What's the allure of being a Kentucky fan?

Apparently this loss is going to cost the University $1.5 million and retailers up to $15 million because UK lost. ESPN has an article about how much money some business owners are either going to lose, or lost in future sales. They claim that UK winning would have sold more apparel than all the other schools combined. Is it because I think of UK as being everything that is wrong with college sports, that I can't understand why that many people root for them?

Also in the crowd Saturday night was Joe Bozich, whose Knights Apparel produces more college gear at retail than any other company, including Nike.

"This would have been our single biggest basketball title in terms of amount of product we would have made and sold," Bozich said. "Including college football titles, it likely would have made it into the top seven highest-grossing title runs."

Maybe it's that Kentucky basketball is the state's NBA franchise.

They easily have the biggest basketball fan base. And tons of bandwagon fans would have bought caps and t-shirts.

Nobody will lose money. It's just that they won't be making as much money.

Am I the only one who doesn't want my team to be a bunch of fucking free agents every year? Is it wrong to enjoy watching these players improve and develop a relationship with the school? Fucking a, Tum Tum is going to win us a natty.

The allure is you don't have to be able to spell 'collegiate' to be a fan, hell, who am I kidding, you don't have to be able to spell 'fan'.

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:Am I the only one who doesn't want my team to be a bunch of fucking free agents every year? Is it wrong to enjoy watching these players improve and develop a relationship with the school? Fucking a, Tum Tum is going to win us a natty.

It's not just the players with a relationship to the school, but they have a connection to all alumni. Heck, you're a student, so you've probably seen them around campus, maybe even been in classes with them or at parties with them, maybe even good friends with some. I remember my first week of my freshman year walking past Peplowski on the way to class. A couple of weeks later seeing Pig Miller at a party. And they're just there being college kids, doing the same thing that I was doing, not these untouchable super stars like the pro athletes that you see on TV. I still remember how much that struck me at first, before getting used to it. I had classes now and then with football and basketball players, and you see them and interact with them as they're trying to learn and get good grades just like you, even when they know they're going to be draft picks and millionaires in a couple of years.

And that connection will bind these players to us, just as it does with all alumni. A year from now, 10 years from now, or 20 years from now, any of us might meet some of these players somewhere and they'll be excited to meet fellow Spartans, and talk about shared experiences at State, even if we went there decades apart. I know this, because I've experienced it at times when I've had the pleasure to meet several former football and basketball players, both household names, and relative nobodies, and it's always the same.

I guess Kentucky players get 1-2 years of that shared student experience (in theory), and I suppose Zach Randolph, Jason Richardson, and Gary Harris don't have any more than Kentucky players, so maybe they won't feel that as much. Though the family atmosphere that Izzo has built makes me guess that they do feel connected even if there a shorter time. But most of Kentucky's fanbase didn't go to school there either, so they have no more connection to a guy if he were to be a 5th year senior, 4th generation Wildcat, than they do to a one and done-er.

Onion Sports Network ‏@OnionSports 15m15 minutes ago
Kentucky Players Distraught Over Losing Undefeated Season Bonuses http://onion.com/1aCOTXK

MiamiSpartan wrote:

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:Am I the only one who doesn't want my team to be a bunch of fucking free agents every year? Is it wrong to enjoy watching these players improve and develop a relationship with the school? Fucking a, Tum Tum is going to win us a natty.

It's not just the players with a relationship to the school, but they have a connection to all alumni. Heck, you're a student, so you've probably seen them around campus, maybe even been in classes with them or at parties with them, maybe even good friends with some. I remember my first week of my freshman year walking past Peplowski on the way to class. A couple of weeks later seeing Pig Miller at a party. And they're just there being college kids, doing the same thing that I was doing, not these untouchable super stars like the pro athletes that you see on TV. I still remember how much that struck me at first, before getting used to it. I had classes now and then with football and basketball players, and you see them and interact with them as they're trying to learn and get good grades just like you, even when they know they're going to be draft picks and millionaires in a couple of years.

And that connection will bind these players to us, just as it does with all alumni. A year from now, 10 years from now, or 20 years from now, any of us might meet some of these players somewhere and they'll be excited to meet fellow Spartans, and talk about shared experiences at State, even if we went there decades apart. I know this, because I've experienced it at times when I've had the pleasure to meet several former football and basketball players, both household names, and relative nobodies, and it's always the same.

I guess Kentucky players get 1-2 years of that shared student experience (in theory), and I suppose Zach Randolph, Jason Richardson, and Gary Harris don't have any more than Kentucky players, so maybe they won't feel that as much. Though the family atmosphere that Izzo has built makes me guess that they do feel connected even if there a shorter time. But most of Kentucky's fanbase didn't go to school there either, so they have no more connection to a guy if he were to be a 5th year senior, 4th generation Wildcat, than they do to a one and done-er.

Well said. Shit, was talking to Netizel and Chris Hill at the Slippery Noodle this weekend.

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:

Well said. Shit, was talking to Netizel and Chris Hill at the Slippery Noodle this weekend.

Did you ask them if they thought the game had passed Izzo by or if he's ready for the NBA? j/k What's Neitzel up to these days? Still playing in Europe?

InTenSity wrote:

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:

Well said. Shit, was talking to Netizel and Chris Hill at the Slippery Noodle this weekend.

Did you ask them if they thought the game had passed Izzo by or if he's ready for the NBA? j/k What's Neitzel up to these days? Still playing in Europe?

I don't think he is, believe he works in Grand Rapids. Chris Hill is still overseas though.

InTenSity wrote:

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:

Well said. Shit, was talking to Netizel and Chris Hill at the Slippery Noodle this weekend.

Did you ask them if they thought the game had passed Izzo by or if he's ready for the NBA? j/k

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:

MiamiSpartan wrote:
It's not just the players with a relationship to the school, but they have a connection to all alumni. Heck, you're a student, so you've probably seen them around campus, maybe even been in classes with them or at parties with them, maybe even good friends with some. I remember my first week of my freshman year walking past Peplowski on the way to class. A couple of weeks later seeing Pig Miller at a party. And they're just there being college kids, doing the same thing that I was doing, not these untouchable super stars like the pro athletes that you see on TV. I still remember how much that struck me at first, before getting used to it. I had classes now and then with football and basketball players, and you see them and interact with them as they're trying to learn and get good grades just like you, even when they know they're going to be draft picks and millionaires in a couple of years.

And that connection will bind these players to us, just as it does with all alumni. A year from now, 10 years from now, or 20 years from now, any of us might meet some of these players somewhere and they'll be excited to meet fellow Spartans, and talk about shared experiences at State, even if we went there decades apart. I know this, because I've experienced it at times when I've had the pleasure to meet several former football and basketball players, both household names, and relative nobodies, and it's always the same.

I guess Kentucky players get 1-2 years of that shared student experience (in theory), and I suppose Zach Randolph, Jason Richardson, and Gary Harris don't have any more than Kentucky players, so maybe they won't feel that as much. Though the family atmosphere that Izzo has built makes me guess that they do feel connected even if there a shorter time. But most of Kentucky's fanbase didn't go to school there either, so they have no more connection to a guy if he were to be a 5th year senior, 4th generation Wildcat, than they do to a one and done-er.

Well said. Shit, was talking to Netizel and Chris Hill at the Slippery Noodle this weekend.

Did you tell hill I thought he was a better defender than Waltons freshmen year?

Also did you get them to follow us on twitter?

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:Am I the only one who doesn't want my team to be a bunch of fucking free agents every year? Is it wrong to enjoy watching these players improve and develop a relationship with the school? Fucking a, Tum Tum is going to win us a natty.

He needs to learn to shoot first.

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:

Well said. Shit, was talking to Netizel and Chris Hill at the Slippery Noodle this weekend.

How were Chris Hill's eyebrows looking?

Their fans didn't annoy me as much as I expected, and they weren't crying after...some actually shook our hands and congratulated us. So Saturday actually helped their standing in my eyes, which I didn't think would ever happen. Weird. Though the really cheap seats may have been unbearable.