This was a very tough year and a tougher week for those of us who are die-hard University of Kentucky Wildcat basketball fans. Coming off last year’s eighth national championship season, it was a bitter pill to swallow not making it into the field of 68 teams for the NCAA tournament. I really had no desire to watch an NIT game Tuesday night in hopes of coming in as the 69th place team for the season, so it’s just as well that my bare bones basic cable package doesn’t include any ESPN channels. We lost our opening game of the NIT to end the pain.
So how does a fan react to that? UK fans are not accustomed to failing to make the NCAA tournament. Anything less than a championship is a less-than-acceptable year for us.
Humble pie tastes like crap, but it’s occasionally good for us. In fact, I wrote a blog post about it last year regarding a work-related matter.
The best thing to do is for coaches and players to learn from the experience and set their sights to next season. Big Blue Madness is only 210 days away! For fans, it’s time to stay loyal to the winningest program in all of college basketball, to be proud of our history, to believe in its future, to support the team and cheer them on to a better season next year.
It would be nice if my Facebook and Twitter feed wasn’t filled with UK haters that get their kicks from derogatory remarks about our bad year. If the tables were turned, I know I would not be gloating or making fun of my team’s rivals if they had a bad year because I respect the feelings of my many friends in Louisville and elsewhere who have other loyalties. I only wish they shared the same concern for my feelings.
What’s done is done. It’s time to move on, whether the topic is sports or other more meaningful aspects of life.
Next Practices 
I totally agree with you, what a misreable season and I to am glad that it’s over. But, with that comes Big Blue Pride and why it is not ok to kick us when we’re down one season. We will return Stronger and Better and pick up the pieces to where all of the haters will wish for this team back next year. I will bleed BLUE until the end no matter what type of season they have!!