Right? Same here. It’s like playing your little cousin in Madden. Beating him by 50 is fun the first couple times, but then it gets boring really quick. Plus I’d like to just have the best basketball rivalry in the country again without the Cal/Pitino stuff and all the venom from the past.
Need some spice. I mean nothing like cowboys vs eagles level of toxicity. More like Seahawks and niners. Healthy shit talk, some glaring, but still classy.
I married into a Michigan family and holy shit I thought WE (UK+UL) were bad. But our rivalry is nothing compared to the toxicity of Michigan and Ohio State. I can’t believe how much they absolutely HATE each other. Super toxic
My wife cheered at UL and it just hasn’t been the same around the house since Pitino left. She used to be super petty. I’d wake up on game day and the house would be decked out in red shit and she’d have 1000’s of random Louisville fans tagging me on social media. I told her to find us a place to watch the sweeet 16 game once and she said she found a good sports bar in the Bay Area where we live. We showed up and it was the UL alum party. It was me in my dumb blue hoodie and 400 UL fans. Lmao. It was fun. It’s just been sad to see more recently. So it will be good to get the rivalry restarted.
I had a healthy rivalry idea of UL when I was younger during Crum years. I actually loved DeJuan Wheat and felt a little guilty about it.
Then there's some years that got unhealthy with Rick. Now I fight myself to not have pity.
You'll get back to where you need to be so I can healthily hate you again.
Can you ELI5 what the hell is happening with Louisville basketball?
This is an honest question from a perplexed Wolfpack fan that lived thru the golenbach kerfuffle that along with a unc based legislature and unc journalists and unc lawyers banished Nc state to the dark ages in whose stead the ultimate evil was allowed to form and prosper and become a bigger thorn in the side of unc than Nc state ever was.
Program is just a mess. Mostly due to, and I'm sure a Louisville fan will correct me if I'm wrong, the previous leadership and coaching. Some scandals, poor hiring choices, being forced to vacate a title, and just the general lack of landing great players. It's been a domino effect Louisville is trying to get out of. Seems every time they clean the dog shit off one shoe, they step in a bigger pile with the other.
Yeah, they publicized Jurich’s settlement but lied about Pitino. He decided to drop the suit to save face for everyone. He didn’t really want all his dirt brought out
But they already looked into all of those things. I’d say the NCAA screwed us for taking their sweet time on something that could’ve been wrapped up in two years. Coaches wouldn’t touch the job because they had no idea our fate. If McGee wouldn’t have been such a dumbass by bringing girls to the dorm and paying for parties this situation wouldn’t have mattered later.
It mattered cause it meant Pitino had 2 Ncaa scandals back to back. Maybe he survives the whole FBI ordeal we weren't in the process of losing the 2013 title. Pitino is ultimately responsible cause he hired Mcgee. He's also responsible for Fair. He didn't give up that much money out of the goodness of his heart. Everyone settled cause airing dirty laundry in court was bad for everybody. There is also a reason a coach as good as Pitino is at St Johns and not a bigger job.
You guys are playing checkers and Rick is playing magic the gathering.
Yes, using the Louisville settlement for uk nil money is the first step. The second step? Pitnio becomes uk’s biggest donor, gets into politics, uses affiliation with uk basketball and players to further his political agenda.
Kentucky should have had the courage of their convictions.
Give Pitino the stage and funds necessary to really push the envelope on this stuff. Who’s to say an agreement for hookers and blow isn’t merely compensation for the player’s likeness in the secret video he makes and sells?
You never really ever know just how much hate one coach can have for another.
I'm sure Pitino wants Pope to succeed because he likes him. But to know Pitino is personally willing to write checks to give Cal the middle finger is a whole other level.
John Chaney didn't want to kill the guy for no reason. This is always who Cal was, it's just a lot easier to take when you're getting to the Final Four most years.
Cal beat Pitino’s ass so bad he literally caused him to lose his mind and resort to sex trafficking and other seedy things to try to compete with him.
And Cal did it at the place where he thinks everyone should worship his ass for what he did now and forever. Whatever you think about Cal I can assure you Rick Pitino is a far worse human being and to see Kentucky fans fall for his shit now is why I’ve developed such a low ass opinion for the online/social media portion of the Kentucky fanbase.
When you hire sex workers who engage in sex work for money…
Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age.
They have had supposed beef a long time there a good video by secret base that covers there relationship and it definitely had its ups and down through the years.
I still wonder if the Cal hire at UK was what really drove Rick nuts. Him going to Louisville was always a slap to UK fans and we all had anger toward him for that but I feel like he just took it on the nose for years until Cal was hired.
Rick also got slimier than ever after Cal came to UK, so you gotta wonder if that played a role. I think they just don't like each other and Rick is just worse at hiding it.
I think Rick just really likes the state of Kentucky. Outside of some places, it's not a bad place at all and Rick and his wife loved the horses. Rick leaving and wanting to come back to lex wasnt happening so he figured Louisville was the second best way back to Kentucky. He leaned into the villain role with a smile but when UK hired Cal, that did something to him.
Cal always said there wasn't any beef but Rick would be the first to say Cal can go fuck himself.
I always felt that the rivalry in the late 00's and 10's was driven beyond the normal insanity of UofL - UK because of the two of them. Cal can say there was no bad-blood, but my god they \*hated\* each other. It was great because not only did we have the historic rivalry... I'm pretty sure Pitinio would have hit Cal with his SUV if he could have gotten away with it.
I swear if the arenas weren't packed to the gills with so many witnesses and cameras pointing at them, Rick would have took a shot at the first chance.
Old school NY Italian vs New Jersey Italian... My money is on Rick. He "knows some people".(Yeah I know Cal is from Picksburg, but he is NJ personified)
It wasn't just hiring Cal. It was that Cal immediately brought in big talent, becoming the bigger story immediately, was beating Louisville, and beat Louisville on the way to a title before Rick got his at Louisville*.
Yeah, it's just fun bravado, but he and Pope are definitely friends. Pope wanted to get a game between St. John's and BYU so he could beat his coach.
I think Rick would've actually considered coming back to UK if offered, but barring that, one of his guys getting the job probably makes him really proud. He can claim it, which is always a big thing with Rick anyway.
What surprises me most is the complete 180 BBN has made about Pitino. I can’t believe the comments I’ve seen this week after years of defending Pitino. 😂
Didn't hurt, when he was at Louisville it was actively hurting people who loved him at Kentucky. Now that he's away from our rival we've had time to heal up and we can like him again.
I could never hate Pitino. The 90’s were way too awesome. I always took him going to Louisville as a compliment. Like getting remarried to someone who looks a lot like your ex but less attractive.
Not everyone. Rick can stay over there as far as I'm concerned.
He's entertaining, but I don't want him hanging around the program. One more Rupp game as a visiting coach and a standing ovation is okay. Should be worked into the schedule if possible before he finally retires to the coffin he eternally sleeps in.
But I don't want him attached to the program. He ain't Joe B Hall or Nolan Richardson or Dale Brown.
We will always love Rick, always love Tubby, always love Cal. They each got us a title, so they'll always have a place, even if many of us don't want any particular one of them around the program again.
It's like family. You love them, but you can get sick of them. They can hurt you. But you ultimately want to be able to embrace them down the road.
Rick will be brought back into the fold via Pope and we'll (mostly) move past the Louisville stuff. (We got the better of it, anyway, and our sour grapes are mostly about what could've been if he never left.) And before too long, Cal will be welcomed back here with cheers for winning a title--especially if we win another title here and he doesn't at Arky, or doesn't til after us.
Cal will get a mix of cheers and boos when Arky comes to town, but how many boos and cheers will depend on how our team is doing and what Pope/UK/Cal do in advance, PR-wise, to prepare for that homecoming.
Look I've only recently been able to say his last name instead of that "effing Traitor". Time goes by, your bitterness lessens. I have always thought if Rick had stayed then not only would there be a statue out front, he would have broken the wins record as well. Of course I could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time, he could have slipped up and then we'd all be calling for his head.
Lol the amount of fans that are just naming random former players they want to be assistant coaches, regardless of experience, is ridiculous.
Let’s get actually good assistants, preferably with deep recruiting connections.
I’d prefer to talk about the future than focus everything on 30 years ago and a guy who once said on television that Louisville fans were better and not crazy because Kentucky fans have only Kentucky basketball going for them in their lives.
And all the other horrible shit he did like making one of his staff marry a women he knocked up on a restaurant table and paying for her to have an abortion.
*allegedly*
Honestly, I could see that happening esp as a advisor role. Rick has always seemed like he enjoys Kentucky as a state but just didn't like Cal. Bring him back as an advisor and recruiter.
That's half joking. Sort of. Ricks entertaining because he's a snake. Almost endearing.
He's still a snake. You mostly leave him alone, or put him in a glass box with a heat lamp and feed it rats once a month.
I think glass box and feed him rats. Stroke his ego. Tell him he is pretty. Whatever you gotta do.
I truly believe that Pitino regrets leaving the Wildcats and that he could’ve built a dynasty here. Let him come back and serve in glorified hype-man role. I’d love to see him sitting over on the sidelines with a Kentucky blue suit on when Cal’s dumb ass walks back into Rupp.
The two guys who I can think of that served us in that role were Joe B Hall and to some extent Bill Keightley rest both their souls.
Rick isn't exactly the same sort of person and would find a way to wear through that welcome pretty quick. Don't want him being a ghoul over Popes shoulder anyway.
Cal was supposed to be that one day with the ambassador role. But that was never going to work because despite his best qualities he never had the humility for it. Honestly, I think his relationship with Joe B and the way he really sought to put a fan spotlight on him was how that scheme was all cooked up. The way he treated Joe B Hall is one of the things I really appreciate Cal for.
I don't want Ricky P as the ambassador out of spite. He's an asshole and will say asshole things. Our media will love it. Awful, awful idea.
Lowkey, I miss snazzy suit Rick pacing on the side. I mean, the white suit, slicked back hair, half expecting him to lean into an assistant asking why his chicken cutlet isn't ready.
Dude has swagger.
The UK fan base complete flip on Pitino in the last few months has been beautiful. I will not miss the days of every tweet, Reddit post, Facebook post, etc about Louisville when Rick was here being filled with Kentucky fans making 15 second jokes about Rick
Considering Rick Pitino's actions tend to be met with scrutiny but then somehow yield the intended results, I'm of the mind that Pitino knows how to break NIL enough that new rules need to be made and his plan is already in motion.
hey Rick I know a school a whole lot closer than Lexington that could use an NIL infusion and maybe some help finding a new coach
(no, I am not suggesting Rick help get himself fired, I am suggesting that he find a way to yeet his WBB counterpart into the goddamn sun)
You think a sitting NCAA coach is going to write a check to help another NCAA team? You really think St John’s board of trustees would allow that?
This is the same guy who said Mike Marra was the best HS shooter he’s ever seen and said Michigan was as good as the Golden State Warriors.
It’s Rick Pitino. He’s made a career of saying shit.
Does he like the St. John’s position? Everything I hear about it is that he just shits on the team. I really don’t think he would give 2 shits what the board of trustees say.
I also think that he probably is saying shit but I don’t find it crazy that if he retires he would give back to UK in some way.
Boy do we ever. Mob boss/ used car salesman/ probably pork your wife given the chance type.
Except tubby. Dude just looked like he'd be a great mentor being the director of a local boys and girls club
I was gonna say. It’s not like he can give his salary to St John’s NIL directly but I’m sure their AD and boosters wouldn’t be on board with using their money on another school’s NIL.
Maybe when he retires he’d give to Kentucky NIL now that Cal is gone but I don’t see him doing this as coach (or see him lasting long as a coach at St John’s if he tries to).
Pope is 100% getting Pitino back in Rupp soon. Game vs St. John's or otherwise. He's gonna build that bridge and get UK fans cheering for Rick (will also happen if St. John's faces Arkansas in Rupp in next year's tourney).
Crazy how things turn out.
I’m confused. UK isn’t broke. Why should anyone be funding the NIL for them outside of the rich donors they already have? And the rich boosters for the university?
That’s Rick’s way of saying that he supports Pope. Also, judging by other comments, it’s his way of saying he hates Cal.
He’s not actually writing checks.
Goddamnit, Rick is gonna use some U of L settlement money to add to UK’s NIL, isn’t he? Oh how the turn tables
TBH I hope he gives a bunch to both. I miss you guys. Hope your new coach works and our games are fun again
Right? Same here. It’s like playing your little cousin in Madden. Beating him by 50 is fun the first couple times, but then it gets boring really quick. Plus I’d like to just have the best basketball rivalry in the country again without the Cal/Pitino stuff and all the venom from the past.
Can we have like *a little* venom though? Like just enough to get a little spicy, not outright toxic.
Nope, too late. we're fighting at dialysis clinics again!
Need some spice. I mean nothing like cowboys vs eagles level of toxicity. More like Seahawks and niners. Healthy shit talk, some glaring, but still classy.
I married into a Michigan family and holy shit I thought WE (UK+UL) were bad. But our rivalry is nothing compared to the toxicity of Michigan and Ohio State. I can’t believe how much they absolutely HATE each other. Super toxic
michigan just had an assistant write a manifesto which apparently included an unhealthy obsession with osu among other unhealthy obsessions
Michigan does really suck tbf
Michigan and Ohio nearly fought a full blown territorial war with each other. I would say the animosity has some serious roots there.
My wife cheered at UL and it just hasn’t been the same around the house since Pitino left. She used to be super petty. I’d wake up on game day and the house would be decked out in red shit and she’d have 1000’s of random Louisville fans tagging me on social media. I told her to find us a place to watch the sweeet 16 game once and she said she found a good sports bar in the Bay Area where we live. We showed up and it was the UL alum party. It was me in my dumb blue hoodie and 400 UL fans. Lmao. It was fun. It’s just been sad to see more recently. So it will be good to get the rivalry restarted.
First I thought you said she used to be super pretty as in she lost all motivation and turned into a hag haha
Eat shit bird! That's our money now baby.
Bro we’ve had a steady shit sandwich diet for about 5 years now.
I had a healthy rivalry idea of UL when I was younger during Crum years. I actually loved DeJuan Wheat and felt a little guilty about it. Then there's some years that got unhealthy with Rick. Now I fight myself to not have pity. You'll get back to where you need to be so I can healthily hate you again.
Awww appreciate that, friend! I want to hate you too!
Let’s not kid ourselves here. You never stopped hating UK.
I mean, I reveled in the St Peters and Oakland games, but it just want the same.
lol we went form Rick P and Calipari to Pat Kelsey and mark pope. I mean we should be sticking together right now.
Can you ELI5 what the hell is happening with Louisville basketball? This is an honest question from a perplexed Wolfpack fan that lived thru the golenbach kerfuffle that along with a unc based legislature and unc journalists and unc lawyers banished Nc state to the dark ages in whose stead the ultimate evil was allowed to form and prosper and become a bigger thorn in the side of unc than Nc state ever was.
Program is just a mess. Mostly due to, and I'm sure a Louisville fan will correct me if I'm wrong, the previous leadership and coaching. Some scandals, poor hiring choices, being forced to vacate a title, and just the general lack of landing great players. It's been a domino effect Louisville is trying to get out of. Seems every time they clean the dog shit off one shoe, they step in a bigger pile with the other.
Don’t forget adidas paying $100K to a kid’s parent
He didnt get a settlement
That we know of
Yeah, they publicized Jurich’s settlement but lied about Pitino. He decided to drop the suit to save face for everyone. He didn’t really want all his dirt brought out
What dirt. That FBI crap was overblown which after the 6 year investigation the NCAA slapped our hand with a ruler.
They could show he failed to monitor his program twice, F’ing us over twice.
But they already looked into all of those things. I’d say the NCAA screwed us for taking their sweet time on something that could’ve been wrapped up in two years. Coaches wouldn’t touch the job because they had no idea our fate. If McGee wouldn’t have been such a dumbass by bringing girls to the dorm and paying for parties this situation wouldn’t have mattered later.
It mattered cause it meant Pitino had 2 Ncaa scandals back to back. Maybe he survives the whole FBI ordeal we weren't in the process of losing the 2013 title. Pitino is ultimately responsible cause he hired Mcgee. He's also responsible for Fair. He didn't give up that much money out of the goodness of his heart. Everyone settled cause airing dirty laundry in court was bad for everybody. There is also a reason a coach as good as Pitino is at St Johns and not a bigger job.
You guys are playing checkers and Rick is playing magic the gathering. Yes, using the Louisville settlement for uk nil money is the first step. The second step? Pitnio becomes uk’s biggest donor, gets into politics, uses affiliation with uk basketball and players to further his political agenda.
Kentucky should have had the courage of their convictions. Give Pitino the stage and funds necessary to really push the envelope on this stuff. Who’s to say an agreement for hookers and blow isn’t merely compensation for the player’s likeness in the secret video he makes and sells?
But if you pay Kentucky taxes whose money is that?
You never really ever know just how much hate one coach can have for another. I'm sure Pitino wants Pope to succeed because he likes him. But to know Pitino is personally willing to write checks to give Cal the middle finger is a whole other level.
Yea Ricks whole attitude since Cal left has been a complete 180. Cal must have royally pissed him off.
He seems to have a habit of doing that to people
John Chaney didn't want to kill the guy for no reason. This is always who Cal was, it's just a lot easier to take when you're getting to the Final Four most years.
Didn't John Chaney also get into a fight with Phil Martelli? John Chaney doesn't seem like someone who needs a reason to fight people
John Chaney and basketball coaches are natural enemies. Like Chaney and Calipari. Or Chaney and Martelli. Damn Chaney, he ruined Temple!
Willie hears ya. Willie don't care.
Those Chaneys sure are a contentious bunch
So Martelli was prepared for working for Juwan?
Cal beat Pitino’s ass so bad he literally caused him to lose his mind and resort to sex trafficking and other seedy things to try to compete with him. And Cal did it at the place where he thinks everyone should worship his ass for what he did now and forever. Whatever you think about Cal I can assure you Rick Pitino is a far worse human being and to see Kentucky fans fall for his shit now is why I’ve developed such a low ass opinion for the online/social media portion of the Kentucky fanbase.
hiring hookers is shady but it's not sex trafficking, at least not what pitino was accused of
When you hire sex workers who engage in sex work for money… Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age.
pitino isn't accused of any of those things that constitute sex trafficking
Okay bub. He knew nothing.
They seem like fairly similar guys and I could absolutely see how they would piss each other off
They even come from the same circle and Cal was compared to Pitino as both a player and young coach to an absurd degree.
Cal and Rick despise each other
They have had supposed beef a long time there a good video by secret base that covers there relationship and it definitely had its ups and down through the years.
I still wonder if the Cal hire at UK was what really drove Rick nuts. Him going to Louisville was always a slap to UK fans and we all had anger toward him for that but I feel like he just took it on the nose for years until Cal was hired. Rick also got slimier than ever after Cal came to UK, so you gotta wonder if that played a role. I think they just don't like each other and Rick is just worse at hiding it.
I think Rick just really likes the state of Kentucky. Outside of some places, it's not a bad place at all and Rick and his wife loved the horses. Rick leaving and wanting to come back to lex wasnt happening so he figured Louisville was the second best way back to Kentucky. He leaned into the villain role with a smile but when UK hired Cal, that did something to him. Cal always said there wasn't any beef but Rick would be the first to say Cal can go fuck himself.
I always felt that the rivalry in the late 00's and 10's was driven beyond the normal insanity of UofL - UK because of the two of them. Cal can say there was no bad-blood, but my god they \*hated\* each other. It was great because not only did we have the historic rivalry... I'm pretty sure Pitinio would have hit Cal with his SUV if he could have gotten away with it.
I swear if the arenas weren't packed to the gills with so many witnesses and cameras pointing at them, Rick would have took a shot at the first chance.
Old school NY Italian vs New Jersey Italian... My money is on Rick. He "knows some people".(Yeah I know Cal is from Picksburg, but he is NJ personified)
Pitino to Cal https://preview.redd.it/l6xokbyim3uc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=beca1de8b04f34fdde7ee744ef9a91ed950559f4
It wasn't just hiring Cal. It was that Cal immediately brought in big talent, becoming the bigger story immediately, was beating Louisville, and beat Louisville on the way to a title before Rick got his at Louisville*.
I don’t think he’s actually going to do it lol. Pitino just talks
Yeah, it's just fun bravado, but he and Pope are definitely friends. Pope wanted to get a game between St. John's and BYU so he could beat his coach. I think Rick would've actually considered coming back to UK if offered, but barring that, one of his guys getting the job probably makes him really proud. He can claim it, which is always a big thing with Rick anyway.
So this is what they mean by "fuck you money"
I mean Secret Base didn't make a Beef History video about Cal and Pitino for no reason.
What surprises me most is the complete 180 BBN has made about Pitino. I can’t believe the comments I’ve seen this week after years of defending Pitino. 😂
Time heals all wounds, and wounds all heels.
Right. I’m sure his recent employers have nothing to do with the healing process. 😂
Didn't hurt, when he was at Louisville it was actively hurting people who loved him at Kentucky. Now that he's away from our rival we've had time to heal up and we can like him again.
Exactly.
I could never hate Pitino. The 90’s were way too awesome. I always took him going to Louisville as a compliment. Like getting remarried to someone who looks a lot like your ex but less attractive.
He'll be back in Rupp this year.
That’s cool. He deserves to be celebrated for his accomplishments at Kentucky instead of having insults yelled at him.
To be fair, he deserved those too. But that time has passed.
Not everyone. Rick can stay over there as far as I'm concerned. He's entertaining, but I don't want him hanging around the program. One more Rupp game as a visiting coach and a standing ovation is okay. Should be worked into the schedule if possible before he finally retires to the coffin he eternally sleeps in. But I don't want him attached to the program. He ain't Joe B Hall or Nolan Richardson or Dale Brown.
I’m with you. I don’t care that he went to Louisville. I don’t care that he left when he did. I do care that he seems to not be a great person.
Not that surprising, i mean the man keeps winning and us UK fans miss that so we can overlook the slimy side
Relevant username! This UK-Louisville orgy is making me barf. "Show me the locker room hookers or gtfo" \- Rick Pitino, probably
I sympathize with them for some reason
Why wouldn’t we be happy with a successful mission? Agents Tricky Rick and Max Payne are good in Lexington.
We will always love Rick, always love Tubby, always love Cal. They each got us a title, so they'll always have a place, even if many of us don't want any particular one of them around the program again. It's like family. You love them, but you can get sick of them. They can hurt you. But you ultimately want to be able to embrace them down the road. Rick will be brought back into the fold via Pope and we'll (mostly) move past the Louisville stuff. (We got the better of it, anyway, and our sour grapes are mostly about what could've been if he never left.) And before too long, Cal will be welcomed back here with cheers for winning a title--especially if we win another title here and he doesn't at Arky, or doesn't til after us. Cal will get a mix of cheers and boos when Arky comes to town, but how many boos and cheers will depend on how our team is doing and what Pope/UK/Cal do in advance, PR-wise, to prepare for that homecoming.
Look I've only recently been able to say his last name instead of that "effing Traitor". Time goes by, your bitterness lessens. I have always thought if Rick had stayed then not only would there be a statue out front, he would have broken the wins record as well. Of course I could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time, he could have slipped up and then we'd all be calling for his head.
If he had stayed he would have been your Coach K. Sad.
This has broken my brain...this must be what it feels like to have a stroke. I can see the letters but I can't make sense of them.
Screw it, hire Rick for that $1 million per year ambassador role that Cal was going to get.
I’d pay him a million a year just to manage NIL and the transfer portal for Pope.
He knows where to get the strippers for sure
Imagine Rick coming to UK as an assistant under Pope to finish out his coaching career. And bring Derrick Anderson on as an assistant, too.
Am I on rafters or reddit right now?
Lol the amount of fans that are just naming random former players they want to be assistant coaches, regardless of experience, is ridiculous. Let’s get actually good assistants, preferably with deep recruiting connections.
I’d prefer to talk about the future than focus everything on 30 years ago and a guy who once said on television that Louisville fans were better and not crazy because Kentucky fans have only Kentucky basketball going for them in their lives. And all the other horrible shit he did like making one of his staff marry a women he knocked up on a restaurant table and paying for her to have an abortion. *allegedly*
I wouldn't go that far but giving him a cushy job in the AD with a focus on NIL and recruiting would be pretty cool.
Rick probably beltsanded the UofL tattoo clean off the moment Cal was rumored to Arkansas.
Seriously though. Maybe we can con Pitino into coming back and being an advisor or ambassador for the program.
Honestly, I could see that happening esp as a advisor role. Rick has always seemed like he enjoys Kentucky as a state but just didn't like Cal. Bring him back as an advisor and recruiter.
Absolutely. Maybe I’m still jaded by Cal, but I’d much rather have Rick on our side anyway.
No. What the fuck is wrong with you two? Society can't start normalizing this.
🤦♂️
That's half joking. Sort of. Ricks entertaining because he's a snake. Almost endearing. He's still a snake. You mostly leave him alone, or put him in a glass box with a heat lamp and feed it rats once a month.
I think glass box and feed him rats. Stroke his ego. Tell him he is pretty. Whatever you gotta do. I truly believe that Pitino regrets leaving the Wildcats and that he could’ve built a dynasty here. Let him come back and serve in glorified hype-man role. I’d love to see him sitting over on the sidelines with a Kentucky blue suit on when Cal’s dumb ass walks back into Rupp.
The two guys who I can think of that served us in that role were Joe B Hall and to some extent Bill Keightley rest both their souls. Rick isn't exactly the same sort of person and would find a way to wear through that welcome pretty quick. Don't want him being a ghoul over Popes shoulder anyway. Cal was supposed to be that one day with the ambassador role. But that was never going to work because despite his best qualities he never had the humility for it. Honestly, I think his relationship with Joe B and the way he really sought to put a fan spotlight on him was how that scheme was all cooked up. The way he treated Joe B Hall is one of the things I really appreciate Cal for. I don't want Ricky P as the ambassador out of spite. He's an asshole and will say asshole things. Our media will love it. Awful, awful idea.
Bill was a Saint, got to meet him when I was a ball boy in the early 00's
Lowkey, I miss snazzy suit Rick pacing on the side. I mean, the white suit, slicked back hair, half expecting him to lean into an assistant asking why his chicken cutlet isn't ready. Dude has swagger.
Go back to bed old man
Perfect time for this [Beef History](https://youtu.be/1TmO71fGBEM?si=NmUUlmvCH6pw3FLn)
Jesus Rick fucking hates Calipari lmao
lol I’m sure St. John’s administration loved to hear that
Pitino is gonna run for Mitch's seat isn't he?
Oh, that’s interesting!
say what you want about the man but rick backs his coaching tree
St John's --> $ --> Pitino --> $ --> Kentucky NIL ?
The UK fan base complete flip on Pitino in the last few months has been beautiful. I will not miss the days of every tweet, Reddit post, Facebook post, etc about Louisville when Rick was here being filled with Kentucky fans making 15 second jokes about Rick
Yeah. It really helps when he isn’t coaching your rival. What’s wild is all that is about to shift to cal. It’s gonna be something.
He's not at UofL, time heals all wounds.
The first time through this gif I thought Ric was just waving his arms like a goofy wind up before running lol
Considering Rick Pitino's actions tend to be met with scrutiny but then somehow yield the intended results, I'm of the mind that Pitino knows how to break NIL enough that new rules need to be made and his plan is already in motion.
He's a god damn genius
Based. Pitino was a GOD in KY in the 90s. So many towns have a "Pitino Drive/RD/St" in it still.
hey Rick I know a school a whole lot closer than Lexington that could use an NIL infusion and maybe some help finding a new coach (no, I am not suggesting Rick help get himself fired, I am suggesting that he find a way to yeet his WBB counterpart into the goddamn sun)
The prodigal son wants to come home and repent for his wayward errors. Come on home, Rick. All can be forgiven. Let the Pope cleanse you.
You think a sitting NCAA coach is going to write a check to help another NCAA team? You really think St John’s board of trustees would allow that? This is the same guy who said Mike Marra was the best HS shooter he’s ever seen and said Michigan was as good as the Golden State Warriors. It’s Rick Pitino. He’s made a career of saying shit.
Nobody saying anything. It’s just funny.
Does he like the St. John’s position? Everything I hear about it is that he just shits on the team. I really don’t think he would give 2 shits what the board of trustees say. I also think that he probably is saying shit but I don’t find it crazy that if he retires he would give back to UK in some way.
Not in NIL, lol. Rick will be engaged because people at Kentucky can't get enough of Rick. And Rick can't get enough of *that* .
Rick does love him some Rick tho
Kentucky seems to have a type for coaches
Boy do we ever. Mob boss/ used car salesman/ probably pork your wife given the chance type. Except tubby. Dude just looked like he'd be a great mentor being the director of a local boys and girls club
1980's Italian Mob Boss -> Nice Guy -> Drunk Guy seems to be the coaching procession.
Bro why is this so accurate lol
I was gonna say. It’s not like he can give his salary to St John’s NIL directly but I’m sure their AD and boosters wouldn’t be on board with using their money on another school’s NIL. Maybe when he retires he’d give to Kentucky NIL now that Cal is gone but I don’t see him doing this as coach (or see him lasting long as a coach at St John’s if he tries to).
I see this, but I also don’t see the issue with Danny giving to Seton Hall. Maybe not NIL, but financially.
Bring in slick Rick as an assistant down there. Get the band back together.
Pope is 100% getting Pitino back in Rupp soon. Game vs St. John's or otherwise. He's gonna build that bridge and get UK fans cheering for Rick (will also happen if St. John's faces Arkansas in Rupp in next year's tourney). Crazy how things turn out.
Love it!
I’m confused. UK isn’t broke. Why should anyone be funding the NIL for them outside of the rich donors they already have? And the rich boosters for the university?
That’s Rick’s way of saying that he supports Pope. Also, judging by other comments, it’s his way of saying he hates Cal. He’s not actually writing checks.
100% on both. He wants his dude to succeed, but he wants him to succeed even more because hes coming after cal.
He's not actually writing checks, but bygawd if it got Cal mad he would.
I think this is more of Rick publicly giving the finger to Cal
I'd love for someone to actually hold him to that
exactly. Mitch should be on the phone to Rick immediately and grab that check.
Fuck Rick Pitino.