[Westside]

Former Kentucky men’s basketball player Rodrick Rhodes’ tumultuous stint as head coach at Cordia School in Hazard appears to be the subject of a new 10-episode documentary series that will be available via the Watchable streaming service on Sept. 19.

Titled “Us Against the World” the Uproxxx production by award-winning filmmaker Trent Cooper will “delve into the drama behind one high school basketball team’s experience on the frontlines of the culture wars that have defined America for decades,” according to an article on Uproxx.com.

A trailer for the series appears to draw that culture war in Cordia as a matter of race.

“You’re in a predominantly white area,” an unnamed voice says as the trailer begins. “They don’t want to be beat by black boys.”


Rhodes bolstered the Lions with transfers from in- and out of state and took it from a 14th Region doormat to a regional power in the span of a few years.


The rapid rise of the Lions drew intense scrutiny and KHSAA sanctions for recruiting violations that included a two-year postseason ban beginning in 2014. Rhodes continued to coach Cordia through the sanctions and led the Lions to their first All “A” Classic title in 2016.

“Everybody wants to see you go home tomorrow,” Rhodes says in a locker room clip. “I guarantee you they don’t want us here. … I’m not telling you to hate anybody, but use it as fuel, because they hated on you.”

Despite that success, Rhodes’ contract was not renewed by Knott County schools that summer. The termination was based upon his “inability to maintain a satisfactory working relationship with Principal (Jonathan Mullins), insubordination, neglect of duty and ineffectiveness with respect to following established school district policies and procedures related to Red Book training and accounting requirements,” according to a letter signed by Knott County superintendent Kim King.

Rhodes attended the All “A” Classic this past season and watched his former team in action at the Frankfort Convention Center. A film crew was with him at the event. Rhodes did not want to comment at the time, but said he felt wronged by Knott County school officials and was still looking to get back into coaching.

Rhodes was 76-51 in his five seasons at Cordia. Rhodes played three seasons at Kentucky under Coach Rick Pitino in the early ’90s before transferring to Southern California.

Before he took the Cordia job, it was clear he was concerned how he would be perceived in Eastern Kentucky. In a Mark Story column published at the beginning of his first season in 2011, Rhodes said he called former teammate Jeff Sheppard before accepting the position.

“I said, ‘Shep, how is it?’” Rhodes said. “And, ‘how is it for me?’”

Sheppard’s told Rhodes he would be welcomed.

“I told Rod that when the people in Eastern Kentucky looked at him, they weren’t going to see white or black,” Sheppard said. “They were going to see him and see (Kentucky Wildcats) blue.”

Said Rhodes at the time: “He was right. The people have been great to me.”

http://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/k...10332.html

[zaga_fan]

You have a few idiots around here that probably said racist things, but most all of Cordia's trouble was because of breaking nearly every recruiting violation in the KHSAA rule book and a few of the kids making them all look bad.

[jetpilot]

You have a few idiots around here that probably said racist things, but most all of Cordia's trouble was because of breaking nearly every recruiting violation in the KHSAA rule book and a few of the kids making them all look bad.

The adults are to blame, they made it happen and ruined it for the local kids and fans.

[Easy Wind]

You have a few idiots around here that probably said racist things, but most all of Cordia's trouble was because of breaking nearly every recruiting violation in the KHSAA rule book and a few of the kids making them all look bad.

A Perry Co. Central fan talking about somebody breaking rules is laughable. Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house!!

[coalminer]

Got a question? Let's say a white coach moves into another state, where it is 97% black, takes over a PUBLIC school coaching job at a school that has never won much at all, brings in about 10 white boys that are very good and will now threaten all the powerhouses that have been powerhouses for years. First of all, we know this wont happen, but lets just pretend. Do you think the people in the area are gonna just be all for this? Are the kids already living there gonna just gonna overlook it and not say things. and after most of the new kids they brought in graduate after the first season, they bring in 5 or 6 more for the next season, and 4 or 5 the following. Sure there are gonna be racist comments made towards these new kids. Thats the unfortunate world we live in today, but id bet the main reason they would not be accepted is that they were doing things illegally and beating the other teams. But when everyone started complaining to the high school committee or whoever would be in charge of the public schools in that state, they(the new coach and players) start saying everyone is racist. We have had black kids come and go throughout this area and not much has been said about racism before. Not saying stuff was never said to a black athlete, but i mean its not been an issue here in many years that i know of. This is gonna make people around here look terrible when its just mostly about people breaking the rules to extreme. I dont hear of anyone complaining about Wesley Christian School bringing in black kids. Thats because they are allowed to. Maybe im wrong on this, but i think this is how most people around here feel.

[The_Rock]

Perry Central brings in a kid or two here and there, NOT 10 or 12. Thats laughable.

[Reds#1Fan]

So just to be clear, it's ok to bring in 2 or 3 from other states or countries but not a whole team right? That my friend is laughable. I have seen Perry and Hazard do the same things for years and win and it was always ok for them. I'm 100% against recruiting but please don't be a PCC fan and talk about anyone else recruiting. That just makes you look stupid. Coach Cal don't complain when DUKE gets a 1 and done that he wants.

[zaga_fan]

A Perry Co. Central fan talking about somebody breaking rules is laughable. Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house!!

As far as Perry Central goes. They were accused of wrongdoing last year and a judge said they did nothing wrong. Have they done something illegal? Again, show me some proof or a judge's order and I will relent. I also stood behind Cordia for a time on here, but when you do wrong you get what's coming to you.

The list of accusations against Cordia in that short period of time is unprecedented. A few of them were not upheld, but most were.

Falsifying records, or maintaining inaccurate records with regards to living arrangements of transferring student-athletes;

Allowing a staff member to lease housing to the family of a student-athlete without ever receiving payment;

Impermissible contact with multiple student-athletes with the intent to sway them to enroll at Cordia for the purpose of competing in athletics;

Providing free transportation to relocate a student from an out-of-state school;

Providing plane tickets on two separate occasions to a student-athlete so he could travel out-of-state;

Facilitating housing for a student-athlete at no cost to him or his family;

Providing money and clothes to student-athletes;

Conducting tryouts for non-enrolled students;

Paying the entire cost of education for two students on an F-1 exchange VISA to attend Cordia;

Providing housing to numerous students that participated on the boys’ basketball team, as well as housing for their families;

Allowing ineligible players to practice and compete in contests before they were cleared to participate;

Requiring players to attend practice prior to the official start date for preseason practice (October 15), and disciplining students who missed these practice sessions;

Holding “open gym” practices that were limited to the boys’ basketball team and thus mandatory, following the elimination from the postseason; and

Failing to properly monitor the coaching requirements for individuals coaching in the boys’ basketball program, including the obligation to complete the legislatively mandated Sports Safety Course. These violations included a 30-day period during the 2013-14 season when no member of the coaching staff met the requirements of Bylaw 25.

Then, throw in some things like bailing kids out of jail a few times and the incident below - and you can't chalk all of this up to racism.

[YOUTUBE="Punch"]TU8da5vIGkI[/YOUTUBE]

[OutsideLookingIn]

Rhodes done what Hazard, PCC and others have done for years in girls and boys basketball. Fact check PCC's roster over the last 10 years and see how many transfers they have had girls and boys. In the past that is how Hazard made their runs at a state championship, Hazard even took one of Rhodes first transfers, moved his mom to Hazard from Houston TX until he was ruled eligible and she mysteriously moved back to Houston. Not a fan of what Rhodes was doing at Cordia, but call it what it is, not what you feel. Rhodes was wronged by Knott County and the surrounding supporting school system. He is no longer at Cordia and lots of kids are still there and not heard anyone complaining about them this upcoming season, why? because they think they have them under control.

[hitter]

Here's the problem I have with the knott county school board getting rid of Rhodes. First if they were going to get rid of him they should have done so when he got cordia in trouble. The knott county school board shouldn't have let him coach two more years and win an all a state title and then fire him. Knott school board got rid of Rhodes because he had by far the best team in the region coming back and cordia would have beat knott and the school board didn't want that

[zaga_fan]

I ain't taking up for no one in this mess. Alice Whitaker told WYMT the gospel truth about this. This wasn't about racism, this was about Cordia winning basketball games.

But are we now saying the problem is that Rhodes didn't get fired quickly enough?

[64SUR]

I Hope this Documentary showed me wearing a Cordia shirt. :mop::mop::mop:

[The_Rock]

Redsfan, you are right.

[RunItUpTheGut]

You have a few idiots around here that probably said racist things, but most all of Cordia's trouble was because of breaking nearly every recruiting violation in the KHSAA rule book and a few of the kids making them all look bad.

Ill reserve judgement for after it comes out.
HOWEVER, this looks to me like nothing more than a race play in a current environment where the media makes EVERYTHING about race.

If they actually just show the season and the hardships of the mess THEY and ROD created and not how everybody in EKY are racist (most are not), then it will be enjoyable.

I tend to have a feeling this will take the exact opposite turn and focus on how, 1. they went up against big bad mean racist, 2. they were bullied by opposing student sections (because this never happens right?, well, I once had a midget at Jackson County during our basketball game talk trash to me the entire game. True story. Told me I was ugly and said he would drive to corbin to beat my a** nicker and 3. How these poor kids struggle just to survive and should be handed things (nevermind the fact that they broke every rule known to man)

Personally, id PAY to watch a documentary on the last decade of 14th Region basketball and how that world works from every court case to every games winning team to every recruited player. Id sit threw 6 hours of that.

[Buford T Justice]

I have heard that the thailer is just to bait you in. Really only about 10% is about race the majority is about the kids and Rod. As far as breaking every rule in the book people get confused the KHSAA blurred the lines in their whole investigation they built the narrative to fit their investigation. Were there rules violated sure but not like they say. What people are forgetting Cordia did not have anything to do with the majority of the violations. Alice Whitaker is not connected with the school. There is no difference in what she did than what LD Gorman or Vernon cooper has done for Hazard in the past. They held the school accountable for something a private citizen not connected with the school did The KASAA sculpted their investigation to fit their own narrative. I mean when you find wrong doing on Alice Whitaker or Rod Rhodes for buying a kid something to eat that does not have the money to eat on that is wrong but all that crap is in the past now and cordia is in better shape than they have been in Ina while. Everything works out for the best.

[hitter]

its hilarious Buford t justice that you say that alice whitaker has nothing to do with cordia. she leases knott county the school. when you work on the school she pays you not knott county. she runs the lotts creek community school which housed most of these players so she is very involved

[Buford T Justice]

I never said she had nothing to do with it on paper she is nothing more than a private citizen. She has no control over the who is hired or fired or the day to day business of the school. She does own the building and lease it to the knott co board. The point I am making is she can't b held any more accountable than Vernon cooper who built the hazard football field house or Greg wells paying for the baseball and basketball teams to go on trips or the dawhares in years past buying the basketball players cloths. Alice Whitaker has paid electric bills and fed poor families on lotts creek for decades.

[hitter]

I like Alice but to say she is just a citizen in this situation is wrong in my opinion. Those other people donated to the whole program not just a few students and if your going to say that anybody could have stayed in the dorms then why was nobody staying in them until the ball players started staying. And I think Greg wells only made donations to build the baseball field house and the basketball locker room not for any trips. Alice has helped a lot of people but when it comes to benefits of a basketball player including paying them every month then that's wrong

[E's Army]

Hate to see the Racism angle here.

[Buford T Justice]

I like Alice but to say she is just a citizen in this situation is wrong in my opinion. Those other people donated to the whole program not just a few students and if your going to say that anybody could have stayed in the dorms then why was nobody staying in them until the ball players started staying. And I think Greg wells only made donations to build the baseball field house and the basketball locker room not for any trips. Alice has helped a lot of people but when it comes to benefits of a basketball player including paying them every month then that's wrong

Hitter you said you know and like Alice Whitaker the last sentence in your quote tells me you don't if you think Alice Whitaker is giving any of those kids one red cent you are crazy. As far as the dorms go anybody could stay that wanted to when I was in school there in the 1980's there was always various people staying there. They just haven't had any need to.

[fatpatfan]

Former Kentucky men’s basketball player Rodrick Rhodes’ tumultuous stint as head coach at Cordia School in Hazard appears to be the subject of a new 10-episode documentary series that will be available via the Watchable streaming service on Sept. 19.

Titled “Us Against the World” the Uproxxx production by award-winning filmmaker Trent Cooper will “delve into the drama behind one high school basketball team’s experience on the frontlines of the culture wars that have defined America for decades,” according to an article on Uproxx.com.

A trailer for the series appears to draw that culture war in Cordia as a matter of race.

“You’re in a predominantly white area,” an unnamed voice says as the trailer begins. “They don’t want to be beat by black boys.”


Rhodes bolstered the Lions with transfers from in- and out of state and took it from a 14th Region doormat to a regional power in the span of a few years.


The rapid rise of the Lions drew intense scrutiny and KHSAA sanctions for recruiting violations that included a two-year postseason ban beginning in 2014. Rhodes continued to coach Cordia through the sanctions and led the Lions to their first All “A” Classic title in 2016.

“Everybody wants to see you go home tomorrow,” Rhodes says in a locker room clip. “I guarantee you they don’t want us here. … I’m not telling you to hate anybody, but use it as fuel, because they hated on you.”

Despite that success, Rhodes’ contract was not renewed by Knott County schools that summer. The termination was based upon his “inability to maintain a satisfactory working relationship with Principal (Jonathan Mullins), insubordination, neglect of duty and ineffectiveness with respect to following established school district policies and procedures related to Red Book training and accounting requirements,” according to a letter signed by Knott County superintendent Kim King.

Rhodes attended the All “A” Classic this past season and watched his former team in action at the Frankfort Convention Center. A film crew was with him at the event. Rhodes did not want to comment at the time, but said he felt wronged by Knott County school officials and was still looking to get back into coaching.

Rhodes was 76-51 in his five seasons at Cordia. Rhodes played three seasons at Kentucky under Coach Rick Pitino in the early ’90s before transferring to Southern California.

Before he took the Cordia job, it was clear he was concerned how he would be perceived in Eastern Kentucky. In a Mark Story column published at the beginning of his first season in 2011, Rhodes said he called former teammate Jeff Sheppard before accepting the position.

“I said, ‘Shep, how is it?’” Rhodes said. “And, ‘how is it for me?’”

Sheppard’s told Rhodes he would be welcomed.

“I told Rod that when the people in Eastern Kentucky looked at him, they weren’t going to see white or black,” Sheppard said. “They were going to see him and see (Kentucky Wildcats) blue.”

Said Rhodes at the time: “He was right. The people have been great to me.”

http://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/k...10332.html

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Bolz, lotts creek and company is takin it to new heightz. Some guy came in with a vhs recorder to film all the wrongdoingz on the creek and called himself the uprox man and you could see the lightbulbs come on, wowza! It was announced at the Gbread festival that a new gym is coming to the creek. Location is "Up a Rock"...... Can't take the shawt bus there, but at least it will have a strong foundation.

#comingfromabroadtoenhancetheireducation More mash taters please!!!

[KentuckyFan35]

Here's the problem I have with the knott county school board getting rid of Rhodes. First if they were going to get rid of him they should have done so when he got cordia in trouble. The knott county school board shouldn't have let him coach two more years and win an all a state title and then fire him. Knott school board got rid of Rhodes because he had by far the best team in the region coming back and cordia would have beat knott and the school board didn't want that

That's just not true hitter!

[ProudPanther]

That's just not true hitter!

This in fact is very true. I know this because I have a cousin who works in Bowling Green, but he knows a guy who has a cousin who is an AC repair guy in Knott County. And that guy overheard a someone saying a board member was behind it all at the Grocery Store.

[Willie_Mays_Hayes]

[Image:

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Bolz, lotts creek and company is takin it to new heightz. Some guy came in with a vhs recorder to film all the wrongdoingz on the creek and called himself the uprox man and you could see the lightbulbs come on, wowza! It was announced at the Gbread festival that a new gym is coming to the creek. Location is "Up a Rock"...... Can't take the shawt bus there, but at least it will have a strong foundation.

#comingfromabroadtoenhancetheireducation More mash taters please!!!

Since most people in Eastern Kentucky don't have Comcast.....I heard at the grocery store that if you can't afford the Watchable App that they are doing at FREE showing at Coal River Grill :welcome:

[fatpatfan]

Since most people in Eastern Kentucky don't have Comcast.....I heard at the grocery store that if you can't afford the Watchable App that they are doing at FREE showing at Coal River Grill :welcome:

[Image:

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Willie, I knew I liked you for some reason, wowza!!!

#chickenwingsonrhodes More mash taters please!!!

[Spud6]

I don't know Rhodes at all, but is he doing this to take a stand against racism which they definitely did encounter during their time playing those couple of years. Or is he doing this to make money and put his name in the news?

Because I'm for the right for every man and woman to have their right to free speech and the ability to express their concerns but is this movie going to discuss the fact that the school was violating khsaa rules by having these kids staying in dorms on campus?

[hitter]

I know for a fact that she did give them money and it's funny about the dorms they weren't even livable until Rhodes came and needed a place for the players because we were the ones who worked on them. And cordia would have by far had the best team in the region and a knott school board member was the one that told me that they would do anything they could to keep cordia from beating knott central.

[Spud6]

I know for a fact that she did give them money and it's funny about the dorms they weren't even livable until Rhodes came and needed a place for the players because we were the ones who worked on them. And cordia would have by far had the best team in the region and a knott school board member was the one that told me that they would do anything they could to keep cordia from beating knott central.

I'm confused. Are you pulling for Cordia or what because you just confirmed that the dorms were not liveable for players until Rhodes got there and needed somewhere for recruits to live.

[hitter]

I'm not pulling for anyone. Buford t justice acts like Alice had nothing to do with anything at cordia when in fact she was the money behind it all. He compares her to Vernon cooper and Greg wells but they donated legally and didn't pay individual players and give them a place to live among other things. I like Alice but let's not be blind to what people do

[Texans_99]

Saw the trailer thought it was pretty stupid and blown out of proportion.