The red mafia?  |  Thorn

As we go to press, news breaks about federal indictments involving collegiate men’s basketball, and UofL is in the crosshairs. What is alleged, according to The Courier-Journal, is that an apparel company would pay a player’s family $100,000 to play at a specific university and pimp the company when he turns pro. If this is true, then we repeat what we said after the sex scandal: Either Rick Pitino and Tom Jurich did not know and, therefore, are incompetent, or they knew and were complicit. Regardless of which, they should be fired, or face worse.

We’re the Louisville Cardinal  |  Thorn

And in the less-recent scandal department, an audit found that the UofL Foundation, which exists to make the school better, misspent and mis-invested millions of dollars, including approving millions in for former President James Ramsey and other holders of sinecures. But UofL cannot afford to continue funding the campus newspaper? If you are smarter than a bag of Ramseys, you will want to help out the paper at: gofundme.com/save-uofl-student-journalism

We’re the CJ  |  Thorn

We criticize and mock The Courier-Journal whenever we get a chance, with the goal of making it better (and to have a bit of fun). But make no mistake — this newspaper is critical to our community, and it does important work that no other media are doing as well. So it was with deep sadness we learned that The CJ laid off at least three people, including two reporters, one a fabulous arts writer. The layoffs were part of a Gannett-wide plan, so we direct our venom toward this Wall Street-driven clown car of a company. All you CJ haters need to step back.

Honor civil rights heroes in statue fights  |  Thorn

A state committee says the statue of traitor Confederate Jefferson Davis should remain at the Kentucky Capitol, but its plaque extolling him as a “patriot, hero, statesman” should be removed. Ugh… While the state dithers over this, and Louisvillians begin the process of deciding what to do with such statues as the one of traitor and Confederate John B. Castleman, we are thinking about replacements. One idea is to erect a monument to Carl and Anne Braden for their fearless and effective civil rights advocacy.