Vince Marrow says UK "One of top 5 facilities in country"

[Terry Blue]

Only hardcore UK fans look for the Cat's Pause Yearbook. Are we scared that some of those fans might starting pulling for UL because Patty Ice was dressed up in a somewhat dated, corny outfit? Methinks not.

[Terry Blue]

I bet a sharp college student like Patrick has a better pulse on what's cool and what's not than most of us posting here do. I think he's a Harry Potter fan and it was probably his idea.

[ShoesSwayedBlue]

I bet a sharp college student like Patrick has a better pulse on what's cool and what's not than most of us posting here do. I think he's a Harry Potter fan and it was probably his idea.

He's said to be a huge Potter fan. And if this cover came out in 1985 with the kid dressed as Luke Skywalker, and we weren't all old THEN, we would think it was cool while our parents, who grew up on Dick Tracy or whoever, would think it was embarrassing.

There's only been a Potter movie every other year since the kid was seven or so. I'm sure he's not the only kid his age who loves that stuff.

[kingcat]

I just didn't realize Harry Potter was all the rave college level entertainment. I know kids liked it.

Just wait..in a few years it may be, Big Hero Six

"I await my call"

Star Wars was not aimed at the children's market..Harry Potter was.

And it's several years outdated at that so it wouldn't work well for current little league sports..

Still, love you guys though.

[Darrell KSR]

I just asked two experts, and will ask a third expert when she gets home. The first expert is my 23 year old son, a Harry Potter fan. He gave it a thumbs up. My second expert is my 23 year old daughter. She said it was really weird, creepy, and embarrassing. (She also likes Harry Potter, by the way.)

The third expert will be my 16 year old daughter, who should be home in a half an hour or so. She will be the deciding vote.

[CitizenBBN]

Can we go back to how college coaches don't exaggerate as part of recruiting? I don't think that's going to get old for a while.

[Darrell KSR]

I just asked two experts, and will ask a third expert when she gets home. The first expert is my 23 year old son, a Harry Potter fan. He gave it a thumbs up. My second expert is my 23 year old daughter. She said it was really weird, creepy, and embarrassing. (She also likes Harry Potter, by the way.)

The third expert will be my 16 year old daughter, who should be home in a half an hour or so. She will be the deciding vote.

Just received a phone call that she will be home in about 15 minutes. Rehearsal ran late.

[Darrell KSR]

She says it's ok, leaning toward cool. She's a big Harry Potter fan, too, but said even if not, it would be alright.

She's the defining voice to me, and knows better than I do. I concede.

[kingcat]

I guess I agree then . I'm going to call Harry Pat-Pat Potter one bad arse Wildcat, and leave it at that.


It does get scarier the more you see it doesn't it gang? Grrrr!!


..photo courtesy of Darrell Bird 247 Sports.

Honestly, I am not posting angry. I sincerely grin every time I look at it.

It's not going to impress anyone other than Potter fans.
Just the opposite, 95% of big ole football players gonna' laugh at it.

Hope the line protects him well, because every time Pat gets sacked I'd expect an imaginary wand to wave in his face.

[VirginiaCat]

You do realize the HP books were some of the most read of all time...and you cannot do that with a childrens audience.....

If you went to see the movies, the lines on opening night were not children...they were outnumbered by adults.....

Guys, it is marketing. It is about standing out. It worked. We are talking about it. If Towles and UK has a good year just think of the "tag lines" the TV and Media will have with the "Football Wizard" at QB...

I just didn't realize Harry Potter was all the rave college level entertainment. I know kids liked it.

Just wait..in a few years it may be, Big Hero Six

"I await my call"

Star Wars was not aimed at the children's market..Harry Potter was.

And it's several years outdated at that so it wouldn't work well for current little league sports..

Still, love you guys though.

[Darrell KSR]

You do realize the HP books were some of the most read of all time...and you cannot do that with a childrens audience.....

If you went to see the movies, the lines on opening night were not children...they were outnumbered by adults.....

Guys, it is marketing. It is about standing out. It worked. We are talking about it. If Towles and UK has a good year just think of the "tag lines" the TV and Media will have with the "Football Wizard" at QB...

Yeah, I conceded when my kids told me, 2-1, it was cool.

[CitizenBBN]

Yeah, I conceded when my kids told me, 2-1, it was cool.

Not sure that's a great ratio for something like this, but better than 1-2.

Personally I couldn't care less, and if they did it b/c he's a big Harry Potter fan then fine, but not sure it really will pump folks up either. But this is just the Cat's Pause cover, not clear it will be the theme for this fall at all.

[ETWNAPPEL]

I liked the cover. I follow him on twitter. He's a huge HP nerd. I like that he tweets about HP and not trash.

[Terry Blue]

Hard to believe Ole 66 year old Terry Blue, who has no kids, would be the first to point out here that Harry Potter might actually be cool to college age kids like Patrick. Miracles still happen, LOL

[Terry Blue]

Larry V. just said on the Leach Show that Guy Moriss, who recently toured the facilities at UK, concurs with Marrow that once everything is completed our facilities will match up with anyone in the country!

[MTcatfan]

I think we need to focus less on what he EXACTLY said, and focus more on the fact that he can even make a comment like that in the first place. Look folks, lets not split hairs on whether or not WE think we have top 5 facilities, and look at the fact that as the recruiting coordinator, Vince has to be able to say that without embarrassing himself. So he said it, big deal, but what is a big deal is can he really say it without embarrassing himself when he brings recruits on campus. So we are recruiting against 13 other SEC schools, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Florida State, Miami, to name a few, and what Vince has to be able to do is back up his "top 5" claim to the kids that he brings on campus.

So Vince is no dummy, in fact I think so far he has been brilliant as a recruiting coordinator, so know that, would he make a comment about us having top 5 facilities if HE DIDN"T THINK IT WAS TRUE? Think about it, he is the guy who has to bring kids on campus that have been to Ohio State, have been to Georgia, have been to LSU, have been to Alabama, so the recruits HAVE TO BE IMPRESSED by the facilities, or Vince would have embarrassed himself. So to me the fact that Vince says it, means that the facilities back up his words, because he know damn well if the facilities disappoint he will get KILLED in recruiting when other schools talk to recruits.

So Vince tells a recruit: UK has top 5 facilities in country

Recruit comes to visit, he sees our facilities

There are only TWO outcomes to Vince's words:

Outcome #1: Vince is correct, recruit is wowed or at least impressed with our facilities compared to what he has seen

Outcome #2: Vince is blowing smoke, our facilities are nice, but nowhere close to top 5, and the recruit leaves less than impressed and other schools recruiting coordinators know UK facilities are not top notch and they use that to needle the recruit and mock UK when players are home after visit.


So do you think Vince dumb or smart? No way in Hades does Vince set himself up for outcome #2. Vince truly believes UK's facilities are going to be top notch, he truly believes recruits are going to see that UK's facilities are top notch, so Vince truly believes that is something he should use to recruit a kid to UK. So no bones about it, it may be fluff, we may only be top 15, but Vince certainly knows that UK is going to compete against top notch schools when it comes to facilities from now on and he wants his recruits on campus comparing our facilities to the big boys and Vince KNOWS that the recruits won't be disappointed. Anything else on Vince's part and you think he is not good at his job.


Vince's comment is sort of like to me, the old saying about a lawyer should never ask a person on the stand a question unless he knows the answer that person will give. Well to me Vince never utters those words unless he knows that UK is going to compete nationally in terms of facilities.


As far as Harry Potter goes, if Towels was uncomfortable posing for a picture that way, then he wouldn't have done it. Plus we can't confuse an outside media source doing a picture like this as some sort of UK football and athletic department marketing campaign. This is merely someone like Sports Illustrated, ESPN Magazine, Sporting News, etc, wanting to do a cover for their magazine and it has zero to do with UK football marketing.

[Darrell KSR]

, so know that, would he make a comment about us having top 5 facilities if HE DIDN"T THINK IT WAS TRUE?

Of course he would. There's almost no harm in it.

Assuming you don't have Grambling-type facilities, there's little downside.

Who among our recruits are going to be going to, say, 10 places that will have better facilities than Kentucky? NOBODY
Who among our recruits are going to be going to, say, 5 places that will have better facilities than Kentucky? PROBABLY NOBODY
Who among our recruits are going to be going to, say, more than 5 places? PROBABLY NOBODY

So there's your answer. A recruiting pitch, a salesman, "puffery," in a new or used car salesman game. Nothing illegal. Doesn't mean it's accurate, which is what most people, me included, have said.

I am fine with him saying it. I just don't have to believe it, and I don't. I haven't criticized him for it, but I darn sure am not going to be a lemming and believe whatever he says, cause I know the game.

[ShoesSwayedBlue]

Great post MT. CWS is going to look great, but the training facility is going to be as good as it gets.

[MTcatfan]

Of course he would. There's almost no harm in it.

Assuming you don't have Grambling-type facilities, there's little downside.

Who among our recruits are going to be going to, say, 10 places that will have better facilities than Kentucky? NOBODY
Who among our recruits are going to be going to, say, 5 places that will have better facilities than Kentucky? PROBABLY NOBODY
Who among our recruits are going to be going to, say, more than 5 places? PROBABLY NOBODY

So there's your answer. A recruiting pitch, a salesman, "puffery," in a new or used car salesman game. Nothing illegal. Doesn't mean it's accurate, which is what most people, me included, have said.

I am fine with him saying it. I just don't have to believe it, and I don't. I haven't criticized him for it, but I darn sure am not going to be a lemming and believe whatever he says, cause I know the game.

Sure it is puffery, but he has to be able to back it up, and that is my point. He can't say we are top 5 and then have recruits see it and think it is second rate. I guess I just don't see the point in why it matters if it is puffery or the truth? To me most of the time the "newer" it is, the better it is. So we may be top 5 right now, but as soon as someone makes everything newer, we drop down. So I have no bones thinking that once all the new facilities are done we will be top 5, it could be true, but of course then if Alabama updates their facilities, and Ohio State updates their facilities, our facilities naturally drop.

To me with recruits the places with the most new technology, and the shiniest equipment will be the top places they see. So UK is moving up because we will have facilities full of 2015 technology, which probably makes us top 5 because how many people are in the midst of building projects right now, and most everyone else built their facilities in the last 2000's. So a 2008 facility is nice, but has 2008 technology. Just like anyone who starts their projects after we are done will pass us because they will have the newest dewhickeys for say 2017 which may be better than we could have put in our facility in 2015.


I guess the only way to know is to see how independent people react when they see the fully completed projects.

[Terry Blue]

MT said what I've been trying to say throughout the thread. If not top 5 then close enough that recruits won't notice the difference. Mix that with salesmanship, family atmosphere, beautiful Ky landscape and girls, playing time and we've got them where we want them. Justin Rowland said today that UK thinks if we get them to visit we've got an excellent chance to get them