Joker Phillips

[mhall]

Ok, I have a legit question. Is the state of UK football ALL Joker's fault? Man some of the talk show's I listen to and blog's I check out are brutal. I have tried to equate and compare my personal thoughts to him being compared to Kragethorpe while he was at Louisville. Kragethorpe inherited a good team and made it terrible overnight. Did Joker do that, I say no.

It's hard to recruit football players to UK, always has been. I just don't think he's had a fair shake yet??

Thoughts???

[DJD]

I'm not a UK graduate nor do I go out of my way to watch their games....I'm a Gator fan and a Georgia Bulldog fan so with that being said I have no emotional ties to UK. I think the emotional ties to Joker from the UK decision makers is what screwed the program. All I hear is what a good guy he is, he is loyal, he paid his dues and yada, yada, yada......ok that's great I'll give him that. Does that equate to wins? Drawing recruits? Being the face of the program? Nope, nope and nope.
Until UK gets more serious about the football program they will flounder on the bottom for years to come. I have heard UK doesnt have a problem with paying for another coach it's just kinda been promised to Joker. Joker has been in this program for many years and going on his 3rd year as the head coach...to me if he doesn't turn the program around this year he is gone.
I see the perfect coach for UK being an out spoken man that fires people up. Joker is to reserved for UK, heck the basketball coach dominates UK And could prolly recruit better football players than Joker! JMO.

[Fishin is life]

I don't think it's Jokers fault....Unless UK brings in a big name coach that brings recruits with him, UK will never be more than the laughing stock of the SEC...Don't get me wrong, I support them and watch as many of their games as I can, but they will never match up with AL,LSU,FLA,GA,TN....Those schools all have history and compete year in and year out....If you're a 5 star stud who are you going to go play for?

DJD, you're comment about Cal being able to recruit better football players than Joker, although meant as a joke, probably holds a lot of truth

[Whitebass]

I think he's had his fair shake on the Head Coaching job. UK has went down hill extremely fast since Brooks Retired and Joker took over...Granted if Joker was actually calling all the plays up in the suite looking down on the field, I say great job on his part as the Off. Cord. But I feel that Brooks was making most of the Off. calls during his time with the team and the Offense seemed to be able to move the ball with great effort.

Joker took over and UK football Offense is almost non existant and also, more really dumb play calls have been made in games. These calls have been the dagger in UK's possibility in winning more games than they have won under Joker.

So I believe that in the best interest of the UK Football Program, get rid of Joker and maybe the fans will return...It's almost the same effect Kragthorp had on the U of L Program.... Only difference is...Joker is the coach of a SEC Team, and since there are Legit Power House teams in the SEC that UK fans can watch during the Home games means a lot more than the position U of L is in.

U of L is in one of the worst football Conference's a team can be in imo. Put U of L in the SEC and they would be lucky to get the required 6 wins each year for a right to go to a bowl game like UK does each year. But being in the Big East and playing mediocre teams and getting more wins on your resume, does not equal that your program is one of the best in the land....But given the situation that U of L has ties to the BCS for 1 more year at least, they in turn get a chance to say ( Hey we are going to a BCS Bowl Game) if they win the Conference Title.... A gimmie for sure this year it would seem, but do I think they are indeed one of the best teams that will be competing for one of the Top 4 spots in the Playoff spots this year, No way at all.....

[mhall]

Nice thoughts fellas, however Whitebass I disagree witn you on one thing. Would Louisville struggle in the SEC, yes especially right now but the SEC east they would be competitive. When Bobby Petrino had Louisville as a top ten team, he tried his best to schedule SEC powerhouses. Guess what, they dodged him. Georgia, Tenn, and Arkansas to name a few. YEP dodged them bigtime. Check it out if you don't believe me. It seemed the SEC juggernauts didn't want that possible ''L'' on their schedule by a so called BE scrub team, lol.

I do agree the BE is way down especially this year. Adding Boise and Houston, two top ten programs will probably save the automatic BCS bowl bid, however they still don't compare to the SEC. if Jurich and Strong can get Louisville in the Big 12, look out, Strong is bringing in some studs and he really will then.

Also Whitebass, check out the Louisville history between them and SEC teams in bowl games, you might be surprised....

Another thing, you are judging them this year before they have even snapped the ball. Are they one of the best of the four, who knows, but you certainly can't make that judgement before the season ever starts. Let me guess your a UK fan right, lol.

[Fishin is life]

Mark, do you think UL is one of the top 4 teams in the country? IMO, which isn't worth much, there are atleast 3 SEC teams better than they are....Alabama, LSU, Arkansas...I agree UL would be competitive in the SEC east, but without them playing SC, UT, FLa, it's hard to say how they'd do...When you throw in atleast one game against LSU, Bama, or Arkansas, I think they're probably a 6-6 type of team, possibly as good as 8-4...Regardless, they're a much better team than UK, and you know I'm a UK fan...As poor of a squad as UK is suiting up this year, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if they lost one of their "gimmies"

[smokefan]

I watched Joker On ESPNU's coverage of SEC media days. I am not nor will I ever be a UK fan, but was really impressed with Joker. It was the first time I had heard how he coaches and his goals for the program. But he has 2 thing going against him that are out of his control 1)the strengh of the SEC and some of the best coaches in the country and 2) UK basketball. Another thing that hurts him and many other coaches that are trying to buid/rebuild programs-the pressure from fans, boosters and the media for immediate wins. I think its terrible to get a good coach and give him 2 or 3 years to turn a program around. The universities put themselve in the caoching revolving door, the dont give the players time to learn the offensive and defensive schemes, and to recuirt the players to fit those schemes. Just my opinion, nothing against Uk-this time-its problem in alot of palces.

[zx150]

I think UofL will win the game 28-17 but the game will be closer than the score. I also think UK will surprise fans this year. I not saying that they are going to win the BCS but be better than what people think. With that said hasn't Joker beat SC and TN something no one else has done in a very long time?

[mhall]

Mark, do you think UL is one of the top 4 teams in the country? IMO, which isn't worth much, there are atleast 3 SEC teams better than they are....Alabama, LSU, Arkansas...I agree UL would be competitive in the SEC east, but without them playing SC, UT, FLa, it's hard to say how they'd do...When you throw in atleast one game against LSU, Bama, or Arkansas, I think they're probably a 6-6 type of team, possibly as good as 8-4...Regardless, they're a much better team than UK, and you know I'm a UK fan...As poor of a squad as UK is suiting up this year, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if they lost one of their "gimmies"

LOL, No Steven I don't, I hope I didn't come off that way man. However the BCS system is so broke in my opinion, I'm not sure who is the best at the end of the year. Yes I see Louisville loosing two games this year, maybe three and at least one of them will be to somebody they should have beat. I think the UK kids will play their guts out this year. Football is alot of emotion, and you get a bunch of young guys with that, ''Us against the World'' mentality then.....Look out, somebody might draw back a nubb.

Louisville will be a good team, world beaters they are not and I hope I'm not sounding that way. Next year they could be one Helluva team, we'll see..

[Whitebass]

Nice thoughts fellas, however Whitebass I disagree witn you on one thing. Would Louisville struggle in the SEC, yes especially right now but the SEC east they would be competitive. When Bobby Petrino had Louisville as a top ten team, he tried his best to schedule SEC powerhouses. Guess what, they dodged him. Georgia, Tenn, and Arkansas to name a few. YEP dodged them bigtime. Check it out if you don't believe me. It seemed the SEC juggernauts didn't want that possible ''L'' on their schedule by a so called BE scrub team, lol.

I do agree the BE is way down especially this year. Adding Boise and Houston, two top ten programs will probably save the automatic BCS bowl bid, however they still don't compare to the SEC. if Jurich and Strong can get Louisville in the Big 12, look out, Strong is bringing in some studs and he really will then.

Also Whitebass, check out the Louisville history between them and SEC teams in bowl games, you might be surprised....

Another thing, you are judging them this year before they have even snapped the ball. Are they one of the best of the four, who knows, but you certainly can't make that judgement before the season ever starts. Let me guess your a UK fan right, lol.

Were not talking about the past, but the Big East has been awful for the past two years now and it looks even worse this year. Not to mention U of L dodged the bullet by not having to play either Boise State or Houston this year. I feel as long as U of L is in the Big East, they'll continue to only be able to recruit 3 Star player's, some 4's and an occasional 5 Star player.. But get them outta the Big East and into a better Conference, then much better recruits will be recruited, until then...U of L is going to be a mediocre team at best.

Stop thinking of the past and think about now and the future......


Go Longhorns baby........Yes I root for Texas, not this Uk team you mentioned....

Military brat here and I guess if someone roots against U of L , then they supposedly must be a UK fan.....

[DJD]

Military brat here and I guess if someone roots against U of L , then they supposedly must be a UK fan.....

Same here. Spent most of my years in Florida and summers in Georgia so I been exposed to UGA and Gator ball the most. I like to see UK win but really don't care. Actually have more interest in UL because of Charlie Strong and his Gator accomplishments.

What I would love to see one day is Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes play against an SEC team for the championship and get smoked but with the new format who knows??

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...beginning-2014

[mhall]

Who's living in the past, I'm looking to the future and posts reflect that with the mention of possible going in the Big 12 and Strong's very good ability to recruit.

You just keep telling yourself Louisville will be a ''always'' middle of the road team. When Petrino was here he got them to within a field goal of playing for national title. Also was considered a top 15 team and a giant killer, nobody wanted to face. His team players are all over the NFL right now, big names that produce to.
Texas, LOL, What the heck have they done in the last 10 years....

I hope we get to the Big 12 and we'll see who has the best team going forward.....