And speaking of semi-professional sports

I was an assistant band director at the University of Kentucky now almost 40 years ago. It was fun. The football team was terrible. The basketball team transitioned from Rupp to Joe Hall. It was never terrible.  During my time, the University built a new football stadium and Rupp Area (picture). I conducted "My Old Kentucky Home" - the last piece played officially at Memorial Coliseum at a basketball game and the Star Spangled Banner - the first piece at Rupp.  Not big on the scale of things but memorable to me none the less.

The current coach, Calipari, has a job that must be like being President on steriods. The fan clubs meet year around. There is a website, kentucky.scout.com that has about a zillion members and I read it every so often and freely admit to being a big fan still (also Michigan State where I got my other degrees - an embarrassment of riches).

Kentucky lost or is loosing 5 players to the first round of the NBA draft this year. 80% and probably a bit more of the heart of this past year's team. In order to meet expectations, Mr. Calipari has to recruit another #1 class of incoming freshmen, which he appears to have done.  Back when I was there, freshmen couldn't play varsity and the NBA couldn't draft a player until his class graduated. The only way out was to go to the NBA straight from high school (very rare) or apply for hardship (also rare). Coaches stayed put because players stayed for enough time to make a go of their talents and the team building.

John Wall, the best player on the team and maybe the best player in a decade will make 5-10 million dollars as a 19 year old next year after his 1 year at Kentucky.  Every time he suits up he will make a tenured professor's salary and more.  He could found the University of John Wall and hire 50 professors for what he will make next year. Calipari, the coach who brought him to Kentucky (Wall could have gone anywhere) was talked of as leaving UK to coach the pros.  He makes about $5million at Kentucky so it was doubtful that he would take a pay cut but he would still make about 1/2 of what Wall will make and then he has to play nice with a bunch of players all making more than the boss. Think of that in business. The workers make more than the boss.

Anyway, Calipari appears to be staying put.  When I first read that link about 730 this morning there were 23 comments. Now there are 500. There will be 10000 by noon.

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