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.
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.
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