Fan investment

[Joneslab]

Agreed that I did not qualify my statement and it definitely gave the wrong impression.

Gotcha. I thought there was probably a misunderstanding there.

And I'm just like you: I don't get invested in players when they leave. Don't care.

Unless it's to the NBA, and even that's a different kind of investment. I love what Shai's doing. Love following Reed and hope he has a long career. I like the idea of UK players in the league, but don't really have that personal, emotional attachment to them anymore.

[justafan]

Bryce Hopkins, who, oddly enough, might transfer to Arkansas to reunite with Cal after leaving Kentucky because Cal didn't, and I quote, "coddle him enough."

He'll probably wind up at Georgetown, but yes, Arkansas is apparently a real option. Couldn't believe it.

See - you have a level of investment that you remembered his name (knew who I was talking about because it was Providence) and followed up with possible future landing spots.

I'm happy to read your provided information, but would not go track it down. Perhaps you're on a few other fan sites and read it!

I hope Bryce finds a landing spot and enjoys where ever that is.

To summarize - I have plenty of friends that scoff that I read AND post on a fan site. Its not their thing.

So SO SO sorry - I did not intend to derail the roster thread.

I came to see what yall were saying and injected, clearly, a hot button comment. My apologies.

[George]

Gotcha. I thought there was probably a misunderstanding there.

And I'm just like you: I don't get invested in players when they leave. Don't care.

Unless it's to the NBA, and even that's a different kind of investment. I love what Shai's doing. Love following Reed and hope he has a long career. I like the idea of UK players in the league, but don't really have that personal, emotional attachment to them anymore.

Man, I know it's neither here nor there, and I probably shouldn't even mention it, but can you imagine what sophomore Reed could've done for this team?

[justafan]

Shaedon Sharpe?

That dude. I'm happy to read a nugget that Shai is tearing it up and in the running for PoY, but Sharpe, zero cares about him.

IMO - he is in a category completely 100% by himself.

[Joneslab]

See - you have a level of investment that you remembered his name (knew who I was talking about because it was Providence) and followed up with possible future landing spots.

To be honest though, you don't even really need much investment for this. That stuff is all over social media if you follow any college basketball accounts. I saw probably 30 Bryce Hopkins things the other day just by doing a couple quick scrolls.

[George]

That dude. I'm happy to read a nugget that Shai is tearing it up and in the running for PoY, but Sharpe, zero cares about him.

IMO - he is in a category completely 100% by himself.

Outside of Portland fans and the guy's own family, I doubt you'd find a soul on Earth - and definitely not among the BBN - who cares one bit about Shaedon Sharpe, and that's putting it mildly.

No investment whatsoever in a guy like that. Fortunately, he's a rarity, thus far, and I'm going to guess that few coaches besides Cal would have allowed that to happen in the first place.

[justafan]

Outside of Portland fans and the guy's own family, I doubt you'd find a soul on Earth - and definitely not among the BBN - who cares one bit about Shaedon Sharpe, and that's putting it mildly.

No investment whatsoever in a guy like that. Fortunately, he's a rarity, thus far, and I'm going to guess that few coaches besides Cal would have allowed that to happen in the first place.

See, that's where I was pointing the end of this topic. You and I (and maybe most here?) agree on our "UK fan investment" on Sharpe. But, making a wild-a??-guess, I bet there are some fans that follow him/information about him.

[Joneslab]

See, that's where I was pointing the end of this topic. You and I (and maybe most here?) agree on our "UK fan investment" on Sharpe. But, making a wild-a??-guess, I bet there are some fans that follow him/information about him.

I can't imagine who those freaks are.

I did see that he had an unbelievable dunk in a game a month or so ago.

[justafan]

To be honest though, you don't even really need much investment for this. That stuff is all over social media if you follow any college basketball accounts. I saw probably 30 Bryce Hopkins things the other day just by doing a couple quick scrolls.

I understand. I related story: Cal is announced as coach, what 40 years ago?, and I wasn't thrilled (his reputation, etc.) BUT, he nailed the introductory speech and somewhere/sometime he mentioned twitter and posting every detail/nugget about the UK program/practice/etc. That was back when a) he liked BBN and b) he understood his likeability would expire 10 years later (he even said it!)

At the time (like I said, 40 years ago), I thought "that sounds cool" and signed up for a twitter account. IMO, he was great for some time, but then it seemed to me that it became more "papa johns carry out special" postings and I stopped following him. I had "acquired" other twitter sources because, like this site, I could quickly see some useful/fun nugget of information.

A few years ago I ditched twitter and have been blissfully ignorant of the RealWorld(tm) ever since

[George]

See, that's where I was pointing the end of this topic. You and I (and maybe most here?) agree on our "UK fan investment" on Sharpe. But, making a wild-a??-guess, I bet there are some fans that follow him/information about him.

I'm sure it's possible, but he's about as universally reviled as someone formerly associated with the program can be. But, yeah, there probably are a few who try to use that association as one more feather in the program's cap, however weak an argument that may be.

[Joneslab]

A few years ago I ditched twitter and have been blissfully ignorant of the RealWorld(tm) ever since

It's pretty bad. A shell of what it was even two or three years ago.

I let the algorithm curate for me, so I get a lot of college basketball. And let me tell you, that algorithm is the stupidest thing imaginable. It's so terrible it's almost entertaining. If that's the future we're getting with AI, we're all doomed.

There are still some of the "old guard" on there as far as college basketball writers, so they'll break news now and then. I still like Twitter's "you can see it unfold as it's happening" idea, mainly because I have a desk job and some time to kill. But there are way better things one could be doing with their time.

[KentuckyWild2020]

NBA? I love the NBA.

On one hand I think it's cool with all the players that came through Kentucky to the NBA the last 25 years, especially that past 15. I don't feel as connected as I did when they played for UK unless they are playing for Boston which oddly enough, I can never get my cake and eat it unless I go back to Walker Mercer McCarty Rondo or a few others that have played for Boston.



On the other hand, the most important one of all. It absolutely sucks knowing that all the talent that came through Lexington the past 15 years resulted in ONE, just one NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP

SORE SUBJECT

[George]

NBA? I love the NBA.

On one hand I think it's cool with all the players that came through Kentucky to the NBA the last 25 years, especially that past 15. I don't feel as connected as I did when they played for UK unless they are playing for Boston which oddly enough, I can never get my cake and eat it unless I go back to Walker Mercer McCarty Rondo or a few others that have played for Boston.



On the other hand, the most important one of all. It absolutely sucks knowing that all the talent that came through Lexington the past 15 years resulted in ONE, just one NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP

SORE SUBJECT

It's remarkably difficult to win a national championship, regardless of who's on the roster. This also discounts the value of Final Fours, which Cal reached on three other occasions.

But, yes. I also believe he left one, maybe two championships on the table.

[justafan]

Oooooo - thanks to whoever moved the posts! Well done. I like a well organized thread!

[justafan]

I should edit my post as "after they leave here 1 or 2 years later".

But again, we all have different approaches to fandom. I'll happily attend my kids' wedding on a day when UK is playing

Now that this is out of the roster thread, I am not afraid to clutter further this one.

Regarding what we individuals find as "wild" w.r.t to fan investment is subjective. I've stated, as long as people aren't sending hateful/mean spirited things to players, to each their own.

The above reference was a flippant comment by me because I remember someone on a site (maybe this one, maybe one from 20 years ago) said "If my kid wanted to get married on a day UK played I would not attend the wedding". Now - I don't know if that poster was 100%, 50% serious, or 0% serious. Again, I don't care. To quote Will, I'd find it "wild". And hey - I'm 99.9% sure expectations were set by the parent before a wedding date was set, so maybe the kid would call the bluff, maybe not.

Anyway - to each their own (please don't direct hateful things to the players, even if they blew your 18-team parley)!