Many Louisville and Kentucky fans were puzzled to see a photo of the schools' basketball coaches, Rick Pitino and John Calipari, together at a restaurant this week. Not only do the two men represent rivals schools, they don't have the most cordial relationship.
As it turns out, the coaches were not dining together, rather they happened to be eating at neighboring restaurants at the exact same time. What are the odds of that?
The restaurants are attached and under the same ownership, Bluegrass Hospitality Group.
USA Today's Laken Litman got to the bottom of the story.
Calipari was at Malone's in honor of a friend and the former COO of Bluegrass Hospitality Group, Ron Rager, who recently passed away. Pitino, who has a horse competing in this weekend's Kentucky Derby, was next door at Drake's. When one of the waiters told Calipari that Pitino was next door, the Kentucky coach walked over and shook hands. Then the two posed for a pair of photos with some fans.
Bluegrass Hospitality Group's marketing director told Litman that Calipari had a bone-in filet accompanied by calamari. Pitino ate a calamari salad, a cup of broccoli cheddar soup and the Lexingtonian Salad.
Calipari and Pitino may be rivals, but they've got at least one thing in common: A shared affinity for calamari.
(H/T to For The Win)
