No, not that U.S. team, the other one.
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Rick Pitino will reportedly coach the Puerto Rico national team.
Who saw that coming? Anyone? Anyone?
Louisville’s coach has agreed to coach the country in its effort to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics, according to FIBA America. (If your prefer your tweeted news in Spanish, they’ve got you covered.)
The deal will reportedly be announced sometime this week.
"We have all seen what coaching an Olympic Team has done for Duke and Coach K. There is no [sic] much talent outside of the USA and with 10 current players from the Caribbean in the NBA this part of the world is rich in talent and could be a recruiting gold mine for us." -Unidentified source within Louisville's athletic department
Can you imagine what would happen if somebody at Duke's athletic department said something like that?!? Saying that Pitino is basically taking the job in order to help with recruiting. Wow...
Amazing how much conventional wisdom has changed on the wisdom of Coach K even taking on such a task, let alone the concept that it would actually benefit Duke.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluedog
The national team of Puerto Rico? Silly me....and here I thought that as a territory of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its citizens--citizens of the United States--would not have a separate national team.Quote:
Originally Posted by Duvall
Yep, I'm anxiously awaiting Feinstein's next column telling of the impending retirement of Pitino and the demise of Louisville Basketball. I'm sure its coming, right?Quote:
Originally Posted by roywhite
But seriously, whether Pitino is successful or not depends on whether or not he can get his guys to adjust to the 15 second clock. Its quite a complicated sypher to crack.
Not sure how it's so different from the UK having four national soccer teams.Quote:
Originally Posted by SmartDevil
Especially since those four actually share a historical (albeit not always friendly) relationship. The US has as much to do with Puerto Rico as we do with...well...Guam.Quote:
Originally Posted by Duvall
Not to mention China, Hong Kong and Taiwan participating separately in the Olympics.Quote:
Originally Posted by Duvall
I think the US lost to Puerto Rico a few Games ago in basketball, in fact.
Not to get into politics but China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan is a whole different situation than US and Puerto Rico.Quote:
Originally Posted by hurleyfor3
2004 Olympics, the worst loss by the USA national team since fielding NBA players.Quote:
Originally Posted by hurleyfor3
...And that team was coached by a man who went to college at...Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperTurkey
Put me in the "confused by Puerto Rico having a national team" crowd. Is Puerto Rico considered a nation? They do not regulate their own international trade, do not maintain a military, does not have a seat at the UN or is recognized by any nation in the world as BEING a nation, and is under the general control of a nation... namely, the United States. It is funny that they have a national team at all, I think.
Congrats to Rick, I suppose, for the job.
Depending on how technical you want to get, the UK essentially has 10 different squads that compete in FIFA tournaments:Quote:
Originally Posted by Duvall
England
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland
Anguilla
Bermuda
Caymen Islands
Montserrat
Turks and Caicos
British Virgin Islands
It's a gray area but not without precedent. If they don't have electoral votes or congressional representation, I say let them have pseudonational sports teams. 'Tis only fair.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lord Ash
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperTurkey
Hey, they can vote in the Presidential Democratic primaries! They're part of the US! ;) And DC doesn't have congressional representation either. They should get their own Olympic squad! haha. (Note: This post wasn't meant to be serious and go into PPB-land; just a joke)
You don't have to get technical to understand that only the first four are within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Quote:
Originally Posted by Deslok
But they are British territories and not sovereign nations, distinguishing them from Commonwealth nations like Australia and Canada.
See, you had to make things technical.
I guess hey have some hot latin chicks there.
Yes, but as the relevant analogy, Puerto Rico isn't within the United States either.Quote:
Originally Posted by CEF1959
Well by that viewpoint the US has four squads: USA, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and Guam. All have Fiba teams. At one point Tim Duncan wanted to play for the Virgin Islands but counldn't because the had already played for the US.Quote:
Originally Posted by Deslok