Chris Mack and a friend certainly poked fun at UK and coach John Calipari in a video after the Cards' win in December. (SEC Photo)
Sometimes people do stuff that just leaves you scratching your head wondering what in the world were they thinking. Louisville beat Kentucky this year in basketball. No disputing that or that the Louisville fans, players and even coaches should have celebrated even if that did leave UK at 1-6 for the season.
But why would Louisville coach Chris Mack let a video be taken of him celebrating the 62-59 win with former Louisville football player Eric Wood doing a lot of smack talking about the Cats?
It took almost two months for the video to surface when Drew Franklin of Kentucky Sports Radio posted it for all to see.
“Kenny Payne won those games. Kenny Payne is gone. You know what Kentucky is minus Kenny Payne? 0 and 1. 0 and forever. (Calipari) will never, never beat UofL again. Never,” Wood said on the video with Mack celebrating with him.
Payne, a former Louisville player, had been on Calipari’s staff until leaving in the summer to join the New York Knicks.
During a press conference Monday, Mack said the video was a joke during a Mack family Christmas part and that he called Kentucky coach John Calipari to apologize as soon as the video went public.
“It was a private video but it was a joke among buddies,” Mack said. “The first thing I really thought of was Calipari. I didn’t want him to think it was some shot that was directed out to the world wide web and that I was trying to send a message to him. So he was the first person I called when I was aware of the video yesterday morning.
“I just wanted to be able to clear the air and tell him the great respect I have for him, his program and the great job he’s done. And that’s how I feel. I wanted him to know it was a joke at Kenny Payne that obviously went sideways.”
The win was Mack’s first in three games against Calipari and Kentucky and Louisville’s third win in the last 14 games against Calipari.
Granted, Mack never intended for the video to go public. But in today’s social media age, videos are going to eventually get shared and this just added to the banter the two coaches had before the season even started about scheduling of the Kentucky-Louisville game.
Calipari has not had any response on social media. His next media opportunity likely will be Friday to discuss Saturday’s game with Florida.
