Around the SB Nation: Kentucky basketball fans embracing the hate

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jul 31, 2009 12:00 PM EDT in Rocky Top Talking Points

A Sea of Blue is embracing the hate, suggesting that the combination of Kentucky and Calipari will replace Duke as the most-despised program in college basketball. It's an interesting read, but this may be a bit overboard:

Duke is about to get a break, because it is very likely that Kentucky basketball will replace them atop the pantheon of most loathed college basketball teams in short order. . . .

John Calipari will be the new and better Coach K, in your face every minute of every day that goes by, and his name and face will be on the lips and video screens of every ESPN SportsCenter during basketball season and beyond. Commercials, appearances, and endless interviews will keep Kentucky front and center, and Calipari will not allow them to fade into the background.

All this will lead to jealousy, not just from rival fans but also from rival coaches. Calipari famously has an astonishing number of coaching rivalries, and that will only grow more intense as the beatings commence. Every coach in the country is suspicious of his prodigious recruiting success, and if you think you have heard every possible allegation of impropriety about that, I must warn you to fasten your virtual seatbelts because the ride just gets bumpier from here. The combination of John Calipari and UK is unquestionably the most volatile and powerful cocktail of a sports brand and coach in modern college history, far exceeding the Urban Meyer-Florida combination or even the North Carolina-Roy Williams amalgam.
. . . .

What is this, "good," I mentioned from the negative emotion of hate? It's simple. To me, hate smells like victory. Nobody hates a loser, and Kentucky's days as a loser are about to come to an abrupt, conscience-shocking end, and I love the smell of fear, jealousy, and loathing in the morning.

Knowing Tru, I think he's intentionally overstating things. At least I hope he is.
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Knowing Tru, I think he’s intentionally overstating things. At least I hope he is.

I sincerely hope so, too. I have the world of respect for Tru, but that just doesn’t sound like him at all.

There are hints of clear hyperbole in there, such as the Calipari/UK marriage being far greater than Williams/UNC. But wow. That was a post I would not have expected from him.

by David Hooper on Jul 31, 2009 2:48 PM EDT reply actions

Just more Kentucky narcissism...

They’ve always been the most hated in the SEC and will remain so. But thinking everyone in the country will soon hate them (a la Duke) is premised on the back-to-back-to-back-to-back-etc. national championships Kentucky fans expect the Cats to win starting… now!

Lou Brock loves Lamp.

by birdjam on Jul 31, 2009 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions