"Tubba" bounces outta the bluegrass

The was a absolute bomb dropped in college basketball. Orlando "Tubby"
Smith who won 263 games in ten years at the University of Kentucky
abruptly resigned and took the head coaching position at the University
of Minnesota. He takes over for interim coach Jim Molinari who took over
when Dan Monson was fired early in the season. The Golden Gophers who
went to the NCAA Final Four in 1997 and won the NIT in 1998 has fallen
on hard times as of late and went 9-22 in 2006-07 and looked inept and
pathetic in a 49-40 snooze fest loss to Michigan. I had speculated that
Tubby was going to leave for Michigan's position which was recently
vacated by Tommy Amaker who was fired after a 22-12 season. But I also
didnt think that any move would be made until at least after the tourney
was finished.
I liked Tubby, he was a class act. The problem was he could never
satisfy the UK fans, who believe that dominating the SEC and getting
deep in the NCAA tourney if not winning the whole thing is a birthright.
I have had UK fans tell me that anything short of the Final Four is a
losing season to them. I know of people who root for Kentucky that think
that if they don't win the national championship, that its an outrage.
Nevermind that there are better teams. Nevermind that not all the best
players in the state stay in Kentucky, but its never good enough for
Wildcat Nation. Smith won a national title his first year at UK, but the
vocal critics cried that he was winning with his predecessor players. It
is no big secret that I detest the preening egotistical Rick Pitino and
his mentality of that it was about him. After UK lost a tight NCAA
tourney game in 1995 he basically said that he coached great but the
players lost the game. He said this in the press conference after the
game with three of his heartbroken seniors sitting right there. Pitino
used to swear up and down that he loved Kentucky and he would never
leave. I knew that was a lie and when he bolted for the lure of total
control of the Celtics, I wasn't surprised. Many in Wildcat nation were
and I saw some openly weeping. Tubby walked into an untenable situation,
win right now. He did and did so with a grace, class and aplomb that
surprised some. Smith was a community leader and was highly regarded,
but he didn't win enough. And he heard the constant carping who didn't
see and average of 26-8 record, 10 straight NCAA appearances, and at
least one win in the tourney every year. Smith now heads to Minnesota
and he has been regarded as an incoming hero. He will not hear the
wisecracks and the "Tubba should be farred" from the crackas and necks.
UK will rue that they ran off one of the great coaches in basketball.
When the Gophers are the tough team that they used to be and teams hate
to go to "The Barn" it'll be no shock.