We have waived boundary restrictions for KnoxTNToday. You are about to be blessed with a small serving of a Kentucky in-house hissing contest.
John Calipari, close friend of Rick Barnes, is the famous basketball coach at the University of Kentucky. John is big in the business. He has won far more championships and receives an even larger paycheck than the Tennessee coach.
John has grown restless while awaiting official approval and construction of a fancy practice facility that will be, of necessity, newer than the one Rick enjoys.
Rumor has it that Calipari drew up the plan. It might be considered ostentatious, to better match the coach’s personality.
He had hoped Kentucky godfathers would designate a few million in the annual athletics budget as a foundation fund. Alas and alas, football got the money. Calipari flinched. He reacted. He went public.
“Everybody knows Kentucky is a basketball school. It’s always been.”
He mentioned Alabama and Georgia as examples of football schools.
That triggered a cat fight. A passionate football coach, Mark Stoops, rose in defense of Kentucky football.
“Basketball school? I thought we competed in the SEC?”
Week-old news, you say? Are the Hatfields and McCoys still feuding?
Stoops stood up straight in opposition of anyone who would “demean or distract from the hard work and the dedication and the commitment that people have done to get to this point.”
His Twitter hashtag is #4straightpostseasonwins. That’s in reference to UK’s football victories in two Citrus bowls, a Belk and a Gator.
It could be a reminder that UK baskets hasn’t won a postseason game since 2019, that the record was 9-16 in 2020-21 and that the blue faded fast in the opening round this year.
Score two for Stoops.
The football coach wants you to know he doesn’t behave as the basketball coach did.
“I stay in my lane.”
He had another line too good to leave out.
“Kentucky football wasn’t born on third base.”
It seems Stoops has heard of Adolph Rupp.
Some of his players, current and former, joined in the smack talk. Former punter Max Duffy tweeted: “Completely out of the blue question but has the Kentucky football team ever lost to St. Peters?”
Only aliens may have missed the Wildcats’ shocking NCAA basketball setback.
Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart finally joined this Kentucky kindergarten spat as moderator. He blamed the media for creating the controversy.
“We are not a basketball school. We are not a football school… We are a school with an outstanding athletic department. We are an ‘all everything’ school.”
Barnhart did not address Calipari’s position.
The Joe Craft Center, current practice facility, was built in 2007. It has developed a flaw. The roof leaked during the Kentucky floods. Basketball Wildcats, practicing for an exhibition tour, had to retreat while workers mopped.
Heaven help Calipari, what if rivals helped recruits hear about that disaster.
The coach believes the university has a responsibility to keep abreast (ahead) of the competition. He wants a multi-purpose building at the center of the campus with statues and everything. He thinks it would be OK if the state stepped in. After all, Kentucky basketball is the state team.
He said he would raise the money if officials got out of the way. Former players with NBA riches would chip in.
Give Calipari credit for one small step toward peace.
“No disrespect to our football team. I hope they win 10 games and go to bowls, but this is a basketball school.”
Dick Vitale has an opinion: “Coach Calipari was just being honest.”
A fan with a sizeable investment blamed Stoops for the fire.
“Stoops acted like a poor snowflake with his feelings hurt. What Cal said would have gone basically unnoticed. The fragile football coach caused all this.”
Stoops won the round on social media.
“Calipari’s comments were insulting.”
“‘I hope they win 10.’ Come on, man. could you possibly be more condescending?”
“Anybody ever heard of patching a roof?”
“Actually, Calipari is correct, Kentucky is a basketball school, but you don’t have to hurt football to prove it.”
“Sometimes I wonder how smart Cal really is.”
“Nothing but disappointment by Cal and upmost disrespect for the football team.”
“It was a stupid statement to make.”
“Cal needs to recognize what football contributes.”
“This is not the first civil war in Kentucky. Coach Stoops is starting to understand how Bear Bryant felt when he was coaching alongside Adolph Rupp.”
“Calipari has half the SEC laughing at us, and all of the national sports media shaking their heads, wondering how he can be so stupid.”
“Isn’t the University supposed to be a place of higher learning?”
Marvin West welcomes reader comments or questions. His address is marvinwest75@gmail.com