Calipari and Kentucky: A Powerhouse Marriage

What do Pat Forde, Bob Knight, Jay Mariotti, and Jemelle Hill have in common? For starters, all have taken shots at the University of Kentucky and its head basketball coach. What else do they have in common? Well, nobody really cares what they think. I know that I don't lose any sleep when they take pot shots at Coach Calipari. What does bother me is that other programs aren't held to the same standards as UK. The missteps of other coaches and universities are not treated the same as our own problems. Other programs and coaches have had similar and even worse transgressions, yet Kentucky seems to get singled out. When there are Billions of Dollars in play there is going to be some level of corruption. Everybody is living in the gray area that the laughable NCAA rules allow, yet only some of these programs and coaches are portrayed as shady.

It is a compliment in a way. We garner attention because we are the best. We are the Yankees, Lakers, or Cowboys of College Basketball. Those franchises are adored by their fans, but also intensely hated by their rivals. For many sports fans, College Basketball is only relevant for a couple weeks in March. For others, it is the proving ground for the bigger stage of the NBA. The most important team in the Bluegrass State is the University of Kentucky Basketball team. Football is important to many in the state, but Basketball is still THE sport. Kansas is the only program that can come close to matching what Kentucky Basketball means to a whole state, but they are slightly behind us in terms of success.

John Calipari has inherited the keys to THE Rolls Royce of College Basketball. Calipari is like that girl in Middle School that fills out before all the other girls. The other flat chested girls (Pat Forde, Bob Knight, etc) are going to talk about him behind his back. They might not have any proof that Calipari is a floozy, but that isn't going to stop them from spreading rumors. Calipari is able to connect to people. We have seen it in the Commonwealth already. He is part cars salesman, part politician, part teacher, and part basketball coach. He may not be a Saint, but I find it just as hard to believe he is the villain that he is portrayed by many to be. I don't know how anyone could keep up an act this long. This is who he is. He isn't perfect as far as I can tell, but I don't believe he is an overt cheater either.

I can't say for sure, but it seems that Calipari's biggest mistake in the past was that he was too trusting and allowed somewhat of a laissez' environment around his programs. The problems around the program seemed to be more oversight than open cheating. That isn't going to work in the pressure cooker that is Kentucky. We are held to a different standard than Memphis, Massachusetts, or any other College Basketball program. That standard wasn't the case at Cal's previous stops. Cal had to sell players on himself and his ability to get them to the next level. Kentucky is able to recruit itself in a lot of ways. The passion, facilities, and tradition are going to assure players of being a part of something special.

Something I didn't fully understand about these special programs is the need for a coach that can embrace the spotlight. When Coach Smith left to Minnesota, I thought all we needed was a coach that could upgrade the talent level. It was that easy. Just get some players and the rest will take care of itself. Especially in this age of intense media coverage, that just isn't the case. To job requirements for managing a blue chip program go beyond recruiting and X's and O's.  When you get a succesful marriage of powerhouse program and coach nobody can really match up. That is what we have with Calipari.

We are on our way to becoming Goliath. We are arguably already there, but you have to validate that sort of thing in the post season. What separates Calipari from the pack is his charisma. The flat chested girls can't quantify what he has, so he must be cheating. In the haters minds, there is no way that Cal could simply be superior. He must be doing something outside the righteous rules and regulations of the NCAA. From my limited view of Calipari, I have seen a guy that I would love to play for. Many recruits have seen that same guy and felt the same way. It isn't cheating, it is just charisma.