LEXINGTON, Ky. — At his weekly press conference on Monday, Mark Stoops was asked about the fact some Kentucky football fans were grumbling about how the Wildcats beat Vanderbilt 34-17 last Saturday in Nashville.
Up 31-3 at the half, the Wildcats seemed to coast through the final two unimpressive quarters on the way to their sixth straight win over the Commodores.
“You tell me,” Stoops replied. “Did you like it the year before I got here, playing them?”
Fact check: Vanderbilt beat Kentucky 40-0 before 18,000 fans at Commonwealth Stadium on Nov. 3, 2012. Three weeks later, Stoops was hired as UK’s head coach.
Oh, but there were plenty of things to like about Kentucky football before the former Florida State defensive coordinator showed up on campus and had the audacity to build a successful program that actually posted winning SEC records, not once (2018), but twice (2021). The gall!
Here are 10 ways Kentucky football was so much better pre-Mark Stoops:
1. Parking was better: Credit to my colleague Mark Story, who jokingly brought this up to Stoops after his reply on Monday. (The coach laughed, by the way.) But it’s so true. Before Stoops, traffic to Commonwealth Stadium/Kroger Field was no problem. Easy in, easy out. Now, you’d better arrive early to get a space, especially with all those tailgaters claiming every open spot for cornhole, grills and coolers.
2. Tickets were easier to find: Remember the great old joke about the fan who left two UK football tickets on his windshield? When he returned, he found four more. Good times.
3. You saved money by not going to a bowl game: UK fans got to sit home on their bank accounts while all those spendthrifts from other schools were subjecting themselves to exciting football, warm weather, entertaining cities and sandy beaches. Imagine the savings on sunscreen alone.
4. You enjoyed the hospitality from opposing SEC football fans: In the good old days, conference opponents all but met the Wildcats at the airport. And they couldn’t have been more friendly and gracious to those poor, pitiful travelers from Big Blue Nation, at least until the game started. Now, they’re not so nice.
5. You could focus entirely on Kentucky basketball: Truth be told, most Kentucky football seasons were basically over just in time to pitch a tent at Memorial Coliseum for the Big Blue Madness ticket camp out. After all, Kentucky basketball fans need all the time they can get to re-learn John Calipari’s roster every year. Now, who has the time?
6. You had the fun of speculating about Kentucky’s next coach: Nothing beat the annual rumors that Steve Spurrier had purchased a house at The Champions or Bill Belichick’s dream was to own a horse farm while trying his hand at college football. Early sportswriter memory: A breathless fan calling the Herald-Leader office to say former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce (1979-87) had just checked into the Hyatt Regency.
7. You didn’t have to worry about the NFL draft: This was a two-fer actually. UK fans didn’t have to concern themselves about the possibility that eligible juniors might leave school early. And fans didn’t have to endure Mel Kiper Jr. on draft night. (Note: I like Mel, but admit mine is probably a minority view.)
8. Recruiting was only something to follow in basketball: Now, UK fans spend hours studying all those football recruiting websites — many did not realize there were such things — to make sure they’ll know when to tweet “Yahtzee” after Vince Marrow secures another big commitment.
9. UK was easier to find in the SEC standings: Before, all you had to do was look at or near the bottom of the division. Vanderbilt has the current lock on that barrel spot. These days, there’s no telling where you’ll find Stoops’ troops.
10. It was easier to complain about Mitch Barnhart: And every fan of every athletic program loves nothing better than to complain about his or her current athletic director. That’s tough to do when your football coach is one of Barnhart’s best hires. What a fun-killer.
