Double Standards

Note to 99% of all college fans:

– You are not allowed to be unhappy with where your team finishes if they had a winning season.
– You are expected to support college athletics because your money helps support alot of scholarships; not because you expect excellence in the premiere sports.
– You need to accept your assigned place in the athletic world.
– Winning is not everything…after all, it’s just college sports.

Signed
Mass Media Morons

Kentucky’s 88-76 loss to Kansas looks a lot better on paper than it did during the game – the Jayhawks were in firm control throughout. So the question remains whether Tubby Smith will return (or will even want to) for an 11th season in Lexington. I wrote this last week, but to lay down blanket criticism of Kentucky fans for growing restless is disingenuous.

They give more financially and emotionally than any other fan base in the country – Kentucky’s success is based solely on its fan commitment, not on proximity to talent or major media markets. It is quite reasonable for them to expect a return on that investment. And Smith hasn’t provided it with 25 losses in the last two years, few good recruits and nearly 20 transfers under his watch.

The program isn’t what it should be. Smith is a tremendous game coach and defensive strategist but sometimes that isn’t enough. It’s doubtful UK fires him, but he may walk. And if not, he better find some recruits.


Dan Wetzel

About VaWolf82

Engineer living in Central Va. and senior curmudgeon amongst SFN authors One wife, two kids, one dog, four vehicles on insurance, and four phones on cell plan...looking forward to empty nest status. Graduated 1982

06-07 Basketball General NCS Basketball

140 Responses to Double Standards

  1. Texpack 03/19/2007 at 2:09 PM #

    As for Aggies being nervous about Gillespie, they had better pack the Alamodome this weekend. Not only because it will send a message about support for the program, but also because I figured an Aggie home court advantage into my Final Four prediction for them. Perhaps Tubby hasn’t lit it up at UK, but after years and years of Rupp refusing to play Coach Case, I don’t mind watching them stew a little.

  2. RedTerror29 03/19/2007 at 2:11 PM #

    ^^There were many articles that strongly implied it. The point was looks for any excuse to write about certain subjects. And Notre Dame is a particularly good example, because you had all the articles implying they were racist for canning Willingham, then all the articles saying it was a crap job after Meyer turned it down, and then articles about how great they were going to be after they got Weis. I agree with you about why Notre Dame can’t get back to the top, that and the same demographic trends sucking the life out of the Big 10 and Big 12 North.

  3. branjawn 03/19/2007 at 2:17 PM #

    Noah, I think we shut down that other thread. lol

    I sure am looking forward to tomorrow night! Men’s and Women’s games back to back. I wonder if ESPN will be doing that rotating coverage of mulitple games again since we are one of 4 games in the 7p slot…

  4. CaptainCraptacular 03/19/2007 at 2:18 PM #

    *As for Aggies being nervous about Gillespie, they had better pack the Alamodome this weekend.*

    Take it FWIW, but I heard on talk radio today projections of 30,000+ Aggies are expected at the Alamodome. Don’t know how that number was arrived at, since there’s little chance the school got that allotment.

  5. chris92heel 03/19/2007 at 2:19 PM #

    Noah, they are still in there for recruits, but they always seem to lose at the end. Almost every PF or C on the UNC roster is someone that Roy beat Tubby for — Tyler, Brandan, Deon, and Stepheson. They are in it this year for Patrick Patterson, but most people think he’s going to end up elsewhere, probably Florida.

  6. StateFans 03/19/2007 at 2:20 PM #

    Yes, the other thread got shut down. The occasional political reference is OK, especially if it (i) is germane to the topic; and (ii) is “laid back” in manner. We have no interest in turning this place in a roiling political debate forum. Thanks.

  7. StateFoxer 03/19/2007 at 2:34 PM #

    Anybody taking bets on whether Calipari gets a raise out of this whole Kentucky situation?

  8. joe 03/19/2007 at 2:46 PM #

    ND pay is bad for FB coaches? Most people say Charlie Weis is making at least $2 mil per year.

  9. noah 03/19/2007 at 3:00 PM #

    Joe – I heard Holtz talking about his interview for Notre Dame. He was told that the head football coach was not allowed to make more than the president of the college (the punchline is that the president of Notre Dame is a priest who has taken a vow of poverty). So, he supplemented his income by doing motivational speaking tours during the offseason.

    During that same interview, he was also told that he couldn’t ask for better facilities. The president thought that the “arms race” of football facilities was horribly destructive and he wouldn’t get involved.

  10. noah 03/19/2007 at 3:03 PM #

    Chris — you know what the worst part about you guys getting Hansborough is?

    He’s going to be here for four years.

    The guy’s only 6-7, so he’s going to have to play small forward in the NBA like Mike Miller. He’s got a nice shooting touch, but he won’t be a back-to-the-basket player.

  11. Mr O 03/19/2007 at 3:08 PM #

    I don’t see how Hansbrough can’t be very good in the NBA. He is a beast no matter how tall he is. He playes 4-5 inches taller because he is so physical down low. He is quick, he can run the floor, and overall he is a good athlete.

    If Carlos Boozer and Elton Brand can successfully play the four in the NBA, then there is no reason that Psycho-T can’t either.

  12. branjawn 03/19/2007 at 3:11 PM #

    Does anyone here know who Jackie MacMullen is? She’s the lady who is sometimes on Around The Horn or The Sports Reporters… I’m just now watching TSR from this past Sunday morning. She says that the Suns v Mavs game on April 1 will be the best game of the weekend, Final 4 weekend. No regular season NBA game will ever compete with the Final 4. Some sports writers / commentators think that just b/c pro athletes get paid that the product is better viewing. Give me a choice btwn a random college game and a random NBA game, I’ll take the college hoops every time.

  13. nsj 03/19/2007 at 3:12 PM #

    Take it FWIW, but I heard on talk radio today projections of 30,000+ Aggies are expected at the Alamodome. Don’t know how that number was arrived at, since there’s little chance the school got that allotment.

    I don’t know about 30k+, but A&M has gone through its initial allotment and Aggies are now exploiting the other three schools in the regional for their unsold tickets.

  14. joe 03/19/2007 at 3:15 PM #

    ND expanded their FB stadium around 10 years ago – so I guess they did get into the “arms race” back then. They pushed it up to 80,000 seats from around 65k. One strange thing is Notre Dame has no booster club.

  15. noah 03/19/2007 at 3:15 PM #

    I think Hansborough is going to get eaten alive in the NBA. Boozer and Brand are superior athletes to Hansborough.

    I laughed when I saw Eddy Landreth’s column a few weeks ago (after the dook game) about how Hansborough ought to go pro because people beat him up so much in the ACC. Yeah, because they’re so gentle in the NBA.

    I think Hansborough is one of the most valuable things you can have in college basketball — a critically-flawed college star. He’s like Julius Hodge. GREAT college player, but he’s got that one problem that keeps him from being a valuable NBA commodity.

    The NBA is such a mess. They have created a system where the longer you get to scout a player, the worse it is for the player. So you have guys go pro BEFORE the scouts realize they aren’t as good as you thought.

  16. lush 03/19/2007 at 3:18 PM #

    is it just me, or does hansborough’s whole offensive game revolve around getting to the free throw line?? all he does is slam his body into the defender, THEN chuck up some garbage. ill give him credit because the garbage falls in more then it should but come on. his point totals are skewed with all the damn free throws he is given night in and night out.

    if he was wearing any other color then blue (baby or dark) he would foul out of every single game. instead he has never fouled out in his career, and just has such an incredible will, he just wills the ball in, his will gets him those rebounds, his will his will his will…..

  17. Dan 03/19/2007 at 3:20 PM #

    Hansbrough’s hand strength allows him to do things with the ball that will get him killed in the NBA.

    He basically shows the defender the ball. He puts it right out there for anyone to grab at. Its just no one can take it away on this level. They slap at it so many times they are eventually called for the foul. He’ll need to learn to keep the basketball around or above his head if he wants to play in the NBA.

  18. noah 03/19/2007 at 3:22 PM #

    He’s got a nice shooting touch. And frankly, as long as he’s getting those calls, who could blame him?

    I’m awfully glad Brendan Wright is going pro. He’s a guy I don’t want to see when he puts it all together. And I hope Lawson splits. He certainly has the athleticism to be an NBA player, he probably needs to improve his shot though.

  19. Mr O 03/19/2007 at 3:31 PM #

    I hope they all go.

    That is a pretty good comparison to Julius Hodge though I don’t completely buy it. Hodge had numerous flaws. He was physically weak, he wasn’t that quick, he wasn’t that fast with the ball, and he is a below average outside shooter. This combination meant that he had no position at NBA level.

    I don’t think Hansbrough has a weakness. I think every player would like to be several inches taller, but even without it there is no reason Hansbrough can’t produce in the NBA for 10-12 years.

    If he didn’t play with three other future NBA players this year, then he easily would have led the ACC in scoring and rebounding. I think his accomplishments and talent were overshadowed this year by the freshman.

    I put Hansbrough in the same category as Brand, Boozer, and She-Will. The first two have had successful careers at the four and She-Will was drafted early in the 1st round(5th?).

  20. lush 03/19/2007 at 3:35 PM #

    i have seen him hit the turnaround jumper, but not with any consistency. i seriously doubt he would hurt any opponent with his shooting touch. and your right, i cant blame him for getting all the calls, but perhaps those calls shouldnt be made every single time he touches the ball….

    anyway, i agree with you, he will be here for 4 years because he doesnt bring much to the table as far as the NBA is concerned.

  21. lush 03/19/2007 at 3:37 PM #

    on second thought if craig smith is playing good minutes i guess hoppsborough will too

  22. CaptainCraptacular 03/19/2007 at 3:43 PM #

    *I’m awfully glad Brendan Wright is going pro.*

    Is this official?

  23. chris92heel 03/19/2007 at 3:51 PM #

    I think Tyler will be a good pro. Never a superstar but a guy who can eventually give a team 15 and 10 every night. He’s no less athletic than Charles Oakley, and you can’t teach his drive and determination.

    I don’t think he’s going to the nba – he’s a mid to late first rounder any year he comes out and his family doesn’t need the cash seeing as both his dad and granddaddy are docs.

    As for Brandan. 🙁

    Tywon – looks 50/50 and getting less likely that he returns everyday. The downside of his improved play late in the season is he’s skyrocketing up the NBA draft boards and is now being talked about as a lottery pick.

  24. CedarGroveWolf 03/19/2007 at 3:53 PM #

    Hansbrough has no moves. He’s just bigger than everyone at this level. Won’t be that way in the NBA.

  25. Gene 03/19/2007 at 3:54 PM #

    Tubby’s one of the highest paid coaches in college ball. I’m not sure how many other schools will scrape together $2 Mil.+ to match what Kentucky is paying him.

    Not sure how locked into his contract Kentucky is, but since he’s paid a lot of money, I don’t see him leaving voluntarily, unless he gets another higher paying NBA job. So if Kentucky is going to have to pay a hefty severance package, I don’t see them jumping to fire Tubby this year. The UK fans have wanted Tubby gone for years and the Admin has backed him. I’m not sure if that is going to change publicly.

    The media are sheep. One person leads, the rest follow and say the same thing. A few years ago they were shocked fans were frustrated with Tubby, because he won a National Title, after all. Now they are changing their tune.

    Who knows, maybe the Wolfpack Nation’s reference to historic standards of success and our numerous e-mails to hack national writers, who wrote crappy articles about us last year, may have influenced them.

    ****************

    I don’t know if Hansborough will be a good pro player. He benefits from getting the Shaq-treatement, which I don’t know woud continue in the NBA (only other player, I’ve ever seen initiate as much contact as Hansborough has been Shaq, the justification for letting Shaq do this is because he’s a freak of nature and it’s hard to judge his game versus less physically gifted players…Hansborough is not physically in the same solar system as Shaq). I somehow doubt he’d get away with initiating so much contact against the likes of Tim Duncon, Kevin Garnett, or even Ben Wallace.

    I think Hansborough would be better served if he relied less on his indominatable will and more on developing basketball skills.

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