA tournament was cancelled due to the pandemic. The local fan base was disappointed, along with those across the country, but we all understood. Sports had suddenly taken a back seat to this pandemic. Our priorities were instantly altered. Though we loved our Cats and wanted to see them advance in the 'big dance' this was a highly volital situation with the health of our loved ones and neighbors at risk.
Basketball is a great game and here in the bluegrass it has few rivals but it's still just a game. Did I say that?Yes, I did. The virus has infected entire teams in many sports and games have been cancelled and continue to be. It's a small thing to reschedule games but it's secondary to our way of life. Our love for sports will unlikely change and that's ok but caring for our loved ones should never change.
With all of that being said I would like to address another area of concern for me as a basketball fan and UK Wildcat officianado. Like many, many people here in Kentucky I have grown up as a lover of the Wildcats. From my upbringing in the 60's and 70's to the present decade I have watched, cheered, studied and critiqued the Wildcats teams. I have my all-time favorite players (too many to name) like so many other's and those players who stoled our hearts are fondly remembered. We have certainly had much to cheer about through the years.
I do, however, have a huge objection to our current team and to the legacy of coach John Calipari. Perhaps my point of view is skewed somewhat but it just appears that since his inception as head coach of the Wildcats Calipari has recruited players that he could 'mold' into becoming NBA stars instead of building the kind of collegiate players to win championships. You can certainly object to this narrative but I believe, after taken a closer look at the last decade, you will come around to the same opinion.
I will not criticize Coach Calipari for his recruiting. He certainly has done a fantastic job, albeit through his assistants, mostly Kenny Payne, and brought great talent to the program. I do, however, question his on-court ability to coach his teams through tough games. Let's face it, the current team has lost more home games than any other team in recent history. For we diehard UK fan(atics) that's simply unacceptable. I understand that different teams face different hurdles and obstacles to learning the system here but when you bring in a fresh group of players right out of high school each year or two it is going to 'sour the recipe' for continued success, in my opinion.
We love our Wildcats and we want the kind of team-success we are used to here in the bluegrass. I admit that we are quite spoiled but when you grow up watching one of the best college basketball entities for decades you become accustomed to winning and winning 'Big'. We want championships, not NBA superstars.
It is my hope that coach Calipari will realize what the fan-base at-large is saying and that the reason we have such high expectations each season is because we are used to it. It's normal for us and since the Covid-19 outbreak has changed everything that we call 'normal' we would just like to ask that our beloved Kentucky Wildcats get back to their winning ways and to what the fans consider as being normal.
I dont believe that is too much to ask. It would bring a large portion of the fan-base back to the fold and could energize the entire NCAA college basketball landscape. Many of us prefer the college game over the NBA, by the way.
I will briefly touch on the objection I have with the most recent situation surrounding the Wildcats team. I do not want to linger in this subject because it is volital and one that I think has serious implications away from the game of basketball. Because of the recent Presidential election and outcome and everything that has surrounded it, the world of sports, both collegiate and pro, have become a hotbed of political stances. Many players and coaches have 'decided'to use their platform to display their displeasure with the President and the unfortunate violent outbursts of radical extremists. They have chosen to kneel at the pledge of allegiance instead of standing for its heritage. In their defiance to the nation's flag and to the freedom it represents they have shown great disrespect, despite what many think is otherwise.
I understand that this is a very sensitive area to tred in but it needs to be said, I believe. Sports and politics should NEVER mix. Can we please bring back the 'old' standard of basketball that we all love and admire? Our nation could certainly use the familiar diversion of entertaining sports and exciting competition in the midst of the current struggles we face as a nation.
