Getting Sick of Pitino Stories

Yes, I know, nothing but Rick Pitino news. If it isn't his attorney trying to split hairs about whether Pitino directly paid for an abortion, a Louisville campus right-to-life group unsurprisingly calling for his firing, or the lady with whom he had the affair giving a credibility-free interview to the New York Post, this has stayed at the top of the sports news cycle all week.

Primarily, the story has generated speculation. Lots and lots of speculation.

How is his reputation? How damaged is it? Can he really recruit effectively? (Brief pause. Of course he can. The kids Pitino recruits are blue-chippers looking to the NBA. Pitino's ties to the NBA and track record of sending kids to the pros was not damaged. That's why present recruits are sticking with their verbals.)

Then there is the questioning of Louisville. Are they doing the right thing by sticking with him? Should they invoke the morality clause in his contract? Why won't they? (Another brief aside, this column in particular is amazingly self-righteous and vindictive. Bringing up his daughter, and specifying her high school. Then adding, " We know how cruel kids can be at that age." Nice.)

Even that Louisville coach Rick Pitino has issued his statement and apology of sorts comes the analysis of whether it was sufficient. Whether it was merely damage control. How calculating it was. Was it merely an apology for getting caught? Did it involve attempts to manipulate emotions by referencing previous personal loss and national events?

Is it any wonder that things blow quickly through a news cycle? This event is getting analyzed and broken down non-stop until people are absolutely sick of hearing, watching or reading any more about it. At least until some new salacious tidbit is offered, to restart the whole thing.

Let's simplify things. Rick Pitino is not getting fired from Louisville. He is still the only coach out there that has taken three different teams to the Final Four. He wins basketball games and recruits ferociously. While this is a scandal and stains Pitino forever, there is nothing illegal done by Pitino (other then some probable health code violations at the restaurant where he had the tryst). It is all about Pitino's personal life. Most importantly from the standpoint of the University of Louisville, nothing in this mess brings an NCAA investigation down on Louisville athletics.

Even imagining if Louisville did fire him, ESPN would snatch him up in a heartbeat to be an analyst. By next spring, programs would be paying search consultants hand-over-fist to get Pitino to agree to take their millions.

Very little actually will change. Other than opposing fans having some new material to yell at Pitino and Louisville.