Insane in the Membrane: Is Pitino losing it?
By Staff
I have to admit, this gets more and more bizarre each time I watch it. In a span of seven minutes, I was dumbfounded, amused, enraged, and simply confused. In what could be the worst PR move of the century, Rick Pitino ignored his lawyers, his advisers, and his employers and hastily called a press conference this afternoon to address the Karen Sypher situation.
And what caused this brouhaha? A Louisville TV station interrupted regular programming to air portions of Karen Sypher’s allegations against Pitino, as this information was released today. And this so enraged Pitino that he re-ignited a story that was already losing it’s lustre. But instead of Karen Sypher, it’s all about Pitino and his “season on the brink”.
In the issue of fairness, I think Karen Sypher has serious problems. I don’t believe for a second that Pitino raped her and I have serious doubts about whether she was actually pregnant. And most people share those views. And to be honest, the issue is not about Karen Sypher anymore. It’s about A) Pitino’s lack of judgment in having sex on a restaurant table with someone other than his wife, B) getting that person pregnant, and C) paying for her to abort a life. And since Pitino has already publicly admitted to A and C, it really does not matter if B really happened.
And in the issue of stupidity, Pitino got the biggest assist ever this week when the NCAA handed down sanctions against Memphis, and some of the media heat went to UK’s John Calipari. And then, Pitino grabbed the media spotlight and put it directly on him once again. So with no further adieu, let’s look at the tape. Yea, I know that by posting the video, I don’t need to break it down, but allow me the indulgence.
I was not that impressed with Pitino’s first press conference. I found him oddly defiant and found it uncomfortable that he invoked 9/11. Well as unconvincing as the first presser was, this one was rambling and disjointed. Pitino is annoyed from the beginning and self righteously says this is all about blackmail and extortion. I guess he never got the point that if he had not had sex with Sypher, there would be no blackmail or extortion. He goes on a mini rant about “false allegations” and then around the 1:00 mark curiously invokes the death of Teddy Kennedy, much like he invoked 9/11. To be honest, for him to be mentioning his “pain”in the same breaths as 9/11 and Teddy Kennedy is extremely insulting to say the least. Once again, there would be no “false allegations” and no pain if only he remained faithful to his wife.
Barely controlling his anger, Pitino rants at the media and then at the story of Sypher’s psychological testing because “I need this thing to go to trial”. Seriously, how sanctimonious can this guy be? The self righteousness continues as Pitino references the Final Four he went to with Louisville.
And then it gets bizarre. Pitino states that he is “fed up” with this and that we need to get on with the important things in life like the economy and wait for it … “really some crucial things in life like basketball”. Whaaaaaaa? Then Ricky calls for Louisville fans to boycott the TV news and newspapers if they ever speak badly of him and then went the self righteous route again, pulling the victim of blackmail card. Pitino makes the claim that he did not “bring on this fight”. Actually Rick, your actions at Porcini brought all these events into motion, so yea, you kind of did bring all of this on you.
And in one of the most mind boggling statements ever uttered, Pitino states that “All I did was stand up to a long laundry list of people who passed away today, who couldn’t stand up, because what was done was wrong”. Seriously. What does this mean? We know that he is invoking Teddy Kennedy and whoever else died today but … meh, it makes my brain hurt. Pitino them rambles aimlessly and is upset that people in New York had to read about him having sex on a restaurant table, and then says that everything is lies except what he has said. Are you serious? Wow. It really can get no worse, right.
It does. He goes on to say that his shame will not hurt the Cardinals recruiting and that UL will continue to be a top 10 program. Um Rick, UL is not a Top 10 program NOW. But I digress. He then concluded the press conference by saying he has only made one mistake and dared journalists to dig up dirt on him. You sure you want to bring THAT heat on yourself, Rick?
All in all, it was a very confusing move by Pitino and all it did was bring the focus back on him. Expect more and more reporters to try and bait Pitino to get him to explode again. But this raises questions. In a case where both sides are acting crazily, you start to think that the real truth now lies somewhere in the middle. And by protesting too much, Pitino is a loser in the court of public opinion.
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