The House of Blue

Is is that UK fans were treated as second class citizens or that UK fans weren't treated as the king's of the countryside? We as UK fans have to be careful. When it comes to basketball we sometimes tend to get overboard. We sometimes get arrogant. We are used to being the best of the best of the best....and we get on our edge when we aren't treated as such.

Like you said if it weren't for UK, ESPN wouldn't be there. That's a true statement, but it's also a very arrogant way of putting it. Like Vandy owes us for allowing ESPN to come there.

Digger wasn't asking fans to sit quietly. He very plainly asked them to be respectful. And where is there shame on Vandy?

Digger has been POed at UK since the 70's (1978 most of all). If he doesn't shut up, we can sic Joe B on him again.

Anybody else with the show says that (note that they didn't) and I got no problem.

Did Digger every coach again after his so-so stint at Notre Dame?

I wasn't there and can't say for sure what was going on, but it sure seems like for Digger to start out that way and go through his whole "listen to me...listen to me..." crap was the wrong way to go about it. It felt as if he expected UK fans to be just horrible and only there to mess up his precious show rather than to be there to cheer on the Cats and show pride in being UK fans. Maybe there was more to it before the clip started but from what I saw, it just seemed petty for Digger to be upset that UK fans were there and it wasn't Rupp.

I don't really have a problem with what Digger said though he did come across a bit bitter towards UK. UK fans shouldn't have organized something to upstage Vandy at Gameday. That is what occupymemorial was: an attempt to takeover Memorial for Gameday as the name and everything that was said about it earlier in the week implied. If UK fans just wanted to go to Gameday to be on TV and have fun that's cool, after all this is entertainment. But that isn't what it was, it was organized and spread around (mostly through KSR). To the UK fans that did show up, they were respectful, so kudos.

That's why the Vandy administration and fans responded the way they did; they were scared that something that would be cool for their fans and students would be overrun by UK fans. Probably not the right choice in how to handle it, as it made UK fans just want to show up more. In the end, Vandy administration and UK fans who wanted to show up Vandy didn't handle the situation right.

I don't know if the fact that Gameday hasn't been to Rupp in a couple of years worsened the situation or not, but that is crazy that they couldn't find 1 game over 2 years to do a Gameday at UK.

I don't like his tone there (and perhaps there is context to his words that we don't have available) but I would agree in principle with his point: If UK fans are there with the intent of spoiling Vanderbilt's special day, that's wrong.

If they're just representing BBN and showing the colors, no problem.

IMO why should anyone who supports UK pay ANY attention to phelps especially when given th parameters of "listen to me" don't want to come across wrong
and I am not a kid but my reaction would have been " up your's"

I think "occupy Memorial" is obnoxious and beneath Kentucky fans. The whole idea of organizing and planning an "attack" on Vanderbilt's GameDay just doesn't seem Kentucky like. It feels forced and artificial like the Duke student section. I'm fine with Kentucky fans showing up to it and chanting, but it should just be a natural thing and not something that's forced. It would have been a million times more badass had it just happened naturally and not been the product of an actual effort to organize it. Just feels lame as hell like a flash mob or something as opposed to the natural passion of the fanbase being on display through a spontaneous showing of hundreds or thousands of our fans.

Digger is just a dick......always has been and always will be. It's kind of disturbing watching him dance with the cheerleaders. He comes off like an "old stalker." If you want respect Digger...give respect. IMHO, you have always been and treated those around you like an a-hole.

I disagree totally, you can't start berating people for what they COULD do. My son was there, he said everything was cool, and Digger got up and started acting like an idiot. My son said Digger's comments almost caused something to happen so lets just rid the world of the diggers and the knights and it will be a better place. And for those on here who thought it was a plan of embarrasement, it wasn't so get the facts before making the accusations.

Digger AND Vandy fans have cried for years about UK. I see a common denominator.

This was a rally orchestrated by ESPN to promote the game and add an exciting backdrop to the broadcast. There was an open invitation for both fan bases to participate. For VU to go to the measures they did to dampen the enthusiasm of the Kentucky fans and move them out of the limelight was very petty and demeaning. Kentucky fans follow their team proudly and in large numbers. VU acted immaturely and wears the shame, ESPN has a lot to explain too. Digger's words were inappropriate and poorly delievered. One expects more from a professional organization like ESPN and a leading liberal arts university.

Was it Vandy's birthday or something? Special Day ? QUIT IT ! This is an athletic contest and if the UK fans get in and cheer they get in ! They can't help the fact that BIG BLUE NATION is growing and overflows mightily into Nashville. Digger Phelps has hated UK forever. He is a big time loser and we need to not buy magic hi-lighter markers until he quits holding them in his hands like his tiny penis when he babbles his pie hole on TV.

Yes, Gameday is a rally in which to promote college basketball and to boost ratings....exactly as you said. I have not heard, nor seen any "measures to dampen the enthusiasm of Kentucky fans" by Vandy. I have seen and heard of #occupymemorial. Which as you say, our fans travel so well and support our basketball team in large numbers. Then why orchestrate our own movement with the only purpose of flooding Memorial Gym with as many UK fans as possible? The only intent would be to choke out the Vandy fans and to monopolize the ESPN Gameday.....seems awful "petty and demeaning" by our own fanbase.....and this was even before Gameday even occurred.

I totally agree that Digger's delivery was horrible and it may harbor ill-feelings toward UK, but asking fans to be respectful is not inappropriate. My parents used to ask me and my brothers to be respectful before we entered church. I have heard plenty of announcers ask for respect and reverance before singing the national anthem at sporting events. I have been at meetings and rally's where they have asked the audience to be respectful of our surroundings and to represent well. It happens all the time whether people have been misbehaving or not.

So in this I can see how Digger (who is an ESPN representative) made mistakes. I can see how UK (my own fanbase) made mistakes. But I can't see where Vandy made any mistakes here.