Coach John Calipari, Staff, Championship Trophy at Wesleyan Kroger Today

The throngs are already gathering at the Wesleyan Park Plaza Kroger. Is it the president? Is it the pope? No, it's UK Coach John Calipari and his staff with the NCAA Championship Trophy.

Coach Cal and his entourage have been travelling the Commonwealth, title hardware in tow, for several days, now. Needless to say, they've been met with hoards of rabid Big Blue fans everywhere they've stopped.

The tour will continue at least through June. I love how it never ceases to amaze Coach Cal how devoted and widespread Big Blue Nation really is. I know he's been here three years, but the global support for the Wildcats really is staggering, even for someone who's been familiar with it his whole life--someone like me, for example.

He's even put a blogger on the bus to travelogue the journey. And, if he writes one word every UK fan who shows up at Kroger this afternoon, he might rival "War and Peace". It's very exciting to have Coach Cal, the staff, and the trophy paying a visit to Owensboro. I just wonder if the fans will let him leave.