What we are selling

[shutzhund]

Lexington isn't a great city, UK isn't a great University, the football history is dismal and the weather isn't tropical. Now we may love it but try and sell that to a four or five star player from most anywhere else. UK coaches have been dealing with that for longer than most of us have been fans. Home grown players don't flourish in Kentucky high schools so not that much help there.

We have players who could play for Auburn, Georgia and Florida sprinkled sparingly through our roster. The truth is that most of the roster would be more at home playing for Eastern or WKU. Some fans have deluded themselves into thinking this is enough to compete successfully in the SEC or ACC. It's not, even on a limited basis.

So then why don't we "coach them up". Well, when your recruiting base is the mid major basement it's too much to expect, no matter the coaching, to arrive in a SEC penthouse. We are decades behind in recruiting and one, two or even four good classes is just a good start. UK football is a tough sell.

What I'm saying is that coaches win or lose very few game. IT'S THE PLAYERS WHO WIN OR LOSE NEARLY EVERY GAME.

 

[NoDef]

What I'm saying is that coaches win or lose very few game. IT'S THE PLAYERS WHO WIN OR LOSE NEARLY EVERY GAME.

Ask Florida and Michigan if it matters what coach is standing on the sidelines

 

[UK till Death]

Terrible thread... you sound like a born loser, OP.

Btw: Lexington is a great city, best city of any school in the SEC.

 

[Kai Slater]

I see your point, BUT, there are just too many layers to the UK football mystery.

It's been this way for years, yes! decades, yet the puzzle hasn't been solved. Many have tried to figure it out, to make changes, yet the UK football futility goes on in perpetuity. Players, coaches, climate, Lexington, attitude, Bear Bryant, the gold watch, the SEC, facilities, basketball school, and so on and so forth.....has all been hypothetized, analyzed, studied, and still it's the same old cats.

 

[ukalumni00]

Hilarious. Go to these other places in the SEC and other conferences and tell me how bad Lexington is. UK has a ton to sell to big time recruits including all of the new and renovated facilities. Lexington gets its wrap from those who have lived there all their life and do not know anything else. The only thing it does not have compared to others in the SEC is the weather and guess what, it gets pretty freaken cold in the south during the winter unless you live in FL. Its just complete BS this fanbase constantly comes up with as an excuse on why this football program continues to be bad.

If you win, they will come. Its as simple as that.

 

[STUCKNBIG10]

LOL to the OP. Lexington isn't NYC or Chicago or Miami, but it's paradise compared to the other SEC towns (with a few exceptions like Nashville or Columbia). UK should also be able to sell being the northern-most school to midwestern recruits.

 

[Bluetick2100]

Lexington seems to be ok for BB players

 

[NavyCat88]

I've lived in 9 states (many SEC, ACC, Big 10 states and one PAC 12 state (two locations))....Lexington is a great city (second only to Nashville in the conference IMO) with a good sized airport (as opposed to blacksburg, va, athens, ga, starkville, oxford, morgantown, etc), major industry in town (toyota, lexmark) and lots of unique niceties (keeneland, fair proximity to lakes for water sports, decent restaurant profile/variety). Better tailgate and football environments abound in the south no doubt....but that could be fixed with a little FB success. City to city, Lexington is very attractive compared to our competition.

 

[jnewc2_rivals30628]

Yep..I guess that explains Oregon and Baylor and West Virginia and Oklahoma State and North Carolina and Duke and a long list of other schools that have zero advantages over us being better. Picking a loss to Vandy as the time to use the "no one wants to come to Kentucky" excuse is probably about the worst possible time in the world to do so. If you watched yesterday's game and felt like talent was the reason for the loss then I don't know what to tell you.

 

[BigBluePhantom]

Wow. We are recruiting just fine. Our players are lost out there on the field. They need direction, leadership and coaching. Really bad take there, Bud.

 

[ukalum1988]

Lexington isn't a great city, UK isn't a great University, the football history is dismal and the weather isn't tropical.

You pissed a lot of people, myself included, with your opening statement. With that kind of attitude, how can you profess to even be a UK fan? :flush:

 

[domino79]

This thread is a born loser, a real Munson if you will.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Lexington isn't a great city, UK isn't a great University, the football history is dismal and the weather isn't tropical. Now we may love it but try and sell that to a four or five star player from most anywhere else. UK coaches have been dealing with that for longer than most of us have been fans. Home grown players don't flourish in Kentucky high schools so not that much help there.

We have players who could play for Auburn, Georgia and Florida sprinkled sparingly through our roster. The truth is that most of the roster would be more at home playing for Eastern or WKU. Some fans have deluded themselves into thinking this is enough to compete successfully in the SEC or ACC. It's not, even on a limited basis.

So then why don't we "coach them up". Well, when your recruiting base is the mid major basement it's too much to expect, no matter the coaching, to arrive in a SEC penthouse. We are decades behind in recruiting and one, two or even four good classes is just a good start. UK football is a tough sell.

What I'm saying is that coaches win or lose very few game. IT'S THE PLAYERS WHO WIN OR LOSE NEARLY EVERY GAME.

I think you are selling yourself a little short on several things, some you are right about though. Depends on what kids are looking for if they like Lexington or now, if they are looking for a college town, Lexington probably isn't their top choice, but its a better SEC city/town than many. Columbia SC is bad, Starkville is bad, I don't like Knoxville, but many do, Auburn doesn't have much of anything other than Auburn. I liked Athens when I was in college, its too youth orientated for me now, but not for kids looking for a college, So Lexington is far from the worst to me anyway. South Georgia and Florida might think its a little chili, but so is Columbia Mo. But even with the new facilities UK still trails several SEC teams in that arms race, UT, A&M and Bama are at the top, but the facilities are better than some.

One thing I thought was odd in this day is cutting the size of the stadium down, with the ego some of these kids have, how many people can watch them is a big deal to them, I think having a smaller stadium hurts recruiting but again thats just my opinion, but look at who is at the top of recruiting rankings and look at the size of their stadiums, teams with huge stadiums are usually near the top. Our BB arena is one of if not the smallest in the SEC, look at our recruiting. Multiple 5* kids in Atlanta area and we can't even get an official.

 

[Icecoldbrewdoggy]

My only beef with Lexington is that the Golfing sucks.

 

[shutzhund]

You pissed a lot of people, myself included, with your opening statement. With that kind of attitude, how can you profess to even be a UK fan? :flush:

I noted the only real complaints were centered around my opinion that Lexington was not a great attraction to recruits. One guy said we were really recruiting well. I don't know how to respond. He sees a pig and calls it a flamingo. I think it's just a pig. Another referred to basketball's success in recruiting vs football's. I suppose that was a joke.

So it seems to come down to Lexington as a sticking point. Well eliminate Lexington and focus on recruiting, the roster vs how many games can all those present and past coaches be responsible for losing and how many are in the players laps. I'm not blaming players for not being strong enough or quick enough for SEC play it's just that the other guys are better. That's why we suck at football and it's telling when you see fans blaming a coach or coaches, for years of losing football, and still not knowing why we lose.

I spent four years at Lexington and a lot of time in other places. Lexington is ok but it sure isn't an attraction for recruits. But that wasn't the point now was it?
,

 

[seen since 1964]

My only beef with Lexington is that the Golfing sucks.

Hit better shots

 

[BurpinTurpin_rivals209459]

I noted the only real complaints were centered around my opinion that Lexington was not a great attraction to recruits. One guy said we were really recruiting well. I don't know how to respond. He sees a pig and calls it a flamingo. I think it's just a pig. Another referred to basketball's success in recruiting vs football's. I suppose that was a joke.

So it seems to come down to Lexington as a sticking point. Well eliminate Lexington and focus on recruiting, the roster vs how many games can all those present and past coaches be responsible for losing and how many are in the players laps. I'm not blaming players for not being strong enough or quick enough for SEC play it's just that the other guys are better. That's why we suck at football and it's telling when you see fans blaming a coach or coaches, for years of losing football, and still not knowing why we lose.

I spent four years at Lexington and a lot of time in other places. Lexington is ok but it sure isn't an attraction for recruits. But that wasn't the point now was it?
,

You say you're going to stop cutting down Lexington, and then you do it again. You need to start a new thread and leave the Lexington insults out of it, because you're pissing people off and they can't get past it to answer your question. Me included.

 

[shutzhund]

You say you're going to stop cutting down Lexington, and then you do it again. You need to start a new thread and leave the Lexington insults out of it, because you're pissing people off and they can't get past it to answer your question. Me included.

Sorry Burpin but people from Lexington are just a little too sensitive. It's almost as if you said something about their parents. I have nothing against Lexington and if the inhabitants think it's the garden spot of the world then let them.

So go ahead and say something bad about Owensboro and I'll try not to get upset and we'll be even.

Sounds fair to me.

 

[BurpinTurpin_rivals209459]

Sorry Burpin but people from Lexington are just a little too sensitive. It's almost as if you said something about their parents. I have nothing against Lexington and if the inhabitants think it's the garden spot of the world then let them.

So go ahead and say something bad about Owensboro and I'll try not to get upset and we'll be even.

Sounds fair to me.

Owensboro??!!!?? Owensboro SUCKS!!!

 

[BurpinTurpin_rivals209459]

j/k

 

[Icecoldbrewdoggy]

Hit better shots

2 handicap on brutal courses where you can't miss left or right without going OB or in a hazard. You?

 

[LowCountryCat]

Sigh. Here we go again.

Do I have to start naming schools with worse cities than Lexington who, unlike us, have gone to BCS bowls?

I'll start.

Boise State

 

[seen since 1964]

2 handicap on brutal courses where you can't miss left or right without going OB or in a hazard. You?

Hit better shots

 

[LowCountryCat]

Hit better shots

Ya gotta love this guy. I've seen this mentality before, I believe it was in an eHow article on what to do if your car breaks down:

1. Pull your car carefully to the side of the road.
2. Switch off the engine.
3. Diagnose and make repairs.
4. Resume your journey.

 

[Icecoldbrewdoggy]

[Hit better shots]

Don't hate me because you suck at golf.

 

[willievic]

Sorry Burpin but people from Lexington are just a little too sensitive. It's almost as if you said something about their parents. I have nothing against Lexington and if the inhabitants think it's the garden spot of the world then let them.

So go ahead and say something bad about Owensboro and I'll try not to get upset and we'll be even.

Sounds fair to me.

Clutz, I don't honestly understand how you can defend the job Stoops has done in the last two games. He clearly lost the Vandy game. Going for it on 4th down with 1 minute and 18 aseconds left in the half and only down 4 points was STUPID, and everyone except him knew it. Kick it away and only be down one score in the second half.
Then allowing the clock to expire, when the players were trying to tell him to call a timeout, was STUPID. He said he needed the time out for later.
Then leaving the receiver without coverage was STUPID. He makes millions to know these things. At the present, he is clearly in over his head. His mind is about 20 seconds behind the time clock.
Do I hope he can "right the ship", definitely, but don't lay the loss on the team. The defense was very good, but the coaching was terrible.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

 

[seen since 1964]

Love the ignore feature on this board

 

[LowCountryCat]

Sorry Burpin but people from Lexington are just a little too sensitive. It's almost as if you said something about their parents. I have nothing against Lexington and if the inhabitants think it's the garden spot of the world then let them.

So go ahead and say something bad about Owensboro and I'll try not to get upset and we'll be even.

Sounds fair to me.

Has CBS ever brought a camera crew to O'boro?

 

[Icecoldbrewdoggy]

Love the ignore feature on this board

Ignore yourself. Guarantee you enjoy the board more.

 

[shutzhund]

Clutz, I don't honestly understand how you can defend the job Stoops has done in the last two games. He clearly lost the Vandy game. Going for it on 4th down with 1 minute and 18 aseconds left in the half and only down 4 points was STUPID, and everyone except him knew it. Kick it away and only be down one score in the second half.
Then allowing the clock to expire, when the players were trying to tell him to call a timeout, was STUPID. He said he needed the time out for later.
Then leaving the receiver without coverage was STUPID. He makes millions to know these things. At the present, he is clearly in over his head. His mind is about 20 seconds behind the time clock.
Do I hope he can "right the ship", definitely, but don't lay the loss on the team. The defense was very good, but the coaching was terrible.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

Clutz here. Won't say right or wrong on your take on the Vandy game because I thought I included Stoops in a whole line of coaches that have fared no better and often worse that he. I'll stick with my opinion that we field slower, weaker players who would be better off in a lesser conference than the SEC. That a reason for that has always existed and that reason has to do with a non enviable football history and a less than stellar location. That four and five stars aren't intrigued now and never have been. The present staff is making in roads in that respect but too little and too late to have much of an impact now. The other teams have been doing better for decades and it shows on the field.

If you think that our football history is secondary to a long line of incompetent coaches then that would be an astounding repetition of similar circumstances over a long period of time. There's less to it than that and that has been a stable situation for all these years. UK coaches have nothing to sell more than early playing time. Four and five stars already know they're going to get on the field early or at least be on an upper tier team.

If someone thinks we are fielding athletes that are, with notable exceptions, SEC caliber or they think we are victims of a coaching phenomena then I'd like to hear their ideas.

 

[StubbornPenny]

Lexington: it's okay, probably just tired of being here for 34 years. Better than most SEC towns.
Owensboro: if I lived in Owensboro for 34 years I'd kill myself.

 

[shutzhund]

Lexington: it's okay, probably just tired of being here for 34 years. Better than most SEC towns.
Owensboro: if I lived in Owensboro for 34 years I'd kill myself.

I'm considering it myself. But while we're at it did you notice no one objected to the references to the University, high school football, past football hx or weather? Interesting.

BTW no hard feelings although it's hard to hide my outrage about disparaging remarks about Owensboro. So cruel. :boxing:

 

[rmattox]

Hilarious. Go to these other places in the SEC and other conferences and tell me how bad Lexington is. UK has a ton to sell to big time recruits including all of the new and renovated facilities. Lexington gets its wrap from those who have lived there all their life and do not know anything else. The only thing it does not have compared to others in the SEC is the weather and guess what, it gets pretty freaken cold in the south during the winter unless you live in FL. Its just complete BS this fanbase constantly comes up with as an excuse on why this football program continues to be bad.

If you win, they will come. Its as simple as that.

Plus we have bayskeeetball....I bet that's a big seller.

 

[ukalum1988]

Sorry Burpin but people from Lexington are just a little too sensitive. It's almost as if you said something about their parents. I have nothing against Lexington and if the inhabitants think it's the garden spot of the world then let them.

So go ahead and say something bad about Owensboro and I'll try not to get upset and we'll be even.

Sounds fair to me.

Ah - so you're from Owensboring??? [winking] Did you attend one the high schools there? We're basically from the same neck of the woods.

I lived in Lexington for two yrs after graduating. Sounds like you didn't like it all that much, but I really liked my time for the most part.

 

[SanAntonioCat_rivals376502]

Lexington isn't a great city, UK isn't a great University, the football history is dismal and the weather isn't tropical. Now we may love it but try and sell that to a four or five star player from most anywhere else. UK coaches have been dealing with that for longer than most of us have been fans. Home grown players don't flourish in Kentucky high schools so not that much help there.

We have players who could play for Auburn, Georgia and Florida sprinkled sparingly through our roster. The truth is that most of the roster would be more at home playing for Eastern or WKU. Some fans have deluded themselves into thinking this is enough to compete successfully in the SEC or ACC. It's not, even on a limited basis.

So then why don't we "coach them up". Well, when your recruiting base is the mid major basement it's too much to expect, no matter the coaching, to arrive in a SEC penthouse. We are decades behind in recruiting and one, two or even four good classes is just a good start. UK football is a tough sell.

What I'm saying is that coaches win or lose very few game. IT'S THE PLAYERS WHO WIN OR LOSE NEARLY EVERY GAME.

Lexington is one of the most desirable cities in the country for its size, educated population, arts, commerce and amenities. UK is in the process of a massive rebuilding of its infrastructure and educational facilities. The new dorms could easily be mistaken for Ritz Carlton facilities. Sports facilities are among the best in the SEC and well above average nationally.

All 22 sports are either competitive or championship caliber......except the continuing frustration surrounding football. A number of bottom feeder college football programs are now competitive to some degree from conference level to being nationally ranked. Yet, UK continues to shoot itself in the foot. Please then explain the football success based on your opinion of Kansas State, TCU, Baylor, North Carolins, Northwestern, Duke etc.

 

[sluggercatfan]

Lexington isn't a great city, UK isn't a great University, the football history is dismal and the weather isn't tropical. Now we may love it but try and sell that to a four or five star player from most anywhere else. UK coaches have been dealing with that for longer than most of us have been fans. Home grown players don't flourish in Kentucky high schools so not that much help there.

We have players who could play for Auburn, Georgia and Florida sprinkled sparingly through our roster. The truth is that most of the roster would be more at home playing for Eastern or WKU. Some fans have deluded themselves into thinking this is enough to compete successfully in the SEC or ACC. It's not, even on a limited basis.

So then why don't we "coach them up". Well, when your recruiting base is the mid major basement it's too much to expect, no matter the coaching, to arrive in a SEC penthouse. We are decades behind in recruiting and one, two or even four good classes is just a good start. UK football is a tough sell.

What I'm saying is that coaches win or lose very few game. IT'S THE PLAYERS WHO WIN OR LOSE NEARLY EVERY GAME.

Absolutely right...signed, Will Muschamp

 

[buster3.0]

Free tickets to basketball games?

 

[shutzhund]

Ah - so you're from Owensboring??? [winking] Did you attend one the high schools there? We're basically from the same neck of the woods.

I lived in Lexington for two yrs after graduating. Sounds like you didn't like it all that much, but I really liked my time for the most part.

Yeah I went to Senior High as it was known in those days. I date back to the Lyons era. Unfortunately the Sr and not the Jr.

i never said I didn't like Lexington. It was just that it was not a great drawing card for four and five star football players. As a recruiting tool it's just another city and not enough to distract attention from our other recruiting negatives. I was talking football and not about their Momma and Daddy which puzzlinly confused several.

Basketball players come for the obvious reasons. Blue blood program and, lately, gate way to the NBA. Not something that football has a recruiting advantage.

As to Lexington I spent four undergraduate years there and enjoyed them all. Maybe a little too much at times. I go back for ball games and to play golf on most of those trips. So I don't hate it or love it and school days are over.

 

[WildcatofNati]

Yeah I went to Senior High as it was known in those days. I date back to the Lyons era. Unfortunately the Sr and not the Jr.

i never said I didn't like Lexington. It was just that it was not a great drawing card for four and five star football players. As a recruiting tool it's just another city and not enough to distract attention from our other recruiting negatives. I was talking football and not about their Momma and Daddy which puzzlinly confused several.

Basketball players come for the obvious reasons. Blue blood program and, lately, gate way to the NBA. Not something that football has a recruiting advantage.

As to Lexington I spent four undergraduate years there and enjoyed them all. Maybe a little too much at times. I go back for ball games and to play golf on most of those trips. So I don't hate it or love it and school days are over.

What cities in the SEC are great drawing cards, then?

Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, Starkville, Auburn, Baton Rouge, or College Station?

I could possibly see Nashville, but Vanderbilt was often No. 12 to our No. 11 in recruiting, anyway. In truth, the vast majority of P5 college cities or towns are not going to make a difference one way or the other, except that weather may sometimes be a factor.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

What cities in the SEC are great drawing cards, then?

Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, Starkville, Auburn, Baton Rouge, or College Station?

I could possibly see Nashville, but Vanderbilt was often No. 12 to our No. 11 in recruiting, anyway. In truth, the vast majority of P5 college cities or towns are not going to make a difference one way or the other, except that weather may sometimes be a factor.

Exactly. None of those cities are better than Lexington. I guess Gainesville is because it is in FL and maybe Baton Rouge because of New Orleans...and yeah I'd say Nashville is better, but other than that? Please.