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football Edit

Coffee: Stoops no-show a head-scratcher

Let me see if I understand this correctly: Coach Mark Stoops, new to the state of Kentucky, decides he is not going to make an appearance at the annual Governor's Cup luncheon to schmooze with boosters and the assorted media on hand and report on his football team.
This behavior is bizarre on several fronts, but the obvious is this: What Coach turns down an opportunity to market and promote his football team?
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I know the media is a bother to most coaches, but refusing to meet with them is strange indeed. It makes the casual observer of UK football wonder what is it that Stoops doesn't want to talk about?
This is a bold move for someone in the state a little over a year and has one win over a Division I-A football team. But Kentucky is a 'High Performance' program or at least that's the plan. With 'High Performance' Coach Erik Korem who came from Florida State planning to "give the state of Kentucky a winning football program that competes with class and character," that 'high performance' evidently doesn't include showing up for charitable events.
Unfortunately for Korem it didn't take long for him to make a fool of himself since the state already has "a winning football program that competes with class and character." It just isn't in Lexington.
What is it with the bravado and arrogance of new Kentucky coaches?
There's a lot of talk and noise and fancy billboards that comes from the people in the football program at Kentucky but not many winning football games. Didn't their daddies teach them that 'actions speak louder than words'?
The Governor's Cup started in 1994 with the game preceded by a luncheon that included two coaches that truly did have class, Howard Schnellenberger and Bill Curry. Since that inaugural game, the head coaches have gotten together each year to meet with the media and sometimes play golf. The beneficiary is a local charity this year being Dare to Care.
As some have said Stoops didn't care enough to show up. I'm sure this action by Stoops will play well with some UK fans throughout the state as being a 'slap' at Louisville, but more reasonable fans of the Wildcats have to think this is not a good move by the new coach. What does it accomplish especially with the Governor and UofL coaches present?
What's the Governor going to say during his remarks? That will be the most interesting occurrence of the day. I don't envy Steve Beshear as he tries to put a happy 'politically correct' spin on the day's events with one of the opposing coaches refusing to attend.
But never fear; Kentucky is a 'class' program that is going to rebound from mediocrity and dominate football in the state of Kentucky. At least they believe that and can prove it by their billboards and superior training techniques that are revolutionary for football.
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