Pitino Staying Put

After a few days of rumors and innuendos that led many to believe Coach Rick Pitino's days at Louisville were numbered, Card fans were given reassurance that he is staying put. No Sacramento Kings, no retirement.

Louisville SID Kenny Klein and FoxSports.com's Jeff Goodman both said yesterday that coach was neither going to coach nor interested in the Sacramento Kings opening. These are contrary to alleged confirmed reports by ESPN yesterday the said Pitino's "camp" had initiated contact with the Maloof brothers, owners of the Kings. In a release through the university, Pitino stated:

"I'm not sure how these rumors get started, but there is absolutely no truth that there has been any dialog, either directly or indirectly, with the Kings and I'm sure they would confirm that. I am not represented by an agent, I don't have a "camp," and no one representing me nor have I had any contact with the Kings. Anything else said to the contrary is false. These invalid rumors are unfair to the Kings and are misleading to the many outstanding young men we are recruiting to attend U of L. "

"I'm so proud of our players that have worked so hard to win the BIG EAST Conference regular season and tournament championships in arguably the toughest season since its inception last year. At the same time, our team has also performed very well in the classroom, earning a collective team grade point average over a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) during the past year. We have worked extremely hard to attract the type of players that have helped us reach the NCAA Elite Eight the past two seasons and have kept us among the top ten in the nation the last two seasons.

"I have great respect for the Kings, their ownership and (President for Basketball Operations) Geoff Petrie. However, I have been totally committed to U of L the past eight seasons and I am looking forward to the future more than ever. We are all very anxious for the start of next season and will concentrate our efforts on what we can control, not on what we can't."

A Perfect Storm?

I can't help but look at this picture and see Back to the Future where all the faces are dissolving of Marty McFly's family members...

The "Pitino contemplates retirement" rumors turned into "Pitino to Sacramento" rumors in a matter of hours Thursday. KentuckySportsRadio, a site that I write for on occasion, first had a post earlier in the day saying there was a "buzz" around town and unreliable Louisville sources said Pitino was "contemplating hanging them up". The posts on KSR are very pro-Kentucky, almost to propagandist levels, so I just took it as blue-bloods being blue-bloods and wrote it off.

This actually seems to have some legs. The rumor became so rampant that UofL SID Kenny Klein's inbox was flooded by people wanting answers and it prompted a call to Pitino, who is in Florida for a charity event. According to The Courier-Journal's CL Brown, Pitino shot the rumor down as bogus through Klein and told KK to tell veteran writer Rick Bozich he'd be "stuck with him" for a while and he "wasn't going anywhere". A few hours later, Adrian Wojnorowski of Yahoo! reported that there has been mutual interest shown between Pitino and the Sacramento Kings which would reunite him with Francisco Garcia. Wojno cites many NCAA and NBA sources who say that both sides have been in contact. I asked a few of my media friends how serious I should take this and it was a consensus that if Wojnorowski is reporting it, it should be taken very seriously.

Pitino is going through one of the hardest times in his life and this recent situation might have caused him to take a step back and re-evaluate a few things. One being whether he would be able to overcome such an ordeal in Louisville - the smallest big-city in America. Various sources have told me that coach took the extortion fiasco very hard (obviously) and coach needed to get away from all the rumors and constant bombardment of questions, so he left town to escape. It's purely speculation, but there's a possibility he decided it was time to explore what else is out there.

These type of rumors come around every year. Last year, it was that idiot Greg Doyell saying Pitino was going to the Miami Heat, then the Arizona rumors this year turned out to be unsubstantiated as well. This is different though. All the recent mess combined with his son leaving for Florida, and his procrastination of naming a new assistant lead me to believe he might be more interested in this than any of the previous flirtations. With continued support from his family and the fans, Coach Pitino should be here for years to come. However, he did say he wouldn't coach for another athletic director and Tom Jurich has been rumored to be flirting with some big-money from UCLA. The waves, wind and lightning look to be on the horizon.

Wojnorowski does state that Pitino isn't the only candidate and Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof. As of right now, former Wizards coach Eddie Jordan is the leading candidate. So this could just be a case of a college basketball reporter looking for some work during a dead time of year and stumbling across this. Pitino has always said he would listen if anyone was interested. Whether or not he goes any further into talks remains to be seen.

We all know Pitino failed miserably in the NBA with the Celtics, but he seems like the type of person that would like to atone his mistakes. Maybe I'm paranoid (very good odds), but this looks to be a possible "perfect storm" that leaves us scratching our heads and looking for a replacement. With the new arena coming very soon, new practice facilities and great support he has here in Louisville, I don't see him going anywhere unless he wants to start anew and can't take the heat for the Sypher situation. After Bobby Petrino, John L. and Pitino at Kentucky, I'd rather err on the side of caution.

There were rumors of a possible press conference tomorrow regarding either the Pitino/Jurich situations, but none has been confirmed as of yet.

Stay tuned in for more updates....

Rumor Mill: Pitino a Candidate for Sacramento Kings Job

This according to a story reported tonight on Yahoo Sports.

According to Yahoo, "it is believed that Pitino intermediaries initiated the contact," and that "several NCAA and NBA sources strongly insist that Pitino has talked by phone with at least one member of the family and has been a major topic of discussion within the organization the past week."

The Courier Journal's take on the rumor was a little less upsetting. Louisville Sports Spokesman Kenny Klien downplayed the rumors, telling the C-J Pitino is "not going anywhere."

Wizards coach Eddie Jordan is reportedly the front-runner for the job, and the Kings have also expressed an interest in Paul Westphal and Mike Fratello.

More on the saga later. Stay tuned to the L Yes! Report. Seriously. Do it.

So I Just Started Runnin'....

After the disappointing end to the basketball season I decided to take a little time off from the blogging thing to recharge my battery. I'd compare it to when Forrest Gump "just started runnin'" after Jenny left him like a thief in the night. Just too much to take and then write about it so I had to get way for the best interest of my future. It was a blown opportunity at the end of a pretty magical season followed by a fiasco that has more conspiricy theories than the JFK shooting. However, nothing should be taken away from the departing seniors (and junior) and their accomplishments this year. The bad part looks to be behind.

- I haven't touched on the Karen Sypher extortion fiasco and I won't anymore after this. I think it is very unfortunate that a coach coming on one of his best regular season's ever has top basically go into hiding because of a crazy woman who is obviously in the wrong. We should be seeing Rick on PTI and at Millionaire's Row talking about his great season and how no new coach is going to change who is on top right now. Instead, we have to hear about that stinky substance up I-64. All the rumors and speculation will continue until this woman and her accomplices are dealt with by the justice system. I have my sources about the situation and all the crazy rumors are simply that...crazy and probably started by the inhabitants of that stinky substance. Card fans should show there support for a coach that has guided us to 2 elite 8's and a final 4 in the last 5 years. If he were in the wrong, he wouldn't have gone to the FBI. Simple as that.

What's even crazier is the fact that Sypher's mom pretty much threatened Coach Pitino's life to Pat Forde in his ESPN.com article covering the situation. "I want to kill him for what he has done to my family". What he has done? It sounds like she's more angry about what he didn't do. Sorry Mrs. Cunagin, you're going to have to find another way to upgrade to the quarter slots and the name-brand cigarettes. This is just completely ridiculous that our coach is getting dragged around in the mud by this trash. The next news we'll hear about this is how much time the goldy-locked gold-digger and her minions are going to spend in jail.

- Pitino's next order of business will be to name a replacement for his son Richard who left to join Billy Donovan's staff at Florida. the obvious choice is former UK and NBA player Ron Mercer, who traveled closely with the team over the course of last season. Also, i have seen mercer sporting Louisville basketball gear around town, so take that for what it's worth. I can not confirm in any way if this will be the choice or not. I'm just using deductive reasoning. I think having a former pro as an assistant is great for recruiting and competition in practice, but 3 former UK players as assistants for the former Godfather of UK basketball wearing Louisville red? I never thought I'd see the day. I expect the elder Pitino, Walter McCarty and Steve Masiello to increase their recruiting workload for the time being and name an assistant sooner than later.

- It hasn't been completely confirmed, but the reasoning behind Richard's departure had nothing to do with his father's situation. By my understanding, it was just a matter of him trying to get away from the father's shoulders and make a name for himself and had been in the works for weeks. Still he will have the comfort of someone I'm sure he is familiar with in Donovan. Whether or not the extortion case pushed him away is unclear, but I believe it was just a matter of a father allowing and helping a son develop his own identity as a coach. His recruiting will be missed and as of right now all the guys he got to commit are still on board.

- Jeremy Tyler is another story. As you've probably heard, Tyler is doing something Brandon Bender mentioned in 2000 and is skipping his senior year in high school to play professional ball in Europe. I'm just glad this time the Cards have enough time to recover and sign someone close to his caliber in the 2010 class. Donte Smith, Amir Johnson and Sebastian Telfair have all burned Pitino is recent years causing him to miss out on the likes of Rajon Rondo. I thought the NBA's age limit would put an end to that, but I guess loopholes are meant to be found. Tyler would probably have been amazing in a Louisville jersey, but for how long and at what price? The days of going after kids like that should be in the past for Pitino.

- T-Will's draft stock is rising faster by the day and he is currently right inside the lottery at #13 according to draftexpress.com. The lottery selections don't come out for another couple weeks, but that spot is presently occupied by the Indiana Pacers. Depending how the ping-pong balls fall, both T-Will and Earl Clark could easily get into the top 10. Earl Clark is currently projected as the 10th overall pick to the Milwaukee Bucks. I think it would be great to see one get drafted by the New York Knicks as they continue to shave money off their salary cap in preparation to go after as many as 3 max contract superstars in 2010. LeBron, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Josh Howard, Shaq, D-Wade, and Steve Nash are just a few of the marquee names that will become free agents that year. Put E5 or T-Will with a couple of those guys and it would be must-see-tv for Cards fans. The Nets are also in a similar situation and both should have top 10 picks. With Cisco banished to the land of Vlade Divac, it would be refreshing to see one or both of those guys get drafted by a team with the potential to be on TNT with Ernie, Kenny and Charles.

- I'm back to posting the latest in the world of Cardinal sports on a daily basis. Expect updates on former players such as Larry O'Bannon and recruits such as 2010's Josh Smith, Fab Melo and Dominique Ferguson along with 2011 standouts Tony Wroten and Marquis Teague. Keep checking back for updates as long as TC's not still upset that I took a vacation and gave him the keys to this Porche.

Derby Posts

What would a Louisville, Kentucky-based sports site be without a little Derby chatter?

Today the posts were drawn for the 135th Kentucky Derby.

Favorite I Want Revenge will break from position 13 on Saturday. His morning line had him at 3-1.

Two ponies, Dunkirk and Pioneerof the Nile, (pictured because the Santa Anita Derby winner is this blogger's pick) were at 4-1 this morning and will be posting at positions 15 and 16, respectively.

Louisiana Derby winner Friesan Fire is 5-1 and has a good starting position at post number 6.

Good luck, ladies and gentlemen.

Derby Eve Bash

Keep Checking Back for some new news on recruiting....

As a lot of you know, I produce for The Freak Show with John Renshaw which streams live weeknights at 11:30PM on louisvillesportsbuzz.com as well as being broadcasted on television via WBKI-34 (Channel 7 on Insight). LouisvilleSportsBuzz is putting on a Derby Eve Bash with live music and an abundance of pro athletes that you will have the opportunity to meet. This is all in addition to a selection of beer and liqour, but I think that goes without saying. Tickets can be purchased at the Buzz Store at LouisvilleSportsBuzz.com or if you have any problems email me @ lyesreport@gmail.com and i'll get you set up.

For the record, If you knew what die-hard Eagles fan and L Yes! contributor Trevor Kelsey said he would say to Terrell Owens if he ever encountered him, you would pay hundreds of dollars, not just the inexpensive $15 ($20 at the door). Chalk-talk with Bob Stoops or drink a Natty Ice with Matty Ice. It's being held close to the corner of Floyd/Central, which is definitely walking distance from the track. Click on the flyer for more details...

Eric Wood to Buffalo

Former Louisville center and L Yes! favorite Eric Wood was drafted in the first round and No. 28 overall by the AFC East's Buffalo Bills Saturday.

He was the second center taken in the draft.

OT George Bussey was drafted in the fifth round by the the New England Patriots.

Congrats to both former Cardinal linemen.

Backcourt Help Coming for the Cards

Chris Smith, a New Jersey native, will be coming to the Ville, the Courier reported tonight.

Smith is the little brother of J.R. Smith of the Denver Nuggets. He's transferring from Manhattan, where he averaged better than 15 and 5 boards per game. He'll sit out next year but has two years of eligibility left.

Welcome to Louisville, good news.

Wolfe to Transfer

The University of Louisville Athletic Dept. has announced that QB Tyler Wolfe will transfer at the end of the spring semester, most likely to a I-AA school so he would be eligible immediately.

Wolfe's transfer will bring Coach Kragthorpe's count to 8,162 in the department of premature departures.

"I'm sorry to see Tyler leave our program," said Kragthorpe. "He is a solid person and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors."


Speaking of bad news and the name Tyler, if you haven't heard already, (former) Louisville hoops commit Jeremy Tyler is reportedly foregoing his senior year of high school to play ball overseas, meaning he won't wear a Cardinal uniform.


In other news the University confirmed it will be changing its banner off I-65 from "Welcome to Louisville: The Greatest College Sports Town in America" to "Welcome to Louisville: Where When It Rains, It Pours."

McShay: Eric Wood to go Early in Round 2

In ESPN's Todd McShay's latest 2009 NFL Mock Draft, former Louisville center and L Yes! favorite Eric Wood is projected as the No. 6 pick in the second round. Wood, a Cincinnati native, would be swooped up by the Bungles -er, Bengals if McShay's projection is on the money.

I hope it's not.

Wood is McShay's No. 2 center in this year's crop.

McShay has Hunter Cantwell going in the sixth round to the the Denver Broncos and OT George Bussey late in the seventh, also to Denver.

Former Georgia QB Matthew Stafford is the projected overall No. 1 pick to the Lions.

Reynolds to Enter Draft

Villanova guard Scottie Reynolds will cease to be a thorn in the side of Cards fans, as it was announced today that he is to enter the NBA draft.

Maybe.

Reynolds didn't hire an agent, leaving open the possibility of a return to Jay Wright and the Wildcats for his senior season.

As a junior, Reynolds averaged better than 15 points per game.

What is going on up here?

It has been a busy day full of rumors and allegations as well as he said she said crap floating all over town like a turd in the toilet. In case your in a coma, you have heard the news of Rick Pitino and the FBI being involved in an extortion case.

Yes her name is now being leaked all over the media and even one of this websites contributor's has posted a photo of her. I will keep referring to the woman as "her" instead of an actual name due to the fact this isn't just an average story. This has the attention of the FBI and I am the last person who needs to bring attention to myself from any form of the law.

This statement was released by Pitino last night regarding the situation....

"My family and I were recently threatened as part of a criminal scheme to extort money," Pitino said in a statement. "Upon receiving these threats, we reported this extortion attempt to the FBI. While I did not want to make this matter public, I recently learned that the individual behind this extortion attempt has already gone to the media with false, defamatory and outrageous allegations in an attempt to pressure me to cave in to this scheme.

"I want to make it clear that I intend to vigorously defend my reputation and the character of my family against any criminal scheme to extort money. I am hopeful that the media and public will recognize the slanderous nature of this direct and malicious attack."

This is a very messy story and I can guarantee you even after it is resolved in the media, know one is really going to know the truth. This morning the husband of the woman, Tim Sypher released this statement...

"I am devastated by the bizarre allegations that my estranged wife is making against both Coach Pitino and myself. At this point, my primary concern is for my young daughter and four stepsons, both to the impact of their mother's actions on them, as well as the impact on Coach's family and the University. I love my children, and want to protect them. At the same time, I intend to defend the allegations vigorously and will have no additional comment at this time. "

This isn't something that is going to go away quickly. This is going to be drawn out and talked about on the message boards for hours and hours over the next few months or more. I don't read message boards. I am smarter then that. Every media outlet is keeping the info of this story close to their vest and sorry everyone but I am doing the same.

Pitino: A Victim of Extortion

The FBI is looking into Coach Rick Pitino's allegation that he is being extorted by the estranged wife of U of L equipment manager, Tim Sypher, the Courier-Journal is reporting.

Her name is Karen Sypher, and oh yeah - the L Yes! got a picture.

ESPN has picked up the story too.

So has Fox Sports, Gary Parrish at CBS, and the good folks at Sports Illustrated.

So I guess the good news is that it's flying well under the radar, huh?

Stay tuned to the L Yes! Report for your up-t0-the-minute sex scandal/extortion/FBI investigations updates.

What is going on up here?

I have no life but watching sports, movies and tv sitcoms so why not share the thoughts and ideas that are floating around in this head of mine....

At first hearing about Richard Pitino leaving Louisville to be an assistant at Florida puzzled me. Jeff Goodman broke the story. Then it was brought to my attention of him "stepping out of his fathers shadow" and that made since to me. Makes more sense then the absurd rumors that I am sure are UK fans are starting about some kind of sex scandal or point shaving. I am sorry Kentucky fans that your program once were dirty enough to do that it doesn't mean we are or did. I understand that Richard wants to be a head coach and no matter what he does at Louisville, people are going to try to claim its because of his dad. He was up for the Boston University job and didn't get it. Was that really the reason? I mean first off you are Boston University. This is basketball not hockey, you have really little room to be that picky. On the other hand it wouldn't shock me if that had something to do with it. Not everybody is as intelligent as me. So Richard will move to Florida, wanting to make a name for himself. Where better to go then dad's friend, who could use a recruiter and assistant and who has produced several head coaches himself. If this is really the reason for the move then I will be shocked if Richard is at Florida more then two years.

Maybe most people don't like the NBA but I love it. The Bulls and Celtics was a good game and while the Celtics will win the series I am going to enjoy watching Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo match up over the next 5 games or less. Yea the Bulls won and Rose had a great game but so did Rondo. I know its bad to talk about a UK player on here maybe but the fact is he is a great on ball and team defender and while he still does struggle with his jump shot he he doesn't force his shot. Rondo out up 21 points in game one and had 6 assists with zero turnovers. Rose had 8 assists but 4 turnovers. The Celtics are a better team, with or without KG, and that will show in the long run but doesn't mean we can't enjoys watching these two young guards go one on one every now in then.

I am a huge fan of what the Hawks have done and of Joe Johnson. He is still underrated despite getting an All-Star bid this year. Their (Hawks) series with the Heat should be a slug fest with every game being great to watch. Horford against O'Neal (Jermaine of course) and Johnson against Wade will be worth your time. The Hawks are a deeper team though and will win this in a tough 6 or maybe 7 game series. That being said I want it to be known now that I think the Hawks are good enough to knock off the Cavs. I'll get into that another day though.

Baseball is here and I couldn't be more bored at times. I have the privilege of listening to the Reds broadcasts for work, I also "Tweet" updates of the game on my twitter account

Anyway...the Reds need offense. Joey Votto is good and I will give you Brandon Phillips but they (Reds) just don't out enough runs up to be a real contender. Harang despite a 1-1 record has looked solid as has Johnny Cueto and Bronson Arroyo but you can't win if you can't score. Starting shortstop Alex Gonzalez has one hit this season. To quote Harry Doyle "That's all we got, one goddamn hit? "

Johnny Be Gone

Syracuse point guard Johnny Flynn will sign with an agent, according to sources close to the program.

This comes days after Syracuse starters Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris announced they would test the NBA waters.

Some sources are reporting that Flynn's decision to enter the draft a year earlier than expected has something to do with his reluctance to match-up against Louisville's incoming freshman Peyton Siva next season.

McCaughtry #1 Overall Pick in WNBA Draft

Louisville's own living legend of women's basketball, Angel McCaughtry, has joined former stand-out center Pervis Ellison as the lone Cardinals to be selected #1 overall in their respective drafts. Angel was drafted by the Atlanta Dream earlier today, so make sure you save up for that authentic jersey.

Not that I'm a WNBA fan by any means, but it is great to see McCaughtry get the respect she deserves and continue to be an ambassador for the university. The Dream could use all the help they can get, as they finished a DePaul-esque 4-30 in it's inaugural season in the league. They have added former Tennessee stand-out Chamique Holdsclaw as well to try to get on that win train. Congrats and Good Luck to Angel as she attempts to dominate the pros just as she did college.

Dream Draft McCaughtry with First Pick (ESPN.com)
Watch McCaughtry's reaction to Selection (Must have Windows Media Player) (WNBA.com)

T-Will Awarded Second Team All-American by ESPN

The self-annointed Worldwide Leader in Sports annointed Louisville senior Terrence Williams Second Team All-American. First Team members included Ty Lawson, James Harden, Tyler Hansborough, Dejuan Blair, and Player of the Year Blake Griffin.



Joining T-Will on the Second Team was Hasheem Thabeet, Gerald Henderson, Stephen Curry, and Jodie Meeks.

Tuesday Afternoon National Championship Reads

For your viewing pleasure. Check out these links to get your Louisville-is-playing-UConn-for-the-National-Championship-tonight fix.

Doug Fienburg at Yahoo Sports says Geno Auriemma insists his Huskies are beatable.

UConn is on the verge of a “dynasty” and the sole reason we should all tune in tonight, according to the folks at USA Today.

A UConn insider’s take regarding the relationship between Coach Auriemma and senior guard Renee Montgomery.

Eric Crawford has a good piece on one of this writer’s favorite Lady Cards, senior Candyce Bingham.

And finally, if you haven’t yet, don’t forget to get the full scouting report on the Lady Huskies from your friends here at the L Yes! Report. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

Gov. Beshear to Wage Ham Against Huskies Tonight

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear has placed a "friendly bet" with Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell on tonight's National Championship game between Louisville and the Lady Huskies.

Beshear has put up a Kentucky country ham, while Gov. Rell waged a lobster dinner for two.

It doesn't look like Beshear is getting the 16.5 points the Lady Cards are underdogs. It's also unclear whether this is part of his campaign to implement expanded gaming in the Commonwealth.

Said Beshear: “As a great seafood lover, I gladly welcome Gov. Rell’s lobster dinner wager. The First Lady and I will savor this lobster just as we will savor the NCAA victory of our University of Louisville Lady Cardinals.”

That's governor talk for "it's on like donkey kong."

Let's keep the ham in the K-Y. Go Cards!

Best 3 Minutes in Sports

I'm sure this will be taken down soon, so enjoy it while you can....