Rick Pitino: 'Tell Roy (Williams) to Get On a Plane For the First Time'

Well, Louisville coach Rick Pitino ... with his own national championhip and five Final Fours ... disagrees with Ol' Roy.

"Tell Roy to get on a plane for the first time and let's play the game at Freedom Hall," Pitino said. "Or let's go to Lexington and play it at Rupp [Arena]."

"I don't think it's a homecourt advantage," Pitino said. "I think those are mostly mannequins dressed in powder blue."

Pitino did qualify his comments.

"It's a very strong homecourt advantage but they deserve it because they're the No. 1-ranked team in the country," he said.

He's right. It is a huge advantage and not because ... as all these analysts have been saying ... Charlotte is just two hours away from Chapel Hill. Anyone who knows anything about North Carolina knows that there are more Tar Heels fans in Charlotte than there are in Chapel Hill.

Now that Tennessee and Washington State has been knocked out of the tournament, who do you think they'll be selling their tickets to? Charlotteans who will probably be rooting for the Tar Heels.

Now, Pitino knows as well as anyone that you can't really blame UNC for this. They don't select the sites used in the tournament or where they will be seeded. I would agree that the NCAA shouldn't have pod sites and regional sites in the same state. If Charlotte is being used for the East Region ... then let Raleigh sit out until next year.

Speaking of that, UNC (or Duke) could have the home court advantage next year as the tournament heads to Greensboro, NC for the first two rounds. Louisville could get a nice advantage if they could play in Dayton and Indianapolis ... even though neither city is in their home state.

Ah, but the closest arena to North Carolina used in the 2010 tourny will be in Jacksonville!

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-28-2008 @ 8:47PM

geraldo upshur said...

the only problem i have is the last time i looked on the map the state of north carolina is in the south so how did these bright people in the NCAA consider the state of north carolina in the east

3-28-2008 @ 9:28PM

Nacho Friendly said...

@geraldo

I would have to think it has something to do with the whole "there's-no-state-or-even-US-territory-anywhere-east-of-North-Carolina" thing.

3-28-2008 @ 9:33PM

Sportz said...

Actually, I would say Mid-Atlantic more than anything.

3-28-2008 @ 10:59PM

Ed said...

The last time I checked The New Englad states were East of North Carolina. Then what do I know sinnce bright people think that Kansas and Missouri are part of the Midwest. Go Blue!! Beat the Buckeyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3-28-2008 @ 11:26PM

wick said...

you idiots still have to play the game on a court fans cant make a ball not go into the hoop are you all stupid

3-29-2008 @ 1:16AM

mickey said...

Welcome to our world Rick. TheyVe been treating us like a step child for years.

And we have to play Texas in a football stadium in Houston. 30,0000 plus mostly texas fans. Lot more texas fans there than Austin. Does that constitute a home court advantage.

Mickey--Memphis tiger fan

3-29-2008 @ 10:03AM

butta said...

Hmm....all this talk about the location of NC. Looking at a map....it is on the east coast of North America. Eureka.....The East! Southeast to be more specific. So...as long as we don't see Northwest by NC.....it's all good. You jealous fools are clueless!

3-29-2008 @ 11:26AM

frank said...

It don't matter where, Rick. Tarheels will kick your ass any where you wanna play. So just take the ass-kickin'.

3-29-2008 @ 1:24PM

carolyn marlin said...

GO! TAR HEEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3-29-2008 @ 1:28PM

now, thats the way you open up a can of whup-ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

3-29-2008 @ 2:09PM

Llmrph34 said...

north caralina will be the team that wont make it to the final four they will hang with louisville but at the end louisville will be on top

3-29-2008 @ 2:16PM

louisville is going to teach nc a lesson a lesson that they will be beat go cards

3-29-2008 @ 6:59PM

Wally Allen said...

As far as I can tell RICK, North Carolina is farther east and farther south than Kentucky.....so S T F U !!!!

3-31-2008 @ 3:15AM

KATHY TRAVIS said...

That is just like Rick Nitpino---whatever his name is to tell Roy to go get on a plane and go to Lexcington--Especially since he either has a convenient memory, the begginig of Oldtimers. or is just plain stupid. You can take ur choise of answers to begin with. It seems to me that last year in the NCAA Rick had the home court advantage by being in the ncaa in his former throne and HE GOT BEAT BY TEXAS A AND M, WHO AT THE TIME WHO COACHED BY OUR NEW COACH AT KENTUCKY---BILLY GILLISPIE. NOW---IT REALLY ISN'T A SECRET THAT i DON'T CARE FOR wONDER BOY (OR rICK) AS U GUYS R CALLING HIM. He has been mean for four years to Terrance Farley--and we have paid dearly with our tax money to hire Ellis Myles, a former u of l player with a few problems, to be the "professional" babysitter for Derek CARE-Actor. What a joke and waste of money and talent--this guy can't even walk and chew gum at the same time. I think Rick is getting paranoid or delusinal--he continues to talk on tv about the "Potential" of Care-Actor only to then get mad and say---"I knew what I was getting when I got him")--so why did he even get him to begin with. Rick needs to get a life, wife, etc and take a vacation. IF THEY EVER VOTE ON BIGGEST JOACH--I MEAN JOKE IN COLLEGE BBL HE AIN'T GOT A BIT OF COMPETITION. aLSO, HE WON'T KNOW WHAT HIT HIM WHEN tYLER'S TEAM GETS DONE WITH HIS KIDS. tYLER WILL MAKE DAVE PADGETT LOOK LIKE A FOOL WITH JUST BEING HIMSELF. cARE-acTOR WON'T EVEN SHOW UP (AS IF HE EVER dOES), AND t WILL LOOKS LIKE HE JUST STEPPED OUT OF THE STATE PRISON AND WILL BE GOING BACCCK REAL SOON, jERRY sMITH OR LIL BALL HOG, AS IN EDWARD SO-SO, WILL ALSO BE INSTANTLY STUNNED BY TYLER'S TEAM...AND Farley might even get to play a lil bit due to the up tempo of game of Tyler's team!!! Go, Terrance go---just don't put up another air ball or nitpino will get ya--doesn't matter yo r a senior and away from Rick now. (I told u u should have transferred to Georgia and played for a real man like Dennis Felton)--who would have utilized ur playing time the right way. Maybe Rick just still has that mystery illness or whatever he said it was when he went to the Cleveland Clinic. Rick is a joke and a has been--he needs to get on the ticket as Billiary, I mean Hilliary Clinton's ticket for the vice prez opening--she's as big a loser as Rick is. This man should be outlawed to live among us humans--he is crazy. And....as for teling Roy to get on a plane...when Donkeys Fly rick... Dream on---u really need to go and get some help or maybe it's the medicine to begin with. At any rate, do us all a favor here in the blue grass state and go hide under a rock in your own little world. U r an embarassment to the entire community and YU'RE UGLY.....UGLIER THAN JOAKIM NOAH EVER THOUGHT ABOUT BEING. SO THERE///