Kentucky Ink

I Tried To Ignore It, But Couldn't Let It Slide

Kentucky football has made big strides under Coach Rich Brooks.  3 straight bowl bids and the victory cigars to go with them in the last 3 years is huge, relatively speaking. 

Brooks said as much.  He also gave credit where credit was due to an outstanding and courageous group of players upon which this success was built, and to his assistants that have done the molding under his watchful eyes.

It's been a rare, good run for the Wildcats.

For all the teaching and coaching and guiding Brooks has done with others on his team and off of it, I would really like for him to turn that talent inward for just a moment.

Rich Brooks has taken great pains to separate "UK now" from its less than immaculate history (previously, emasculated would at times have best described it).  He is constantly reiterating that "last year's game" or "last week's game has nothing to do with this game", "there is no curse", "believe", etc. to try and get everyone focused on what is present and attainable, and off of any past failures.  

To a point, he's been successful.

However, and you knew that was coming, this week's game against Mississippi State, as well as several comments made in press conferences this season have all flown in the face of the chosen mantra.  I'm going to tell you why.

The comments at several pressers that have run completely counter to what Brooks espouses have been to the effect of- UK always catches _______ after they've had a tough game or a loss and (that opponent) comes out angry or extra-motivated.  This, even though he denies previous games impact current ones, or, at least, he doesn't use them as motivation.   

Well... not all of the time anyway.  He used the previous ULM game as a whip to drive the team last week.  So he's not above it after all.  (That's a good thing, imo, even if he is trying to teach these guys to motivate themselves as a rule so that they can be successful after college.  The next step would be to motivate them as strongly in the positive as with the negative.)

What further perplexes me....

When Mississippi State comes to town the 31st of October, the Cats will c0me out in their "traditional" Kentucky Blue and White uniforms.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.   I put traditional in quotes because, really, there is nothing resembling the traditional in the Cats' current attire outside of the same blue and white. 

Why is that?

Well, just as Oregon underwent a modernization of sorts to separate itself from its doubt filled past and attract a different mindset to the program among athletes and fans alike, UK has changed it's logo, it's helmets, it's jerseys, its pants, and have gray (gasp) on the uniforms.  Yep.  Gray. 

It's not a school color and never has been.  The U and K are now interlocking, rather than the traditional single, block K of old.  Where there was no accent color on the jerseys, there now is. 

For some reason, though, Brooks is adamant that there will be no break with "tradition" by letting the players wear black uniforms with blue and white accents.  The reason is that black is "not a school color".   Ok.  Give him that.  But neither is gray.  UNless...

...you look at black as a shade of white and gray likewise.  Tough to do unless you're a guy that loves reason over phenomenology.  Which, we find out, isn't always Coach Brooks.

The players pulled the wool off when they revealed that Brooks is superstitious.  Seems the Cats wore black shoes once and got blown out, and the players think that carries more weight than the "tradition" excuse that Brooks gave the media moments afterward.  

Taking a page from the head coach's manual, I have to say he wouldn't let that reasoning or lack of it stand with one of his players, as well as he is when it's his line of thought.  Past results should have n bearing on the present.  That game and that circumstance does not bring any weight to this game on Saturday... unless a team, a player, or a coach GIVES it that weight, as a potential change in style seems to have uncovered it does.

The basketball team wore black this past season to much acclaim among the players and younger fans.  Quite a few of the older crowd are still rankled that the block K is gone, but many seemed to like it and the energy the players had for wearing the new style on occasion. 

Surely Brooks doesn't think the color of a jersey is powerful enough to overcome the player wearing it?  This isn't Venom of Marvel we're talking about.  It's just a color.  It's not some phrase replacing the school name for goodness sake.  It's not even a color.  It's neutral. 

There is no precedent set that a break with tradition for the short or long term can stop progress or continued success on its own.   Even the Cheerleading Squad (deserve the caps) has adopted the interlocking logo on flags and unis and they still somehow continue to win titles.      

The only thing that stops progress is to say that superficial change is more powerful than what lies within. 

Brooks is less of a traditionalist than he wants us to take at face value, based just on the changes he's made to this program alone.  Traditionally, football was over this time of year and people moved on to basketball with Madness never to look back at the SEC football standings. 

Let's take it one step further Coach Brooks.  Overcome your own disbeliefs and fears and in so doing continue to build up your players' belief in the positive and the program's ability to surpass its past, good or bad.   "Believe."

It's taken me a long time to come up with a more negative slant for an article.  (Eat your heart out, Jock Sutherland.)

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