Per KSR: The Thrill Is Gone?

[George]

Still excited, but I won't lie: the Wisconsin loss and Duke's surge in popularity have bummed me out over the last couple years.

[Joneslab]

It always depends on where you are in life and what other priorities you have going on.

I'm always excited about Kentucky basketball. In July, October, December, March. But that's just me; UK basketball is so integral to my family. I was so lucky to move to Louisville and marry somebody who had a huge family, literally all of whom are rabid UK fans. If it were just me sitting in front of my TV I probably wouldn't be as intense as I am about it. But it's something that brings our family together, and I love that about it.

The point about Duke's surge is interesting...but I'm not sure why that should matter. I was fired up about Tubby Smith's teams when we were probably only a top 10ish program.

Duke has undoubtedly passed Kentucky though. I don't think there's any question. Though for me that makes it more interesting in a lot of ways. It gives you a natural nemesis.

[DA#23]

[DA#23]

Duke's neck and neck with us right now, imo. We nearly went undefeated just 18 months ago. I do think that people have finally realized that K's age no longer is a factor due to one and done, and I think that we've seen that Cal is no longer the singular premiere option to go pro quickly.

Cal once said that getting Brandon Knight opened the door to a lot of living rooms for him. That effect might be waning a little now. I'd love to face dook this year and slay them.

Now, from a fan perspective? I think a small bit of it is a shift in fan base. I think as the years pass we will see a smaller amount of the truly rabid, nothing-else-to-do fans that sort of bring that "crazy fans" cliché some element of truth. The next generation of UK fans have other interests

[Matt Dillon]

It may just be possible that some of the fans are getting somewhat bored with the domination of Cal's teams.

[Joneslab]

It may just be possible that some of the fans are getting somewhat bored with the domination of Cal's teams.

I think it's important to point out that the posted link is just one writer's opinion. And it's a weekend KSR writer--usually a font of brutally terrible takes.

There might be people who are bored with dominance out there. Those people are idiots.

[Owllycat]

Everyone has their own opinion of the Basketball team. I think everyone is excited about the season. I dont think its a bored thing more or less we save most of our excitement for our rival matches and especially the NCAA Tournaments when they need the most support possible.

[Joneslab]

Pretty thrilling.

[Matt Dillon]

There might be people who are bored with dominance out there. Those people are idiots.

Or not as rabid fans as you, perhaps?

[Joneslab]

Or not as rabid fans as you, perhaps?

Well, it's a terrible line of reasoning. Because what it suggests is that you're tired of winning...and why follow sports at all if you're tired of winning? Isn't that why we watch sports in the first place?

That's a weird stance.

I do think a case could be made that things are more interesting on places like Wildcatnation when the team is not as good. If you like action behind the games and bandying about theories about what's wrong with the team and whether or not the coach is good, then the Cal era is really not that interesting.

[Matt Dillon]

Well, it's a terrible line of reasoning. Because what it suggests is that you're tired of winning...and why follow sports at all if you're tired of winning? Isn't that why we watch sports in the first place?

That's a weird stance.

I do think a case could be made that things are more interesting on places like Wildcatnation when the team is not as good. If you like action behind the games and bandying about theories about what's wrong with the team and whether or not the coach is good, then the Cal era is really not that interesting.

Not tired of winning, just tired of mauling non-conference cupcakes and playing in a fb conference that amounts to the same thing. To me, beating some outclassed school to death isn't all that interesting. I'm looking forward to the upcoming non-conference schedule more this season than I have in a long time. There should be several interesting games.

[Joneslab]

Really Cal's teams haven't been overly dominant except for the three obvious years, two of which obviously didn't even net national championships.

Certainly not more dominant than Duke or Kansas. Probably about the same. Not nearly as dominant as Alabama football. Maybe there are Alabama football fans who are getting tired of Saban because his teams are too good, but I doubt it.

There's room for improvement. I wouldn't trade Cal, but I also think we're not some sort of well-oiled machine that just rips through everybody in a litany of boring games. We've played a bunch of close games the last few years; we've lost games we shouldn't. Mostly this has to do with youth, but whatever the reason it isn't like we're just beating everybody to death.

As mediocre as the SEC is, we haven't blitzed everybody year after year. He's been here seven years and we've had three outright regular season titles IIRC.

[George]

It always depends on where you are in life and what other priorities you have going on.

I'm always excited about Kentucky basketball. In July, October, December, March. But that's just me; UK basketball is so integral to my family. I was so lucky to move to Louisville and marry somebody who had a huge family, literally all of whom are rabid UK fans. If it were just me sitting in front of my TV I probably wouldn't be as intense as I am about it. But it's something that brings our family together, and I love that about it.

The point about Duke's surge is interesting...but I'm not sure why that should matter. I was fired up about Tubby Smith's teams when we were probably only a top 10ish program.

Duke has undoubtedly passed Kentucky though. I don't think there's any question. Though for me that makes it more interesting in a lot of ways. It gives you a natural nemesis.

This is exactly what bums me out. We were the "it" program, and then suddenly we're not? If it's now Duke instead of us, that suggests to me that something happened to make us less than what we were.

I don't want that. I don't like that. I don't understand how that happened. And I especially don't want to be second to Duke.

[Joneslab]

Some of those Tubby teams were my favorite UK teams ever. I've loved Cal's run more than anything, but I still count that Tubby team that lost to UAB as my favorite ever.

Duke and a bunch of other programs were well ahead of us back then. We couldn't even make it to the Final Four.

I don't have to have Kentucky as a larger-than-life juggernaut to be pumped about the team.

[George]

Some of those Tubby teams were my favorite UK teams ever. I've loved Cal's run more than anything, but I still count that Tubby team that lost to UAB as my favorite ever.

Duke and a bunch of other programs were well ahead of us back then. We couldn't even make it to the Final Four.

I don't have to have Kentucky as a larger-than-life juggernaut to be pumped about the team.

Neither do I. I get everything you're saying and agree with most of it. But I was so, so happy to see us get back to the top of the mountain. I wanted to stay there for a while. Like, an Alabama while. Seems like the run was cut a bit short.