[Westside]

Why is there so much dislike or dare I say hate for Rick Pitino? He did a lot for the University Of Kentucky. The UK program was dead when he came here and revived it. Not a lot of coaches would have been able to accomplish what he was able to accomplish especially in the amount of time he was able to do it in (no 15 second jokes here please). So, why all the hate?

[Pulp Fiction]

He could have went anywhere else in the country (besides Duke, UNC, Tennessee or Kansas) to coach and UK fans would have cheered for him and supported his team the same way the majority of the fans did for Tubby.

He came back to the state that beloved him and coached our rival. Not just coached our rival, but became a Heel. A bigger Heel than when Hulk Hogan joined the nWo and became Hollywood Hogan. The majority of UK (true) fans will never cheer for UofL in anything. Let alone the sport that this state lives and dies over. IMO, that's where the hate started for a lot of people.

Pitino & Petrino came as a package deal for a lot of UK fans. Bobby beat the football team pretty bad for a few years straight. Even though they are separate people, UK fans viewed them as a tag-team.

Add in the Karen Sypher scandal and that put a lot more distance between him and the UK fans he still had left. This started the major downhill slide that he never recovered from.

A few years go by and the Katina Powell/StripperGate scandal is made public. Instead of falling on the UofL sword, going out looking like a hero and was given a raw deal, he denies... denies... denies. I know several Pitino fans that gave up on him when this story came out without hearing the rest of the story, they just were done. That made it easier to laugh and dislike UofL even more. This is when the national media & social media made him and UofL the punch line. Add in the last time he was in Rupp, as he was walking off the floor, he flipped the UK crowd off.

Now with all that still hanging over UofL's and his head, the Adidas scandal broke and he was directly implicated as well as the team he coaches. This was the last straw for several UofL fans. Taking away their 2013 national championship and bringing an FBI investigation to their team is never good. With the weight of the other two scandals on top of this, it was way too much for them to carry. So far, his stance is, deny.... deny.... deny. When the UofL athletics board voted unanimously to fire him 'For Cause' as stated in his contract, they are beyond done with him. He just can't let it go either, now he is suing Adidas for ruining his reputation (see the thread I started on this topic).


He has alienated himself from the two programs that he once held the keys to both kingdoms. He will more than likely never be welcomed back at UK or UofL for any type of function. If he does, it will be a long time away.

[RunItUpTheGut]

I think the biggest reason is because deep down Kentucky fans know UK would likely have 6 or 7 titles under Pitino if he would have never left.
He would be the coach admired and drooled over instead of kreshxbfjdski

[Pulp Fiction]

I think the biggest reason is because deep down Kentucky fans know UK would likely have 6 or 7 titles under Pitino if he would have never left.
He would be the coach admired and drooled over instead of kreshxbfjdski

Let's just say the Porcini's incident happened when Pitino was at UK. As soon as the news broke, he would have been released as the coach. UK fans don't wanna go through what they did during the 'Kentucky Shame' time period.

Calipari has made UK cool and brought the former players together with the current teams. UK basketball feels like a family. UK fans with some sense know Calipari > Pitino.

[Westside]

Let's just say the Porcini's incident happened when Pitino was at UK. As soon as the news broke, he would have been released as the coach. UK fans don't wanna go through what they did during the 'Kentucky Shame' time period.

Calipari has made UK cool and brought the former players together with the current teams. UK basketball feels like a family. UK fans with some sense know Calipari > Pitino.

I disagree. I think a majority of U.K. fans would rather win no matter how as opposed to lose fairly. That is why they were so accepting of Cal to begin with despite his shady past. U.K. fans were just tired of losing and wanted a winner regardless. Don't get me wrong, I think they would rather win fairly, but if they cant, they'll take a win anyway they can get it.

[Westside]

A lot of people have made Pitino out to be heartless and a vilian. One of these images I have of Pitino is him crying after Kevin Ware broke his leg. Personally, I like Pitino better than Cal. I haven't really been a U.K. can since Pitino left U.K.

[cj2561]

I disagree. I think a majority of U.K. fans would rather win no matter how as opposed to lose fairly. That is why they were so accepting of Cal to begin with despite his shady past. U.K. fans were just tired of losing and wanted a winner regardless. Don't get me wrong, I think they would rather win fairly, but if they cant, they'll take a win anyway they can get it.

if it only about wins. in that case way was UK fan mad about Tubby. he was winning year in and year out. but Tubby and Rick have never done what Cal have done at UK. under Tubby and Pitino UK had never went to the NIT, Tubby and Pitino (UK was Ineligible his first two years.) had made it to the NCAA T-ment every year.

I think UK fans are bad at Pitino because he left UK. he Pitino would have stay at UK. UK would have 14 or 15 title by now, maybe not that many, but at less 12.

[Westside]

if it only about wins. in that case way was UK fan mad about Tubby. he was winning year in and year out. but Tubby and Rick have never done what Cal have done at UK. under Tubby and Pitino UK had never went to the NIT, Tubby and Pitino (UK was Ineligible his first two years.) had made it to the NCAA T-ment every year.

I think UK fans are bad at Pitino because he left UK. he Pitino would have stay at UK. UK would have 14 or 15 title by now, maybe not that many, but at less 12.

I think U.K. fans were fed up with Tubby because after his first year at U.K. he was never able to get back to the final four. Three of his last four years at U.K. he only reached the second round of the NCAA tourney. After the standard Pitino had set, that didn't cut it for U.K. fans.

[Granny Bear]

Pitino dropped UK like a hot rock to take what he thought was a better offer. It was his decision to make, but it left a bad taste in the mouths of the alumni.

Then UK struggled to find a coach that fit. Tubby fled without so much as a hand wave, and then the Billy G fiasco.

Cal brought the wins back. And, to my knowledge, has pretty much kept his nose clean since being here.

I love to win! But, I won't compromise in order to get a win.

[Westside]

Pitino dropped UK like a hot rock to take what he thought was a better offer. It was his decision to make, but it left a bad taste in the mouths of the alumni.

Then UK struggled to find a coach that fit. Tubby fled without so much as a hand wave, and then the Billy G fiasco.

Cal brought the wins back. And, to my knowledge, has pretty much kept his nose clean since being here.

I love to win! But, I won't compromise in order to get a win.

Granny Bear, I agree that Pitino dropped U.K. like a hot rock. The way I look at it is he came here and did a great job and what he was hired for. He brought U.K. back to the top. He was offered the Cetics job which traditionally may be the best job in the NBA. He had no ties to Kentucky, so he left. I dont blame him. I would have gone too. It was a promotion. U.K. is probably the top college job in the land. He left for the top pro job in the land. It's not like U.K. wouldn't have parted ways with him if the circumstances had been different. They have no allegiance to coaches. Ask Billy Clyde. It's all big business.

[Stardust]

Without Pitino, there would not have been a Calipari. UK was in the dumpster and NO premier coach wanted to touch them. It's the reason why UK had to settle for a mid-major coach in the first place, which was a total slap in the face of the most storied program in the country. UK fans only want to think of themselves as fans of the most revered program in college athletics, but they conveniently forget that no coach in America wanted this job. Pitino came here and brought the tradition back. I'm not even sure Calipari would have touched UK in 1990, so Pitino should always be credited for what he did FOR Kentucky, instead of what he DID to Kentucky by leaving.

Who wants to fault anyone in life for wanting to take a job that they feel betters their life. Hell, Calipari did the same thing to UMass by taking the abdominal Nets job. He almost tripled his salry, so he made a mistake???

Then for Pitino to come back into coaching, why should Pitino not have taken the Louisville job, just because they were in Kentucky??? The only teams to make the 2001 NCAA Tournament that had coaching vacancies was Butler and Xavier. Are you kidding me? Pitino should have taken Butler of Xavier instead of Louisville???

No, Pitino revived UK Basketball and afforded them to get Calipari. He left for the NBA for the right reason for him. He came back to college basketball and took the BEST job available.

[Motley]

I'll always be appreciate what he did for Kentucky, but doesn't mean he didn't turn into an absolute failure and embarrassment of a human being the last few years. Sleeping with an assistant's wife at a restaurant and then paying for her abortion, his program was paying strippers/hookers to try to keep up in recruiting, his assistant coaches were working deals with Adidas to secure recruits, his ego become more important than his teams, flipping off Kentucky fans when leaving Rupp Arena a couple years ago, his ridiculous hyperbole of comparing players to the 1996 team, and now leaving an in-state program in shambles. His legacy is tarnished. I'm all for his Jersey staying at Rupp, and like I said I'll always appreciate what he did for us, but he's leaving college basketball as one of the biggest embarrassments in history. Not that hard to see why people don't like him.

[david5164]

I think most Big Blue Fans are appreciative of what Coach Pitino did for UK after they had went through some tough times before Pitino took over at UK. If UK Fans don't remember back then with the famous money being sent and we almost was hit with the Death Penalty. We then brought in Coach Pitino and he turned around the UK program fast after we were banned I think for 2 seasons from NCAA tourney. His first big recruit was Jamal Mashburn and the rest was history for Coach Pitino and UK. I do believe as Coach Pitino has said many times that was his biggest mistake leaving Kentucky and going to Boston in the NBA. I know his wife didn't want to leave Lexington, Ky and didn't want to leave the Big Blue Basketball for the Boston Celtics in the NBA. Coach Tubby Smith comes in with all his recruits and pulls off his 1st championship with Coach Pitino players. After that Coach Tubby Smith didn't do much with UK and his recruiting kept declining each year for UK. If you remember UK was lucky in Tubby's last 3-4 years to get 8 or 9 seeds in NCAA Tourney and he was lucky getting 3* players. Then Coach Pitino did horrible at Boston before heading to Louisville to take over another big time Kentucky School Louisville. The big problem has been there was so many other top programs that Coach Pitino could have taken instead of stabbing UK a second time by taking our biggest rival Louisville. He could have taken Michigan or UNLV but instead he takes our biggest rival UL. I think that is why so many UK fans turned on Coach Pitino because first heading to Boston, then deciding to come back to NCAA and with all teams he could have taken for Head Coach he took UL. He knew that wouldn't sit well with UK Fans at all. Then it really went downhill after that with Karen Sypher first, then the what his staff did for the recruits after that, now with Adidas scandal. If you look at each scandal at UL and there was many he was lucky after 3 major no-nos that he was still head coach at UL. I believe that is why UL couldn't try saving Pitino this last time because of the 2-3 previous scandals he was under at UL. I believe that now Coach Pitino would have wished he stayed at UK and who knows where his career would have been at if he stays at UK instead of leaving first for Boston Celtics and then back to NCAA to UL.

[RunItUpTheGut]

if it only about wins. in that case way was UK fan mad about Tubby. he was winning year in and year out. but Tubby and Rick have never done what Cal have done at UK. under Tubby and Pitino UK had never went to the NIT, Tubby and Pitino (UK was Ineligible his first two years.) had made it to the NCAA T-ment every year.

I think UK fans are bad at Pitino because he left UK. he Pitino would have stay at UK. UK would have 14 or 15 title by now, maybe not that many, but at less 12.

I think you're getting wins and titles confused.
Anybody can win 20 games at UK. It's a premier destination in college basketball in a weak basketball conference. 20 wins should be easy.
But if you can't pull in a title every 5 or 6 years, you will eventually get turned on. The things that saves calipari in this situation is his amount of 30 win seasons and desirable recruiting skills. However, his lack of coaching ability has been evident in some big games especially those against good x and o coaches.
If Cal can't win another title within 4 or 5 years, NO matter the amount of final fours or elite 8s, Kentucky fans will get fed up with his yearly talks of how his players go to the NBA.

To be honest, UK should have passed up UCLA in titles by now with some of the teams Cal has had at UK.

[cj2561]

I think most Big Blue Fans are appreciative of what Coach Pitino did for UK after they had went through some tough times before Pitino took over at UK. If UK Fans don't remember back then with the famous money being sent and we almost was hit with the Death Penalty. We then brought in Coach Pitino and he turned around the UK program fast after we were banned I think for 2 seasons from NCAA tourney. His first big recruit was Jamal Mashburn and the rest was history for Coach Pitino and UK. I do believe as Coach Pitino has said many times that was his biggest mistake leaving Kentucky and going to Boston in the NBA. I know his wife didn't want to leave Lexington, Ky and didn't want to leave the Big Blue Basketball for the Boston Celtics in the NBA. Coach Tubby Smith comes in with all his recruits and pulls off his 1st championship with Coach Pitino players. After that Coach Tubby Smith didn't do much with UK and his recruiting kept declining each year for UK. If you remember UK was lucky in Tubby's last 3-4 years to get 8 or 9 seeds in NCAA Tourney and he was lucky getting 3* players. Then Coach Pitino did horrible at Boston before heading to Louisville to take over another big time Kentucky School Louisville. The big problem has been there was so many other top programs that Coach Pitino could have taken instead of stabbing UK a second time by taking our biggest rival Louisville. He could have taken Michigan or UNLV but instead he takes our biggest rival UL. I think that is why so many UK fans turned on Coach Pitino because first heading to Boston, then deciding to come back to NCAA and with all teams he could have taken for Head Coach he took UL. He knew that wouldn't sit well with UK Fans at all. Then it really went downhill after that with Karen Sypher first, then the what his staff did for the recruits after that, now with Adidas scandal. If you look at each scandal at UL and there was many he was lucky after 3 major no-nos that he was still head coach at UL. I believe that is why UL couldn't try saving Pitino this last time because of the 2-3 previous scandals he was under at UL. I believe that now Coach Pitino would have wished he stayed at UK and who knows where his career would have been at if he stays at UK instead of leaving first for Boston Celtics and then back to NCAA to UL.

i am not a Tubby fan at all. but I will say this about him. he is the first coach at UK to win all 16 SEC games and the SEC T-ment in the same season. he done that with what you said 3* player.

I don't know how many people that tell me this... UK got 6 NBA player on the team, with that they should win the championship. then I always tell them, the NBA is not the NCAA. it just take one or two super stars on the team to win in the NBA. but the NCAA it take a team working together to win the NCAA championship. the year UK did win it, they got lucky that year. that UNC last there best PG in the first game of the T-ment. it should be UNC not Kansas in the championship game that year.

[cj2561]

I think you're getting wins and titles confused.
Anybody can win 20 games at UK. It's a premier destination in college basketball in a weak basketball conference. 20 wins should be easy.
But if you can't pull in a title every 5 or 6 years, you will eventually get turned on. The things that saves calipari in this situation is his amount of 30 win seasons and desirable recruiting skills. However, his lack of coaching ability has been evident in some big games especially those against good x and o coaches.
If Cal can't win another title within 4 or 5 years, NO matter the amount of final fours or elite 8s, Kentucky fans will get fed up with his yearly talks of how his players go to the NBA.

To be honest, UK should have passed up UCLA in titles by now with some of the teams Cal has had at UK.

having NBA player on you team, don't mean nothing in COLLEGE. since the NBA made that rule, were player can't go to the NBA out of High School. how many little college made the final four. before that rule how many made it.

but I am with you, Cal can't coach. the only thing he can do is get player. he isn't much of a X's and O's of the game.

[Motley]

the year UK did win it, they got lucky that year. that UNC last there best PG in the first game of the T-ment. it should be UNC not Kansas in the championship game that year.

Didn't Kentucky already beat UNC in the regular season? hh:

[UKisN1]

Pitino is a pompous ass who only cared about himself here and at UL. If they take his jersey down at UK, then bring Richie Farmer's at the same time. Public servants who let the masses down.

[cj2561]

Didn't Kentucky already beat UNC in the regular season? hh:

UK won by 1 point at Rupp. early in the season. what was it like the 8th or 12th game of the season. also by what you just say. UK should have beat UNC in the NCAA, because they won the regular season game. it was about the same game also (9th to 12th game of the season).

[Motley]

UK won by 1 point at Rupp. early in the season. what was it like the 8th or 12th game of the season. also by what you just say. UK should have beat UNC in the NCAA, because they won the regular season game. it was about the same game also (9th to 12th game of the season).

It was the 8th game of the season. I don't understand anything else you said.

[RunItUpTheGut]

UK won by 1 point at Rupp. early in the season. what was it like the 8th or 12th game of the season. also by what you just say. UK should have beat UNC in the NCAA, because they won the regular season game. it was about the same game also (9th to 12th game of the season).

So bitter....