83 Year Old Fan Kathy Beckham is Mad, Sad, Disappointed with Cats

Kathy Beckham, 83, worries if the pressure of coaching at UK is getting to Mark Pope. (Larry Vaught Photo)

Kathy Beckham is an 83-year-old Kentucky fan living in Louisville who is still working five days a week. She plans to be a home computer “when” she retires but for now she often posts her feelings about UK basketball on days she works.

She has been upset with this Kentucky team — just like a lot of other fans — believes there is “some turmoil amongst the team” based on  UK’s recent play.

“Trying to withhold judgment for now. I know we are not supposed to ‘judge’ but I just can’t help it when I feel so deeply,” Beckham said before UK played Gonzaga.

She posted earlier she had been “sad, mad, disappointed and any other negative things” she could think of with UK’s play against ranked teams even with starters out due to injuries. She continues to “love” coach Mark Pope and his players but wants them to play “Kentucky basketball” instead of what she has seen in losses this season.

Beckham has been frustrated by Louisville fans laughing at the team she has been cheering for almost 65 years..

“I became such a humongous — and some say unhealthy — fan way back in the ’60s.  My best friend, Dale, whom I dated at the time, was a fan and, well, after the first game, I was hooked.  I remember before they were on TV making a big ole bowl of popcorn, Diet Coke, and lying on the living room floor listening to Cawood (Ledford), who made be feel almost like being there. And each December we would drive to Lexington for the UKIT.   Awwwww, those truly were the days.  That’s what the ‘old’ people say, but hey, so true,” Beckham said.

“My love for the Cats has steadily grown over these many years. I recall in the mid-60’s when the Cats finished the season 13-13, which of course was heartbreaking, I wrote a letter to coach (Adolph) Rupp telling him to tell the guys I still loved them and to keep their heads up. Well, to my surprise, he replied and basically said:  ‘I appreciate your letter and have posted your letter on the bulletin board for all the boys to see.’ I treasured that letter, but as luck(?) would have it, someone set the apartment building in which I lived at the time on fire and it burned up. Sent me to the hospital for a week with smoke inhalation.”

She’s still friends with Dale and they went to several  UK games together last season. She attended the 2015 Final Four in Indianapolis when UK was upset by Wisconsin, which she called a “horrible” game.

“Our seats were not that good, but when I saw our team come out of the tunnel, they had ‘stars” in their eyes like they were intimidated.  So sad,” Beckham said.

She was hoping for a UK-Duke national title match and admits she still hates Christian Laettner for the shot he hit in 1992 to beat UK in the NCAA East Region final.

“He should have been thrown out of the game from stomping on one of our players!.  It was (coach Rick) Pitino’s fault for not guarding the guy inbounding the ball and the last thing he said to the players when they broke from the huddle was, ‘Don’t foul.’  But as luck would have it, Duke won it all.,” Beckham said.

“My love, well obsession, for my Cats has grown even more fervent.  I just love them.  I talk to the TV praising them or chastising them during each game. I call ’em like I see ’em!”

The Gonzaga “debacle” produced a 35-point loss to another ranked team — making UK 0-4 against top 25 teams this season.

“Lordy, we were awful, but I guess I should — albeit I don’t want to — give ‘some’ credit to our opponent!  I still say there is something going on within our team,” she said.

Beckham has heard a “ton of rumors” about what is disrupting the team and wonders if the pressure is too much for Pope even though he loves UK and was a fantastic player at Kentucky.

“I love him and want him to win every game. Maybe he is too easy on the guys. It’s great to be friends with the team, but discipline, Coach!” Beckham said. “It is just that during and after the loss to Gonzaga I was really, sad, perplexed, upset, disappointed, anything else negative, and darn right MAD. 

“Each loss makes me literally cry and I have difficulty going to sleep and wake up with a frown on my face. People who know me well know better than to speak to me about the game the next day and don’t dare call me.”

She’s not a fan of the transfer portal/NIL era with players going to the “highest bidder” often.

“To me when you get paid substantially you are no longer an amateur. But all schools are doing it. The entire system has changed so much and, I, for one, do not like it. The players used — here comes my age into it again — to need to play hard, put out at each practice, make appearances to represent UK, and go into each game with a winning attitude. 

“Perhaps not realistic, but should one not go into a game with that attitude? Win each game! If not, then don’t play. Go into another profession! End of that scenario.”