Game over for Pitino

We won't look at Rick Pitino the same way anymore. The media has a habit of deifying successful coaches, especially college coaches. They are portrayed as the classy, disciplinarian, fatherly figures who supposedly mould the "kids" playing for them. This story-line takes center-stage especially during the NCAA tournament day in and day out. Of course this is America and we are talking baout Sports. So obviously winning is the most important thing and the winning coaches walk away with all these honors and credits. That part never made sense to me. I am sure there are great coaches who really mould these guys in to great men and serve as a great role-model. But winning has very little to do with that. It's totally orthogonal to the kind of people and mentor these coaches are. You could be a scum-bug human being and still win bowl games and NCAA championships because you are a great coach. You know your X's and O's and you know how to push the right buttons. Doesn't make you the next Mahatma Gandhi, but you sure can win the Fiesta Bowl. But the media always mixed these two things up.

Honestly, there's a racial angle to this like anything else in our culture. The media consciously or sub-consciously likes to tell you this story that middle-aged white men mould, coach and mentor young black men and make them in to something worthwhile! The coaches are reason these kids succeed and win. They would like you to believe or may be they themselves believe that without a Pitino or a Bowden or a Knight or a Paterno these black kids would have no direction and would end up being streets thugs. Thats racist and unfair to a loft of these athletes, but thats how America thinks when it comes to race. I am not saying none of these coaches deserve any credit. If I paint all these guys with the same broad brush, I would be making the same mistake as the media, only in reverse. For instance I like Michigan State's Tom Izzo. I don't know him, but he seems like a decent, classy dude. All I am saying is that, don't make them saints just because they win basketball games. Always remember that the NCAA football and basketball are running some of the most corrupt systems in the World. It'll put third world political systems to shame when it comes to corruption and lack of integrity. And of course these "legendary" coaches are neck-deep in that system.

That brings me to Rick Pitino. He cheated on his wife, impregnated a woman and paid for her abortion. A neat trifecta if there ever was one, This started off as an extortion case against the woman, but last week all the other details exploded on us. Finally, Pitino had to admit to the affair and the fact that he paid her 3000 dollars. When I heard the news, the abortion was part of the story in my eyes, but it was a footnote to the fact that he cheated on his wife and slept with a random woman and impregnated her. But apparently, the sticking point in this whole thing is the abortion. The fact that he paid for the abortion and possibly encouraged it is what is going to get him fired - this according to a guy on ESPN radio. I heard him say this and it made sense considering he is coaching in Kentucky and this is definitely how conservative America thinks on this issue. America in my opinion is shockingly conservative and even stupid in some sense. I guess everybody understands sex and cheating on their wives, but they can't accept abortion!

The next day Pitino spoke to the media and he claimed that he gave her 3000 dollars for buying insurance. He is basically trying to tell you that he had nothing to do with the abortion. It was her decision and she exercised her "right to choose" if you will. All he did was get her the health insurance. This is all probably a lie, but it proves the point that it's the abortion thats the sticking point here. I find that fascinating. In any case, another celebrity bites the dust. He will survive this and will be fine at the end of the day - the millions will still be in the bank. But the loss of face and the fall from grace will be difficult to deal with. I always feel for the family, especially the kids in such situations. But it is what it is and the Pitinos have to deal with it. I wish them Good luck. As for the basketball, I know he will still be coaching somewhere in the future. I don't care whether it is at Louisville or somewhere else. It's all the same to me.