Rick Pitino skips postgame presser after loss to Kentucky, denies flipping off fans
Louisville head coach Rick Pitino didn't show up to his postgame press conference after Kentucky beat his Cardinals 75-73 on Boxing Day.
Instead of facing the music himself, he sent assistant coach Ralph Willard to speak with the press. Needless to say, some media members weren't too pleased:
What a diva. Grow up. https://t.co/3YwzE7Ymke
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) December 26, 2015
Pathetic. Say it again: Pitino is one of the worst losers you'll ever see. https://t.co/TAJh1kNneh
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) December 26, 2015
The game itself was a heated affair, to say the least. Both Pitino and Wildcats head coach John Calipari were issued technical fouls in the first half. But what happened after the game was clearly the talk of the town.
Prior to missing his presser, a video emerged of Pitino appearing to flip off fans as he entered the tunnel:
I got Rick flipping off UK fans on video 😂 @KySportsRadio pic.twitter.com/VPgUbRGM9H
— Seiver Tandy (@Fine_and_Tandy) December 26, 2015
Afterwards, Pitino denied giving the fans the middle finger, telling ESPN by text message that his response to some ugly comments from the crowd was a "we r #1" sign.
"No, I didn't flip off the fans. I was in the tunnel. People were yelling ugly crude things that I didn't like. The 1-8 comment (in reference to Pitino's record against Calipari-led Kentucky teams) was fine. But the other comments I didn't like," he wrote.
During his own postgame press conference, Calipari took a soft jab at Pitino, referencing the technicals they both received:
Calipari ends by repeating his halftime joke on technicals: "Mine was not deserved. His (Pitino's) was probably deserved. Merry Christmas."
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) December 26, 2015