Before protest UK assistant coach Jai Lucas noted how John Calipari lets “guys express their feelings”

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Vicky Graff Photo

I don’t think I have ever seen anything about University of Kentucky sports generate quite the social media buzz that the decision by UK players and coaches to kneel during the national anthem at Florida last week did. It seems to have a split a Kentucky fan base disenchanted already with the team’s play, perhaps the revolving door of UK players each season and maybe even COVID-19 frustrations.

I’ve tried to understand fans who say they are done with UK basketball as well as those who are telling them goodbye and let me have your tickets. I seen military personnel and veterans offended by what the players did and others who fully support their right to protest.

I was looking back at notes from last week when I came across a Zoom session with Kentucky assistant coach Jai Lucas before UK played at Florida.

Lucas was asked if coach John Calipari had talked about what happened at the U.S. capitol two days earlier with his team.

“The biggest thing, Coach has done a good job of just letting the guys express their feelings and how they feel and what’s going through their mind and things like that,” Lucas said.

“That’s something, you know, he gives them the ability to do. He always says that it’s a players-first program and he really does run it that way. He did a good job of listening to them and their concerns and their thoughts.

“That’s the biggest thing, just having these open conversations to let them kind of express themselves. I think we give them a safe place to do that.”

Apparently that “safe place” led to the players telling Calipari about 90 minutes before the Florida game they wanted to kneel during the anthem, asked him to join them and they all knelt together.

Here’s what Carmen Daniels, the mother of former UK player Erik Daniels, posted on my Facebook page:

“Coach Cal, I am so proud of you and our young men. Keep kneeling for justice for all.”

Again, just confusing times but hoping we all take time to listen and understand others.

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