We didn’t force Cal to talk to Arkansas. He said he was coming back with Mitch. Stop blaming the fans for the administration’s shortcomings and stupidity.
This is the Fanbase’s Fault
- Thread starter ComebackCats98
- Start date
Depends on who you ask if it involved Oscar directly to promote Kelly's failed campaign or something else but pretty much everyone agrees it was over Oscar. They had already had previous issues with the kneeling thing at Florida and I'm sure more than we've ever heard. He had pretty much pissed off most of the big boosters by the end for one reason or another.
Cal stayed 5 years too long. If he left after 10 his legacy would've been completely different here and ppl would be dreaming of him the way the fantasize about Rick, but he was absolute garbage his last 5 yrs.
If you think Mitch or any AD can force people like the Crafts to cut multi million dollar checks or dictate their private plane to a coach they've come to despise then you've got the tail wagging the dog. And again I don't blame Cal for it either, but that's what you get when your biggest booster tries to get into the political game. Unfortunately our big money list is much smaller than many schools.
I didn't want Cal gone either, but if he alienated the boosters, there was no way he was going to succeed in this climate. I don't think it was possible for Cal to work out, unless he got a booster to change their mind and pony up for Dybansta (I do think he would've landed him given the proper backing).
You may think you're leading this conversation. But if you're gullible enough to think Cal would have done here what he did at Arkansas you're not even in this conversation.
I’m not saying it’s necessarily possible to avoid, but it’s something an AD should sweep under the rug and make sure no one hears about it.
And his last SEC Tournament title was in 2018. Cal's last regular season title was 2020. Don't forget about that 9-16 season either. Cal was running on cruise control here with his lifetime contract. I believe going to Arkansas at least motivated him somewhat but he wasn't getting the job done here
Yes, by not letting his stars be manipulated by political candidates. It all starts at the top with the Crafts.
We have to admit, Cal would've crushed at UK with the current state of things with NIL. The problem is, he alienated the administration and the fans, and would've never gotten to this era at UK anyway. Whether he took the Arkansas job or not, the support was gone. The investment was gone. The buy-in was gone. That doesn't mean he wouldn't thrive in 2026 at Kentucky, especially given the rebound support that was thrown Pope's way in the first two seasons.
You bring up nostalgia and you have your handle named after a nostalgia team.
Seems your stuck on it
We’ve got 3 very good guards coming. Returning some developing talent with Moreno Williams Hawthorne Noah and Potter. Couple of them could be real good. Just need a couple more solid pieces and I think we will be alright.
This fanbase is so fragile. So Soft. Kinda whiny. Toughen up. Be positive. Still recruiting.
Freeman has battled injuries. Don’t need that here anymore. Been burned enough. He liked UK but his agent objected to a clause that he got paid if he played a certain number of games.
Coach Pope will be coaching. Let’s see how the year goes or take next season off to save you the “ misery” of watching UK. Go support your local HS team.
If it bottoms out then it’s time to assess the HC spot.
This fanbase is so fragile. So Soft. Kinda whiny. Toughen up. Be positive. Still recruiting.
Freeman has battled injuries. Don’t need that here anymore. Been burned enough. He liked UK but his agent objected to a clause that he got paid if he played a certain number of games.
Coach Pope will be coaching. Let’s see how the year goes or take next season off to save you the “ misery” of watching UK. Go support your local HS team.
If it bottoms out then it’s time to assess the HC spot.
Only trolling edgelords and revisionists with an agenda would try to blame the fans for Cal leaving. Cal talked to both Ohio State and Arkansas behind the scenes in February while still in the hunt for a deep NCAA tournament run. In light of how ****** his performance as a coach was after the COVID year fiasco, Cal dipping out to find another job that February was pretty much unforgivable. He was a self serving ******* for doing it, and Mitch was asleep at the wheel as usual.
There was no reason for Cal to be condescending to UK fans while he was here, and he went out of his way to be as abrasive as possible. When he finally hangs it up as a coach and retires, I sure as hell won't miss seeing that smug POS out there.
There was no reason for Cal to be condescending to UK fans while he was here, and he went out of his way to be as abrasive as possible. When he finally hangs it up as a coach and retires, I sure as hell won't miss seeing that smug POS out there.
Soon Pope will find out what happens when the fans don't want you no more in Kentucky.
You're going to have a hard time even walking around outside without getting booed at or yelled at..
You're going to have a hard time even walking around outside without getting booed at or yelled at..
All of it ,Kentucky fans are the best there is,Cal left on his own,no body ran him off,The Fans have a right to be mad right now,all fans have bad segments,look at Duke when Boozer threw that ball away, Pope isn't getting it done,that's the bottom line.Which part of what I said is wrong?
No offense but this post proves you don't know Jack ish about ball. God bless
Yeah fans have sway when Duke fans hated Cam Boozer for making a terrible play that cost them the final four. Fans where messing his socials with how bad he is and yet he came back to Duke. Someone who has tunnel vision, doesn't know ball, can't see the big picture is a classic... dented.
Fans like you deserve the mediocrity our program is now mired in with no exit in sight.Oh yeah, for sure. No way could it be that cal is responsible for the worst 5 year stretch in program history, or that he’s responsible for the 2 worst losses in program history, or that he’s responsible for the worst season in program history, or that he squandered the most talent in sport history. No, it’s because he’s a democratgtfo. Kentucky fans do not care if vlad the impaler is the coach as long as he wins, which cal wasn’t and still isn’t. Cal is basically winning at the same rate as poop but with way more talent right now.
Somehow you failed to mention that Cal wanted out and was looking for a way out long before he left. He flirted with multiple schools and the NBA. He despised Mitch so much and pissed off Nike and the boosters due to his ego that he almost left for Ohio St. and UCLA before finally taking the Arkansas job. His time had passed here and he knew it. Go follow Arkansas
Sorry guys. Just frustrated with the program. I didn’t mean to upset anybody with my post
Well there’s another year of it. Pope is a dead man walking unless he yanks an absolute recruiting/coaching miracle out of his ***, and I don’t see that happening.
To be fair, I thought Arizona was the best team in the country up until Michigan put an end to that.
Cal was done here. Checked out. Happens to most of us at a job we've been at a long time. What he's doing at Arkansas doesn't mean he would've been the same guy here. It's like someone getting in shape after divorce. They may change for someone else but they won't change for you.
With that said, if we knew our only two choices would be stay with Cal or go with Pope, we would have just stuck with Cal. However, we were done with him too. Mitch making a poor hire doesn't change the fact that change was absolutely necessary after Cal' last four seasons.
Yeah, anyone who Matt Jones doesn’t like has to go. We need to keep the #1 thing #1.
Why don't we chill and harness our energy for next season . the innuendos ,whining and #@%#%&$ will not fix this right now . Pope has one more year to get it right nothing will change that scenario unless he decides to resign and that's not going to happen
Really? Taking up for Calipari? Calipari sucks as a coach. He’s the best at getting elite talent. He’s pissed away so many talented rosters with his **** coaching. He also spent his last years mocking our fans, our State, and our tradition. He’s trash.
Just stop the ridiculous slobber fest with loser Calipari.
Cal had a contract. He ran. But, by Cal’s own five-year standard, Pope is excelling. Heck, it seems the OP just made the case for Pope having five guaranteed years.