Wildcats' No. 1 Ranking Means Obnoxiousness Reigns in State

First let me get this off my chest: I like Duke.

I like Coach K and his leadership styles and abilities. When you read his book, you learn so much more about the program that isn’t discussed by the likes of Mike Patrick and Dick Viatle.

Don’t hate on Duke just because ESPN is in love with the Dukies.

I’m not big on Notre Dame. They’re too good for a conference, they’re too good for other television networks besides NBC, and quite frankly, if they didn’t have the tradition they do, then no one would care about their mediocrity over the past 10 years.

And that brings me to Kentucky.

Now let me preface this all by saying that before I started attending school in Kentucky, I was indifferent toward the Wildcats. I would occasionally watch them on television. I was aware of them.

And then I came to school in the Commonwealth and it all changed.

They whined, they moped, they whined, they moped, they'd whine some more, and they’d mope some more.

No recruit was ever good enough; no coach was ever good enough. I’m all about tradition-rich athletic programs, trust me. I’m a Nebraska fan.

I understand when something means so much to a state. But Kentucky is different. And not in a good way.

Kentucky is the winningest program in college basketball history. They’ve been through the routine of celebrating a win more than anyone else in the country.

For a program who expects to be No. 1, to win national championships, and to be undefeated, they sure don’t know how to act when it happens.

You would’ve thought that Kentucky was a bottom-barrel basketball team for the last 50 years given the celebrations across social networks today.

One Facebook status of a Lexington television reporter said that she’ll be reporting on the Wildcats' new No. 1 ranking all day. Then she said that she’ll be biased and ended the statement with “Go Cats!!” 

That’s professional.

What’s news about that? I understand everyone is in a euphoric mindset this morning and I’m sure the Wildcats are the talk of the town down at some diner in Lexington.

And on a Monday morning we all need good news. There’s no disagreement.

But to report on it all day?

I congratulate Kentucky on their No. 1 ranking, and as a fan I would feel a sense of relief that the program is back to where it belongs. But these folks are over the top.

And the minute they fall from that top spot...we'll roll out the excuses.

I’m all about a successful program, but tradition-rich programs in any sport should have a class about them. When they earn something they think they deserve, then they should give a polite golf clap, move on, and keep doing what’s expected.

But to Kentucky fans, this all seems unexpected. It all seems like it was never supposed to come. 

I will say that celebrating a national championship will be perfectly acceptable. That will mean that Kentucky is truly back where it apparently belongs.

But a No. 1 ranking in the last week of January doesn’t equate to a national title by any means, and so I’m not sure why this morning's celebration throughout Facebook and Twitter appears to be that Kentucky has all of a sudden earned something they’ve never seen before.

All I ask is that you act like you’ve been in this position before. It makes everything much nicer for those around you that have to put up with these obnoxious shenanigans all day long.