Jameson Whiskey Will Craft Rick Pitino A Custom Barrel If St. John's Makes The Elite Eight

The Godfather shakes hands with the Irishman. When St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino ("The Godfather," as the hungriest insider in college basketball, Jon Rothstein, calls him) was asked how he'd celebrate beating the Creighton Bluejays in the 2025 Big East Tournament Championship Saturday, Pitino responded: 

"I'm going to drink a quart of Jameson's."

Well, the good people of Jameson heard The Godfather loud and clear. In what could be the best thing to happen to Italian-Irish relations outside the Catholic Church, Jamo will provide a party favor for Pitino if his Johnnies dance into the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. 

This perfectly combines two things in the top five of my "hobby power rankings": St. John's basketball and drinking. As a St. John's graduate from the class of 2008 (yes, I'm that old), I've been a pig rolling around in sh*t this season. The Red Storm went from unranked in the preseason to a 2-seed in the tourney. 

RELATED: Rick Pitino Returns St. John's Back To Big East Royalty With A Team Good Enough To Win NCAA Tournament

We sucked when I was there, and I had to pound hard alcohol to cope. Now, the Johnnies have the coolest brand in college hoops. This marketing ploy brings me to my glory years at St. John's when I spent a year of tuition on Jameson at my college bar, Tradition's Irish Pub. Which, ironically, was shut down for serving fellow St. John's alum Jamo before we were 21. 

Despite becoming a "Tequila Guy" since college, I can't hate on The Godfather for celebrating with a glass of Jameson. In fact, I'll shoot any liquor if you're paying. But, you better believe I'm going Old School this weekend for the NCAA tourney and ripping some Jamo shots. Probably while betting on March Madness. It's only right with a sponsorship deal for Pitino on the line. 

_____________________________

Follow me on X (or Twitter, whatever) @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants. I'll add bets to my college basketball 2025 betting record via X all season.