Friday evening’s FAA ground stop dominated the news, but there were plenty of sports stories unfolding too. College basketball, for one, is already producing some unexpected drama.
Kentucky came into its game against Northern Arizona with questions hanging over the team. The Wildcats had been pushed hard by James Madison and then lost by 20 to Kansas. Still, few expected much trouble against an NAU team that had yet to win a game.
Kentucky was favored by 30 points. This was meant to be a chance to settle in, not another crisis.
Instead, the Wildcats escaped with a 78-77 win after Northern Arizona missed the first free throw on two one-and-one chances. Kentucky needed a little help—and some of the atmosphere at Rupp Arena—to avoid a stunning defeat.
So fans were already trying to process a game that had come far too close for comfort when coach Mark Pope offered this after the final buzzer: “I hope everyone in Rupp had fun.”
That was a strange thing to hear after a performance like that. Kentucky’s roster reportedly costs around $20 million, and it had just been pushed to the edge by a mid-major team that started the night 0-3.
Pope went on to call the team “really entertaining” and said he thought it would be fun to follow. Maybe fans of Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas or Louisville will agree. Kentucky supporters, though, might have had a different reaction while watching their eight-time national champions nearly suffer one of the worst losses in school history.
The comments quickly drew criticism from Wildcats fans and rival supporters alike. I’ve been hard on Pope before, but answers like this don’t make it easy to defend him.
Kentucky fans spent years frustrated with John Calipari when the team failed to reach the Sweet 16. Looking back, that period may seem almost peaceful by comparison.
Pope had already endured a rough spring, including missing out on top recruit Tyran Stokes and a social-media Q&A that went badly. At the time, it seemed sensible for him to keep a low profile and let the fanbase cool off a little.
Instead, Friday’s remarks added more heat to a seat that was already getting uncomfortable.
Coaching at Kentucky is a punishing job, and I don’t envy anyone who takes it on. But Pope isn’t helping himself by seeming so out of step with what fans just watched.
He can bring in better communications help, or start winning some important games. As things stand, neither the pressure nor the criticism is likely to ease up.
