Comments on: Players speak out: Meeks supports department’s decision, unsure about future http://kykernel.com/2009/03/27/players-speak-out-meeks-supports-department%e2%80%99s-decision-unsure-about-future/ University of Kentucky's daily student newspaper. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:52:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: deecee http://kykernel.com/2009/03/27/players-speak-out-meeks-supports-department%e2%80%99s-decision-unsure-about-future/comment-page-1/#comment-3299 deecee Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:06:55 +0000 http://kykernel.com/?p=14392#comment-3299 Another year???? This man was borderline abusive and did not need to stay in this position for another day! I wish the national media would read the above -mentioned article before they say Kentucky didn't give him long enough. His release is not just about PR skills or wins/losses....it is more about humane treatment and tact! As a teacher, I know that his particular strategy for motivation (public humiliation, sarcasm, and verbal abuse) are ineffective in the long run. The last half of this season I think it was obvious there was something very wrong internally....something the public did not know? Turns out that "something" was Billy G. Whether it is Barnhart's fault or not - Coach Gillispie had to go! Thank goodness this man has been relieved of his duties at the University of Kentucky! Giving him another year would have been disastrous! Another year???? This man was borderline abusive and did not need to stay in this position for another day! I wish the national media would read the above -mentioned article before they say Kentucky didn’t give him long enough. His release is not just about PR skills or wins/losses….it is more about humane treatment and tact!
As a teacher, I know that his particular strategy for motivation (public humiliation, sarcasm, and verbal abuse) are ineffective in the long run.
The last half of this season I think it was obvious there was something very wrong internally….something the public did not know? Turns out that “something” was Billy G.
Whether it is Barnhart’s fault or not – Coach Gillispie had to go! Thank goodness this man has been relieved of his duties at the University of Kentucky! Giving him another year would have been disastrous!

]]> By: MARTYMAN http://kykernel.com/2009/03/27/players-speak-out-meeks-supports-department%e2%80%99s-decision-unsure-about-future/comment-page-1/#comment-3298 MARTYMAN Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:12:02 +0000 http://kykernel.com/?p=14392#comment-3298 OK_OK, we've heard from all sides of the equation now on who's at fault and the why's. I say, enough of the finger pointing, already. There is plenty of blame to go around. This includes the Fans, to the UKAD and even Lee Todd, too. The thing is that we as Fans need to do for the next Head Coach is to be Patient!!!! If UK hires a coach that is worth his reputation coming into this highly demanding job. Then we need to back off the new coach and let him get a feel for the job, the community, the players and university, the spoiled and impatient fan base. This will take more than 2 years. We were extremely lucky as fans that we had 2 great "Public" minded Head Coaches in Pitino and Tubby. Yes, they spoiled us with their ability to juggle Coaching at this level successfully and the demands of the Public and the Media. Billy Gillispie just wanted to coach and recruit. He did not encompass the full enormity of what it means and what it takes to be the Head Coach of the Nations most winningest college basketball program. Therefore his lack of that knowledge led to his ultimate and untimely dismissal after 2 years here. Moving on.......... The next Head Coach needs to know this right off the bat! The UKAD and his search committee really need to do their homework first on any viable candidate and then a series of interviews not only with the candidate, but with his players, former and present and also with possibly anybody within the coach's circle, too. We need this search to begin right away, but not finish right away. This would be a good exercise for all of us in Patience....... OK_OK, we’ve heard from all sides of the equation now on who’s at fault and the why’s. I say, enough of the finger pointing, already. There is plenty of blame to go around. This includes the Fans, to the UKAD and even Lee Todd, too. The thing is that we as Fans need to do for the next Head Coach is to be Patient!!!! If UK hires a coach that is worth his reputation coming into this highly demanding job. Then we need to back off the new coach and let him get a feel for the job, the community, the players and university, the spoiled and impatient fan base. This will take more than 2 years. We were extremely lucky as fans that we had 2 great “Public” minded Head Coaches in Pitino and Tubby. Yes, they spoiled us with their ability to juggle Coaching at this level successfully and the demands of the Public and the Media. Billy Gillispie just wanted to coach and recruit. He did not encompass the full enormity of what it means and what it takes to be the Head Coach of the Nations most winningest college basketball program. Therefore his lack of that knowledge led to his ultimate and untimely dismissal after 2 years here. Moving on……….
The next Head Coach needs to know this right off the bat! The UKAD and his search committee really need to do their homework first on any viable candidate and then a series of interviews not only with the candidate, but with his players, former and present and also with possibly anybody within the coach’s circle, too. We need this search to begin right away, but not finish right away. This would be a good exercise for all of us in Patience…….

]]> By: Lee http://kykernel.com/2009/03/27/players-speak-out-meeks-supports-department%e2%80%99s-decision-unsure-about-future/comment-page-1/#comment-3278 Lee Sun, 29 Mar 2009 05:16:23 +0000 http://kykernel.com/?p=14392#comment-3278 I should have written www.kentuckysportsradio.com I should have written http://www.kentuckysportsradio.com

]]> By: Lee http://kykernel.com/2009/03/27/players-speak-out-meeks-supports-department%e2%80%99s-decision-unsure-about-future/comment-page-1/#comment-3276 Lee Sun, 29 Mar 2009 05:12:46 +0000 http://kykernel.com/?p=14392#comment-3276 Good site for true information. You should read this and then decide if this was a good decision. Good site for true information. You should read this and then decide if this was a good decision.

]]> By: kevin http://kykernel.com/2009/03/27/players-speak-out-meeks-supports-department%e2%80%99s-decision-unsure-about-future/comment-page-1/#comment-3267 kevin Sun, 29 Mar 2009 02:50:08 +0000 http://kykernel.com/?p=14392#comment-3267 Rick Pitino ruined Kentucky basketball when he left, and it will never go back to the way it was unless he comes BACK!!!!! Rick Pitino ruined Kentucky basketball when he left, and it will never go back to the way it was unless he comes BACK!!!!!

]]> By: cory http://kykernel.com/2009/03/27/players-speak-out-meeks-supports-department%e2%80%99s-decision-unsure-about-future/comment-page-1/#comment-3266 cory Sun, 29 Mar 2009 02:48:21 +0000 http://kykernel.com/?p=14392#comment-3266 i would just like to tell MR meeks and his dad he is not ready for the nba.i would just like to see how many times he turnd the ball over on ball penatration i would just like to tell MR meeks and his dad he is not ready for the nba.i would just like to see how many times he turnd the ball over on ball penatration

]]> By: roger joiner http://kykernel.com/2009/03/27/players-speak-out-meeks-supports-department%e2%80%99s-decision-unsure-about-future/comment-page-1/#comment-3255 roger joiner Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:18:38 +0000 http://kykernel.com/?p=14392#comment-3255 Mitch Barnhart and the University of Kentucky Department of Athletics has made a serious error. Firing Billy Gillispie for his lack of PR skills shows that Barnhart is not the guy for the job. Mr Barnhart and Dr Todd chose to make the University look arrogant and pompous buy saying that Billy didn't have the PR skills needed for the position. Then they say there was no Formal contract, so they will not fulfill their part of the Memorandum of understanding. If Kentucky had a problem with the coach, They should have simply said that after two years, they were not able to reach a Formal Agreement with Gillispie and for that reason they were withdrawing their offer and re-opening their coaching search and left all the garbage out of the discussion. But it appears that Barnhart feels that the extra drama is needed. Kentucky is the "House that Rupp Built." It was built with pride, hard work and tradition, not drama. The renovations to the house that Rupp built are substandard at best and that is the fault of the designer. When working on renovations, you don't destroy the Foundation, and that is exactly what Mitch Barnhart has done. Maybe Billy wasn't a good fit, but Mitch Barnhart has now done a lot more damage than Billy ever did. I would strongly suggest that the Board of trustees press Dr Todd to remove Mr Barnhart and hire a "Kentucky Guy" to fill the position of Athletics Director. Mitch Barnhart and the University of Kentucky Department of Athletics has made a serious error. Firing Billy Gillispie for his lack of PR skills shows that Barnhart is not the guy for the job.
Mr Barnhart and Dr Todd chose to make the University look arrogant and pompous buy saying that Billy didn’t have the PR skills needed for the position. Then they say there was no Formal contract, so they will not fulfill their part of the Memorandum of understanding.
If Kentucky had a problem with the coach, They should have simply said that after two years, they were not able to reach a Formal Agreement with Gillispie and for that reason they were withdrawing their offer and re-opening their coaching search and left all the garbage out of the discussion. But it appears that Barnhart feels that the extra drama is needed.

Kentucky is the “House that Rupp Built.” It was built with pride, hard work and tradition, not drama. The renovations to the house that Rupp built are substandard at best and that is the fault of the designer. When working on renovations, you don’t destroy the Foundation, and that is exactly what Mitch Barnhart has done.

Maybe Billy wasn’t a good fit, but Mitch Barnhart has now done a lot more damage than Billy ever did.

I would strongly suggest that the Board of trustees press Dr Todd to remove Mr Barnhart and hire a “Kentucky Guy” to fill the position of Athletics Director.

]]> By: College Hoops Journal » Blog Archive » The Beneficial Fallout from Kentucky - An all-inclusive college basketball news and opinion site http://kykernel.com/2009/03/27/players-speak-out-meeks-supports-department%e2%80%99s-decision-unsure-about-future/comment-page-1/#comment-3247 College Hoops Journal » Blog Archive » The Beneficial Fallout from Kentucky - An all-inclusive college basketball news and opinion site Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:25:21 +0000 http://kykernel.com/?p=14392#comment-3247 [...] Meeks, who has not decided yet whether he will return (I doubt he does), went on the record with the Kentucky Kernel today, taking the high [...] [...] Meeks, who has not decided yet whether he will return (I doubt he does), went on the record with the Kentucky Kernel today, taking the high [...]

]]> By: Philip A. Todd http://kykernel.com/2009/03/27/players-speak-out-meeks-supports-department%e2%80%99s-decision-unsure-about-future/comment-page-1/#comment-3246 Philip A. Todd Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:09:20 +0000 http://kykernel.com/?p=14392#comment-3246 This is what happens when you have an utter failure of leadership, as we did two years ago when Mitch and Co. failed to quickly and decisively speak in favor of Coach Smith in the face of the whiners. This scared Smith into leaving, and will continue to scare any sane person from taking this job. Mitch and Co. stuck with Brooks under fire, and in the end won when the football team improved. But had the team not improved, the administration would still have a clear conscience and clean hands to be able to then fire Brooks and move on with the support of the community and players. Instead, they remained silent when idiots attacked Tubby, so they have no clear conscience and no clean hands and we will all continue to reap what they sowed. No players or coaches want to have anything to do with a renegade, out of touch with reality program. Look at what Nebraska's fans did to their once-famed football program. I will bet that Pitino and Tubby will both win NCAA titles, and UNC will take over the total wins record, and others will at least tie our NCAA title record, long before UK basketball is ever able to rise above this shame. Stick with your coach, because it can always get worse! The elite eight doesn't look so bad now, does it? This is what happens when you have an utter failure of leadership, as we did two years ago when Mitch and Co. failed to quickly and decisively speak in favor of Coach Smith in the face of the whiners. This scared Smith into leaving, and will continue to scare any sane person from taking this job. Mitch and Co. stuck with Brooks under fire, and in the end won when the football team improved. But had the team not improved, the administration would still have a clear conscience and clean hands to be able to then fire Brooks and move on with the support of the community and players. Instead, they remained silent when idiots attacked Tubby, so they have no clear conscience and no clean hands and we will all continue to reap what they sowed. No players or coaches want to have anything to do with a renegade, out of touch with reality program. Look at what Nebraska’s fans did to their once-famed football program. I will bet that Pitino and Tubby will both win NCAA titles, and UNC will take over the total wins record, and others will at least tie our NCAA title record, long before UK basketball is ever able to rise above this shame. Stick with your coach, because it can always get worse! The elite eight doesn’t look so bad now, does it?

]]> By: growler http://kykernel.com/2009/03/27/players-speak-out-meeks-supports-department%e2%80%99s-decision-unsure-about-future/comment-page-1/#comment-3230 growler Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:04:46 +0000 http://kykernel.com/?p=14392#comment-3230 There was a lot of inter-team fighting when Tubby left. Billy tried to clean house, made progress, and ultimately the decision was made that he wasn't the best fit. Two years is not really enough time, so wish him the best. Note to a couple players...you're not ready for the NBA, by a long shot. There was a lot of inter-team fighting when Tubby left. Billy tried to clean house, made progress, and ultimately the decision was made that he wasn’t the best fit. Two years is not really enough time, so wish him the best. Note to a couple players…you’re not ready for the NBA, by a long shot.

]]> By: » BBL: The Gillispie dismissal John Clay’s Sidelines http://kykernel.com/2009/03/27/players-speak-out-meeks-supports-department%e2%80%99s-decision-unsure-about-future/comment-page-1/#comment-3226 » BBL: The Gillispie dismissal John Clay’s Sidelines Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:59:11 +0000 http://kykernel.com/?p=14392#comment-3226 [...] Jodie Meeks tells Metz Camfield of the Kentucky Kernel he thinks firing “was a good decision.” [...] [...] Jodie Meeks tells Metz Camfield of the Kentucky Kernel he thinks firing “was a good decision.” [...]

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