from www.nydailynews.com – Louisville coach Rick Pitino said he would remain quiet until the start of the trial of a woman accused of trying to extort $10 million from him in highly publicized sex scandal that rocked college basketball.
But after he watched a local TV affiliate interrupt a noon news report on the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy to air the audiotapes of an already released interview Karen Sypher had with Louisville detectives in which she initially claimed Pitino sexually assaulted her in a downtown restaurant six years ago, he couldn’t resist speaking out.
Against the advice of his lawyer, university officials and the authorities, Pitino – who admitted having consensual sex with Sypher – conducted a hastily called press conference Wednesday, lashing out against what he felt were over-sensationalized, inaccurate reports by local and national media.
“Enough is enough and everybody’s tired of it,” Pitino said. “So, I am saying something. It’s a lie. Everything that’s been printed, everything that’s been reported, everything that’s been breaking in the news of the day Ted Kennedy died is a 100% lie, a lie. All of this has been a lie, a total fabrication of the truth.”
Pitino went on to say the scandal has been “pure hell on my family.”
“I’m a little upset. This is a day I went home to comfort my wife, who for the last seven months, has gone through a really tough time as her husband was extorted for millions of dollars and from that point all she’s read are all these false allegations. I’ve admitted I made a mistake six years ago. But my wife and family don’t deserve to suffer because of the lies.
“It’s a pretty sad day. I understand your business very well. I understand the competitiveness of that and I understand in these economic times how difficult it is for everyone. What I don’t understand is why you keep fostering this behavior. On a day when Ted Kennedy died, we broke into the news of Karen Sypher’s audiotapes. And it’s also a pretty sad commentary when you look at the things that are being said. Just yesterday – and it didn’t make me too pleased – the U.S. Attorney asked for psychological testing of this person. I need this case to go to trial.
“I’m a very proud New Yorker and all my family and friends had to read in the tabloids all this vicious things being said. The FBI doesn’t care about basketball. The U.S. Attorney does not care about basketball. In all my discussions, they never brought up the Final Four. The FBI cares about putting criminals behind bars. They don’t prosecute jaywalkers.
“But we’re missing the whole point of what’s going on here. I’ve been blackmailed seven months ago, and every allegation Karen Sypher made was proven false.”
Among other things, Sypher accused Pitino of raping her, paying for an abortion and then conspiring to have Tim Sypher, his equipment manager, marry her. The U.S. Attorney’s office found no credible evidence to prosecute Pitino. Sypher has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of extortion and lying to the FBI.
The trial is expected to start next month.