Legendary frenemies Rick Pitino and John Calipari are not-so-subtly exchanging words once again -- and this time it's about social media.
It started earlier in the week, when FOX Sports Live tweeted an out-of-context quote from Pitino about social media.
“I think anybody who reads social media who’s in sports is not all there. To me, I think it’s the great class of underachievers who live on the Internet with social media. I think it’s people that waste their time, and underachieve because they're not paying attention to what they should be."
In actuality, Pitino was talking about racism and his players dealing with it -- but he then went on radio Wednesday to expand on his thoughts.
"It poisons their minds," he said. "I think technology is a great thing in many instances, and I think it's poison in others, and for people in sports especially."
Pitino has banned his players from tweeting, calling what Russ Smith and Chris Jones do on social media a "waste of time."
"It’s insulting, intellectually, to be on it,” he said.
Calipari doesn't agree. Social media has been a big part of Calipari's tenure in Lexington, and most of his players have their own twitter accounts.
He responded to Pitino's critiques Thursday morning.
Cal says on ESPN radio: no disrespect, but coaches who hate social media "know nothing about social media." You have to manage it, use it.
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) February 20, 2014
Calipari says he teaches his players how to use social media for good and to "build your brand."
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) February 20, 2014
Cal on ESPN radio says of social media: "For anybody to say, 'Don't do it; you're crazy,' I don't know what you're saying."
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) February 20, 2014
Ah, debating the benefits of social media -- the 2014 version of a coaching war of words.
