A writer named Kent Sterling has used the Rupp Arena renovation to take some shots at the University of Kentucky and the Bluegrass State.
Here is an excerpt:
“Blue and a Whole Lot of White” – A pavilion in the southern end of the new Rupp Arena will celebrate the University’s Kentucky proud tradition of caucasian-only basketball in Lexington that lasted into the late 1960s. ”Below the Rim” will showcase Rupp’s Runts, the final all-white team to earn a berth in the NCAA Finals in 1966.
Buck-ets – This exhibit will feature a carnival-esque basketball shooting contest that will reward those who make a shot with Big Blue Bucks dispensed by men dressed like World Wide Wes, the power broker associated with Jay-Z, Michael Jordan, and John Calipari.
From Whisky to Meth – 200 years of substance abuse and capitalism! Hard to think of the Commonwealth of Kentucky without a tip of the hat to to hard liquor, drugs, and the financial success that can be reaped through taking advantage of the craving of addicts. This interactive exhibit allows fans to see and touch a cirrhotic liver and buy fake sets on snap-in corroded teeth.
The Bare-on – Adolph Rupp was known as the Baron, and in this strange NC-17 display his nude robotic image extolls the virtues of racism. This “Hall of Presidents”-esque event is still in beta testing and designers are battling with Rupp’s heirs over whether the mechanical image of the former winningest coach in college basketball history should appear clothed, with a towel wrapped around his waist, or completely nude. ”The words are so horrifying than the nudity might distract those tempted to pay attention to what he says,” a planner reluctant to share his name told me.
You Be Joe B. – This is another interactive exhibition where fans get to take a talented freshman and decide how to erode his skills. Given the correct combination of audio commands and directives, video renderings of Charles Hurt and Derrick Hord digress from players with promise into hollow shells of their former selves.
Kentucky Dental Heroes – This display is designed to show that Kentuckians have a sense of humor about their stereotype. It’s a simple empty room with unadorned walls.
You can let Kent Sterling know what you think about his “piece” on Twitter (@kentsterling).
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