Vitale Defends Calipari, But Looks Silly Doing So

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When it comes to defending John Calipari’s reputation, Dick Vitale should be hired as the coach’s full-time PR guy.  No one backs Coach Cal like ESPN’s Dickie V.

Yesterday, Vitale came out in defense of the entire Kentucky program, blasting the recent Chicago Sun-Times story and suggesting that rumors of UK paying Anthony Davis $200,000 were started by jealous coaches who Cal had outrecruited.

“A lot of times there are rumors circulated by schools which finished second, third or fourth in that recruiting battle,” Vitale wrote.  “Schools that fell short put a lot of time and effort into going after that young man.  They put in that energy, and then the player they were after ends up going somewhere else.  It is a frustrating situation, and innuendos come out that another school was cheating.  Those colleges don’t look int he mirror and say that maybe we were outworked or the other school had more to sell for the prospect.”

Well, dang.  Now I feel sorry for UK.  And I’m mad at all those Negative Nellies out there in basketball land.

Look, we at MrSEC.com defended Calipari when this story came out, too.  Not because we believe he’s the victim of a mass conspiracy — he has earned his reputation and his long list of enemies — but because we don’t believe he would be dumb enough to hand someone a bag o’ cash.

We said that if anyone was paying a player, it would probably turn out to be an overzealous fan… or an agent who happens to be buddies with Coach Cal.  Any ideas?

But Vitale scoffs at the very possibility that money could have exchanged hands at all.

“Give me a break.  Do you really think that transpired?  Kentucky has many selling points of its own, starting with a beautiful, state-of-the-art practice facility.  There is Rupp Arena, a place which creates blue hysteria.  There is the rich winning tradition, which itself attracts blue chip athletes.  Players want to go to a winner and it also helps when five of your players went in the first round of the most recent NBA draft.”

Good Lord.  Vitale just gave a full recruiting pitch for the Wildcats.  Am I the only one who believes Calipari and Vitale spoke by phone about this most recent mess?  The two paragraphs above could have darn well been written by Coach Cal himself.

But here’s my issue with Vitale’s ridiculous argument — all of that stuff was true about Kentucky when Eddie Sutton’s crew wrecked the Cats’ program, too.  Rupp Arena, great tradition, yada, yada, yada.  All true.  But UK still cheated themselves to the verge of the death penalty in the late ’80s. 

Perhaps Vitale has forgotten that someone associated with UK dropped cash into an Emery Worldwide package and sent it off to Chris Mills.  Might as well have put a smoking gun in the package, too.

“Great school, great location, great facilities, tons of players to the pros.”  So that’s why no one in Lexington could have possibly cheated?  Well, I think those same statements could be used in association with the Southern Cal football program, too.  And Alabama the numerous times the Crimson Tide has been found guilty by the NCAA.

I don’t believe Calipari would oversee the out-and-out buying of a player.  He might bend other rules — they all do, despite what Pollyanna Vitale believes — but I don’t think he’s crazy enough to leave a bright green paper trail.

Still, that doesn’t mean someone else associated with Kentucky might not have cheated.  Great tradition or not, schools cheat.  Vitale’s argument is silly.  Sticking to the facts of the Davis’ case would have been a better tack.

“John Calipari is a tenacious, relentless recruiter.  He has a solid class coming in for the 2010 season, and you know kids want to play for him.  The product at Kentucky is first class.

“You hear the cries of the programs that did not win the big-time recruiting battles.  The Sun-Times claimed three different programs said that the family was looking for a payout.

“The family, as well as the young player, deny those allegations.  I hope people understand we live in a day and age where envy and jealousy is (sic) out there.  That is the way to try to bring people down.”

“I believe Calipari will keep on chasing those blue-chippers, knocking on doors and trying to win the recruiting war.  Kentucky will line up with its share of stars during the Calipari era.”

I’ve never been one of the legion of anti-Vitale folks out there.  I think he’s been great for college basketball in general.  But he’s turned himself into a Calipari mouthpiece in recent years.  When anyone questions the coach or his program, Vitale puts on his blue tights and cape and rushes to defend his pal. 

And when Vitale buddy #1 (Bobby Knight) ripped Vitale buddy #2 (Calipari) publicly, Vitale went on live TV and said Knight was really taking shots at the NCAA, not Calipari.  I’m surprised Vitale’s head didn’t explode like someone in the movie “Scanners.”

At this point, if Calipari ever has to elude NCAA forces in a white Bronco, I have no doubt who’ll serve as his AC Cowlings.  “My name is Dickie V.  You know who I am, damnit!”