I have to hand it to my buddies. They’ve been good sports. Like a lot of guys from the Kansas City area, some of my very best friends have Wildcat and Tiger affiliations. Nobody’s perfect, but they’re all great dudes. We share our common bonds of all things Kansas City—our professional teams, the world’s greatest barbecue, Boulevard Beer, the Steamboat Arabia Museum (I can’t back that. I might be the only one that would go see the Arabia more than once a decade). But when it comes to our alma maters, the smack talk can be brutal and plentiful, but all in good fun.
Generally speaking, the smack is pretty one-sided during basketball season. Of what do the others have to brag? But this is the first year I’ve spilled a little of the mild venom over into the public forum, with the creation of this blog, and the response from my pals has been overwhelmingly positive—even if my fun has been at the expense of their school ties, mostly aimed at the MU side so far.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, though, it was the Kansas State side of the aisle which spent a great deal of time ruffling up their tail feathers before the season started. In my many years of fanhood, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Wildcat Nation as confident going into a season as I did this year. I heard it all—everything from, “This will be the year we sweep football AND basketball,” to “Kansas is down. Look what you lost, and look what we return,” to “Kelly, Judge AND adding Asprilla? That’s the best front court in the nation, baby!”
What has followed has been nothing short of a complete abortion. Just an atrocity, the likes of which I’ve never seen around these parts. We’re talking Julia Roberts marrying Lyle Lovett. David Glass buying the Royals. The fourth season of “Big Love.” Tragic, tragic stuff, here.
As of this writing, Curtis Kelly was still a member of the Kansas State men’s basketball team. By the time it’s posted, he might not still be. I wouldn’t be at all shocked if his “appeal” of the punishment for his (alleged) transgressions happen to conveniently last till about next Tuesday—just enough time to allow him to play one last emotional game in the Octagon of Doom against Kansas (as his team boards on the brink of sure elimination from NCAA Tournament consideration). But his time is coming.
What kind of a coach can possibly survive this kind of a complete disaster with his job still intact? We’re talking about a guy who started out with his team ranked #3 in the nation coming off of an Elite Eight bid, picked to win the conference, and now he’s on the brink of having to work his way into an NIT game (which his best player won’t play in anyway).
I’ll tell you the kind of coach who can survive it—one looking at receiving a $4 million payoff if he’s terminated. And even that might not have been enough to save him. But it certainly will, because the Wildcat faithful still have a horrendous taste in their mouths after the back-alley $3 million bonus payoff to send Ron Prince packing. Nobody is ready to handle another $4 million walking out the door for nothing.
And yet, nothing is what they’re getting on the playing surface right now. Oh, they’ve looked better for the past week. There isn’t cause yet to give up ALL hope. Unfortunately, “hope” probably rides contingent upon having at least one competent player over the height of 6’7”, and the last one of those with any hint of competency appears to have a foot-and-a-half out the door.
In my opinion, Frank puts his job in greater jeopardy if he allows Kelly to play, given the alleged transgressions.
ReplyDeleteThere's a guy who started the season ranked #2 coming off a final four APPEARANCE (seriously dude, you don't get a 'bid' to the Elite 8) who is going through an equally trying season.
ReplyDeleteWhile Martin's team has clearly underachieved, it shouldn't be held against him that the rest of the country clearly underrated Clemente's importance to the team and expected bigger things from newcomers/transfers than they were ready to provide.
True, Anonymous. But seasons as trying as this are easier to bear when the coach has a half-dozen Final Four rings (one of them with the words "National Champion" wrapped around it in precious stones), and you know he could point to any open NBA job and say, "I'll have that."
ReplyDeleteYes, but - to some degree - Frank's 3 prior years at KSU are no less valuable to KSU fans than Izzo's long run at Mich State. Izzo has obviously hit peaks Martin could only dream of, but he also took over a program than had one a title in the previous 15 years. Martin took over a team that had made the tournament once in the prior 15 years. He's in no danger.
ReplyDeleteOh, we are in complete agreement that he is in no danger this year, unless he did something that would merit termination with cause. The buyout will drop to $3 million after his 3rd season on the contract, so he certainly has at least next year and 2013.
ReplyDeleteSimply, even speculating about Martin going and a buy out is quite stupid. Sorry. However, Martin has done great things at KSU in his time. He knew this team wasn't what the hype was saying (and he told individuals that knew him this). However, the media being the media, and idiot fans being idiot fans, it didn't matter.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that would get Martin in hot water is if he didn't have standards. If he didn't play by the rules and policies put in place by the NCAA, the conference, and the school. Then, when that S hit the fan, there would be hell to pay (unlike with some other schools and fan bases which would condone it for the sake of winning a few extra games). A few vocal fans at KSU may be upset, but the base and the administration get it.
For a program with as many accomplishments as Kansas State's (although not recently), it's difficult to label what Frank has done in his 3+ years as "great." Let's be honest, here--Missouri's basketball tradition doesn't hold a candle to K-State's. Getting to the Big Dance every other year (even with an Elite Eight) isn't "great." It's pretty good, considering what KSU has been since about '89. But what he's done so far was made possible by the energy (and recruits) that came in with Huggie Bear (and Frank was a part of that). We'll see what happens if that well dries up. This recruiting class might be a tough row to hoe.
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