It’s a media free-for-all. The highlights:
Undefeated Champion in Men’s Sports, Starts with a P: Funniest, most clever piece of writing on the Pitno scandal, from Fox Sports’ Jason Whitlock. [Fox]
And Now, Tim Sypher: Here’s some video of Tim Sypher in court yesterday fighting with Karen over custody of their daughter. Turns out Karen hired a detective to videotape him having a beer at a softball game, and that he spent a night at Karen’ s Mom’s house. [WAVE]
It Gets Weirder: A line from the Whitlock story, mentioned above: Tim Sypher went to work every day with his head high and a smile on his face despite knowing his boss knocked boots on a dirty restaurant floor with his wife within hours of meeting her and then financed her abortion.
She’s Still Digging for Gold: In court yesterday, Sypher asked for $11,000 a month in alimony to maintain her standard of living, and said she couldn’t get a job in outside sales because of the publicity. That’s $132,000 a year. Tim Sypher makes $76,440 as Pitino’s equipment manager. They’re back in court today. [WLKY]
Kinda Saw This Coming: Anti-abortion groups are lining up against Pitino. Cards play at Notre Dame Feb. 12. [LifeSiteNews]
What Fox41 Has Been Holding: Months ago, Karen Sypher gave Fox41 audio of a phone message left by Rick Pitino. The station wouldn’t air it. Until now, because the police report makes everything fair game. You should listen. [Fox41]
Lamb Chimes In: Any rush to judgment ending Pitino’s career would be “stupid.” He’ll get some response on that one. [Bill Lamb]
Public Splits: Half the respondents to a WHAS-TV poll say U of L should take action against Pitino. [WHAS]
14 responses so far ↓
1 Chuck // Aug 14, 2009 at 9:19 am
I guess the university needs to have about half of Freedom Hall empty for a while. Maybe if enough people have the scruples to do that, they might get the message. I used to support the program completely including going to games, going to various events, wearing merchandise, buying stuff, and spending time following the various teams.
I’ve said no to all of them because in this case that principle matters more than money. It matters more than who is rich and powerful. It matters more than winning basketball games. It matters more than covering up for Rick Pitino. It matters more than covering up for Robert Felner. It matters more than having James Ramsey as the head of the university and it matters more than the football program. This is a disgrace to a public university by any means. I have friends and family that works for the university and even they think this is a disgrace.
2 Michael // Aug 14, 2009 at 9:47 am
The only way half of Freedom Hall is empty is if the Cards begin to lose games like the football team (see the Ron Cooper era). Then Jurich/Ramsey will take notice….
3 Bridgett // Aug 14, 2009 at 10:35 am
Weird…a WAVE3 poll this morning showed that 54% believe it is a private matter and no action should be taken. Must be a demographic difference in viewership?
4 Jim // Aug 14, 2009 at 11:00 am
The only reason that these people are supporting Pitino is the money thing and prestige of the university. If this was about the football coach, he would have been fired. Probably a good percentage of the Pitino supporters have skeletons in their closet or under their desks at work. Or they have something to hide. Sad but true the way the hypocrisy and two faced behavior works in this town.
I’m sure that a good percentage of them supported the Archdiocese all those years as well until they found out the sordid stories of sexual abuse. Some fine people all cloaked in the name of religion.
5 AbG // Aug 14, 2009 at 11:45 am
I’m getting a little irked about the whole “dirty restaurant floor” business. It was on a table, not a floor. Where stupid national journalists came up with the floor thing is beyond me; they probably didn’t actually read anything in the actual police report. Porcini is a class establishment and the floor sure as hell wasn’t dirty; they clean up before they lock up around there.
6 Mark H (Not Hebert) // Aug 14, 2009 at 11:54 am
You are correct Jim that Kragthorpe would be gone of the same scenario happened to him, but is that not necessarily unfair?
Pitino has earned some get out of jail free cards for running a clean program, being active in local charity work, helping produce the kinds of student athletes fans can be proud of, producing success on the court, and yes, helping make the program one of the most lucrative in the country.
That money he helped generate has gone to support women’s sports and non-revenue generating programs within the university.
Now I think he’s cashed all of those cards in with this huge screw-up and embarrassment, but to say we should ignore all of the positive things he done since he’s been here and treat him in a vacuum, isn’t fair either in my opinion.
Morality and judgment don’t reside in a vacuum.
7 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Aug 14, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Using the “Save Our Stinson” effort as an inspiration, let’s start a “Protect Our Pitino” effort. We will create a website to talk trash (appropriately) about rabid UK fans and anti-freedom fetus fetishers, the only groups of people who are so-so-serious about getting our great coach sacked.
8 Brad // Aug 14, 2009 at 3:01 pm
AbG – Seriously?? Surely you’re joking.
I just feel sorry for the poor bastard that ate on that table when the restaurant opened the next day…
9 bill // Aug 14, 2009 at 5:12 pm
My comment is this, There is NO WAY that this was a one and only time for Pitino! This is a supposedly devout Catholic, with a Catholic Priest sitting on the bench at ballgames! What a f–king hipocrite! What else did this supposed man do 6 years ago that we dont know about ? They use the excuse “everyone makes mistakes”, well, this IS true, but in all of my years of marriage, I have NEVER cheated on my wife! 2 plus 2 equals 5 is a mistake, cheating on your wife is about as low as you can get! slick Rick, do the right thing, man up, and resign! You screwed up, not even mentioning the abortion issue! It takes two to tango, and you are showing what a real slimebag you really are! People in this town need to get a life, and focus on whats important in life. priorities are really screwed up if you think that cheating and lying are important as long as you are winning games! I know he wont resign, and everything will be right in the world again, but as long as Pitino is a coach, U of L will NEVER get another dime from me!
10 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Aug 14, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Bill, you certainly deserve an award, but we’re going to keep our coach. His personal life is immaterial to how well he does his job, and that should be that.
11 bill // Aug 14, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Well, then I guess if you are a coach that is supposed to also teach his players values as well as basketball, or so at least that is what Pitino once said himself, than I guess it is ok to teach his players how to be cheating hippocrites as well. I dont dispute his record, or the things that he has done for Louisville but the school should also set an example as well and teach these kids that unmoral behavior is unacceptable, and if Pitino is half the man that he claims that he is, then he, himself should set the example by resigning, There is just a tiny bit more to life than winning college basketball games!
12 Chuck // Aug 15, 2009 at 1:11 am
This really puts the program and university in a bad light. But then again, this is Louisville where being a scumbag gets one elected mayor. Being crooked is a team sport and having more and more corruption is the rule. Its no wonder that Jerry Abramson and his scumbags get elected time after time. Because the people here are too idiotic to have enough common sense to see what the priorities are. The real priorities. Not basketball, not the arts, not the university, not the latest bike trail, but real issues.
Issues like economics, job creation, taxation, government waste, community involvement, etc. It is no wonder anyone with some education and common sense has been thinking about leaving and going elsewhere. Outside of New York, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Chicago, this place has some of the worst miscreants in local government. Crooks to the core and most of them are convict material. The only reason why they aren’t in a prison is because they are protected by the attorney general and the Commonwealth Attorney. Anyone that thinks that Jack Conway or Dave Stengel has done anything needs to have their head examined. They have done nothing but allow this gaggle of creeps to continue to run this area into the ground. Where is Metro Council in these things. Oops, I forgot is 16 to 10 in favor for the Democrats. At the rate it is going with the fools voting the Democrats back in, its going to be 20 to 6 soon. By that time, we will become another Baltimore or Memphis. You can see it on the wall because its increasingly falling apart in this once fair city.
13 Ed Springston // Aug 15, 2009 at 3:25 am
One name. Ralph Willard.
Why do you think Willard came to Louisville as an assistant. Pitino will leave and he will take over. It was in the plan…
14 AreYouKiddingMe // Aug 15, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Bill you are so right. Unfortunately, we now live in a society of people who think “anything goes” and “if it feels good, do it.” People whose thinking goes along the line of “it’s his private life” are the same ones who feel it is okay not to have prayer in school, who feel it is okay to abort an innocent child because it’s an inconvenience who think having a girlfried or boyfriend AND a spouse is no big deal, who think that sexually explicit movies, sitcoms and even commercials are okay for their small kids to watch and who think or thought at the time that the President of the United States having sex with a young girl in the White House was perfectly okay and even made him in their eyes at least the most adored President until this one came along. There are no morals with some people and hey, as long as he wins games, he can screw a cheerleader on the sidelines and it would be okay. He’s probably getting a bunch of “atta boy” pats on his back as we speak. No punishment, a little embarassment and back to business as usual for men and women like this and for people who think it is okay, well you are a part of what is wrong with this world we live in today. If you choose the action. then accept the consequences. Unfortunately, there are no consequences in this instance and the University is standing very tall behind him and condoning what he did. Plain and simple.
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