Validation in the horror show?

Welcome guest blogger Rance Piatt, who will contribute his own thoughts and words on Wildcats hoops ...

Rick Pitino's stint in Lexington was highlighted by a dominant four-year run that was punctuated by a national championship in 1996 and was a Nazr Mohammed free throw away from a repeat the following season. But that success did little more than feed the national reputation of Pitino as "the next Larry Brown" with the annual spring NBA offers. As such, Kentucky fans found themselves in the awkward predicament of alternating delight and consternation that their head coach would win his way right out of town en route to a bigger and better place.

Maybe it's the low self esteem of a state often the butt of negative stereotypes, but in the summer of 1997 the Kentucky fanbase realized their worst fears when Pitino took the head job in Boston.

We fans cussed and kicked the trash cans. We were equally angry (for having been discarded) and confused (there's a bigger, better job?). Regardless, we trudged on ... some more willing than others to accept our new head coach, Tubby Smith.

There were all kinds of reasons to like the hire. In one gesture, AD C.M. Newton had (one would hope) wiped clean the slate of debate regarding race within the UK program and install at its head a man respected for his coaching and loved for his character.

But deep down, the fanbase harbored some fear. It was painted by the media -- and in some cases rightfully so -- as a deep resentment borne of an unwillingness to buy into the "black man's" system. But that is a small segment of the fanbase. Really, it is.

As distance grew from Smith's inaugural season and the school's 7th national title, the majority feared a backslide. They saw 10-loss seasons eating into the progress Pitino had made since the program emerged from the dark days of NCAA probation in the late 80s.

For the national media, it was fuel for the fire. Kentucky fans are relentless and irrational. There is no "good enough" for the hillbillies of Kentuck'. There is nothing that will quiet these people unless you win it all. EVERY YEAR! Especially for the racists of Kentucky.

To be fair, that just wan't the case. Consider it another example of the media oversimplifying something they neither cared enough to look into or saw as genuine enough to take note. And it wasn't just the media. A healthy portion of the fans fought against this.

I was one.

We saw brighter days ahead and were duped into accepting lesser-talent recruits because of Smith's success with less-heralded recruits Erik Daniels, Gerald Fitch and Cliff Hawkins. What we discounted was the presence of experienced talent (Bogans, Keith) and a tough-minded physical leader (Hayes, Chuck).

As Kentucky slip-slides its way off the bubble, most unfamiliar territory indeed, are Kentucky fans to find any validation in their concerns of the stewardship of their program now that we have neither the experienced talent nor the tough-minded leadership (let alone anything resembling physical play) on the court? Or are they to be further ridiculed for questioning a respected man?

I'm betting the latter, unfortunately. Even good guys can screw up.