I could be in the minority here but I just don’t want him around the program. He coached at Louisville of all places. Then he has made comments about their players and putting them above the UK 90’s players. Just my opinion he screwed up and I don’t want to play any team he is associated with.
No Pitino
- Thread starter toddadams1980
- Start date
He messed up by leaving UK. He's admitted that. He messed up when he went to UL instead of Michigan or UNLV which both were open at the time. He has returned somewhat and I'm all for it. Frankly I wish he never left in 97.
I am in complete agreement with you. I know he was Pope's coach and he has a lot of respect for him, but Pitino is a garbage human being and really should be kept away from Kentucky.
Forgiveness is divine.
One day we may even forgive Cal.
One day we may even forgive Cal.
He’s a great coach who seemed to lose his way as a person. I tend to think Greece humbled him and he has returned focused on restoring a lasting legacy. None of us is perfect. I’m giving him grace.
Not sure if continuing to dislike/hate the coach that coached here at a high level is healthy. Admittedly, him leaving lead to him ending up at Louisville but sometimes I think he over estimated how he would be received by UK fans.
I could live with your opinion until the last statement. I get that people don’t like him. That is your right. But to think we would never schedule a game with a top opponent simply because he coached at Louisville after coaching here is just ridiculous.
We are Kentucky. We want to be the best. To be the best, you have to play the best and win. Next year St. John’s is going to be one of the best teams in the country. That, plus the fact that Pitino coached and won a Championship at Ky is going to make that the game of the year as long as both programs stay in the top 5. It is ludicrous to not relish in that atmosphere!
Absolutely he overestimated it. He thought many UK fans would go to his side at UL. I personally know of a couple who did. Insane.
I already have. I’m can’t stay mad at a 6 when I got a 10 in the bed lol
Pitino is an asshole. He’s just an older asshole at the end of his career trying to hang on with a reputation and hair dye.
He will have the most over rated team in college basketball again next season but no one will notice until another 10th place SEC team puts him out of the tournament.
He will have the most over rated team in college basketball again next season but no one will notice until another 10th place SEC team puts him out of the tournament.
He's only sucking up to BBN and Louisville now because he has business and horse racing interests here and wants to feel welcome when he visits Keeneland and Churchill. That's how I see it ... it's all transactional !!
Serious question. Be honest.
Do you want Cal around the program???
No one will ever duplicate what Cal has done to the NBA. There will never be another time in history where so many high level pro players came from one college program.
That is my biggest issue with Cal, he should have won more with the talent that came through Lexington in his time here.
That is my biggest issue with Cal, he should have won more with the talent that came through Lexington in his time here.
He lost a close relative in the World Trade Center. Who knows how that affected him and his family. He did some things I am sure he is ashamed of, and he got his life back together. No ill will here.
I tend to hold grudges but even I am not holding onto any issues with Pitino. When he left for Boston, I understood (it was his dream, etc.). When he went to Louisville I was up in arms, when he said he thought UK fans will follow him to UL I was indignant. When all of the "other" stuff hit the fan I had some schadenfreude then later I didn't think about him at all. When Pope came back he finished the healing. I am fine with Pitino now and wish him all the best especially if he is playing a rival team.
All human beings are garbage. Some of us just have our trash aired more publicly than others.
Pitino is a flawed guy. But he clearly wants to make amends. I see no reason why he can't have a second chance, just to make peace in the twilight.
Not right now. Time needs to go by. People need to cool off. It might take 20 years for the wounds to heal. Pitino has paid his dues and stayed away. It's a timing thing.
totally fine with Pitino. Anyone that goes on ESPN and other national media several times over this timespan and clearly says that his biggest mistake was leaving KY for the NBA, i'm fine with. yea i used to hate the guy, a whole lot. i dunno, i guess time heals wounds and nobody is perfect. the guy had the guts to come into rupp pre season and face the music and the music treated him well at RUPP. to me it's over. no way i'm keeping that kind of hatred in my heart for someone that put us back on the map coming out of a terrible situation.
Agent Pitino has paid his penance in my eyes.
He coached UK for the best era of my lifetime (Born near the end of Hall’s tenure).
He went to our rival and absolutely burned their program to the ground and vacated the only thing he won there. It looks like they’re finally starting to recover 8 years later.
His former player is now our coach and we all know how loyal former players are to their coaches.
He coached UK for the best era of my lifetime (Born near the end of Hall’s tenure).
He went to our rival and absolutely burned their program to the ground and vacated the only thing he won there. It looks like they’re finally starting to recover 8 years later.
His former player is now our coach and we all know how loyal former players are to their coaches.
I don't hate him for anything. But I'm not falling in to the ass kissing line that's become the rage around here either. 1 NCAA tournament win in last 6 eligible seasons.
He's in the right place now - friendly, but at arm's length.
Alpha’s want to play and beat the best. Pitino, whether you like him as a person or not, is one of the best coaches ever. Pope, regardless of how much respect he has for Pitino, wants to beat his ass, even more so than he wants to beat Cal.
I think it’s an admin failure he wasn’t brought back to UK. Pitino made his decision but it’s all year to year. The UL stuff was because pitino has strong ties and businesses all over Kentucky. For pitino it made sense to be in the area and he could win at UL. If uk had brought him back he woulda come he wanted to be the top dog at UK. That’s what never made sense to me was getting tubby out and I even thought we should have hired pitino when tubby left. Our AD was in over his head. The worst thing is we never hired pitino back. We hired BCG in 2007 should hired pitino for a 20 year run. Makes no sense he never came back to uk. Maybe I’m crazy certifiable but pitino should have been the coach at uk after he came back to college. Egos
He wants to be close to UK to irritate Cal. NOTHING he does is for anybody but himself.
I wish he'd never left Kentucky.
People make mistakes.
A grudge is an unnecessary and heavy thing to carry around.
People make mistakes.
A grudge is an unnecessary and heavy thing to carry around.
I want to play the best coaches. He is one of them and Pope and him are good friends.
The Pitino hate is hysterical because it validates Louisville as a legit competitor, which they aren't.
"I can't forgive Pitino because he went to Louisville" is the equivalent of saying, "Louisville is a legit program."
They're not.
Maybe stop legitimizing them with your hatred of them.
"I can't forgive Pitino because he went to Louisville" is the equivalent of saying, "Louisville is a legit program."
They're not.
Maybe stop legitimizing them with your hatred of them.
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It's pretty embarrassing that he only won 1 championship with all of that elite talent. And before anybody says "it's hard enough to win one and harder to win more", yet Duke won 2, Villanova won 2, UConn won 4 and all three arguably had less talent, though Duke came close.
I would have had it not happened the way it did. Coaching Arkansas who cares but they I’m staying then bolting and taking the recruits so nope. I love that we have Pope now but still not happy with how it happened.
Are the two situations even remotely similar?
I'm not all in on him being back yet.
Three things I'm still not cool with.
1. Flipping off the fans at Rupp (and then lying about it)- Like dude. Come on. I know they got to you. But act like you've been there before (and have been there before ON THAT COURT). Rupp is a sacred place in CBB (along with a few other sites); don't disrespect the space like that. And then LIE about it when we have you on camera doing it. Just own up to it and say "Yeah, my fault. Should've done better."
2. The freaking UofL tattoo- A. It's ugly as sin. B. He never got a tattoo for us. It reeks of pissing off your ex by getting your current baby mama's name inked on you. It's wild how people were upset with Reed over a t-shirt but give Rick a pass on this. (and that's not to excuse Reed for that either.)
3. Not acknowledging Joe B's passing/Not making a video for his frm team's honor night at Rupp- look I know he and Cal HATE each other. And I know he had a game with his current team that weakened and couldn't come. He still could have made a nice 30 second to 1 min video to be played at Rupp for that night saying how much he loved them, etc. He didn't. B. When Joe B passed, there were nice words from Tubby, Cal, and other frmr UK guys. Not a PEEP from Rick Pitino. I know Cal did a lot of crappy things while here, but he at least went and visited that man when he was sick. Rick not saying a word about Joe B. just pissed me off.
So, while I'm glad Rick has tried to come back to the program a little bit, he needs to get rid of that damn tattoo and continue to support Pope and BBN before I warm up entirely. I did enjoy seeing him come for Pope's inauguration and I'm glad he's made some contributions to UK's NIL.
