I Still Believe in Blue

It's been a pretty disappointing UK Basketball season. It does not help that my least favorite teams are all top seeds either, including the beloved team of my husband. I'm trying to move forward though and not stay too bitter. I will still cheer my boys on in the NIT and try to keep my mouth shut about my anti-UofL feelings around Lee, although we have discussed that my pick is Pitt. He said this was acceptable.

I enjoyed this morning's piece on Kentucky Sports Radio about the different kinds of UK fans. I'm probably:

B. The Birth-rite Fan

Outlook: This guy thinks that it is UK’s destiny and God-given birth-rite to dominate college basketball. The fans are the best, the arena is the best, the recruits are the best, Adolph Rupp is the best, Tom Leach is the best, and Lexington is the greatest college basketball town in the world. This person likely is lacking a real sense of reality. For instance, he probably still thinks UK will make the NCAA Tournament this year. Why? For one simple reason: because this is Kentucky. What makes this unique in Kentucky though, is that this mindset is passed on from father to son and so on and so on.

Reality: Kentucky is the greatest basketball program in history. It has been relevant for almost 70 years, with very few blips along the way. But, it wasn’t fate that brought this success. It was hard work, and a fortunate set of coaches that have graced the sidelines. UK has 7 national titles from 4 different coaches. Duke, Indiana, and UCLA have all used 2 or less coaches to win their titles, and UNC and Kansas used 3 coaches. Kentucky has also benefited from having a state that has produced some great players. Kentucky has earned their success, it wasn’t given to them.

Percentage of Fanbase: 5%