Cal offered lifetime contract from UK

[JC CATS]

Lots of people posting in this thread early on arent/weren’t nearly as smart as they thought they were. I kept most of my comments to myself early on but this contract gave me tons of heartburn at the time.

Sad to see what’s happened since. And even sadder to see the folks that had issues with it be criticized as haters and idiots.

GD you saved this from 2019? Did you know I used to my diaper, give me hell about that! I thought I had seen everything JFC

 

[JC CATS]

My thought was let him go. I wanted him to go. It is sad that as great as Cal started that we got to this point. By 2019, it was obvious he was past his sell by date.

I avoided these threads as a "hater".

@Wildcat-in-STL said after the Carolina game the refs were not going to let Cal advance. We needed a coach without that burden as well.

Y'all doing like the nutcrackers yelling at halftime, then they come back

 

[JC CATS]

And they accuse us of being bandwagon fans, when we’re here rain or shine. We lose and they are nowhere to be found. Looks to me like they’re the bandwagon fans.

Not bandwagon, said you need to get on wagon. You sound batst crazy

 

[TortElvisII]

Y'all doing like the nutcrackers yelling at halftime, then they come back

What does that mean pumper?

 

[JC CATS]

What does that mean pumper?

Aw, usually my girlfriend is only one who calls me that. I'm straight, but you do you

 

[IUfanBorden]

Knee jerk reaction by UK administration perhaps ??

 

[Montana81]

To be fair to barnhardt, Cal and his agent put him in an unwinnable situation by putting the ucla stuff out there.

I don’t like barnhardt. I want him gone too. I feel that neither football or basketball can truly be at the top under him anymore because he is content with success without needing to or caring about being the best.

But if he had let Cal go to UCLA back in 2019, the fan base would have torched him.

Now maybe the rumors about UCLA were a bluff. It’s possible ucla didn’t want him that bad. It certainly wouldn’t be believable now. But go back 4 seasons and it absolutely was. It would have been an earth shattering move had it happened then.

In hindsight we would have been much better off had it happened. But there’s no way anyone could have predicted he would fall off this sharply.

We’re as bad as we were from 2006-2009 and at that time a lot of fans were calling that the worst 4 year stretch in our history.

 

[The_Answer1313_rivals]

Yeah and honestly I know people like to make this line around 2015. But we had a 3 year stretch from 17 to 19 where we've made two elite 8s.

I still think the decision to give someone a lifetime contract probably wasn't the smartest move (despite what I said in 2019) but back then obviously it looks a lot different than 2023.

 

[TankedCat]

It boils down to whether you think the coach of Kentucky in his prime would bolt for UCLA

 

[Mike-D]

I am very happy about this. Cals face is now Kentucky basketball for decades to come even after retirement. He’ll be helping make decisions too. Cal is the perfect coach of his age to have in this kind of situation. I promise everyone the rest of the country doesn’t like seeing it.

This is the kind of stuff that keeps you relevant, and looking toward the the future. Indiana died because Bob Knight didn’t help them transition. You have to have these kinds of guys, they know what it takes to win at the highest levels.

I don’t believe the talks were extensive. Cal is just using it as leverage / to feel the fan base and of course it worked and I’m glad it did.

Thanks UCLA.

 

[TheExhaustedOne]

Poor @ZaytovenCat

[laughing]

He and alot of other posters gonna have the red *** after this.

Yea I hope that makes him never come back !!

Major. But then again Mitch is the same moron who gave stoops extensions and money for winning 6 games. Wouldn’t shock me if Mitch went all the way up to 15-20M per year to keep Cal.

@kydmb99 , @Mime-Is-Money , @GLR5555 , @the stat man

I guess old ZaytovenCat was right all along. Hmmm….

 

[Mike-D]

This aged well. No wonder this guy doesn’t post here anymore! …..wink,wink.

Yeah, pretty hilarious coming from the dude that told me Cal would be a horrible AD.

 

[STL_Cat]

GD you saved this from 2019? Did you know I used to my diaper, give me hell about that! I thought I had seen everything JFC

What are you rambling about, lunatic? LOL I didn't save anything -- it's in this thread and I literally just read it

 

[yoshukai]

Yeah, pretty hilarious coming from the dude that told me Cal would be a horrible AD.

Well I absolutely believe that Cal would be a horrible AD . He can’t get along with anyone, is terribly unorganized, and certainly does not need to be involved with our biggest moneymaker, the football program. Maybe a fundraiser, but that’s all .

 

[KyCatFan1]

Well I absolutely that Cal would be a horrible AD . He can’t get along with anyone, is terribly unorganized, and certainly does need to be involved with our biggest moneymaker, the football program. Maybe a fundraiser, but that’s just all .

He forgets about playing players that he supposedly can't hide here. Definitely not going to work out with managing about 20 teams when he struggles coaching 1. His coaching is like going to the grocery store without a list and just grabbing whatever. Then he gets home realizing he forgot to get what he went for.

 

[yoshukai]

He forgets about playing players that he supposedly can't hide here. Definitely not going to work out with managing about 20 teams when he struggles coaching 1. His coaching is like going to the grocery store without a list and just grabbing whatever. Then he gets home realizing he forgot to get what he went for.

Great analogy! He doesn’t get what he needed for his recipe, lol .

 

[JC CATS]

What are you rambling about, lunatic? LOL I didn't save anything -- it's in this thread and I literally just read it

What are you rambling about, lunatic? LOL I didn't save anything -- it's in this thread and I literally just read it

• Apr 1, 2019

 

[STL_Cat]

Not bandwagon, said you need to get on wagon. You sound batst crazy

• Apr 1, 2019

I didn’t bump the thread yesterday, Bozo! Lol

 

[JC CATS]

I didn’t bump the thread yesterday, Bozo! Lol

You still replied to it yesterday like we are still 4 years ago! You're not understanding obviously. Idgaf who bumped it, you replied

 

[STL_Cat]

You still replied to it yesterday like we are still 4 years ago! You're not understanding obviously. Idgaf who bumped it, you replied

Bro ... your first reply to me said I saved this from 2019 (actually you took the lord's name in vain and said I saved it, discussion for another day ...)

I clearly didn't save it and that's the only reason I even bothered to reply to your comments. You can feel free to have the last word in this nonsensical discussion now, lol

 

[sambowieshin_rivals]

As much as the lifetime contract sucks right now.....I can see why Barnie threw money at Cal at that point in time. In hindsight...The biggest mistake was the length of the contract he made with a 60 year old man.
The percentage of dudes out there at the top of their game at plus 65 years old is not high.
A 5 year contract would have sufficed.

 

[*CatinIL*]

Well I absolutely believe that Cal would be a horrible AD . He can’t get along with anyone, is terribly unorganized, and certainly does need to be involved with our biggest moneymaker, the football program. Maybe a fundraiser, but that’s all .

@yoshukai, you might want to place a "not" in between "does need".

 

[Snarks]

As much as the lifetime contract sucks right now.....I can see why Barnie threw money at Cal at that point in time. In hindsight...The biggest mistake was the length of the contract he made with a 60 year old man.
The percentage of dudes out there at the top of their game at plus 65 years old is not high.
A 5 year contract would have sufficed.

I disagree and knew this was a bad decision. If he’d just given him a normal extension, then he could have said he tried.

Barnhart is doing the same thing with Stoops, making it to where there is no way you can fire him. I like Stoops but he’s taken advantage of a down SEC East, our record could go way down once realignment takes place.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

Ambassador plus Stevens called him the other day. Seems to respect Cal. [banana] We good til the haters give up!

This aged like a 25lb block of *** cheese... [laughing]

 

[SparksCat]

Reading thread pages 1 and 3 just shows sheep following sheep and no one knows what they are talking about

 

[Verbal Kint II]

Yurp

 

[kywildcatsfan#1]

I still think Mitch should have called his bluff to UCLA. Never thought he would seriously go there to begin with as UK would pay him more but damn did they ever. A contract they can't get out from under. Cronin is making $4.1 million a year at UCLA.

 

[Lionel_Hutz]

I think we can safely say now…...it was maybe the worst decision in the history of UK athletics.

 

[6andahalf]

I am very happy about this. Cals face is now Kentucky basketball for decades to come even after retirement. He’ll be helping make decisions too. Cal is the perfect coach of his age to have in this kind of situation. I promise everyone the rest of the country doesn’t like seeing it.

This is the kind of stuff that keeps you relevant, and looking toward the the future. Indiana died because Bob Knight didn’t help them transition. You have to have these kinds of guys, they know what it takes to win at the highest levels.

I don’t believe the talks were extensive. Cal is just using it as leverage / to feel the fan base and of course it worked and I’m glad it did.

Thanks UCLA.

Yup

 

[6andahalf]

Okay, who would you hire right now instead?

Regardless of your whining etc , Cal is here to stay. Facts. So better get used to it brother.

Also... it’s money well spent.

Still waiting for anyone who declares Cal should be fired (we literally had fans after the loss saying they were “done with UK basketball until Cal is gone” how idiotic is that ?
Then All mighty duke and Zion lost and that shut them up really quick

Far Barnhart for this ridiculous deal with money well spent.

 

[Titpwhami2014]

Thanks, Mitchell B.

 

[Whoppercat]

They carried this April Fool’s gag a little too far.

 

[Jamal Mercer]

Good God almighty.

This thread made me laugh and cry at the same time.

 

[UK90]

I am very happy about this. Cals face is now Kentucky basketball for decades to come even after retirement. He’ll be helping make decisions too. Cal is the perfect coach of his age to have in this kind of situation. I promise everyone the rest of the country doesn’t like seeing it.

This is the kind of stuff that keeps you relevant, and looking toward the the future. Indiana died because Bob Knight didn’t help them transition. You have to have these kinds of guys, they know what it takes to win at the highest levels.

I don’t believe the talks were extensive. Cal is just using it as leverage / to feel the fan base and of course it worked and I’m glad it did.

Thanks UCLA.

This one particularly amuses me only because I recall how vociferously Morg later ranted about how stupid it was. That search function can be a cruel *****.

I’m happy to say that I was not one of the sheep that got roped in. I didn’t like it from day one. Not for the amount, but the length. I don’t think ANY coach should ever be given a guaranteed 10-year extension …there’s just too much unexpected **** that can go wrong in that much time.

And, boy, did it ever quickly go wrong here.

 

[TortElvisII]

This one particularly amuses me only because I recall how vociferously Morg later ranted about how stupid it was. That search function can be a cruel *****.

I’m happy to say that I was not one of the sheep that got roped in. I didn’t like it from day one. Not for the amount, but the length. I don’t think ANY coach should ever be given a guaranteed 10-year extension …there’s just too much unexpected **** that can go wrong in that much time.

And, boy, did it ever quickly go wrong here.

It went wrong immediately as you point out. Losing to Evansville. Then 9 and 16. You would think that would be year 7 or 8. Cal let us know he got comfortable quick.

 

[L.O.D.]

Cal was really loved here at 1 time

 

[Col. Angus]

A nightmare that won’t go away.

 

[WeWant9]

Cal was really loved here at 1 time

Absolutely and he was the king of the state for those first 7 or so years. That’s why I laugh when some people want to act like everyone has always hated on Cal.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

This one particularly amuses me only because I recall how vociferously Morg later ranted about how stupid it was. That search function can be a cruel *****.

I’m happy to say that I was not one of the sheep that got roped in. I didn’t like it from day one. Not for the amount, but the length. I don’t think ANY coach should ever be given a guaranteed 10-year extension …there’s just too much unexpected **** that can go wrong in that much time.

And, boy, did it ever quickly go wrong here.

Lmao WOW!

 

[BigKari]

Pretty good proof for the people who think Cal is intentionally pissing on the carpet. This is insane, we all should’ve given him 2 middle fingers for that.