In a recent blog post at Big Blue Uncensored, Katman provided a terrific overview of the history of Dynasty Defenders [DD] by providing a recent post by DD member and Moderator blueedge. blueedge provides one of the clearest voices at DD, or anywhere within the Big Blue Cyber world, and his story about TCP’s treatment of any UK fan who dared to speak out against Tubby Smith is right on the money.

Please allow me to tell this story from my perspective.

During the fall of 2004, I wanted to test the waters among basketball fans about by personal passion and hobby regarding efficiency of basketball play, and Sean at CollegeHoopsNet [CHN] agreed to publish some writings during the 2004-05 basketball season about SEC and UK basketball. Shortly after I began this new cyber-life, I found DD quite by happenstance, and frankly because I penned a now infamous column for CHN in which I sang Tubby Smith’s praises. Sean, the CHN owner, notified me that Katman had placed a link to my article on the DD message board, and I logged in at DD to check out the place, and thank Katman for his support. I started reading, and discovered a cluster of people I did not know who did not share my glowing views about Tubby Smith’s coaching accomplishments.

First, some of these people actively engaged me in debate and argument, challenging in a substantive way the conclusions and views I had expressed. No one attacked me for my views, and over the course of several months of this debate, I realized that my views could not easily be reconciled with the facts, facts that I had not realized, recognized, or considered prior to this debate. As the 2005-06 season began to unfold, I was viewing Coach Smith, and the play of the wildcats through a new set of lenses. My position relative to Tubby Smith was transforming before everyone’s eyes at DD, until in early December of that season, I concluded that those who argue that Tubby Smith would never return UK or any team to a final four were very probably right. For me, a UK basketball program that is shut out from any reasonable opportunity to compete for championships was not acceptable, and I turned on Tubby Smith.

At about this same time, the fall of 2005, some reading at DD led me to The Cats Pause message board, and I began to read there a little and joined. However, my time there was cut short, real short, as I was banned, without notice, without warning, and without explanation after I had made no more than 5 posts of my own, all addressing my emerging concerns about Tubby Smith.

DD has been my primary Internet residence ever since that fateful day when I arrived to thank Katman for the prop on my CHN article. I have been free to express my views on a wide range of issues and topics. I have been free to make friends, and enemies, and have done so on both sides of that ledger. I have also found a forum to share my personal hobby and passion. In this latter regard, the level of knowledge possessed collectively about basketball, and UK basketball at DD is very high and sophisticated. That resource has been very valuable to me personally and allowed me to improve upon my methods of analysis and presentation.

Ironically, I was never attacked on a personal level for my views until after I changed my position relative to Tubby Smith. Then Tubby Supporters attacked me for my anti-Tubby position and views, AND for my previously reported pro-Tubby writing. These attacks were often vile, and included threats of personal and professional harm. They have occurred on a regular basis ever since. These attacks came from a wide variety of directions including some pro-Tubby members at DD, but most often these attacks came gratuitously in posts at TCP and other message boards and internet sites at which I had been deprived posting privileges and thus the ability to speak in my own defense.

This singular fact for me has clearly illustrated the hypocrisy that TCP demonstrates with its policy and practice of banning any dissenting voice from its pages. Yet, even as I write this, there have been some people recently posing questions about why I post at DD.

What hypocrisy!!!! And it is the capstone expression of my TCP v DD experience.

DD is my cyber home, and will remain so. I rarely read anything at any other UK message board these days unless another DD member provides a link and an explanation sufficient to trigger a curiosity. Now, Big Blue Uncensored has emerged on the scene to give Big Blue Fans another unchained voice..

I want to end this blog entry with some relevant quotes:

They deem him their worst enemy who tells them the truth. Plato

Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. Orwell

Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence. Charles De Gaulle

You can cage the singer but not the song. Harry Bellefonte

Without a remedy, there is no right. Unknown