Calipari's pitch-perfect offseason gets better

Posted: Monday, October 19, 2009 2:51 PM
Filed Under: Coaches, SEC

Without even coaching a game, John Calipari’s given Kentucky basketball fans everything they could want.

National attention. A recruiting class for the ages. Making himself accessible to fans and generally being an exceptional ambassador for the program.

This quote from a Dana O’Neil story sums it all up nicely.

"In Kentucky, you can't love your grandmother more than basketball,'' said Van Florence, the 30-year president of the Committee of 101, the UK booster organization. "And if you did, your grandmother would tell you you're stupid.

"Having a couple of winning seasons at Texas A&M or El-Paso doesn't equate to nothing to these people. They equate to Carolina and Kansas. They don't give one damn who's in the Big 12 or who you beat in the Big 12. Until you've beaten Louisville and Indiana and UCLA and Kansas, you haven't proven a damned thing. That's what this program is about.''

And somehow, Calipari keeps topping himself. The response to his speech at Kentucky’s Big Blue Madness has already reached mythical proportions among the Big Blue Nation.

And I gotta say, it’s an impressive speech for its delivery, message and reach. Say this for Cal, he knows his audience because this is everything they want to hear, and expect. See for yourself.

The speech’s aftermath was what you’d expect. Fans were delighted, pumped, ecstatic, etc. Any adjective will do.

"I don't ever remember it being like this,'' said 74-year-old Tom Wilson, who has served as an usher at Rupp for 21 years and was at his usual perch Friday night for Big Blue Madness. "I usually get here about two hours early, and it's quiet. I got here at 4:45 tonight, and you couldn't get a seat at the food court. People are just so anxious to get this season going.''

To quote O’Neil, this was more than Big Blue Madness. This was Big Blue Salvation.

In a speech in which he invoked Richie Farmer, the Unforgettables, grandmothers sharing cocoa with their grandkids while camping for tickets and Big Blue fans "fighting for our country overseas," Calipari laid it on thick and laid it on loud. For a fan base that felt disenfranchised by the previous regime, it was nothing shy of a come-to-Jesus meeting.

And why not? When your coach proclaims his goal for the school as the “gold standard, not just for college basketball, but for all college athletics,” it’s gonna create a tidal wave of high hopes in Kentucky.

The inevitable question – what happens if they don’t win a title this year? – is fair, but it misses the point. Kentucky fans aren’t looking to end their NCAA tournament misery this season.

They’re seeking NCAA dominance for years to come. This is what Calipari is selling, and what he intends to deliver.

And given his performance thus far, I’m starting to believe he’s on his way.

EMAIL THIS