Mark Harris
Videos by OutKick
The 2022-23 college basketball season hasn’t even started yet, but we already have the photo of the year. The photo has nothing to do with anything that happened on the court, either, but instead a father-son moment caught in the stands at Kentucky’s intrasquad exhibition game.
Kentucky head basketball coach John Calipari shared an incredible photo of a coal mining father, still in his work clothes and covered in filth sitting next to his young son in the stands during Saturday night’s Blue-White game.
Calipari noted that his own family’s American dream began in a coal mine in West Virginia.
Coal Miner Shows Up For Son At Kentucky Basketball Game
You don’t have to come from a coal miner’s family for this photo to hit home.
This picture represents every son lucky enough to have a hardworking father doing the very best they can. It also represents every blue-collar worker in America providing for their family that still recognizes important moments in their children’s lives, and a parent that wouldn’t miss those moments for anything in the world.
After the photo went viral on Calipari’s social media pages, the man’s wife, Mollie McGuire, went viral herself sharing a bit of her husband’s story.
According to Mollie, her husband Michael McGuire is an employee of Excel Mining and sounds like an incredible father. Another Facebook comment from Mollie explained that Michael had started his day at 4:45 that morning before coming straight to the game to meet her and their son.
Shoutout to Michael McGuire and to all the dads out there making time for their kids. We need more of this.
Great story. Great dad.
That’s awesome. Feels out of time.
Love this. All those deadbeat dads who are not in their kids lives should see this. Probably wouldn’t make any difference, though.
Love this story and understand what you are saying, but there are too many “deadbeat moms” out there playing the vindictive victim, not helping anyone.
That is a REAL Dad, right there!
Great story and good on Calipari for offering them a VIO experience.
This is America. Hero father.