Calipari raves about the BBN on the Final Four teleconference
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Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
John Calipari said A LOT on today's Final Four teleconference, and I'll have a complete wrap-up here in a bit, but this comment stuck out to me the most. Cal was asked what he's learned about the Big Blue Nation in his six years at Kentucky and what he believes sparked the intense fanaticism in the state. Something tells me you'll like his answer.
"Coach Rupp," Cal said, mentioning his conversations with Rupp's son Herky, grandson, and great-grandson Frederick, who is friends with Brad Calipari. "There were things that he did back then that brought so much pride to this state. He wasn't afraid to play anybody, they got on trains and played in New York and Chicago. He played anyone, anywhere, anytime back then. He was a student of the game, and it started right there. And then Coach Hall. And then Coach Pitino. And then Tubby. They take so much pride."
Cal says the one thing he's learned about the BBN is that they don't need a national championship ever year, they just need to feel significant. “I've been here now six years. They haven't like, 'you've gotta win it now!' No. They’d like you to win it now and they’ll be depressed if you don’t, but they want to be in the conversation," Cal said. "They want in the conversation in recruiting, they want in the conversation when you're talking one of the best teams, but if they thought you should win it every year, we'd have 125 national titles. It doesn't happen and they know that."
When asked, Cal pinpointed two moments that he was floored by the BBN. "You walk in to our arena at home and the upper deck in the corners is filled 40 minutes before the game. 'Are you crazy? Why are you here right now?' The radio show has 8 or 9,000 people that stay after. Our radio show would rank in the top-30 in attendance of games."
"The other thing is you go on road, they're chanting and you're like, 'Oh, my gosh, they've taken over the arena.' Like, they do that," Cal said. "I don’t know how they get tickets. They know not to wear blue when they're trying to wear red or orange, they wear another color. They figure out ways of getting in and they don't tell because it's a secret. No one knows."
And you guys better not tell if you want the BBN to take over Indy.
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
John Calipari said A LOT on today's Final Four teleconference, and I'll have a complete wrap-up here in a bit, but this comment stuck out to me the most. Cal was asked what he's learned about the Big Blue Nation in his six years at Kentucky and what he believes sparked the intense fanaticism in the state. Something tells me you'll like his answer.
"Coach Rupp," Cal said, mentioning his conversations with Rupp's son Herky, grandson, and great-grandson Frederick, who is friends with Brad Calipari. "There were things that he did back then that brought so much pride to this state. He wasn't afraid to play anybody, they got on trains and played in New York and Chicago. He played anyone, anywhere, anytime back then. He was a student of the game, and it started right there. And then Coach Hall. And then Coach Pitino. And then Tubby. They take so much pride."
Cal says the one thing he's learned about the BBN is that they don't need a national championship ever year, they just need to feel significant. “I've been here now six years. They haven't like, 'you've gotta win it now!' No. They’d like you to win it now and they’ll be depressed if you don’t, but they want to be in the conversation," Cal said. "They want in the conversation in recruiting, they want in the conversation when you're talking one of the best teams, but if they thought you should win it every year, we'd have 125 national titles. It doesn't happen and they know that."
When asked, Cal pinpointed two moments that he was floored by the BBN. "You walk in to our arena at home and the upper deck in the corners is filled 40 minutes before the game. 'Are you crazy? Why are you here right now?' The radio show has 8 or 9,000 people that stay after. Our radio show would rank in the top-30 in attendance of games."
"The other thing is you go on road, they're chanting and you're like, 'Oh, my gosh, they've taken over the arena.' Like, they do that," Cal said. "I don’t know how they get tickets. They know not to wear blue when they're trying to wear red or orange, they wear another color. They figure out ways of getting in and they don't tell because it's a secret. No one knows."
And you guys better not tell if you want the BBN to take over Indy.
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