FB Recruiting Take it down: The case for cleansing the rafters

[JRowland]

Not expecting this to get a lot of traction in the media but I'm of the opinion that a strong case can be made for removing Pitino's name from the rafters. NOTE: This is only my opinion and I believe good, reasonable people can disagree.

STORY: Take it down

 

[CatPhight]

 

[MKGMVP]

Remove the years at the bottom and add his career record against UK. Simple as that.

 

[kycatw\claws]

Thought this was going to be about actually removing the dirt and dust from up there.

 

[crestcat]

Good well written article, does a great job of presenting all angles of the controversy

 

[Smashcat]

If you take down Pitino's you are going to have to take down others' too. LOL Don't like RP but have no problem with his jersey staying up. Far more interested in Big Bertha coming down.

 

[MdWIldcat55]

I've been an advocate for a different type of banner cleansing: I believe the banners for Farmer, and yes, Pelphrey, Feldhaus and Woods, need to come down. Yeah, it was a great season and Kentucky got back in the national limelight a year earlier than would have happened with the 1993 Final Four team. But there have been lots of magical seasons in UK history. No other Elite Eight team even has a team banner in the rafters, much less four players. Farmer's disgrace only makes the case stronger. The best way to remember that team would be one banner that said Unforgettables. If anything. The rules need to be consistent with every Kentucky team.

As for Pitino, I don't think a banner should have gone up in the first place. The only other coach with a banner is Rupp. Hell, he invented the program. Again, under consistent rules Pitino would never have had a banner in Rupp's rafters. As far as I'm concerned, take down Pitino's at the same time as the other four.

 

[CatPhight]

Use Pimptino's banner to clean the ductwork, since he's a crust magnet, cleanup should be a cinch.

 

[TNCatfanforever]

He regrets leaving UK. He knows he could have passed K if he had stayed. I respected what he did and going to the Celtics, but when he returned to the state where he gained his fame and was hired by our hated rival at that point I would have taken it down, much less with adultry abortion and running a whore house program.

 

[sambowieshin]

It should have been removed the day he took the job at UofL. He has no loyalty to his employers, his players, his coaches, his unborn child, his skanks, the fan base or his wife.

 

[Hoskins91]

I've been an advocate for a different type of banner cleansing: I believe the banners for Farmer, and yes, Pelphrey, Feldhaus and Woods, need to come down. Yeah, it was a great season and Kentucky got back in the national limelight a year earlier than would have happened with the 1993 Final Four team. But there have been lots of magical seasons in UK history. No other Elite Eight team even has a team banner in the rafters, much less four players. Farmer's disgrace only makes the case stronger. The best way to remember that team would be one banner that said Unforgettables. If anything. The rules need to be consistent with every Kentucky team.

As for Pitino, I don't think a banner should have gone up in the first place. The only other coach with a banner is Rupp. Hell, he invented the program. Again, under consistent rules Pitino would never have had a banner in Rupp's rafters. As far as I'm concerned, take down Pitino's at the same time as the other four.

Joe B has a banner up as well, so he wasn't the first Coach to be up there other than Rupp.

 

[Hoskins91]

Ah, I forgot that. Doesn't change my opinion overall, but does weaken my case

I agree that certain players shouldn't be up there. I don't know how you take them down without it looking bad. I don't have a problem with successful coaches being up there.

 

[EnglandWildcat]

It's a good read. It doesn't even bother me that much that he took the UL job, though he had to realize that this immediately put him at odds with UK.

For me, it's his utter disdain for the program and its fans. He takes every opportunity he can to take cheap shots at our fans, our team, our coach, and our program. I understand that he didn't get a warm welcome from UK fans when he returned to the Bluegrass, but surely he expected that. He should have taken the high road, but instead he fanned the flames.

He should realize that his time at Kentucky isn't a one-way street. Yes, he brought us back to national prominence and we should be thankful for that. But Kentucky also played a huge role in taking him from a very good coach to a Hall of Fame coach. He seems to forget that.

Until the past few years, I was all for leaving the banner up. I'm not so sure anymore.

 

[Ugoff]

I don't really care what job he took or how he runs his mouth. This guy went into a court of law and admitted that he cheated on his wife on a restaurant table with the assistant coach looking on. Then paid for the "insurance", had the equipment mgr marry his problem, and funneled state money through him to keep her quiet. Now we find out he was running a brothel out of a dorm where sex was arranged between street ho's and minors in a desperate attempt to compete at basketball.

Take the banner down? Is that even a question after what he's done?. This is a seedy little man who has the morals of an alley cat. Give me the scissors and I'll climb up there and cut it down myself, and do some dusting at the same time.

 

[Deli owl]

If a majority of the fanbase hates something up there why keep it up there? No good reasons to do so, just some me poor ones.

Oh sorry I forgot it's not very PC to let the majority rule.

 

[Longtrip]

Get over the hate people! First of all - it's only a game and it's only a coliseum. Righteous people never seem to be satisfied with tolerating the imperfections of other human beings.

 

[hmt5000]

My main problem with pitino is that when he was doing well at ul and tubby was struggling or Billy was being Billy, he took every opportunity that someone shoved a mic in his face to rip on UK and it's fans. He made jokes about people that treated him better than he deserved and did it year after year.

With whore gate and flipping off our fans he should not have his own banner. He was part of the 96 team and that banner is staying so that should be enough. Truth is we did as much for his career as he did our program... maybe more. So he should show us some gratitude but all we get is backhanded compliments and outright derogatory remarks

 

[TNCatfanforever]

Little Rick used UK like his U of L players used Katrina Powell He wanted us to keep OTS so we could be his Doormat. His worst nightmare has been Cal at UK

 

[stevo51]

It's a good read. It doesn't even bother me that much that he took the UL job, though he had to realize that this immediately put him at odds with UK.

For me, it's his utter disdain for the program and its fans. He takes every opportunity he can to take cheap shots at our fans, our team, our coach, and our program. I understand that he didn't get a warm welcome from UK fans when he returned to the Bluegrass, but surely he expected that. He should have taken the high road, but instead he fanned the flames.

He should realize that his time at Kentucky isn't a one-way street. Yes, he brought us back to national prominence and we should be thankful for that. But Kentucky also played a huge role in taking him from a very good coach to a Hall of Fame coach. He seems to forget that.

Until the past few years, I was all for leaving the banner up. I'm not so sure anymore.

I think you're wrong. I believe he thought he was bigger than the program and the fans would switch allegiance upon him taking the UL job. Obviously that didn't happen. Other than the Gillespie fiasco, we've dominated them.

 

[preacherfan]

Ah, I forgot that. Doesn't change my opinion overall, but does weaken my case

Also, the main argument by many to put up a banner for Tubby is that he is the ONLY coach who won a title who isn't in the rafters. Of course, Cal has that distinction too but we can assume that he will get a banner some day.

 

[Xception]

Demonstrates how UK fans values are skewed because of basketball . Using what he did here as an excuse to overlook his massive failures to be a decent person . It doesn't matter if his ordeals happened elsewhere , you are honoring more than a record or atleast we should be . If you deem his behavior irrelevant , then you simultaneously condone all of it .

 

[3rex]

If a majority of the fanbase hates something up there why keep it up there? No good reasons to do so, just some me poor ones.

Oh sorry I forgot it's not very PC to let the majority rule.

How do you know the majority wants it down?

 

[Cawood86]

I can say this honestly. I didn't like him when he was here but his teams were fun to watch and he won a lot so I just enjoyed that and just accepted how he was.

Anybody that believes he took the U of L job just because he loves the Commonwealth so much probably believes in the tooth fairy as well. He took it because he wanted to make U of L bigger than UK. He didn't care about loyalty or all of the admiration he received at UK from its fans. His ego has always been his problem. He wanted to shove it in the face of UK. I believe he truly thought UK would get rid of Tubby and bring him back. Again his ego.

When that didn't happen. He knew that taking the U of L job would be the ultimate revenge on UK and its fans. He was getting his revenge until April of 2009. That's when his revenge turned into a big serving of "back at you" from UK and they hired Calipari. Now his little running joke of coaching at U of L to make UK and its fans mad has turned into hate. He has sunk morally since going there. Now he is full blown Cardinal. The finger was just it all coming out.

 

[EnglandWildcat]

I think you're wrong. I believe he thought he was bigger than the program and the fans would switch allegiance upon him taking the UL job. Obviously that didn't happen. Other than the Gillespie fiasco, we've dominated them.

I think he thought he was bigger than the program, but if he seriously believed UK fans would switch allegiances, then he didn't learn much about us while here.

 

[Clive Gollings]

Thought this was going to be about actually removing the dirt and dust from up there.

I thought it was going to be about cleaning up this message board.

 

[catrecruit]

This should have been done the minute he took the job at our in state arch-rival....This way it would have been over and done with and not allowed to fester to the point it is now

No other coach would go from Auburn to Alabama (football) and get away with it.....They wouldn't even THINK of doing it....But only one person has the scruples of Pitino

 

[VAWildcat15]

Justin I fell distinctly on the side of "leave Pitino's banner up" mostly because it feels like revisionist history and I don't like that kind of history... but your article at least softened my opinion and made me understand your opinion better. I still think I'd leave it but I'm much closer to 50/50 than I was before.

 

[kat57]

I've haven't thought about the banner. The announcers were talking about a coach coming into an arena with a banner in the rafters and what it must feel like. After their comments and the way pitino acted yesterday and the comments he has made in the past and the scandal that is being investigated, now I am with the crowd that wants his banner taken down.

 

[preacherfan]

I wish to present an alternative just for discussion: Instead of taking the banner down, would you RATHER Pitino step down after this season and disappear from the scene?

I think that second choice might be better for me personally. I would LOVE it if he were gone out of sight and out of mind. In that case, the banner doesn't bother me.

 

[BigBlueCatNation]

Not expecting this to get a lot of traction in the media but I'm of the opinion that a strong case can be made for removing Pitino's name from the rafters. NOTE: This is only my opinion and I believe good, reasonable people can disagree.

STORY: Take it down

JR,

I've always liked you and have always been glad you're so entrenched in UK athletics. However, this article is absolutely absurd and has no place on this or any site. This is a topic that should be totally dropped and forgotten. Pitino resurrected this program and should always have a place in it. ALWAYS

 

[jameslee32]

My thoughts haven't changed. The architect of the glory of 1996 is greater than the scumbag of 2015. In addition, it's likely he was the same person back then when most everyone, including Karen, wanted to see the erection of his banner.

 

[UpstateNYCat]

"He went from Providence to Lexington, which is akin to going from Steak 'N Shake to Ruth's Chris."

LOL. Don't quit your day job, OP.

The banner represents Ricks time and accomplishments while at UK, everything else is irrelevant. It was deserved and deserves to stay there. If UK fans can't get over the fact that little Ricky makes fun of them, GTF over it. Everyone else in America laughs at UK fans. I mean, how many UK fans have attended a UL game wearing UK gear only to hope to goad UL fans into debate? How stupid and childish is that crap? UK fans are far more embarrassing than some of the stuff that has happened on and off the court at UK.

But congrats, OP. Your piece is just click bait, be proud of yourself. You're the future Forde, Thamel or Bozich.

 

[UKBrassowTipIN]

I think it should stay just bc banners exemplify on court success and contribution.

Just the same as i don't believe it should matter if you graduated to get up there. Success on court = jersey retired
Graduating = diploma

 

[AlbanyWildCat]

It won't come down...it would make us look petty...which I am sure is no big deal for many folks on this message board.
Removing his name from the rafters is not going to change the fac he brought our program from one of the worst times ever.

 

[Cawood86]

JR,

I've always liked you and have always been glad you're so entrenched in UK athletics. However, this article is absolutely absurd and has no place on this or any site. This is a topic that should be totally dropped and forgotten. Pitino resurrected this program and should always have a place in it. ALWAYS

I'm beginning to think you are a fan of Pitino and him only. Are you all related or something? This program was great before Pitino was ever born. It was great before he got here, while he was here and since he left. He was lucky to get the job and dumb enough to leave it.

 

[UPSCat4080]

"He went from Providence to Lexington, which is akin to going from Steak 'N Shake to Ruth's Chris."

LOL. Don't quit your day job, OP.

The banner represents Ricks time and accomplishments while at UK, everything else is irrelevant. It was deserved and deserves to stay there. If UK fans can't get over the fact that little Ricky makes fun of them, GTF over it. Everyone else in America laughs at UK fans. I mean, how many UK fans have attended a UL game wearing UK gear only to hope to goad UL fans into debate? How stupid and childish is that crap? UK fans are far more embarrassing than some of the stuff that has happened on and off the court at UK.

But congrats, OP. Your piece is just click bait, be proud of yourself. You're the future Forde, Thamel or Bozich.

Who the fu$& are you? The OP is one of the most informed and respected members of this site. Everyone makes fun of UK fans.....if UK fans can't get over the fact....your speech reveals you are not a CAT fan at all and you couldn't be more wrong with everything you said. Stick to your day job Junior...or maybe stick to middle school would be better suited.

You do know that this is the OP's day job, right? Hahahahaha!

You suck by the way.

 

[stereonut]

Great job, JR.
He showed what he thought of Rupp Arena and some of its fans yesterday with his hand gesture.
Those that support him and his sacred banner do know what that gesture means, right?
Right back at him!

 

[UpstateNYCat]

Who the fu$& are you? The OP is one of the most informed and respected members of this site. Everyone makes fun of UK fans.....if UK fans can't get over the fact....your speech reveals you are not a CAT fan at all and you couldn't be more wrong with everything you said. Stick to your day job Junior...or maybe stick to middle school would be better suited.

You do know that this is the OP's day job, right? Hahahahaha!

You suck by the way.

When the OP makes a glaring mistake about Rick coming from Providence to Lexington, totally skipping his time with the Knicks inbetween. Yeah, it's pretty hard to take what is said afterwards seriously. Another stupid article/thread about another stupid topic. Par for the course with this site.

 

[UpstateNYCat]

Great job, JR.
He showed what he thought of Rupp Arena and some of its fans yesterday with his hand gesture.
Those that support him and his sacred banner do know what that gesture means, right?
Right back at him!

So why did UK fans feel the need to even engage him? UK won, let him be. I'll tell you why, because a lot of UK fans are childish, can't get over themselves. As good and fantastic as UK fans can be, there's a whole lot that are just as pathetic. Disagree if you like, it's your right to.

 

[JRowland]

When the OP makes a glaring mistake about Rick coming from Providence to Lexington, totally skipping his time with the Knicks inbetween. Yeah, it's pretty hard to take what is said afterwards seriously. Another stupid article/thread about another stupid topic. Par for the course with this site.

You make a good point about Providence-UK. I should have treated that better and will amend it to reflect reality more appropriately. I think you might make a more convincing case if you didn't take a very sober, mildly-approached opinion piece and try to eviscerate it with something so emotionally charged.

The crux of the issue is a subjective decision on what to measure in the honor. Anyone pretending it's obvious, to me, seems to be struggling with the difference between facts and opinions, confusing their opinions with facts.