THE Orlando "Tubby" Smith Thread

[WMR]

Did anyone catch the Tubster on "Best Damn Sports Show Period"?

It was a really weird appearance. Tubby appeared VERY nervous.

Dibs asked him if he was going to get fired for not wearing a suit (Tubby was in a UK BBall t-shirt) and Tubby replied, "I hope so." But he said it very nervously, like it wasn't what he meant to say, but he could barely talk.

They asked him to name all 16 of his siblings and he got really flustered.

Odd appearance, Tubby is usually pretty calm and collected.

Maybe part of the problem is that they were having the show 'on the road' in LAS VEGAS. Seriously, PERFECT 10's surrounded the pool-side stage.

At the commercial break before Tubby appeared, they showed him helping two aforementioned PERFECT-BIKINICLAD-10's shoot free throws on one of those mini-baskets. The girl missed the FT, and I remarked to myself, "Well, that's definitely a Tubby Team."

Tubby commented how he was there to watch "the top talent in the country." (Looking at the girls poolside, I gathered another inkling of what he meant) I wondered to myself why Tubby is so concerned with watching the nation's top talent if he can't recruit it to his school?

Tubby said, "This is a pretty good place to be." Indicating the hotties.

He made sure to mention that he needed to call his wife. lol.

[Javy Pornstache]

Thanks for the report, WilyMo. I heard he was going to be on but didn't get a chance to catch it. I don't know if it was that out of the ordinary for him to appear nervous though -- he hems and haws through most of his coaches' shows too. Just doesn't seem too crazy to be in the spotlight, not that it is a bad thing. Certainly different than Rick Pitino in that regard since people always compare them. The only time I recall him being fairly smooth in a national setting was that PTI interview a few months back... you know, the one where he not so subtly hinted that anyone who thought he was a bad recruiter and a bad coach for UK was racist.

[WVRed]

I didn't see it, but this website said he did pretty good.

http://blog.kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=758

[Jim Schue]

Tubby's always unsure of himself around reporters (unlike Pitino). Just one more reason many of the UK faithful don't like him.

[Jpup]

Thanks for the report, WilyMo. I heard he was going to be on but didn't get a chance to catch it. I don't know if it was that out of the ordinary for him to appear nervous though -- he hems and haws through most of his coaches' shows too. Just doesn't seem too crazy to be in the spotlight, not that it is a bad thing. Certainly different than Rick Pitino in that regard since people always compare them. The only time I recall him being fairly smooth in a national setting was that PTI interview a few months back... you know, the one where he not so subtly hinted that anyone who thought he was a bad recruiter and a bad coach for UK was racist.

I don't really care for Tubby because I just don't like UK basketball period. I will say that a lot of UK fans that I know, do not like Tubby because he is black. That is a fact. It's stupid, but true. 9 out of 10 people that live around here are UK fans and I would say that more people than not do not like him because he replaced Pitino and the rest is because he is black.

Most UK fans that I come in contact with would give their right arm for Billy Donovan.

People are ignorant, what can I say. They don't realize that this is the year 2006 and color should not matter, it never should have.

[Blimpie]

I don't really care for Tubby because I just don't like UK basketball period. I will say that a lot of UK fans that I know, do not like Tubby because he is black. That is a fact. It's stupid, but true. 9 out of 10 people that live around here are UK fans and I would say that more people than not do not like him because he replaced Pitino and the rest is because he is black.

Most UK fans that I come in contact with would give their right arm for Billy Donovan.

People are ignorant, what can I say. They don't realize that this is the year 2006 and color should not matter, it never should have.

If what you are saying is true, then you should be looking for a reason to leave the place you call home.

[Jpup]

If what you are saying is true, then you should be looking for a reason to leave the place you call home.

If I had somewhere to go, I would be on the way.

[Scrap Irony]

I'm a Kentucky fan. Have been since birth. (Something to do with Cawood on the radio and listening to my father and grandfather compare players, much like Cincinnati baseball.) I cried when the Cats went 3-33 in 1984. I punched a wall in frustration after Christian Laettner hit the prayer in 1992. I lived and died with Kentucky basketball.

A short decade after Tubby took over, I no longer care one way or another. I might watch the game if I have nothing else to do. I might not. My father is even worse, refusing to watch them.

He prefers to walk the ball up the court, set up an offense, and feed the big guy under the basket. He hates to give up layups. He substitutes wholesale at the four minute mark of the first half, regardless of score. He's imminently happy when the score of the game is in the 60's.

Last season, he had perhaps the most exciting playmaker in the NCAA. Rajon Rondo has moves few people in this world possess. What did Tubby do with him? Shackled him. Made him run an ill-fitting offense. Made him a nonfactor.

In fact, the personnel Tubby coached last season consisted of two excellent wing shooters, a guy that can drive to the hole on anyone, a solid big guy, and four reserves. All could fly.

Tubby refused to acknowledge his team's ability level and comfort zone, and a team that could have challenged for a national championship struggled to win 20 games.

Recruits noticed the slow down. They looked elsewhere. (Naturally enough.) When asked about it, Tubby bristled. Kids noticed his temper, The Stare, The Stomp, and looked elsewhere again. (Naturally enough.) When asked about his recruiting struggles, Tubby again bristles and complains about racism?

I don't care if he's white, black, green, or blue. All I care about is entertainment and winning. (In that order, I think.)

He doesn't entertain me at all. (I'm not the only one-- take a quick glance at UK home ballgames. Those seats are not filled.) He doesn't win.

Kentucky has become a secondary school, at this point, behind Duke, North Carolina, UConn, and others. It's on par, at this point, with Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and that ilk.

That, to me, is just not acceptable.

Yet, I am sure, I will be labelled a racist by some.

Shrug.

So be it.

On a secondary note, are Kentucky fans the most ignorant in all of sports?

[Javy Pornstache]

I'm a Kentucky fan. Have been since birth. (Something to do with Cawood on the radio and listening to my father and grandfather compare players, much like Cincinnati baseball.) I cried when the Cats went 3-33 in 1984. I punched a wall in frustration after Christian Laettner hit the prayer in 1992. I lived and died with Kentucky basketball.

A short decade after Tubby took over, I no longer care one way or another. I might watch the game if I have nothing else to do. I might not. My father is even worse, refusing to watch them.

He prefers to walk the ball up the court, set up an offense, and feed the big guy under the basket. He hates to give up layups. He substitutes wholesale at the four minute mark of the first half, regardless of score. He's imminently happy when the score of the game is in the 60's.

Last season, he had perhaps the most exciting playmaker in the NCAA. Rajon Rondo has moves few people in this world possess. What did Tubby do with him? Shackled him. Made him run an ill-fitting offense. Made him a nonfactor.

In fact, the personnel Tubby coached last season consisted of two excellent wing shooters, a guy that can drive to the hole on anyone, a solid big guy, and four reserves. All could fly.

Tubby refused to acknowledge his team's ability level and comfort zone, and a team that could have challenged for a national championship struggled to win 20 games.

Recruits noticed the slow down. They looked elsewhere. (Naturally enough.) When asked about it, Tubby bristled. Kids noticed his temper, The Stare, The Stomp, and looked elsewhere again. (Naturally enough.) When asked about his recruiting struggles, Tubby again bristles and complains about racism?

I don't care if he's white, black, green, or blue. All I care about is entertainment and winning. (In that order, I think.)

He doesn't entertain me at all. (I'm not the only one-- take a quick glance at UK home ballgames. Those seats are not filled.) He doesn't win.

Kentucky has become a secondary school, at this point, behind Duke, North Carolina, UConn, and others. It's on par, at this point, with Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and that ilk.

That, to me, is just not acceptable.

Yet, I am sure, I will be labelled a racist by some.

Shrug.

So be it.

On a secondary note, are Kentucky fans the most ignorant in all of sports?

Scrap, you said a mouthful there, brother. So many people agree with you, it's not just you and your father. I know so many that are the same way, as passionate as they are over UK basketball, it is past the point of caring now. That's not to say they cheer for them to -lose-, but they just are indifferent now. There's no point in following them. More often than not, seasons are like the years losing in the round of 32 than the better seasons we've had.

They are making it a habit of being put out of the tournament by teams seeded lower than them. It happens frustratingly often. In this decade, Kentucky has not defeated any team seeded better than 4 in any NCAA tournament game. Anyone can look it up. The amount of ten-loss seasons within an "era" is unprecendented for UK hoops.

He apparently doesn't feel the need to ever recruit a power forward. Tubby is losing recruits to schools that at least USED to be way beneath UK in stature. On average, about two players a year try to bolt before their eligibility is up, and most of them aren't the type that do it because they're NBA-ready. I think he's recruited something like 37 players total in his tenure at Kentucky, and 21 of them (or somewhere in that neighborhood) have either left or at least attempted to (as in the cases of Joe Crawford and Randolph Morris). Every single offseason he promises to start an up-tempo style, not only to please the fans, but for the reason that is more important, to bring back the style that made UK hoops so palatable to top recruits that no longer even consider considering Kentucky.

Some of the firsts for Smith include: first coach in UK history to have back-to-back ten loss seasons (and subsequently the first to have back-to-back-to-back); the UK record for most consecutive seasons without reaching the Final Four; first coach to not have a player named first-team All American or Academic All-American (as of yet, at least); first time losing four straight to an SEC opponent in over 25 years (Florida); this past season is the first time in nearly 20 years they've lost four home SEC games....

And that's just the stuff off the top of my head, there is a whole list of Tubby Smith firsts. And Jpup, I understand what you're saying about some of what the folks in your area are saying; I have family in southern Kentucky and am quite familiar with the area. That's not to say though that everywhere else that follows UK basketball passionately has those beliefs. All that said, the time for Tubby Smith to leave has come. Oh, and I too would give my right arm for Billy Donovan to take over the program.

And it's not because he's white.

[WMR]

I don't really care for Tubby because I just don't like UK basketball period. I will say that a lot of UK fans that I know, do not like Tubby because he is black. That is a fact. It's stupid, but true. 9 out of 10 people that live around here are UK fans and I would say that more people than not do not like him because he replaced Pitino and the rest is because he is black.

Most UK fans that I come in contact with would give their right arm for Billy Donovan.

People are ignorant, what can I say. They don't realize that this is the year 2006 and color should not matter, it never should have.

That's the biggest load of crap I've read in quite some time. You've seriously got "LOTS" of people that you know who tell you that they don't like Tubby b/c he is black? I'm sorry, I don't believe that. I think you are projecting your beliefs of UK fans onto people who publicly profess to dislike Tubby for reasons that you deem to lack credibility.

Try 9 years without a Final Four if you want to know why many UK fans are ready for a different coach.

Are you even FROM Kentucky? I'm really curious, because most people I know who are from Kentucky that hate UK bball were the kids that wanted to root for some other team b/c doing the anti-UK thing was somehow supposed to be cool.

No true Kentuckian--ESPECIALLY Southern Kentuckian--hates UK basketball (and YES, I do include Louisville fans in that proclamation).

[WMR]

Nice posts Javy and Scrap, and right on, agreed 100%. Tubby has lowered the once five-star status of UK and recruiting. We are now a four-star school which really sucks and is unacceptable.

Tubby ball is lame. The best coaches either recruit players to play their system or modify their schemes to fit the personnel at their disposal.

Tubby took a Ferrari--Rondo--and drove it like a Peugeot.

[WMR]

If I had somewhere to go, I would be on the way.

The Volunteer state is taking applications. Wait, you'd probably be accosted by racists there as well.

[Blimpie]

I'm a Kentucky fan. Have been since birth. (Something to do with Cawood on the radio and listening to my father and grandfather compare players, much like Cincinnati baseball.) I cried when the Cats went 3-33 in 1984. I punched a wall in frustration after Christian Laettner hit the prayer in 1992. I lived and died with Kentucky basketball.

Not for nothing, but that team actually finished the season 18-13....

[dabvu2498]

Not for nothing, but that team actually finished the season 18-13....

He means they went 3-33 in the 2nd half of the Final 4 game vs. Georgetown.

As far as "Big Blue" fans being racist, I have to agree with jpup. It's not all, but it's enough to be disturbing.

I also have to agree with WilyMo that syle of play is an issue.

[HBP]

I've been a UK fan my whole life and have never met a person that didn't like Tubby because of his race. In the past, if a fan didn't like him it was because he wasn't Rick Pitino. Recently, his results have added more naysayers. People got spoiled by the 96-98 years and UK will likely never have a run like that again no matter who the coach is. Trust me, if Tubby can make a FF soon and have an exciting team to watch, there's no other fan base that can rival UK's (BTW still led the nation in attendance last year).

Also, if some UK fans are racist, why would they only have a problem with Tubby being that the team is usually at least 75% African-American?