semi-OT: Louisville

[intlzncster]

I'll say it again: this will not be swept under the rug.
Not on a college campus it won't.

There is a lot of nervousness in the NCAA over this. All it takes is one Sally Jenkins article in the Washington Post to blow this whole thing up. Don't miss the obvious. More than 50% of the students on college campuses are women. The NCAA has to come down hard on this. If they don't, they risk a huge Goodell/Ray Rice backlash.

Funny how the thing at UNC is ostensibly less important, given that the primary purpose of an institution is education.

 

[intlzncster]

Some pretty rich quotes here:
Richard Pitino, Rick’s son and the head coach at Minnesota, told OTL on Tuesday: “I can say 100 percent sure with zero doubt that Rick Pitino knew nothing about these alleged incidents.”
Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard, a former Pitino assistant, also says Rick Pitino was not aware what was going on at the time. “Rick Pitino absolutely had no knowledge that these allegations were going on at anytime,” Willard told SNY.tv. “Anyone that has worked for Coach Pitino or is a friend of Coach knows this and supports him.”
100 percent zero doubt. Sure.

What do you expect them to say? Or do?

 

[CallMeBruce]

Funny how the thing at UNC is ostensibly less important, given that the primary purpose of an institution is education.

I mean, it's less important than not committing felonies, right?

 

[intlzncster]

Especially if she might even find herself in jail for this.

Tax fraud on top of it, I imagine.

 

[intlzncster]

I mean, it's less important than not committing felonies, right?

Technically only for one guy right (grad assistant) ? While a whole generation of students and athletes have sham degrees. The entire system and purpose of academia called into question. An academic institutions tax status (should) essentially called into question. Etc etc.

Morally, I could care less about this whole thing. I mean, the Bernie Fine thing is far, far worse.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Technically only for one guy right (grad assistant) ? While a whole generation of students and athletes have sham degrees. The entire system and purpose of academia called into question. An academic institutions tax status (should) essentially called into question. Etc etc.

Morally, I could care less about this whole thing. I mean, the Bernie Fine thing is far, far worse.

Maybe for one guy, but maybe not, especially if McGee wasn't paying out of pocket.

 

[CL82]

Maybe for one guy, but maybe not, especially if McGee wasn't paying out of pocket.

The Watergate rule: Follow the money.

 

[intlzncster]

Maybe for one guy, but maybe not, especially if McGee wasn't paying out of pocket.

Is that how it would work? So, let's say Pitino gives his assistants a fund to legally entertain recruits, and McGee uses it for parties/prostitutes instead, can Pitino be held liable under the law (not NCAA)? Assuming Pitino could get away with culpable deniability. Not snark. I've no idea myself.

 

[Inyatkin]

What do you expect them to say? Or do?

From his son, you'd expect it. Kevin Willard, though? Say you "can't imagine" he knew, not that it 100 percent didn't happen. Kevin Willard has no idea what Pitino knows

 

[intlzncster]

From his son, you'd expect it. Kevin Willard, though? Say you "can't imagine" he knew, not that it 100 percent didn't happen. Kevin Willard has no idea what Pitino knows

Depends how close they are I guess. I know some of JC's assistants were like sons to him, so in that instance, I could see it.

 

[CL82]

Is that how it would work? So, let's say Pitino gives his assistants a fund to legally entertain recruits, and McGee uses it for parties/prostitutes instead, can Pitino be held liable under the law (not NCAA)? Assuming Pitino could get away with culpable deniability. Not snark. I've no idea myself.

Are schools allowed to spend $10K to entice new recruits? I suspect not.

 

[intlzncster]

Are schools allowed to spend $10K to entice new recruits? I suspect not.

Obviously not as far as NCAA membership goes. I have zero idea under federal statutes.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Are schools allowed to spend $10K to entice new recruits? I suspect not.

Of course not, but the severity of the penalty will depend on whether this is just a recruiting violation, or an institutional control violation that may or may not have included committing a crime.

 

[CL82]

Of course not, but the severity of the penalty will depend on whether this is just a recruiting violation, or an institutional control violation that may or may not have included committing a crime.

My point is that even if you get rid of the sensationalism, you've still got a member of the coaching staff doing illegal recruiting. The prostitution is just bonus points.

Hard to come up with an argument that doesn't end with a lack of institutional control when a member of the coaching staff commits recruiting violations on a recurring basis, IMO, but I've been surprised by the NCAA's arbitrariness more than once.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

My point is that even if you get rid of the sensationalism, you've still got a member of the coaching staff doing illegal recruiting. The prostitution is just bonus points.

Hard to come up with an argument that doesn't end with a lack of institutional control when a member of the coaching staff commits recruiting violations on a recurring basis, IMO, but I've been surprised by the NCAA's arbitrariness more than once.

Oh, I see what you're saying - agree completely. Certainly seems like this is rampant lack of institutional control, whether Pitino knew or not. As for the legality, who knows. You're right though, with the NCAA's track record, I wouldn't expect more than a postseason ban for a year and a few scholarships lost.

 

[Dogdeacon]

The daughters clearly don't seem to be overly bothered by the situation. Everyone in life gets to make their choices.

Have you never asked or been asked for parental advice?
I mean jeez if your mother is a stripper and a sells you for sex you might not have been equipped with the necessary tools to make morally sound intelligent choices. Selling a book and being interviewed for TV about this might seem exciting or even glamorous for a second but unless that money lasts forever it is not exactly going to help you with non-stripper work, relationships etc..

Your response is similar to the criminally irresponsible mother's defense, "Oh, I didn't prostitute them until they were of the age of legal consent and then they made their own choices."
Ah no.

 

[donyell34]

Wow! Crazy stuff here and getting more bizarre by the minute. This is some story and good luck little Ricky ; your gonna need some getting out of this mess.

 

[Stainmaster]

Somehow this happens in the midst of all of this...

 

[Fishy]

Frankie Hughes is what happens when you desperately need guard help and you are currently mired in a hooker scandal.

He'll get two years of practice at Louisville and then he'll transfer to the MAC where he belongs.

 

[TasteofUConn]

Your response is similar to the criminally irresponsible mother's defense, "Oh, I didn't prostitute them until they were of the age of legal consent and then they made their own choices."
Ah no.

Morality is a personal thing. If adults want to pay each other for sexual favors, then that's fine. The whole "sex is immoral" thing when it comes to consenting adults is a silly, worn remnant of the world's historical religious oppression.
The only question left is: "at what age is a person an adult?"
Certainly it can't be, in America, later than your 18th birthday, when it becomes legal to shoot people on the other side of the planet behind the false aegis of liberty.

 

[Durks07]

Somehow this happens in the midst of all of this...

I hope he realizes that Louisville isn't throwing those parties anymore...

 

[Huskygamble19]

Always wondered why all these recruits decided on Louisville over more prestigious schools....hmmmm.

 

[Huskygamble19]

As a head coach of an NCAA division 1 basketball team, is that a solid defense? Claiming i had no knowledge? Isnt that negligence? Shouldnt you know what is going on with your recruits when they come to visit, every last detail of what is going to happen with them? Not i turned them over to this person and I dont know what happened after that... thats just too convenient if you ask me. I mean i know there are alot of moving parts and its hart to follow all of them and know what everyone is doing, but the recruits coming in? I just dont buy it, and if you dont know its because you chose to look the other way and say, I dont know nothing, dont want to hear nothing, i'm not involved. He knew SOMETHING was up and that should be enough to be held liable if you ask me.

When a $10,000 payout is involved, you just know that an assistant coach isn't the only one involved.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

There is a lot left to play out here and many unknown facts. But if this is even remotely true, what acceptable defense can Pitino offer?

"I didn't know that during multiple events over multiple years my grad assistant was spending over $10,000 on kitty and hummers for 17 and 18 years I invited to campus."

If that isn't lack of control I have no clue what qualifies. If it happened once or twice one year I could buy that. Multiple times over multiple years...

 

[Pudge]

I'm not talking about the quality of the school, just that they have, in the past, looked the other way on questionable character players for the purpose of basketball relevance.

ahhh ... that was the Al Walker/Kevin Broaddus adventure.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/e60/news/story?id=4159463

It wasn't an Institutional change. It was ONE coach (then his assistant) that decided that he would go for the questionable characters in the rotten apple bin. They were doing well for a month or so ... and then they had 4/5 problems in a few weeks. As I recall, they had 3 Servian kids. One 6'10" guy clocked a fellow Binghamton kid outside a bar & the victim was permanently disabled. The Serb found his way to JFK and went back home.

EDITED