Tennessee Game Thread

[40bill]

WHY TALK ABOUT THEM AT ALL???

Because it's what the fans of the sport do. You recognize good achievements and good coaching.

Or look at it this way:

I have a fine team and tonight we got beat by another fine team

-or-

This other team is crap and my guys are just worse.

It really doesn't matter does it? As soon as the final horn sounds you either go on or just go.
may as well go with class.

It always irked me when a couple of our coaches were in love with the media and microphone until they lost. Then it was an assistants job.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Because it's what the fans of the sport do. You recognize good achievements and good coaching.

Or look at it this way:

I have a fine team and tonight we got beat by another fine team

-or-

This other team is crap and my guys are just worse.

It really doesn't matter does it? As soon as the final horn sounds you either go on or just go.
may as well go with class.

It always irked me when a couple of our coaches were in love with the media and microphone until they lost. Then it was an assistants job.

I get all that but keep it simple short and sweet and move on, no need to get into all the great accomplishments of another coach that you are about to face off against.


EDIT.. If Barnes Cal or any other coach is able to have to continued success vs. Pope, I would expect the tone to totally change. I don't see Pope as the type of person who will say anything negative, I think he's a a overall great natured human being.

Still if he taking L's to some of these coaches on a regular basis, I do think his competitive fire will kick in.

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me....

[Joneslab]

I like Mark Pope, don't get me wrong. I am hopeful this season was a learning experience. Just like the week of the ARKANSAS game at RUPP, he talked about how great CALIPARI was, this week he talked about how great RICK BARNES is, players buy into all that as well, our players.

I understand being respectful but and can appreciate someone being nice but at the same time, the players need a firm figure, not a teammate and cheer leader on the sidelines.

All coaches do stuff like this. Has been part of normal press conference etiquette for 50 years.

Here's Rick Barnes before the game talking about Pope (and a little about Cal). Pope stuff starts at 16:05.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdhH6NJqguo

[Joneslab]

And I thought we could put up a little more resistance in that game. Not surprised we lost, am surprised at how easy Tennessee made it.

Also surprised with how well Lamont Barnes played. If you would've told me he had a game like that, I would've assumed Kentucky won pretty easily. He played awesome. Brea, OTOH, was obviously the focus of their defense and wilted big-time.

That Tennessee could win it all. They won't, IMO, but that was the best I've personally seen them look all season.

[EKYCat]

99-46 since 1994 for Doug Shows UK games

That’s a 68% winning percentage. A far cry from “very seldom.”

[KentuckyWild2020]

All coaches do stuff like this. Has been part of normal press conference etiquette for 50 years.

Here's Rick Barnes before the game talking about Pope (and a little about Cal). Pope stuff starts at 16:05.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdhH6NJqguo

Okay, in all fairness, go to Pope's pre game Tennessee interview with his players sitting right there with him.

Start at the 5:50 mark, coach Barnes.

"Best in game, I really really really admire him, great teams"

Get a room!!!!!!!!

Now with that being said, Pope also mentioned losing and how he feels about it. The handshake after the game, says he's a terrible sport, hates to lose, says he actually has a psychology team to help him with dealing with losses..

I understand the etiquette but keep it simple, keep it moving.

[Joneslab]

I will admit that as soon as I saw Shows, I thought "Uh-oh." LOL.

And all the stuff the players were saying after the game makes you proud as a UK fan. This was one of the more unusual teams in UK history just because of how it was built, and while they weren't perfect, they gave us the most fun season we've had in awhile here. And that counts for a lot in my book.

If you factor in how injured they were, what they were able to pull off was nothing short of amazing.

[teamchemistry15]

WHY TALK ABOUT THEM AT ALL???

What should his response be to the media when they ask him questions about them?

[KentuckyWild2020]

That’s a 68% winning percentage. A far cry from “very seldom.”

Agreed but really it don't matter, Doug Shows sucks and it shows. If you want to argue that Doug Shows calls Kentucky game fair then you are in the very small and I mean small minority of UK fans who notice this with him.

Does it mean we would have beat Tennessee, no, they kicked our you know what up and down the street and twice on Sunday's last night.

Still, Doug Shows should never be allowed to call a UK game, especially with all the off court stuff with Kentucky fans..

[KentuckyWild2020]

What should his response be to the media when they ask him questions about them?

Good coach, next!!!!

[KentuckyWild2020]

And I thought we could put up a little more resistance in that game. Not surprised we lost, am surprised at how easy Tennessee made it.

Also surprised with how well Lamont Barnes played. If you would've told me he had a game like that, I would've assumed Kentucky won pretty easily. He played awesome. Brea, OTOH, was obviously the focus of their defense and wilted big-time.

That Tennessee could win it all. They won't, IMO, but that was the best I've personally seen them look all season.

We was never in that game at all, maybe 7-4 and that was that..

Im not mad about the loss, it's how we lost, I did not see the fight...

Is that Mark Pope's fault, I don't think so. I think his players let him down and just folded...

[Joneslab]

Good coach, next!!!!

LOL. I don't even know where to start with this, but I guess I'd tell you if you want a coach who's salty like that, I'd pick another team right now. Because as long as Pope is here, this isn't going to be him. Ever.

And honestly in those cush press conferences, not even the saltiest guys in the sport do stuff like you're suggesting. Even Danny Hurley gives respect to the other coaches. What you're talking about literally does not happen.

[KentuckyWild2020]

LOL. I don't even know where to start with this, but I guess I'd tell you if you want a coach who's salty like that, I'd pick another team right now. Because as long as Pope is here, this isn't going to be him. Ever.

And honestly in those cush press conferences, not even the saltiest guys in the sport do stuff like you're suggesting. Even Danny Hurley gives respect to the other coaches. What you're talking about literally does not happen.

You know what I mean, keep it simple and moving lol....

Hyperbole, not that serious lol...

I like Pope but dang, he had me thinking Barnes walks on water...

[Joneslab]

Along with wanting him to be Donald Trump and/or Stone Cold Steve Austin in press conferences, another thing we'll never get with Pope is "keeping it simple" lol.

I've thought all year the guy was too long-winded during interviews with sideline reporters during games.

That's just his way. It's usually what you get when you have a Rhodes Scholar over there talking to the media.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Still stay losing a Spark Plug firecracker like KERR off the bench hurt us. No doubt in my mind a game like that last night this dude would have been talking smack and doing all kinds of stuff to get in the head of TN.

Trying to do something special without a healthy Butler, Kerr and Robinson was a tall task from the get go...