Jason Whitlock Waxes Poetic On Pussy Galore

If you are not a frequent reader of Jason Whitlock on foxsports.com, you should be. He may be the most polarizing, controversial and truthful sports columnist in the country today.

I often disagree with his opinions, but I usually always understand where he is coming from. Plus, I do find myself agreeing with him at times as well.

Does he take things too far sometimes? Yes. Does his approach sometimes defeat his agenda? Yes. But at least he's consistent with his criticisms of any and everybody, regardless of race, gender or athletic ability.

Today, Jason actually made me laugh with his column on Pussy Galore, a pseudonym for every woman who has led to some type of transgression by an athlete or coach.

Here's an excerpt:

She impeached a president and now, more impressively, she threatens to topple a highly successful college basketball coach.

As my mother would say, she's a bitch on a bicycle. Respect her and her power or risk experiencing her wrath.

Pitino should've coughed up the $10 million. His reputation will never recover.

How does a millionaire, married, middle-aged public figure have an unprotected one-night stand on the floor of a restaurant with a woman he's known for a couple of hours if her name isn't Beyonce, Gisele or Halle?

Monica Lewinsky, the White House and a Cuban cigar make more sense than Karen Sypher, a restaurant and an assistant coach playing peek-a-boo in an adjoining booth.

It sounds as if Jason's mom has a great sense of humor and perspective. I'm now on the lookout for bicycles everywhere!

Check out the full article here: Pitino Ran Into The Biggest Dynasty In Sports

Pitino Comes Up Way Short On Apology

I have known Rick Pitino since 1991 after first meeting him during the second semester of my freshman year at Kentucky. I will not profess to ever being very close to him, but having several friends on his teams, working his summer camps, and then covering the team on a professional basis, we were on a first-name basis during his time in Lexington.

I respected him as a basketball coach and motivator. I also admired the way he treated his players once they graduated. He always seemed to have their best interest in mind, provided of course, they stayed the course and did things his way.

Now having said that, I believe Coach P fell way short on his attempted apology Wednesday evening in Louisville.

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=9d9db8e9-e3f5-4b73-b529-d470c81dd8a0&amp;from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_articles" target="_new" title="Pitino: Sorry for &#39;indiscretion&#39;">Video: Pitino: Sorry for &#39;indiscretion&#39;</a>

Instead of throwing himself at the mercy of the Cardinals fans and the local community, Pitino seemed to give the impression that because this event happened six years ago, it wasn't a big deal. If it weren't a big deal, there wouldn't be a need for an apology, right?

And what exactly did 9/11 have to do with his affair? I am hoping the analogy he was trying to make didn't exactly come out right. Despite being one of the most confident and cocky men I have ever known, I am certain he was quite nervous standing in front of those microphones and cameras. The scene wasn't exactly a post-game news conference.

Again, I still believe this matter is a private one between the Pitino and Sypher families. However, if you are going to go public with your apology don't half-ass by trying to deflect blame or looking for excuses.

Pitino's Cat Is Finally Out Of The Bag

This past week at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Tampa, I moderated a panel discussion entitled, "Pros and Cons: Covering the Professional and Personal Lives of Athletes." The purpose of the panel was to examine the way the media report private aspects of the lives of today's athletes, as well as coaches. As you might imagine, the discussion was quite educational.

I bring up that panel discussion because of the news today out of Kentucky that Louisville head coach Rick Pitino allegedly paid $3000 to Karen Cunigan Sypher for an abortion, after an affair led to her pregnancy.

I first learned of this allegation back in April, but I did not see any reason in reporting this piece of news because I felt it was a private manner between the Pitino and Sypher families. (See: Is Anything Sacred Anymore)

I was criticized by some readers for not reporting what I knew, while others used my refusal to expose this allegation as an opportunity to cast dispersions on me as a journalist. If you do what I do long enough, you come to expect and accept such things. Some people are simply too passionate about their favorite teams and athletes to think logically and hold rational conversations, but that's cool. Passion is what makes sports so much fun to watch and cover.

I just hope in this instance, that passion doesn't lead to some fans losing decorum and tact when talking publicly about such a private matter. Don't be so quick to put your business on Front Street, if you don't want yours to be out there either.

Pitino Still Considering The NBA?

The future of Rick Pitino at Louisville as been called into question since the news first came out that the FBI was investigating an extortion case on his behalf. While the nature of the allegations are a private matter in my mind, how this case affects his ability to coach should be open to public discussion.

There seems to be quite a few people in the Louisville area who were of the belief that Pitino would resign as head coach of the Cards. Such a move would not be that big of a surprise considering the public thirst for information on these allegations.

However, there is also another option for Pitino: the NBA. As I have previously reported, there are those within the Atlanta Hawks organization who would welcome Pitino as its new head coach. And according to Yahoo! Sports, there's another NBA team who is "intrigued" by the possibility of hiring Pitino.

Adrian Wojnarowski writes that Pitino could be in the running to be the new head coach of the Sacramento Kings. The irony there, of couse, is that Pitino would be replacing one of his former assistants--Reggie Theus, whom Kings owners, Joe and Gavin Maloof, hired on the strong recommendation of Pitino.

Here's an excerpt from Wojnarowski's article:
　
"...sources say the Maloofs are weighing the worth of paying what it would take to secure Pitino. The Kings are considering several candidates, including front-runner Eddie Jordan, and had been waiting until later in May to start interviews. The Maloofs hadn’t planned to pay much more than $2.5 million a season for any coach, sources say, but the owners understand they’ll need to significantly raise that figure to get serious with Pitino."

I spoke to several people with ties to Pitino tonight, including two people who have worked for him and one former player. All three said they would be surprised if Pitino took the job. The source closest to Pitino at this point said that he believes Pitino will stay on at Louisville and not resign--a belief backed up by another source within the Cardinals program.

There are several reasons,however, why Pitino might make this particular jump back to the NBA at this particular time, and they are all quite obvious. So let's look at a few of the reasons why the move may not make sense.

As one of Pitino's former players told me, Pitino would not want to go back to the NBA in a rebuilding situation. The Kings ended up being one of the worst teams in the league this year after trading away the likes of Ron Artest, Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, John Salmons and Dahntay Jones--all of which played or are still playing solid basketball in the playoffs. However, Theus seemed to get most of the blame for the team's poor showing instead of the man who orchestrated all those trades--GM Geoff Petrie.

And speaking of Petrie, he could be another reason why Pitino would not be a good fit for the Kings. As one former NBA coach told me tonight, "Petrie would not want him because Pitino is too strong."

That point is important because when it comes to NBA GM's having strong influence over ownership, Petrie could be the leader in that category.

One college coach, who has faced Pitino several times, told me that he doesn't think Pitino will leave Louisville either. He believes the move is simply a way of trying to get a raise at Louisville. John Calipari's contract at Kentucky trumped Pitino's deal at UofL by several million dollars.

So even before playing a single game, Calipari is already shaking up Pitino's world. How great will that UK/UofL matchup be next season? That is if Pitino is still around, of course.

Is Anything Sacred Anymore?

"We are rapidly entering the age of no privacy, where everyone is open to surveillance at all times"
---William Orville Douglas

I have long been a supporter of a person's right to keep his/her personal life private--a statement that might seem a bit hypocritical considering that part of my job is to find out as much information about athletes and coaches as possible. Believe me, it's an internal struggle I've encountered for years.

I am of the strong belief that unless an athlete or coach does something away from their respective sport that prevents them from performing that such information should not make its way into public discussion.

" One of the great penalties those of us who live our lives in full view of the public must pay is the loss of that most cherished birthright of man's privacy."
--Mary Pickford

If an athlete gets into a domestic dispute with his estranged wife or gets indicted for tax evasion but doesn't miss a game or a practice, why should such information become public knowledge? Is it really news just because someone might recognize that person's name in a headline?

If a similar situation happens to you and it doesn't cause you to miss any time at work, will anyone outside your family and close personal friends even hear about it? Let alone the whole world? Hell, your boss wouldn't even know about it if it were left up to you, and the same goes for me.

Obviously, I am in the minority on that subject when it comes to my colleagues in the media. It seems as though we hear something about some sports figure getting arrested or sued, but just because it's standard operating procedure, doesn't make it right.

"Privacy is not something that I'm merely entitled to, it's an absolute prerequisite."
--Marlon Brando

The reason I even bring up this subject is due to some recent events in Kentucky, involving Rick Pitino and John Calipari. Let's start with Pitino.

Once the news started to break that there was a possible FBI investigation involving Coach Pitino and/or the Louisville basketball program, I started getting hit up with e-mails asking me if I knew anything about the situation. At first, I knew absolutely nothing about it, and the only reason I started looking into it was because the initial belief that it might involve point-shaving--something that directly relates to the team's wins and losses.

However, as I started to talk to more people around the program, I discovered that this particular situation was more of a personal matter between Coach Pitino, his family, a member of his staff and his estranged wife. Basically, I didn't think it was any of my business what was going on, nor do I believe the fans deserve to know either--even if it does involve a high-profile basketball coach.

I know some of you come to my blog specifically for inside information. I'm sorry, but I just don't think it's my place to share what I have learned about this particular situation. With every news outlet in the Commonwealth following this story, I am sure you will have no problems finding out more about this story with each passing day. It just won't come from me.

"I have as much privacy as a goldfish in a bowl."
--Princess Margaret

There was also an event recently concerning John Calipari and the purchase of his new home. As I told you earlier, he asked my advice on good areas of Lexington to live when we ran into each other in Portland. He had his eye on a particular house in a certain area of town. I knew exactly where the house was, and I had a good feeling that he would end up buying it, but the thought of sharing that information never crossed my mind.

Little did I know that only a short time later, Calipari's address and pictures of his home would not only be published on the website of multiple news outlets, but those same pictures and home information made its way to my mailbox--multiple times--as a forward from friends. I thought both acts were outrageous.

Is anything sacred anymore? I realize he's the coach at Kentucky--making him the biggest celebrity in the state--but he's also a husband and a father. He's not the only person living at that house. His wife and children will be living there too.

Now any time some crazed fan gets the scary idea of showing up at Calipari's house to show his displeasure over a lost game, that fan might encounter someone else at the house instead of Calipari. And what if, God forbid, something bad happens because pictures of his house and the address can be found in less than 5 seconds on a Google search? Who will be to blame? The media outlets who published them or an overzealous fan base who demands any and all information about their favorite teams?

"We must protect our citizen's privacy--the bulwark of personal liberty."
--Bill Clinton

Pitino Considering Jumping Back To The NBA?

After telling two of UK's biggest boosters a few weeks ago that he would not feel comfortable leaving Louisville and going back to UK, it appears that Rick Pitino could possibly end up being the new coach of the Atlanta Hawks.

A high-ranking NBA official told me today that the decision-makers in the Hawks front office want to replace Mike Woodson with Pitino.

I tried to confirm this story with someone in Pitino's circle or on his staff. I got two responses. One person said it was news to him. The other said that it's a rumor that's definitely out there, but that it is not true. If it is true, there is great incentive for Pitino's people to dispel such an idea until after the Hawks season concludes. However, it is also fair to state that Pitino has not held any direct talks with anyone from the Hawks organization. Plus, even if he were to talk to someone in Atlanta, it doesn't necessarily mean he would take the job.

Such a move would be somewhat curious on both sides actually. Woodson has done a very respectable job with a roster full of young talent--with particular emphasis on "young." After taking the eventual champion Celtics to a 7th game in the first round last year, Atlanta came back this season and earned the 4th seed in the East by posting a record of 47-35.

But for whatever reason, it seems as though Woodson has been on his way out for the past two seasons. In fact, many people around the league believe that it was the Hawks strong first round playoff showing that saved his job last year. And if Atlanta were to knock off Dwayne Wade and the 5th-seeded Heat in the first round this season, it would make replacing Woodson over the summer even more difficult.

As far as Pitino is concerned, I am sure many people would be shocked to hear that he would even consider going back to the NBA after what happened in Boston. Or better yet, some might wonder why another NBA team would even give him a shot to coach again in the league. As I have said before, trying to figure out what motivates Coach P might require a PhD in psychology.

I have also learned that no decision should surprise you when it comes to Corporate America. There have been many good people who lost their job simply because someone above them didn't like them personally or how they went about their job, regardless of the results.

Pitino might look at another opportunity in the NBA as a means to redeem his last venture into the league. Remember, he guided the Knicks to the playoffs. So, it's not like he can't coach professional players. It just didn't work out in Boston for a couple of reasons.

1) Despite having the worst record in the league that previous season, the Celtics did not win the Draft Lottery. So instead of getting the obvious number one pick that year, Boston had to watch Tim Duncan head to San Antonio, where he would eventually win three NBA titles.

2) Pitino had too many former UK players on his roster. The tactics he used to motivate guys at Kentucky did not fly once those guys were A) making more money than him and B) did not need him to re-up their scholarship every year.

I am sure UK fans will have a field day with the possibility of Pitino leaving Louisville for the NBA. Some will say that Pitino is scared of John Calipari because he knows he would be the underdog in any recruiting battle between the two rival programs. I think "scared" is a bit too strong of a word, but I do know that Pitino and his staff realize their work on the recruiting trail will now have to step up considerably.

Speaking of recruiting, I guess this is as good a place as any to throw in this little tidbit, especially since it relates directly to Louisville. The word around many league offices is that elite 2010 UofL recruit Jeremy Tyler wants to follow Brandon Jennings' road to the NBA. Instead of going to college for one season, several league execs believe that Tyler will go play professionally in Europe for one season before entering the 2011 NBA Draft.

I am not sure if Pitino and his staff are aware of this belief, but if they are, maybe that's another reason he would want to get out of the college game and go back to the NBA. The paychecks are definitely more, and the headaches are definitely less.

How Did UK Basketball Come To This?

My former boss at WKYT-TV, Dick Gabriel, writes a very insightful column on WKYT's website. It basically traces the history of all the major decisions made by Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart. I am certain Dick holds a good relationship with Barnhart and that much of the information in the article came firsthand.

However, there are some things I agree with and others I do not.

Let's start with what no one wants to acknowledge: the underlying racism of some UK fans.

Dick writes, "..don’t kid yourself, it was there. From the season ticket cancellations the day (Tubby) Smith was hired to the cowardly, anonymous phone calls to the talk shows – a faction of UK "fans" made themselves clear."

On that point, Dick could not be more right. I remember the day Tubby was hired. Shortly after returning from the news conference at UK's Patterson Office Tower, I was back in the WKYT sports office working on scripts and tapes for the next newscast. As you might imagine, the phones were ringing off the hook from people wanting the very latest on the hiring.

One phone call in particular still remains vivid in my mind 12 years later.

{Phone Rings}

Me: "27 Sportsfirst, this is Michael."

Caller: "Did UK hire a new coach today?"

Me: "Yes, sir. Tubby Smith is the new coach."

Caller: "You mean they're gonna let a nigger coach Kentucky?"

{I abruptly end the call}

So for all those fans who like to downplay the racism or its effect on Tubby's departure, give it up. The evidence is too real and too prevalent.

And I strongly believe it was that racism that would not allow some people to give Tubby the credit he deserved.

Dick wrote that it was hard to argue with the results of "five SEC championships, five SEC tournament titles, a single season that saw his team race undefeated through both the league and tournament (only to be done in by Dwyane Wade) and three trips to the Elite Eight," yet some UK fans went out of their way to do so.

By definition, racism means a lack of fairness or equal treatment due to some one's race or ethnic background.

Does anyone really think a white coach at UK would have received the same amount of criticism with such a successful record? Take your time on your answer. I'll wait.

There is one area of Barnhart's track record where Dick and I differ. It seems as though his account of Kentucky's pursuit of Billy Donovan comes from Barnhart's side, while mine comes from Donovan's camp.

It is important for everyone to understand that in situations where a coach is being courted by another school, the vast majority of the negotiations are not done between the AD and the coach, but rather intermediaries. So it should be no surprise to hear that Barnhart and Donovan may have only had one face-to-face meeting regarding the UK coaching vacancy.

However, that doesn't mean there wasn't more Barnhart could have done to bring Donovan to Lexington if he was truly UK's number one choice.

Had Donovan always considered what it would be like to coach in the NBA? Yes.

Did Rick Pitino advise him to seriously consider the idea? Yes.

Despite knowing Donovan's interest in the Orlando Magic and the organization's interest in him, should Barnhart have just given up and not come back with another offer to Donovan? Absolutely not!

If Donovan was the choice, then Barnhart should have done whatever it took--within reason--to get Donovan to accept the job. You don't just give up on your top candidate because another team can offer him more money. You sell the university, the program and the lifestyle that comes with it.

While most college jobs can't compare to the NBA, Kentucky sure as hell can!

And Barnhart should always remember that when hiring a basketball coach at UK, especially if he has to do it again this year.

Correction To Boosters Wanting Pitino Back At UK!!

I need to make one correction to my earlier post, "Big Money Boosters Want Pitino Back At UK." In that post from last week, I stated that two of Kentucky's largest monetary supporters drove to Louisville to meet with Rick Pitino about coming back to UK. The conversation actually took place over the phone.

It may have been a misunderstanding on my part or a misstatement from my primary source, but either way, I take full responsibility for that factual error.

However, multiple sources once again confirmed to me today that my reporting of what was said during that conversation is 100% completely accurate.

I apologize for any confusion my mistake may have caused. As a journalist, I should have been more careful.

Donovan Reaches Out To Pitino About UK Job

I have been getting flooded with e-mails from UK fans asking, "what have you heard?" as it relates to the Kentucky coaching situation.

For those of you new to me and/or my blog, here's a point of information. I do not post what I have heard. I post what I know.

If I have not been told something directly from the parties involved or those with direct access to the parties involved, I won't go with it. I leave the rumors and the speculation up to the countless message boards out there.

So if I did not respond to some of your e-mails, it's because I didn't know anything at the time. However, I now know a little something.

In the last couple of days, Rick Pitino and Billy Donovan have discussed the coaching situation at Kentucky. I do not know exactly what was said, but I do know that it was Donovan who reached out, picking up the phone to call Coach P.

Some of those close to Pitino feel as if the UK job is his if he wants it, but if he decides to stay at Louisville, then Donovan would be the second choice. It seems as though, despite Mitch Barnhart bungling the Donovan negotiations two years ago, that the two-time national championship coach is quite interested in hearing what UK has to offer this time around.

As far as the chances of Pitino going back to Lexington are concerned, those odds increase dramatically if the Cards run the table and win the national championship. Some of his assistants believe that Coach P would feel better about leaving the program if he had just guided the Cards to the title. Pitino hates leaving projects unfinished.

So for all the UK fans out there who desperately want Pitino to come back to UK, maybe you should do something you've likely never done in your life: root for Louisville to win it all!

Success--And Failure--Starts At The Top, Including Kentucky

After covering sports professionally for the better part of a decade and a half, I have learned a few things along way--some good, some bad, but all enlightening.

And if I have learned anything, I have learned that success and failure starts at the top. There has never been a great team or program without great leadership, and vice versa.

Think about all the celebrated teams through the years, in any sport, and each of them not only had competent coaches, but they were also guided by skilled general managers and owners or athletic directors and school presidents.

Lakers, Celtics, Yankees, Dodgers, Steelers, 49ers, Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Notre Dame Football, UCLA Basketball. You name a great franchise or program, and I will show you impeccable management.

But the flipside is also true. There has never been a perennial loser that didn't have misguided direction.

Kentucky Basketball is, of course, one of the all-time greats in college basketball--a program others used as a model to build their own championship contender. However, the last several years have seen a decline in both results and leadership.

Most fans always look to the coach when placing blame for a team's shortcomings, and while that may be suitable for game-to-game situations, I believe that if a team struggles over a period of time, the responsibility ultimately falls upon the coach's boss.

Since Mitch Barnhart replaced C.M. Newton protégé Larry Ivy in the summer of 2002, he has been faced with two pivotal moments in the basketball program's history.

Towards the end of Tubby Smith's tenure at UK, a small portion of the Big Blue fan base started making noise about the team not reaching the Final Four since Tubby guided the Cats to the NCAA title in 1998, despite three other Elite Eight appearances.

(Editor's note: In 1999, the Cats lost to a Michigan State team, led by the heralded "Flintstones", which would win the title the following year. A red-hot Marquette team, featuring future Hall of Famer Dwayne Wade, knocked off UK in 2003. And two years later, Kentucky once again lost to Michigan State in a double-overtime thriller--still one of the best games in NCAA Tournament history.)

Did Tubby deserve some criticism? Sure. Was it fair for people to call for his job? Absolutely not.

This was a time where Barnhart should have done two things: 1) come out publicly stating that Tubby wasn't going anywhere no matter how much noise a few ignorant fans made and 2) tell Tubby that he needed to stop being so loyal to some of his assistants and replace them with more capable recruiters and player developers.

Barnhart did neither, and as a result, the win-loss records continued to decline and the Tubby bashers grew in number. Having grown tired of the ridiculous criticism and the perceived lack of appreciation and support, Tubby unexpectedly left UK to take the head coaching job at Minnesota.

That move presented Barnhart with his second pivotal moment. Who do you get to replace a national championship coach at Kentucky?

The choice was obvious: former Rick Pitino understudy Billy Donovan, who had just won back-to-back championships with Florida.

And Billy D was totally down for a relocation. He was about to lose four NBA draft picks off that 2-time championship team, meaning it would be quite the rebuilding project over the next couple of seasons. Perhaps more importantly though, no matter how successful he was on the court, Florida basketball would always play second fiddle to Florida football.

So getting Donovan to come to Lexington would be easy, right? Not for Barnhart evidently.

A former employee of the UK Athletics Department tells me that Barnhart completely dropped the ball on the deal. Bungling the negotiations so badly, it appears, that Donovan was somewhat concerned about the leadership and cooperation, or lack thereof, he would get from the administration.

Donovan decided to stay in Gainesville after receiving a nice pay increase and other goodies from Florida AD Jeremy Foley, who once again proved why he is one of the best ADs in the country.

Barnhart compounded this mistake by not having a backup plan. He seemed to have no idea who to pursue once Donovan turned him down. Thus, he was forced to scramble to find a coach who could not only succeed at the highest level, but also handle the ambassador-like responsibilities of being Kentucky's head coach.

Just two weeks after Tubby's departure, he ends up settling for Billy Gillispie, a coach who had only once finished first in his conference and had never made it past the Sweet 16. Really? That's the pedigree of a Kentucky basketball coach?

(Editor's note: In his second year at UTEP, Billy G led the Miners to the WAC regular season championship. That team lost its opening round game in the NCAA Tournament. Three years after taking over at Texas A&M, Billy G got the Aggies to the Sweet Sixteen. That team featured future first-round draft pick Acie Law, a player Gillispie did not recruit to College Station. Gillispie's 5-year combined win-loss record as a head coach before coming to Kentucky was 100-58!!)

As much criticism as Billy G deserves for the debacle of a season the Cats put together this year, Barnhart deserves as much, if not more.

But the buck doesn't stop there. Remember, you can always trace everything, both good and bad, all the way to the top. And the top at UK is the President's office.

Lee Todd said he wanted to "change the culture of Wildcat athletics" in 2002 by hiring Barnhart, who became the school's first AD since 1934 without any previous ties to Kentucky as either a player, coach or staff member.

(Editor's note: I won't even mention Barnhart's ties to border-rival Tennessee).

First, I wasn't aware that the program's culture was in need of a makeover. I thought Newton did a remarkable job of renovating the athletics department after the Chris Mills-Emery Delivery scandal.

But if you are going to go that route, then you have to hire the right person. Kentucky is a national basketball power. It needs an AD who not only understands that concept, but fully embraces it.

Instead of going to another school featuring a commitment to having a national basketball presence like North Carolina, Kansas or UCLA, President Todd hired Barnhart away from a very regional school in Oregon State. The Beavers hadn't been relevant on the national basketball scene since Gary Payton left campus in 1990, and it's a stretch for me to even type "relevant".

(Final editor's note: UNC, KU, and UCLA have combined for seven Final Four appearances during Barnhart's tenure at Kentucky.)

So in "changing the culture of Wildcat athletics," President Todd changed the basketball program from a national power into a regional one. You hire a regional AD, you get a regional head basketball coach, and that's exactly what Billy Gillispie's career suggested he was before he came to Kentucky, and that's exactly what he's proven since he's been there.

Only an ill-prepared athletics director couldn't see that then or now, and you can say the same for the school president who would hire such an AD.

Big Money Boosters Want Pitino Back at UK

Earlier tonight, one of my colleagues told me that Arizona was hot on the trail of Rick Pitino. UA school officials thought he would be the perfect choice to replace outgoing legend Lute Olson--the same man, of course, who stopped Pitino from winning back-to-back NCAA titles in 1997.

Arizona was prepared to pay $2 million or more for Pitino to move to the desert.

However, in pursuit of details on that story, I stumbled across this stunner: Pitino could very well be on his way back to UK!

Earlier tonight, Pitino hosted two of Kentucky's biggest boosters. I won't divulge the names of those who attended, but I will tell you that one is huge in the banking business, the other in coal.

According to multiple sources, the boosters traveled to Louisville to persuade Pitino to come back to Lexington and try to fix the mess created by Mitch Barnhardt and Billy Gillispie.

Initially, Pitino was pushing Travis Ford for the job, but the boosters said no. They were adamant about wanting Pitino, and only Pitino. So much so, that they said he could have anything he wanted. "Name your price" was a frequent response from the boosters.

Now, don't get too excited just yet. Pitino did not accept the offer, but he didn't turn it down either. After first being reluctant to even listen to any offers, Pitino gave the boosters the impression that he would seriously consider it before ending the meeting.

And if it was up to Pitino's staff at Louisville, which includes Steve Masiello, Walter McCarty, and Richard Pitino (all with ties to Lexington), he would have said yes during the meeting. Word is that Pitino's assistants are really pushing for him to take the job.

And why wouldn't they? Besides going back to the place were Pitino reached the pinnacle of his career, it would also be much easier to win SEC titles every year as opposed to the jam-packed Big East. If the money is truly as good as I am hearing, it would be a no-brainer for Pitino to go back to UK.

However, that doesn't mean he will take the job. I wouldn't be shocked if he did, but I would be somewhat surprised. Nonetheless, I seriously doubt anything official would come out until after the NCAA Tournament anyway.

But anybody remember when Roy Williams was grilled by Bonnie Bernstein about leaving Kansas for North Carolina after losing the NCAA title game to Syracuse in 2003?

Could we witness a similar scene this year in Detroit? UK fans can only hope!

Billy G Will Never Change

UK fans forced Tubby Smith out of Lexington because of what was happening--and not happening--on the court, only to replace him with a guy who has produced much worse results on the court and has been a jerk off of it.

And oh yeah, by the way, he's making more than both Tubby and Rick Pitino. Last time I checked, both of those guys won a national championship.

In some regards, I think it's fitting actually. Typical case of people needing to be careful what they wish for. They wanted Tubby out, and look what they got.

You pick the cliche--"the grass is not always greener on the other side" or "you don't know what you've got until it's gone"--because they both apply.

But this situation is bigger than Billy Gillispie. This is about the program, which is always bigger than the coach.

At the PAC-10 Tournament championship game, I spoke to a former coach who knows Billy G really well. He proceeded to tell me that Gillispie doesn't care what people say about him. He just wants his money and he won't change his ways for anybody. John Clay confirmed as much in a recent column in the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Kentucky made a mistake in hiring Gillispie in the first place. An obvious realization to just about anyone, but that mistake should not be compounded by allowing him to stay on the job.

The Sign of the Apocalypse For UK Basketball

If you still need more evidence as to why Kentucky should fire Billy Gillispie, check out this e-mail I received from a close friend in Lexington. I am withholding the name to protect my friend's anonymity.

I mean it's one thing to lose games and be a jerk in the process, but running off former players is blasphemous.

"Yo, the whole program is a JOKE! They do not reach out to former players AT ALL! In fact, they charge them for tickets. Here's what I don't get: If you are an athlete at UK and get a DUI, you get your scholarship taken away (see Desmond Allison). If you have 2 DUI's they hire you to be the Head Basketball Coach and pay you more than Tubby and Rick. Hypocrites bro! All former players are now migrating to Louisville games where they get in for free, hang with Jurich in his suite and get treated like they should.....with respect. It starts with Barnhart. I worked with the man and as we all know, you can't bring in too many outsiders to run this program. It is and will always be run by the Blue Bloods. Instead of trying to run them off, work with them. Whew....I'm done."