Pitino Situation Turning Really Ugly

[MU B2002]

Honest question:  did Eustachy do anything illegal?  I don't recall that he did.  

If... there were students under 21 drinking at that party, then yes.  He could probably get a ticket for contributing, as i believe he techincally "allowed" the drinking to occur.


But I could be wrong.

[4everwarriors]

Would it make a difference to anyone if the incident had occurred in a French restaurant during business hours?

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

Moral value of Pitino's actions aside, I really believe if you add up what's happened so far in the offseason for UL, Pitino is seeing the writing on the wall and has a feeling he may not survive this.  Consider:

1)  Pitino's son, Richard, leaves Louisville unexpectedly for Florida. Who's the HC at Florida?  Billy Donovan, former Pitino player and good friend.
2)  Needing to replace Richard, Pitino goes out and hires Ralph Willard. Willard was an assistant with Pitino in the NBA and at Kentucky, and another close friend.  A close friend who also happens to have head coaching experience, of which none of Pitino's current assistants have.
3)  2 of Pitino's 2010 recruits decommit.  One, Jeremy Tyler, is playing his senior year of HS overseas.  The other, Justin Martin, is now considering Marquette amongst others. Besides the decommitment, Fab Melo, Richard Pitino's primary recruit, chose Syracuse over Louisville.
4)  Pitino's name was linked with several other jobs in college and the NBA, including Arizona and the Sacramento Kings. Pitino even had discussions with Providence in 2008 about that job before they hired Keno Davis. Clearly he had some inkling to leave.

There's plenty of smoke where this fire is, and it may be a fair guess to believe that Pitino may have paid her additional monies besides funding an abortion as well.  My guess on what happens:  Pitino takes a "leave of absence" to start, then ends up in the next 6-8 weeks resigning.  Williard will be interim head coach for 2009-2010, and Louisville goes on a national search for a new coach in the winter/spring of 2010.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Louisville goes on a national search for a new coach in the winter/spring of 2010.

Will they interview anybody?

[lurch91]

I'm gonna beat Katz to the punch.

Crean to Louisville!!!

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'm gonna beat Katz to the punch.

Crean to Louisville!!!

How about a really wild rumor....Pitino to step down, Donovan to Louisville (wow would that rock people's worlds), Pitino jr to take over Florida.

 


I don't believe that rumor for a second, but it's fun to think of the fallout.


Pitino's son leaving could be one of a couple of reasons

1) He is disgusted by his dad's behavior as it affects his mother so he chose to leave dad and work with Billy
2) Rick Sr. knew this disaster was going to unfold and wanted to get his son out before the whole regime was toppled

[Pakuni]

Honest question:  did Eustachy do anything illegal?  I don't recall that he did.  Do you think he was hired to be a "shining beacon of morality for the people of Iowa?" (I know, he resigned, but it seemed like he was about to get fired)   Coaches get fired all the time for doing things that their schools think reflect poorly upon the university, even if they aren't illegal.

And coaches get retained all the time after doing things that reflect poorly upon the university. Just ask Bob Knight.

Regardless, as for the Eustachy-Pitino comparison, there are several significant differences:

1. Eustachy, as you note, was not fired, but rather resigned. And was given a parting gift of nearly $1 million to do so.

2. Eustachy's inappropriate actions, while perhaps not as morally offensive to most, involved students, most of whom appear a plenty young to be boozing with and smooching a man in his late 40s. Pitino's involvement was with a consenting adult with no formal affiliation to Louisville or any other university.

3. Eustachy's actions not only took place in public on (or near) campus, in front of dozens of witnesses, but he allowed them to be photographed. Pitino's actions were done in private, at a private off-campus establishment, with a reasonable expectation that none of it would ever be publicized.

4. The actions which landed Eustachy in hot water, and his ultimate resignation, were fairly contemporaneous. The photos were taken within a few months of their publication, and his resignation followed soon thereafter. In Pitino's case, you're asking that he be fired for something that occured six years ago.

None of this is to say that Pitino's actions were less offensive than Eustachy's, but the circumstances are far from similar, much less identical.

[Skatastrophy]

2. Eustachy's inappropriate actions, while perhaps not as morally offensive to most, involved students, most of whom appear a plenty young to be boozing with and smooching a man in his late 40s. Pitino's involvement was with a consenting adult with no formal affiliation to Louisville or any other university.

This is debatable since it is his coworker's wife.  If I banged one of my employee's wives I'd expect it to impact my job (or their job) :p

[ChicosBailBonds]

Would it make a difference to anyone if the incident had occurred in a French restaurant during business hours?

Only if escargot was involved

[ChicosBailBonds]

This is debatable since it is his coworker's wife.  If I banged one of my employee's wives I'd expect it to impact my job (or their job) :p

At the time, she wasn't his coworkers wife, they weren't even seeing each other.

[4everwarriors]

Pitino could do some really great commercials for that restaurant. I'll bet business has never been better. But, if you have reserved the "pitino" table, bring along a can of Lysol.

[ChicosBailBonds]

And coaches get retained all the time after doing things that reflect poorly upon the university. Just ask Bob Knight.

Regardless, as for the Eustachy-Pitino comparison, there are several significant differences:

1. Eustachy, as you note, was not fired, but rather resigned. And was given a parting gift of nearly $1 million to do so.

2. Eustachy's inappropriate actions, while perhaps not as morally offensive to most, involved students, most of whom appear a plenty young to be boozing with and smooching a man in his late 40s. Pitino's involvement was with a consenting adult with no formal affiliation to Louisville or any other university.

3. Eustachy's actions not only took place in public on (or near) campus, in front of dozens of witnesses, but he allowed them to be photographed. Pitino's actions were done in private, at a private off-campus establishment, with a reasonable expectation that none of it would ever be publicized.

4. The actions which landed Eustachy in hot water, and his ultimate resignation, were fairly contemporaneous. The photos were taken within a few months of their publication, and his resignation followed soon thereafter. In Pitino's case, you're asking that he be fired for something that occured six years ago.

None of this is to say that Pitino's actions were less offensive than Eustachy's, but the circumstances are far from similar, much less identical.

Knight also ran a squeeky clean program, graduated almost all his players, etc, etc.  His public embarrassments typically involved things that were related to coaches being hot under the collar during the course of a game (sliding a chair, banging a phone, etc). 


The thing that no one is talking about is the geopolitical portion of this.  This is Kentucky.  Conservative, Christian, pro-life.  The abortion part of this will not sit well with many in the commonwealth.  If this happened in New York, Illinois, California, he might even get an "attaboy" from some people.  But it's Kentucky.  That will play into some of this for the President of the university and the AD as they decide what to do.  The comments from the President of the U. last night suggested some of the lurid details coming out were "surprising" to him suggesting that what Rick might have told him and Jurich wasn't complete.  It might not push Rick out, but it doesn't help his cause.

Let's also not forget that one party is suggesting she was raped.  Now, her credibility is very poor but that is the accusation.  More than likely it was two consenting adults, but that is his version and not hers.   

[Skatastrophy]

At the time, she wasn't his coworkers wife, they weren't even seeing each other.

Please stop using logic to get in the way of destroying Pitino's reputation.

[4everwarriors]

Only if escargot was involved

Nope, only fish was served.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Nope, only fish was served.

Beaver.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Nope, only fish was served.

Was Red Snapper on the menu that day?

[teddycoke]

Common Interest....Both looking for a meal ticket....2 complete D BAGS!!!! Congrats to L'ville feel proud.

[4everwarriors]

Beaver.

Ah yes, Le Beeva, a delicacy for sure.

[RawdogDX]

This will not affect Pitino at all.

I am sure we will hear to ad nauseum from Dukie V. throughout the year about the toughness Pitino has displayed through this unfair situation that has beleagured slick Rick.

If it influences one recruits decision it could have a major impact on the program.  I dont' see how you can claim it won't factor into a single recruit who is getting offers from 5 top programs.  Kids have moms and grandmoms who will look at him like he is garbage when he walks into the living room.

[RawdogDX]

Just for clarification, she was not his assistant's wife when he was banging her, and it appears she met her husband as a result of the fact that Pitino was banging her.  As for comparing this situation to what would happen at Marquette, I would hope that the university would act in a way consistent with Catholic teaching.  I do not know if Marquette would or should automatically fire a coach who had an extramarital affair, but the abortion thing would surely get someone canned. 

according to catholic teachings he should be excommunicated.

[TallTitan34]

I highly recommend listening to the Score right now as it is hilarious as they discuss the issue.  One funny topic is that Pitino brings a priest around with him.

Terry Boers is pumped as Pitino is on his Top 10 most hated guys list.

[BuzzSucksSucks]

I think Pitino's departure is only a matter of time.  Whether or not the university forces him out, I believe his broken image--both his self-image and public image--will be too much to for him to bear in the spotlight.  The weight of his actions upon his own conscience will lead him to seek some time away to recover.  He's probably only now beginning to feel the full effects of the situation, and I believe the only way to get beyond it will be to disappear for a while.

[StillAWarrior]

Regardless, as for the Eustachy-Pitino comparison, there are several significant differences...None of this is to say that Pitino's actions were less offensive than Eustachy's, but the circumstances are far from similar, much less identical.

Fair enough...maybe a bad example.

But I'll just return to your original comment ("I'm curious as to what he should be fired for.
As morally reprehensible as his acts may be to many of us, he did nothing illegal here.") and try again to make my point:  you don't have to do something illegal to get fired from your job.  You just have to piss your employer off enough that they decide to fire you.  You're a smart guy, so I'm sure that you know this is true.

By the way, I'm not saying that Louisville should or will fire Pitino.  I'm just saying that the fact that he did nothing illegal is pretty much irrelevant.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Pakuni is wrong again. Pitino very well may have done something illegal!

http://www.sodomy.org/laws/kentucky/

We'll have to wait to see the surveillance tape to see.

[Marquette65]

All those who think this was Slick Rick's first time out side his marriage please raise their hand.