Post by Da Boss on Jun 30, 2020 22:10:29 GMT -5
There are a few things that all Kentuckians born East of the state capital are quite aware of in life. Bourbon is a good thing. Horse races are fun. And anybody... anybooy... ANYBODY that says something negative about the Kentucky Wildcats is not only wrong and going to Hell, but it is your sworn duty before God to send them there.
Founded as an Agricultural and Mechanical school so that children who were not part of the wealthy elite that attended Transylvania College, the University broke its ties with the wealthier school in the 1870s. Within two decades the colors of the new University would be selected after someone suggested that the University needed its own colors, and what would come to known around the world as Kentucky Blue happened to be the color of the tie that the University President was wearing that day. By the turn of the twentieth century, the all male school had finally begun offering co-ed classes and programs, being one of the first of the "Southern" states to do so, before renaming itself again to the University of Kentucky.
By the middle part of the twentieth century, the University had become one of the leaders in the world at pushing for women's rights. Promoting women professors to the heads of their departments, having them found an entire college of economics, to having one appointed as the trustee for the entire University. Not willing to stop there, as the University system was returning all of Lexington into a self sufficient economic powerhouse, the University opened what would then become a flagship of American politics; the Patterson School of Diplomacy, where foreign ambassadors go to retire and those lucky few who aren't from the Ivy Leagues attend graduate school.
By the 19060s it was decided by the politicians in Frankfort that the University needed to spread the wealth around the state, instead of hoarding it in Lexington. The result was that the University established a community college system where practically defunct associates degrees were handed out to people as if they meant something, while the University in Lexington pocketed the cash.
By the 1970s, tensions between the students who realized they were getting ripped off and the staff would bleed into protests from the Kent State Shootings. The end results would be a riot that destroyed a number of buildings on campus, including the old ROTC barracks. The University responded to this action by having an entire wing of the Student Center torn down and placing the new barracks in the middle of campus. The students have not been bold enough to riot since then.
Of course, no discussion of the University of Kentucky is complete without discussing its athletics programs. Beginning with football in the 1800s, the University has always prided itself on putting together the best athletics programs for student-athletes in the country. Some people used to believe this was a matter of pride for the school. Those people who are still alive sing quite a different tune now.
Most people forget that the legendary football coach of Alabama, Bear Bryant, was first the football and basketball coach for the school. In the 1950s, the University succeeded where few others had even dared to tread; they managed to win the college football national title and the college basketball national title. In return for his efforts, Bear Bryant was presented with a watch. The new basketball coach, a man named Adolf Rupp, was given a Cadillac. Bryant would retire before the next season started. There's a funny thing that happens with sports... People love to watch football. But people love to listen to basketball. The fast paced action of the court was more thrilling than the routine slog of men lining up to slam into each other across the line of scrimmage. And the University of Kentucky always knows the smart play. In a state that still hasn't recovered from its economic down turns in the 1800s from the cholera epidemic, that was then hit hard by the Civil War, World War I, the Great Depression, and then World War II? People owned radios. They did not own televisions. Convince the people to love you, and the money wouldn't stop flowing into the University's pockets.
What came next was the results of a truly genius series of individuals. The Baron of the Bluegrass, Adolf Rupp, would take his teams onward to win four national titles. His hand picked replacement would win another. Winning was everything. Losing meant that you were fired. The University had no time to waste on failed results. This was money talking. Not even that minor blue chips scandal of the 1980s could slow them down. Within two years of returning from NCAA probation, the University would claim another title. This was marketing, and nobody markets excellence like the Wildcats do. And what they have to market, the citizens of Kentucky are buying; most conference season titles, most conference tournament titles, first team to 2,000 wins, more wins than any other program in the country, and now only a single national title behind UCLA. As their head coach said at the press conference announcing his hire, "I've coached at some fine schools and won some big games, but this is every coach's dream job. They don't hang your banners for anything but National Titles at this school. Anything less than the championship is a losing season to these fans."
Today, revenue from just the licensing of the University logo for athletic apparel brings in upwards of five million dollars a year. Their television contracts are worth billions per season. Their fairly new Head Coach is the highest paid University employee in the world... Twice over... Nothing slows down this money train. And the people of Kentucky wouldn't have it any other way. They Bleed Blue for their Wildcats.
Founded as an Agricultural and Mechanical school so that children who were not part of the wealthy elite that attended Transylvania College, the University broke its ties with the wealthier school in the 1870s. Within two decades the colors of the new University would be selected after someone suggested that the University needed its own colors, and what would come to known around the world as Kentucky Blue happened to be the color of the tie that the University President was wearing that day. By the turn of the twentieth century, the all male school had finally begun offering co-ed classes and programs, being one of the first of the "Southern" states to do so, before renaming itself again to the University of Kentucky.
By the middle part of the twentieth century, the University had become one of the leaders in the world at pushing for women's rights. Promoting women professors to the heads of their departments, having them found an entire college of economics, to having one appointed as the trustee for the entire University. Not willing to stop there, as the University system was returning all of Lexington into a self sufficient economic powerhouse, the University opened what would then become a flagship of American politics; the Patterson School of Diplomacy, where foreign ambassadors go to retire and those lucky few who aren't from the Ivy Leagues attend graduate school.
By the 19060s it was decided by the politicians in Frankfort that the University needed to spread the wealth around the state, instead of hoarding it in Lexington. The result was that the University established a community college system where practically defunct associates degrees were handed out to people as if they meant something, while the University in Lexington pocketed the cash.
By the 1970s, tensions between the students who realized they were getting ripped off and the staff would bleed into protests from the Kent State Shootings. The end results would be a riot that destroyed a number of buildings on campus, including the old ROTC barracks. The University responded to this action by having an entire wing of the Student Center torn down and placing the new barracks in the middle of campus. The students have not been bold enough to riot since then.
Of course, no discussion of the University of Kentucky is complete without discussing its athletics programs. Beginning with football in the 1800s, the University has always prided itself on putting together the best athletics programs for student-athletes in the country. Some people used to believe this was a matter of pride for the school. Those people who are still alive sing quite a different tune now.
Most people forget that the legendary football coach of Alabama, Bear Bryant, was first the football and basketball coach for the school. In the 1950s, the University succeeded where few others had even dared to tread; they managed to win the college football national title and the college basketball national title. In return for his efforts, Bear Bryant was presented with a watch. The new basketball coach, a man named Adolf Rupp, was given a Cadillac. Bryant would retire before the next season started. There's a funny thing that happens with sports... People love to watch football. But people love to listen to basketball. The fast paced action of the court was more thrilling than the routine slog of men lining up to slam into each other across the line of scrimmage. And the University of Kentucky always knows the smart play. In a state that still hasn't recovered from its economic down turns in the 1800s from the cholera epidemic, that was then hit hard by the Civil War, World War I, the Great Depression, and then World War II? People owned radios. They did not own televisions. Convince the people to love you, and the money wouldn't stop flowing into the University's pockets.
What came next was the results of a truly genius series of individuals. The Baron of the Bluegrass, Adolf Rupp, would take his teams onward to win four national titles. His hand picked replacement would win another. Winning was everything. Losing meant that you were fired. The University had no time to waste on failed results. This was money talking. Not even that minor blue chips scandal of the 1980s could slow them down. Within two years of returning from NCAA probation, the University would claim another title. This was marketing, and nobody markets excellence like the Wildcats do. And what they have to market, the citizens of Kentucky are buying; most conference season titles, most conference tournament titles, first team to 2,000 wins, more wins than any other program in the country, and now only a single national title behind UCLA. As their head coach said at the press conference announcing his hire, "I've coached at some fine schools and won some big games, but this is every coach's dream job. They don't hang your banners for anything but National Titles at this school. Anything less than the championship is a losing season to these fans."
Today, revenue from just the licensing of the University logo for athletic apparel brings in upwards of five million dollars a year. Their television contracts are worth billions per season. Their fairly new Head Coach is the highest paid University employee in the world... Twice over... Nothing slows down this money train. And the people of Kentucky wouldn't have it any other way. They Bleed Blue for their Wildcats.