Pitino Not Expecting Additional Sanctions

[CATHYnKY]

I also understand the impact of the self imposed punishment. By the time they finish with appeals, RP will be applying for Medicare. He's close.

[KCKUKFan]

I guess I'm in the minority, but I think something other than RP suspended for a few games, will happen. There were 17 players and recruits involved in this. That's a lot, and this went on for some time. Even if mr saint, RP, didn't know about this which I doubt, he is the Head Coach and it happened on his watch, so he is responsible. He will serve a suspension and I think the program will take a hit also.

We all know the NCAA is a gutless wimp when it comes to certain teams, so we can't speculate much. And, the UNC situation is evidence of that.

I'm with you on this, Lighthouse.

They'll take a hit on top of what they've already self-imposed.

I'd like to think that they drop the banner, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Joneslab]

Talked to a guy at work today who was saying he thought there may be more.

I don't know. I haven't read the entire report but it looks like they were drawing a line directly to McGee (and in some ways Pitino) rather than to UofL in a systemic way.

Syracuse took a one-year ban and still got hit with wins stripped and some other stuff. But IMO the ban from the NCAA Tournament is much more meaningful than having wins taken away. And Syracuse played a player in Fab Melo that the NCAA could make a definite ruling on regarding his eligibility.

The Louisville situation involved just over $5,000. Definitely an "impermissible benefit," but it's not an outlandish amount of money.

Thus I think they may not get hit with more (outside Pitino's suspension) as crazy as the situation sounds. The NCAA won't factor in the morality of it or the ethics or anything like that. They're looking at the money, how the money was procured, etc. Since they seem to have made a ruling that McGee was getting the money on his own, and was spending $300+ per party, we're looking at a situation that sounds horrendous but the way the NCAA will rule in the punishment phase will not be. IMO.

[Joneslab]

^ Actually I take that back.

The NCAA may look at the morality and the...strangeness of the situation if they want to use Louisville as a case study for other programs.

In that way UofL may get hit. The NCAA might want to make an example out of them. I'm not sure what precedent there is for that, but I can kind of see it happening just because the details are so bizarre and cringe-worthy.

[BobS]

That's the problem with all this. UL fans, the NCAA and many in the local media are concentrating on the $5000 aspect, which is not a lot of money these days.

My God, they were running a brothel over there. Doesn't that even register with those people that integrity and morality doesn't have a price tag? It is almost as if they were getting sex for $1000 per act it would be worse or if they were all freebies it would be nothing.

I swear I don't understand this mentality. Getting too old I guess. But if that is young thinking, I am glad for my age.

[KevinHall]

In the report the NCAA said "at least" $5400 was used for these strippers and prostitutes. That leads you to think it was much more money than that but they only tie back about $5400 to all of this.

[Joneslab]

Just to play devil's advocate for the NCAA, while Louisville was running a brothel there are many other (some of them done right out in the open) things that happen in college sports that are equally as uncouth.

The "hostesses" at these SEC schools, for example. This is different because these young ladies are (theoretically) just glorified tour guides, but it's obvious what's going on there and what the recruit is being sold. That's been happening for decades. Tim Sullivan wrote that article last year about the Cincinnati basketball coach where he mentioned taking recruits to strip clubs. Again that isn't prostitution, but it's still not the most moral thing. I was told once that NAIA coaches were taking recruits to strip clubs...back in the 1980s.

So I don't think it's a generational thing. Coaches have always been trying to gain an upper hand, and when you add high school and college athletes to the mix, you're going to get shenanigans.

Note that I'm not saying any of this was okay or normal, but the NCAA might not want to open the Pandora's box simply because they don't want to try and create a hierarchy of morality on which to judge UofL.

[BobS]

Good points. I find it all disgraceful. Always have. I always noticed more "hostesses" with football recruits typically because there are usually more of them. I know UK has current players play host to basketball recruits but I am sure some other stuff goes on.

[40bill]

^ Actually I take that back.

The NCAA may look at the morality and the...strangeness of the situation if they want to use Louisville as a case study for other programs.

In that way UofL may get hit. The NCAA might want to make an example out of them. I'm not sure what precedent there is for that, but I can kind of see it happening just because the details are so bizarre and cringe-worthy.

It would likely be looked at as a much smaller version of Penn State. Juveniles were involved, and it did happen on campus repeatedly. As far as I know, no money was mentioned in the Penn State scandal....even though that situation was much, much worse.

I would guess we may, may see a two year scholarship reduction, a show cause on Pitino and perhaps that dreaded game forfeiture thing....which seems to be the big stick the NCAA uses.

End of the day, I'm betting Louisville is cleared, Pitino retires after THIS season prior to the NCAA announcement of penalty, and the Cards fans continue to beat their chests about how innocent their program is compared to Kentucky. AND young Mr McGee has a comfortable life aided by folks grateful for his silence and willingness to fall on swords.

[Owllycat]

Its a defense tatic they are using. Keep doing the appeals longer it last in the NCAA Courts trying to wear them down to either where they say we are tired forget it now, or a way to keep Pitino on longer and do what he needs to and gives the school more time to find a replace for him if he does gets suspended or whatever. Its really just the school needing this time to get things in order before it goes to NCAA Court for the final announcement.