The March To The Madness: Day One Recap

Around the horn we go...

Team coverage from our friends at KHQ-TV in Spokane on the Zags win over St. John's
The HQ is sad that ther will be no more open-collared-dom from Steve Lavin this tournament...


WLEX-TV has True Blue Tampa coverage as Cal's Cats survived Princeton


The HQ is guessing that network coverage wasn't off the air as to why Alan Cutler gave us full screens...

WHAS-TV in Louisville gives us Team Onions coverage when Morehead knocked off the Cards in Denver...


Coach Pitino talked retirement, but the HQ doesn't buy it at present...
Emotional man after an emotional game...

The sign of the day in the stands goes to BYU in their win over Wofford...
Wanna stop the Cougars...? "Fredette About It..."
Nice...

Here's some Cougar postgame, thanks to our friends at KSL-TV in Salt Lake...

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

A not-very-good UCLA team almost blows a 23-point lead, but hangs on over Michigan State and the Fighting Izzos... Bruins head coach Ben Howland attempts to explain...
Thanks to our friends at KTLA-TV
 

Butler finally got their buzzer-beater win as Matt Howard lingered long enough for the put-back in the game against Old Dominion...
Here's Howard, thanks to our friends at FoxIndiana...
((HT: WXIN-TV))
 

That should get you warmed up for Day Two...

Brackets Explode As Morehead Wins

((HT: NCAA/TBS/AwfulAnnouncing))

Demonte Harper sent brackets in the wastebasket this afternoon with the dagger with four seconds left... and the end was a great defensive no-call for the win...

Congrats for More Head...

hehhehhehhehheh...
Enjoy...

Doofus Cheerleader Nearly costs Louisville a game

The Incident Screen Grab/Courtesy: SBNation.com

Jordan Alcazar, a male cheerleader at the University of Louisville will be hearing about this for the foreseeable future.

The "3rd Year" cheerleader did something really stupid on Sunday. At the end of the Louisville/Pittsburgh game, he ran on the court after a Louisville dunk with 0.5 seconds left in OT, which gave the Cardinals a five point lead. The problem. Alcazar ran on the court, grabbed the ball after the dunk and threw it in the air. The BIGGER problem....the game wasn't over.

Alcazar got a technical, Pitt got to shoot two free-throws, making it a 3-point game. They couldn't hit a three at the buzzer to tie it, but imagine if they did....

The story from the Louisville Courier-Journal RIGHT HERE

And video of the "Cheeerleader Incident"



Louisville Coach Rick Pitino was less than thrilled after being asked about it after the game. He was politically correct and didn't say anything bad about it, but he looked...a bit ticked off.

Here's the post-game from the Courier-Journal, though you have to sort through a few commercials 1st, sorry:

DEVELOPING: Sypher Sentenced To 87 Months

Karen Sypher has been sentenced to 7 years and 3 months in a federal prison and 2 years supervised release after being found guilty of extortion, lying to the FBI, and retaliation against a witness.

Sypher could have received a sentence of 4 ½ years to 9 years in federal prison based on federal sentencing guidelines.

Judge Simpson decided on the lowest end of the range of possible sentence, saying that the range he has settled on was from 87-108 months. 87 months was the lowest Sypher could have received within the range Judge Simpson selected. In sentencing Sypher, Judge Simpson said, “this is a serious crime because it involves serious money.” Simpson said it was a brazen offense, driven by "sheer greed."

Here's coverage from our friends at WHAS-TV in Louisville..


Sypher had demanded, as part of the extortion from Pitino, items with an appraised value of US$4.4-million- not including the college education demands she made. Her attorneys wanted their claims that Sypher suffered from ADHD and PTSD to be included in the consideration of her sentencing term.

No New Trial For Karen Sypher

A federal judge says the woman convicted of trying to extort Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino out of millions of dollars has not produced any new evidence and will not get a new trial.

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Simpson III wrote that claims by Karen Cunagin Sypher of newly discovered evidence are "merely compilations of items" her previous attorney had during her trial. Simpson also turned down a claim that Sypher's former attorney, James Earhart of Louisville, was ineffective.

Sypher was convicted back in August of extortion, lying to the FBI, and retaliation against a witness. Prosecutors said she sought millions in cash, cars and a house from Pitino to stay quiet about a sexual encounter in a Louisville restaurant back in 2003.

She is scheduled for sentencing February 18th...

Here's the story from when the judge initially postponed the sentencing...
((HT: WHAS-TV Louisville))

OSG Buzzer Beater: Peyton Siva's Shot Boosts Louisville Over West Virginia

Louisville point guard Peyton Siva is 5'11" but with the game on the line that didn't stop him in challenging West Virginia bigs 6 foot 8 Kevin Jones and John Flowers whose 6-7. Siva just flipped the ball up, hit the top of the backboard and went through the net and Louisville was a winner 55-54.

Here's the highlights including Siva's shot. (Thanks WHAS-TV Louisville, KY)



"Peyton made a great play." Louisville head coach Rick Pitino said in a press conference after the game.

"I was hoping," Siva said. "I looked up and I fell down and I just saw it fall through."

DEVELOPING: Sypher Gets New Representation

((HT: WDRB/Fox 41 Louisville))

In a few days, Karen Cunagin Sypher is supposed to be sentenced for her conviction in her extortion trial of Rick Pitino. She has now fired her old lawyer... and James Earhart didn't even know he was out of a job...

In August, a jury convicted Sypher of extortion, lying to the FBI, and retaliating against a witness.

She walked into the U.S. District Court with Jim Faller, an attorney from the group U.S. Justice Watch.

Faller filed three motions -- the first to remove her previous attorney James Earhart, the second to remove Judge Charles Simpson. The legal team claims the judge is directly tied to the University of Louisville. They want a special judge assigned and her conviction tossed out.

How 'bout that...
The HQ doesn't think it'll amount to anything, but hey, it's worth a shot, right...?

Here's Bennett Haeberle in front of the courthouse...

DEVELOPING: Sypher Attorney Says Witnesses "May Have Lied"

((HT: WDRB-TV Louisville))

The attorney for Karen Sypher, who was convicted of trying to extort University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, says prosecution witnesses may have lied during trial.

James Earhart alleged that idea in a motion filed in U.S. District Court in Louisville asking for more time to request a new trial. The motion says "a key witness or witnesses" may have committed perjury.

Earhart doesn't go into any further detail and has requested U.S. District Judge Charles R. Simpson give him another month and a half to investigate his finding so he can request a new trial.

Sentencing is currently set for October 27th...
More when we know more...

2000 UPDATE: According to WLKY-TV in Louisville, the judge has granted the order sought by Earhart...

Karen Sypher Guilty On All Counts

((HT: WDRB-TV Louisville))

A jury has convicted Karen Sypher of attempting to extort millions of dollars from Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino after the two had sex in a restaurant in 2003.

The jury delivered the verdict after deliberating a little over five hours over a two day period.

Sypher was convicted of extortion, lying to authorities and retaliating against a witness. She faces a max of 26 years in prison, but under federal sentencing guidelines, the penalty shouldn't be that bad.

Here's Chris Turner outside in the shade again for his liveshot after the verdict was read...


The line of the tourney comes from Karen Sypher's son, Jacob Wise, as he was walking out of the courtroom. Wise, according to witnesses, clapped his hands sarcastically and shouted out, "Thanks for taking my mother away, guys!"

Sentencing is set for October 27th. She is free on bond until then...

Pitino Extortion Trial Day 7: Everyone Rests, Jury Deliberating

Karen Cunagin Sypher's defense attorney, James Earhart, said she had been "villainized" during the trial during his closing argument. He also called her the victim of a botched investigation by police- despite the apparent contradictions in her timelines, questioning, and interviews...

Before that, the prosecution stated its case. Federal Prosecutor Marisa Ford, "This is a case about a defendant, Karen Sypher, seeking a golden parachute." She continued, saying Sypher wanted "something for nothing."

Ford also described Sypher's actions as a shakedown...

Earhardt rested the defense case without calling any witnesses- including Karen Cunagin Sypher.

Closing arguments were slated for the afternoon...

Chris Turner is outside in the shade again for his liveshot...
((HT: WDRB-TV))


1600 UPDATE: The jury has started deliberating the case. If convicted of extortion and lying to the FBI, she faces up to seven years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

Pitino Extortion Trial Day 7: Detectives Testify Against Sypher, Prosecution Rests

Prosecutors have rested their case against Karen Sypher.

Tuesday's close came after seven days and 21 witnesses. Sypher's defense is expected to begin Wednesday. It's not known if she will take the witness stand in her own defense.

Louisville police Sergeant Andy Abbott took the stand detailing his interrogation in Karen Sypher back in July of 2009, her contradictions, and her fervent charge that Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino raping her...

Chris Turner looks like he found some shade for his live shot...
((HT: WDRB-TV/Fox 41))

Pitino Extortion Trial Day 6: More Testimony Against Sypher

((HT: Fox 41/Louisville))

Day six of the testimony in the Rick Pitino extortion trial centered around:

One of Karen Sypher's divorce attorneys who thought the head basketball coach at Louisville deserved what he was going to get from Sypher. Dana Kolter, was the lawyer who penned the letter to Pitino threatening a lawsuit, and he almost was drawn to tears as he testified.

One ex-husband of Sypher, Randy Wise, testified about how he heard his ex-wife describe what she planned to do to Pitino. Another man, Tyree Fields, also testified that he had an affair with Karen Sypher as her marriage to Tim Sypher was deteriorating. He testified that Sypher knew what she was doing with the extortion claim was "stupid."

Chris Turner has the afternoon patrol for our friends at Fox 41...

Pitino Extortion Trial Day 5: Tim Sypher Testifes

((HT: WDRB-TV/Fox 41))

Tim Sypher told jurors that Rick Pitino asked him to "take a woman out of town" for medical services after the woman said Pitino got her pregnant in the incident described in the Louisville restaurant back in 2003 during the extortion trial this week.

Sypher testified that Pitino didn't mention taking Karen Cunagin Sypher to get an abortion. Tim Sypher also said he called clinics in Indiana and Ohio before taking Karen Sypher to Cincinnati, where she terminated a pregnancy on August 29, 2003.

He also testified that he paid for the procedure from $3,000 Pitino gave for medical insurance.

Tim Sypher and Karen Cunagin would marry less than a year later and are currently divorced...

Here's the early coverage again, thanks to our friends at Fox41...
Chris Turner is in the sunlight again and addresses the delay the trial had during Day 5 as well...

Pitino Extortion Trial Day Four: Pitino Grilled About Encounter With Sypher

((HT: WDRB/Fox 41 Louisville))

It was another fun day on the stand for Louisville head men's hoops coach Rick Pitino. Karen Cunagin Sypher's attorneys got their shot at him...

Pardon the pun...

And it also led to some testy exchanges between Pitino and James Earhart.
Chris Turner had the dayshift again outside the courthouse...


Pitino's testimony ended after two hours Thursday.

Karen Sypher's ex, Tim, testified that she first started making rape allegations in 2007, when their marriage started going in the toidy. He also said his ex-wife, two years later, started talking about things she "wanted from Pitino."

Tim Sypher's testimony continues Friday.
The HQ is thrilled we've made it to Day 5...

Pitino Extortion Trial Day 3: Pitino Testifies

((HT: WDRB-TV/Fox 41))
Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino admitted to a jury that he had sex with Karen Cunagin Sypher in day three of the extortion trial.

Pitino testified Wednesday that he met Sypher on July 31, 2003, at an Italian restaurant, where Pitino had gone following a golf outing.

Pitino said he and Sypher exchanged small talk after the restaurant closed. He testified that as they were leaving Sypher whispered something, opened his pants and the two then had sex.

Sypher asked for cash ((ten million dollars)), cars and a
house as part of her alleged plot. She has pleaded not guilty, claiming Pitino sexually assaulted her. Authorities are saying her assault claim lacks any kind of foundation at all...

Understandably, the courtoom was standing room only...

Here's the early shift again... thanks to our friends at Fox 41 in Louisville...
((HT: WDRB-TV))

Pitino Extortion Trial: Day Two

The early part of Day Two of the Karen Sypher-Rick Pitino extortion trial got to send our friends at Fox 41 to the front of the room...

Testimony centered around an interview that the Louisville station had around their exclusive Karen Sypher appearance...

The unedited tape... all 70 mintes of the damn thing...

Chris Turner has the day shift outside the courthouse in Louisville...
((HT: WDRB-TV/Fox41))

Pitino Extortion Case: Day One

Opening statements have begun in the Karen Cunagin Sypher case as she stands accuswed of trying to extort University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, then lying about it to the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kuhn said in court during opening arguments that Sypher threatened to ruin Pitino's reputation with false allegations of rape, and that she lied repeatedly about it.

Sypher, who has (of course) pleaded not guilty, is accused of demanding college tuition for her children, having her house paid off and $10 million for her silence.
Sypher is also accused of trading sexual favors with two attorneys in her attempt to have them exert their influence to have Pitino pay off Sypher's demands.

Here's early coverage from Chris Turner and our friends at WDRB-TV/Fox41 in Louisville...


Defense attorneys, led by James Earhardt, were expected to present opening statements in the afternoon.