UK Football is a Joke
I said it two years ago, prior to Joker Phillips officially being named the head coach of the University of Kentucky football team and I will say it double strong now – that was a big mistake. Okay, I know that football is on the far edges of the kind of thing I normally talk about, but I am trying to get back into the habit of posting daily (and doing a better job of it than has been the case in the past). With that in mind, I thought I would get things rolling quickly with some of the easier shorter post as I work on some of the more in-depth postings for later this week and early next week. In case if you are around Lexington and have noticed, the football team at our fine university has slipped from barely above average to be the annual punching bag for everyone in the SEC once again and the blame rest squarely on the ‘Joke’ that is that is in the top coaching position.
I recall a rant I had on here a couple of years back when UK lost a close game versus some team that was pretty good in the SEC. Offense was really not that good, but had an occasional shining moment when the right offence and players were used. Instead of hammering until it stopped working, we used it like four or five times the whole game. I said then Joker (offensive coordinator at the time) lost us the game and that we were going to have a LOT more of that to look forward to as he assumed the helm. I hate to say it, (not really) but I told you so.
We are three games into our 2011 season. We did manage to win the first two games – which Joker, when pressured, was so quick to point out. However keep in mind, both of those games had plenty of scary moments and were a LOT closer than they should have been. Also keep in mind, that in any true measure of the programs those teams should be in a league below those that SEC are allowed to play and count as legitimate wins. I know, they are Division I football programs, but that still does not mean that those teams are or should be on an equal footing to play at the caliber that a UK football team should be playing.
Some, Joker himself I believe, are quick to point out that those are early games and the team is still coming together and improving. I would like to point out that the same can be said of those teams as well. Matter of fact, they have all had exactly the same number of days for training and practice available to them up until that point. If Joker feels the team was not as ready as it needed to be, whose fault is that, other than the head coach?
In the third game of the season, this past Saturday, the Cats took on the cross state rival, the Cardinals of the University of the Louisville. Clearly the Cards were suppose to be the underdog, having had some rough years the last four or five years. Also consider that UK had home field advantage and that U of L, at least on paper, should have been the looser by a decent margin. After the over all better and more consistent play by the Cards and a clearly better coaching job they left Lexington with the victory and the Governor’s Cup.
In press interviews after the game Joker said we have learned something tonight. What had he learned? That his team really was not all that good. If it took him to that loss, that I predicted beforehand based on the play up to that game, to realize that the team he is coaching is not really that good my question is simple? Why is he coaching? Period. I mean, if are the head coach and do not realize your team is not that good you do not even need to be coaching a little league team in my opinion. I am only hoping that we enact some sort of mercy rule before some games this season, Florida this Saturday may very well be one of them – but definitely when we start tangling with the teams on the Western side of the SEC.
** – Image is University of Kentucky Wildcats Logo and is their Registered Trademark.
