Not So Slick Rick

Here in the NKY, Rick Pitino news is always going to be buzzworthy, especially if it's the juicy extortion case surrounding the Louisville basketball coach.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino told police that he had consensual sex with and paid for an abortion for the woman who has been charged with trying to extort him, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported on Tuesday.

Karen Cunagin Sypher was federally charged in April with demanding cars, tuition for her children and finally $10 million. Police interviewed Pitino, who is married, regarding the incident last month, and according to the newspaper, he said that he gave the woman $3,000 to have an abortion.

Police records obtained by the Courier-Journal show that Pitino said he had sex with the then Karen Cunagin at a Louisville restaurant where he had been drinking on Aug. 1, 2003. He denied Cunagin Sypher's allegations that he raped her at the restaurant and then again later at a different location.

Sypher's attorney, James Earhart, said Wednesday morning that he hadn't yet talked to Sypher about the release of the police documents, but planned to later in the day. He said he didn't know how it would affect the case against her since all those involved were already aware of the documents.

This case is ugly all the way around, and I don't want to make any judgments on the matter before it goes to court. But $10 million? Pitino's a college basketball coach, not an NBA team owner. Where the hell is he going to get that kind of money from? If you're going to extort someone, make it reasonable.

Sheesh.