Originally posted by Real Deal 2:
He drug his feet and don't care what anyone says. I am as staunch of UK fan as anyone and can accept the fact that Rupp drug his feet and really failed to change with the times. Anyone that says different is crazy and lying to themselves. Bear Bryant and Darrel Royal drug their feet as well. Just the way it was and just accept it UK. I love UK and I take up for UK and Rupp in these arguments but this fallacy that Rupp was ahead of his time is crap. He was ahead of his time in BB but behind in social issues of the day. Quit trying to hide it. We UK fans have been fighting this for 40+ years, just accept.
A lot of people were on the wrong side of history and a lot of it is no fault of their own and some it is the fault of their own. This sweeping under the rug by the Rupp defenders is wrong, no one is saying he was a blatant racist but he did drag his feet and he was way behind the times just like Royal, Frank McGuire at UNC, USC, Bear Bryant. People like Bear Bryant and Rupp can affect change and they drug their feet until they were getting their brains beat out of them by black players.
There was a whole generation between 1963-72 that it was impossible to recruit great Black players to UK, problem is self inflicted and partial being on wrong side of history in 66.
Ky had great players Butch Beard, Unseld, Clem Haskins and others. UK would have probably been ala UCLA in titles if not for dragging of feet.
I am UK fan and can accept it, just part of the deal. Some of you just can' accept the truth or history.
IMO
First of all I'm not sure exactly what you're referring to when you speak of 'sweeping under the rug' Rupp defenders. If anything the people who 'sweep things under the up' are his critics, and people such as yourself who speak in generalities without knowing any specifics.
Secondly, I think there's a misconception about Rupp during that era. The claim that Rupp 'drug his feet' in terms of recruiting black players is patently false. Below is one example where Rupp very nearly signed Butch Beard in 1965. And there's plenty of other information which supports the fact that Rupp was in favor of integrating his program and made efforts to do so.
The misconception relative to Rupp 'dragging his feet' was over the issue of tokenism. Rupp was adamantly against tokenism, whether it was related to signing black players or in general. It is this particular issue which his critics can rightly question him. I.e. whether it was worthwhile to sign a lesser player simply so that he can claim the program was integrated.
For Rupp, he didn't think that was fair to the player, and wasn't fair to the program, especially since the player was potentially putting his life and health at risk by traveling into the Deep South.
I personally think Rupp made the right decision with respect to tokenism, at the time and even looking back today in hindsight.
So to the people who still see fit to criticize Rupp over what occurred 50 or 60 years ago, I do wonder exactly what they believe he was 'dragging his feet' over? And exactly what do you feel he should have done differently. Beyond that are they in favor of tokenism?
I think that in hindsight he could and should have made a more concerted effort to sign black players, because UK was not successful as they should have been and that has indeed harmed them. But at the same time I find it ludicrous to hear his critics act like he made no effort or somehow resisted integration, etc. Those people simply don't know what they're talking about IMO.
