"Why So Quiet?"

DISCLAIMER:

First off, I love this blog and all of those who contribute to it.  With that being said, hopefully what comes next won't deny my future existence with the site or your friendships.  

Now many of you Northern Kentucky boys, especially those who were apart of the Colonel Crazies, remember this little jingle we used to lay on the opposing hacks in the 9th Region.  It was quite simple: we knew we had a better team on the floor than the opponents and we knew we had a better cheering section as well, so thus we were loud, obnoxious, arrogant, funny, innovative, creative (USA TODAY would agree).  But enough of the self-loathing, this post really has nothing to do with the NKY or Cov Cath, but rather the sudden disappearance of a much larger, much greater institution.  What the hell happened to University of Kentucky basketball?!? You can blame it on the new coach (I'm not a fan at all either!), you can blame it on the players (Jared Carter, thank you for wasting some of Kentucky's hard earned educational dollars), but I blame it on.... ya'll might wanna close your eyes or cover your ears.... the fans.  Yes I said it, and will most likely endure some crap for it, but I think its the cold hard truth.  

Now I have 2 preconditions that might give me this position and therefore must disclose.  First, I do not attend the school, although I did go for my freshman year and second I did not grow up in the bluegrass and thus do not have the history and tradition of being a Wildcat fan my entire life like many of those who read this site.  With that being said, I think these two facts also give me the ability to judge with an un-biased opinion.  I had the opportunity to visit two of college basketball's greatest places to watch a game recently: Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY and Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN.  Now the game @ Freedom was none other than the battle of the bluegrass and obviously had reason to be rockin!  I can honestly say Rupp Arena has not come close to what it sounded like at Freedom that day.  And honestly it pisses me off.  What's even more disheartening though, would be my trip up to Indiana.  A team that at the time was 5-12 and hadn't won a game in conference absolutely blew me away with the atmosphere the crowd provided.  The place only holds around 15,000 but it sounded like there were 30,000 people shouting for an undefeated Bobby Knight team of the 70's.  

This is obviously not a call out to every UK fan, as many of you out there are doing your part.  But honestly the Eruption zone might be the most overrated cheering section in the country, well besides the Big House of course (yes I can make fun of myself too).  How does the home of college basketball have one of the most unoriginal and unimpressive student sections in America?  Please someone give me the answer, because I can't come up with a legitimate reason.  And I hear time and again about how hard Billy G is on his players, but do we forget how hard the fans were on our coaches.  Last time I checked Tubby Smith got ran outta town because he couldn't coach, couldn't recruit, and couldn't win.  Well somehow he's doing all three of those things pretty well up in Minnesota (without the help of names like Meeks and Patterson).

With all seriousness aside, maybe our friends from North Carolina A&T can show us a thing or too.  CHECK IT OUT

-THE TURK