Originally posted by BobbyK49:
Kumar, I'll ask you the same thing I've asked Jauk and a dozen other Mitch haters on this board. What exactly did Mitch DO to this football program? Those are your words, "Never forgive him for what he did to the football program" so please tell me what he did. Please don't come back with something he didn't do like "He didn't spend enough money." As I said, I've posed that question to a dozen others and the truth is that I've never gotten any kind of response. I mean you must have some specific reason for disliking this guy so can you please share that reason.
not what did he DO, it is what he DID NOT DO to this football program. The entire SEC surrounding UK during 2002-2012 were dumping money by the truckfulls investing in their programs, expanding stadiums, upgrading facilities, spending on the very best head coaches and staffs. Hell, our instate competition UL during that period expanded their stadium, built an indoor practice facility, and a newer bigger weight room than ours. Mitch just stayed pat, didnt spend one thin dime on football more than absolutely necessary. All while lavishing new facilities & coaches on revenue-subtracting sports (read: everything besides football & men's basketball). And all while SEC TV money driven by football was increasing year after year after year.
But don't take my word as fact, ask Rich Brooks. He was going to stay as UK head coach, provided that he would FINALLY be given the help and assistance he had been promised but not delivered for years. He more than anyone else knew he was fighting a losing battle, that he came to UK with the worst facilities in the SEC.....and had only fallen even farther behind the curve during his tenure. So he jerked the rip chord and parachuted out of a no-win situation. And amazingly things got WORST in terms of Mitch's care about football during the Joker era.
UK football fans aren't stupid (for the most part). They saw what was happening in the sport, how during the 2000's it was becoming more popular than ever, that the money needed to make a winner and keep up with the SEC was getting bigger than ever. And they saw their tickets & K fund prices increased by Mitch, with none of it being invested in football but instead women's softball, men's soccer, women's basketball, track & field. So a great many of them did like Rich Brooks, Mitch chased them away from the team due to him using their money as an ATM for the other 20 sports that don't generate a penny in revenue. Never forget the pipe painting (those who feel as I do know EXACTLY what I am referring too, those who don't I ain't gonna bother explaining the reference).
Some misguided people on here bemoan ticket sales simply are uneducated about what Mitch has done to
break a significant portion of the fanbase, or willfully wish to ignore all that happened. Thankfully, things changed. Thankfully Mitch finally woke up and realized the biggest revenue generator of his responsibility was withering on the vine, and he had to after a decade put in some work, and more importantly put in some real money.
I appreciate the hire of Mark Stoops, and the hiring of his assistants and high performance staff, and the improvements to Commonwealth, and the overhaul of the training facilities, and the commitment to help keep Marrow in the fold. I'm very excited and happy about our future....but still quite angry that our already poor and underfunded football program had to fall even further down before Mitch woke up.
thus ends the lesson, hope you learned something
