Why the squid hatred?

I'm still in my self-imposed KU BB hiatus, and I'm feeling way less stressed.

But I can't stay away from the board, so I pose a tangentially related question to today's game (to spur some debate and get rid of the crickets).

Why do we hate Squid so much? He simply decided to accept and maximize the one and done culture, which is causing angst for so many other coaches. His teams are usually great. And personally, I don't think he cheats anymore. He doesn't have to. Five start prospects line up begging to play for him. And most go on to fortunes in the NBA. All in all a very successful system.

OK - he cheated in the past. But, we honor our 1988 NC, and Larry Brown, who has proven to be every bit the cheater that Squid is/was. KU wouldn't give back that 88 NC for anything, and we moved on quickly from the aftermath of HCLB's indiscretions. We raise the roof in cheers when LB comes back to the barn.

Squid put UMass on the map, and they've moved way past Squid's issues by recently honoring him.

I'll bet Memphis folks are thankful for their 2008 run to the finals, and wouldn't give that back despite the aftermath.

Is it just that he's at Kentucky and they're the ones we're chasing in terms of recruiting, games one, championships, and prestige?

Squid started his career at KU, but now he's the devil. Just curious how you all really feel about him.

I don't have the lineage to Dr. Naismith, Phog Allen, and all that many on this board possess. I came by my crimson and blue as an afterthought when we won the '88 championship and I had finished my graduate training and post-doc. Wanting to hang onto the Larryville roots I had planted from 1980 to 1987, I followed KU sports -- something I didn't do as a student.

A quick digression: In grade school I read a biography on Wilt. I read of the records he set and what a phenomenal college career he had at some place in the Midwest. I watched as he and Jerry West (a Mountaineer -- who knew?!) played pro bball even though I didn't really care about the sport. It did, however, plant a seed. . . .

I got hooked on KU hoops after the "88 NC and discovered this board (thanks Dave) in the mid '90s. I have learned everything I know about KU history and lore from this board and its knowledgeable posters (you know who they are). So my answer to your question (finally) of why I despise the squid is this: This board and its numerous anonymous posters are a surrogate family. When my "family" members speak ill of others I join in for no other reason than we are "one." To paraphrase the B-side of the Bonanza theme:

We're not a one to saddle up and run--Bonanza!
Anyone of us who starts a little fuss
Knows he can count on me
One for four, four for all
This we guarantee

We got a right to pick a little fight--Bonanza!
If anyone fights any one of us
He's gotta fight with me!

I didn't even know who Calapari was until I read Senex call him a squid (among other names ). Now, I'm a Kenyucky hater even more than I hate Puke; and I never thought I would see the day I hated a program more than Puke. I don't much like AZ either, but that hatred is on the back burner for now .

I'll end on this quote from Marlon Brando in the Wild Ones:

Mildred: "Hey Johnny, what are you rebelling against?"
Johnny: "Whadda you got?"
www.imdb.com/title/tt0047677/quotes

Death to Kentucky, Rock Chalk forever!!!!!

--RC

Amen, brother bay, amen.

Perhaps my prior attitude (prior to RCB discovery .... And then I was a dedicated lurker for years....and JOHN was involved; giving up the co-pilot status and Dave soloing--once again, MANY thanks, Dave) of not giving a "manure" about hating any team but Moo and K suck. And a bit of UCLA in there too....is due to no awareness of Perceived dirtiness in bb.

AND my hatred of the squid may more be directed toward Kensucky than him. He's just a good smarmy looking target.....to moi, anyway!

Love the quotes! Got a laugh out of your reply. Thanks!

Over the years I've addressed this question several times, but I'll take another run at it now. Let me preface my remarks by letting you know that I live 19 miles from UMass, and was at least peripherally involved in the Calipari years at UMass, and know quite a few UMass people who were both students and faculty at the time Calipari was here, and I know (and knew) several reporters who were involved in uncovering and publicizing the transition of UMass to 'UMess.' I will provide links to a few articles from The Boston Globe and other media that will hopefully enlighten you as to why Calipari is as despised as he is by any and all honest people, basketball fans or not. He is, and always has been, without a moral center, and has focused his entire career on forwarding John Calipari, regardless of unpleasant and often career ending implications of his actions. And the careers that ended were never his, for The Squid is, if nothing else, quite a clever man.

Here is a link: [url=http://https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/12/13/umass-should-vacate-decision-honor-john-calipari/sFFBwkECLyxC4PqwLVrkaK/story.html][/url]

It is important to add context to the material laid out in the article. First of all, Calipari, as well as EVERYONE on the UMass campus at that time, observed Marcus Camby walking around campus with thousands of dollars of gold jewelry, as well as driving a 10k automobile. The porn movie that was made by Camby and another UMass scholarship basketball player had been set up by Camby's agent, who hired the prostitutes for the film. That film was shown at every campus event for at least 6 months before the NCAAs, yet Calipari claims he know nothing. I know dozens of UMass people who were well aware that Camby (and other members of the team) were academically ineligible to play, yet were permitted to play in spite of their 'grades.' Calipari and Billy Bayno (his #1 assistant) knew and facilitated the scam. Calipari and Bayno also stole a slogan from a North Carolina man, 'Refuse to Lose,' and together created a company producing hats, shirts, etc. with the slogan, all on University time, using University telephones, and made a fortune doing it. They eventually settled with the poor guy in NC for pennies on the dollar, and nothing was done by UMass to either of the newly minted millionaires.

When Camby was in high school, even Jim Calhoun, himself a very 'aggressive' recruiter, refused to recruit Camby to UConn, the most logical spot for Camby to land. Why? He KNEW Camby was dirty, and no amount of whitewashing and camouflage could hid the dirt. But Calipari knew that he could pull it off, because UMass was that desperate. And he was right. He walked away with 'clean hands,' while UMass got burned. They have yet to recover, by the way, remaining a mediocre Division 1 program, but not getting back to their brief buy destructive dance with basketball blue-blood status.

And he did it again at Memphis. Not quite as egregious, but clearly a easy one to identify, as well as to ignore. Calipari, caught again ignoring the rules, moved on to Kentucky, where he clearly does not need to cheat anymore. He's rich, associates with the hip hop giants, gets hugs from country music stars, pollticians and numerous slugs and hangers on that populate the demi monde of Division 1 basketball.

In review, John Calipari IS the Valdemort of college basketball. Or he is the Darth Vader of college basketball, He is an amoral slug who has done a great job of fooling most fans and players into believing he is simply a misunderstood genius. But he is not, nor will he ever be 'misunderstood.' In the post modern world of college athletics, Calipari is the star, the shining example of how and why there are no rules anymore for the programs too big to fail. Or too big to get caught. He knows the game, and he's become the new model for success. Makes me sick, but perhaps we should look to Rick Pitino, another guy from the northeast who has had quite a run. Oh, almost forgot. He's a disgusting slug too, especially his personal life. Odd how Kentucky not only is one of the top 4 meth producing states, but has managed to attract the two top slugs in college basketball coaching. Perhaps there is a spot for Dave Bliss at one of the lesser know programs, to add to the 'character' of the coaching resume of the state?

I just think he is fishy.

Simply put, the Kentucky Business Model. I'm not such a purist to scoff at a one N done or two per year. His approach is too heavily weighted toward them and Kentucky basketball seems to be marketed like a rush to get into the Association with a year in college as irksome , though necessary.

Most of my favorite Jayhawks left after three years. None left after one.

Oooooooooooh; you overlooking Josh Selby?

(Tongue FIRMLY in cheek!).

I ran down to Sam's Town for lunch at THI Fridays. Had fish and chips.
Fish was tasty. Put me in the mood for some fried calamari for dinner.

Make it so.

AZHawk, you said, "I'll bet Memphis folks are thankful for their 2008 run to the finals, and wouldn't give that back despite the aftermath."

Well actually, they DID give that back.

I wish that every time the announcers mentioned Calapari's Final4 runs at UMass and Memphis, that the other announcer would mention that those wins were vacated. Looking thru the NCAA's pub from last year's tournament record book , the list shows 7 teams with asterisks indicating vacated wins/record since 1980. Calapari owns 2 of the 7.

More detail than I could provide, so thanks for saving me the typing, Senex.

Here's the deal: I don't like coach K because Duke fans are a condescending group of kool aid slupers who don't get out much. Coach K also looks like a rat, and I enjoy watching him lose. That being said, it appears that his success at Duke has been earned honestly, and that overall his kids actually take their own SATs and maybe even attend class. In short, I can hate Duke and their coach, but I can't say that he's an amoral opportunist with no soul, and knowing one of his former players personally, it sounds like he's (holding back some puke) a decent human being.

Contrast that to the squid. Two time loser with the NCAA in regard to MAJOR infractions,couldn't win in the NBA so he came back to the college game. The guy may be a nice guy to drink beer with, and he supposedly goes to mass daily, but he's still a scumbag. If the NCAA had any testicles, he's have been banned from coaching after the Memphis scandal because he clearly didn't learn from his UMASS scandal. Now at UK, he's running a minor league system for the NBA and has shed any illusion that his guys are STUDENT athletes. That may be OK for Lexington,but I kind of like the idea that Self occasionally graduates a kid like Christian Moody who went on to get his medical degree.

Of all of KU's coaches only Larry had a big issue with the NCAA and it involved sending a kid home to be with a dying relative. The Ku community essentially did the same thing for T-Rob,and I'm sure we'd do it again in similar circumstances. Compare that to the Camby situation, or blatant SAT score tampering, and I agree with Bobby Knight that the sleazebag Calioari has no place in the college game.