Robic once hit a home run off Dan Marino...and other notes from Cal's Mailbag

It's safe to say that there's a lot of negativity in the fan base right now. Think that bothers Cal? Not one bit. Fan support is one of the issues Cal tackles in his latest mailbag episode, which you can view by clicking the pic above. Here are the highlights: -- Cal says the fans are so "bought in" and "surrendered" (+2 on your Coach Cal-ism Bingo Card) to the program and players that they consider them family. The unrealistic expectations some media members say Kentucky fans have? False. Cal says fans just want to be relevant and part of the conversation. In fact, the fans have been "wonderful." -- When asked which of his assistants would win in a pick-up game back in the day, Cal said that Orlando and Kenny playing against each other right now would be "sumo wrestling." Ouch, Coach. Ultimately, he said that Rod Strickland would smoke all of them. And John Robic apparently hit a home run off of Dan Marino once upon a time (Marino was drafted by the KC Royals as a pitcher but decided to play football instead). -- Cal said that when he talks to his former players, the thing they most often tell him is how much they wish they were back at Kentucky with their former teammates. #ThingsTheNationalMediaNeverThoughtCalWouldSay? None of his players are ever really prepared to go to the NBA. (But they're more prepared than most.) -- One of the problems Cal sees with the AAU circuit? It fosters an environment in which winning isn't most important. Because there are so many games, players focus more on effort and improvement and not wins and losses. "'We don't get another game?' No. You lose, you go home." Listening, guys? (Also, that picture of Cal and his son Brad posing in suits and sunglasses is priceless.)