Pitino Admits Consensual Sex, Denies Rape | Zagsblog
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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Saturday / November 23.

Pitino Admits Consensual Sex, Denies Rape

A couple of months ago, a colleague of mine tipped me off that something big was brewing with Louisville coach Rick Pitino.

He said the coach might have to resign because of what was going on behind the scenes with a woman other than his wife.

I made a few calls, but couldn’t find anything substantive.

Let’s face it: a story like that is hard to report unless you have really good sources.

Now the wild truth is out.

Proving once again that the truth is stranger than fiction.

You can’t make this stuff up.

Pitino, 56, admitted to Louisville police that he had consenual sex with Karen Cunagin Sypher at a Louisville restaurant where he’d been drinking on Aug. 1, 2003.

He also admitted to giving her $3,000 to get an abortion.

He denied that he raped Sypher at the restaurant and again later.

The later allegedly occurred at Tim Sypher’s condo, while Sypher was upstairs.

Six months after the incident Sypher married Tim Sypher, the team’s equipment manager.

Crazy, crazy stuff.

It will surely follow Pitino throughout the rest of his career, and he and his players will hear it on the road this upcoming season.

Gotta feel bad for his wife, Joanne, and his kids.

Crazy story.

You can’t make this stuff up.

(PHotos courtesy Louisville Courier-Journal)

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Latest comments

  • AZ,

    Whatz UP!
    You REACHED OUT and didn’t get any love.

    USC trojan provided some HEADS UP….on the story.
    Needs some friends in law enforcement…dude.

    For weeks, the Rickie Dickie Adventures have been discussed here.
    And discussed in ….http://wildaboutazcats.com/

    There are rumors about the AD know about the details of what you have reported, for some time.
    How is it that NONE of the recruits were informed of such behavior?

    Would YOU want in your SON in this type of situation?
    The stories are ONLY beginning to surface.

    AZ, ***********************

    If YOU were an AD and knew about the deals of the Rickie Adventures…would YOU of informed the RECRUITS of the situation, back in JUNE?

    ….www.wildaboutazcats.com/
    PS- There maybe a big time story coming out …from this site.
    maybe…

  • This has got to be one of the more intriguing and salacious stories to hit college basketball in ages. Given the stature of Pitino, it only heightens it.

  • I’m sure if anyone can find a way to spin this into a future “positive” it’ll be Pitino–I see a lot of PSA’s & public speeches talking about his “faith” moving forward…

  • And why does any of this actually matter?

  • as a student in the big east, i now cannot wait for pitino and co. to come into town.

  • Like I posted once before ….most men can deal with nutty blondes …not Pitino …he has to put them in prison . He’s a little pompous jerk .

  • Yeah this is going to make for some very creative student chants in opposing arenas.

  • it’s beginning to look like rick “the dickster” pitino” should’ve paid off the extortion money. had he done that, we would’ve been absolutely clueless. but knowing the type of wiyatch she appears to be, not 1st hand mind you, she would’ve shook him down later up the road.

  • And LORD2FLI is back with a vengeance with his absurdly lazy and apathetic opinion that:

    Athletes/sports stars should only be judged by their on field performance — not their behavior off the field.

    You know LORD2FLI…there are people out there who look up to Rick Pitino and various other sports stars…and it does matter when they set a bad example and act inappropriately. THEY DO NOT LIVE IN A VACUUM.

    We already had this argument once and you purposely attempted to invoke Godwin’s law b/c you had already lost. BTW, that’s called Quirk’s Exception.

    (http://catb.org/esr/jargon/html/G/Godwins-Law.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law See Corollaries and Usage section.)

    Now I have to ask…where do you draw the line?

    I mentioned O.J. Simpson and you said that counted as a comparison to Nazis/Hitler — which was completely off base just so you know.

    From that it seems OJ’s misdeeds are enough to warrant writing him off in your mind…

    I know I’m picking a fight here…but seriously… I would really like to know how you think.

    What action by an athlete / sports star is so reprehensible that you could no longer root for them or you would no longer be able to separate their on-field performance with their off field misdeeds? That is until they showed genuine contrition…

    Here’s a list you can work with:

    Mike Vick
    Isaiah Thomas
    Leonard Little
    Donte Stallworth
    Brandon Marshall
    Terrell Owens
    Pacman Jones
    Larry Eustachy
    Rick Pitino
    and last but not least The Juice!

  • i think you should draw a thin line of morality and anyone that crosses it should be publicly crucified, unless he’s your bball coach.

  • like several posted too many times before — we don’t care!!!!

  • Pitino’s contract has a morality clause …… Louisville A.D. to make an announcement this afternoon http://www.allkyhoops.com/

  • Paying for an abortion should go over big in Caintucky ……

  • How’s this for lazy? Yawn.

  • AZ,

    Didn’t USC trojan describe it as Rickie Dickie Sex Adventures?

    That boy is freaky…..
    We would like to understand HOW EAST COAST feels about this issue?
    Polls says…….

    What are the players and their respective familys’ reaction?
    Sosa being associated with SEX,ABORTION,RAPE,EXTORTION coach…all that.
    Any reaction from the MOTHERS of the players???

    Dr. Ramsey appeared to put the OWNERSHIP on the AD.
    Cleaning his hands of the mess and its fall out.
    Nice move ..in the event Tim files law suits.

    Just some West Coast Chatter:..http://wildaboutazcats.com/

    Karen’s attorney will point out Pitino’s inconsistencies

    FIRST:
    Pitino first described the act as an “encounter”. Was this a LIE? YES.
    Very slick attorney verbish for Pitino to use…in his interview with detective Ass Abbott. (Federal personnel are also questioning Abbott and handling of Pitino.)

    When SH#T hit the fan…..Pitino ,attorney, describe the EVENT as a sexual intercourse.

    From your own words PITINO…”When you have a problem, if you tell the truth the problem becomes part of your past,” he said. “If you lie it becomes part of your future.”

    SECOND:
    Another MAJOR slick verbish mistake.
    (and more evidence that Abbott did not perform due deligence.)
    The MONEY was for the ABORTION.
    Wait….the community DOES NOT LIKE this.

    Attorney jumps in….the MONEY was for health insurance.
    COME ON. ARE we as stupid as Abbott…..NO WAY.
    TELL that story to the UL faithful. The rest of the world outside of UL …says…BULLSH#T.

    This his how the detective Abbott….rationalized WHY HE STOPPED his questioning of the RAPE.
    “sergeant who questioned Pitino understood that Pitino was talking about health insurance and not an abortion. After that was established, Sgt. Andy Abbott left that line of questioning because it had nothing to do with the criminal charge of rape.”

    GUESS WHAT…….THE RAPE CHARGE WILL BE REVISITED.

    (POLL question: was the MONEY for the ABORTION or insurance?)
    ABORTION.

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