Rick Pitino: Bitter Old Man

Okay, I know we're all pumped about the Madness campout and the LSU game, but I need to talk about Pitino's interview with Adam Zagoria some more. You know, the one in which he said how "dumb" UConn would be if they left the Big East for the ACC, comparing it his decision to leave "Camelot" for the Celtics back in '97? WTF, Rick Pitino. Did you double up on your dose of crazy this week? It's okay, I know that and the Rogaine bottles are next to each other and it can get confusing. Let's take another look at these comments:

“I almost went to Connecticut, it was Connecticut or UMass,” the Louisville coach told SNY.tv during an exclusive interview Tuesday at Hudson Catholic High School. “I remember when they were struggling to win the Yankee Conference. In all of sports, the greatest building job I’ve seen in my life was done at Connecticut. The Big East has taken them from a Yankee Conference school” to where they are now. “With that being said, how can you want to leave? Why would you want to leave? My biggest mistake I made in my life is when I left Camelot [Kentucky]. They’re leaving Camelot. It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of."

- First, the Big East is NOT Camelot. I know this week must be tough for you, with the buzz of the Big Blue Madness campout fluttering around the state (in fact, you probably brought your old '96 NCAA Championship ring out of the jewelry box and polished it with your tears), but please don't compare that conference to us. Yes, Jim Calhoun has built UConn into a very powerful program, one that saved the Big East from humiliation earlier this year by winning the tournament, but that was UConn's accomplishment, not yours, Rick, and not the Big East's. I understand that if UConn leaves the Big East, it will crumble and Louisville might join the Big 12 and you'll be forced to travel to Kansas City, and not New York for the conference tournament, but stop it. Watching you attempt a power play these days is just sad; almost as sad as me feeling bad for Louisville fans for what you're doing to them. - How do you think Tom Jurich reacted to Pitino's statements yesterday? If only he had said them on-air then Jurich could have frantically attempted to use his magical powers to get the station off-air temporarily, or throw up an test of the Emergency Broadcast System. If Pitino keeps up with his Godfather-esque campaign to keep Louisville in the Big East despite everyone else saying that it benefits Louisville more to move to the Big 12, his relationship with Jurich may be gone completely, along with his job. The best thing to come out of this, aside from your comments about Kentucky being Camelot (the ultimate knife-twist to Little Brother's fans)? At least Cards fans now know it's never been "Louisville First," it's always been "Pitino First" (and then only for 15 seconds).