Earlier today Rick Pitino gave us another window into his deep-seated psychosis with an emotional, rambling response to the media coverage of his extra-marital affair and the abortion he provided Karen Sypher. Pitino bizarrely lashed out at the Louisville media for having the gall to report on and release tapes of Sypher’s testimony that were PROVIDED THEM BY POLICE. If Pitino was to be upset with an organization, it should’ve been local law enforcement. But lest you forget, every day is opposite day in Rick Pitino’s tornado of self-delusion.

(Last time I post this, PROMISE)

Almost as bizarre as Pitino’s behavior has been ESPN’s coverage of the situation. Like the entire media, Bristol barely covered the case brought by the FBI early this year until the LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL went public with Pitino’s extra-marital affair and abortion story.

ESPN’s Pat Forde, who lives in Louisville and co-authored a book with Pitino, has been Bristol’s point man for the net’s coverage. Early on, Forde failed to report Pitino’s indiscretions with Sypher, instead focusing on smearing her character. And even after Pitino’s ugly behavior became public thanks to reporting from a non-ESPN outlet, Forde continued to concentrate his comments about the case on Sypher’s conduct. (Albeit questionable, grant you that.)

It’s safe to assume that Forde has benefited financially from his relationship with Pitino, so at the very least you would expect ESPN and/or Forde to note the nature of his relationship to the coach before all that reportage, right?

Wrong … until today.

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Rick Pitino has called a hastily-arranged 3p ET press conference today, on the same day that tapes of Karen Sypher were released to the public.

WLKY reports: “In the tapes, Sypher details allegations she made against University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino.”

Coincidence? We’ll know in a minute or two…

UPDATE: He didn’t resign, read my Twitter for a summary of his once-again frighteningly narcissistic comments. (Don’t ask me how, but Ted Kennedy came up several times.)

Pat Forde of ESPN just tweeted: “Rick Pitino has called 3 a.m. (sic) press conference. No indication of the subject yet.“

I’ve criticized Forde enough on his non-coverage of Pitino’s extra-marital sex and abortion case, and I hate to be cynical … but if anyone knows the subject of the presser, it’s Forde. (He co-authored a book with Pitino and has a home in Louisville.)

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From Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Psychosis: “The fundamental derangement of the mind (as in schizophrenia) characterized by defective or lost contact with reality especially as evidenced by delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech and behavior.”

(See what happens when you let the terrorists win?)

That’s the only word I can find to describe Rick Pitino’s performance at his Wednesday press conference in Louisville. He quite obviously has crossed over into O.J. mode, completely erasing from his mind any semblance of responsibility for his extra-marital affair and the subsequent abortion.

The absolute lowest of the low though was his invoking a wildly inappropriate and bizarre reference to 9/11:

“Besides my apology to the university — and in particular to Tom Jurich and Dr. Ramsey, who have been very strong with me throughout this period — I also apologize to my extended family, which is all of the fans. I came here at a very difficult time. When 9/11 hit, you needed a community to get you over it.

In New York City, it was easy because everybody knew the devastation of that and they got each other over it. In Louisville, the impact wasn’t felt like New York City, but I needed this community to help me get over it. The university officials and my friends and loved ones have helped me through this very difficult time.”

FYI: Pitino was hired by Louisville in March, 2001, six months before 9/11. And the pain that he describes from the event? It was derived from the loss of his wife Joanne’s brother, Billy Minardi.

Minardi’s sister, Joanne Pitino, is the same wife who Pitino cheated on with Karen Sypher twice in August, 2003, less than two years after 9/11. So I’m sure Joanne is very happy to know Sypher was part of their “extended family” who helped Coach Rick get over the pain of her brother’s death!

Of course, that wasn’t the only gem Pitino polished off for us Wednesday in an address that will long be esconced in the SbB “Opposite Day!” Hall of Fame. Read more…

On April 24, I reported that ESPN’s Pat Forde, who once co-authored a book with Rick Pitino, wrote a curiously incomplete piece for ESPN.com about an extortion charge Pitino (via Federal prosecutors) was pursuing against a woman named Karen Sypher.

(My suspicion from 3 1/2 months ago now confirmed?)

In Forde’s piece, much like the reportage of the rest of the main media at the time, all of the meaningful details of the case went unmentioned. We were so left in the dark that I asked at the time why Forde even bothered to write the piece.

Of course, we had an inkling of the answer - Forde was going to bat for an old friend, and looking to marginalize Sypher - which is precisely what he did in the story.

So the question remained: why specifically did the Feds think Pitino was the victim of extortion? Thanks to the LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL - and not ace Louisville-based ESPN columnist and Pitino confidant Forde - we now know.

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The most important thing I’ve learned in spending 16 years in the main media covering celebrity sports figures is that societal rules don’t apply to them.

(ESPN’s Forde’s reportage on Pitino extortion case objective? Puh-leeze)

Take for instance Rick Pitino. The U of L coach recently accused a woman of extortion, which has since been widely reported by the main media. Apparently the case is so serious that the FBI is investigating.

So what’s it all about? Well if you watch ESPN or read ESPN.com, do the same of the Louisville media and/or everyone else in the main media, you have no clue.

But if you’re reading this, you of course understand precisely why blogs are now so popular. Any sports fan with an IQ above an eggplant immediately jumped on the web when they heard Pitino’s abridged accusation - and in about 45 seconds knew the juicy details. Read more…