By LARRY VAUGHT
Kentucky coach John Calipari has been the target of more than a few barbs from national media members during his coaching career. That certainly has not changed since he got to Kentucky and has seen stories about Eric Bledsoe’s high school academics, John Wall’s recruitment, DeMarcus Cousins’ behavior, Anthony Davis’ recruiting incentives and UK’s grade-point average.
But Calipari is not one to shy away from fighting back. He will talk to certain national media members almost at will to give them information and insights those who blast him will not have access to. Recently the UK coach has talked about “radio silence” on his Twitter account before releasing his definition of that term:
“My definition of ‘radio silence’ is the sound u hear in the Twittersphere from the triumverate & compadres when there r positive stories about UK to be told. See if you can hear it!!!
24 Responses to UK coach John Calipari not afraid to fire back at his national critics
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The Triumverate. Larry they may be well-known, but not necessarily for the right reasons.
I love that Twitter is allowing Cal to take back some cheap shots at these imbeciles. WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.
Wow Rupp must have been reincarnated in Cal. Rupp took writers to the woodshed practically in every one of his radio programs and he had a pre-game and a post-game radio show in those days. CBS and ESPN have had such control over what gets through their media filter that coaches have had no way to respond to the jerkumverate. Rupp had his powerful radio network in his day. Now the net has given Cal direct access to his audience without the corporate filters in the east coast media. I love it! I love it! I love it! Give it to them Cal. Smack ‘em once for me!
Larry your approach is above reproach. Of course certain things require criticism but it isn’t the blood sport the national media thinks it is. They destroy lives without a thought of the consequences and all for a byline on a headline. Rupp knew them for what they are – lowlifes. Cal is so much like him it’s spooky.
Cal and Rupp. Nice comparison. If guys want to play hard ball, Cal can take it and dish it out. I kind of like that
Gary Parrish has jumped on the “Tressel resigns so Calipari must be guilty” bandwagon too. What a joke. These vermn never stop. He claims Cal ignored Camby’s violations while he was at UMASS. I guess turning him in knowing it would cost him every game as a forfeit was all part of Cal’s grand strategy to really show up the NCAA. He ignored Camby by turning him in. Fascinating. A complete denial by the NCAA that Cal did anything isn’t enough. The fact the NCAA cleared Rose to play is just trivia. Cal is guilty and we won’t stop until everyone agrees so we can get him away from Lexington and our favorite teams can get some of those one and done players.
The NCAA is a joke. The media is worse. Sometimes I wonder why teams don’t just take their ball and go home.
It does not matter what Cal does those certain ‘journalist’ and I use that term very loosely will never give Cal his due. He could donate a kidney and they would find some way to critize him. He could single handedly build a children’s hosptial brick by brick and they would tear him and it down. The media hates UK, they hate any ooach who presides at UK when they are winning. You didn’t hear as much talk about the program when BCG and Smith were there. It’s all just a bunch of hog wash and those idiots will do anything to get notice and keep their job. Larry, we know you are honest and will print only the facts. Go Cats!
I grew up thinking that the term journalist stood for someone who practiced fair and ethical reporting, someone who investigated a story and let the facts speak for themselves. Too bad that isn’t the case anymore. Many in the media have an agenda, and they don’t let the facts get in the way of their objective.
Larry, you are an exception, and you truly are a journalist. That is why I read your blog daily. There are many more positive stories here than any where else. Keep up the good work.
Every person has bias. Some people deny their bias, but show it in their work without exception. Others acknowledge their bias, but reveal it in their work without apology. Yet others, acknowledge their bias, and are able to put it aside in their work and present objective analysis.
I have learned to be wary of those who deny having any bias. Those who acknowledge their bias, whether they pursue it or suppress it, I can read and assimilate their information into my thinking.
I agree with most of the comments above,Cip I don’t think it is a cheap shot when it is the truth, I think that cheap shots are what they have been taking at him and Kentucky.
Larry, you stated that Cal was not afraid to go toe to toe in the twitter world, I have a feeling he would not be afraid to meet them face to face either, I just don’t think any of them want to meet him face to face!!(After all Cal has a Big Blue Posse backing him)
And Jan, you are right. He would go nose to nose in a heartbeat
We have morphed into a politically correct society where folks are reticent to voice their true feelings for fear of offending someone or some group. It’s refreshing to see Cal speak his mind.
I assume your reference to the children’s hospital was to call to mind how they never mentioned Rupp’s children’s hospital he built. The one where he visited kids of all colors and the only color that mattered to him was blue. If you weren’t talking about Rupp Linda it would be a heck of a coincidence and I know you better than that. Nice call on exactly what the press’s attitude would be if Cal built a hospital.
Rupp also taught that the true measure of a person was not the number of wins on the court. It was about living right and doing right. Rupp warned of the bitter and sarcastic class that would try to win at any cost. Now they do it just to irk us and to turn the nation against us. It doesn’t work. 3 #1 recruiting classes in a row (so far) prove that right does top might pretty much every time.
Media attacks do little to sway opinion. Lack of praise from the detractors, when it is do, does even less. Cal actions alone will determine his legacy. His tweets serve no purpose other than to give a peek of his real person.
Jim, I agree that Cal’s tweets give a “peek of his real person.” It is remarkable how many times, given how busy he is, he tweets about the other coaches and other teams at UK, and urges the BBN to support those coaches and teams as well. He often tweets support of those who have struck by disaster and other tragedies. I don’t necessarily agree that his tweets serve no purpose. At times, he has used his tweets to rally the BBN, to marshal resources for disasters, and other worthwhile things. So, if he chooses to tweak the nose of some so-called journalists from time to time, I think he’s earned the right.
And, Larry, I agree with everyone else. You’re certainly an old school journalist who believes in getting the facts straight and in not criticizing just for the sake of criticizing. Good job as always.
Cal should not be afraid to fire back because those three twerps are going to write unsavory stuff no matter if cal barks at them or not. I don’t think cal will ever do it , but i’d like to see him in some form or fashion tell bob knight to go where the sun don’t shine. No one ever stands up to that ahole.
@grant: I am not sure any of us know what conversations Calipari/Barnhart/Todd etc may have been having with ESPN or Knight directly about Knight’s comments about UK basketball over the last year or so. Perhaps all of the UK brain trust have cowered down and said nothing, but I don’t believe that is the case.
When Cal does this it makes me feel better for a multitude of reasons the most important being this “You don’t tease the Lions unless you are sure they can’t get to you”.
By that I mean that Cal is doing things the RIGHT way at UK. Recruiting, coaching, developing players and WINNING.
Those three IDIOTS will now do anything they can (by hook or by CROOK) to nail Cal. Ford has already been suspended once in his career while at the CJ for unethical practices. We all know how Theemal slants the truth and what he is willing to spend(two weeks in Ala to find NOTHING) to nail Cal. I would not be surprised by anything these three do to “get their man”.
Although I agree with what he did Papa always said “let sleeping dogs lie”
KEEP UP THE GOOS WORK. GO BLUE OR STAY HOME! ! ! !
Indeed, you don’t mess with Cal without him messing back
I hope you’re right about that Prof. especially after the way things were handled back in the late 80′s. Roselle sold out the university IMO and he got his cushy job at the U. Of Delaware as a reward. The NE Corridor types always stick together. That’s why I support SEC teams in the tournaments even though I have a personal grudge against some of them (Tenn.). Roselle became the highest paid university president in the country right after he sold out UK. Coincidence? Not IMO.
I have been keeping track of the north end of south bound mules for several months. These dudes are not the only ones..
Weirder
Pete Thamel
Forde
Tipton
Mike Freeman
Kent Sterling
Mark Hancock
Paul Newberry
Thayer Evans
All these idiots need to take lessons in fair reporting, ethics and integrity. I wonder what they will say when their children ask them why they write the stories they write when they have no proof or truth?
I dread the day you retire, Larry, I will quit reading anything about UK after that, life will not be the same. I think you need to have classes for these jerks and write about book about ethical practices in journalism. Of course, things like this have been going on for centuries. Marie Antoinette was accused of saying, “Let them eat cake” which she never said. It was said a few hundred years before she was born. She was also accused of buying a very expensive necklace while the French peasants were starving. She did not, but her enemies did and blamed it on her. Some things never change. Go Cats!
Well said, Larry. For the poster who said let sleeping dogs lie, it should be clear to anyone paying attention that these dogs aren’t sleeping. They are burning the midnight oil looking for dirt and when they can’t find it, they manufacture it.
Unfortunately, perception is reality when it comes to Cal. He is the most misunderstood and maligned figure in the American sports culture.
Why is that? Because these national media types continue to spew this slanderous tripe. That’s not going to stop whether Cal pokes back or not. That’s why the vast majority of UK fans stand behind Cal and want him to stand up and speak back.
Well-said, Andy P., too. Unfortunately, perception frequently becomes reality, and, yes, such has certainly been the case with Coach Calipari. Also, some in the media will, indeed, continue “to spew this slanderous tripe” whether or not Coach Calipari “pokes back.” So I, likewise, do not have a problem with his standing up in the tweet.
You can add Gary Parrish to your list Linda. If I thought about it there could be a lot more. Bryant Gumbel is certainly one too.
I just found a name to put in the positive column. It’s Brett McMurphy at CBS. There’s a glowing piece about Cal that he wrote on the CBS site now. Of course he has to throw in the vacated Final 4′s several times but overall the story shows the true Cal. Now if he would just get it that Cal has done nothing wrong. This story deserves a link here. I hope everyone can read it and maybe thank CBS for finally doing it right.
http://www.cbssports.com/#!/collegebasketball/story/15181982/coach-cal-makes-right-calls-when-it-comes-to-charity-too