Andre McGee, you have the mic.
The time has come to drop dime on Coach Rick Pitino, the official teflon don of college basketball.
This isn’t about Louisville’s basketball program anymore Andre. This is about right and wrong and owning up to the truth.
We’ve seen this movie too often where the man of color, taking orders from The Man, is the one in handcuffs and totally disgraced in the end.
For sure, there is no happy ending. So many others have fallen along the way. Go look it up.
But in his world, Pitino gets to stay and continue to rake in millions. The weak and powerless simply have to take it – even though they were handed marching orders.
Andre, do not be another victim. Do not be the fall guy.
The evidence is clear and totally believable. ESPN’s Outside the Lines has done wonderful job of reporting. They have a wire transfer from you to an escort and confirmed text messages from your phone to hookers to arrange sex parties. They even have a former recruit quoted about the sex scandal that “it was like I was in a strip club.”
Andre, this isn’t a question of whether it happened. With the evidence presented, it clearly did.
This isn’t the easy dismissal many delusional fans will give: this lady is just trying to sell a book and make money.
Oh no.
This is simply a matter of getting behind and revealing the mastermind of the scandal.
We know Pitino’s arrogance and defiance are legendary and, as expected, the Louisville Head Basketball Coach said he knew nothing about these sex parties that allegedly took place on campus for four years.
The idea that this coach who knows everything about everything didn’t get a sniff of this from 2010-2014 is mindboggling. Instead of taking responsibility for what took place at his school under his watch, Pitino punked you Andre. He ran to his friendly media outlets, pleading ignorance.
Better yet Andre, he dared you to rat him out. Dared you to snitch.
Publicly, Pitino, the Hall of Famer, told you to play the role of Roman legionary and fall on the sword to protect the Empire, one consisting of his family, his pockets and prestige.
“I don’t know if any of this is true or not,” Pitino told ESPN and Yahoo! Sports on Tuesday. “There’s only one person who knows the truth and (McGee) need to come out and tell the truth.”
Yes Andre. He wants you to tell the world this great basketball coach knew nothing and that you are totally to blame.
After all, Pitino is hoping you want to keep your street cred by NOT snitching.
Pitino is banking that everyone will be in your ear, telling you that you can’t bring the program down, you can’t sell out the coach. After all, Pitino recruited you to play Andre. It’s hard to forget the national championship you won as a coach with the guys in 2013, and don’t forget the job coach gave you as his director of basketball operations.
You would be letting Louisville down Andre. Remember the quote you said about why you picked the Cardinals? “Louisville is the best college sports town in the country, hands down, and Coach Pitino is the best coach in college. I would have been dumb to go anywhere else.”
That was you as a young 18-year-old kid. You’re a 28-year-old man now.
Andre, you will be dumb to allow yourself to take the blame for this terrible scandal.
You’ll be left out there. Remember that. No one will stand up for you and others will attack you. Many have rushed to Pitino’s side to make the argument that if he didn’t know, he can’t be held responsible, which is just dumb.
It’s Pitino’s program and he’s supposed to know what’s going on. The idea that he was blind to sex parties and hookers on campus is a huge indictment.
It’s Pitino’s job to know.
You can’t simply say I hired someone and didn’t know what they were doing. That doesn’t work in court or in the court of public opinion.
Plus, the notion that you, Andre, were spending your own money to help the program attract the best recruits makes no sense. Where was the loot coming from to run such an operation for years?
It all points back to the top.
Andre, do the right thing and follow Pitino’s advice.
Tell the truth, even if it exposes Pitino.
