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Calipari's quote

  • Fly4Fun
    SportsAndLady;721860 wrote:Still waiting on your response in the other thread, super moderator.

    Response to what? I said what I wanted to say and that's that. You generally do a pretty good job of coming up with excuses. Kansas lost to Texas because they cried all night and skipped breakfast. OSU beat Florida and FSU on their home court while they were bad teams. Excuses are your thing, it's cool.
  • Writerbuckeye
    ^^An excellent point.

    This was posted in response to the fact that OSU has a great football program and is now an excellent basketball program as well -- while KY only has basketball.
  • sportswizuhrd
    Writerbuckeye;722011 wrote:^^An excellent point.

    This was posted in response to the fact that OSU has a great football program and is now an excellent basketball program as well -- while KY only has basketball.
    Calipari is the Men's Basketball coach, I don't think he cares too much about the football program. If UNC and OSU were to meet, I don't see Roy Williams saying, OSU has the better football program but we have more top 10 finishes in the Director's Cup.
  • september63
    Fly4Fun;721858 wrote:This is Cal trying to instill some swagger into his team. This is great material for Thad Matta though. Something along these lines "These guys obviously think they are better than you if they think you want to be them."

    This. I dont like Coach Cal, but it is just about trying to motivate his team. He wasnt dissing OSU at all. He is just doing what good coaches do, trying to motivate and rally his troops. I have ZERO problems with him making this statement.
  • Laley23
    namod65;722003 wrote:OSU has a top football program, and now the basketball program is turning into one as well. We've got both, UK blows at football. Why would I want to be them? I'd have to wait around for basketball season every year, and like some of their fans, jump on another team's football bandwagon. Screw that, they can have their basketball. We've got both.

    I have a hard time believing you actually think this is about anything but the basketball programs. If that is the case, yes, UK would be envious of OSU. But it isnt...this is solely about basketball.
  • Fly4Fun
    Agreed that this is solely about Basketball. And this is about Cal showing confidence in his guys and trying to get them in that winning frame of mind... that's all.
  • Azubuike24
    How often, if EVER, has a John Calipari coached-team + Kentucky team been in an underdog position facing a team who is higher ranked, has just as much or more talent and is a significant favorite?

    The answer is...hardly ever. It's the first time I remember it being the case since he's been at Kentucky. It happened very few times his final few years at Memphis.

    These statements are just another tool he's using in an unfamilar situation to both him and his players.
  • ytownfootball
    UK is UK in basketball, there really isn't a comparison in terms of following and tradition. Hell, Ohio State since moving to the Schott has had a few games not even sold out, (more than a few actually) that doesn't happen at UK.

    That said though, Ohio State doesn't have any desire to be UK, and I think Cal's statement goes more to appeasing the fans at Kentucky, telling them what they want to hear from their coach, that he's aware of the tradition and the position he's in. I'll stop short of saying he's preparing them for a loss but it could certainly be interpreted that way. ;)
  • Azubuike24
    ytownfootball, you are right on track.

    People expect this type of talk. It's not embraced by outsiders, in-fact, it creates animosity between UK and fans of other schools.

    However, knowing what to say and when to say it, and in ways, appease the long-time fanbase is one of the job responsibilities of being he UK coach.

    Not being able to do this was part of the reason why Tubby Smith and Billy Gillispie lost favor with the fans very fast, Gillispie VERY fast because he combined it with 2 dreadful years of basketball and some horrible public relations stories. This is why despite results on the court, most UK fans will say "Cal gets it."
  • swamisez
    I think most schools are envious of this,



    Only UCLA has more titles , and few have similar final four appearances. Every program (save UCLA) is hoping to be Kentucky. I get what Cal is saying. In context this year, OSU fans disagree, but outside of this one week vacuum he is right.
  • Writerbuckeye
    ytownfootball;722196 wrote:UK is UK in basketball, there really isn't a comparison in terms of following and tradition. Hell, Ohio State since moving to the Schott has had a few games not even sold out, (more than a few actually) that doesn't happen at UK.

    That said though, Ohio State doesn't have any desire to be UK, and I think Cal's statement goes more to appeasing the fans at Kentucky, telling them what they want to hear from their coach, that he's aware of the tradition and the position he's in. I'll stop short of saying he's preparing them for a loss but it could certainly be interpreted that way. ;)

    It happens all the time at UK. It happened quite a bit this year where UK didn't sell out. Their arena is so big that they continue to lead the nation in basketball because they bring in crowds bigger than most school arenas hold, but that doesn't mean UK is sold out.

    I get how Cal was pounding his chest here, but I think his comments were kind of dumb. We'll see if it works in getting his team fired up.

    As for OSU being a "significant favorite" here...since when does a 5 point line make you a significant favorite? That's two possessions.
  • SportsAndLady
    ccrunner609;722408 wrote:He mus of been confused....he sounded like he was talking about Duke.

    Lol no one wants to be Duke
  • Laley23
    ccrunner609;722408 wrote:He mus of been confused....he sounded like he was talking about Duke.

    GTFO

    7>4
    1948>1991
  • ytownfootball
    Writerbuckeye;722419 wrote:It happens all the time at UK. It happened quite a bit this year where UK didn't sell out. Their arena is so big that they continue to lead the nation in basketball because they bring in crowds bigger than most school arenas hold, but that doesn't mean UK is sold out.

    I get how Cal was pounding his chest here, but I think his comments were kind of dumb. We'll see if it works in getting his team fired up.

    As for OSU being a "significant favorite" here...since when does a 5 point line make you a significant favorite? That's two possessions.

    Really? Are you really going to pick the most insignificant part of my post apart? The fact is UK has sold more tickets than OSU for a significantly longer period of time, ergo tradition/following, arena size NOT withstanding. Of course the numbers would bear that out and they're certainly not worth looking up, but that fact was merely a prelude to my point about his statement, which you apparently have no comment on other than it was dumb.

    I don't have a problem with his statement one damn bit, he's not addressing Ohio State directly or indirectly, he's addressing the UK faithful...that's just fine. If it serves as bulletin board material, so be it.
  • Azubuike24
    UK sells out tickets to all games. Whether they are attended, is a different story. With that said, every ticket available gets sold. There isn't a box office where you can buy first-hand, unsold tickets to a UK game. Any student tickets that are not taken on the eve they have the lotteries are sold prior to the games.

    The biggest difference just comes with the fanfare. It's like OSU football, but almost more of a cult-like feeling because those who love it will go to the extreme to get information and see those who are part of the team. There has been talk of having Big Blue Madness at Commonwealth Stadium (70K fans) and it would likely be nearly packed. Weather may not be pleasant, but you get the point.

    As for OSU wanting to be UK, and taking this out of context to mean anything OTHER THAN basketball is wrong. OSU is a better academic institution and has better tradition and participates in more athletics. UK, while a very good school, and by Kentucky standards, is the best state school BY FAR, in many ways they should want to be more like OSU. I wish they were...in more than just athletics.
  • GOONx19
    Writerbuckeye;722419 wrote:It happens all the time at UK. It happened quite a bit this year where UK didn't sell out. Their arena is so big that they continue to lead the nation in basketball because they bring in crowds bigger than most school arenas hold, but that doesn't mean UK is sold out.
    Top ten in attendance for the 2009-10 season, per NCAA.org:

    Rupp Arena (UK) had an average attendance of 104.8% its maximum capacitance.
    The Carrier Dome (Syracuse) had an average attendance of 64.0% its maximum capacitance.
    Freedom Hall (Louisville) had an average attendance of 105.7% its maximum capacitance.
    Thompson-Boling Arena (Tennessee) had an average attendance of 88.4% its maximum capacitance.
    The Dean Smith Center (UNC) had an average attendance of 81.8% its maximum capacitance.
    The Kohl Center (Wisconsin) had an average attendance of 100% its maximum capacitance.
    The Comcast Center (Maryland) had an average attendance of 93.5% its maximum capacitance.
    FedEx Forum (Memphis) had an average attendance of 91.1% its maximum capacitance.
    Phog Allen Fieldhouse had an average attendace of 100.8% its maximum capacitance.
    The Bradley Center (Marquette) had an average attendance of 82.2% its maximum capacitance.


    Other notables:
    Michigan State's Breslin Student Events Center had an average attendance of 97.8% its maximum capacitance.
    Indiana's Assembly Hall had an average attendance of 85.2% its maximum capacitance.
    OSU's had an average attendance of 74.6 to 83.4% its maximum capacitance.
    Michigan's Crisler Arena had an average attendance of 85.3% its maximum capacitance.
    Xavier's Cintas Center had an average attendance of 98.7% its maximum capacitance.
    Dayton's UD Arena had an average attendance of 86.9% its maximum capacitance.
    Duke's Cameron Indoor had an average attendance of 100% its maximum capacitance.
  • september63
    I am certain you would factor in the arena size there before jumping to many conclusions?
  • Skyhook79
    Kentucky Fire Marshalls must not be doing their jobs.
  • GOONx19
    The entire upper bowl is bleacher seats, so people squeeze in. But the point is, it's not as though UK just leads in attendance because of a larger arena. Fifteen out of the other sixteen schools I mention have smaller arenas, but still only Louisville, Duke, Kansas, Xavier, and MSU come close to filling theirs up.

    Just like in his first post, when he said that the Kentucky name comes with a lot of dirt and shame, Writerbuckeye is just spewing nonsense.
  • DeyDurkie5
    ccrunner609;722408 wrote:He mus of been confused....he sounded like he was talking about Duke.

    the only thing you know, is running. stick to exercising, let the big boys talk about sports
  • Tiernan
    JJ & Crew will shut up Calipari and all the other NJ greaseballs who will be pulling for their oily haired idol on Friday night.
  • LJ
    Tiernan;722614 wrote:JJ & Crew will shut up Calipari and all the other NJ greaseballs who will be pulling for their oily haired idol on Friday night.

    Who's JJ?
  • swamisez
    Good quote from Matta I read today in the Dispatch
    "When I got here -- they didn't tell me this during the interview process -- we had a 20 percent graduation rate. I remember calling a team meeting that night and said, 'Fellas, I've never coached a kid who hasn't graduated. If your academics aren't important to you, get out now. I do need five to stay because I've got to have a team."

    I wonder what it is today. Hopefully better than the 20% he came into. Hats off to him for making Academics a priority after O'Brien.
  • FatHobbit
    LJ;722625 wrote:Who's JJ?

    I thought he was a douche who wanted to charge $12 for the internets.
  • LJ
    swamisez;722631 wrote:Good quote from Matta I read today in the Dispatch
    "When I got here -- they didn't tell me this during the interview process -- we had a 20 percent graduation rate. I remember calling a team meeting that night and said, 'Fellas, I've never coached a kid who hasn't graduated. If your academics aren't important to you, get out now. I do need five to stay because I've got to have a team."

    I wonder what it is today. Hopefully better than the 20% he came into. Hats off to him for making Academics a priority after O'Brien.


    60 with a good amount of one and dones and idiots entering the draft after enrolling