Pitino's Banner [Archive] - Wildcat Nation Forums - Kentucky Wildcat Discussion and News

Got_Billie_G?

03-09-2008, 01:36 PM

So during the game they had a shot of the coaching banners hanging in Rupp Arena: Rupp, Hall, Pitino. And I thought to myself, I wonder if Pitino would have still received a banner if they had waited until after he came back to college basketball? Remember they put up a banner for him I believe the year after he left UK for the NBA.

This isn't a question of whether or not he deserves the banner, since the record speaks for itself. And this isn't a call to take the banner down, but I just wonder if the sentiment would be the same after we found out that he would go on to coach our most bitter rival, UL. I'm wondering if that would affect any choice on recognizing him for what he did during his tenure at UK. Any thoughts? Does anyone think they WOULDN'T have put the banner up? What would your choice be based on what we know today? I for one respect him for what he did for our program (NC, bringing us back to Elite status), but at the same time, hate him for what he did to our program (coaching UL). I think him coaching at any other school probably wouldn't raise this question, but UL, c'mon now.

ontheroadto8

03-09-2008, 01:43 PM

He would still get the banner if I were King of the Bluegrass. Pitino did great things for the University and the Program while he was here regardless of what you think of him today.

Don't get me wrong...I hate everything about his decision to come back to UofL. But he did right by the CATS and returned us to the top of the mountain where we belong.

ukfanman

03-09-2008, 01:51 PM

macdon

03-09-2008, 02:05 PM

Pitino's decision to ruin his life was his own.

He was not forced into anything.

NOWIS

03-09-2008, 02:09 PM

IMO we should have learned something from this, don't hang the jersey until they are retired.

ukbob

03-09-2008, 02:11 PM

We won a NC with him. He has the banner. (I despise the guy, but never doubt his accomplishments)

Tubby should get one as well. He won us a NC.

Gillispie will have his up there some day.

BlueBalls

03-09-2008, 02:11 PM

That banner is hanging there because of what he accomplished as coach of UK. Nothing else.

spfury

03-09-2008, 02:19 PM

Pitino deserves it. One of the greatest coaches at the Greatest B-Ball school of all time. Proud to have his banner hanging there, Tubby should have one in the future as well. Glad Tubby is gone, but he deserves it.

DRCATFAN

03-09-2008, 02:22 PM

We won a NC with him. He has the banner. (I despise the guy, but never doubt his accomplishments)

Tubby should get one as well. He won us a NC.

Gillispie will have his up there some day.

No way in hell Tubby gets one. Took Pitino's team to a NC then ran the program into mediocrity.

ukbob

03-09-2008, 02:25 PM

No way in hell Tubby gets one. Took Pitino's team to a NC then ran the program into mediocrity.

LOL. Keep wishin'.

He deserves one regardless of your hate. He did drive us down late but he drove us to a title early because the guy before him QUIT on us. Got it?

Stupid argument.

Anyone that coaches us to a title deserves one. And the last time I checked, Smith was the coach, not the guy who quit on us.

HoptownFaithful82

03-09-2008, 02:27 PM

Completely agree with DRCATFAN. Tubby will probably get one because of the NC, but he did it with Pitino's players, not his own. Then he flushed the program down the tubes. Thank the Lord, he's gone!

HoptownFaithful82

03-09-2008, 02:30 PM

LOL. Keep wishin'.

He deserves one regardless of your hate. He did drive us down late but he drove us to a title early because the guy before him QUIT on us. Got it?

Stupid argument.

Anyone that coaches us to a title deserves one. And the last time I checked, Smith was the coach, not the guy who quit on us.

If you got offered millions of dollars to coach in the NBA, would you turn it down? Rick did what he thought was best for himself and his family. He has admitted that it was the biggest mistake of his life. Although I don't like the fact he came back to coach at UL, he did great things for UK, and deserved his shot at coaching in the NBA.

billoliver40

03-09-2008, 02:32 PM

C'mon guys....
Tubby Smith deserves a banner as much as anyone. Pitino even made the
comment that he probably couldn't have won with the team he left UK.
Wrong players overall for his style.
OTS has gotten bashed enough. I supported him while he was here;
I was ready for him to leave.
He did OK for a time here. He had half as many titles as Dean Smith did in
30 years at UNC. He has as many titles (so far) as Roy Williams.
Let it go and enjoy what we have now.

ukbob

03-09-2008, 02:36 PM

If you got offered millions of dollars to coach in the NBA, would you turn it down? Rick did what he thought was best for himself and his family. He has admitted that it was the biggest mistake of his life. Although I don't like the fact he came back to coach at UL, he did great things for UK, and deserved his shot at coaching in the NBA.

But he still QUIT, regardless of the reason. And we needed a coach. We got one. And that coach did his job brilliantly in 98 and got us the title that the quitter did not get. Tubby didn't follow through very well in later years, but we still had some great years under him. Why do so many fans forget that? The guy just left 2 years too late.

Honestly, sometimes I wish they would hang 2 Tubby banners just to piss off the irrational UK fans that cannot separate reality from hate.

Got_Billie_G?

03-09-2008, 02:43 PM

I knew it, this has turned into a pro-Tubby/anit-Tubby argument....my bad guys just trying to look for some "what if" thinking, didn't mean to get this drudged up again...

Matt Dillon

03-09-2008, 02:51 PM

JWORLD

03-09-2008, 03:31 PM

I say keep it up there so that in years to come he can look up there and remember what a terrible choice he made when he decided to leave.

ontheroadto8

03-09-2008, 03:37 PM

No way in hell Tubby gets one. Took Pitino's team to a NC then ran the program into mediocrity.

'The '03 squad was far from meiocrity...as was the '05 team. Tubby will have his banner and he will have earned it just like all those before him.

KY Native in IN

03-09-2008, 04:51 PM

Pitino deserves a banner, Tubby deserves one and WILL get one...deservedly so.....no doubts from me

thread closed - haha

Stucat

03-09-2008, 05:16 PM

Pitino's banner needs to be up there as he brought UK basketball from the dead, won a NCAA championship and left the cupboard full for Tubby. What he chose to do with his life afterwards should not matter to any of us.

What he chose to do with his life after he left UK has to matter. Stop and think for a minute we have to play Louisville every year. Now you know the way UL fans feel about us and how we will feel about the Cards. That was the only part of your post that I had issues with but I agree that he did bring us back from the dead and for a few short years the Pitino era was a lot of fun. Then he left for the NBA which was fine by me but taking the UL job was not fine by me especially since we have to play them every year. That game is mandated by the state.

The Goose Was Loose 78

03-09-2008, 05:41 PM

The game is mandated by a contract...not by the state.....also, Pitino readily admits he hates the series....he is humble when he talks about the Cats. I respect him as a great coach that brought us back from the depths of NCAA hell to have a run not seen in college basketball since the UCLA days....he deserves that banner....he made the biggest mistake of his life when he left UK for the Celtics and he admits that.....he also has a losing record against UK......give him his due, his banner hangs........let's remember the great run and let's work hard to get that feeling back with an unbelievable new coach......Go Cats!!!!

ukfanman

03-09-2008, 06:01 PM

What he chose to do with his life after he left UK has to matter. Stop and think for a minute we have to play Louisville every year. Now you know the way UL fans feel about us and how we will feel about the Cards. That was the only part of your post that I had issues with but I agree that he did bring us back from the dead and for a few short years the Pitino era was a lot of fun. Then he left for the NBA which was fine by me but taking the UL job was not fine by me especially since we have to play them every year. That game is mandated by the state.

Rick Pitino may continue to be a burr under your saddle and many other UK fans. He had his dream, he chased it and who would not turn down 80 million?? Be a durn fool if you didn't.

I am glad for what he did for UK. And will always give him credit where credit is due.

zachkyzach

03-09-2008, 06:19 PM

I am just glad that Pitino at Louisville isnt the same Pitino that was at Kentucky. He has slipped a little, which I guess is true of any coach later in their career. I have long said that he is an overrated coach (and I know this will get some heat). Dont get me wrong he is a VERY GOOD coach, but that is as far as I will go. First of all I want to thank him for everything he did for Kentucky. We owe him a lot of gratitude. Now on to my argument. Here is a man who has been to 5 final fours and won one NC. His claim to fame is that he is the only coach to take three teams to a final four. Well, Roy Williams would do the same if he wanted to be a mediocre NBA coach for a couple of years, then come back to college. I think that is more of an indication of Ricky P moving around than it is his great coaching. Like I said he is a very good coach, I just dont get people who want to put him on a list of all-time greats.

I have had this argument with a lot of people. His returning to Louisville was a slap in the face, but is something that I looking back isnt as huge a deal as I made it out to be. There are just a lot of things about Pitino that irritate me now that I guess I was able to tolerate while he was here.

Finally, to answer the original question..Yes, Pitino would still get his banner no matter what IMO.

HoptownFaithful82

03-09-2008, 06:40 PM

Hey ukbob, just for the record, I have no problem with Tubby, he had a couple of good years. However, he QUIT too. He didn't get fired, he left of his own free will, just like Pitino did. I wish him all the best. At least he went to a school we don't have to play every year.

TransientAlum

03-09-2008, 08:38 PM

Wow, people dissing on Rick, taking shots a Tubby. Lets go for Hall and Rupp next.

Sutton too easy a target or something?

colonelcatfan

03-09-2008, 09:26 PM

Wow, people dissing on Rick, taking shots a Tubby. Lets go for Hall and Rupp next.

Sutton too easy a target or something?

Thank you.......this is a pointless thread. We just beat the defending National Champs on Senior Day, probably ending their defense of said NC...and we're gonna talk about Rick and Tubby????

zachkyzach

03-09-2008, 09:32 PM

Thank you.......this is a pointless thread. We just beat the defending National Champs on Senior Day, probably ending their defense of said NC...and we're gonna talk about Rick and Tubby????
I argued against these kinds of threads after every big game, yet they still came. So if you cant beat em join em. I am giving my opinions on the topics since I was told over and over I was wrong.