Sympathy for Kentucky Fan

I know.

I know.

I know!

You never thought you’d read that from me. But I’m serious. Although I’m sure Louisville fans are ecstatic that the connection of their arch-rival’s coach to a team that the NCAA has forced to vacate 38 wins (including a trip to the National Championship game) has taken the national spotlight off their own coach’s controversy, I don’t exactly share in their joy. In fact, I’m kind of sorry for Kentucky fan.

Having lived through the “Kelvin Sanctions” era (I still can’t get over how creative that name was…yes…my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek), I know what it’s like to cheer for a team that has been tainted by scandal. I know what it’s like to hear every win questioned because your team’s coach is a known cheater.

I get it. This time it’s different. Calipari wasn’t implicated in the Rose debacle. His hands are somehow clean in all of this. But having not one, but two different programs forced to vacate Final Four appearances because of major violations isn’t exactly a squeaky clean track record. Is it?

If and when the Wildcats return to the Final Four, who isn’t going to have the thought in the back of their minds, wondering what Cal’s program did to circumvent the rules this time? You know people will question the integrity of the wins. Kentucky’s checkered past (as alluded to in the SI cover pictured above) certainly doesn’t help things.

I’m sorry it’s going to be this way. I really am. I don’t want it to be this way. I want the rivalry between Indiana and Kentucky to be what it once was. I want both teams to be top-10 programs year-in and year-out. I want it to get to the point where both programs circle the IU/UK game as the most important game of the season.

I certainly hope that Calipari can find a way to prove that he can run a clean program at Kentucky. It makes it so much more fun to watch the games when you don’t have to wonder if your opponent is going to eventually have to vacate their wins somewhere down the road. Everyone (including yours truly) thought Sampson deserved a second chance. But when he took that second chance and jumped all over it, he proved that he’s nothing more than a snake.

For Kentucky fans’ sake and the sake of the (hopeful) return of a rivalry, I hope Calipari can prove that he’s not the same kind of snake.

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Matt Todd

Howdy. I'm Matt. My wife, Christy, and I have four kids and two dogs, I'm passionate about orphan care. I'm a die-hard fan of the Evansville Aces, the Indiana Hoosiers, and Star Wars. I'm trying to live life by the Todd family motto: "It behooves us to live!"

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