Kentucky fans can make fun of Duke and Florida fans all they want

[CatsSaintsFan]

Senior day

Huge Rival

Sounds like I'm on the 18th green at Augusta.

Has to be the most overrated home court advantage in college basketball.

All they do is react...they try in no way to generate some momentum with noise and energy


Too much "money" in the stands I guess instead of fans


At least were creative with the"Noah is gay" chant. I guess we just pick the player on Florida we dislike the most and question his orientation

[RaleighCat]

Maybe if Kentucky was doing all this dunking our crowd would be louder. Give us something to cheer for, please. So much for Sims' smack talk. We look horrible in the 2nd half. Brick city.

[Blue Heaven]

CatsSaintsFan i agree 100% with your post. The crowd at Rupp has ALWAYS been like that when the team NEEDS them. Sure its loud when playing good but try to be a 6th man ALL THE TIME! If these folks aren't gonna cheer then give me your tickets and I'll make better use of them than you EVER COULD!

[scars.of.grace]

My opinion: That's what happens when a lot of the fanbase is an older crowd. I think we have one of the oldest fanbases in the country. That's not a bad thing, but generally what happens is they want to sit down and enjoy the game. They stand up only when others in front of them stand up and block their view (Hey, I do that too at times! :)) The size of it is also, at times, a disadvantage. It's tough to pack 24,000 people in an arena and have it rocking when it should. A few thousand won't make a difference in a place like Rupp Arena like it would at a smaller venue.

I know there are others here who are older and go to the games, so maybe they can offer their perspective on it. Maybe I am completely wrong in this, but it's something that I have noticed for a long time.

[catfanintn]

CatsSaintsFan wrote: Senior day

Huge Rival

Sounds like I'm on the 18th green at Augusta.

Has to be the most overrated home court advantage in college basketball.

All they do is react...they try in no way to generate some momentum with noise and energy


Too much "money" in the stands I guess instead of fans


At least were creative with the"Noah is gay" chant. I guess we just pick the player on Florida we dislike the most and question his orientation




I TOTALLY agree.Much of the time fans at Rupp act like they're at the movies - just there to be entertained, not to cheer. I just saw the second half today, but the crowd to me sounded as DEAD as usual. Theteam needs them to be up for EVERYhome game like theydo at the Louisville game. If I were a player, I'd be hard pressed to play inspired if the crowd wasn't into it.

[CatsSaintsFan]

RaleighCat wrote: Maybe if Kentucky was doing all this dunking our crowd would be louder. Give us something to cheer for, please. So much for Sims' smack talk. We look horrible in the 2nd half. Brick city.


RC, that crowd was this quiet win it tipped off. Only during that run late in the first half did they show any enthusiasm. I do realize that as the game went on the cheering would die off with this perfromance but it was like this crowd had no clue this was a big game.

Now, no one travels like our fans during the NCAA and they are enthusiastic crowds. I'm just talking about our home environment.

[ukbob]

I refuse to blame the fans for the lack of heart and hustle I witnessed.

If this team would play like a team (LIKE AT UT), then perhaps the fans wouldn't have to react.

We got our butts handed to us by a lack of heart, hustle, desire and coaching on a day when we needed all of those things the most. The fans are not to blame for this ridiculous exhibition.

[CatsSaintsFan]

scars.of.grace wrote: My opinion: That's what happens when a lot of the fanbase is an older crowd. I think we have one of the oldest fanbases in the country. That's not a bad thing, but generally what happens is they want to sit down and enjoy the game. They stand up only when others in front of them stand up and block their view (Hey, I do that too at times! :)) The size of it is also, at times, a disadvantage. It's tough to pack 24,000 people in an arena and have it rocking when it should. A few thousand won't make a difference in a place like Rupp Arena like it would at a smaller venue.

I know there are others here who are older and go to the games, so maybe they can offer their perspective on it. Maybe I am completely wrong in this, but it's something that I have noticed for a long time.



I won't argue that point. It's "old money" surrounding that court. That's what it's about. Money. It just kills that home court advantage

[CatsSaintsFan]

ukbob wrote: I refuse to blame the fans for the lack of heart and hustle I witnessed.

If this team would play like a team (LIKE AT UT), then perhaps the fans wouldn't have to react.

We got our butts handed to us by a lack of heart, hustle, desire and coaching on a day when we needed all of those things the most. The fans are not to blame for this ridiculous exhibition.



Bob, I'm not "blaming" the fans for anything. I'm only pointing out that the crowd from the onset wasn't into this game. Also, how our fans make fun of other's fans. When we got going and the crowd got loud, it fed off each other. Even Bob Wenzel pointed out that the crowd was so quiet that it almost makes the situation more tense.

It was just more an observation that this crowd sounded like we were laying Florida A&M and not Florida

[ukbob]

CatsSaintsFan wrote: ukbob wrote: I refuse to blame the fans for the lack of heart and hustle I witnessed.

If this team would play like a team (LIKE AT UT), then perhaps the fans wouldn't have to react.

We got our butts handed to us by a lack of heart, hustle, desire and coaching on a day when we needed all of those things the most. The fans are not to blame for this ridiculous exhibition.



Bob, I'm not "blaming" the fans for anything. I'm only pointing out that the crowd from the onset wasn't into this game. When we got going and the crowd got loud, it fed off each other. Even Bob Wenzel pointed out that the crowd was so quiet that it almost makes the situation more tense.

It was just more an observation that this crowd sounded like we were laying Florida A&M and not FloridaWell...it is the normal Rupp crowd. The only games they are not like this usually are against UL and UNC. The UK road crowds are much better than the RUpp crowds.

[CatsSaintsFan]

ukbob wrote: CatsSaintsFan wrote: ukbob wrote: I refuse to blame the fans for the lack of heart and hustle I witnessed.

If this team would play like a team (LIKE AT UT), then perhaps the fans wouldn't have to react.

We got our butts handed to us by a lack of heart, hustle, desire and coaching on a day when we needed all of those things the most. The fans are not to blame for this ridiculous exhibition.



Bob, I'm not "blaming" the fans for anything. I'm only pointing out that the crowd from the onset wasn't into this game. When we got going and the crowd got loud, it fed off each other. Even Bob Wenzel pointed out that the crowd was so quiet that it almost makes the situation more tense.

It was just more an observation that this crowd sounded like we were laying Florida A&M and not FloridaWell...it is the normal Rupp crowd. The only games they are not like this usually are against UL and UNC. The UK road crowds are much better than the RUpp crowds.



Not for Florida. Even when we had our streak against them and we expected a win the crowd was into that game

[SkyeBlue22]

not to argue or get on anyone's nerves, b/c i agree to a certain extent. during long bouts when we were losing in the second half it was very quiet. but, the beginning, the warm-ups, and much of the game, i thought the crowd, at least the erupption zone was pretty loud. i was sad at the end when half the arena was leaving. that was the biggest disappointment to me. yes, there were times when the crowd was simply out of it, but i think that was one of the most energized our student section has been for a game.

[BGandBLUE]

I simply believe the fans deep down just don't trust this team and were not going to emotionally commit to them. I wonder how many coming to this game knew that the eventual outcome was very possible.

[Stucat]

Blue Heaven wrote: CatsSaintsFan i agree 100% with your post. The crowd at Rupp has ALWAYS been like that when the team NEEDS them. Sure its loud when playing good but try to be a 6th man ALL THE TIME! If these folks aren't gonna cheer then give me your tickets and I'll make better use of them than you EVER COULD!
Blame the fans all you want but the fans didn't lose this basketball game our players and coach did that all by themselves!!:thumbdown

[Spanish Moss]

Maybe the crowd was quiet but the coaching staff was just as quiet if not quieter. I didn't see any enthusiasm out of any of them.

Stucat is right, the players and coaches lost this game. It is easy to blame the people who pay $2,000 for season tickets but 24,000 of them were at the game. Many more seasons like this one and we might have a new group of fans because there is a lot a person can do with $2,000 other than buy UK tickets.

[Stucat]

Florida Cracker wrote: Maybe the crowd was quiet but the coaching staff was just as quiet if not quieter. I didn't see any enthusiasm out of any of them.

Stucat is right, the players and coaches lost this game. It is easy to blame the people who pay $2,000 for season tickets but 24,000 of them were at the game. Many more seasons like this one and we might have a new group of fans because there is a lot a person can do with $2,000 other than buy UK tickets.

I agree Florida Cracker. My nephew was out over $2,000 for season tickets this year because his son talked him into buying them but I bet he won't buy season tickets next year. As you say there is a lot people can do with the money. Being a big UK fan sometimes has too big of a price when you get results like we have been getting. It is really less trouble just to sit home and watch the game on television like I did today.:wildcatface

[Buddah]

Florida Cracker wrote:
Many more seasons like this one and we might haveÂ* a new group of fans because there is a lot a person can do with $2,000 other than buy UK tickets.


maybe that is what needs to happen, also the people that give much more than 2,000 dollars should express their opinion$, that gets people's attention much more than anything el$e.

[Classof93]

BGandBLUE wrote: I simply believe the fans deep down just don't trust this team and were not going to emotionally commit to them. I wonder how many coming to this game knew that the eventual outcome was very possible.

Bingo! I just got back from the game and there was a great deal of anxiety surrounding my section. This team has just not done anything to give the fans a great deal of confidence. They started slow in both halves. rupp is a very reaction oriented crowd that is just a fact. A product of many years of winning and expectations of winning.

[Aike]

The best news for this particular team may be that they won't see Rupp again.

[SkyeBlue22]

Aike wrote: The best news for this particular team may be that they won't see Rupp again.



that is sad, but probably true. i wish we had had better luck at home this year and i wish our fans deserved the reputation we have. yes, sometimes it is hard to cheer for a team that disappoints you, but that is what being a fan is all about. we are used to being the best, being the elite, being the standard by which basketball, especially in the sec is measured against. we haven't always played this way, maybe in particular this year, but our legacy is not tarnished b/c of a down year and we still have games left in us and i think this team still has some fight and maybe something they feel they need to prove. i am looking forward to the sec tournament and i hope all the fans that are down their with me scream like they've never screamed before, b/c this is a team that needs our support, maybe more than any we have had in a long time. it is time to show the sec what it means to be a fan and that we haven't given up on our team. GO CATS!!!!!!!

[ky302girl]

I know that a lot of fans don't believe in the team this year, but they should still cheer for them anyway. When I went to my first UK game(UK/Arkansas), I too was suprised at how everyone got into the game when we were doing well, and how everyone sat down when we weren't doing so hot. I feel that when the team is having a hard time, that is when they need us to cheer the loudest so that they know we support them. I almost felt like an idiot when everyone around me was sitting down and I was the only one standing up and cheering for them. I have loved watching UK since I was ten yrs. old. I have residents in my nursing home facility that cheer louder than some of the people I have witnessed in the stands. I know it's a rough year, but our boys need to know that the fans are behind them. Sometimes I feel that our great history as been a hinderance. We do have talented players and I think that they just haven't connected with each other and that's what hurts us most.

[1foosefan]

Stucat wrote:
Blue Heaven wrote: CatsSaintsFan i agree 100% with your post. The crowd at Rupp has ALWAYS been like that when the team NEEDS them. Sure its loud when playing good but try to be a 6th man ALL THE TIME! If these folks aren't gonna cheer then give me your tickets and I'll make better use of them than you EVER COULD!
Blame the fans all you want but the fans didn't lose this basketball game our players and coach did that all by themselves!!:thumbdown

Â*

I don't feel that anyone is blaming the fans for what it seems we all agree was a terrible effort today. That being said, The argument that Kentucky fans can seem disenchanted at times has merit. All you have to do is watch one game at Cameron and you really understand why those fans have been given the moniker "crazies". The distribution of fans at Rupp certainly leaves a lot to be desired as well. Some of that OLD MONEY that has been mentioned in other post needs to be re-located so the students and other more ambitous fans can be given the opportunity to experience the game up close.

[fanfromday1]

I was there today and this crowd wanted to help. The first half had periods of noise you would expect for a big game. The second half was like getting a root canal. There was nothing in their play that allowed the crowd to be a part. At one stretch there was Bobby Perry missing a three followed by Sheray missing a three (Why are they the ones shooting threes?) and then on the other sideof the ball Humphries has wide open looks at threes and knocked them down. At what part of this am I supposed to be cheering?

[CurlyCat]

I tried desperately today to call anyone I thought might be at Rupp. I was desperate. :shock:

You're exactly right CatsSaintsFan. A good fan doesn't need the team to get them in the game. A good home crowd gets the players motivated and in the game. Shoot, Florida once today only got back at tied and the crowd went dead! They were basically non-existent after near that point. It was ridiculous!

[TrueblueCATfan]

I have sat in the lower level and I have sat in the upper level............the real fans are in the upper.......they cheer they stand and it is fun.............the lower level well most of them just sit there like bumps on a log..............I have seen it in person and on TV.......GET THE STUDENTS ON THE FLOOR

[SkyeBlue22]

true, the really excited fans are in the upper arena. it is hard to hear them though. i wish they would give more students seats in the lower arena, but i know that won't happen. sadly, our students can be pretty sad fans as well, when they leave early or stop cheering. also, since the bluehearts, for the most part are graduating, that iseven one less thing that will make our erupption zone stand out andthey are someof the loudest, most excited fans there. here's to hoping our fandom finds some spirit over the off-season. actually, i guess here is to hoping they find it for tournament time first.

[wildcat74]

I've also thought that rupp was the most over rated home court advantage out there, and that it comes only out of the sheer size of the place and not the crowd itself. The lower level reminds me of the dean dome wine and cheese crowd.

[Aldous Huxley]

BGandBLUE wrote: I simply believe the fans deep down just don't trust this team and were not going to emotionally commit to them.
Great point. One never knows whether the team is going to hustle or act like they wish they were elsewhere. This is true for almost any game, and any season also. Next year, do we know how good they will be? We know how good they could be. But they could be team turmoil or they could set the world on fire. And we have no way of knowing. The same is true for their next game.

[trublu]

I agree with you CurlyCat.


CurlyCat wrote:






I tried desperately today to call anyone I thought might be at Rupp. I was desperate. :shock:

You're exactly right CatsSaintsFan. A good fan doesn't need the team to get them in the game. A good home crowd gets the players motivated and in the game. Shoot, Florida once today only got back at tied and the crowd went dead! They were basically non-existent after near that point. It was ridiculous!

[poodoo]

CurlyCat wrote: I tried desperately today to call anyone I thought might be at Rupp. I was desperate. :shock:

You're exactly right CatsSaintsFan. A good fan doesn't need the team to get them in the game. A good home crowd gets the players motivated and in the game. Shoot, Florida once today only got back at tied and the crowd went dead! They were basically non-existent after near that point. It was ridiculous!



Count me in with the two of you. No, the crowd doesn't get the blame for the loss. That still goes to the players and coaches. HOWEVER, the quietness in Rupp before the game ever began and during the game, even when it still was a game, was embarrassing. I tried to be loud, but I obviously did not do nearly enough. :(

Aike mentioned that the best news for this team may be that it doesn't play in Rupp again is hopefully the truth. Tubby implied the same in his comments after the game, FWIW.

[catfanintn]

Somewhere along the line when these players are playing in such a funk, the crowd needs not to "cheer them on" but to "WAKE THEM UP"!

[Brian McCat]

Aike wrote: The best news for this particular team may be that they won't see Rupp again.

If we end up in the NIT, wouldn't we have a pretty darn good shot at playing at Rupp?

[surveyor]

RaleighCat wrote: Maybe if Kentucky was doing all this dunking our crowd would be louder. Give us something to cheer for, please.

That's why his reference to the fans being "reactive" rather than taking the initiative.

[bleedbluelady]

I was at the game. We didn't get there until right before tip off, so I don't know about before the game. But I remember when the team came out at half time thinking, if the team is half as flat as the crowd...we're in trouble. I could not understand it. :? I could hear people scream things like, shoot it!...Tubby, put___(take your pick) in!...Tubby, take___(take your pick) out!...you're ____(take your pick of insults). At other times it was deafening quiet. It was depressing beyond belief. The crowd at Rupp has been very anxious most of the season. While that is not by far this team's biggest problem, it can't help.

poodoo, I was cheering loud too. I felt like I was in a vacum.

[trublue4life]

RaleighCat wrote: Maybe if Kentucky was doing all this dunking our crowd would be louder. Give us something to cheer for, please. So much for Sims' smack talk. We look horrible in the 2nd half. Brick city.I have to go with CatsSaints Fan on this one. It was strangely quiet, at least from what I could tell from TV, even in the first half when it was a one point game. I made the comment to my daughter that we must have gotten everybody out of bed and they weren't awake yet. Pretty pitiful for a senipr day, IMO.

[poodoo]

bleedbluelady wrote: I was at the game. We didn't get there until right before tip off, so I don't know about before the game. But I remember when the team came out at half time thinking, if the team is half as flat as the crowd...we're in trouble. I could not understand it. :? I could hear people scream things like, shoot it!...Tubby, put___(take your pick) in!...Tubby, take___(take your pick) out!...you're ____(take your pick of insults). At other times it was deafening quiet. It was depressing beyond belief. The crowd at Rupp has been very anxious most of the season. While that is not by far this team's biggest problem, it can't help.

poodoo, I was cheering loud too. I felt like I was in a vacum.




Even before the game, it was nothing like it usually is on Senior Day (or at least the few times I had been there in the past), bleedbluelady. Like you, I could not understand it. :(I had seen Rupp like that for some non-ranked, non-conference opponents, but I had not seen it like that for such a HUGE game. I got the feeling that some fans do not love and support their Cats as enthusiastically when they have not met their expectations, and that was not a good feeling. While I, too, have been most disappointed and frustrated with this team at times this season, I felt much more positive after the performance against the #11 Vols in Knoxville and was thus more surprised with fans' lack of enthusiasm for this game. :(

As I said, Tubby seemed displeased as he mentioned the eerie quietness after Florida's doing something well or our doing something poor, which players can sense AND seemed relieved that they would not be playing in Rupp anymore this season. Also as I said, may that be a really good thing, of course! GO CATS! BEAT OLE MISS! :)