Karen Sypher (AP photo)
Wondering the national average-Joe reaction to the Rick Pitino sex scandal?
I perused Twitter this morning and discovered some pretty entertaining and creating “tweets” about the story:
- missingfingers: I neglect to watch Sports Center one night and miss Youk getting hit by a pitch and Pitino paying 3 grand to get rid of his problem. Sigh.
- Russ_Kessler: @johnclayiv Your right. However, I am trying to talk my wife into letting me take her to Porcini’s for her birthday.
- @sportsguy33: But seriously… Couldn’t this Pitino thing have happened before ESPN released its twitter policy??? I am so bitter.
- cattleprod: It’s disappointing that the Courier-Journal has disabled comments on their Rick Pitino Trailer Trash story. Was SO looking forward to it all
- @sportspickle: Rival Coaches Telling Recruits That Rick Pitino Might Abort Them
- BostonFaninDC: Wish we could abort Pitino’s tenure with the Celtics
- CyberHodge: Porcini’s Restaurant must serve some seriously great oysters.
- sparkman: is doing my morning update on the sports world. I am floored after reading the Rick Pitino saga. Why does success make a person stupid?
- iamxcalibur: Rick Pitino looks extremely bad right now. gave the lady 3g’s for an abortion. not very mature or professional when u teach kids
- bobcatbaseball: Rick Pitino has wild sex at resturant in 2003. Never saw Fatal Attraction – abortion, extortion,
- KADLAC: In twenty years, do you think sports will soon include an NC17 rating?
- LordMacken: Isn’t it strange that Pitino’s employee winds up marrying his one night stand? How do you face your boss everyday with that?
- nhdogmom: Rick Pitino might want Larry Byrd & Kevin McCale to come walking thru his door now or maybe to take him away.Wow can’t make some stuff up
- AaronSAment: Is ready for another family outing to Porcini’s when I get home:
- @pourmecoffee: Don’t order the special at Porcini restaurant in Louisville no matter how good it seems at the time.
- briansmith31681: Trying to figure out if having sex with a stranger in Porcini’s is worse than paying that women 3 grand later to abort your love child
- joshcohron: I’m supposed to meet Rick Pitino for dinner tonight at Porcini in Louisville. Should I be worried?
- @RickMaese: It would make my day if Tim Tebow would counsel Rick Pitino.
- onegreatseason: I’ve got to think #Louisville fans are wishing this controversy would have happened to #Kragthorpe and not #Pitino. Easy pink slip. #sblog
- RAINAesq: Rick Pitino, what are you doing? & are your shananigans the reason why ur team, and more importantly my bracket, lost out in the Elite 8?!
- @KimSoper: WOW Rick Pitino…you even make Billy Gillispie look good!
- EKendralla86: UK has had a hard time since Pitino left, but I would be very surprised if they weren’t laughing pretty hard right now.
- jeffvalois: This whole Pitino thing sounds like a bad Lifetime movie. Hilarious that Pitino’s friend marries her 6mo after he pays for the abortion. Ugh
- gbullard: I’m clearly 5 years old, because I laughed at the CJ’s choice of a top-fold story opposite Pitino on the web: “Juicy Tomatoes”
I didn’t know they had sex on the menu there!
John,
I am no UofL fan. I am no big fan of Pitino, though I respect his accomplishments on the court.
I have to honestly say that making light of the situation–and promoting those who do, as you have here–is pretty disgusting in itself. I appreciate the commentary you give from time to time, though I usually just follow this blog because you do a good job of keeping your finger on the pulse of UK sports. I have to say, though, that I am disappointed in this entry. I think some grown-up restraint was called for. I can’t expect everyone to give it, and it’s no wonder there are a bunch of tasteless folks “tweeting” about it right and left. I did expect you and others in your position to do a better job supplying it as news, and then leaving the tragic, horrible situation alone.
I hope you do so in the future.
JBL, I understand your criticism concerning the publicizing of this news. However, I reserve “tragic” for circumstances far more dire than two people being caught in an extramarital sex scandal.
I believe the tragic part of this incident would be Pitino agreeing to pay to kill a child he could more than afford to support to avoid embarressment to himself and his family. It’s certainly not proven that she was pregant especially given the holes in her story but according to the story Pitino thought she was so in my view his actions are reprehensible.
irrreprensible
sorry for the bad grammar
I am depressed that my tweets did not make the cut!!! Search me on twitter!! I alone have the top ten!!
Is this the same man that fired Winston Bennett for having sex with a Boston college student when they were with the Celtics??
John, I agree wholeheartedly with your definition of “tragic.” This is just another case where a guy got in trouble by listening to his “little friend.” Frankly he deserves whatever abuse he gets. Also, it is likely that his marriage will not really be affected by this “news.”
I agree with your definition of “tragic” too John.
I don’t think Pitino should resign or I don’t think Louisville should or will fire him.
I thought some of the tweets were funny. However, my wife gets disgusted at me when I watch Old School and laugh like a ten year old…. At least I don’t watch it around my kids. Same thing with Bad Santa..
hey JBL, what happened to Billy Minardi is “tragic”
what Pitino did to his wife & Billy Minardi’s brother is sleezy and immoral
OK, now is the time for ALL UK fans to show respect for Joanne Pitino and the five Pitino children, as well as to Karen Sypher’s children. They clearly had no control over this situation and are bearing a large burden. Let’s not add to the pain they are already going through. Let the courts decide what happens with Ms. Sypher and let UofL and Rick Pitino decide what happens with his tenure as coach. I am not saying that these things don’t happen all over the place, but this is a sad day for college basketball in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
A baby was killed. That is pretty tragic.
I can’t judge the man. I’ve made some pretty big mistakes in my life, as we all have. Ryan
The guy has been a philanderer for years-the question is why his wife puts up with the humiliation.
John,
The question is not whether the situation is tragic. I will concede to you that it is not. But that’s not a substantive point on your part. Focusing on my word choice allowed you, above, to avoid my real criticism.
My point is that you, John Clay, are promoting those making light of a terrible situation. This is not journalism. Maybe you don’t claim it is. Fine. But whatever you want to call it, you could not call it decent–and decency and respectability is what I’d like from folks in your position, not to mention Pitino’s.
It’s about lowering, or ignoring, or dismantling social standards by putting things in print (or in public, to be more precise) that are better left unsaid, or if said, left to barroom chats.
I am sure I don’t need to tell you that you’ve got a platform from which to speak, but it’s central to my point. Having such a platform means you set an example one way or another, good or bad, for all your readers (especially young ones). I’d just like you to set a better example, and felt the rare need to point it out, hoping you’d feel the same way.