Rooting for Perfection

[Fishy]

What --- did I just read....

We've always noticed a weird phenomenon here - whenever a poster shows up with some variation or 99-04-11-14 in their user name, they tend to be a wing nut.

 

[1999.2004.2011]

I suppose the OP would root for Germany when they bombed Pearl Harbor. Looked like the Axis had a perfect record at that point.
No way I root for the villain. I'd go out of my way praising Duke if they were the team to stop Calipari. Nothing against Kentucky. Just don't like Calipari.

Germany/Axis Powers - Eh that's a little rough.

 

[WhiteDressWes]

Calhoun's problem with Calipari goes back to 1988, when he was at Pitt.

 

[sammydabiz]

1999.2004.2011

I'm not one to promote violence....but you should definitely get your kicked for that post. Wow... Thread should be locked and discarded

 

[Matrim55]

UConn is the reason their sophomores are not one and dones.

And UConn is the main reason for their undefeated performance this year and their mission. Just be glad we don't know the taste of losing a Championship game.

This. If we'd lost, then the Harrisons, WCS, Poythress and probably Johnson are gone.

 

[UConn990411]

What --- did I just read....

We've always noticed a weird phenomenon here - whenever a poster shows up with some variation or 99-04-11-14 in their user name, they tend to be a wing nut.

 

[Inyatkin]

This. If we'd lost, then the Harrisons, WCS, Poythress and probably Johnson are gone.

Remember when Marcus Lee put out a statement that he was coming back for his sophomore year? He averaged 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds last year, but probably would've gone if they'd won the title on the strength of a few dunks against Louisville.

 

[Matrim55]

Remember when Marcus Lee put out a statement that he was coming back for his sophomore year? He averaged 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds last year, but probably would've gone if they'd won the title on the strength of a few dunks against Louisville.

I'd forgotten about that.

FWIW, if it comes down to UK vs. Duke at any point, I'm 100% rooting for Duke. F UK.

 

[John]

I'd forgotten about that.

FWIW, if it comes down to UK vs. Duke at any point, I'm 100% rooting for Duke. F UK.

I've reached the same conclusion. Root Duke and then take a shower in gasoline and scrub with a wire brush.

 

[DogMania]

I probably should have clarified the OP, where I'm rooting for the kids more than the coach. I dislike the moniker that these kids are "one and done" because the vast majority of these guys are sophomores and juniors, actually go to class and most of their guys are pretty likeable. Hypothetically, if this team had different jerseys on or played for a different coach I think America would embrace this team rather than hate them.

I guess the other thing I don't understand is why so many people harp on these kids because they elect to go to college for one or two years, and then declare as opposed staying all four years. Athletes have an incredibly short span of time to earn as much money as they possibly can in the pros, so why not leave early? These universities aren't going anywhere, and many players return to school after the NBA or during the summer to continue working towards their degrees. Our society praises the artist, chef, computer wiz who maximizes their earnings potential by joining the professional ranks as soon as possible, but why do we hold it against athletes?

I don't know about others, but I'm fine if a student athlete is good enough to jump after one year, to do so. I'm just not sure I'd want the program that I root for have multiple players do so on a regular basis. I enjoy getting to know our guys. As much as I root for the laundry, I root for the kids.

For example I have so many fond memories of Boat, Bazz, Ben, Ray, Smitty, etc... Frankly I have little to no recollection of what Andre Dummond did while he was here. In his case, he left before he was a great, maybe even good, college player. But I don't begrudge him doing so, since people were willing to pay him a boatload of money for him to develop at the next level.

 

[DogMania]

a) I'm not ignoring anything that happened at UConn during Calhoun's tenure.
b) Calipari had two Final Fours struck off the record books. You're being kind calling them "slip ups".

The Squid clearly took short cuts, shirked his compliance responsibilities as the head coach and did or let whatever shady business go on back then. Now, I'm not so sure. Maybe some of the shenanigans are still happening, but I think so many elite recruits now want to go to UK and play for him, that he probably can conduct his business on the up-and-up. Who knows. Putting myself in his shoes, I would want this sweet gig to go on for a long time, and if elite players want to come and I have a solid pick at who I want, I'm probably keeping my program and nose clean. But then again, some feel, once a cheat, always a cheat. So who knows.

Bottom line, he's filled his roster with so much talent, that if you took took his 2nd 5 and put them on another program, they'd have a good chance of playing their top 5 in the F4. Their 3rd best big is better than just about anyone else's top big.

 

[ctchamps]

Germany/Axis Powers - Eh that's a little rough.

Belushi joke!

 

[UConNation]

I suppose the OP would root for Germany when they bombed Pearl Harbor. Looked like the Axis had a perfect record at that point.
No way I root for the villain. I'd go out of my way praising Duke if they were the team to stop Calipari. Nothing against Kentucky. Just don't like Calipari.

Germany bombed Pearl Harbor?????: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor

Sorry... I was a history major. Can't let that one go.

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

I've reached the same conclusion. Root Duke and then take a shower in gasoline and scrub with a wire brush.

the fact that Duke beat the unbeatable UNLV team makes it hard for me to root for them again in this scenario.

 

[UConNation]

Belushi joke!

Got it... I had a feeling it was a joke.

 

[ctdad]

Germany bombed Pearl Harbor?????: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor

Sorry... I was a history major. Can't let that one go.

Forget it, he's rolling.

 

[Kitaman]

I'd forgotten about that.

FWIW, if it comes down to UK vs. Duke at any point, I'm 100% rooting for Duke. F UK.

This was dook fans last year's Championship game dilemma. They actually reluctantly preferred us.

Weird how things turn out (if they do).

 

[mets1090]

Well, that's just stupid. Because you're young, it doesn't exist?

To be fair, he said it means nothing to him. It also means nothing to me (same age). Same way Notre Dame football basically means nothing to me (hey, they've had one noteworthy year since I've been able to pick up a football!).

I hate Cal for pretty much all the other standard reasons though and would never want to see him pull off a perfect season.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Germany bombed Pearl Harbor?????: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor

Sorry... I was a history major. Can't let that one go.

Good god, man.

 

[Deepster]

The Squid clearly took short cuts, shirked his compliance responsibilities as the head coach and did or let whatever shady business go on back then. Now, I'm not so sure. Maybe some of the shenanigans are still happening, but I think so many elite recruits now want to go to UK and play for him, that he probably can conduct his business on the up-and-up. Who knows. Putting myself in his shoes, I would want this sweet gig to go on for a long time, and if elite players want to come and I have a solid pick at who I want, I'm probably keeping my program and nose clean. But then again, some feel, once a cheat, always a cheat. So who knows.

Bottom line, he's filled his roster with so much talent, that if you took took his 2nd 5 and put them on another program, they'd have a good chance of playing their top 5 in the F4. Their 3rd best big is better than just about anyone else's top big.

I'm not sure how your reply addresses either of the bulleted points I made.

 

[Paesano]

The whole Nate Miles nightmare was caused by a "reporter" who was a umess student when the squid was there. He hated Calhoun based on the blood feud the squid started. This reporter followed the squid to Memphis so he could continue to be close to his hero and write fluff pieces on him. All the while, he was also doing investigative reporting on Calhoun because that was his hero's arch enemy. I will cheer his demise.

 

[champs99and04]

I won't go as far as to say I'm rooting for Kentucky, but I don't mind supporting some of the unpopular sentiments expressed by the OP.

Who has hurt UConn and who hasn't? That's a question I ask myself when determining who to root for in these games. The ACC has done everything short of bombing our athletic department. I sure as hell do not want two or three ACC teams in the final four. Notre Dame, the leaches that flamed out in the first weekend in the Big East all those years? duck* them. I don't want Kentucky to win the national championship, but if that's the expense of preventing an ACC team from cutting down the nets, well, it's worth it in my opinion.

Cal is one of the best coaches ever, it's time to accept it. He's won everywhere he's been, and if he lived in the gray area to get players to mid-major schools, you know what...I'm not going to be outraged over that. It's also worth noting that he's never been implicated in any investigation, and it's not that much of a stretch to think he had nothing to do with Derrick Rose's fake SAT scores. Hell, the NCAA cleared him.

Kentucky finishing undefeated only adds to the mystique of last years UConn team, and really the program in general. I wouldn't mind saying that the only thing preventing Kentucky from four titles in five years was UConn.

 

[Bryan Lord]

Id rather have PC win back to back than have uk go perfect this year.

 

[sammydabiz]

What --- did I just read....
We've always noticed a weird phenomenon here - whenever a poster shows up with some variation or 99-04-11-14 in their user name, they tend to be a wing nut.

You may be on to something with this "99-04-11-14" conspiracy..... Champs spewing some BS as well. Interesting....

 

[Deepster]

Cal is one of the best coaches ever, it's time to accept it. He's won everywhere he's been, and if he lived in the gray area to get players to mid-major schools, you know what...I'm not going to be outraged over that. It's also worth noting that he's never been implicated in any investigation, and it's not that much of a stretch to think he had nothing to do with Derrick Rose's fake SAT scores. Hell, the NCAA cleared him.

I guess I continue to have an issue with your choice of words. "Gray area"? "Slip ups"? He had final fours wiped off the record books at two different schools. He's the definition of a sleazy used car salesman college coach. He may not have to resort to getting his players hookers or jewelry at Kentucky because of their hoops reputation and his approach of letting them use an academic institution as an NBA minor league team that's on National TV twice a week...but he got there on a past of years and years of filth.