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John Calipari: Kentucky is the ‘most overanalyzed team’ in sports history

Kentucky LSU Basketball

AP Photo

AP

Kentucky head coach John Calipari is calculating when it comes to what he says in the media. There’s a reason behind every statement he makes. Attend a couple Coach Cal press conferences, and you’ll begin to notice the talking points always end up being the same. Sometimes he’s trying to motivate his players, sometimes he’s trying to rile up his fan base, sometimes he’s taking shots at the media. Whatever it may be, rest assured that Coach Cal doesn’t make mistakes when it comes to talking to the press.

Which is why last night’s comments were so intriguing.

A couple of times a year, Coach Cal will say something that will spread through headlines all around the blogosphere. After No. 18 Kentucky’s win over Ole Miss on Tuesday night, Coach Cal called the Wildcats the “most overanalyzed team I’ve ever seen in the history of the game, at any level, in any sport”, which is, of course, not accurate.

Do you really think that the general public cared about this team as much as, say, the Heat the first year that LeBron teamed up with D-Wade and Chris Bosh? Does Skip Bayless use the Wildcats as a talking point every chance he gets a la Tim Tebow?

Locally, it may actually be true, but that’s more a critique of his fan base than anything. Big Blue Nation loves their ‘Cats more than anyone else in the world loves anything. When it’s game day, they want previews. When the game’s over, they want every possession broken down and analyzed.

Prior to the start of Cal’s title-winning season, he gave this quote: “We do more than move the needle. We are the needle.” That’s true. Kentucky fans drive more internet traffic than any fan base in the country. So he gets it. He shouldn’t be surprised that there are websites breaking down every possession from every game that his team plays.

The guys that he brings into the program should understand that as well.

It’s what you sign up for when you go there.

Follow @robdauster