The strong aversion that so many people feel for the Kentucky basketball program operates on many levels. Last night’s narrow loss to North Carolina in the Elite 8 was probably the best game that we have seen this March Madness, and right now it feels like it was the true National Championship game.
Not to take anything away from what might or might not be an excellent Final Four this weekend, but Wildcats-Tar Heels was an instant classic. The end result made a lot of people in America happy because it ended the 2016-17 Kentucky basketball season.
People despise this team and this program for so many different reasons.
These reasons go beyond just the garden variety envy that accompanies success. Yes, the Kentucky Wildcats dominate the NBA Draft and the McDonald’s All-American Game. They win a lot of championships, regular season, conference tournament and NCAA Tournament games too.
However, the hatred for UK men’s basketball runs so much deeper than simple “they hate us cuz they ain’t us,” and if you claim it’s as simple as that, then you are being either egregiously ignorant or intentionally evasive.
For some, the hatred revolves around Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari, and his checkered past. Whether deserved or not, he has a reputation for being crooked. Coach Cal is such a polarizing figure that an ESPN Films 30 for 30 on this exact topic will soon debut.
“You’re gonna hate me,” Calipari is shown saying in the promo, “because I come to your town and we beat your team.” (One And Not Done premieres on ESPN April 13).
For others, it’s the openly mercenary ethos of the one-and-done style approach and the reality that “one and done,” whether fairly or unfairly has become synonymous with Kentucky basketball. Duke just won the 2015 national championship, led by three one-and-done freshmen, yet no one ever dares to slam Coach K. for “ruining the integrity of the game.”
Many see this one-and-done philosophy as an affront to the essence of college basketball, even though it’s a perfect adherence to the rules currently in place, and it only seems to be a stigma when Coach Cal implements this strategy, while the media don’t seem to have any issue with Mike Krzyzewski implementing this method.
As we learned when Coach Cal went on The O’Reilly Factor to promote his last book a couple years ago, some of the vitriol stems from racism and bigotry.
There are the unique few who can see the social trail blazing aspect of what Kentucky basketball has done, and continues to do. History has shown that the first trailblazers in any field are often feared and loathed.
Most of the Kentucky despisers focus on the micro level, and direct their acrimony towards this one specific program, instead of looking at the macro level exploitation of the NCAA and the NBA.
It wasn’t until today, when phoning in to the CBS Sports/Turner Broadcasting Final Four media teleconference that I heard the idea that Kentucky basketball backlash was generational,” and it’s connected to the belief that the opportunity to experience higher education is a special rare privilege, not a basic right.
The theory comes from CBS Analyst Bill Raftery, who will call Gonzaga against South Carolina tipping off at 6:09 PM, ET on CBS, as well as North Carolina against Oregon, 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
Jim Nantz and Grant Hill will join him on the call.
“I think it’s a generational thing. My parents, your parents, everybody on the call they wanted to make sure you got a college education and that was the most important,” said Raftery.
“And I’m not suggesting that these parents don’t, but it’s a different set of circumstances, a different playing field, and I guess he (Calipari) exemplifies at Kentucky, the one-and-done syndrome, and I think a lot of people don’t like it.
“And kids do leave, whether it’s academics they’re not interested or as (legendary Marquette Coach) Al Maguire used to say ‘there’s nothing in the refrigerator.’
“And I think the decisions these kids make, they’re forced to make and are entitled to make, and I think John is one of those guys who is the centerfold for it, and other guys do it, but he seems to take the hit for it.”
“And Kentucky’s been right there at the top of the mark and when you;re three people just to like to see them get knocked down
“It’s a compliment, in some weird way, if weren’t good, if you we’re relevant if you weren’t successful, then people wouldn’t have these feelings,” said Hill.
You can listen to the full response from both Raftery and Hill in the audio file below:
https://soundcloud.com/p-m-banks/bill-raftery-and-grant-hill-on-why-people-hate-kentucky-so-much
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and NBC Chicago.com, contributes to Chicago Tribune.com, Bold, WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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