Dirty Hands
Commentary by Loserville Editorial Board

"Love to my country actuates my present conduct, however it may appear inconsistent to the world, who very seldom judge right of any man's actions."

...Benedict Arnold

In the days which have followed Benedict Rick's decision to accept the Loserville coaching position, it has become obvious that though Slick was the principle actor in the commission of this act of treachery, he was not without assistance.  Perhaps most disappointing is the fact that some who claim loyalty to the University of Kentucky were actively involved as "co-conspirators" in Pitino's plot to return to the Commonwealth as coach of UK's Little Brother.  Who are these individuals with "dirty hands"?  What led them to join Benedict Rick in betraying the citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its flagship university?  And can these persons ever be trusted again by Wildcat faithful?  We have identified eight individuals who, if this matter were brought to trial, would surely be indicted on conspiracy charges...

C.M. Newton, former UK player and former UK Athletics Director
When Loserville AD, Tommy Jurich, decided that he would go after Benedict Rick to replace Denny Crum, the first person he contacted was former UK player and Athletics Director, C.M. Newton.  Instead of recognizing Jurich's plan as an act of aggression towards UK, Newton rather encouraged Jurich to go after Pitino and he also advised both Pitino and Jurich that together they would be a "match made in heaven".  It seems that Newton initially played "match-maker" in the torrid Pitino-Jurich love affair, and showed no concern for the interests of the University of Kentucky and its fans. 

Motivation -- As time has passed since Newton's tenure as AD at Kentucky, his image has slowly but surely eroded.  Though Newton has received much deserved credit for the hiring of Benedict Rick in 1989, most of his other decisions, in retrospect, were bad for UK.  Bill Curry, Bernadette Mattox, Hal Mumme, Zero-Tolerance Policies, No-Transfer Rules, and now his involvement in the "Benedict Rick to Loserville" saga have severely tarnished his image.  However, it should be noted that Newton was on Pitino's payroll over the past several years as "advisor" to the Boston Celtics.  Also, Newton was recently defeated in his bid to join the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees.  What motivated C.M. to partake in this final act of treachery?  Perhaps it was idolatry and bitterness -- idolatry of Benedict Rick who ensured that C.M. would not be banished to a Senior Citizen's Center during his retirement, and bitterness that his policies and bid to continue to shape policy at UK have been met with resistance based on his past poor performance.

Paul Patton, Governor of Kentucky
At approximately 11:00 a.m. EST on March 21, 2001, Benedict Rick's phone rang in Miami.  When he answered, he found that the Governor of Kentucky had called to encourage him to take the Loserville head coaching position.  Benedict stated at his press conference that evening in Loserville that the call from Governor Patton had been a strong factor in his ultimately deciding to betray the University of Kentucky and its supporters.  Not surprisingly, Governor Patton appeared at the Loserville press conference and "welcomed" Benedict back to the state.

Motivation -- It is no secret that Governor Patton has his eye on the 2006 race for the U.S. Senate.  It is widely assumed that he will challenge Republican incumbent Senator, Jim Bunning.  Obviously, the heavily democratic city of Loserville will be an important base of potential support in that election, and the Governor will need to carry Loserville by a wide margin to defeat the incumbent Senator.  Psssst...Hey, Governor Patton...in case your media relations people forgot to tell you, UK fans outnumber Loserville fans in the state by at least a 4 to 1 margin.  UK fans even outnumber Loserville fans in Jefferson County itself.  If you are lucky, maybe the citizens will have forgotten your act of treachery by the time the election rolls around.  They won't forget it if we have anything to say about it...

Rick Robey, former UK player
Rick Robey and C.M. Newton were at the forefront of former UK players to betray the Empire of College Basketball.  However, Robey was even more public in his support of Pitino-to-Loserville often giving quotes to the local media about how "it was no big deal" and that "it would be good for the state".  UK fans were left shaking their heads as one of their own so publicly betrayed his former university.

Motivation -- Robey discovered, like Benedict Rick after him, that being affiliated with UK "has its advantages".  Robey has gone on to become a successful realtor in Loserville as a result of the name recognition he gained within the Commonwealth while playing basketball for UK.  During Benedict's first visit to Loserville, it was Robey who gave Ricky a tour of potential real estate options within the Dirty City.  Robey stands to gain significant commissions on any closing he secures for the Pitinos, and thus, money was his obvious motivation in aiding and abetting Benedict's act of deceit.

Brent Rice, Attorney and self-described UK booster
The names "Brent Rice" (photographed) and "Rick Avare" were probably unknown to most UK supporters prior to Benedict's act of treachery.  Rice is a Lexington-based attorney, and he and Avare are described by Pitino as "associates".  Both were believed to be strong supporters of Kentucky basketball, until they too casually dismissed their loyalties and publicly and privately advocated Pitino taking the Loserville position.  Rice and Avare served as Pitino's point men in the Loserville negotiations, and both more than likely earned substantial fees for their negotiating time.  Both Rice and Avare strongly encouraged Pitino to take the Loserville position over the objections of some of their Big Blue friends. 

Motivation -- Like Robey, both Rice and Avare were motivated by dollar signs.  Both men stand to gain financially by having their "client", Benedict Rick, return to the Commonwealth where their status as "advisors" will become more prominent (and costly for Pitino).  These co-conspirators saw an opportunity to usurp a percentage of Slick's millions, and they tossed their loyalties to UK by the wayside in order to accomplish this goal.

Travis Ford, former UK player under Benedict Pitino
From the moment that Ford took to local airwaves and newspapers supporting Benedict to Loserville, it was clear that he had been given his opinion verbatim by Slick himself.  Ford was lock-step with the other co-conspirators in his views and followed his marching orders from Miami like a good soldier -- but does he know he is now marching for the Army of the Damned?

Motivation -- Ford is a shameless opportunist.  His attempts to mimic every characteristic of Benedict's personality -- in his speech, his coaching, and his media approach -- is a sad display of an individual who does not understand that he is being used by Benedict like everyone else.  There was no way an opportunist like Ford would have come out publicly against Pitino.  Instead of relying on his status as a former Wildcat to advance his career, Ford instead chose to betray his alma mater in an effort to secure positive job recommendations and opportunities from Benedict.

Sean Woods, former UK player under Benedict Rick
Like Ford, Woods also publicly stated that he supported Benedict going to Loserville.  He too clearly received his marching orders from "Mafia Central" in Miami.

Motivation -- It should come as no surprise that within 48 hours of Benedict announcing he would accept the Loserville position, Woods was at Slick's side begging for an assistant coaching position in Loserville.  Obviously, Woods was also motivated by opportunity rather than any genuine sentiment for his alma mater.  It will be interesting to see if Slick gives Woods his payoff for his support, or if after using him to his benefit, he pretends that Woods doesn't exist as he has so many others...

Richie Farmer, former UK player under Benedict Rick
Having more than likely failed at his life-long ambition of becoming a professional taxidermist and fishing guide, Farmer also saw a potential personal gold mine in Slick returning to the Commonwealth.  While Farmer didn't interpose himself in the situation to the extent that Sean Woods and Travis Ford did, Rick did state at his Loserville press conference that Farmer had called him and expressed his support of Benedict returning to the state to coach Loserville.

Motivation -- Like other former UK players caught under Benedict's "spell", Farmer no doubt saw opportunities for personal financial gain in Slick's return to the Bluegrass.  Don't be surprised if Farmer doesn't make a bid, like Woods, to join Pitino's staff, or if the two attempt to endorse products together.  Farmer has never escaped the "small-town mentality" and his small mind probably couldn't comprehend how he was betraying the UK fan base with his actions. (3/28/01)