ESPN basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla was among the intrigued viewers of a video Louisville Coach Chris Mack posted on Twitter on Tuesday evening.
"I was on the edge of my seat," Fraschilla said Wednesday. "Wondering what's the end result of this somewhat mild tirade. Where is it headed?"
Mack's video _ two minutes and nine seconds long _ addressed the point he made earlier this month about the coronavirus pandemic creating inequity in the Kentucky-Louisville series. Not fair for U of L to play UK at home with few _ if any fans _ this season, while U of L might play against UK with a capacity crowd watching in Rupp Arena in 2021-22, he said.
Kentucky Coach John Calipari replied with an unsympathetic that's-the-breaks when asked about it on a teleconference Tuesday.
Mack volleyed with a video dripping with sarcasm. "I want to do what's most convenient for John and his program," the U of L coach said in a deadpan delivery. Then he added, "You do believe that, right? That I want to do what's best for John."
What followed was Mack making his case that an adjustment to the UK-U of L series should be made this coming season. He concluded with more sarcasm.
"Listen, I don't want to stand in the way of college basketball's best rivalry," he said. "Whatever is most convenient for Coach Cal, we'll do it."
Calipari responded in the apparent belief that brevity is the soul of wit. "See you December 26th," he tweeted. "Can't wait."
Fraschilla wrote it off as harmless gamesmanship, "strong-willed coaches" seeking an advantage and badly needed entertainment.
"Bottom line, this is great theater at a time when we need something to smile about," Fraschilla said. "If you're not a fan of the Cardinals or the Wildcats, we've found this to be very amusing college basketball theater."
Another ESPN analyst, Jay Bilas, dismissed the exchange as unimportant.
"I think it's more trying to stoke your fan base," he said. "Frankly, this is too small for me to make a phone call about it."
Bilas was skeptical that the exchange reflected animosity between Calipari and Mack.
"I don't think they're locking horns over anything or it means they don't like each other," he said. "Or don't respect one another. It's just a media creation really."
Bilas saw the exchange as coaches flexing marketing muscles, reminding the public of the programs' brands.
When asked why he thought Mack posted the video, Bilas said, "I think he wants to make this as big a rivalry as Duke-Carolina ... . You do that through a variety of ways. You do that through the media. You do it through recruiting. But ultimately, you do it on the floor.
"Chris clearly doesn't care what Kentucky fans think about this. He cares what Louisville fans think about this."
Likewise, Calipari is appealing to Kentucky fans, Bilas added.
Both Mack and Calipari have valid points regarding a game in 2020-21, Bilas said. As Mack suggested, the pandemic creates the chance of inequity in fan attendance at UK-U of L games this coming season and next.
Bilas likened Calipari's counter to a golf truism. "Play the ball where it lies," the ESPN analyst said.
In the video, Mack said that UK representatives called ESPN to see if the network could reschedule one of Louisville's league games in order to create an opening to play on the date Kentucky wanted: Dec. 26.
The schools had previously agreed to play on Dec. 12, Mack said. Then Kentucky decided that date was too soon after a Dec. 6 game against Michigan in London. "Never mind the fact that the Dec. 6 game got canceled," Mack said.
Neither Fraschilla nor Bilas seemed alarmed that one school might call ESPN in order to try to manipulate the other school's schedule. ESPN owns rights to televise Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference games. ESPN declined to comment on the matter.
"It's believable because John has always had a great relationship with ESPN," Fraschilla said.
As UMass coach in the early 1990s, Calipari agreed to about anything ESPN wanted in order to have the network televise his fledgling program's games, Fraschilla said. "From there, he's always smartly had a great relationship with ESPN."
UK/Calipari seeking ESPN's help in changing Louisville's schedule "wouldn't surprise me," Fraschilla said. "I could see it could upset Chris. But, you know, it's John again trying to protect his own program."
In the video, Mack said Louisville had been unaware of Kentucky seeking ESPN's influence.
"I can understand why Chris, you know, made sure that was part of the video," Fraschilla said with a knowing chuckle.
Despite Calipari's tweet about Dec. 26, that date for this year's Kentucky-Louisville game has not yet been officially announced. Barring a coronavirus-related cancellation, it seems likely the teams will meet this season one way or another. The current contract between the schools runs three more games, including this season, through 2022-23.
With an eye toward the economic hit to Louisville's economy from few fans attending this coming season's game, Fraschilla offered a Solomonic solution.
"Why not play home-and-home the next year with fans at both places," he said. "I'm thinking of the economic impact."
Meanwhile, Bilas saw the back-and-forth making both Kentucky and Louisville winners months before the teams actually tip off (whenever that is).
Said Bilas: "It's just good, smart P.T. Barnum marketing by everybody."
