Why I Bleed Kentucky Wildcat Blue

A University of Cincinnati Bearcat fan once told me about how unreasonable and fanatical us Kentucky Wildcat basketball fans were. He said we were crazy, too hard on the coaches and team, impatient and crass, and-yes, he went there-too obsessed with winning!

It took a moment for me to respond.

I wanted to go a little insane on this Bearcat fan, but for the sake of representing my state and my team, I thought I should probably give him an intelligent response to chew on.

A lot of things went through my head, a million possible replies. But how do you explain the weight of 100 years of tradition?

I'm 38 years old and have been a Wildcat fan most of my life, but I'm just a lad when it comes to UK Basketball tradition. My earliest memories of Kentucky basketball are in the early 80's. There was Melvin Turpin and Sam Bowie who were the Twin Towers. And although my family members and friends kept tabs on the team, I did not seriously understand what Kentucky Basketball meant until I started school at the University of Kentucky in 1988.

I remembered arriving as a student amidst the turmoil of the college basketball scandal and subsequent NCAA penalties that all but dismantled our basketball program. I remember Rick Pitino's first year. I remember the feeling of depression on campus in 1989-1991, and the feeling of anxiety as we searched for a new identity. We were thankful for every single win. I imagine this feeling perpetuated throughout the entire state. I remember walking through campus in the cold of winter and being warmed by the "3" signs that hung in almost every window, reminding me of Derrick Miller and Richie Farmer and that amazing game against LSU, beating Shaq. There was always hope.

After college, I religiously followed the Cats every year with the hope of an NCAA Championship. That dream came to fruition for all of us in 1996. The 1996 Kentucky Wildcats were arguably the best college basketball team of all time.

And still, all of those things do not fully define a Kentuckian's incredible loyalty, incredible sense of pride and unwavering willingness to support our team. This is because Kentucky basketball actually starts way before anyone's earliest memories.

Try 1895 when the first games in Kentucky were played in a YMCA gym in Louisville, and when Berea College formed its first basketball team.

Coach Adolph Rupp began his coaching tenure in 1930 for the Wildcats. Adolph Rupp was a disciple of Phog Allen who was the fellow who who coached Mr. Rupp at Kansas.

Adolph Rupp is a legend in college basketball, a man who defined new ways of playing the game, and a man who brought excellence to the Kentucky Wildcat program through more victories and championships than you can count. Coach Rupp helped spread the word of "basketball" throughout the state of Kentucky. I wonder if he ever realized how far and deep the game would pierce our hearts?

Some of the Kentucky Wildcat accomplishments include:
All time wins: (NCAA rank #1)
All time winning percentage: (NCAA rank #1)
NCAA Tournament appearances: 49 (NCAA rank #1)
NCAA Tournament games: 142 (NCAA rank #1)
NCAA Tournament wins: 98 (NCAA rank #1)
NCAA Tournament winning percentage: .690 (NCAA rank #6)
NCAA Championships: 7 (NCAA rank #2)
NCAA Championship Game appearances: 10 (NCAA rank #2)
NCAA Final Four appearances: 13 (NCAA rank #4)
NCAA Elite-8 appearances: 31 (NCAA rank #1)
NCAA Sweet-16 appearances: 40 (NCAA rank #1)

The list goes on and on. In Kentucky, it has become the dream of nearly every young Kentuckian to play for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Quite simply, every Kentucky Wildcat is a champion in our eyes.

How could I explain to this Bearcat fan the depth of my pride in UK basketball? My pride in UK Basketball starts with Lexington and has something to do with the history of this fine state as well as our love for horses and fine bourbon. Kentuckians have a general free spirit, are independent, and have a great love for life and family. In Kentucky we have the greatest bourbon distilleries in the world. We have Lexington, Kentucky, the home of the Cats. The land surrounding Lexington is Kentucky farmland comprised of open fields and farm houses. As you near Lexington, those open fields become pristinely cut with fences that hold a beautiful array of horses. The city itself-and the University-is a modern metropolis with some of the finest restaurants and modern facilities.

And how could I explain the feeling I get whenever I travel to Rupp Arena to see the Cats play? This isn't just some ordinary arena. Old perhaps, but seething with tradition and a fierce need to win basketball games. How do I describe the little old lady shuffling her way down the sidewalk outside of Rupp Arena, completely decked out in UK gear? Everything about her is blue and white; her earrings, her purse, her shoes and hat. Having a beer inside before the game, you may notice a little girl dressed in a UK cheerleader outfit. You may visit one of the many shops inside the mall area dedicated to UK sports. Your eyes will hurt from the amount of blue surging through the mall before a game at Rupp.

And it is interesting to know that there are many Kentucky Basketball fans who are buried in their blue and white when they die.

While Kentucky's success might just seem to many people like a bunch of winning statistics, to achieve that kind of winning tradition-over 100 years-takes a great deal of commitment from generations of fans, coaches, players and the University of Kentucky itself. There have been many dark periods of UK basketball history, but the support of the people of Kentucky have helped keep the winning tradition alive. So it isn't just about winning, but pulling together as a Big Blue Nation and supporting something that binds us Kentuckians together.

Kentucky Wildcat basketball is the weight of 100 years of tradition. It is the champions that play here. It is the support of millions of Wildcat fans over generations and generations. It is quite a mouthful to say in just one sentence, to one Cincinnati Bearcat fan.

That's when you know Kentucky Basketball is just that big.

I could have said a lot of things to this guy. I could have tried to explain all of the above, only to watch his eyes glaze over with all of the details about Kentucky Wildcat basketball. I could have said something sarcastic, or pointed out the drastic comparison between our two programs. However, I would have sounded sarcastic and defensive, and it would have only served to support his view about "you crazy UK fans".

Looking forward to the next game, I decided to be humble. I would put on my traditional game shirt, root for the cats along with a few thousand of my friends, and let the Kentucky basketball team do the talking for me.

I didn't have anything to prove to this guy.

So, I smiled, clapped my Bearcat friend on the back and replied, "You just wouldn't understand, but I can help you understand. I just happen to have two tickets to the next game down at Rupp..."