Updated 2/11 @ 10:15 am

Remember when I wrote last week that The Rick might jump to the Nets. Well, read this report from the New York Daily News.

While it’s easy to scoff at this innuendo, one of the contributors to the story is none other than “Hoops” Weiss, allegedly a pal of Pitino’s.

Among the reasons my sources are passing along: 1) Joanne wants to move back home. She’s tired of the stares at the grocery. 2) The Rick is tired of Joanne telling him she wants out. 3) The Rick is worn down by the Karen Sypher mess. 4) The Rick, seeing what’s happening down the road, and without the youthful energy to combat Coach Cal, wants out of the commonwealth.

My take on this: I don’t believe it. The Nets are woeful. Even a fellow with Pitino’s ego realizes what a rebuilding effort it would be. I do believe that Pitino has been a bit disengaged this season, but not sure that translates into wandering eyes. I’m sure he’d like to get the Sypher situation resolved, so he — and we — could move on.

* * * * *

The final buzzer of Syracuse’s ref-aided W over UConn was still reverberating, when the emails started pouring in about yet another unacceptable case of BEast Zebras Run Amuck.

The score was tied with :36 to play. The ‘Cuse missed a shot, the Huskies got the rebound, then . . . the Orange were granted a timeout. While the ball was in play. When the other team had the ball.

Sad but true. The best league in basketball’s stripes blew another one. And don’t tell me Boeheim was signaling for the TO before the ball changed hands. The ref didn’t see that, so he didn’t know that. It was yet another egregious error that handed the game to Syracuse on a silver place setting.

What a travesty.

* * * * *

And wasn’t that Duke/ Carolina game scintillating?

Such a yawner it was, I clicked over and watched a really bad comedy, “Sherlock Holmes Smarter Brother,” featuring the usually funny Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Dom DeLuise and Marty Feldman.

But those stalwarts were off their considerable game as much as the Tar Heels and Blue Devils.

Even Dickie V had trouble ratcheting up to hyper mode. Which he valiantly tried to do anyway.

It’s been awhile since I’ve said what we all believe — Send Dickie V back to Fla. . . . to stay. And send the increasingly cloying Bill Raftery with him.

* * * * *

Speaking of extremely annoying announcers we used to like, consider the case of Mr. Nickname, Chris Berman. Apparently his contract is up at ESPN this spring. Word is that the NFL Network and Dish Network are getting in a bidding war for him.

Great. I rarely watch NFL Network, don’t have Dish. Seems like he’d be a perfect fit at either as far as I’m concerned.

He’s so full of fluffery and puffery, it’s hard to discern that he’s really talking about football.

All of which causes me to remember that ESPN stands for ENTERTAINMENT Sports Programming Network. With ever increasing emphasis on you know what.

Gimme more of Len Elmore, Jaws, Doris Burke, Chris Mortensen and the rest who report real sports news and analyze the game in front of them. For cute and irreverent, we got Tony and Michael on PTI every day at 5:30.

* * * * *

Jared Swopshire is back in U of L’s starting lineup for tonight’s snow game against St. John’s. Imagine my surprise. Terrence Jennings is holding steady as far and away the Cards’ most underachieving player. Making him a starter lit a fire under neither him nor the team.

* * * * *

The Cats will be trotting out new unis for their primetime encounter with the Rocky Toppers Saturday night.

They’re okay. But, what I’m waiting for are two things. The first school to be retro brazen enough to break out either old style t-shirt jerseys, like Seattle and Evansville wore in their heyday, or shorter pants that aren’t quite as billowy as those currently in favor. I’m not talking about shorts so small and tight they cut off circulation to the player’s private areas. Just something more traditional.

It’s in your hands, Phil Knight, prove me a prophet.

– Seedy K