Random Calipari: 2018 Media Day Edition

@MrsTylerKSR

As he often does, John Calipari went a little off the rails during today’s Media Day press conference. Here are six of the most ridiculous and random things he told reporters while discussing his 2018-19 squad.

“Before we start, is this media day or coaches’ day?”

This, of course, is a reference to Jerry Tipton’s question last year when Calipari tried to ask another question about the FBI investigation:

Jerry Tipton just checked John Calipari.

"This is a media day, not coach day." pic.twitter.com/R6Pf718dbn

— Clayton Abernathy (@ClayKY1) October 12, 2017

There was no such awkwardness today. Dangit.

“Geez, you’ll have to take out a kidney, I guess”

No, this is not Calipari talking about a kidney transplant; it’s him talking about Reid Travis’ weight loss since arriving at Kentucky. Travis has dropped from 262 lbs. to 245 lbs., prompting Calipari to joke he should lose five more. But from where?

“I asked him, what’s your weight. He said, 245. I said, you know, maybe we try five more. Take off five more. Well, he kind of looked at me, and I said, what’s your body fat. He said, 5.4. Geez, you’ll have to take out a kidney, I guess. I don’t know what to do.”

Don’t do that, Reid.

“Can you guys just take me from like here up?”

As Calipari reminded reporters throughout the press conference, he’s been on the road a lot lately, not getting back from a recruiting trip until 3:30 a.m. All that ‘crootin is taking a toll on his physique, prompting Cal to take some jabs at himself after all of the talk about Reid Travis’ body fat percentage.

“Mine is very high right now. I’ve been trying. I don’t know what to tell you. This late-night traveling and eating is a problem. Can you guys just take me from like here up? I’m not that bad when you just go from here up.”

“I’m very flawed and I’m a sinner”

Chill out, Pat Forde. That was Calipari’s quip when a reporter said he had two questions for him.

“I hit the eat poop button, like no, I’m not talking to you, okay”

We’re used to basketball questions at football media day, but the tables were turned today, with Calipari being asked about the Kentucky Football team twice. Cal heaped the praise on Mark Stoops for a job well done this season, but said he didn’t sugarcoat things with his gridiron counterpart when the Cats lost to Texas A&M.

“Can I say this? I called Mark (Stoops) after the Texas A&M game, and if you’re a coach, when you lose, don’t call me and tell me it was good. I don’t want to hear that. Like and if I see somebody on my phone and I know that’s what they’re going to try to do, I hit the eat poop button, like no, I’m not talking to you, okay.

“So I text to Mark what I saw, that the first touchdown they scored was, okay, your defense I thought balled, but they were on the field too long. It wasn’t your best game and you still went to overtime with a chance to win. Incredible.”