|
Post by CatDaddy on Feb 23, 2007 12:32:53 GMT -5
Want to know the easiest job in college basketball today? Recruiting against the University of Kentucky men's basketball team. I think you could do it with a single e-mail. Shoot off a few links. Maybe include one to the borderline disturbing YouTube video from a so-called "Dynasty Defender" in which a fan clad in UK hat and shirt inserts a firecracker into a photograph of coach Tubby Smith, then lights it as a "victory cigar" and laughs as it explodes. Certainly, you could link the endless message board discussions of who the new coach should be, calls for resignations that seem to proliferate with each missed shot. You wouldn't want to forget to link to the stories about a group called Concerned Fans of UK Basketball trying to buy a full-page ad in the student paper calling for Smith's resignation. All this, and you'd never have to leave the keyboard. "You sure you want to commit to him, kid?" you could ask. "Think he's going to be there much longer with the fans talking that way?" Recruits not noticing? Nah, you might say. Kids today don't look at stuff like that. They know better than to listen to what a few crazy people on the Internet say. Right. UK recruiting target Patrick Patterson has his own MySpace.com page. Think he's not looking? In testimony before the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics last month, Maryland football player Andrew Crummey said players pore over the sites so closely that they identify each other by recruiting rank by the time they arrive on campus. Former North Carolina coach John Bunting said coaches spend a great deal of time correcting misinformation spread about their recruiting on the Internet, not just to set the record straight, but because recruits believe what they read. Richard Cheeks, who founded Concerned Fans of UK Basketball, says the vocal fan discontent around UK and Smith isn't hurting his efforts or the program. "Opposing coaches do not need to point to anything that Concerned Fans has said or done to affect recruiting," he said. "Tubby Smith has provided all the ammo they need, and they have been using it effectively since long before Concerned Fans was in existence." Still, this all feels like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Criticizing the coach for poor recruiting, then obstructing the recruiting efforts. (Strangely, some of Smith's harshest critics on recruiting also are clamoring for him to play his four freshmen more). www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070222/SPORTS03/70222069-D
|
|
|
Post by tcot on Feb 23, 2007 12:35:57 GMT -5
read it earlier. Hey People have been on the INTERNET since the mid 90's, how come they pay attention now? He has had some articles criticizing Tubby to, so I consider him a hypocrite for this article.
|
|
|
Post by UKFAN on Feb 23, 2007 14:51:03 GMT -5
I agree with you tcot. I think the recruits that went to UNC instead of UK sumed it up best, style of play is why they never went to UK. It is Tubby the reason why we get role players not people such as us who are on the internet.
|
|
|
Post by apocalypse on Feb 23, 2007 15:05:21 GMT -5
This is not the first issue with things on the internet changing a recruits mind. According to Mr. Goode, a football prospect, he based his change of heart on things posted about his grades. Weather or not he was looking for a way out or not, he was able to use that as an excuse.
|
|
|
Post by Bluewater on Feb 23, 2007 16:21:14 GMT -5
Yes the net has been around for a long time, but how many were on fan-boards in the early 90's? Not very many. The boards are attracting more and more fridge lovers-haters and I don't think that some of them are helping our program!
|
|
|
Post by tayshaun on Feb 23, 2007 16:29:51 GMT -5
I honestly don't think that recruits are affected by the message boards very much, if at all. Who are you going to believe. The coach at a college university, or someone with an anonymous user name on a fan website? Just more excuses for Tubby's bad recruiting.
|
|
|
Post by SaulsHairstylist on Feb 23, 2007 16:59:44 GMT -5
How did Matt Daugherty land the top class in the nation a few years ago? Tar Heel fans were already giving it to him.
How did Mike Davis manage to smuggle in Jared Jeffries, D.J. White and what would have been Josh Smith with all those hateful Hoosier forums?
Bill Self is doing quite nicely despite constant internet attacks by Jayhawk fans. How many Burger Boys has he brought in since he came to Lawrence? Arthur, Collins, Wright, Downs, Chalmers, etc., etc.
This is a lame article written without regard for the rest of college basketball and the demands of other programs. Izzo's faced it. Boeheim has faced it. Olsen has faced it. They all have.
Tubby has had years to get the program on track and SILENCE the naysayers. He has failed.
|
|
|
Post by MyBlueHeaven on Feb 23, 2007 23:57:34 GMT -5
Sorry, I see it as a priming excuse just in case we don't get all of those promising big names that Coach Smith is couting. I guess that it will be the fan negativity to blame if things don't pan out. Shame on all of us for dooming our program. I'm so disappointed in myself for changing the course of Kentucky basketball by simply voicing my concerns.
|
|
|
Post by blue2dabone on Feb 24, 2007 7:41:06 GMT -5
How did Matt Daugherty land the top class in the nation a few years ago? Tar Heel fans were already giving it to him. How did Mike Davis manage to smuggle in Jared Jeffries, D.J. White and what would have been Josh Smith with all those hateful Hoosier forums? Bill Self is doing quite nicely despite constant internet attacks by Jayhawk fans. How many Burger Boys has he brought in since he came to Lawrence? Arthur, Collins, Wright, Downs, Chalmers, etc., etc. This is a lame article written without regard for the rest of college basketball and the demands of other programs. Izzo's faced it. Boeheim has faced it. Olsen has faced it. They all have. Tubby has had years to get the program on track and SILENCE the naysayers. He has failed. These are all very fair points. The schools you mention "having faced it" do not have the fans that UK does. I can't prove it, but I can point to media article after media article telling the world that the UK fans are far more "into it" than any other basketball program. I think they are correct in that assessment. IMO, that's part of what makes UK fans unique in the college basketball world. I think you illustrated Mike Davis' problem rather than debunked it. On the other hand, the fans never really gave him much of a chance. Do I think Eric Crawford is right? Probably, to some extent. But I have come to the conclusion that, assuming fan comments do affect recruiting in a negative way, that is just the price UK pays for having the type of fans we do - many, passionate and vocal. I'm not sure, but I imagine Notre Dame football is similar in many respects. It isn't fair, and it isn't ideal, and it isn't likely to change no matter how many articles are written point out the self-destructive nature of unrelenting criticism - but it is part and parcel of having a huge and enthusiastic number of fans. You have hear the old saying " ... warts and all?" Well, this is one of our warts. Fortunately, I believe the good side of having such a large number of fans that truly care about the program far outweighs the negative impact on recruiting caused by swings in mood. If you want to play ball here, you have to be able to take the good with the bad. Isn't that what our mothers always told us? Do other schools use it against us? Probably, so what? It's time we all quit moaning about things we can't control, and believe me - trying to tell UK fans they can't gripe about the coach or the state of the program has about the same value as trying to flap your arms and fly to the moon.
|
|
|
Post by tcot on Feb 24, 2007 8:34:53 GMT -5
Great thread.... WOW!! discussion...... and counters and civil.....
Agree with you B2dB about the good and the bad. Yeah we might get on some things the program does and we might voice our opinions about what WE THINK is BAD, but the GOOD out ways the bad 10 fold.
UK players no we are demanding fans and showed pride to make the fans happy and they were showered with praise and love for years and alot of the most memorable UK players are not PRO athletes. We LOVE our CATS!! and when a group is not doing what they are supposed to or NOT GIVING 100% when they put on that jersey they are going to hear it.
|
|
|
Post by CatDaddy on Feb 24, 2007 13:52:40 GMT -5
Great thread.... WOW!! discussion...... and counters and civil..... It can happen when respect is both shown and given -D
|
|
|
Post by katman on Feb 24, 2007 20:59:35 GMT -5
How did Matt Daugherty land the top class in the nation a few years ago? Tar Heel fans were already giving it to him. How did Mike Davis manage to smuggle in Jared Jeffries, D.J. White and what would have been Josh Smith with all those hateful Hoosier forums? Bill Self is doing quite nicely despite constant internet attacks by Jayhawk fans. How many Burger Boys has he brought in since he came to Lawrence? Arthur, Collins, Wright, Downs, Chalmers, etc., etc. This is a lame article written without regard for the rest of college basketball and the demands of other programs. Izzo's faced it. Boeheim has faced it. Olsen has faced it. They all have. Tubby has had years to get the program on track and SILENCE the naysayers. He has failed. Exactly, blaming Katman for doing a funny exploding cigar skit to kick off DD Cyber show 40 is the most lame excuse yet for recruiting failures. I made DD Cyber Show 41 in response to that Article and thanked Eric Crawford for taking the bait. I thought if I did something over the top it would grab media attention and yep...it did. I got a full mailbox of mostly positive emails about that particular show and I likely will have the blown up picture on Ebay at some point. Exploding cigars arent UKs problem. The problem is what you already suspect.....:cough: Tubby:cough:
|
|
|
Post by CatDaddy on Feb 24, 2007 22:05:08 GMT -5
Just checked out that #41 show K-man, think you mean #42 is the show you address that Crawford article..
And after watching #43 all I have to say, in ALL seriousness, is I hope whoever started the "gone after the SEC Tourney" rumor is a more reliable source than last Spring's "Tubby's gone" one proved to be.. Remember, you trusted that was accurate as well, in fact show #43 sounded a LOT like last March - July
"If a man fools you once shame on him, if a man fools you twice shame on you"
-D
|
|
|
Post by katman on Feb 24, 2007 23:07:36 GMT -5
Just checked out that #41 show K-man, think you mean #42 is the show you address that Crawford article.. And after watching #43 all I have to say, in ALL seriousness, is I hope whoever started the "gone after the SEC Tourney" rumor is a more reliable source than last Spring's "Tubby's gone" one proved to be.. Remember, you trusted that was accurate as well, in fact show #43 sounded a LOT like last March - July "If a man f ools you once shame on him, if a man fools you twice shame on you" -D You have to remember, many people thought Tubby was a man of his word. He agreed in principle to the TCCat reported buyout offer and then nixed his own deal he agreed to. Now, one assuming Smith was a man of his word likely wont make that mistake again. Kinda like you say...Fool me once... As for the new DD Cyber show tonight I reported it as "Rumor. TCcat knows Reggie Hanson, and I suspect he had the correct inside. You can look at the poor shape of the UK program and pretty much know the big money boosters wont sit back and not do all they can to improve UK basketball. As for a certain individual guaranteeing Tubby was gone last year...that was a mistake in retrospect because at the time it was not known Smith wasn't a man of his word. Take it all for what it is worth. I have learned from other peoples experiences. When I report what is given to me, I simply report it as rumor and let the listeners decide and let them seek conformation in a way that satisfies them.
|
|
|
Post by CatDaddy on Feb 24, 2007 23:43:42 GMT -5
So it's a different source this time around?
Could be encouraging.. Of course, as you can attest, last year at this time I thought and said April '07 was probably the earliest and most legitimate time we could see "the change"
Of course, if the other TC rumor is true (that we will get Patterson and Lucas) that could mean Tubby plans on finishing his contract here....
Personally, I do think he's (OTS) looked disheartened/dis-attached on the sidelines as of late and I think there's a very good chance that he may decide to walk away after the loyalty/longevity bonus in April....
-D
|
|