Louisville was rocked yesterday with the announcement of a book alleging  University of Louisville men’s basketball team sexual misconduct. I read it today, and the book has a slight bourbon connection and greater implications than just Louisville’s basketball program.

Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen was written by Katina Powell, the admitted prostitute / madam who allegedly set up sexual services, and Dick Cady, a former Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has built a career out of uncovering corruption.

The accusations center around Andre McGee, the former director of UofL basketball operations, whom Powell alleges paid for services for players, recruits and a recruit’s family members. McGee allegedly once attempted to pay with a Rick Pitino-signed bottle of Maker’s Mark. Maker’s produced a commemorative Pitino bottle in 2013 after the Cardinals won the NCAA National Championship. McGee allegedly told Powell the bottle is “gonna be worth something in 15 years.”

The book is extremely difficult to read and believe. Cady writes easy-to-read lead-ins to Powell’s diary excerpts, which are—to be polite—an absolute butchering of the English language, using prostitute slang and slurs most will find disturbing. Powell, who once wanted to be a journalist, is described as money-hungry narcissist, but she expressed remorse toward the end and worried about her girls getting pregnant. One of the better character lines is when Powell claims to take care of a recruit’s father, a cop, who started complaining about his salary. She basically said she didn’t care about his money problems, because “bill collectors ain’t” listening to her excuses.

Many candid photos are published that claim to be taken in player dorms, and there are photos of private cars with license plates, appointment ledgers and grip-and-grins that could have been taken anywhere. There are dates and places that give an opportunity for the accused to dispute. Powell claims to have lost 700 text messages to a virus, but publishes several other text messages with the phone number blurred out.

This book is incredibly damning and could greatly jeopardize the program if true. Whatever happens, you can guarantee lawyers will be involved.

So what does this really have to do with bourbon? Distilleries have invested millions into downtown Louisville. Heaven Hill, Michter’s, Brown-Forman and Jim Beam have developed urban distilleries within walking distance of where the Cardinals play basketball—the KFC Yum! Center. Before the Yum Center, downtown Louisville did not have the vibrant restaurant scene or the distillery ambitions to build visitor centers.

The Yum Center is Louisville’s downtown anchor. There are many attractions downtown, but it was the Yum Center that gave banks and investors confidence in writing checks for development. If this book’s allegations are proven true and Louisville basketball receives NCAA-crippling sanctions, all associated with downtown will feel the impact of an empty stadium during Cardinal basketball. Then again, this is the sort of thing that could unite a fan base and a city.