I do not think anyone is quite sure what Louisville coach Rick Pitino hoped to accomplish with his If, as he claims in the press conference, it is an appeal to people to ignore any media reports and just wait until the trial so that all will be adjudicated, he failed. He all but guaranteed a new wave of talk, blogging, tweeting and ruminating about the matter on a national scale.
Pitino, on the Louisville campus, with the Louisville logo all in the background explained how the university, his lawyers and others all told him to say nothing. He, however, just couldn't take it any longer. The final straw was that the Louisville police released audio and video recordings of the phone calls and an interview they conducted with the woman charged with attempting to extort Pitino, Karen Sypher.
A local Louisville station aired them and that did it. Of course, Pitino being Pitino had to link it to the poor economy, struggling times for the media, and Senator Ted Kennedy's passing as if they were somehow connected just added to the surrealism (on the bright side he skipped any 9/11 references).
Part of the oddity is that transcripts had already been made available, so there was nothing new in what aired. Yet, it pushed Pitino to complain about all media coverage including the New York Post interview with Sypher. Pitino made sure to note that he was the victim in all of this. But then, none of these interviews have exactly helped Sypher. She has continually come off as delusional, lacking credibility and unsympathetic, and all reports have mentioned that she is the one facing jail time.
Pitino's objection seems to be that his affair with her is part of the story. That he and his family are not getting the love and support he expects.
In a way it reminds me a bit of his unraveling in Boston. As things continued to go south. He was being questioned, belittled and mocked at every turn. Clearly it bothered him and he started lashing out in the media at the fans and the media coverage. His famous "Larry Bird is not walking through that door" rant was the seminal moment.
Wednesday's press conference seems like a similar point. He just reached a point where he needed to vent and have his chance to manipulate the media and the story. Unlike in Boston, he's winning at Louisville so he will get fan support. Like Boston, though, it won't change the media coverage.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-27-2009 @ 8:18AM
skoolbeans said...
HAHAHA.
CRY WOLF AND QUESS WHAT, THEY THINK YOU DID IT.
NOW YOU KNOW WHY LAWYERS ALWAYS SAY(SAY NOTHING) I NOW BELIEVE WOMEN AND YOU SLICK RICK LOOK GUITY AS HECK.
SHOULD OF JUST CAME CLEAN, AND ENDED IT.
I WOULD RESIGN IF I WAS YOU..
JUST SAY BYE-BYE.
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8-27-2009 @ 8:50AM
TheMcEntyres said...
What a puke. Keep your penius in your 3 pcs suit and then crap like this won't happen,Rick.What a A-Hole.!!!!!
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8-27-2009 @ 12:42PM
sWEETBABYrAY said...
This guy is a bumbling idiot, spewing guilt and bullshit!
What a disaster for his lawyer!
Whatever- it would be a total shock if the the university wouldn't ask for his resignation or very well fire him.
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8-27-2009 @ 1:12PM
Mrs. Vigo said...
Wow!!!! Pitino feelin' sorry for his wife...You shouldn't had the affair in the first place....I can't stand MEN after having affairs blames the WOMEN for it...And all to cover them self.Because they hav' a wife!!! What a loserrrr. Child Please!!!
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8-27-2009 @ 9:49PM
stevetaylor82 said...
It is a shame a man can't make a mistake and be forgiven by his fellow man who also makes mistakes. Thank God for forgiving our sins and dying for us on the cross. We will always find the answers to our problems if we are contrite and honest in prayer. If we ask, "what would God want us to do?" when we make decisions we would never be let down by making a wrong decision.
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8-27-2009 @ 9:50PM
Don said...
Another "So Called" Role Model thought he was bigger than life itself until he was caught being a naughty boy. Pitino let his penis get in the way of his brain, and now he has to face the consequences. Now he's finding out that he's not quite as big as he thought he was. Try as he may, he won't shut the "MEDIA" up. I think he's running scared and afraid of losing the support of his University and his Job.
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8-27-2009 @ 9:52PM
frawson2 said...
If Louiseville had any integrity, the school would can him. But like this sorry excuse for a real man thinks that basketball is the primary focus of all interrigent life and wins will make everything all better. Wonder how many players cheated to get in here like Memphis.
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8-28-2009 @ 7:41AM
jcghill said...
Classic example of whitewashing. The local media no longer talks about this story. Whitewash, whitewash, whitewash, shame on you, America. This dude lied to his wife and children and the University. Cheater, thug, liar, and adulterer, Pitino. Pitino are you lucky to be white because this story got whitewashed.
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8-28-2009 @ 3:56PM
d1434ever said...
To Chas Rich, (Fanhouse)
At least your article shows more balance and some understanding, unlike the Greg Couch article (inflammatory sensationalism) titled “Pitino makes a fool of himself.” I wonder how he or anyone else would feel about someone telling outlandish stories to the media. I agree with your assessment of how Sypher comes off, “… none of these interviews have exactly helped Sypher. She has continually come off as delusional, lacking credibility and unsympathetic, and all reports have mentioned that she is the one facing jail time.”
I do wish Rick Pitino would have waited to calm down before responding, but it is understandable too. He was consoling his wife regarding the loss of Ted Kennedy (due to their strong ties to Massachusetts), when the “news break coverage of the released Sypher tapes” aired.
Again, I bet anyone hearing outrageous lies about themselves in front of loved ones would similarly be as upset and want to confront the issue.
Rick Pitino made a mistake, which he admitted to and worked to correct as directly and as expediently as he could. I wish we all could show that kind of courage and integrity in the face of pain and humiliation. To error is human (and easy), to repent is a little bit more difficult.
I will take everything Rick Pitino has contributed to humanity (his players, Universities, communities) over anything Karen Sypher has to offer.
Dale Georgel
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