John Clay’s Sidelines

Mostly positive response to the Billy Gillispie tactics column, but there were a couple of quibbles.

Mary wrote:

It is very sad that you and Jerry Tipton are obsessed with our former coach. Now though you have printed a story that will serve to humiliate Josh Harrellson in future. In your zeal to tell yet another tale about Billy Gillispie ( not at all new news) you have now confirmed in print an humiliating incident.

I have worked with young people for many years. The student who says “it does not matter”..or ” I just shrugged it off,” rarely does. We can assume that not all students have the wonderful support system like Pat Patterson does in his parents. They are truly unique. Does anyone ever reign you in when you are hurting a young totally innocent athlete? Josh is just caught in the middle of your and Tipton’s inability to find another story. Yes Josh was a victim of bullying. Yes some people knew it happened. Others heard about it. But those who saw it choose not to repeat it because they realized how hurtful it was..but not you. And as to why he confirmed it with Jerry Tipton when asked? Well many young people are so anxious to please an adult, that they will act against their own self interests in order to do so.

I find it hard to believe that you did not realize the long term consequences of printing a story like that. Everyone knows that Gillispie’s method of coaching was outdated. You did not have to humiliate a student to prove that. So the student was victimized twice..first by Gillispie and now you…. If I didn’t know better, I would think that the legal department at UK was signing your and Tipton’s paycheck.

My response: While it is unfortunate if Harrellson suffers any additional embarrassment over the episode, my feeling is that methods such as Gillispie’s should be exposed and condemned whenever possible.

Continue reading ‘E-mailbag: Reaction to Billy Gillispie column’

From the in-box, a South Carolina fan named Jason doesn’t understand why Kentucky thinks it should beat South Carolina every once in awhile:

John,

Does the Herald-Leader pay you to just write the same article every October? Except inserting 4 for 3, then 5 for 4, then 6 for 5, etc etc? Every year, you boys write that you just can’t BELIEVE that you keep losing to Carolina. (Where’s the guy that wrote that we didn’t “belong” in the SEC a few years back? Unemployed I would hope) Gee, does the fact that finishing behind us 11 of 16 years give you some clue? There is a pecking order in the SEC East–and although we’re traditionally behind UGA, UF and TENN (although not lately), we are firmly entrenched in 4th place (at least) every year–Why? because we beat you on the field, then we beat you in the standings. No fluke there–after 9 years, one would think that you KY boys could pay some respect–maybe the haughty attitude extends to your coach, then your players–and that’s one reason why we continue to own you–did Brooks really say that he doesn’t understand why we keep beating him? maybe because we have the better team?—-nahhh, that could never be the case!–He says that we’ve struggled with teams that he has beaten–really? Who? Is that why we always finish higher? Even our “evil” coach knows to give respect to the other team, even when when he beats them.
Continue reading ‘E-mailbag: Carolina fan doesn’t understand the disbelief’

As you might expect, my column this morning didn’t play real well in the Sunshine State.

Jeff answered back with the following e-mail:

Dear Gator Haters…

I was born in Florida, as was my father before me (b. 1927). My mom’s from Nashville; by your reckoning, that should mean I’m a full-blooded southerner. My uncle attended UF in the ’50s, as later did my brother and I (in the ’80s, when if we weren’t a laughing stock on the gridiron, we were getting SEC Championships stripped for cheating). But darnit, I don’t sound Southern (anybody who knows diddly about Florida knows there ain’t a drawl to be heard south of the I-4 corridor).

But know this, Gainesville is as “southern” as any other town south of the Mason-Dixon line. And we certainly make no apologies for winning. Bama wants to win? Should have won over Meyer first instead of monkeying with that southern boy, Shula (wait, he’s from Maryland). Georgia wants a better QB? Should have recruited Tebow. Heck, he’s from just outside Jacksonville - that’s about as Southern as you can get.

Lookyhere, everyone starts with the same shovel in the same raw earth when birthing a football program (ours happened to first turn dirt in 1930, 24 years after we first fielded a team - not exactly spring chickens here, wouldn’tyasay?). Where you go from there is up to you (actually, your Athletic Director, who wins the hearts and minds of a coach like Meyer, who then recruits better than the competition).

So hate my school, loathe my coach (uncharismatic as he may be), mock me for not having a drawl (that’ll be a first), even curse at me while I proudly wear my colors (trust me, I’ll be in ‘em, regardless of whether we’re 12-1 or 1-12). While you were Gator hating, we were putting that shovel back in the ground again to build a shrine to our three crystal footballs.

A couple of e-mails from two who got up on the wrong side of bed this Monday:

From Kevin:

Tennessee would be the same whether dear ole’ dad (Monte Kiffin) was there or not. Had the VOLS not fired John Chavis, he would have stayed at TN, even if his mentor and close friend Phil Fulmer had not been let go. To that end, we would still have had a top 10 defense this year.

I get a little tired of all the sports columnists at the Herald-Leader constantly taking potshots at the VOLS. You Wild-RATs fans just can seem to accept you will never have the football tradition that the VOLS will and it just eats you up doesn’t it?

Continue reading ‘E-mailbag: Bad mood Monday’

My friend Steve writes:

John,

Of all the decisions made by Mitch Barnhart during his tenure here, this one to play a meaningless NIT game at Memorial Coliseum is one of the worst. The coliseum is hallowed ground as far as I’m concerned and the final game there was a win (as it should be) against Mississippi State in 1976. To open up the record book again and for them to possibly lose to UNLV in the NIT, making that the final game played there is a disgrace.

They had the perfect “out” with the NIT people by telling them their arena was not available because of the State Tournament. If they were hell bent on playing, then they should have gone to Vegas to play. After all, they had a better record there this miserable year than they did at home. If they won in Vegas, then they could come back to Rupp for the next game.

Agree? Disagree? What say you?

Received this e-mail from a self-described Aggie, Jamie, who says we need to be more patient with Billy Gillispie.

Jamie writes:

John:

I read your column regarding Billy Clyde’s tenure at UK.

As an Aggie I can tell you Billy loves players who give it everything they have on the court. Please keep in mind Acie Law was going to quit the team during Billy’s first year at Aggieland, but his parents told him to stay and listen to his coach. Law was a First Team All American his senior year and he thanked Gillispie for helping him work harder to improve.

Coach Gillispie gets fired up for players who dive for loose balls and sacrifice themselves each and every play.  He also loves defense.

I have watched a few UK games this year and I can say I do not see these types of players on this team, and frankly I don’t see many on the current A&M team either due to a difference in philosophy with the current coach compared to Billy.

I would give Coach Gillispie two more years to prove himself.

Received several e-mails already about my column this morning arguing that UK’s inexperience showed in the clutch.

Most of the responses have the same theme: If Gillispie had been playing Darius Miller and Kevin Galloway more during the season, maybe those mistakes don’t happen.

Especially good points are made about the fact that UK’s weak non-conference scheduled afforded much opportunity for more playing time.

Click the jump to read some of the e-mails.

Continue reading ‘E-mailbag: Youth should have played more before’

A few from the in-box:

Tyler writes:

I was reading your article concerning the embarrassement of last
night’s loss and I was wondering what your feelings were about Downey
asking referee Kitts to not call a technical on Patterson and Kitts
not making the call? Shouldn’t the referee make the call based on
what he saw unfit during a play, not based on what the player on the
other team desired him to do?

Reply: A technical foul is a judgement call. Kitts just looked like he was about to call the T, when Downey went to him. I’m sure if Kitts thought it was flagrant enough, he would have rejected Downey’s request.

Bill from Somerset writes:

When’s Billy G gonna’  start takin’ the blame?

This basketball team is in shambles.  This late in the season and they’re playin’ worse now than they did
against App. State and VMI.   What happened to Billy G’s coaching prowess?   This team has shown lack
of preparation when the game’s on the line.  Billy G seems to be desperate by blaming the players more
than himself.

There is no reason for this collapse except coaching and motivation and evidently Bily G and his staff don”t have a clue as to how to rectify the situation.  How could the Cats play this badly given the talents of two of the best players in the SEC that other coaches would kill to have on their roster?  How could Billy G waste Meeks’ talent by banishing him to the bench in the second half over a pout.  This was no time to take your best and most consistent player out of the game when there was still a light glimmering at the end of the tunnel.

Why do basketball teams in the SEC and other nondescript conferences continue to take the measure
vaunted Kentucky basketball with seemingly less coaching and player talent?  Is Gillispie overmatched
in the SEC and is his coacthing style a bad fit for Kentucky?

Could there be a Horn in Kentucky’s future?

Trent writes:

I enjoy reading your articles. I`m a UK grad from the early nineties living in cinci. I wanted to express my complete frustration with the way Gillispie is running this program. Their complete lack of effort and intensity on a consistent basis is disrespectful to this university and unfair to the fans. This coach will not make any adjustments to better the team, or give players fair opportunities at playing time (ie Harrelson) I truly believe guys do not want to play for him and it`s really starting to show. I can see a mass exodus at years end through transfers and early exits. What`s your OBJECTIVE opinion? Also, these halftime interviews with Jeannine Edwards

Are embarrassing to the program. Will he ever get a clue. I hope things can get turned around, but I believe this coach is his own worst enemy.

Continue reading ‘E-mailbag: More venting about the Cats’

Updated with “Nancy,” which I had to include.

P. writes:

Why don’t you stop being a little Nancy.  How’s that for sexism.  As if Gillispie is the only coach to give a ditzy, field reporter a hard time in half-time interviews.  Urban Meyer comes to mind…I could go on and on.  Edwards asks long –winded, poorly delivered questions.  Questions should be short questions…their pointless anyways.  How about devoting your energy towards supportive articles about our Coach and team.

Time to open up the old e-mailbag, which finds the inbox full of Billy Gillispie:

Philip writes:

The only thing thats a tired act is your boring articles.  Billy G did nothing wrong, he didn’t hear the lady and he said he was sorry after he didn’t hear what she had said.

Rob agrees:

The only act that’s tiresome is people like you incessantly whining about Coach Gillespie’s halftime comments.  I wish you guys would get over it already.  It wasn’t that big of a deal.

R.S. writes:

One hail Mary a team does not make!

Russell writes:

John we had some good talks last year on Billy G,i defended him alot and i still think that he will win alot of games at UK but at what expense? For once im in agreement with you on his attitude,Mitch cannot allow this coach to belittle people on tv radio ect, i have lost alot of respect for this man, John i think if we go 32-3 we will still be unhappy because of this mans attitude and will still be asking ourselves is this the face we want representing this university!  It should be more than wins or losses.

Ed from Tulsa writes:

My vote for Billy G as a coach is still in the “undecided” category.  He can continue with is interview conduct but what goes around, comes around.  Some highly sought-after recruit’s Mom will let Billy G know in no uncertain terms why she doesn’t want her son learning basketball and life-after-basketball lessons from BCG.

So far as the current team is concerned, at halftime last night I told my wife Casey Stengel’s famous quote: “Can’t anyone here play this game?”  But with the performance of the underachievers in the second half — a more or less positive performance — I hope the worm has turned — or rather should
that be turned over.

Continue reading ‘E-mailbag: Debating Billy G.’

Some excerpts from the inbox:

Sheila writes:

With all do respect  I think your article about Saturdays game was untrue. A good 10 minutes is better than 40 bad minutes.  I think they played  a very good game.  Especially Liggins and Stephenson  who had a very good game.  Meeks and Patterson always have a good game.  The Cats  started coming around the last few minutes of the 1st  half.  A win is a  win whether it be  by 25 points  or 1 point.   I thought we pplayed a great game, one of the best I’ve seen in a while. So don’t be so hard on the Wildcats  all the time.  You seem to always have something negitive to say about the Wildcats.

Ray writes:

Took awhile getting started but then they  really went to work on Vandy.  Sadly, they seemed not to know what to do with a big lead and frittered it away.  It looks as if they are coming together and the play of the other team scorers was encouraging.  Now, if Billy Bob can cure that let down, they can cut a wide swath in the SEC.

The last three years of Ky football have resulted in 23-l6 over all record, about 59%.  Without the bowl games the percentage is 55%.  And you guys are wild about them.  I don’t know how long coach has to go at that rate to bring his over all record to 50%, a thousand years?  Tennessee canned Fulmer.

Michael writes:

I’m pretty tired of the media harping on a third scorer for UK……….what is wrong with Harris 12, Stevenson 10, Porter 8 & Harrellson 5?……….that’s 35 points on a day that Meeks & Patterson are well below their averages………… pretty good contribution to me!!!