(When I think of UK basketball I envision this man, Mr. Wildcat Bill Keightley)While tonight's win is ultimately just another W on the long trail to this season's ultimate goal, (a Final Four) to all UK fans, it is much more. Tonight's win is a landmark victory in the long running history of the greatest college basketball program in America, and is a symbol of a tradition of excellence that has been taking place at the University of Kentucky for over 100 years.
UK has certainly had its ups and downs. We fought through the Eddie Sutton era and NCAA sanctions that followed. We watched as Billy Gillispie made a mockery of our program. We've endured through the racial stabs at Rupp, and are constantly listening to the corruption jabs at Calipari. We've enjoyed the Comeback Cats, the Untouchables, and the Unforgetables. We've cheered for greats such as Dan Issle, Kenny Walker, Mike Pratt, Jake "Goose" Givens, Rex Chapman, Sam Bowie, Jamal Mashburn, Tony Delk, Tayshaun Prince, Keigh Bogans, and Patrick Patterson... among others. We've watched some of the best basketball minds to exist in Rupp, Hall, Pitino, and Smith lead us to championships. To sit here and attempt to summarize the history of the UK program would be an impossible task. One thing that is not impossible however is to recognize the constant factor that has been present from the beginning to the present: the fans.
A lot of terms are used when describing UK fans: Obsessive, Crazy, Passionate, Over-bearing, Knowledgeable, etc. Say what you want about us, but we are behind this program with a passion and heart that is unmatched. Constantly leading the nation in attendance the UK fans put the Jayhawk fans, the Cameron Crazies, and the wannabe's in Chapel Hill to shame. We travel across the nation to support the team and are constantly turning road games into home games. Madison Square Garden becoming Rupp Arena north a couple weeks ago is a perfect example that the Big Blue Nation truely is an amazing group of fans.
So while this win is a symbol of the history and tradition of the program, it should be looked as a compliment to the fans. Players will come and go. Coaches will come and go. Eras will come and go. The fans will always be here. The passion will always be here. And in forty years when we are celebrating win number 3,000 we will be able to look back at the history and smile. We can share stories with our friends and families about teams of the past. We can discuss and argue about the future, and we can appreciate the one constant and sure advantage that UK basketball will ALWAYS have over every other program in the nation.. the fans.
Big Blue Nation, this win is for you! Enjoy it!
Brian "proud member of the Big Blue Nation" Reinhart
UK has certainly had its ups and downs. We fought through the Eddie Sutton era and NCAA sanctions that followed. We watched as Billy Gillispie made a mockery of our program. We've endured through the racial stabs at Rupp, and are constantly listening to the corruption jabs at Calipari. We've enjoyed the Comeback Cats, the Untouchables, and the Unforgetables. We've cheered for greats such as Dan Issle, Kenny Walker, Mike Pratt, Jake "Goose" Givens, Rex Chapman, Sam Bowie, Jamal Mashburn, Tony Delk, Tayshaun Prince, Keigh Bogans, and Patrick Patterson... among others. We've watched some of the best basketball minds to exist in Rupp, Hall, Pitino, and Smith lead us to championships. To sit here and attempt to summarize the history of the UK program would be an impossible task. One thing that is not impossible however is to recognize the constant factor that has been present from the beginning to the present: the fans.
A lot of terms are used when describing UK fans: Obsessive, Crazy, Passionate, Over-bearing, Knowledgeable, etc. Say what you want about us, but we are behind this program with a passion and heart that is unmatched. Constantly leading the nation in attendance the UK fans put the Jayhawk fans, the Cameron Crazies, and the wannabe's in Chapel Hill to shame. We travel across the nation to support the team and are constantly turning road games into home games. Madison Square Garden becoming Rupp Arena north a couple weeks ago is a perfect example that the Big Blue Nation truely is an amazing group of fans.
So while this win is a symbol of the history and tradition of the program, it should be looked as a compliment to the fans. Players will come and go. Coaches will come and go. Eras will come and go. The fans will always be here. The passion will always be here. And in forty years when we are celebrating win number 3,000 we will be able to look back at the history and smile. We can share stories with our friends and families about teams of the past. We can discuss and argue about the future, and we can appreciate the one constant and sure advantage that UK basketball will ALWAYS have over every other program in the nation.. the fans.
Big Blue Nation, this win is for you! Enjoy it!
Brian "proud member of the Big Blue Nation" Reinhart
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