Post by Administrator on Jun 2, 2002 4:20:18 GMT -5
...even though he sits with the enemy.
Father Ed Bradley served as UK's unofficial team chaplain when Rick Pitino was coach. When Pitino became Louisville coach, Bradley faced a difficult choice.
Side with UK, his favorite team since childhood?
Lend support to his friend, Pitino, by becoming U of L's unofficial team chaplain?
Bradley put off a decision last season. Rather than have the UK-U of L game serve as a litmus test, he accepted a longstanding offer to teach at a Catholic university in Rome last winter.
Now, he's ready to make a Solomonic decision.
Bradley will continue to root for Kentucky. "I'll always be a UK fan," he said. "How can you grow up in Kentucky and not be a Kentucky fan?"
But he also will sit on U of L's bench next season.
"I've got to do that," he said. "Be loyal to a friend."
Bradley expects mixed feelings when Kentucky plays at Louisville next season.
"That's going to be difficult," he said. "That's going to be really difficult. I might go back to Rome."
That was a joke. He'll be on the U of L bench.
"Whoever wins," he said, "it'll be bittersweet."
Side with UK, his favorite team since childhood?
Lend support to his friend, Pitino, by becoming U of L's unofficial team chaplain?
Bradley put off a decision last season. Rather than have the UK-U of L game serve as a litmus test, he accepted a longstanding offer to teach at a Catholic university in Rome last winter.
Now, he's ready to make a Solomonic decision.
Bradley will continue to root for Kentucky. "I'll always be a UK fan," he said. "How can you grow up in Kentucky and not be a Kentucky fan?"
But he also will sit on U of L's bench next season.
"I've got to do that," he said. "Be loyal to a friend."
Bradley expects mixed feelings when Kentucky plays at Louisville next season.
"That's going to be difficult," he said. "That's going to be really difficult. I might go back to Rome."
That was a joke. He'll be on the U of L bench.
"Whoever wins," he said, "it'll be bittersweet."
He was, and is a huge UK fan. I believe it physically made him sick when Pitino went to UL like it did a lot of us. But, being the man he is, he came to realize basketball is just a game, and he can support UL too. My kudos to Father Bradley, what little I knew him, he is a man worthy of respect no matter how one feels about their favorite basketball team. 