Rick Pitino’s legacy is at risk. The once revered Louisville coach is now at the center of an extortion plot that has so many twists and turns, and he said she said curve balls, it could be made into a Lifetime movie.

He spoke out last Wednesday and expressed that this whole situation has been “pure hell” for him and his family, blaming the media for putting him in the spotlight under false pretenses. He lashed out at reporters and said the truth will come out at the trial. In other words, he’s the victim.

Unfortunately, this sounds painfully familiar. The truth always comes out at the trial. But my question is this. Wouldn’t it have been better for all parties involved if the truth had been told all along? If Pitino did sleep around, why didn’t he just tell his wife. Why did he let it go as far as extortion? Why did he try to hide from his mistakes — a lesson he preaches about in his own book?

It’s clear to me where Pitino’s priorities are at. According to the National Sports Review, he was quoted as saying, “We need to get on with the important things in life like the economy and really some crucial things in life like basketball.”

Basketball is crucial? What about family?

I can’t say that I’m surprised. Today’s society seems to make people believe that social standing is what matters most, and the rest of it can take a back seat. The sad thing about Pitino is that he cares more about how “this looks” in the media, and how it will affect his basketball career than anything else.

For a man who often speaks out about responsibility and priorities, I think Pitino needs to heed his own advice.

Here’s a video clip from Pitino’s press conference last Wednesday:

Post from: EveryJoe

Rick Pitino Should Revaluate His Priorities

Will Rick Pitino take another stab at the NBA?

Not at the moment.

Although rumors around the Internet circulated that the Sacramento Kings were in interested in hiring him as a head coach,  ESPN.com reported that contact with the Kings was initiated by Pitino’s camp. Sacramento never considered him as it began drafting a list of potential candidates.

But Pitino told Louisville this morning that he had no intention of leaving his current coaching position.

May Sacramento wasn’t interested? Afterall, Pitino’s two NBA stints were with the  New York Knicks from 1987 to 1989 and with the Boston Celtics from 1997 to 2001, and neither jobs were successful.

Image: Newscom

Post from: EveryJoe

Rick Pitino Isn’t Going To The NBA

On the famous shot, Laettner caught a full court pass from Grant Hill and then sank a fadeaway jumper in one of the best finishes in the history of basketball. This Laettner video has him “scoring” with multiple objects. At the end of the video, there’s a Rick Pitino cameo.

If you are a Duke fan, you should definitely check it out. Kentucky fan? Scroll down and read another blog entry:

Post from: EveryJoe

Christian Laettner and Rick Pitino Video – Vitamin Water