Pitino: Target of Extortion Attempt
Posted by nvr1983 on April 18th, 2009It looks like we might have an interesting situation developing in Louisville where head coach Rick Pitino announced earlier this evening that he was the target of an extortion attempt. Some message board pundits believe this might be related to someone trying to sell a story about an affair or something along those lines and we would have to agree since Pitino’s statement doesn’t make it seem like there was some kind of organized crime syndicate involved (too many Law & Order re-runs at the RTC East HQ). [Ed. Note: We would have went with someone threatening to remind the media about Pitino’s time in Boston, but that would be blackmail since there would be “substantial truth” to that.]
Credit: Deadspin
We’ll be following the story as it unfolds since it is just about the only thing going on in college basketball that doesn’t involve coaching changes, recruiting, or the NBA Draft.
UPDATE: It looks like the message board pundits were right and the lucky lady appears to be Karen Sypher, the wife of Louisville equipment manager Tim Sypher, according to reports out of Lexington. We don’t know much about her except for what we believe is a picture of her (below).
Umm. Nice hat. . . (Credit: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News)
Make that the estranged wife of the equipment manager as they are in the process of getting a divorce and she has made various unspecified allegations against him as well. The Courier-Journal asked to interview her several times through her attorney, but she, surprise, declined. She did however give an interview to the local Fox affiliate which the station then decided no to run. So far, that’s all that has hit the public. More updates as they become available.
I’m on the fence about this rumor. Normally I would say, “OH, another guy messing around on his wife”. But for some reason I don’t feel like this is true. I see a bitter woman, mad at her husband, trying to make his life hell. Then I see where she could of had a chance to have been around Pitino, hit on him, he being cordial, with the ‘THANKS< BUT NO THANKS”, so now she mad about the rejection, also. I could also imagine, her calling Pitino, saying “you know how people are qucik to believe the worse, and if the word “affair” gets out, regardless of one. The damage will already be done.”
That’s just my opinion. I hope I’m right.
I think Pitino is smart enough, that if he were to have an affair it wouldn’t be in his own back yard. Louisville, LOVES him, and he knows it. I really don’t see him tarnishing his reputation like that. Only time will tell, can’t wait to see what unfolds.
rebecca Grady
Louisvile, KY.
She’s a MAN,baby! Yeah!
Louisville sure didn’t love Pitino when he was at UK. I bet you would be calling him a cheating liar if he were still the Kentucky coach. Prepare for another decade with no title YOU CARDINAL ASSH***S!
Hey Dexter, Prepare for anything UGay does achieve with Corruptapari to be vacated. Have fun being an embarrassment to the sport again. I smell another SI cover with the word SHAME prominently featured.