Rick vs. Roy. Has Uptown ever seen a more titanic throw down? I mean besides Crutchfield vs. McColl…
No wonder this one is in prime time. It should be a good one, but I really think UNC’s guards will be the one thing the Cards have no answer for — eventually. Pitino will have his team ready to counter-punch the Heels’ fast-break and play soild defense, no doubt about that. It is just that I think he’ll lack enough firepower to finish the job.
I once interviewed Pinito via phone while I was working for Investor’s Business Daily and his book had just hit the shelves. I thought the book was OK for one of those “business success” deals, but the guy is a born charmer and a serious type-A personality. No wonder he ended up a high profile basketball coach. A lot of guys say they thrive on pressure when they don’t. He’s not one of them. He also has just enough of that perpetual chip on his shoulder that makes him never quite sure he’s made it to the big time. Shhh, he has. Win or lose. I hope lose.
Bonus Observation: Little insight on the newspaper biz. My initial pitch to do a story on Pitino was turned down flat by an IBD editor. Wasn’t that known outside the sports world, just another coach trying to cash in with a quickie book. Couple days later during an all-hands con-call, the paper’s publisher goes off on a tear about how he’d just read this great book, one that everybody should read, a new book by Rick Pitino. Few hours later I get a quick voice mail from the same editor saying I should probably go ahead and do a Pitino piece. I had already started to set up an interview.
