It’s football season again, kiddoes!
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[I][SIZE=1]”I’m sorry, I think you pronounced ‘basketball’ wrong…”[/SIZE][/I][/CENTER]
Now see, some of you didn’t even so much as bat an eyelash there. I never quite understood that. We may be a basketball state on the whole, but football is still pretty popular. That’s why high school games are the thing to do on a sleepy Friday evening, and why people rush home from church on Sunday to prepare for a spate of NFL games.
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[I][SIZE=1]Myself, I like to switch back and forth between football and the NASCAR race, but that’s not the point.[/SIZE][/I][/CENTER]
So why does Kentucky continually lag behind other SEC programs in terms of anticipation and excitement?
I think many years of mediocrity may have something to do with it. The early 90’s were horrendous, but you certainly don’t need me telling you that. Later, the Hal Mumme era brought some excitement to the Bluegrass, with his quirky, gimmicky offense and homegrown hero Tim Couch running the system. Scandals under the Mumme regime pretty much wiped out any positive momentum the football program had, and it was back to square one for new coach Rich Brooks, who most fans had never even heard of.
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[I][SIZE=1]”So, um, are you the guy that delivers the basketballs to Rupp or something?”[/SIZE][/I][/CENTER]
Eventually, he built the team to respectability and some big bowl wins. His decision to retire and turn the reigns over to offensive coordinator and former UK wideout Joker Phillips started another rift in fan satisfaction. It seems we’re back to mediocrity (or worse) once again, picked to finish last in the SEC East. Phillips and his staff’s jobs are on the line this season, and another poor showing could spell the end of their Kentucky tenure.
So what’s it going to take to get this program back on the right track? One of the biggest concerns I’ve had for ages is consistently competing with the Floridas and Tennesees and ‘Bamas of the world. I don’t think you can bring in a highly-regarded coordinator, make him the coach and expect him to compete on a consistent basis. Much like teams stepping up to challenge Kentucky’s basketball throne, you may have a season or two of success, but those other guys are ALWAYS on (except for Tennessee, who seems to have mired themselves up in a lousy coaching hire of their own).
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[I][SIZE=1]Seriously, just look at this guy.[/SIZE][/I][/CENTER]
I think you need to try another gimmick to get back to the top. Not necessarily go out and find a Mumme clone and never run the ball, kick or punt, mind you. No, you need to get a guy who sets your team apart from everyone else on the college football landscape. Go out and get a highly-regarded coach with a system that has a track record of success, someone the recruits want to play for. Like Mike Martz, for example. (JUST for example, don’t bite my head off here, kiddoes.) Martz employs a high-powered offense that took the lowly St. Louis Rams to the Super Bowl TWICE. Now, you take your typical four or five-star wideout or QB or tight end or whatnot, and you offer them the chance to not only play amongst the SEC elite, but play in an offense that’s going to make you look like a million bucks. A lot of these kids are going to be interested in that.
But of course, that’s all in the future. Who knows, Joker could surprise us all and roll through the SEC with a—HAHAHAHHAHA. Oh man, I almost made it through that with a straight face*.
(No seriously, Go Big Blue. I sincerely hope they do well this year.)
