LOUISVILLE, KY – Louisville Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino had to be restrained by assistant coaches and arena security today after getting in a heated screaming match with a seven-month old baby seated near the Cardinals bench. The baby started crying during a Louisville timeout during the first half of a game against Louisville. Pitino yelled at the child to quiet down and show respect and things quickly escalated from there.
“There was an incident, but it has been dealt with,” confirmed the Director of Security at the KFC Yum! Center. “We were able to get the tiny baby to calm down. And the seven-month old child was simply hungry and is now feeling much better after getting a snack.”
The screaming match began late in the second half during a media timeout when the child, seated with her parents about 14 rows up from the Louisville bench, began softly whimpering. Enraged by the distraction, Pitino screamed at the child to “Show some respect! We’re setting up an in-bounds play here! Your generation is ruining this country!”
The child seemed to quiet down after being handed some animal crackers by his mother, but Pitino was already fired up and began walking up into the stands in an attempt to confront the cutey face-to-face.
“Oh, don’t have anything to say now, huh?” Pitino screamed, being held back with one hand by the Lousville team manager. “I call you out on your shit and you clam right up, huh? Coward! You’re a coward, baby!”
Louisville issued a statement at halftime about the incident and claimed that Pitino’s actions were completely appropriate.
“Coach Pitino was simply trying to defend his team from an unruly fan,” read the statement. “And Coach is going through a difficult time right now because of 9/11. We ask everyone to support him during this difficult time.”
