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  • Players worry fans have given up on football team


    Avery Williamson

    LEXINGTON — His first two seasons at Kentucky, linebacker Avery Williamson was used to seeing capacity crowds — or near capacity — at Commonwealth Stadium when the Wildcats played.
    This year, that has changed dramatically thanks in part to UK’s 1-6 record going into Saturday night’s game against Georgia.

    “You can tell, you can sense it if they (the stands) are really full or not,” said Williamson, who ranks third in the Southeastern Conference in tackles per game (9.7). “That is just part of it. You have to take it.”

    After last week’s 49-7 loss at Arkansas when UK trailed 42-0 at halftime, the Wildcats could have an even smaller crowd at the Georgia game. Williamson insists while he notices the crowd size, it does not impact his play.
    “If it is not full, it is not. I am not going to change my game because fans are not there,” Williams said. “I would play if my mom and dad were just out there in the stands. I am going to play the same tempo. Hopefully the fans will come out and support us. If not, I am still going to be out there flying around and going 100 miles per hour.”

    Senior center Matt Smith says the Cats have to put the 49-7 loss behind them but also remember the feeling so it does not happen again in the remaining five games.
    “It was one of the more embarrassing games that I have been part of,” Smith said Monday. “We looked at the film yesterday and saw what we could do better and just take that and go from there and put it behind us and focus on rest of season because we still have a lot of good teams left to play.”

    The players understand why fans are upset and do sense many have given up on the team.
    “I know that it is not going to be the same when you are losing,” Williamson said. “I feel like some of the fans have kind of shifted away from us. Hopefully we can gain it back with a win this week.”
    “There is always the fans that are going to feel resentful toward us and feel we should have done more and be mad at the coaching staff and players. It’s all understandable,” Smith said. “We have fans and a lot of people that are getting hold of me through Twitter and I am getting a lot of text messages and stuff and there are fans still behind us, and that’s encouraging.

    “To see the fans who traveled to Arkansas and know that we are still going to have fans in the stadium on Saturday is encouraging. We know there are fans who will always be behind us no matter what. It is tough when you have won only one game to keep all the fans you had at the beginning of the season, obviously. We know that the Kentucky fan base has always been a good fan base for every sport that we have. We are just happy that we have those fans still.”

    What if more fans than expected showed up Saturday”
    “It would mean a lot. We need as much support as possible. It would mean a whole lot for the fans to show up,” Williamson said.

    Both Williamson and Smith says the players have no reason not to finish the season playing as hard as they can despite the record or speculation about coach Joker Phillips’ future.
    “We just say we have to finish the season out as strong as possible. We can’t just give up and put our heads down and pout about it. We have to go out and have a good practice every day,” Williamson said.
    “Some of the younger players sometimes might get down. You just kind of have to bounce them back. You have got to be a leader. Juniors, sophomores and seniors have to tell those guys we have to keep fighting. They are young and it is a long, physical season. It is tough on older guys as well. We have to keep them positive.”
    Smith says strength coach Ray “Rock” Oliver told the team to push the “reset button” after last week’s loss.
    “Get it out of our minds and start fresh and move forward in a new direction and just come together as much as a team as we can,” Smith said. “I know what we can do, but it is a matter of putting it all together on Saturdays.

    “One of the things about the team this year that I love is that a lot of these guys don’t give up. I know it is not a part of me to give up and it is not a part of a lot of these guys that are seniors and have been around. That is the last thing on their mind to give up like this. I think that attitude has rubbed off on guys. During practice we are practicing just as hard as we have been. As long as we can keep that going and keep the guys’ spirits up, and I know it is tough to do that right now, but the older guys are taking the leadership and younger guys are following and we are not going to give up.”
    Comments 27 Comments
    1. MickintheHam's Avatar
      MickintheHam -
      “It was one of the more embarrassing games that I have been part of,”

      There are degrees of embarrassing??? Embarrassed is embarrassed. Hell, did he mention the other games than were in the running for MOST embarrassing??

      I guess this is good journalism Larry, but we now have the players begging for fans. This is a debacle.
    1. dan_bgblue's Avatar
      dan_bgblue -
      The players understand why fans are upset and do sense many have given up on the team.
      “I know that it is not going to be the same when you are losing,” Williamson said. “I feel like some of the fans have kind of shifted away from us. Hopefully we can gain it back with a win this week.”
      There is always the fans that are going to feel resentful toward us


      I hope you can let the players know that most fans still love them and want them to do well. I do not know a single fan that is mad at the players.
    1. MickintheHam's Avatar
      MickintheHam -
      Dan, I believe fans are no longer upset with the play calls. The fans are no longer upset with who does or does not play QB. Fans are no longer upset with the defense. The fans are squarely mad at the coach and the AD and if something doesn't happen soon they are going to be mad at the President and BOT. You can't blame the players for any of this.
    1. LakeCat's Avatar
      LakeCat -
      Sorry, but what I saw on TV Saturday is not a team playing hard. I saw a team that has packed it in for the season and quite frankly I don't blame them. They know the quote "game plan" isn't going to produce a win. The lack of hitting on both sides of the ball was indicative of players worrying about getting hurt in a game they aren't going to win. 42-0 at half time against 2-4 Arky, tells it all. Fire Joker after the UGA beatdown and you will see the non seniors pick up their play to impress the new staff to come.
    1. LakeCat's Avatar
      LakeCat -
      Quote Originally Posted by MickintheHam View Post
      Dan, I believe fans are no longer upset with the play calls. The fans are no longer upset with who does or does not play QB. Fans are no longer upset with the defense. The fans are squarely mad at the coach and the AD and if something doesn't happen soon they are going to be mad at the President and BOT. You can't blame the players for any of this.
      I am already mad at the BOT and President for not jerking a knot in the tail of the AD about this mess and zero acknowledgment of legitimate fan frustration.
    1. Catonahottinroof's Avatar
      Catonahottinroof -
      Not upset with the players. I'm upset with the staff, AD and everyone else at UK who won't acknowledge the pink elephant in the room.

      Our players play the way they are prepared, no fire, detached, not sharp. That is not their fault.
    1. dan_bgblue's Avatar
      dan_bgblue -
      The lack of hitting on both sides of the ball was indicative of players worrying about getting hurt in a game they aren't going to win.
      I am not disagreeing with anything you said, but the above worries me. Players suffer serious injuries a lot more often when they are playing to not get hurt than they do going full bore on every play.
    1. ShoesSwayedBlue's Avatar
      ShoesSwayedBlue -
      The players have given up and I don't blame them. The fans have given up and I don't blame us. I don't know if Joker or Randy or Rick have given up and I don't care. Mitch is a bean counter who takes his lead from the BOT, who will not spend any money or political capital on football because they don't believe they'll ever get it back. I do blame them.
    1. CitizenBBN's Avatar
      CitizenBBN -
      No one is mad at the players, not a one of them. We feel bad for them having to go out there and fight through this mess. I know they won't perceive the difference, but this is a reflection of actually caring about their team and program and them. If we didn't care we'd all just tailgate and laugh it off.
    1. dtalbersjr's Avatar
      dtalbersjr -
      I haven't been to a game since the debacle against UofL last year, and I won't be back until Joker's departure is announced.

      I'm not mad at the players. I'm sorry they feel like we are, but I'm realistic enough to know that Mitch will only respond to empty seats. If incompetent coaching was enough to get Joker fired, he would've been fired last year. But it's not, and the only chance for a change is is Mitch sees that none of us are buying his BS excuses and he's forced to make a change.

      I'm sorry that it impacts the current players, but the fact that they have a completely incompetent coach is hurting them a lot more than the fans are. That's Mitch's fault. As soon as a change is announced, fans will start coming back.
    1. cattails's Avatar
      cattails -
      Quote Originally Posted by MickintheHam View Post
      Dan, I believe fans are no longer upset with the play calls. The fans are no longer upset with who does or does not play QB. Fans are no longer upset with the defense. The fans are squarely mad at the coach and the AD and if something doesn't happen soon they are going to be mad at the President and BOT. You can't blame the players for any of this.
      When the money stops coming in from outside, plus the lose of ticket sales, then the pressure will be on. Want to save your job? Then nip it in the bud!!
    1. jazyd's Avatar
      jazyd -
      I feel sorry for the players, they are not being coached well at all, and probably many if not most don't even realize it because this staff is all they know from college coaching.
      They don't realize other coach's get their players prepared to play at the start of the game, make adjustments as they go, have backups ready at all times, let players compete for spots in fall practice versus having favorites.

      It isa pititful job by this staff, mainly Joker and Minter, it is a pititful job by the AD and I pray for the players sake that the president is working behind the scenes to get this changed as soon as possible.

      One thing they don't realize is how the UK fans have supported this program thru the years with lousy records, getting beat down consistently but still putting fannies in the seats year after year. Now they are saying no more, we know we can be better, we know we can compete and we are tired of putting our money where our mouth is.
    1. TonyRay's Avatar
      TonyRay -
      I will be there hoping for the best doing my best to support them. It won't take much, just give me a little reason to believe.
    1. Padukacat's Avatar
      Padukacat -
      They lost me at 42-0......ill be back next year guys dont give up, excited to see someone coach that has some structure!

      As for the injuries, momentum=mass x acceleration, and when you lose that battle in the sec you feel it!
    1. akaukswoosh's Avatar
      akaukswoosh -
      Why would anybody give up on a 1-6 team?
    1. MickintheHam's Avatar
      MickintheHam -
      Quote Originally Posted by LakeCat View Post
      I am already mad at the BOT and President for not jerking a knot in the tail of the AD about this mess and zero acknowledgment of legitimate fan frustration.
      It is time for the AD or Pres to make a public statement. We patiently waited until the season was over last year for MB to give his ringing year end endorsement of the coach and blistering assessment of the fans and their expectations. But at this stage we need to cut bait. Attendance will only get worse. The only way to get fans to show for the remaining games is to say it is over. Trying to fool the fans into thinking this ship has more steam in the boiler and can sail to a break even season is insulting. As I said before regardless of who we hire at the end of the season, bringing the fans back on board will be long journey. It won't happen overnight. The damage done to the program is significant. It cuts deep. I'm angry with those who let it happen on their watch.
    1. bigsky's Avatar
      bigsky -
      Charge of the light brigade
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      Quote Originally Posted by MickintheHam View Post
      “It was one of the more embarrassing games that I have been part of,”

      There are degrees of embarrassing??? Embarrassed is embarrassed. Hell, did he mention the other games than were in the running for MOST embarrassing??

      I guess this is good journalism Larry, but we now have the players begging for fans. This is a debacle.
      I've been a little embarrassed to support Kentucky football, and a lot embarrassed myself. I have degrees of it. The one class I teach we talk about Kentucky football every Monday just briefly before getting started into class. I have become more embarrassed as the weeks have progressed. Of course, I'm moving toward numbness, so I'll be less embarrassed then.
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      Quote Originally Posted by Padukacat View Post
      They lost me at 42-0......ill be back next year guys dont give up, excited to see someone coach that has some structure!

      As for the injuries, momentum=mass x acceleration, and when you lose that battle in the sec you feel it!
      That's not an unreasonable position.
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      Quote Originally Posted by MickintheHam View Post
      It is time for the AD or Pres to make a public statement. We patiently waited until the season was over last year for MB to give his ringing year end endorsement of the coach and blistering assessment of the fans and their expectations. But at this stage we need to cut bait. Attendance will only get worse. The only way to get fans to show for the remaining games is to say it is over. Trying to fool the fans into thinking this ship has more steam in the boiler and can sail to a break even season is insulting. As I said before regardless of who we hire at the end of the season, bringing the fans back on board will be long journey. It won't happen overnight. The damage done to the program is significant. It cuts deep. I'm angry with those who let it happen on their watch.
      People who know a lot more about it than me have convinced me; it's not just a head coach/assistant/staff thing.

      Without reaching the depths of frustration that would just cause one to bang their head against the wall, my question is--how can it be solved WITHOUT firing the Athletic Director? The A.D. is not going to be fired. So are we relegated to a series of non-solutions in efforts to do so, resulting in even more frustration? Or is there something that leads us to a possible solution, although it's not all the way there?

      Very frustrated. Not a little frustrated. A lot frustrated. Goes along with my embarrassment levels.
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