Who's Next?

Who's the next coach at UK now that Gillispie has been fired?

Billy Donovan has said he is committed to Florida. “In response to the rumors circulating about my interest in other jobs, I wanted to address this as quickly as possible," Donovan said in a statement. "I am committed to the University of Florida and look forward to continuing to build our program here."

Memphis coach, John Calipari is not interested.

Tom Izzo is staying at Michigan State.

So where does that leave us?

The popular rumor is Pitino. Seriously. Seriously? Not impossible, but if he is back in blue, call up that supermodel and tell her to pack a coat for your date, because the devil just felt a chill. I've heard the talk about how he said he should have never left for Boston, or his ego would love to take UK back to the promised land. No, his ego would love to tell everybody that he turned UK down for the coach position, again. Yes his run in Lexington was impressive in eight years, but he has not accomplished the same at Louisville in eight years yet. Will this Cards' team do it? It has the talent, but what about the brains? He has said that he is not interested and that Kentucky should pursue Ford or Pelphrey.

Billy Donovan gets a phone call, again. And while above is the quote and link of where he says he is committed to Florida, but you still make that call. Of course he has to say that until he knows for sure. He has recruits as well. But there is that clause in his contract that has the one month in it where there would not be a buyout, that is why you will know for sure about Donovan by Wednesday. I am not sold on him as a coach personally. One set of players won two championships. Other than that, Tubby OWNED him. Since then, two trips to the NIT, zero to the NCAAs.

Then there is the wish lists with Barnes and Izzo, but its not going to happen. Some are calling for Calipari, which I think is very interesting.

Will Barnhart turn to his West Coast ties and try for Mark Few from Gonzaga. While you admire his work and there is no doubt of his coaching abilities, he would fall in the same category as Gillispie, good coach but questions about his living in the fishbowl of Kentucky basketball. Sorry, coaching at Gonzaga in Washington does not compare to the pressure of Lexington and the SEC.
I think the same argument goes for Sean Miller from Xavier, great ability on bench, questionable ability of the pressure.

Jay Wright has come up in conversation around the water cooler as well. This one is intriguing. He always handles himself with class. He has coached in the Big East, which has proven itself this year in the tournament, so he knows how to coach and handle the pressure of the big games. His style would be welcomed at Rupp, as it is entertaining, his teams play hard and he gets the most out of his teams. Would he make the trip south? Supposedly, there were feelers sent out two years ago if you believe the rumors, but he said no thanks.

Travis Ford, John Pelphrey, and Darrin Horn were all mentioned as young coaches with ties to either UK or the state of Kentucky. Pelphrey did not have a good year this year at Arkansas, which may have doomed his chances for the job opportunity this year. Horn doesn't have strong enough ties and yet to proven himself enough for the job despite having a very good year this year in turning around the South Carolina team.

That's why when the dust clears, the job may be Travis Ford's to refuse. He has the ties to UK. His style of play in entertaining. Oklahoma State made a big turnaround to make the tournament. Also, don't downplay the fact that Daniel Orton highly considered Oklahoma State with Kentucky and John Hood is from the same hometown as Ford. Hood and Orton are UK's top two recruits next year. He is not necessarily an easy choice as he did not get any of his teams at UMass to the tournament and can have some attitude himself. Plus, the money at Oklahoma State can compete with UK's. So if he comes, it is loyalty to Big Blue.

Just to throw another name that had some rumors with it two years ago, how about Mike D'Antoni. Something just screams he is not happy with the Knicks. And if the Lexington and Kentucky press thinks it is rough, it would seem like your high school paper compared to that of New York. And you would think coaching college kids having fun would be more enjoyable that men playing for endorsements and money. Just a thought.

Who knows where Todd and Barnhart look for the next coach, but after making such a mess with Gillispie and Tubby, they had better get it right. Because the natives are getting restless. There are a lot of people to sort for the job. My money is on Ford if he wants it. But I am not in charge, I am just the mailman, and Barnhart and Todd have mail, with a lot of mailboxes to deliver.

Not so fast my friend

As Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast my Friend!"

WHAS jumped in and actually reported BCG was fired! Then had to come back and retract, say he had not been fired yet, but expect he would still be fired. Danielle Santoro was the reporter who reported for WHAS that it was already done. She has now changed her title from reporter to second most nervous about her job in Kentucky.

Thing is, he is still the coach at Kentucky. As of early Friday morning, there is still no press conference called. Some people claim to have sources, but still no press conference. There may be later, but not yet. Did you listen to the coach's call in show. A lot of support, he talked about Orton like he was ready to coach him next year. But that is open to interpretation.

Dick Gabriel on his show last night stated he never said BCG was gone.

WLKY talks about Liggins and how coach didn't play him the way he had hoped to help the team, but stops his quote before Liggins says it wasn't coach's fault, it was his own due to his own actions.

Whether he is gone or not, whether it has already been decided or not, we do not know yet. There is not enough certainty to have a breaking news report. But that is just the latest step in the "coverage" (I use loosely) in the Kentucky basketball situation. A lot of journalists have stated their opinion that Coach was gone, some with more confidence than others, but it was always with the premise of opinion. Even ESPN had a piece. Some of them seem more on a witch hunt. Some just have a hunch. But in today's time, it is all in who can break the news first. Well, WHAS and Danielle, you are definitely in the news first. If you are wrong though, its not the news they had hoped. The proverbial limb is not as steady as they had hoped. As for this mailman, I wouldn't want to bet the stamp collection on it. WHAS and Danielle, y'all just had a little premature journalism. I don't think there is any medication, but they say it is not that uncommon. Don't be too depressed or mad at the message. I am just the mailman delivering the mail. Next time, read the mail before going on TV.

Neither rain...

It's another rainy morning, but I am not talking about the weather. Last night our Cats' season ended, but was it their Coach's last game as a Wildcat? We shall find out soon enough. Looking on the internet this morning, many pundits talk like its a forgone conclusion that BCG is already gone. He may very well be, but let's wait till an official announcement. Seems like everyone knows already, but not everyone has been brainwashed. I found this post which I found extremely entertaining. I personally believe he deserves another year with his own players and the recruits he has coming in, but I don't have a judgment.

Speaking of judging, I have to admit to be taken back, but impressed with how Coach answered the question of being judged at the years end. "There's only one judgment that I ever will be concerned about, and I hope I pass that judgment," he said. "That's the only one I ever will be concerned about, and I'm really proud that that's the only judgment that will ever have a real effect on me, and I hope I pass that with flying colors." How's that for an answer!

So that's it for now. I am not a judge, nor should any of us judge. I am just the mailman, delivering the mail.

Let it Begin

First thing's first. Let me congratulate the Cats on a valiant effort tonight against Notre Dame. The team fought hard, but just didn't have the guns, and maybe the trip from Omaha to South Bend after a hard fought victory took its toll on the team. Without a doubt, you have to feel proud of this team.

Now that the season is over, the gossip is going to be unbearable. Everyone's sources will be quoted, withholding the names to protect the media in case they're wrong, or should I say to protect someone's job. We will find out soon enough. Whatever the decison, I just hope there is a reasonable explanation afterwards no matter the decision. Journalists are already trying to break news. Just remember, no one will know for sure, until Barnhart makes the official announcement, but that is for reporter and rumor mongers. As for me, I am just the mailman, and I will continue to deliver the mail.

My turn

Seems like everyone is giving their opinion. Everyone has a source, or knows someone. Or knows someone who was a roommate of the girl that went to prom with a guy whose sister had a class with a guy on the practice team. You get the point. It is all rumor, or best guess, or hunch. No one really knows. My guess, the coach and AD don't really know for sure. That's why they are going to meet after the season. But that's just a guess also.

The media is jumping into the guessing game. Some claim to have an inside source. Let's start with one of them. Seth Davis claims someone close to the program said Gillispie is gone. Well as the Church Lady said, "Well isn't that special?" This is the same Seth Davis that last year told us that Billy Clyde was going to Oklahoma State. The same Seth Davis that told us that Patrick Patterson was going pro after his freshman year. I rest my case.

Other media gurus are telling us it is just their hunch. I have a hunch on the winning lottery numbers for Saturday. My hunch has the same chance at being right as their hunch.

Let's just look at a couple of things that are not hunches, not from and inside source, and have nothing to do with your father's college roommate's girlfriend's uncle twice removed:

1. He just accepted a verbal commit from a JUCO for next year. If you're gone, do you continue to recruit? Do you verbal to a school without being reassured from the coaching staff AND the university of the status of the coach?

2. It would cost $6 million to buy him out. Sorry, not going to happen. We have heard how bad Dr. Todd hated to pay Mumme, and he cheated. We have all felt the rough economic times. How does a major university pay that kind of coin for someone to NOT WORK?

3. If Gillispie leaves, UK is in big trouble next year. Do you think Orton will still come? Hood's dad said they would reconsider. Patterson would probably bolt, why would he want to start over with a new coach? And he clearly supports the current coach.

4. Who would take the job? Whether we deserve it or not as a fanbase, the media would paint us as running off two coaches in the last two years. Our recruiting for next year would take a shot (see above #3) as well as serving as ammo for recruiting rivals.

You may not like coach, and that is your right. I personally think he will pull it off. I don't always agree with everything he does, but he has been coach of the year 5 years. He didn't just forget how to coach. He had no seniors (please save the "but what about Jared?") And we know the talent was lacking (Honestly, do the Tubby would have left if he had national champion caliber talent?) You may not want to hear this, whether you don't like Gillispie or you are one of the media powers trying to cash in on the negativity to sell papers, but that's just how it is. It's nothing I have found that you don't already know. It's just the message that had to be delivered, and I'm just the mailman. You have mail.

The Meeting

By now we have heard of the meeting that supposedly took place Friday to discuss the magic bullet from JFK in Dallas. Oops, the meeting to determine the amount of AIG bonus money. Or was it the meeting to balance to budget? The lawsuit against Coke Zero vs. Coke?

Or maybe there was really a meeting to determine the future of Gillispie, but we do NOT know for sure right now. Once again, this will be determined after the season ends, and we still have more ball to play. Seems like everyone is speculating so much about next year, we forget the our beloved Cats still are playing basketball. And its a tough game on the road. So lets enjoy the season, cheer for the Cats, and maybe the season will continue a little longer.

As for the mail route, we need to catch up on some changes of address. Perry Stevenson needs a change from T-shirt maker (via Facebook) to Poster boy. The dunk in the UNLV is the best dunk by any UK player since Azibuike punished the goal, and players' manhood back in 05. If I were Perry, I would get that picture made into a life size poster... not to mention on T-shirts, business cards, screen savers, etc.

Fandom also has a new address: Memorial Coliseum. The Rupp crowd (no longer able to be called fans after Tuesday) certainly should learn something from the fans that gathered and crammed in to Memorial. That was fun to see and experience. And it clearly did something to the team. The Cats looked like they were having fun again. Remember when basketball was fun. If your a season ticket holder, don't get mad, be a fan again. Stand and cheer your team. Will them to a victory... and never, NEVER boo them. You forgot what your responsibility of a ticket holder and a true blue fan is, and I am just the mailman delvering the mail.

Pardon the Assumption

One of my favorite programs on ESPN is Pardon the Interuption. It is clever and informative. Tony Kornhiser and Mike Wilbon compliment each other very well and the topics the cover are up-to-date and often what is on the general sports fan mind. They are usually fair. However, on Monday, Mr. Wilbon decided to become target number 1 of the Blue Mailbag. Don't worry Seth Davis, your comments today will get you some airtime as well on a later post.

The topic was Kentucky Basketball and the job status (or temperature of his pants) of Coach Billy Gillispie. Mr Wilbon state that Gillispie had a 70% chance of being fired. He then stated the we fired Tubby Smith and he hoped that we didn't win another game. Game on indeed.

Well first, UK did not fire Tubby, he ran off in the middle of the night sort of speak. He was asked by Barnhart to make some changes the year before, and refused. Tell me if your boss told you that you had a bad year and you need to do some things different, you could say no and get away with it. He was going to have to make some changes, so he disappeared. You can blame the fans, be he left. He was not fired. He gave up. Fled. But that wouldn't make Kentucky fans look as bad or even racist.

Second, if Mr. Wilbon is hoping Kentucky doesn't win another game, (too late, we beat UNLV), because of the fan reaction, then I guess we should hope for the same for the Cubs (his clear favorite MLB team). The fans are never happy, believe they are cursed when they lose, fire managers after losing seasons. All very similar to reasons he believes are wrong with Kentucky fans. And since he his so vocal, I guess I should root against his team.

I am not here to say I know all the answers, but I don't yell it on national TV and claim to know so much about something as an outsider. If you are not a Kentucky fan, you just don't understand. You also notice, they never say this when Gillispie is a guest on the show. He won't change, or feel bad, or probably even care. But that's not my job. I am just a mailman, and Mr. Wilbon, you have mail.

A little background

I'll be the first to admit that the University of Kentucky men's basketball team has fallen on some hard times. No fan can be truly happy with our current status. However, the "mainstream" media has seized the opportunity to attack our fanbase. Writers, reporters, journalists, bloggers, grandmothers, etc have piled on while we are down. Well, you know what you have to do when you are down and they are kicking you. You stand up.

Thus the creation of this blog. I am not calling for boycotting of papers, television networks, or anything that drastic. What I am saying it is time we stand up as a fanbase. Stop the negativity. As one of my favorite blogs, aseaofblue.com, stated earlier this year, "Embrace the Hate." Realize that they are striking at us because of jealousy or to sell papers. But...

I'd be remiss if I didn't come out and get some things off my chest. So in future posts, I will be expressing some things that may or may not be same point of view as you. I work at a post office and hear a lot of local chatter, but it is just that: gossip and chatter. But it seems some in the media take that and run with it. Some of you know who I am talking about Mr Wilbon and Mr. Davis. So my next post, I will address some of these comments. I am not a journalist, TV personality, lawyer, or have a fancy website. In fact, my wife had to help me set up this blog. All I am is a loyal and humble fan of the greatest basketball power in the history of college basketball (OK, admittedly that may be over the top). But there is a message that needs to be delivered, and since I work at the post office, its time to deliver the mail.








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