Former U of L, Kentucky Coach Unknowingly Shares Phone Number on Live TV

Say what you want about Rick Pitino--and that could amount to a LOT--but he's as sharp a cookie as the day is long. Yes, he has been involved, in some fashion or form, with multiple scandalous situations over the last decade-plus, but you could never accuse him of not being one of the smartest people you could meet.

That's because he is, warts and all. And his coaching acumen, in my opinion, ranks right up there with the greatest who have ever roamed the college basketball sidelines. He took Providence, Kentucky, and Louisville to at least one Final Four, apiece, and won national titles with the last two. (The record books won't count the Louisville championship because it was vacated, but I saw the game and know it happened.)

Rick Pitino's Latest 'Faux Pas' Really Isn't One, and It's Not Even His Fault

If he manages to get St. John's, where he just hired as its new head coach, to its first Final Four in four decades, it shouldn't be a surprise. If he DOES, there's a chance he could have a faux pas on live national television to thank for it. And it really wasn't a huge error at the time, even though it could be used as a cautionary tale for sports-loving celebrities in the future.

During a New York Knicks/Cleveland Cavaliers NBA playoff game earlier this week, the camera moved through the crowd to get live shots of celebrities. Pitino was one of them.

Rick Pitino Enjoys a Knicks Game, Unwittingly Shares Mobile Number

Now, I'm not a good lip reader and couldn't really make out the numbers, but several folks ARE. Expert lip readers were able to figure out his entire phone number, and the next thing you know, Pitino's mobile device became a very busy one. I would be horrified, but he's taking it all in stride. In fact, it's been a big help.

I'm not sure what's more surprising...that a wildly random occurrence like this came to pass or that Pitino used a "silly" emoji at the end of his message. "Silly" has never been an adjective I'd attach to him, but, then again, I don't know him personally.

And while that last line is meant to be funny, the number HAS been disconnected. So let this be a lesson to all of us. If we're in the presence of cameras and giving out our phone numbers, we should always TEXT them.