Well, Rupp Arena has lost one Blue Coat. The ushers are a staple at Kentucky basketball games, but one man just lost his gig. After the ESPN cameras caught Doug giving a rowdy group of Florida Gators fans the bird, the University of Kentucky stepped in.
For those that aren’t familiar with the Blue Coats of the Bluegrass, they’re legendary characters. If you frequent Wildcat basketball games, you have probably seen the same guys in their blue suit jackets doing their thing for years.
For Doug, it’s been 19 years as an usher. These guys are true blue Kentucky basketball fans. They volunteer for the job and do their best to represent the program and the university. However, it seems that Doug was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
After the video went around social media, most folks knew what was coming next. The university does not want the committee that decides who gets to be an usher to let Doug return. After 19 years of service to the Wildcats, Doug is out of his blue jacket.
Doug is Kentucky Basketball
Look, should Doug have done what he did? No. Especially not in his uniform. But how was he supposed to know that ESPN was going to focus on his section following the end of the game? When Kentucky and Florida play basketball, tempers flare and emotions run high. Doug just wanted to wave those Gators fans goodbye as they left Rupp Arena.
This is a guy that lives and breathes Kentucky basketball. And honestly, these blue coats are mostly nameless kind faces in the crowd. They aren’t out there for the fame and fortune. They are out there to help the game go smoothly and be a part of the culture of the program.
All I’m saying is that there are a lot of Kentucky basketball fans out there that would have done the same thing or at least felt it on the inside. Doug got caught by the cameras and now he’s got to deal with the consequences.
It stinks. Kentucky could have let this blow over and no one would have known his name or barely recognize his face at games in the future. But here we are. #FreeDoug!
