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OT: Prostitutes for L'ville men's recruits; Pitino Heartbroken

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One thing that makes me think this is more than just smoke...the assistant coach named has been suspended by his next school...wouldn't think they would do this unless there is some merit to the issue.
 
Tonyc said:
You think LVille is the only school? Many recruits who are contacted by many schools are picked up at the airport by girls whether its cheerleaders or other females. It happens, LVille got caught. Its been going on for years. You get the top recruits you should win. Winning is money and schools will do what it takes to get the top players. Hey is it right? Most of us will agree its not. Its about the money. Money doesn't always bring happiness...however either does poverty. When your running a big business its all about getting to the top and staying at the top and its is driven by money. What else can I say? I don't like it but that's the way it is.
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I don't think it's always about the money - at least not the school's revenue. Schools have rich boosters who REALLY want them to win - for pride and winning's sake. Whether it's T. Boone Pickens at Okla State or Red McCombs at Texas or the rapper at Miami, or John Wooden's sugar daddy at UCLA, there's usually someone willing to pay the bills and keep the shady stuff at least out from directly under the athletic dept's supervision.

What's shocking about the Louisville story (among other things) is it was (allegedly) directly supervised by an assistant coach, and presumably funded directly by the athletic dept. Morality aside, this is just dumb.
 
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Based on some initial reports of what's in the book, there are so many details (photos, txt messages, etc), that is seems unlikely it didn't happen. Also, Jurich and Pitino reportedly learned of the allegations and the upcoming book in late August. That's a month to conduct at least a preliminary investigation. At Friday's press conference, neither AD Jurich nor Pitino denied what's alleged in the book. This is from a Gary Parrish column:

As far as press conferences go, it was wild. Wild because of the details of the allegations. Wild because of the timing. Wild because it featured questions about dancers and hookers and cash and a staff member. But it was mostly wild because nobody denied any of it.

To be clear, nobody acknowledged any of it either.

An independent investigation commissioned by Louisville AD Tom Jurich is ongoing.

But the most telling part of this bizarre, impromptu press conference held on Louisville's campus late Friday afternoon was that though Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino expressed shock and disappointment and insisted he's "heartbroken," he never said he doesn't believe what's alleged to have happened on his watch ever happened. In fact, at one point, a reporter opened a question by saying, "You've mentioned that you don't believe these allegations are true," at which point Pitino said, "I didn't say that."

And, by not saying that, Pitino sure did say a lot.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...ick-pitino-didnt-say-about-escorts-said-a-lot


 
vtcwbuff said:
Once again it sounds like the BY jury has handed down their verdict before opening arguments.
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Given Mr. Pitino's past behavior you can hardly blame people for not giving him the benefit of the doubt.

If he knew and didn't stop it or if he was in the dark about it, either way he is in trouble. Or he should be, this is a major men's college basketball program we're talking about after all. :rolleyes:
 
I just listened to a podcast with Yahoo sportswriters Dan Wetzel and Pat Forde. The story was broken by Forde, who lives in Louisville and is about as close to Louisville athletics as a national sportswriter can be. Wetzel and Forde were in agreement that the allegations seem believable, mentioning the many details, identifying players/recruits who participated and others who did not, etc. Both said that a made up story wouldn't read like this one. Also, my thought is that if there were any indications coming from Louisville that this didn't happen (generally, not quibbling over specifics), Forde would know it and say it and he didn't. Wetzel and Forde disagreed over potential fate of Pitino; Wetzel said he'll never be fired while Forde said it's possible.

As for the NCAA investigation, Forde said that what will likely happen is the NCAA will talk to recruits/players allegedly involved (at Louisville and those who chose to play elsewhere) and threaten immunity for those who tell the truth and ineligibility for those who don't.
 
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UConnCat said:
I just listened to a podcast with Yahoo sportswriters Dan Wetzel and Pat Forde. The story was broken by Forde, who lives in Louisville and is about as close to Louisville athletics as a national sportswriter can be. Wetzel and Forde were in agreement that the allegations seem believable, mentioning the many details, identifying players/recruits who participated and others who did not, etc. Both said that a made up story wouldn't read like this one. Also, my thought is that if there were any indications coming from Louisville that this didn't happen (generally, not quibbling over specifics), Forde would know it and say it and he didn't. Wetzel and Forde disagreed over potential fate of Pitino; Wetzel said he'll never be fired while Forde said it's possible.

As for the NCAA investigation, Forde said that what will likely happen is the NCAA will talk to recruits/players allegedly involved (at Louisville and those who chose to play elsewhere) and threaten immunity for those who tell the truth and ineligibility for those who don't.
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Also it was reported that IBJ Publishing, who published Katina Powell's book, hired a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist to vet the key facts before they would publish it. BTW the book won't be released until next week, but is available on Kindle now for $9.99. It's only 104 pages. Should have been titled My Life as a Ho, or maybe Proud Mom Brings Up Three Ho Daughters to Follow in Her Footsteps.
 
Woof 101 said:
No spitting match eric but I find it hard to believe you do not realize Patino and Calipari are like two peas in a pod. As for Boeheim his sliminess could never reach the heights of Rick or John. Never thought he was that great a coach, he had the dome and a 2/3 zone. He had the easiest recruiting tools of them all. "Come here and you can play in front of 30,000 and not have to work hard on defense!"
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And you know this how? (that they are 2 peas in a pod)... Calipari has had a pair of final 4's vacated due to violations - one at UMASS and one at Memphis (in fact, his entire season at Memphis was vacated). Pitino? None. In fact, Calhoun has more vacated games than Pitino. It was 3 games in 1996, but i don't recall the reasons why... UCONN also admitted to major recruiting violations under Calhoun - the whole Josh Nochimso thing and then the disaster in 2011 that resulted in loss of schollies and a post season ban.

I'm not saying Pitino isn't dirty - but to lump him and Calipari in one bucket given that one has been punished twice, and the other none, isn't quite right... Of course, Pitino was a "victim" of extortion for his extra-marital affair with Sypher, who tried to extort $ out of him to keep quiet - a piggish move for sure, but hardly related to hoops...
 
UConnCat said:
Based on some initial reports of what's in the book, there are so many details (photos, txt messages, etc), that is seems unlikely it didn't happen. Also, Jurich and Pitino reportedly learned of the allegations and the upcoming book in late August. That's a month to conduct at least a preliminary investigation. At Friday's press conference, neither AD Jurich nor Pitino denied what's alleged in the book. This is from a Gary Parrish column:

As far as press conferences go, it was wild. Wild because of the details of the allegations. Wild because of the timing. Wild because it featured questions about dancers and hookers and cash and a staff member. But it was mostly wild because nobody denied any of it.

To be clear, nobody acknowledged any of it either.

An independent investigation commissioned by Louisville AD Tom Jurich is ongoing.

But the most telling part of this bizarre, impromptu press conference held on Louisville's campus late Friday afternoon was that though Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino expressed shock and disappointment and insisted he's "heartbroken," he never said he doesn't believe what's alleged to have happened on his watch ever happened. In fact, at one point, a reporter opened a question by saying, "You've mentioned that you don't believe these allegations are true," at which point Pitino said, "I didn't say that."

And, by not saying that, Pitino sure did say a lot.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...ick-pitino-didnt-say-about-escorts-said-a-lot
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... Also, Jurich and Pitino reportedly learned of the allegations and the upcoming book in late August. That's a month to conduct at least a preliminary investigation.
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It's naive to think that an organization faced with a situation like this conducts an investigation to ascertain truth and then acts on those facts. It's more likely that those conducting the "investigation" carefully chose both who to interview and the questions they asked. It's always about protecting the organization. Discovering the truth is much further down the list of objectives.

Having worked in an organization that at times needed to handle minor scandals I'd wager that instead of spending that month doing an investigation, most of that time was used talking with attorneys and public relations officials. Petino would have met with his own legal counsel and with the schools attorneys (with his lawyer sitting next to him), then with State of Kentucky officials. The carefully worded statement and his answers suggest someone who has spent hours being prepped by attorneys.
 
UConnCat said:
I just listened to a podcast with Yahoo sportswriters Dan Wetzel and Pat Forde. The story was broken by Forde, who lives in Louisville and is . . close to Louisville athletics. Wetzel and Forde were in agreement that the allegations seem believable.
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j66kicker said:
Also it was reported that IBJ Publishing, who published Katina Powell's book, hired a. . . journalist to vet the key facts before they would publish it.
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I can't imgine that a journalist (MC?) would ghost-write a story about UConn recruiting violations without clearing it with the nominal author (PHS?).:rolleyes:

OTOH, maybe she did.;)
 
j66kicker said:
Also it was reported that IBJ Publishing, who published Katina Powell's book, hired a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist to vet the key facts before they would publish it. BTW the book won't be released until next week, but is available on Kindle now for $9.99. It's only 104 pages. Should have been titled My Life as a Ho, or maybe Proud Mom Brings Up Three Ho Daughters to Follow in Her Footsteps.
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I take the 'prize winning journalist' with a grain of salt - journalists who hire themselves out for these types of jobs, don't have current jobs, and have an incentive to support the sensational. We've seen plenty of very good journalists do very bad work over the years since Watergate so while I tend to trust journalists a little more than your average politician, that is not a very high bar to set.
 
UcMiami said:
I take the 'prize winning journalist' with a grain of salt - journalists who hire themselves out for these types of jobs, don't have current jobs, and have an incentive to support the sensational. We've seen plenty of very good journalists do very bad work over the years since Watergate so while I tend to trust journalists a little more than your average politician, that is not a very high bar to set.
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I guess it will sort itself out in time and we'll see
 
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ericsandiego said:
I'm not saying Pitino isn't dirty - but to lump him and Calipari in one bucket given that one has been punished twice, and the other none, isn't quite right... Of course, Pitino was a "victim" of extortion for his extra-marital affair with Sypher, who tried to extort $ out of him to keep quiet - a piggish move for sure, but hardly related to hoops...
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Pitino likely hasn't been as corrupt as Calipari in terms of NCAA violations - but he is even slimier than Calipari in terms of being a human being. His horrible behavior goes back at least 45 years and likely longer.
 
stamfordhusky said:
Pitino likely hasn't been as corrupt as Calipari in terms of NCAA violations - but he is even slimier than Calipari in terms of being a human being.
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So adultery is OK but pimping isn't? :rolleyes:

Pitino is also deservedly and permanently banned in Boston.:D
 
UcMiami said:
take the 'prize winning journalist' with a grain of salt - journalists. . . have an incentive to support the sensational. . . . so while I tend to trust journalists a little more than your average politician, that is not a very high bar to set.
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Remember the rule for editors and headline writers:

"If it bleeds, it leads."​

This explains the fascination with sensationalism among many media.
 
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Regardless of your impressions of Pitino, he is the head basketball coach. He is responsible for what happens with his program.
 
stamfordhusky said:
Pitino likely hasn't been as corrupt as Calipari in terms of NCAA violations - but he is even slimier than Calipari in terms of being a human being. His horrible behavior goes back at least 45 years and likely longer.
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I can't disagree with you on that account, or Woof for that matter. As a human being the guy may be slimey, but on the surface, at least, his program has been clean. I guess given his adulterous behavior, it's no surprise his program was hiring escorts for potential recruits.

BTW, this is done in football all the time. Every big program does it. I wonder what happens when they recruit a gay football player (you know they are out there). All the "T" and "A" in the world won't impress them LOL! ;)
 
The Latest: According to an interview conducted with the author/bean-spoller and posted on the NBC Sports site:

When I would ask Andre, ‘Does Pitino know about this?’ he would laugh and say, ‘Rick knows about everything.'"
 
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stamfordhusky said:
Who said adultery is OK?
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The Louisville University Administration (including the AD), by its silence and inaction when Pitino admitted his adulterous behavior. IIRC it was with a waitress. :eek:
 
Kibitzer said:
The Louisville University Administration (including the AD), by its silence and inaction when Pitino admitted his adulterous behavior. IIRC it was with a waitress. :eek:
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Would it have been better if it were with a banker?
 
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easttexastrash said:
Would it have been better if it were with a banker?
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Not for Pitino.

It was Karen Cypher, a waitress, and she got in trouble for trying to shake Pitino down for several million bucks (extortion) by informing Rick that he got her pregnant.

He admitted to giving her $3,000 to pay for an abortion. All widely reported - Louisville paper, ESPN, etc.

His stature as Louisville BB Coach earned him the "Teflon Treatment" by the UL Administration.
 
HoopsFan21 said:
Is Louisville even a real school? Or is it more along the lines of ITT Tech or Three Rivers Community College?
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It is a real school. Not particularly difficult to get into, but, once you do (like most schools) the academic path you take can be difficult, or on the easier side. I have a sister who went there, graduated with a double major, and went on to have a long successful career in medical technology. Her husband went there, including grad school (law), and has been a legal-eagle ever since.

Sadly, like any number of schools we can name (UNC, 'Bama, FSU, the list goes on) being a prized athlete can mean academics are secondary, at best.
 
As expected, the madam's story has been confirmed by a former Louisville recruit and now Ohio State player JaQuan Lyle who was interviewed by NCAA yesterday:

Ohio State freshman JaQuan Lyle spoke with an NCAA investigator this week about his recruiting visit to Louisville in June 2013 and confirmed the gist of allegations involving paid escorts during his trip to the school, a source with knowledge of the NCAA's investigation told CBS Sports on Thursday morning.

"He told the truth," the source said.

The allegations were made in a book published last Friday night called "Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen." In it, Katina Powell, a self-described madam, writes that she took four escorts, at the request of former Louisville staff member Andre McGee, to do a "show" for a "new recruit named JaQuan Lyle."

"I took Rod-Ni, TooTall, Jazmine and Shay, who calls herself Sammi," Powell wrote in a journal entry. "TooTall made $100, Shay made $100, and Jazzy made nothing because she did absolutely nothing."

Lyle, just a couple of weeks after his visit, committed to Louisville but later de-committed. He subsequently planned to play at Oregon but ultimately landed at Ohio State.

A unnamed former Louisville player told investigators that strippers were in the players' dorm on at least one occasion.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...uan-lyle-confirms-escort-allegations-for-ncaa

Meanwhile, the president of U of L issued a statement in which he said he fully supports Athletic Director Tom Jurich and the two of them are committed to the values that are fundamental to the success of Louisville athletics. The President failed to mention Rick Pitino who tonight said he was sorry Pres Ramsay "didn't think enough to mention me."

This is ugly.
 
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