Sportsfrog.com

Not the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team, contrary to local opinion.

Losses happen.  Sports is a zero-sum game.  One team celebrates, one team hangs it head.  People say you learn a lot more from a loss than from a win.  Who says that?  Losers.  And you know what?  The University of Kentucky men’s basketball team must have been geniuses under the direction of Billy Gillispie.  What else were they?  Losers!

Call me spoiled, but  I’m not arrogant enough to think that this year’s team will go undefeated.  There are many potential stumbling blocks on the schedule, and with the #1 ranking comes an even bigger target than the interlocking “U” and “K” logo brings.  I get that.  I welcome that.  The players welcome that.  That said, is there any reason to ‘need’ to lose?  The point is to win.  To go out and try as hard as you can every single night to win the ball game.  No team needs to lose, nor should a coach want a loss to ‘refocus’ a team.  If your team needs to lose to refocus, then you are not doing your job as a teacher and a motivator.

In hindsight, coaches can say that a loss did help.  Fine, but they didn’t feel that way when the clock read :00 with their team behind on the scoreboard.

As a fan, I don’t need to see my team lose;  I’ve seen enough of that in the past seasons to want any more, thank you very much.  John Calipari gets that and he welcomes those expectations.  He understands that the fans of this team need victories the way most fans need air.  We’re a damned proud bunch – but that’s what fans should expect!  Why cheer for a team if you don’t want them to win EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY STEP ON THE COURT?

At some point, there will be a loss or (gasp) losses, but to say a team needs one is absurd.

You can say a lot bad about the man, but Al Davis got one thing right.  Just win, baby.