Pitino's Alleged Extortionist Is 'Scared'

We now know the identity of the person who allegedly tried to extort millions of dollars from Louisville's head basketball coach Rick Pitino. Her name is Karen Sypher, and she is the estranged soon-to-be ex-wife of Tim Sypher, the equipment manager for Pitino's Cardinals.

The allegations levied by Sypher against Pitino are still being kept under wraps, and her divorce documents have been sealed by the courts, but it's not too tough to see the underlying concern here. We have a young woman who is going through a divorce and allegedly threatening to go public with something that could potentially harm Pitino's public image. Hmmmm ... I wonder what she is threatening to say?

For her part, Sypher claims she is both scared and misunderstood.

"How can you judge me when you ... have not walked in my shoes ... and you don't know what I'm going through?" Karen Sypher asked.

On a televised reports (on Louisville's WDRB), her mother also got into the action.

Karen Sypher's mother, Judy Cunagin, said, "Everybody is being very unfair to my daughter" and "she isn't able to tell the truth about what happened."

The station did not broadcast Sypher's allegations against Coach Pitino, and stated that she was given an inconclusive polygraph test.

This is certainly a weird situation for the very well respected coach, and it's very possible Sypher's claims are made public quite soon. Stay tuned.