John Calipari and Bruce Pearl entertain the crowd, each other at SEC Media Days

by Joel Hollingsworth on Oct 23, 2009 7:15 AM EDT in Tennessee Volunteer Basketball

Talking Points are going piecemeal today. Rather than dumping everything into one post, we're going to dribble it out throughout the morning. Mixing things up, we are.

So SEC Basketball Media Days was yesterday, and the arrival of John Calipari is already amping things up between Kentucky and Tennessee. Calipari's various digs at Tennessee:

When asked how the Cal-Pearl rivalry would be different with him in Big Blue, Cal said basically that it wouldn't be any different and that it would still "be their biggest game."
Cal then dissed Knoxville and the color orange, saying that the animosity between him and Pearl comes from Pearl recruiting Memphis. "I'm not recruiting Knoxville . . . What good does it do for me to go to Knoxville, other than to play in front of 22,000 people in orange . . . I can't stand the color."
Cal also poo-pooed Pearl's "controlled chaos" system, saying "Most cases, we're not even messing with it. We just dribble through it." Right. Pearlfection, anyone?
And of course, he had to bring up the bodypaint. "We're competitors. I'm never going to paint my body."

Pearl didn't just stand idly by. "Why would he like orange," Pearl responded when told of Cal's comments. Pearl also apparently had the last word:

When told of Calipari’s body paint comment, Pearl was asked if there was anything Calipari does that he wouldn’t do. Pearl paused for effect, smirking at the media before answering and drawing raucous laughter: "I don’t know all the things that he’s doing."

Meanwhile, things were more diplomatic for the ladies. Pat Summitt said she thought Tennessee ranking second in the SEC preseason poll was too high and that she was thinking "somewhere around fourth." Georgia coach Andy Landers LOLd at that saying, "That's borderline being dishonest." Hey, she is taking after Lane Kiffin and everything, right?

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Our hate is busy this week...

but this is great. Great for the SEC, great for Tennessee as long as Pearl can keep at least the same even pace with Cal he’s always had.

Rocky Top Talk

by Will Shelton on Oct 23, 2009 9:48 AM EDT reply actions

Oh boy,

This is going to get good. Anyone here ever check out CatsPause.com, the Kentucky message board? They’re already getting themselves worked up into their usual tizzy over there… it’s quite entertaining. Some posters there not only fully expect to win the national championship, they say Kentucky will be undefeated. So, if you need a good laugh…..

By the way, who asked Pearl that question?… it sounds almost too good to be true.

"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." A. Bartlett Giamatti

by sddbaker on Oct 23, 2009 10:12 AM EDT reply actions

Were John Wall and his agent there?

Lou Brock loves Lamp.

by birdjam on Oct 23, 2009 10:25 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

I will actually be sad-ish

When Cheatapari ruins that program and leaves. I’ve always hated Memphis, but Kentucky has never really bothered me that much, in basketball or football. A win over them is great, and I acknowledge them as a rival, but I’ve always just been kinda meh towards them

I told you we would beat Georgia!! Now, as for those 9 wins in '09......
I got bored and made a blog!! SCS

by VolBrian on Oct 23, 2009 10:54 AM EDT reply actions

They're in the exact same league as Alabama football for me

I have great respect for them…but the weeks we play them I also remember how much I hate them. I have no respect for Calipari, on the other hand…so this should be fun.

Rocky Top Talk

by Will Shelton on Oct 23, 2009 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions

oh I hate Calipari

that guy is slimy. And a cheater! But nothing ever hurts him. He cheated at UMass and got a promotion to Memphis. He cheats at Memphis and gets promoted to Kentucky. It will be a matter of time before he bails for the NBA and leaves Kentucky in ruin. And these kids want to play for him because why??? He can recruit good players who would otherwise be inelegible? Look at the talent Calipari has had in Memphis… what was Cal’s record against Pearl??? I think Pearl is a much better coach. He might not recruit like Cal, but he can coach. Although, if you ever watched Memphis basketball, it was essentially glorified street-ball

by golfballs03 on Oct 23, 2009 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions