Last Wednesday, Rick Pitino took another coaching job. That means, by my watch and Pitino's fickle finger, we should give him roughly 17 minutes before he's on the flirt again.
Hey Rick: I hear Louisiana-Monroe concocted an incentive-laden package replete with riverboat gambling chips and gourmet gumbo. You interested? Oh, did I mention Southern Illinois is on the horn - they want to know if you've ever coached a Saluki.
In all candor, the coaching coquette warrants such a tag. On the college level alone, he's held head coaching positions at Boston University, Providence and Kentucky. That laundry list excludes stints with the NBA's Knicks and Celtics.
Last week, Pitino's reputation changed, though. He ceased being a harmless tease and morphed into a hardwood heretic.
Six days ago, slick Rick - he of the John Gotti accent and Giorgio Armani regalia - snubbed beaches (UCLA) for bluegrass and Wayne Newton (UNLV) for D. Wayne Lucas. Manhattan's favorite son is horseback riding once again ... this time in Louisville.
In a return equal parts turbulent and triumphant, Pitino boarded the northeasterner's version of a derby colt (a charter plane) and zoomed down south to slip his feet inside the emptied shoes of recently deposed Denny Crum.
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This impromptu decision from a man who made his lunch refashioning the University of Kentucky from a probation-riddled program into a national champion. This from a man who established his tactical brilliance a mere 80 miles down the road at UK. This from a man who enjoyed more plumb job possibilities than a high school quarterback does prom prospects (UNLV most notably, followed in no particular order by UCLA, Michigan and Tennessee ... and maybe even Kentucky once more had he angled for it).
But no, Pitino chose - of all locales - Louisville. Somewhere, Adolph Rupp is huffing to have him excommunicated.
Cardinal fans share a laugh with Wildcat zealots about as often as Mike Krzyzewski and Gary Williams share hugs. They don't ... ever.
There exist a few unspoken but widely understood canons in our sporting culture: Oklahoma Sooners don't play front-yard football with Nebraska Cornhuskers, Auburn Tigers don't strum the banjo with Alabama Crimson Tide, and ex-Kentucky basketball coaches don't go to Louisville.
If it were anyone besides Pitino, we should expect some surprise to pour forth from such betrayal. Or should we?
This is big-time college basketball, mind you, where loyalty rarely makes an appearance ... and not just in matters involving Pitino.
Just last week Bobby Knight endorsed his son Patrick, who accused Hoosier interim coach Mike Davis (now the full-time head man) of disloyalty to the program for the philosophical and stylistic changes Davis made with the club in his rookie campaign.
Overreaction, Pat? The alterations included (gasp) allowing select media members to sit in on practices and treating his 12 players with human decency.
All the while, big papa bear was firing six-shooters with the folks at Texas Tech.
Speaking of loyalty, I thought Tommy Amaker committed himself to transforming Seton Hall into the powerhouse that ruled the Big East and competed for the ultimate prize just 12 years ago.
Well, it was a noble thought for the four years that it lasted. Recently, Amaker ditched two grade-A recruiting hauls that he handpicked and became Michigan's top man.
Now those diaper-dandies are making threats - Samuel Dalembert and Eddie Griffin to surf the NBA waters; Andre Barrett and Marcus Toney-El to take their services elsewhere.
Maybe Pitino can sign them up. Hey guys, can you ride horses?
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