You can’t blame the Internet, on its own, for the slow degradation of societal norms and faster loss in quality of genuine human interaction. The digital space is simply the medium, transmitting ignorance, willful and otherwise, to a populous all too eager to lap it up, like my German Shepherd lingering under the kitchen table on steak night.
American youths have memes. American adults have catchphrases. And, really, the difference between the two is minimal: a strong emotional reaction upon initial release, a backlash spurred by overuse, a fade into the background and, ultimately, oblivion.
Meme This
Left Lane Hammer Down in an Uncommon way, Yesirrrrrrrrr! Turn up that jukebox, baby!
Chad Morris. Bret Bielema. Sam Pittman. Arkansas football’s current head coach isn’t as prone to ridiculous catchphrases as his two predecessors and, quite frankly, can hardly be blamed for unleashing whatever damn catchphrase he pleases in the wake of a SEVENTY TO ZERO win over what remains a technically Division I team.
What irks me more is the stuff that comes before big wins have been earned. Morris and Bielema were both prone to silly hypesmanship before anything of note had been accomplished. (And, please, let’s just erase the memory of “Club Dub” from our collective minds right now.)
Plus, hearing Joe Public utter “Yessirrrr” after a football commitment, complete with that dragged ‘R’ sound, just feels wrong when more and more that commitment is likely to back off his pledge or transfer after a season or two.
Let us – as consumers of the Arkansas athletics product, both fan (you) and media member (me) – hope such drivel doesn’t leak into Arkansas basketball. Shouldn’t John Calipari know better than that?
One would hope. But an eerie sensation hit when seeing a recent tweet of his on “X.” It even duplicates Bielema’s previous theme and, eerily, the previous word itself:
A Catchphrase or…?
Now, I don’t seriously think Calipari, his staff, Arkansas’ players or (please, god, no) the Arkansas basketball communications staff will start branding this phrase with any sort of regularity. Calipari just doesn’t seem like that kind of guy. But catchphrases, too, have gone from hashtags (too Millennial) to memes. And guess who loves the memes? Well, anyone terminally online, but, really, it’s the people the age of those he is attempting to get on the Razorbacks’ basketball roster.
Eric Musselman Calipari ain’t. Muss is/was a man whose social-media presence, gift of gab and tendency for pseudo-genuine posts earned him a legitimate online following among fans, media and players. Some may argue such tactics are gimmicks and, frankly, I wouldn’t argue back with them much. But a Hall of Fame coach like Calipari did not resort to such approaches to build the kind of quality resume he has. Nor should he need them going forward.
At least, we think. The NIL era is still so fresh, so confounding to coaches and administrators across the country that new schemes are being tried left and right. As long as the Tyson family and others keep throwing cash at Arkansas’ basketball NIL program, though, it’s difficult to see the need for Calipari going outside his comfort zone in recruiting.
Not that he is, really, even with the tweet. The words are, despite what the coach wrote, from Dean Alfange, a New York politician and activist of the mid-20th century. They’re classic call-to-action, Alfange stating not just what he, personally, is, but what he seeks from his fellow Americans. In fact, the passage is titled “An American’s Creed.” Using old-school quotes actually seems quite on-brand for Calipari, the son of a working-class family in greater Pittsburgh.
Marketing Doesn’t Win Basketball Games
All the catchphrases and humanizing stories function as, though, really, are marketing techniques. Arkansas basketball fans may buy into them early as a means to an end. But, even then, we’re talking about a man who was once persona non grata to the Hogs’ faithful. It’s almost like the entire fan-base has forgotten the damning allegations of cheating they casually threw Calipari’s way for a decade-plus. Fans being who they are – the most fickle of creatures – purposefully cast that aside when he arrived in Fayetteville for his opening press conference in the spring. These days, in light of all the big-time talent he’s already brought to campus, they prefer to adore him.
Such is the world of college athletics, now more than ever. The talk of allegiance is simply lip-service, something to uphold until it’s inconvenient. Jonas Aidoo came over from Tennessee to be Calipari’s center. The coach himself brought several players both from Kentucky and from Kentucky’s clutches to be Razorbacks, instead. He brought even more coaches and staff with him. Players transferring within the conference was once equal to literal religious blasphemy to most hardcore fans. Now? Who cares..
And as much as Calipari is trying – or not – to rally the troops behind “This I have done,” Arkansas basketball fans are more likely to respond with “What are you going to do for us?”
Calipari Brings Good News
All that is for the future. Right now, Calipari has plenty of honeymoon time. Little reason exists to think he will alter from what’s worked for 30-plus years. He isn’t Bret Bielema, who just led the Illini to a 45-0 win in their season opener, for his experience is greater and longer. He isn’t Chad Morris; Calipari is genuine. And he isn’t Eric Musselman, though, what Muss did in Fayetteville in his first four seasons was something to behold.
No, Calipari doesn’t need catchphrases. He just needs to win. Hopefully, the marketing will be left to the marketers. Or better yet, the players, whose effort and results will ultimately draw more attention than any meme-able moment. They’re already off on a good foot in that regard, if going toe-to-toe with Olympian gold medalists in a sprint is any indication:
***
By the way, John Calipari and Sam Pittman seem to be getting along.
More from Best of Arkansas Sports:
