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.

Cubs Fan Gives All Fans A Bad Name

By now, you've probably seen the video of that stupid Cubs fan who doused Shane Victorino with a beer while the Phillies outfielder was catching a fly ball. There are so many adjectives one could use to describe this dumb, dangerous, cowardly act, and all of them may fall short of accurately describing this moron.

It is acts such as these that eventually give all fans a bad name. You wonder why athletes ignore your shouts of their name or seem standoffish when you approach them in public? It could be because they have experienced boorish behavior firsthand. Wouldn't that give you pause the next time you encounter an overzealous fan?

The thing that really irks me about this particular incident is that security got the wrong guy. Check out the video below. Pause it at the :20 mark and notice the fan in the hat and white t-shirt with sunglasses hanging from his collar. That's the actual guy who threw the beer, not the fan about three seats down who security eventually escorted out of the stadium.



This scene reminds me of what happened at the Palace of Auburn Hills when Ron Artest got plunked with that empty beer cup. The guy Artest went after was not the actual guy who threw the cup.

Say what you will about retaliation through violence, but I dare you to find anyone who wouldn't want to pummel some cat who threw beer on them. I'm not advocating violence against these type of jerks, but as Chris Rock once said, I understand!

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.

John Wall Dunks Over Jerry Stackhouse

Jordan Crawford's dunk over LeBron James received way more attention for obvious reasons, but in terms of the actual dunk itself, Crawford's jam falls short of what UK recruit John Wall did recently to Jerry Stackhouse.

Now, I will give Stack a little bit of a pass: 1) He was coming over to help 2) He is way past his prime. But getting dunked on is getting dunked on.

As far as Wall is concerned, I heard that he played very well in that North Carolina summer league, and more importantly for UK fans, playing against current NBA ballers boosted Wall's confidence even higher--as if it even needed it!

1-on-1 With Ron Artest

I had the chance to spend some time with Ron Artest today. I have met him and interviewed him a few times in the past, but I learned quite a bit more about him today than in previous meetings. From the question and answer session he held with the assembled media at the Lakers practice facility to my 1-on-1 interview with him, I really learned just how funny and insightful he can be.

From the time he agreed to join the Lakers for the mid-level exception (worth about $33 million), I thought it was a great move for the defending champs. I am even more convinced of it now.

Check out my interview and tell me what you think about LA's newest Laker. Enjoy!

http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=8f6e7657-b7a4-4db5-8300-369dee42d7c1

KINGS ANNOUNCE 2009 PRESEASON SCHEDULE

TICKETS FOR TWO GAMES AT STAPLES CENTER TO GO ON SALE AUGUST 1

LOS ANGELES--The Los Angeles Kings today announced their preseason schedule for the 2009-10 NHL season. The Kings are currently scheduled to play eight games overall -- including two at STAPLES Center -- September 15 versus the Phoenix Coyotes and September 19 versus the Anaheim Ducks.

In addition to the two home games at STAPLES Center, the Kings will host the San Jose Sharks at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario on September 17; the New York Islanders at Sprint Center in Kansas City on September 22; and the Colorado Avalanche at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on September 26.

The Kings will travel to Phoenix on September 15, to Colorado on September 23 and to Anaheim on September 27.

Before the Kings begin training camp and their 2009 preseason schedule, the club will host LA Kings Hockey Fest '09--the largest event the Kings have hosted since the 2002 NHL All-Star Game -- from August 28-30 at LA Live. View all LA Kings Hockey Fest '09 details, including the latest news and videos, by visiting LAKings.com/hockeyfest.

Tickets for the two Kings preseason games at STAPLES Center will go on sale on Saturday, August 1. Tickets are currently on sale for the games in Ontario, Las Vegas and Kansas City. For all Kings ticket information, call 888-KINGS-LA.

Day Date Opponent City Venue Time (Pacific)

Tue. Sept. 15 Coyotes Phoenix Jobing.com Arena 7 p.m.

Tue. Sept. 15 Coyotes Los Angeles STAPLES Center 7:30 p.m.

Thu. Sept. 17 Sharks Ontario Citizens Business Bank Arena 7:30 p.m.

Sat. Sept. 19 Ducks Los Angeles STAPLES Center 7:30 p.m.

Tue. Sept. 22 Islanders Kansas City Sprint Center 5 p.m.

Wed. Sept. 23 Avalanche Denver Pepsi Center 6 p.m.

Sat. Sept. 26 Avalanche Las Vegas MGM Grand 6 p.m.

Sun. Sept. 27 Ducks Anaheim Honda Center 5:05 p.m.

Celebrate Kings hockey and launch the team's most highly anticipated season at LA Kings Hockey Fest '09! Set for Friday, August 28 to Sunday, August 30 at LA Live, this three-day interactive summertime festival will feature player autograph sessions, an NHL Legend speaker series, historic memorabilia, hockey exhibits and more. Plus, a kick-off concert and pep-rally with the entire Kings team. Perfect for hockey fans and the entire family. Call 1.888.Kings.LA or visit LAKings.com. For more LA Kings Hockey Fest '09 details, visit LAKings.com/hockeyfest. To view the official Hockey Fest '09 poster, visit LAKings.com/hockeyfest09poster.

-- LAKINGS.COM --

Follow the Pac-10 Conference on Twitter & Facebook

--Fans can receive instant updates from social networking sites--

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.-- Pacific-10 Conference fans looking for the latest news and information about the conference and its member schools can follow the Conference on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can follow the Pac-10 via mobile devices using various cell phone applications for Facebook and Twitter, and on Instant Messenger (IM). On Facebook, fans can also receive updates through their email.

Pac-10 fans can receive and check regular updates at www.twitter.com/Pac-10. Fans do not need an account to view the Pac-10 twitter page, but must have an account in order to receive automatic updates.

On Facebook, fans must have an account in order to automatically receive updates from the Pac-10. To "Become a Fan," visit the Pac-10 Conference fan page at www.facebook.com/Pac10. To receive updates by email, users must set the appropriate account settings.

The Pac-10 will share news, links, photos and video throughout the academic year. Fans and followers of the Pac-10 Conference will also the opportunity to win tickets to special events, including the Rose Bowl, the Pacific Life Pac-10 Men's Basketball Tournament and the State Farm Pac-10 Women's Basketball Tournament. Twitter and Facebook are free social networking sites.

To sign up for an account, visit www.twitter.com or www.facebook.com.

- www.pac-10.org -

UK's John Wall Projected To Be 2010 #1 NBA Draft Pick

Less than a week after the Clippers made Oklahoma's Blake Griffin the #1 overall pick, there's already a discussion on who should be the favorite to be next year's top NBA Draft pick.

Kentucky fans probably won't be surprised to hear that UK's top recruit John Wall seems to be the leading contender. He's got NBA-ready skills right now and likely would have been a lottery pick this year if he had been eligible for the draft.

Wall's chances of being next summer's top pick also has history on their side. Last year, the Bulls tapped Derrick Rose to be the number one pick, and just last week, the Kings drafted Tyreke Evans #4 overall. The common denominator of those two picks? John Calipari was their coach at Memphis--the same man who will coach Wall at Kentucky.

So enjoy him while you can UK fans. Not only is Wall a definite one-and done player, but he could become Kentucky's first ever #1 overall draft pick.

http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=959971

It's Time For The N-Word To Go!

Through the years, I have been as guilty as anyone when it comes to using the N-word--even after telling myself countless times to stop using it. The difficulty in elimating that word from my vocabulary has re-inforced to me just how engrained that word is into American culture, and especially African-American culture.

However, even though the excuses for why that word continues to be used so freely are numerous, none of them qualify as a legitimate reason to continue its use. An argument better presented, perhaps, by a 10-year old.