History 101: Will Kentucky Fail to Teach Big Blue Scholars Vital Hoop Lesson?
"History is philosophy teaching by examples." - Thucydides, the History of the Peloponnesian War
John Calipari has time to mingle with Jay Z, spitefully remind us platoon-dissenter Dick Vitale got the ziggy (albeit just like him in NBA), develop a first-round philosophy regarding "Succeed and Proceed" scholars (not "One and Done") and create plausible denials (including settling lawsuit by disgruntled season-ticket holders). Of course, sycophants believe he bears zero responsibility for two of his previous outposts (Massachusetts and Memphis) vacating Final Four participation (unless the NCAA performs a Joe Paterno-like reinstatement). But Coach Cal doesn't seem to have time to teach his Kentucky charges a firsthand lesson about honoring history. If he isn't going to capitalize on an opportunity to significantly enhance their learning experience, just let them attend free community college.
UK, exhibiting all of the diplomatic dignity of reporting-for-duty John Kerry in a French sing-along with James Taylor, reportedly backed out of a proposed game next season with the UTEP Miners slated for Cole Field House at the University of Maryland. The rematch would have celebrated the 50th anniversary of the historic NCAA Tournament championship game between the Wildcats and the school previously known as Texas Western. In 1966, Don Haskins-coached Texas Western, starting five black players (three of them 6-1 or shorter), won the national title, 72-65, in College Park, Md., against an all-white UK lineup directed by Adolph Rupp.
In the aftermath of UTEP's defining-moment on-court performance, major Southern schools started modifying their unwritten bigoted directives by recruiting more African-American players. Center Tom Payne broke the color barrier at UK five seasons later in 1970-71 when he was an All-SEC first-team selection in his only varsity season with the Wildcats.
The '66 title tilt inspired the film Glory Road. A significant history lesson is shunned while Big Blue Nation continues to glory in overdosing on cupcakes in pre-conference competition at home. Since Calipari became UK bench boss in 2009-10, the Wildcats have picked on the following alphabetical list of 35 patsies (several of them more than once) combining to go winless in the NCAA playoffs thus far in the 21st Century: Austin Peay, Belmont, Boise State, Boston University, Buffalo, Chattanooga, Columbia, Coppin State, Drexel, East Tennessee State, Eastern Michigan, Grand Canyon, Hartford, Lafayette, Lamar, Lipscomb, Long Beach State, Long Island, Loyola (Md.), Marist, Marshall, Miami (Ohio), Mississippi Valley State, Montana State, Morehead State, Northern Kentucky, Penn, Portland, Radford, Rider, Robert Morris, Sam Houston State, Samford, Texas-Arlington and UALR. Still, there's no room for a trip down memory lane with a neutral-court contest against Texas-El Paso, which hasn't won an NCAA tourney game since 1992.
Kentucky could end up with a trip close to Maryland at the White House again to be honored as NCAA titlist. At least smug UK's snubbing of UTEP makes more sense than POTUS exhibiting an absence of priorities repeatedly meeting behind closed doors with Al "Not So" Sharpton (hopefully tutoring him on H&R Block tax bracket rather than community organizing NCAA bracket for ESPN) plus granting a forum to YouTube goofball Glozell Green rather than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Calipari has several books with his name as author - Refuse to Lose, Bouncing Back and Players First. Perhaps he can provide several more volumes - Refuse to Play, Bouncing Back (Except to 1966) and Me-Myself-and-I Always Come First.