Walking around the streets of downtown Atlanta around 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, it looked like a gathering for the largest Kentucky quarter-zip convention in the world. If Nashville brought out all the flannels, Atlanta provided a more Southern sophistication vibe. But no matter what they were wearing, Big Blue Nation was at its finest.
In Nashville against Gonzaga, fans booed when Kentucky didn’t play well. Many debates on how appropriate that was have taken place since, but the booing wasn’t a few inebriated jerks in the corner starting trouble with others joining in out of a mob mentality. The booing in Nashville was organic and flowed from all nooks of the arena. It was the manifestation of frustration from watching Kentucky players fumble around on the court in their souls and let it be known.
When Kentucky’s offense looked once again anemic against St. John’s, fans in Atlanta hung in there. The only booing was directed at the officials for perceived bad calls, not at the players’ inability to score. Kentucky’s effort helped play a part in that, as fans could tell guys were at least trying hard (unlike against Gonzaga). But you could tell the arena accepted this group’s limitations, especially without Jaland Lowe…