Straight from the something-you-don’t-see-everyday department, Kentucky basketball head coach John Calipari and Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson took a picture together.
I know some of the #BBN is going to be mad I took this, but what a great kid. And he's the Heisman Trophy winner!! pic.twitter.com/m1EFBTfAnf
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) December 12, 2016
I do not look at this as some small gesture between rivals. In a symbol of Bluegrass unity, Jackson and Calipari met at the 2016 Kentucky Peace Summit.
In a display of putting aside their common differences, the two men were photographed in what will certainly become of the indelible images of our time. One, a leader of men from Lexington, the other a superstar athlete from Louisville. They bridged the demilitarized zone of Interstate 64 to show that yes, there is a common bond between enemies in Kentucky. This heroic action should have reverberations throughout Bourbon Country, but the fallout remains to be seen.
Our Kentucky blog, A Sea Of Blue, has come to grips with liking Lamar through a type of cognitive dissonance:
My dislike for UofL, Bobby Petrino, Rick Pitino, and Tom Jurich, in particular, is well documented. But over the years I have tried my best to not go after the players, because they’re just kids and most of them are extremely good people, Gorgui Dieng, Peyton Siva, and Donovan Mitchell come to mind as good examples.
So perhaps there is a cooling of tensions between Kentucky factions. If Lamar can change, and John can change, then everybody can change.