Jerry Tipton or Billie Gillispie

[Doctor Zhivago]

http://www.kentucky.com/276/story/325377.html

Jerry Tipton is a supposed (by himself) objective journalist who is a beat writer covering the Kentucky Wildcats basketball program - from the Lexington Herald Leader. He has distinguished his style as opposing the coaches and the program, in most cases. In this UK fan's opinion, Jerry Tipton has no passion for the program and that is a sad fact. In the above LHL article, he brings up ex-player quote after ex-player quote to demean coach Gillispie's style. In the end the coach has a little say in Tipton's article, but it is so much more than Tipton's article had in mind. Tipton is a journalist typist with an agenda. I am merely a UK fan-typist with an agenda to support the program I love with as much support as I can offer.

Sam aka SamKat

I have to admit, I used to love the Herald Leader for stories and articles about my wildcats. It was a great source for information about the team, the schedule, the game last night, the game tomorrow, etc.

But lately, it is getting OLD! It seems all of the articles, well at least the articles by Jerry Tipton, are about Gillispie and how he is bad .... Tipton has an agenda, and it is to make Gillispie look bad to the public, and he writes, imagines, and/or assumes anything he can think of to raise an eyebrow and make Coach look bad.

This article today is a bunch of junk. Who cares??? We all covered the Legion deal back in December when he left. NOW, we have a walk-on leave, and Tipton is making a federal offense of it. He brings the Legionaire's disease back up. He tries to open other wounds. He has quotes from Legion's mother (who cares?????) He says that Mills said he didn't want to be a part of a program headed by a man who "tries to make you feel smaller than him." I mean come on, this quote is from a walk on who is what .... 5 feet tall? He wouldn't have even been a walk on if the team had enough players to field a complete roster and had a complete set of B team players to field a 'practice' squad to practice against. And forgetting about walk-ons, if the players are getting a "free ride" to college and a potential future NBA career ... they should plan to have to work for it. As Gillispie is quoted in the article as saying "What are you prepared to do" to get there?

Then Tipton gets into the part at the end where he almost tries to insinuate that Gillispie could be almost abusive, almost physically threatening to his players. Tipton apparently specifically asked Mills if Gillispie had been physically abusive to teh players, and Mills responded "No, no, no, no, no. I truly believe Billie Gillispie would never physically touch a player". I mean come on Tipton .... who are you to make charges like this. What gives you the right to make allegations and print articles like this?

It is things like this, and articles like this, that will hurt UK's chances and image on the recruiting trail. It is articles like this that make UK look bad on a national media perception. It is things like this that will eventually make Gillispie say 'enough is enough' and go somewhere else. People talk about the obsessive fans at UK .... fans are nothing compared with a reporter with an agenda who gets national spotlight.

I for one, and sick and tired of Jerry Tipton. Does everything he write have to be bad?????????/

I want to suggest that we start an email campaign to get Jerry Tipton fired. We need to flow the Herald Leaders system with email and letters complaining about Tipton and get him to slow down!

Come on everyone, lets start sending email. For every email we send to Tipton, send a copy to the editor to put the heat on....

email addresses:

Jerry Tipton
JTIPTON@HERALD-LEADER.COM (JTIPTON@HERALD-LEADER.COM)

Austin, Linda ... Editor
859-231-3221
laustin@herald-leader.com (laustin@herald-leader.com)

Eblen, Tom ... Managing Editor
859-231-1415
teblen@herald-leader.com (teblen@herald-leader.com)


Who's with me? Let get this started and get this clown fired!!!!

[Catligula]

I agree with the sentiment, but if you want to get rid of Tipton you need to stop reading his articles. Don't subscribe to the paper, don't read the website, don't give them advertisement hits. Popularity, good or bad, will assure his position forever.

Writing them an angry letter will just be confirmation of all the UK fans that just can't help themselves but read this man's words every day. The people at the Herald-Leader don't care how they get the hits, so long as they get them.

[ChrisB60]

He simply sucks. I just dont care for him whatsoever. Good thing I dont subscribe to the LHL, I think I would let my cat or dog poop on his face daily

[UKBOO]

I quit readig the LHL for the longest time. I picked back up, since I thought things would change. Well, they have to a small degree. Instead of writing trash about the players, they now write trash about the coach AND the players.

I had hoped for a change..

[ChrisB60]

I quit readig the LHL for the longest time. I picked back up, since I thought things would change. Well, they have to a small degree. Instead of writing trash about the players, they now write trash about the coach AND the players.

I had hoped for a change..

And that is why people consistently bad mouth it and call it a second class paper. I am not asking for pulitzer prize winners, but I would like some fairness

[UKBOO]

And that is why people consistently bad mouth it and call it a second class paper. I am not asking for pulitzer prize winners, but I would like some fairness

Exactly. They sould have one guy assigned to nothing but feel good stuff if they want to keep letting this guy hack. I do want to know the big issues, good or bad. But there is a lot of good that is skipped over day in and day out.

[ChrisB60]

The LHL is a step down and the story about Gilliespie giving that money to that lady was overlooked in my opinion and Tipton obviously forgets about that, yet a former WALK-ON gets two days worth of columns. Frankly the way Dusty mills is trying to throw Coach G under the bus makes me think him possibly getting cussed out was a good thing

[UKBOO]

The LHL is a step down and the story about Gilliespie giving that money to that lady was overlooked in my opinion and Tipton obviously forgets about that, yet a former WALK-ON gets two days worth of columns. Frankly the way Dusty mills is trying to throw Coach G under the bus makes me think him possibly getting cussed out was a good thing

I've deserved a good cussing for far less. And I got it. Not in high school but in college.

[Catligula]

I'd be willing to put money on it that Mills will come to regret his conversations with Jerry Tipton.

[ChrisB60]

I'd be willing to put money on it that Mills will come to regret his conversations with Jerry Tipton.

No doubt about it. Im sure people are calling him out for it right now. Big mistake bud!

[RP_McMurphy]

One thing in life is even you move on in life you don't burn bridges. Seperate and move on but leave with class and dignity. Mills did not do that and what could have been a great job networking contact in the future is now gone.

[ChrisB60]

One thing in life is even you move on in life you don't burn bridges. Seperate and move on but leave with class and dignity. Mills did not do that and what could have been a great job networking contact in the future is now gone.

That stuff he should have kept to himself and close friends, not airing the dirty laundry out to the media. Besides, he was on a day to day contract. Who really cares?

[matt colvin]

One thing in life is even you move on in life you don't burn bridges. Seperate and move on but leave with class and dignity. Mills did not do that and what could have been a great job networking contact in the future is now gone.

That's true RP.

[twincat]

Chris, I happen to agree with you 100%. And I'm sure that the greatest majority of fans do also. However, I'm afraid that such a campaign will be exactly what the LHL wants. They are in business to sell papers. It's not part of their corporate mission to be supportive (or most likely anti) to the UK sports programs. I suspect that many readers can't wait to get the next article by Tipton "to see what that a**hole has written about the Cats this time". The only thing that would likely get Tipton fired would be a "Dan Ratherish" type attack on a UK coach where he manufactured details or ignored evidence to the contrary of details in one of his articles. And, even in the face of that, I'm not sure it would result in his dismissal. You can be sure Tipton's superiors are aware of his bias and if it really bothered them, we would have seen evidence of it. I have long suspected that guerilla tactics by some members of the media toward specific teams may actually be contrived just to spur readership. Maybe someone on this board can shed some "inside observations" on this subject. If memory serves me correctly, didn't the journalist who printed damaging evidence in UK's "recent unpleasantness" with the NCAA get a Pulitzer (or similar) award for his contribution?

[cnice11]

I personally dont think its wrong to be rough on players. I think its good for them, as long as its not racial. I think its a good message to send to these guys, not only as players but as people that whatever you want in life, you are going to have to work for it. Also, I think a lot of people have worked for people that they dont like personally. Who cares if you like him or not. Is he making the players and the team better? Thats all I think should matter. And me, I think they are getting better. So, forget about Tipton,he should either get on board and support billy g or just shut up.

[ChrisB60]

Chris, I happen to agree with you 100%. And I'm sure that the greatest majority of fans do also. However, I'm afraid that such a campaign will be exactly what the LHL wants. They are in business to sell papers. It's not part of their corporate mission to be supportive (or most likely anti) to the UK sports programs. I suspect that many readers can't wait to get the next article by Tipton "to see what that a**hole has written about the Cats this time". The only thing that would likely get Tipton fired would be a "Dan Ratherish" type attack on a UK coach where he manufactured details or ignored evidence to the contrary of details in one of his articles. And, even in the face of that, I'm not sure it would result in his dismissal. You can be sure Tipton's superiors are aware of his bias and if it really bothered them, we would have seen evidence of it. I have long suspected that guerilla tactics by some members of the media toward specific teams may actually be contrived just to spur readership. Maybe someone on this board can shed some "inside observations" on this subject. If memory serves me correctly, didn't the journalist who printed damaging evidence in UK's "recent unpleasantness" with the NCAA get a Pulitzer (or similar) award for his contribution?

Thank you. I think there are some who would love to see BCG fail honestly and would do anything in their power to make that happen. I do think though there was an incident of BCG calling out Tipton or something earlier in the season, can anyone elaborate on this?

[jdeasy]

My high school coach was Bobby Knightish. Maybe even moreso since we couldn't transfer. I doubt if he would be allowed to coach high basketball today because he was so strict and demanding.

Most of us hated him at the time. It took me until I was about 25 years old to realize how much of a positive impact he had had on my life.

I know I've spoken to my former teammates about it and they all feel the same way now. We wouldn't have wanted to play for any other coach.

[Ukosumu]

I'm glad I don't subscribe the LHL but if I did I would cancel it.

Maybe I should subscribe and then cancel. On second thought, that would be too much work, so I will just pretend I cancelled and not give this guy the time of day.

[Matt Dillon]

I've heard that the more you stir manure, the worse it stinks. People contacting the H-L and getting on these sites and posting ad nauseam just keeps it alive. If people would ignore stuff like this it would die a quiet and quick death. Instead, people are keeping the very thing alive they say they wish had not happened in the first place. Just my opinion, of course.

[Buck_Naked]

I agree with the sentiment, but if you want to get rid of Tipton you need to stop reading his articles. Don't subscribe to the paper, don't read the website, don't give them advertisement hits. Popularity, good or bad, will assure his position forever.

Writing them an angry letter will just be confirmation of all the UK fans that just can't help themselves but read this man's words every day. The people at the Herald-Leader don't care how they get the hits, so long as they get them.

LOL, as a Conservative Republican I have absolutely no problem staying away from the Herald-Liberal, uh, Leader... :tongue3:...been doing it for years!!!;)

[ontheroadto8]

LOL, as a Conservative Republican I have absolutely no problem staying away from the Herald-Liberal, uh, Leader... :tongue3:...been doing it for years!!!;)

Amen! Print media is dying a slow death in this country anyway. The real talent has already moved on...one need look no further than the former beacon of journalistic integrity The New York Times. Wow, have they lost all credibility or what? Enjoy the sinking ship Tipton...BTW nice career gameplanning!

[Stucat]

Jerry Tipton won a Pulitizer prize for the stories he did on UK's getting put on probation back in 1989. I always thought that Tipton didn't like the UK Wildcats then and nothing he has done since has changed my mind. He detested Pitino because Pitino wouldn't give him the time of day. He didn't really like Tubby Smith either but he tried to be more careful how he approached Tubby and his coaching.

[JWORLD]

One thing in life is even you move on in life you don't burn bridges. Seperate and move on but leave with class and dignity. Mills did not do that and what could have been a great job networking contact in the future is now gone.



Nothing funny about losing to Vandy by 41pts. I say to hell with Mills and Tipton.

[Matt Dillon]

Nothing funny about losing to Vandy by 41pts. I say to hell with Mills and Tipton.

This misinformation has been posted on here time and again. If you'll read the article, or re-read it if you've already read it, you'll see that nowhere does it say he was laughing during the Vandy game.

[BigBlue84]

I believe i have to agree with coach G on this matter. Not that I'm very old now, but when I was younger and in high school and so on, i was your normal average teenager, a good kid but lacked much discipline. You can't create a superstar out of someone on talent alone, you have to instill a very tough mental discipline as well. We have all seen superstar talents fizzle out quick because they were absolute nutcases. Anyway, my point is, I'm currently in the Marines and have been for 5 years now. When I first joined and went through boot camp and all that, I thought what the hell have I got myself into, these drill instructors are crazy, making me do all of these things, and exercising all day long everyday. Not only that, but all of the mind games they play with you. And for a kid that had never done that before and had never been tested like that before, I hated it. but the more I matured and saw the bigger picture, the better I became. As a person and Marine. I totally support coaches mentality (at least what it seems to be) on being tough on his players. Coach G is going to drive some guys away I'm sure of it, because some kids aren't going to be able to handle it. And if they can't, no matter how well they shoot or dribble, they don't need to be at UK. A lot of coaches can win 20 games a year, but not many coaches can teach their players how to be champions, and mentally outplay their opponents. Now coach obviously hasn't won any championships yet, but I like his style. I believe he has what it takes. Just my 2 cents.

[bleedblue79]

I became aware and started my love affair with UK Basketball in 1966. I was a mere child but vividly remember my parents excitement during, and disappointment at the end of the Rupp's Runt season. The reason I say this is to show I do have a few years perspective on UK Coaches and teams.

I don't believe that when Coach Rupp was here, or even Joe B, that the dismissal of a walk on from the team would have garnered more than a paragraph blurb in the newspaper. Now Coach G is in the middle of a firestorm for the same action. Have past UK Coaches not been demanding on their players? Have the walls of Memorial, Rupp, the new practice facility not heard the echos of cursing and sarcasm as former UK teams practiced and developed?

I know some of our members have read a little book that was written many years ago called "Rupp From Both Ends of the Bench". It was written, if memory serves me by Vernon Hatton and Dan Chandler. I can't seem to find my copy to make quotes but it describes Coach Rupp and his handling of the players in vivid detail. If Coach G's actions in dismissing a walk on player from the team have caused this much gnashing of teeth among the politically correct of the press and fanbase, what in the world would they have done with Coach Rupp? He spared no sarcasm or curse word when coaching his team and he was a dictator in every sense of the word when it came to his Empire. He was the MAN. Period. End of discussion. He was also a winner.

It never ceases to amaze me, the world we live in.

GO BIG BLUE!!!

[Will Lavender]

This misinformation has been posted on here time and again. If you'll read the article, or re-read it if you've already read it, you'll see that nowhere does it say he was laughing during the Vandy game.

This is true, but the original article did suggest that Mills and Williams had been disciplined for laughing during the Vandy game.

[Matt Dillon]

This is true, but the original article did suggest that Mills and Williams had been disciplined for laughing during the Vandy game.

I must not have seen the original article.

[Will Lavender]

I must not have seen the original article.

Tipton's changed quite a few things -- and added quite a few details -- since the story originally broke.

[Matt Dillon]

I think the advent of the internet has changed things a lot. Things that once upon a time not many people would have known about, are now common knowledge among vast numbers of people.

[UKKITTY]

I think the advent of the internet has changed things a lot. Things that once upon a time not many people would have known about, are now common knowledge among vast numbers of people.


Couldn't agree more. :thumbup:

[BALou]

Yes, the version of the original article posted late on Tues was not the same version that most got to read on Wed. I believe Tipton was a little quick to put his breaking news article out into the world, and an editor may have requested that he actually do his job to be as factual, accurate, and fair as possible. Something that Tipton has problems with even on his best day.

I was actually banned from the LHL discussion board sometime yesterday for this post:


"I am willing to agree that I may be coming off as unfair to Dusty, since I already had determined that Tipton was taking advantage of him. My opinion of his whining and immaturity is based on the fact that he is even talking to Tipton, and in trying to figure out what Dusty's goal was in talking to the press. To me the only reason is to deflect any responsibility for his own actions, and to get back at BCG. That to me is whiny and immature. We will never know both sides of the story, so it's really all speculation anyway, but you're right that we shouldn't be too hard on Dusty. He's a kid...Tipton is supposed to be the adult. Notice that the Courier Journal refused any real coverage, because this is all a storm in a teacup. Tipton smelled blood, and unfortunately I think the only one that is going to suffer from this is Dusty's image.
I agree with your response to Lit. What Lit got out of the article has been said before and already stated by Tipton much earlier in the season. This article to me is just a continuation of using Dusty to paint a negative picture of BCG."

I think it was because I called Tipton an adult. :icon_rolleyes:


Censorship on a newspaper discussion board.....:shrug1:



No great loss, since I had already moved to this great board because of LACK of any monitoring on that board. Funny what the LHL defines as obscene. :icon_mrgreen:

[dwarfdorin]

I haven't read the article nor do I intend to. My take on what aI am hearing is that a walk-on who didn't step foot on the couet except for time-outs all season long has something to say. IMO, he has no business saying anything unless it was that He was glad to have the opportunity to practice with the CATS all year long.

:widcat::widcat: Go CATS!!!

[allnet]

I am sorry I read this thread. I don't think it reflects to well on us as fans and it looks like the kind of threads that made me quit going on the other boards.

G should not get a free pass on this, nor should there be the great effort, demonstrated by some on this board to make excuses for him and rip the kid. I cannot think of one objection to the head coach cutting a walkon if he felt it was in the teams best interest or the kid was causing problems. And in this case I think there is plenty of latitude for G to come to that decision here.

Still, the fact remains, he didn't need to do it in the manner he did. I am guessing, only guessing that his behaviour was so far out, Mills couldn't even believe it and that is why he commented. If it had been quiet, respectful and goodbye, I believe from what Mills said he would still have enjoyed the experience greatly. He did mention that he felt privileged.

I am not looking forward to any type of repetition of this kind of story about the head coach at KY, regardless of how many he wins.

[BALou]

I am sorry I read this thread. I don't think it reflects to well on us as fans and it looks like the kind of threads that made me quit going on the other boards.

G should not get a free pass on this, nor should there be the great effort, demonstrated by some on this board to make excuses for him and rip the kid. I cannot think of one objection to the head coach cutting a walkon if he felt it was in the teams best interest or the kid was causing problems. And in this case I think there is plenty of latitude for G to come to that decision here.

Still, the fact remains, he didn't need to do it in the manner he did. I am guessing, only guessing that his behaviour was so far out, Mills couldn't even believe it and that is why he commented. If it had been quiet, respectful and goodbye, I believe from what Mills said he would still have enjoyed the experience greatly. He did mention that he felt privileged.

I am not looking forward to any type of repetition of this kind of story about the head coach at KY, regardless of how many he wins.

The fact that you would automatically believe everything written in a newspaper by a columnist and a hurt teenager tells me a lot about you. There are always three types of fans. There are people that will hear nothing critical of the coach no matter what is said. There are people that feed on anything negative that is said about the coach no matter what the source. There are people that support BCG that do not think he is perfect, but can use some common sense to determine what is important and what is not in all the good and bad that is said about him.

Based on some of your other posts I think you fall into the "feed on anything negative" category. I fall into the "support BCG and don't think he's perfect" category. There were so many holes in this story. Even Tipton's colleagues were critical of him and the LHL for making this "news". Anyone with any common sense will tell you that a teenager who has been chewed out by an authority figure can create the Taj Mahal in the retelling of it, and there was Tipton to write it all down for him. Exaggeration is common when retelling a stressful event, and sometimes facts are dropped that would reflect badly upon the teller, or are twisted by a sports reporter wanting an interesting, and big story. Believe what you want about BCG, but this article told me nothing new about him. He's a tough, and demanding coach, but not the mean unfair bully portrayed in the article.

[allnet]

The fact that you would automatically believe everything written in a newspaper by a columnist and a hurt teenager tells me a lot about you. There are always three types of fans. There are people that will hear nothing critical of the coach no matter what is said. There are people that feed on anything negative that is said about the coach no matter what the source. There are people that support BCG that do not think he is perfect, but can use some common sense to determine what is important and what is not in all the good and bad that is said about him.

Based on some of your other posts I think you fall into the "feed on anything negative" category. I fall into the "support BCG and don't think he's perfect" category. There were so many holes in this story. Even Tipton's colleagues were critical of him and the LHL for making this "news". Anyone with any common sense will tell you that a teenager who has been chewed out by an authority figure can create the Taj Mahal in the retelling of it, and there was Tipton to write it all down for him. Exaggeration is common when retelling a stressful event, and sometimes facts are dropped that would reflect badly upon the teller, or are twisted by a sports reporter wanting an interesting, and big story. Believe what you want about BCG, but this article told me nothing new about him. He's a tough, and demanding coach, but not the mean unfair bully portrayed in the article.

Here's my real take on G, I don't know what we have at this point, but hope it's a great coach, and not the personality that seems to be surfacing around Lexington this year.

Here's my take on the story and Mills telling of it, had it been handled well by the coach, there wouldn't have been a story.

Here's my comment on your comments, you seem to stay at Holiday Inns every night.

[poodoo]

There are always three types of fans. There are people that will hear nothing critical of the coach no matter what is said. There are people that feed on anything negative that is said about the coach no matter what the source. There are people that support BCG that do not think he is perfect, but can use some common sense to determine what is important and what is not in all the good and bad that is said about him.



I am definitely not putting any fan here in any category. Having said that, I would surely hope that most of us here fall into that last category. That category is supporting Coach Gillispie, but at the same time realizing that he is not perfect. No coach is perfect. No human being is perfect. Too, as always, the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle. :)

Yes, Coach Gillispie, as any human, can certainly do wrong, and it is thus surely POSSIBLE that he did not perfectly handle the situation. Having said that, I note that his BOSS, Mitch Barnhart, has made it clear that he is firmly in his coach's corner. His reaction as Coach's boss matters far more than UK fans' reactions, especially since many are reactions to an original Tipton column that had merely shared the dismissed player's version of events, one that certainly COULD be biased. I personally trust our athletic director's reaction and do not fault our coach, and I still hold the view that Tipton badly erred in judgement when he chose to cover the dismissal in the matter he did.

In contrast, the CJ simply reported that walk-on Dusty Mills had been dismissed after having laughed on the bench during some UK games (seemingly when Ramel had been lying on the floor injured during the Georgia game and during the lopsided loss to Vandy) and shared the supportive comment of a Gillispie walk-on from his past, one who had fully understood Coach's reaction to a player's laughing in those situations. That surely seems to be the better reporting, in my humble opinion.

Again, like others, I had been pulling for Dusty. Naturally, may the young man have a good life. GO CATS! BEAT OLE MISS!

[scathendo]

Tipton's changed quite a few things -- and added quite a few details -- since the story originally broke.

that would explain the link not working for awhile.... i have no journalistic background - but is that ethical?

[BALou]

I am definitely not putting any fan here in any category. Having said that, I would surely hope that most of us here fall into that last category. That category is supporting Coach Gillispie, but at the same time realizing that he is not perfect. No coach is perfect. No human being is perfect. Too, as always, the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle. :)

Yes, Coach Gillispie, as any human, can certainly do wrong, and it is thus surely POSSIBLE that he did not perfectly handle the situation. Having said that, I note that his BOSS, Mitch Barnhart, has made it clear that he is firmly in his coach's corner. His reaction as Coach's boss matters far more than UK fans' reactions, especially since many are reactions to an original Tipton column that had merely shared the dismissed player's version of events, one that certainly COULD be biased. I personally trust our athletic director's reaction and do not fault our coach, and I still hold the view that Tipton badly erred in judgement when he chose to cover the dismissal in the matter he did.

In contrast, the CJ simply reported that walk-on Dusty Mills had been dismissed after having laughed on the bench during some UK games (seemingly when Ramel had been lying on the floor injured during the Georgia game and during the lopsided loss to Vandy) and shared the supportive comment of a Gillispie walk-on from his past, one who had fully understood Coach's reaction to a player's laughing in those situations. That surely seems to be the better reporting, in my humble opinion.

Again, like others, I had been pulling for Dusty. Naturally, may the young man have a good life. GO CATS! BEAT OLE MISS!

Yes, I believe the possibility exists that BCG didn't handle the situation in the most diplomatic way, but I'm not going to automatically take the word of a reporter that I already believe has a negative agenda, and rely on a hurt kid who had already been spoken to about his behavior after the UG game to give me the whole truth of an incident that happened many games later at 2 a.m. when returning from a bad road loss.

I agreed with Eric Crawford's audio blog when he said "from a sportswriters perspective you wonder how big a story this is. It's interesting and probably of great reader interest, because anything involving UK basketball is of great reader interest. At the same time, at the Courier Journal, we in the end couldn't justify burning up too much ink on a departed player who never got much ink while he was on the team. There should be some balance. It was one thing when Alex Legion left, but it's another when a guy who has seen just a few minutes of action all season is shown the door. Regardless, all this confirms something that most of us already knew. In Kentucky, basketball is no laughing matter."

I guess what I like most about BCG is that he reminds me of every favorite mentor I've ever had. This impression is of course gleaned from various sources of information since I've never met the man. I've heard all the rumors good and bad, and have ignored every one of them, because I hate the huge kindergarten whisper circle atmosphere that surrounds UK. I've heard from people that have met him, and that have personal experience with him. Most of them who were around in Rupp's time liken him to Rupp, and Coach Rupp had his own player departures, and he was no media wiz. I have read a lot of old articles quoting BCG's former teachers, coaches, and players. I agree in valuing what Mitch Barnhart says and does in support of BCG, because that is an important indicator. I like Mitch, too, and there's been some questionable stuff said about him, too.

My favorite mentors were not the sweet and gentle souls. They were the gruff, demanding, rarely complimentary, but always fair leaders. I knew I was doing something right only when absolutely nothing was being said to me, but I knew when something was being said that it was said to only make me better. I don't think any of them would have been called media darlings, or public relations gold. They were disciplinarians who had a lot of rules, and boundaries, and who demanded respect and gave me respect as long as I followed the rules, and always gave my best effort. They weren't always diplomatic, but they always cared, and they gave tough love when I needed it. They were FAR from perfect, because as you pointed out no one is perfect, but those are the mentors that I learned the most from, and who got more out of me than I ever thought I could accomplish. This is what I responded to, but not all kids do. That doesn't make the leader at fault. It doesn't mean the kid is at fault. It just means that it is a bad fit.

Until BCG does something physical to his players like Bobby Knight, or cheats like Sampson, or breaks the law, or does something that Barnhart takes exception to then I'm going to give BCG the benefit of the doubt, and not expect him to be an always gracious, happy go lucky, always say the right thing, perfect coach that will please everyone at all times. :)

[bleedbluelady]

I didn't read all the posts in this thread. I'm not going to waist my time on anything where Tipton is the subject. He's old, he's tired, he's totally irrelevant. He needs to take his social security money and go away.

[UK78ALUM]

I am not asking for pulitzer prize winners, but I would like some fairness

Are you really not aware that they did win the Pulitzer prize for reporting on UK basketball?

Secondly, those that keep insisting that Mills' removal should have been done privately with the door shut so the remaining team members couldn't hear it are totally missing the point. The lesson wasn't directed at Mills, he was already gone. They were suppsoed to hear it! That lesson was for the rest of the team. I'm betting it worked.

This type of lesson goes back to the days of Rome. Go look up the origins of "decimate". Decimate originally referred to the killing of every tenth soldier, a punishment used in the Roman army for mutinous legions. The lesson wasn't for the one killed, it was for the 9 survivors.

And those that find this over the top or unacceptable need to remember that Adolph Rupp and Bear Bryant once coached here. BCG is mild in comparison.

[Doctor Zhivago]

I didn't read all the posts in this thread. I'm not going to waist my time on anything where Tipton is the subject. He's old, he's tired, he's totally irrelevant. He needs to take his social security money and go away.


All I can say to this is ... :thumbup:

[Will Lavender]

Are you really not aware that they did win the Pulitzer prize for reporting on UK basketball?

Which could explain Tipton's constant negativity.

He might not be the grizzled old hack that we accuse him of being; could be he's just chasing the prize all the time. Literally.

[poodoo]

Which could explain Tipton's constant negativity.

He might not be the grizzled old hack that we accuse him of being; could be he's just chasing the prize all the time. Literally.

FWIW, I had had the same thought, Will. Tipton seems to be thinking that he's doing some important investigative reporting.

Again, I had had the same thought, and, still again, :thumbdn::thumbdn: to that possible chase and what it involves. GO CATS! GO COACH G!

[poodoo]

Until BCG does something physical to his players like Bobby Knight, or cheats like Sampson, or breaks the law, or does something that Barnhart takes exception to then I'm going to give BCG the benefit of the doubt, and not expect him to be an always gracious, happy go lucky, always say the right thing, perfect coach that will please everyone at all times. QUOTE by BALou
*********

Well-said, BALou. Too, it's the same benefit of the doubt given from this corner, too, no doubt. :) GO CATS! GO COACH G! BEAT OLE MISS!

[poodoo]

Secondly, those that keep insisting that Mills' removal should have been done privately with the door shut so the remaining team members couldn't hear it are totally missing the point. The lesson wasn't directed at Mills, he was already gone. They were suppsoed to hear it! That lesson was for the rest of the team. I'm betting it worked.

And those that find this over the top or unacceptable need to remember that Adolph Rupp and Bear Bryant once coached here. BCG is mild in comparison.

You may be exactly right about that, UK78ALUM. As I had shared, sometimes the door is left open to protect one's self against untrue, serious charges. Other times, though, it is indeed that one really wants others to hear. Interesting. :)

Regardless, Coach G is smart enough not to do something truly "unacceptable," as you say, with that door open. Mainly, the column should NEVER have been written, and this big-time "cusser" ;):icon_mrgreen: sees no cause for any alarm. :)

Too, in regard to the last statement, EXACTLY! In fact, I think a more recent coach can be added to the list of Rupp and Bryant, one that currently resides down the road. :icon_mrgreen: GO CATS! GO COACH G! BEAT OLE MISS!

[Doctor Zhivago]

Since Tipton is at it again, I felt obliged to bring this post forward!

:shrug1::shrug1::shrug1::shrug1:
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: