Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
John Calipari held a press conference at 12:30 this afternoon to announce and discuss the details of his “John Calipari Basketball Fantasy Experience.” Calipari held court in front of the media, which included a giggling group of “print guys” who took turns cracking jokes about which television stations they were fielding calls from last night. No mention of a call from KSTV. Calipari then fielded questions on various other topics, which included the Indiana series and the future of the 6 departing players from this year’s team to the NBA.
Notes and quotes from the presser:
- “It’s always not good to see you.” Cal’s opening line elicited a chuckle from the room and he kept the room laughing off and on throughout the rest of the nearly 30 minute press conference.
On the “Fantasy Experience” and why he decided to try it at Kentucky:
“It’s been done other places. Again, I want Kentucky to be the gold standard. 80 spots available for people 35 years or older to come in and become a Kentucky basketball player. From uniforms to practice sessions to film sessions to being coached by our staff and former players here. We want to have as many former players as we can come back and be involved in the camp and experience. And then laying in Rupp Arena, to having announcers and radios, streaming the games so their families can watch them struggle up and down the court. We’ll even let the media cover the games. Maybe. (cue Jerry Tipton erupting with laughter). There’s not many places you can do these. I hate to tell ya, but we’re one of em’.”
On who will benefit from the profits made by the experience:
“We want to give back to our community and our state, different causes we are involved with.”
On whether or not he will coach a team at the “Fantasy Experience” and what his involvement will be:
“Oh yeah. I’ll be there. I’m not going to coach a team. That’s not fair. We’ll win. We’re going to do stuff at my house. There will be a function at my house where they’ll all be there. We were thinking about different ways to house them. We can’t do it on campus because of timing, but our whole staff will be involved.”
What he hopes people say in response to the experience:
“I want people to walk away saying ‘Only at Kentucky. Only at Kentucky could someone pull this off.’”
Thoughts on having 6 players in the NBA from this year’s team:
“I’ve been on the phone with different people as they workout to see how I see this thing playing out. The good news is all 6 will be drafted. It’s just a matter of where. I will be there for the draft. My hope is all 6 (will be drafted in the 1st round) but I don’t know. I would be surprised if four aren’t. The other two will have to show in their workouts.”
Thoughts on the Indiana/Kentucky series:
“I wanted to do what Bobby Knight did. He decided that the series would be neutral. And when it was, it was huge. Battle of the flags and all of those things. He was the one who made it the first neutral. I liked the idea because we had to move someone neutral. It was logical that it was them. Couldn’t find a place in Kentucky, so to make it more beneficial to them we said we’d play them 2 years in their state. We’re not having more than a 2 year contract. When we schedule, we do it for us.”
On the triple-header:
“I want to play a triple-header so bad. I want to overrun a city. I don’t know what city yet. But I want to overrun a city.”
When asked about whether or not he had talked to Joker Phillips about the triple-header:
“He just said, please not Notre Dame!”
I will have a few posts later on various other topics that Calipari went into detail about during the press conference, including his “Schedule for America!” moment. It was a classic. Stay tuned. And until then, in the spirit of talking about fantasy experiences…
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Bill Keightley Report : Never to be forgotten.
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June 5th, 2012 at 2:18 pm
They will actually play a game and live-stream it? This should be something special. Notice the phrase “struggle up and down the court”.
I also love the Bob Knight jab. Go Cal!
June 5th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
He just said, please not Notre Dame!” I’m sure it was more like, “Is there any way we could try this triple-header thing with a D2 or D3 school so our football team can win too?” -Joker Phillips
June 5th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Cal was late to the presser. Anybody know why he was late? He was having trouble dragging his enormous balls.
June 5th, 2012 at 2:41 pm
“When we schedule, we do it for us.” yeah ,,, f*ck all y’all
June 5th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Looks like Cal is still dodging Tom Crean and the HOO HOO HOO HOOSIERS
#vac8
June 5th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
HOO HOO go away you silly troll. Indiana fans will be so disappointed when they get knocked out in the sweet 16 again huh? Stupid candy stripers. Ducking whoosiers? Please. Take that crap to an IU site. UK will get #9 before IU gets #6. Believe it. IU’s back after making a Sweet 16? The last 4 years UK hasn’t been to anything less than an Elite 8. #BBN. Nuff said.
June 5th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Why are Indiana fans allowed to post here? Can we please go back to having to register your account to post in the comments section?
June 5th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
5- you are a terrible troll. so rigid. why not be a more innovative troll? It’s 2012 not 1912. Please be more creative and flexible and come back when your trolling skills have improved.
June 5th, 2012 at 3:04 pm
It’s Cals world. We just live in it.
7) I hear ya but unfortunately ksr doesn’t.
June 5th, 2012 at 3:04 pm
i agree with 7, i personally like sites that you log in with your facebook or twitter account or something like that so you’re not anonymous (or at least it makes a troll go through a lot of extra steps to be a troll) … also, when you can hit reply to a particular comment and it becomes indented under the comment
June 5th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
I’m definitely going to sign up when it gets moved to an NBA arena next year.
June 5th, 2012 at 3:14 pm
TJ ya gotta be 35 or older bro. Don’t you have a few more ice cream seasons before you hit that milestone?
June 5th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
hey how come all the woids on the video are backwards…
noo weep freddie is the devil
June 5th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Ha Ha Indiana… We are UK you little fools. Your not good enough to run with these Cats… He moved on from you little fools!! UK does not deal with little brothers like you. We are big time and own you. Only way IU can beat UK is to cheat us in the thier gym.
June 5th, 2012 at 4:01 pm
“He just said, please not Notre Dame!”
Huh? ND football is almost as big a joke as UK football
June 5th, 2012 at 4:06 pm
Hey Joker, why not Notre Dame? It would be our Super Bowl for a change; like our BB team faces every game.
On the plus side, if it happens after this year, Joker won’t be the coach.
June 5th, 2012 at 4:10 pm
@6 – You might wanna check your stats bro. Here are UK’s last four years results. 2012 – National Champion, 2011 – Lost in Final Four game to UCONN, 2010 – Lost to West Virginia in Elite 8, and 2009 – NIT participant!!!!!
June 5th, 2012 at 4:24 pm
17 – So he said 4 and meant 3…. big deal….How’s it feel to do nothing since 1987?
June 5th, 2012 at 4:26 pm
#2, does Southern Illinois play football? Apparently they don’t have a message board.
June 5th, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Notre Dame wouldn’t be a bad idea for a triple header. Other feasible options could be baylor, duke, uconn, kansas, or maryland. These teams would match up well against each other in the 3 sports.
June 5th, 2012 at 5:20 pm
If somebody wants to go to the camp, but doesn’t have the change, they can give me a hundred dollars, and for an hour I will tell them that I am non traditional, and how it’s not about them.
June 5th, 2012 at 6:36 pm
18 – I wouldn’t know bout 1987, I know when my team wins and it wasn’t 1987