When we (and by we, I mean human beings) read or hear something and we are already predisposed to a particular belief, then we read or hear material about that subject with bias. We often like to think that isn’t the case, but it’s a fact. No matter what Billy Packer says on a CBS broadcast, all I ever hear is, “I’m a horse’s ass who loves the ACC and hates Kentucky.” It has been that way for years, and I suppose it is always that way. Every time I read Pat Forde, I still have to fight the urge to disagree with everything he writes. But I’m getting better. Sometimes Pat is on the money, whether I like it or not.
Our built-in bias must be fought when trying to comprehend the information in front of us, because when we give in to our bias we are bound to learn nothing, and in fact, we are quite capable of making the words on the page say something quite different from what they actually do. My recent column in support (sort of) of Kentucky basketball coach Tubby Smith is a perfect example. Say a group of people read the column, and their reaction is something like, “This is bullshit. Tubby sucks. Here are the guys who should replace him.” Well…where exactly does that come from? When you read the column, you will (correctly) get the impression that I believe Tubby should remain the coach at UK. But it is not an apologist’s defense of Coach Smith, because it in no way blindly defends him or ignores the current shortcomings in his program. I even acknowledge that others could probably do better. What the column is actually about, however, is that the expectations of the Kentucky basketball program are based on myth and perception, rather than on facts and reality. Is Kentucky one of college basketball’s storied programs? Yes it is. Has it always been a dominant program where championships came easily and often. No, it hasn’t. It was difficult for Rupp, it was difficult for Hall, it was really difficult for Sutton, and it was even tough for the great Pitino…for all of his brilliance he only won one title.
I don’t mind that people don’t agree with my take on the situation. It is perfectly natural for Kentucky fans to want the very best, and the last two seasons in Lexington have been particularly trying. But I would ask two things of my readers…one, be smart enough to know what you just read. And if you aren’t, read it again. The column on Smith wasn’t about Smith; it was about the history of Kentucky basketball and the different climates it has competed in during the history of the NCAA tournament. It might have proved helpful to those armchair athletic directors and coaches who THINK they know what they are talking about, but in reality they haven’t a clue. Number two…raise your hand, UK fans, if you thought Tubby Smith could coach when he won the national title. Could he coach in ‘02-’03 when the ‘Cats went undefeated in SEC play and finished 32-4? Or two years ago when the ‘Cats went 14-2 in league play and were minutes from a Final Four trip? Seven times in his first eight years the man led the Wildcats to at least a share of the SEC regular season title. From ‘02-’05, Smith led UK to a 43-5 record in SEC play. After a stumbling start against U of L, Tubby has even bagged three in a row against Team Pitino.
I’ve seen people that want Bill Self as a potential replacement for Tubby. Self is a fine coach to be sure, but I wonder how Self’s first-round flameouts to Bucknell and Bradley would have played on the Big Blue message boards? Billy Gillispie is another outstanding choice, one of the hottest coaches in the business right now. He sort of reminds you of the guy C.M. Newton turned to as a replacement for Rick Pitino: Orlando Smith. There are countless outstanding coaches around the country; I mentioned West Virginia’s John Beilein the other day. But the thing is this: None of them have won more than Tubby Smith. He has won, he can win, and he will win. And those that would have celebrated the exploits of the Kentucky teams that have had tremendous success under his direction, each of you should be ashamed of reveling in anything that might lead to his dismissal.
Every fan that works for a living might want to ask himself (or herself) this…Am I as proficient at my job as Tubby Smith is at his? And if I’m not…why do I still have a job?
Chief,
Let me throw a little fuel on the fire with a question. First before, I ask this question, I don’t have a dog in the hunt, I do not live and die UK basketball. I asked this question to a UK fan at my place of work, who wants Tubby fired yesterday. Do you not like Tubby because he is black? The guy walked away. How many UK fans would walk away without a word if asked that question?