Michael Rosenberg, writer for Sports Illustrated, has gone on the record two times in as many weeks with some less than joyful comments about Coach John Calipari. It’s not the criticism that irritates me. Heck, we are University of Kentucky sports fans and we have written critical things ourselves about the program ourselves here on Nation of Blue.
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Our mission does not include being the overly proud UK sports fans that would never be critical of Kentucky program. It’s just the opposite, we want to be able to speak freely about our program and we will. However, Michael Rosenberg has taken his criticism to the extreme. Take a look for yourself:
On [URL=”http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/michael_rosenberg/03/17/calipari/index.html”]March 17[/URL]:
[quote]The true salesman never stops selling. Calipari is hawking not one, not two, but three instructional videos for that dribble-drive offense. He’ll push those videos and his book and REFUSE TO LOSE T-shirts and the success of the Kentucky women’s team and the Haiti relief effort and Memphis political causes and a childhood cancer or juvenile diabetes fund-raising drive, and he’ll do it all with gusto.[/quote]
If you want to question someones character or ethics, that is fine. But why would you ever question that good deeds of someone such as fundraisers and charities for children with terminal medical conditions? That, in my opinion, is crossing the line. Next we have a “clarification” to his readers regarding his March 17 piece.
[URL=”http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/michael_rosenberg/03/29/heart/index.html?eref=sihp”]On March 29[/URL]:
[quote]By the way,I recently wrote a column trying to explain what makes Calipari tick, and why, of all the ethically challenged coaches in this sport, he is the most reviled. Is he really the worst of the worst? Or just the most successful of the worst? A few readers interpreted this to mean I was DEFENDING Calipari, which was never my intention … but upon re-reading the piece, I see why they thought that. I was not clear enough. Writer failure. My point was that, whether he is the worst of the rogues, or just the best at being a rogue, he is still a rogue. So let me state for the record: I believe Calipari breaks rules that haven’t even been created yet, and if I were a school president for a hundred years, overseeing a thousand sports, I would never hire John Calipari.[/quote]
There is no mis-interpreting what is being said this time, thanks Mr. Rosenberg. You have made your stance very clear and while doing so, have let hundreds of thousands of readers know that you lack professionalism and tact. If that was your goal, mission accomplished. Be critical of our coach, our players and our program, just do it tactfully.
