Sports in Kentucky by Bob Watkins

Posted March 10, 2015 at 7:05 pm

Pre-dance reflections before Big Dance begins.

Alas, John Calipari ignored another Mark Twain classic last week. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

Kentucky coach doesn’t like being bothered with the SEC Tournament. He would skip it and “get on to the next tournament.”

The impetuous rush to such fans-don’t-matter lame-brainery brought to mind an old Yiddish proverb: “Man makes plans, God laughs.”

Suggestion for ball coach and rubber stampers for his logic: Step back boys and girls, take a breath, consult the national weather service for latest asteroid collision odds, check your blood pressure and pulse, and lighten up. By time you get your results, the next ball tournament might be in the twilight zone.

Reflections.

1. An SEC Tournament without Kentucky would be … like a Voice without Dick Vitale … President Obama without critics … Vladimir Putin without the Mob. Besides, SEC football and teevee network need the money.

2. SEC Tournament … those who matter, enjoy every moment, Fans.

3. Florida coach Billy knows: “When you look at a team, so much of the team is based on chemistry, how connected they are, how they play for each other, share the ball, all those kinds of things.”

Says everything team, doesn’t it?

4. As certain as crocus and spring forward the clocks in March, poets, songsters and nicknamers are abloom about the Wildcats. An obvious theme tune: We Will Rock You and We Are the Champion! The grammar mix from rock group Queen works too. We (plural) are the Champion (singular). Perfect.

5. 28 million, 851 thousand, 955. Number of YouTube hits for We Will Rock You.

6. Statistic mostly ignored. Kentucky’s bench outscored Florida’s 46-13 in regular season finale marked 31st time this season UK won bench points.

7. 929 consecutive games with a made 3-pointer by Kentucky dates back almost to days when fans were naming their kids Kyle.

8. Murray State did what! Won 27 games, 16-0 in OVC, climbed to No. 25 in polls, then lost the OVC’s automatic bid to The Dance. The cha-ching sound in Murray Monday was an accountant calculating how much money the school loses unless Steve Prohm’s team gets an at-large bid.

9. Louisville did what! Knocked Virginia off a one-seed line?

10. Hero Who Dept: UofL sophomore Mangok Mathiang rainbowed in a game winning 15-foot swisher with 2.7 left … his only shot of the game and first field goal in five weeks.

11. Newspaper headline in Lexington: Is SEC tourney superfluous to UK?

A living, breathing organism, is this tournament. Pinnacle entertainment for fans. To inject the word superfluous smacks as cheap five-syllable arrogance.

12. Cities in the south bid smartly for the SEC carnival and site of Big Blue Nation’s annual convention. Fans care enough to take off work, pay top dollar for tickets, hotel rental, eateries and entertainment.

13. Parallel universe, media types who disparage the tournament are same boys and girls who take up lodgings paid for by employers, occupy first four-five rows at the arena free, dine on the SEC’s hospitality dime, and privileged to pen prose, share bad jokes and take a nap.

14. Rumor: Duke University’s athletics department still riding out the media storm from alleged sexual assault involving ex-player Rasheed Sulaimon, sent a thank you note to Syracuse University’s athletics department.

15. Jim Boeheim … say it ain’t so, Jimbo.

Another rich ball coach stopped paying attention.

NCAA’s Committee on Infractions report: 2001-2009, Syracuse did not follow its written drug policy.; academic misconduct; extra benefits and impermissible booster activity.

16. Calipari connection. Boeheim is embarrassed, but safe. His “I didn’t know therefore I am not responsible,” defense worked for John Calipari twice.

Sanctions? No Boeheim on sideline for nine ACC games next year, forfeit 12 scholarships over four years, vacate 108 coaching wins five years probation.

17. Money. Attendance records at Syracuse are second only to Kentucky, Carrierdome profits move the school’s highest paid employee Boeheim to say “I’m not going anywhere.” Translation: Too big to fail.

18. No Big Dance for Syracuse means time for Boeheim’s lawyers to spin this away. A clandestine call to Dick Vitale ought to set in motion the PR rehab. Wait for, “Bum wrap for Jim, bay-bee,”

Couple 20-win seasons, this hubbub will be forgotten. Syracuse will retire a jersey with Boeheim’s name on it and he can resume being Hall of Fame famous.

Sound familiar?

America, I love this place!

19. Tee-shirts. 31-0 Not Done. Did you buy one of those?

20. ACC Tournament team nobody wants to play is Duke, right? Pencil in North Carolina State.

21. “Every game seems to be an event,” Calipari said last week. Leaves us to wonder, you’ve been around here how long?

22. UK Fan 1: “When they come out I’m gonna get me one of those 40-0 tee-shirts.” UK Fan 2: “What if Kentucky finishes, say 37-1?” UK fan 1: “Whaaaa… 37 and 1? Why, that would be a disaster!”

23. Worth Repeating Dept. E-mail from Mike Giorgio in Bowling Green following Kentucky’s win on Georgia’s Senior Night.

“Did you notice a couple of Kentucky players clapping FOR the Georgia Seniors as they walked off the court with nine seconds to go? That was a hell of a display of kindness to stand there and applaud those guys. That’s some class. I think these are the best young kids Kentucky has had in decades, clean kids with hearts.”

24. Having read about Kentucky’s Fabulous Five and Terrible Trio, having watched the Fiddlers, Runts, Unforgettables and Anthony Davis, my ballot is cast. Best team in Kentucky basketball history is this one, 2014-15.

And so it goes.