Friday, March 27, 2009

This UK Madness Is Seriously Getting On My Nerves


As I sit here at a Huck's gas station in Madisonville (only place I could find public wifi), I'm asking myself, "What are you doing here?"

The only reason I'm sitting here is because I'm working on finding out the latest details on the UK coaching situation. But why?

Sure, I spent the first 27 years of my life in the Bluegrass State. I am a UK graduate, and I covered the team professionally for almost a decade. But not anymore.

I have really enjoyed being just a fan the last several years--something I was not able to be when I worked at WKYT. I actually went to a game last season and CHEERED! I hadn't done that since college.

I was around the program in one of its all-time greatest decades: the 90's. 4 Final Fours. 3 NCAA Championship games. 2 National Titles.

Those were some of the best years of my life. I often miss those days.

But I must admit that there is one aspect of covering UK Basketball I absolutely do not miss: the insanity of it all.

I love the passion UK fans display for the program, but despise the amount of interest they pay to it.

Just as greed leads to corruption when it comes to money, the overzealousness towards UK Basketball leads to deceitful conjecture. In other words, you get too many people saying shit and not knowing what they are talking about. Granted, that's how most message boards thrive, but that's not what I am about.

I don't care that much about knowing it first. I just want to know what's right. The truth is way more important than timing.

What often happens in situations such as these, is that people tend to either stretch the truth or completely make things up in an attempt to make themselves seem more important. There is a certain level of respect, or maybe even celebrity, in being "in-the-know."

I had somewhat forgotten about that dynamic, but now I find myself getting sucked back into it--UK style.

Over the last several days, I have been getting bombarded by people offering up "inside information" about the UK coaching situation. Some of them have been complete strangers, while others are those I would normally trust otherwise. But right now, I'm leery of everybody, even my most trusted sources.

Why is this person telling me this? What is their motive? Do they really know or are they just trying to get me to put some false information out there?

Those questions make up my current internal struggle.

So instead of giving myself a headache, I am going to leave it all alone for a while. Instead of trying to find out what's going to happen before it does, I am going to just wait and see like everyone else.

Plus, I have much more important things to worry about right now, like trimming my mom's hedges at her new house here in Madisonville.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Totally agree. I want to know. But I am not buying into rumors and all that. Just anxiously awaiting.

Anonymous said...

If you make it to Louisville, you need to come visit your Cousins WyoneDawg, Dawn, and Destinee.
Peace and take care.

Anonymous said...

I think you need to read your own postings.

1) March 23rd - UK Boosters want Pitino back; and

2) March 26th - It's Official! Billy G. fired! (certainly not true as of yesterday)

Your writings just add fuel to all this UK madness - who is your so called "source"?

Anonymous said...

Check the latest news. He's out and there's a press conference at 4:30 Friday

Michael Eaves said...

to Anoymous #3: the boosters DID want pitino back.. i NEVER said he was going back.. just simply reported that he had discussed the possibility of going back to UK.. nowhere in that post or anywhere have you ever heard me say that pitino was going back to kentucky!

Anonymous said...

Yea, I'm gonna have to go with the other commenter, you've only thrown gasoline on the fire with your blog, and now it's like you're just gonna jump off the bandwagon you helped pull? That is quite laughable to me! But whatever floats your boat! You can sit here and say your "sources" are legit, but so does EVERYBODY else in the world. Unless you, yourself were actually there for that particular meeting, you are no better than anybody else with just another "source" that you're bashing right now. Have fun in Madisonville!

Chris Weller said...

Mike, don't let the haters discourage the facts you report.

Since I left UK; I have found that the insanity of followers of the Cowboys in Dallas, the Buckeyes in Columbus, and the Steelers here in Pittsburgh are equal to the frenzy of fans, and worse in press coverage than with UK. I love two of those teams and was still sickened by the madness.

Enjoy the Bluegrass state, I'm jealous

cb said...

I like your reporting and hope you offer something about the new coach soon.

Anonymous said...

My sources tell me that the head coach of Anderson County High School in Kentucky was seen two weeks ago in Lexington. That coach is Glen Drury. He was in Lexington March 19th and 20th. Sources close to the situation said he was seen at Rupp Arena those two days. It is unknown at this time how serious Coach Drury is about leaving Anderson County but it is speculated that he will entertain the possibility of coaching UK. At this time rumor was he was retiring from Anderson County at the seasons' end. So will he land at UK and be able to bring along his 2 star players. I guess only time will tell.

Anonymous said...

Aw. :( You have been my most reliable source through all of this. Guess I'll have to deal with the insanity of TCP and pick through the "done deal" posts. :/

Anonymous said...

You guys should lay off Eaves. He broke the official firing of Billy G first. Who is to say that these other stories will not pan out. I mean if UK was after a coach already out of the tourney the rumors of offers would be flying!!! Thanks Mike for all you do!!

UKdaisy said...

I too am anxiously awaiting ~THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT~ to see who will taking over the REIGNS of THE BIG BLUE NATION!! Personally I'm hoping Pitino will swallow his pride and return to the place he now realizes he should have never left. If not Pitino, I'm hoping Donovan and if not Donovan possibly Ford.
Keep up the awesome Blogging Michael, we miss seeing you on KYT!!
~AND GO CATS!!~