This afternoon the University of Louisville announced that head basketball coach Rick Pitino would skip ACC media days next week. The University will however send Damion Lee and Trey Lewis, two 5th year transfers who were not here during the time frame of Katina Powell's allegations from her book. In an official statement, Pitino said:
"I do not want the allegations we are facing to negatively impact the other 14 institutions on what should be a great event to talk about the approaching basketball season... I realize that while many would like to question me on the allegations, the NCAA does not permit me to speak on the subject."
Objectively, I'll tell you this is not a good look, especially when you consider that two players with nothing to do with the scandal are still going. No one outside of the Louisville fan base is going to view this in a positive light. Many national and local writers have already weighed in...
Pitino ducking ACC's media day during scandal a gutless move https://t.co/A43mDiiNbg
— Michael DeCourcy (@tsnmike) October 23, 2015
CRAWFORD | Pitino’s #ACC Media Day absence will send the wrong message from #Louisville https://t.co/PoUjjZfpCV
— Eric Crawford (@ericcrawford) October 23, 2015
If Pitino doesn't want to be a distraction he should resign. This entire season at Louisville is going to be a distraction.
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) October 23, 2015
No defending that move by Pitino. For someone who said resigning would be "cowardly," you'd think he would know better.
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) October 23, 2015
Pitino has done two press conferences, two radio interviews, a speech, a blog post & several other comments, but ACC media day gets whacked?
— Jeff Greer (@jeffgreer_cj) October 23, 2015
Instead of Rick Pitino facing the ACC Media Day firing squad, two Louisville players must take bullets for him. https://t.co/zLYWpTHrxS
— Jeff Eisenberg (@JeffEisenberg) October 23, 2015
Personally, I will tell you I'm pretty disappointed by this decision. I realize Rick has already made several public statements regarding the controversy now swirling around his program. However, if you're comfortable enough to talk about it that many times already, why not do it again? The worst part is sending the kids to face the music on their own. Sending two 5th year transfers into an excruciatingly awkward& painful situation is, in my opinion, about the weakest thing you could do right now. More than anything, it's not the least bit fair to those kids.
All he would need to do is make a statement, tell the reporters he's not allowed to talk about "it" while the investigation is ongoing, and then pull a Bill Belichick if he gets any questions he doesn't want to/ can't answer. Instead, it will be two young men Rick Pitino has repeatedly praised for everything they've meant to the program fending off the media mob next week.
All he would need to do is make a statement, tell the reporters he's not allowed to talk about "it" while the investigation is ongoing, and then pull a Bill Belichick if he gets any questions he doesn't want to/ can't answer. Instead, it will be two young men Rick Pitino has repeatedly praised for everything they've meant to the program fending off the media mob next week.
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