Boo birds show up early this season

[Radiated]

COACHES PREACH PATIENCE BUT WONDER WHETHER BOOING DISCOURAGES A TEAM OR MOTIVATES IT

It took two games for a noisy segment of Kentucky fans to change Big Blue to big boo.

Boos and grumbles could be heard repeatedly during UK's 84-68 loss to Gardner-Webb in Game 2 of the Billy Gillispie era.

As Gillispie noted in his post-game news conference, you could not miss the boos. Gardner-Webb Coach Rick Scruggs certainly didn't.

"I told my assistant, I'm just glad they're not booing us," he said. "It sort of surprised me. It surprised me they left early."

http://www.kentucky.com/276/story/227646.html

[scfcats]

"Every time you boo, you're sort of killing yourself," Scruggs said. "If they truly bleed blue, they shouldn't be booing their own players."

:thumbup:

[scfcats]

That article was a good read. Something I don't normally expect from Jerry.

Real class by Joe B, and Mitch to GW in that article. Lot of interesting quotes by a lot of coaches about the booing issue.

[Gunsmoke]

I tend to agree with Bilas that the boos were for the lousy uninspired play than at the players themselves. Even though there is no way to distinguish between the two unless all of the boobirds come on here and tell what their reasons were.

[Got_Billie_G?]

I tend to agree with Bilas that the boos were for the lousy uninspired play than at the players themselves. Even though there is no way to distinguish between the two unless all of the boobirds come on here and tell what their reasons were.


You're right, there is no way for them to tell a difference...and since the players are the ones on the floor giving the "uninspired play", then they ARE booing the players, which is disgusting...

[Mark Blueblood]

I tend to agree with Bilas that the boos were for the lousy uninspired play than at the players themselves. Even though there is no way to distinguish between the two unless all of the boobirds come on here and tell what their reasons were.

I would never argue that this is not the case. However, I remain firm in my belief it's a classless, and uncalled for, action. To say I strongly oppose booing your own team is an understatement.

However, as someone pointed out - this was a very good article. Thumbs up to Joe B. and Mitch for the class they showed.

[kydingbat]

Maybe it's my age, but I think booing is just rude....that's why I stay home to watch the games, I can cuss all I want and not offend anyone, lol!

[poodoo]

But you have to wonder if any other fan group would boo in a game their team won by 29 points. That happened in 1997 when Mississippi State threw long passes over UK's press for layups on back-to-back possessions.
"That's about the first time in eight years the fans booed one of my teams," then-UK Coach Rick Pitino said at the time. "I don't think it bothered me as much as surprised me. I never heard college fans boo a team. I've heard it in professional basketball."
Pitino sidestepped a question about whether the boos were justified.
Former Kentucky player and athletic director C.M. Newton said college fans are always wrong to boo.
"I don't care how much the ticket cost or the money you pay for priority seating," he said. "That, to me, is bush league."
For the unhappy fan only concerned with victories or defeats, there's the thought that booing does not help. It might be healthy to vent, but the boos can discourage the team.
"Every time you boo, you're sort of killing yourself," Scruggs said. "If they truly bleed blue, they shouldn't be booing their own players." QUOTE
***************

Great read. Too, everyone already knows I strongly agree with the thoughts expressed here.

Like Mark, I also applaud Barnhart's seeking out Gardner Webb's coach and congratulating him. I am not at all surprised he did just that.

[JayB]

RP quote":

"I don't think it bothered me as much as surprised me. I never heard college fans boo a team. I've heard it in professional basketball."


He knows a heck of alot about being booed in the NBA now lol:p

[Catdaddy24]

Allot of people out there validate the booing because the team and style on the floor that night was making Kentucky Basketball look bad. As if it was some sort of family business being desecrated. I am a very True Blue Die Hard fan and all but come on.... The Boos are just not right or just. As I have said before, this is what gives UK fans a bad name. It also puts a cloud over the name Kentucky Wildcats. Just like B. Bonds, KY Basketball is starting to be the Basketball program with an Asterisk. *-Great program with annoying fan base that cries over spilled milk. I dont know about anyone else, but as a fan I really dont want my team to be made fun of or known as the the great team with an asterisk because of some wacked so called fans. Its these so-called fans that bring the negative publicity to our program. Thats just not cool..

[Gunsmoke]

Hearing the boos on the tube so loudly was just plain sickening and makes us as look like a bunch of pampered, over-the-top etc etc etc fanatics. It was just plain wrong and is terrible for the image of the program which we have a lousy reputation as anyway.

[Mark Blueblood]

Hearing the boos on the tube so loudly was just plain sickening and makes us as look like a bunch of pampered, over-the-top etc etc etc fanatics. It was just plain wrong and is terrible for the image of the program which we have a lousy reputation as anyway.

Agreed.

I love the excuse that when you boo it shows you have "passion" - whatever that means. Well...I guess so does beating your wife - but that doesn't make it right.

[RaleighCat]

Alright, enough is enough. Have you looked up from your sanctimonious keyboarding to notice WE'RE THE ONLY ONES TALKING ABOUT THE BOOING???

Debate is OK to a point. You're not going to change my mind about it, and I'm not going to change your mind. And that's cool with me.

But please get over yourself on how much of a "black eye" it gives the Kentucky program (and our fans). NO ONE in the national media is talking about it. Even our "friend" Andy Katz had a chance to take a shot at UK for the boos- but didn't. Here's what Katz said about us this week:
"Kentucky: Gardner-Webb. And, add in 14 days to sit and stew about the loss for Billy Clyde before Liberty comes to town. Can't imagine those practices are too much fun."
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=3106251&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos2

Maybe he brings it up again, but who knows. Other than Jerry Tipton, who's making an issue out of this?
Those boos left the atsmophere half-a-second after they were uttered. There is no fallout. There is no grand conspiracy. There is no crime against humanity here.

I defend the boo birds only because I don't see any great harm in it. Please don't equate booing a college basketball team to wife beating. Come on, that's ludacris. I consider that hyperbole as offensive as you do the booing.

[Catligula]

I defend the boo birds only because I don't see any great harm in it.

I'm not sure that's true, but what irritates me the most about it is that it really isn't the majority of fans doing the booing. We have so many great fans and yet the very vocal minority is who will define or fanbase. Its just a gross misrepresentation.

[Adolph Rollingover]

The boos will stop once we realize we are not that darn good. Crawford and Bradley have more double digit losses on their resume than any other two players combined. At some point, we will all realize this was a very bad four year class.

[UKfaninCO]

The boos will stop once we realize we are not that darn good. Crawford and Bradley have more double digit losses on their resume than any other two players combined. At some point, we will all realize this was a very bad four year class.

I'm not one for booing anyone, that's just not me. This is not a very good team yet. It may never be with some of the personnel shortcomings we have. Ramel and Joe should be much better than they are. They play stupid basketball. Alex, Patrick and Jodie are the stars of this team but they are still very young and very green. Ramon, AJ, and Williams will be solid role players once they have a couple seasons under their belts. We need Derrick back in the worst way. Ramel is not a point guard and he can't even pretend to be one. Joe couldn't lead a horse to water. I don't know if BCG can do anything with them or not, but I'd almost rather not have them and really take some lumps then have them play stupid. A lot of athletes on this team but not a lot of BBall IQ.

[Adolph Rollingover]

I agree. Look at what Rich Brooks was able to do with a freshman class by the time they were Seniors. Let the young guys learn by fire.

[scfcats]

Please don't equate booing a college basketball team to wife beating. Come on, that's ludacris. I consider that hyperbole as offensive as you do the booing.

I agree with that statement.

The rest thought I don't agree with. If the national media isn't focusing on it who cares? It still is a problem with the fans, players, and culture surrounding the program.

Like RP I don't remember any boos prior to 96 NC. Maybe that was it, we pulled for these guys until they got back on top. Because they had come a long way, and we were not going to boo them because we wanted them to succeed. After 96 though, we got "expectations".

I just don't see how booing your own team off your own floor motivates them to do well the next time. Rupp feels like a large glass house sometimes. The players look timid out there, and it seems like they are afraid to screw up in front of the home crowd. I believe Chuck or some player mentioned how they dreaded fan reaction after a home loss.

Its bad, these guys don't want to let us down. GW was a bad loss, but stunned silence would have been better for the players I think.

[caliparifan]

Every time you boo at the cat's you kill an angel.....

[RaleighCat]

The players look timid out there, and it seems like they are afraid to screw up in front of the home crowd. I believe Chuck or some player mentioned how they dreaded fan reaction after a home loss.

Its bad, these guys don't want to let us down. GW was a bad loss, but stunned silence would have been better for the players I think.

I think our players being afraid to screw up has more to do with the previous coach who had a very short leash on certain players over the past few years. OTS was notorious for yanking a player after one mistake, instead of letting them play through it.

Practically everyone on this current squad has praised BCG for the "clean slate" policy he installed. Mark Coury is a prime example. Joe Crawford is as well, considering he hasn't started a contest yet as our leading returning scorer. No one has looked afraid to screw up so far. It's only been four games.

[WildcatMountaineer]

I've got a good remedy for getting people to stop booing.



Don't lose to Gardner Webb. :)

[bluecat60]

Hey guys, this is my first post on here. I have enjoyed this forum. I was shocked at how our players kind of laid down near the end of the game with GW. I hope we don't give up as easy next time. Go Cats!

[JayB]

Hey guys, this is my first post on here. I have enjoyed this forum. I was shocked at how our players kind of laid down near the end of the game with GW. I hope we don't give up as easy next time. Go Cats!


Welcome. And I agree.