Ah, the checkerboards. The ode to Secretariat is a pattern the Big Blue Nation loves to hate. Almost universally despised within the Kentucky fan base, apparently there are people who love Kentucky’s uniforms.
In one of the many silly brackets created for #content this week, Whitney Medworth of SB Nation completed one NCAA Tournament bracket based exclusively on each team’s uniforms. Not only did the Kentucky checkerboard uniforms advance, they made it all the way to the finals.
After a chalky opening three rounds, Kentucky’s checkerboards beat out Miami’s orange and Xavier’s traditional cut before falling to the Florida Gators in the finals.
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SB Nation
Today we learned a valuable lesson: Mitch Barnhart isn’t the only person who likes the checkerboards.
if the kids don’t like them, no one else’s opinion matters.
Did they say they don’t like them? Serious question. If they did then I can’t imagine why we wouldn’t modify them at least a little.
Yea the kids over the years has hated the checkerboard
so new design every year… No thanks. Fans are around for longer than one year
I would love them if they only had two rows of checkers instead of 4
Dan7, by cutting the length in half or by doubling the size of the checker?
I particularly like the tribute to Secretariat and the uniforms look fine to me. People are silly.
Why is there a tribute to Sec at all? If the players don’t like the uniforms, no one else’s opinion matters?
Ummmmmm……because it’s Kentucky and horse racing is kinda a thing here.
Dude, I get that, but what does basketball have to do with a horse champion from almost 50 years ago? Lol
Agree. tobacco is also a thing in Kentucky but we don’t feature the Marlboro Man on the uni’s
You make a good point about how long ago it was, katfan33. The longer ago something was, the less impressive: Secretariat, The Beatles, Muhammad Ali, Wilt Chamberlain. Don’t even get me started on Albert Einstein or Leonardo da Vinci.
Meh. All of them. I mean, what did Secretariat do that was so special? Win the Triple Crown? That’s been done. Sure, he broke the Kentucky Derby record. And the Preakness record. And the Belmont Stakes record. Records that, somehow, still stand to this day. And that last one, you’ll never see broken in your lifetime. I wonder if your kids will in theirs.
Remember when American Pharoah won the Triple Crown just 3 years ago? Now that was a superhorse! Won the Belmont by 5.5 lengths! An amazing thing to behold. I almost cried. Yes, Secretariat would have finished 18 lengths ahead of him, but that was 45 years ago. So … (yawn)
We need people like you to keep these things in perspective.
No basketball uniforms looks all that great to begin with. NONE. What do people want?
Respectfully disagree. No basketball uniforms would look amazing on these young men.
Or have I misunderstood?
I not sure if I follow you Megan…..but if I did, I think you are hilarious.
My point was that basketball uniforms in general, across the board, aren’t all that meaningful or much to look at. It’s shorts and some form of a shirt. Football uniforms are a completely different story though.
This isn’t horse racing. UK basketball is a traditional powerhouse and should stick to a classic design. Sure, experiment with fabrics and fit but there’s absolutely no reason to use checkerboard to honor the past. Time to move on.
You’re absolutely right
Once again, spot on. The past is the past. Eight championships? How many of those were in the 21st century? Give me a break. We need to move on. No reason to honor something that happened so long ago.
I agree with both of you: Take those dusty old banners down!
100% agree!
KSR and sycophants may not like them. They seem fine to me.
Correct! You can always tell the fans that just repeat Matt Jones opinions
Exactly what I was thinking too.
What we’ve learned from this is that Whitney Medworth of SB Nation has terrible taste in uniforms.
Wonder why Alabama football hasn’t come up with a tribute to Talladega on their uniform?
Perhaps Mitch sits on the Uniform Committee instead of the Selection Committee.
These are the most God awful uniforms UK has ever had! We need shorts with the UK Wildcat emblem on each leg and the jerseys should have Wildcats across the front on home uniforms. Road shorts the same, but jerseys should have Kentucky across the front with the UK Wildcat emblem under it.
We are UK, not a blue and white Tennessee!! Come on Coach Cal! Get ‘er done!
UK had the checkerboard FIRST!
5643 years ago. Weakest argument ever
It is true… Was a Kentucky thing first. Seems solid to me!
The current uniforms are faaaaaaar from the worst we’ve seen. Do you remember the converse uniforms with the “cat scratches” on the shorts? Nothing compares to that catastrophe.
Completely agree. Sure we used the checkerboard first, but we eventually stopped using it in/on our jersies. UT eventually began using it and using it recently, and THEN we decided to bring it back. That just makes us look unoriginal, because let’s be honest the majority of current fans didn’t know about the checkerboard on Stoll Field back in the 1930s until some random person looked it up.
This woman really likes orange apparently. She also had FSU lose to Missouri, which is ludicrous.
I’ve always liked them
I like these uniforms. I’m in the minority obviously.
I am a minority, and I like them as well. I would prefer something more modest, but that’s just my taste. I love the idea of it, though I suspect many outside the state (and apparently some inside the state) don’t get what it means.
I absolutely love them and so do most people I know. I honestly feel the only people who have a problem with them are the KSR staff. For some reason MJ hates them so the rest of the staff join in. I am glad the college basketball world agrees they are beautiful and classy.
I agree completely. It’s a ksr propaganda attempt and it apparently has garnered a few followers.
Propaganda attempt? Or people have opinions? The uniforms aren’t the worst (denim) but they’re definitely close.
I agree. I’m in my 20s and think they look great.
Don’t love ‘em. Don’t hate ‘em either.
This member of BBN loves em! Matt Jones & good taste do not go together.
Well, I like the checkerboard, the v cut is too feminine.
I’m kind of meh on the checkerboard uniforms. To me, less is more, but I can’t really say I have a problem with them. At least we’re traditional enough not to chase every gimmick the apparel companies come up with.
I think the more surprising thing here is not that our uniforms got to the championship game, but that Florida’s ugly ass threads somehow won. Ew.
Am I the only one that liked Floridas reptile skin football uniforms last year?
The 2012 uniforms were the best
I like them. People who call them hideous obviously don’t remember the 90’s. Or maybe they weren’t around in the 90’s which explains the furor over nothing.
Agreed whole heartedly! Some of those creations were a straight up embarrassment. I seriously felt bad for the players with those silly “scratches” running the length of their short leg.
I LOVE those uniforms. Remember UK has had MUCH worse…remember the “jeans uniforms” (light and dark patches) or those goofy Zubaz stripes from the mid 90’s? Those were hideous uniforms.
I can’t believe we’re talking about this. We have a game in two days.
Megan you are on FIRE! Absolutely hilarious and on point.
Bring back the 90s cons denim uniforms lol
It is what it is!! Let it go and focus on our team WINNING A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!! Doesn’t matter if they’re wearing Speedo’s, bring home #9. Go Cats!
I never knew we had so many Joan Rivers wannabes in BBN. This would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic.