Jennings Releases Statement Following Arrest

The attorneys for UofL basketball players Terrence Jennings and Jerry Smith have released statements about their client’s recent arrests. Here's the full transcript of what they had to say.

From: Larry Wilder, Attorney
Scott Roby, Attorney

On Saturday the Jeffersonville Police arrested two (2) University of Louisville student athletes at a social function at Kye's banquet hall in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The two athletes, Terrence Jennings and Jerry Smith, were taken to the Clark County jail where they were booked in and charged with Resisting Law Enforcement as a misdemeanor.

As of this time charges have not been filed however, the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney has indicated that his office will move forward with charges within the next several days.

In light of these circumstances, Terrence Jennings would like to offer the following public statement:

"I want to first apologize to the police and to the organizers of the event. I was minding my own business and unfortunately, was provoked by another person that I was unfamiliar with. That's where this all started. At first, I did not know the individuals who approached me were off duty police officers working security. My teammate Jerry Smith was trying to help me from being physically harmed and I know he did not mean any disrespect either. I hope that I have shown in the past that these actions are uncharacteristic for me and I look forward to showing everyone that I am a person with good integrity."

Jennings' attorney, Scott Roby, stated that, "It is our hope that this matter can be dealt with in a reasonable manner and we can put this incident behind us. Terrence is a fine young man and he is looking forward to continuing to contribute to the University and the city of Louisville during his college tenure."

Larry Wilder, attorney for Smith, re-iterated Roby's position. "This is an unfortunate incident. Jerry's sense of loyalty and comradery to his teammate lead him to react and as a result we are faced with the circumstances placed before us." Wilder concluded, "These are two very soft-spoken, intelligent, kind young men and it is my personal hope that the media and public allow them to move forward with their lives and careers."

Wilder went on to point out that, "Neither Jerry or Terrence have ever been in trouble with law enforcement. The events that took place last Saturday are clearly not an indication of what they are as people, students or athletes."

Yankee Bowl Set to Be Announced

Wednesday the New York Yankees will announce Yankee Stadium, in the Bronx, will host a college football bowl game. The Yankees have called a press conference for 1030am Wednesday to announce the Yankee bowl. It will match up the 4th place Big East team against the 7th place Big 12 team beginning next year. The inaugural Yankee bowl will be played December 29, 2010.

Excerpts From Pitino Press Conference

Rick Pitino held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to voice his frustration about the way the media is reporting the story of his involvement with Karen Cunigan Sypher. I was in the front row and here's a portion of what he had to say:

"Everything that's been printed. Everything that's been reported. Everything that you're breaking into the news on a day that Ted Kennedy died is 100 percent a lie. A lit. All of this has been a lie. OK. A total fabrication of the truth. Except what I told you. The mistake that I have made. Everything else is a lie."

"I couldn't say anything because my lawyer said don't say anything. And the University said don't say anything. The authorities said don't say anything. Well enough's enough. I am saying something. It's a lie. It's a 100 percent lie. You've known that it's a lie. You've all known it. You haven't printed it, you haven't said it. You've known the background. But you haven't said it."

"It hasn't hurt recruiting one bit. We will still bring in top 10 players. This program has been a top 10 program the last two years. It will continue to be a top 10program. Our fans are the greatest in college basketball. My opinion I work here. I'm sure there's great fans everywhere. We will continue to bring in great players. We will still run this program with great integrity."

"No question I admitted to you I made a mistake. and believe me I will suffer that mistake. My wife and family do not deserve these lies. You shouldn't be reporting these lies. You want to report the truth go ahead and do it. Report the truth. Do your investigative reporting. Get the open records. Get anything you want that you can get. When it comes to trial you'll know the truth. That's why I haven't gone around to Inside Edition, and this station, and this station, and this station because I know it's going to come out. The FBI and the US Attorney's office don't go after jaywalker's. Thank you very much."

IU to Play Penn State at FedExField in 2010

The Indiana Hoosiers will play Penn State in football at the home of the Washington Redskins in 2010. IU announced this Wednesday morning the Hoosiers and Nittany Lions will play at FedExField November 20, 2010. It's a growing trend in college football where games are being scheduled for NFL stadiums. The game was supposed to be in Bloomington, but IU will be able to schedule another home game to get up to six. Here's the full release from Indiana:

INDIANA TO PLAY PENN STATE AT FEDEXFIELD IN 2010

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University Vice President and Director of Athletics Fred Glass has announced that the athletic department has reached an agreement with the Washington Redskins and FedExField to move its 2010 Big Ten Conference home football game with Penn State to the Redskins' home facility in Landover, Maryland. The game will be played on November 20, 2010. Indiana will add another home game to the schedule so that the Hoosiers will still play six home games in Bloomington at Memorial Stadium in 2010.

"This is a unique opportunity to partner with an outstanding organization like the Washington Redskins to bring Hoosier football to within an afternoon's drive of all our fans and tens of thousands of alumni that live along the eastern seaboard," said Glass. "We believe that this will be an outstanding, bowl-like experience for our student-athletes, provide us with added recruiting visibility on the east coast, and will serve as a wonderful opportunity for our
student-athletes to spend time in and around the nation's capital."

Under the arrangement, IU will receive $3,000,000 and will be responsible for selling 7,000 seats. The game also will be shown by one of the Big Ten Conference’s television partners (ABC, Big Ten Network or ESPN). In addition, Glass said the department is in the process of shuffling the 2010 non-conference schedule and will replace a road game with another foe at home so that there is no net loss of home games for Indiana fans and the Bloomington community.

"We are excited to have Indiana and Penn State playing a Big Ten Conference game at FedExField," Redskins Chief Operating Officer Mitch Gershman said. "Both universities have a very large following with enthusiastic fan support and alumni in the Washington Metropolitan area. It is a unique opportunity for the fans of this area to watch Big Ten Football in person, and we expect a great crowd at the game."

FedExField, with a seating capacity of 91,704, is the largest venue used by a professional sports team in the United States. Opened in 1997, the venue has hosted several college football games, including the 2004 BCA Classic between the Virginia Tech Hokies and USC Trojans. That contest attracted 91,665 spectators.

"We are excited FedExField, the Big Ten, Penn State and Fred Glass worked together to make this happen," said IU Coach Bill Lynch. "FedExField is a state-of-the-art facility and our student-athletes will enjoy playing in a NFL venue."

Mark Krebs Put on Scholarship

UK basketball player Mark Krebs will be put on scholarship for his senior season. Cats Coach John Calipari made the announcement on his website. Krebs has been a walk-on the last two seasons at Kentucky. He's played a total of 28 minutes at UK scoring 6 points. For the complete details of Coach Calipari's decision to give Krebs a scholarship go to coachcal.com

Pacers to Play Exhibition Game at Assembly Hall

The Pacers are coming to Bloomington, Indiana October 23rd to take on the San Antonio Spurs in an exhibition game. Here's the full release from the Pacers:


PACERS TO PLAY PRESEASON GAME IN BLOOMINGTON

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers will travel to Bloomington, Ind., to play a preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs at Indiana University’s Assembly Hall, Friday, Oct. 23 at 7:00 p.m. The Pacers last played in Bloomington when an ABA playoff game was held at Assembly Hall in 1972.

“As part of the great basketball heritage here in the state of Indiana, we are excited to play a game in Bloomington,” said Rick Fuson, Pacers Sports & Entertainment’s Chief Operating Officer. “This is a great opportunity to partner with Indiana University to further that strong tradition.”

"We are unbelievably excited that the Indiana Pacers have decided to include Bloomington and IU in their preseason schedule,” added Fred Glass, Athletic Director of Indiana University. “This is a special opportunity for our community to see the very best basketball in the world, and we are so pleased that we could play a part in bringing it to Bloomington."

Pacers Season Ticket Holders, along with Indiana University Season Ticket Holders and Indiana University Students, will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to the game prior to the general on-sale. Complete ticket information will be announced at a later date.

The entire Pacers preseason schedule is listed below.

2009 PRESEASON SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT TIME
Friday Oct. 2 vs. Chicago (at Conseco Fieldhouse) 7:00 p.m.
Thursday Oct. 8 vs. Denver (at Taipei Arena in Taipei, Taiwan) 7:30 a.m.
Sunday Oct. 11 at Denver (at Wukesong Arena in Beijing, China) 12:00 a.m.
Friday Oct. 16 vs. Houston (at Conseco Fieldhouse) 7:00 p.m.
Saturday Oct. 17 at New Orleans (at New Orleans Arena in New Orleans,Lou.)8:00 pm
Wednesday Oct. 21 at Orlando (at Amway Arena in Orlando, Fla.) 7:00 p.m.
Friday Oct. 23 vs. San Antonio (at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind.)7:00 p.m.

Pitino Apologizes for Affair With Karen Sypher

University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino apologized to his family, the fans, and the University of Louisville for having an extramarital affair with Karen Sypher six years ago at the Louisville restaurant Porcini's. Here's a full text of Pitino's statement, along with the statement from U of L President James Ramsey, and Athletic Director Tom Jurich:

Statement from Rick Pitino, University of Louisville Men's Basketball Coach:

"I just want to make a statement. I want to say that the past seven months have been very difficult on the people I love. I made a decision seven months ago because of something I've preached to my players for the thirty-some-odd years I've been coaching. They've heard it for thirty-some-odd years and it goes like this: When you have a problem, if you tell the truth, your problem becomes a part of your past. If you lie, it becomes a part of your future. I made a very difficult decision to tell the truth to the federal authorities, the local authorities, the university officials and most importantly, the people that love me the most: my family and friends."

"A grand jury indictment is a very serious thing and I have not commented on it for that reason. I have not said anything to any of you about any of it. But I am here today because I've personally apologized to my family every single day. For all of us, our families - our wife and our children - and mine in particular, make the sun rise for me every morning. They are highly principled people that are very strong morally and very strong fundamentally and I let them down with my indiscretion six years ago. I'm sorry for that and I've told them that every single day."

"But I want to tell more than just them that. I want to tell my extended family, which is all of my players, recruits who believe in me, families who have believed in me, that I'm sorry for that indiscretion six years ago. You as professionals who have covered me for 16 years, I want to apologize to you as professionals for that indiscretion six years ago."

"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."

"I will continue to cooperate with the authorities as I have from day one. I believe in the judicial system and I won't comment anymore on that. I hope that the trial comes quickly and we can do what all of you should be doing at this period in time: celebrating a BIG EAST Championship and a wonderful season where we once again finished in the Elite Eight with very dedicated players who paid the price to reach that pinnacle."

"The second thing I'm going to do, besides be quiet about the indictment, is that I plan on accomplishing one thing that is very, very important to me. I plan, regardless of how difficult a situation this is, to coach here at the University of Louisville for as long as I physically can maintain the passion I have for the game of basketball, which is still stronger than when I was a head coach at 24 years of age. I love the game. I love my players. I love this university as well as this community. I won't coach anywhere else. I don't believe in anything as much as I believe in this university and this state. So, as long as they'll have me, I'm going to coach here. I'm not a spring chicken, but I'm certainly not over the hill. I intend on recruiting the best athletes and the best people to this program and going a little farther than those Elite Eights in the many years to come. So I thank you as professionals. I know there are much more pleasant things we'd like to talk about, but I do want to apologize once again to my loving family, my wife and university officials, as well as the extended family with all of my players and the great fans we have here at the University of Louisville. So thank you all very much."


Statement from Dr. James Ramsey, University of Louisville President:
Rick Pitino is the University of Louisville's basketball coach. He has been a role model for countless young people and a positive influence on this community.
Regardless of the truth or falsehood of specific actions that have been attributed to the coach, he's clearly made errors in judgment that have come under intense public scrutiny. We can't ignore these errors in judgment, and they have saddened and disappointed me. As we try to teach our students, when you make a mistake, you admit it and right it as best you can. Coach has done that today.
It's not an easy thing to come before the university community and all of you to admit mistakes and commit to do better. I know this has been difficult on the coach, it's been difficult on me, and difficult for our university. But as Coach Pitino and I discussed earlier today, this was the right thing for him to do.
We hope this closes this chapter; we're all ready to move on. Our university is recovering from a flood that shut down a large portion of our campus, preparing for the start of classes on August 24th, and getting ready to welcome the most academically talented freshman class in our history. We need to get back to our job of educating the next generation of Kentucky's leaders.

Statement from Tom Jurich, University of Louisville Vice-President and Director of Athletics:
As I said yesterday, Coach Pitino has been truthful with us about this matter all along and we stand by him and his family during this process. He's been diligent in his work as our men's basketball coach, despite a number of false rumors, reported inaccuracies and the difficulties this personal matter that happened six years ago has placed on him and his family. I'm a million percent behind him. I have great confidence in the federal court system that this matter will be addressed appropriately. I expect Coach Pitino to be the head coach at the University of Louisville for a long time.

Local Coach to Take Part in MLB Home Run Derby

Over the next few days the eyes of the baseball world will be on St. Louis, MO, site of Major League Baseball's midsummer night's classic. MLB's All-Star game is Tuesday but for a Louisville area baseball coach his night on the national stage comes Monday. Bellarmine University baseball coach Deron Spink will be lobbing pitches to Phillies slugger Ryan Howard in the Home Run Derby.

Spink and Howard go back to when Howard just graduated high school. That summer Spink coached the St. Louis native and the two remain close to this day. "We've remained friends over the years, and I've probably thrown (Howard) about a thousand pitches during that time," Spink said.

Report: Xavier Henry to Stay at Kansas

Radio station KCSP 610am in Kansas City reports late Tuesday night that highly touted recruit Xavier Henry will stick with his commitment to Kansas and not join the Kentucky Wildcats. Jeff Goodman of Foxsports.com, through his Twitter page, says Xavier texted him saying he was indeed sticking with the Jayhawks.

Earlier on Tuesday Henry's father, Carl, went on 610sports saying his son may be rethinking his decision to go to Kansas and instead may want to play for UK. That interview set off a firestorm of chatter on the world wide web. The elder Henry stated the family was to meet Tuesday night to discuss Xavier's future. Rivals.com reported Kansas coach Bill Self and assistant coach Danny Manning were also planning to meet with the family that night.

Xavier Henry is rated in the top 10 in the country by several websites. The Oklahoma City native originally committed to Memphis but when John Calipari left for UK he was let out of his letter of intent. Him and his older brother C.J., who was a walk on at Memphis, announced they would then transfer to Kansas. The possibility of Xavier Henry playing for the Cats presented itself again when Jodie Meeks was picked by the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Draft, ending his career at Kentucky. Kentucky has 12 scholarship players on the roster. The NCAA limit is 13.

Talking Sports with WHAS11 on Twitter

I've been a sports broadcaster for about a decade now and the business is definitely changing. There used to be the day when all I had to do was worry about what to air on the 6:00 and 11:00 news. Then about 5 years ago blogging really took off. I was a little hesitant at first. I thought there's no way with all my job duties I would have time to blog. But as you can see I've pretty much gotten the hang of it.

Then two years or so ago Facebook was all the rage. I have to admit I jumped on the bandwagon and created my Facebook page. It's been a wonderful tool to catch up with old friends, discuss sports, and just meet new people.

But now the latest craze is Twitter. Once again I was reluctant to join but now that I'm on there I can't go a day without checking it. It's crazy how many celebrities, including local athletes, are tweeting constantly. From Shaquille O'Neal to John Calipari. From Alyssa Milano to Paris Hilton they're all posting tweets about the interesting things going on in their lives. It's a great way to get your message out and keep people updated on the latest sports news. So you can follow me on twitter right here. I've recruited my coworker Danielle Santoro to take up Twitter, so you can follow her also. And don't forget the mother ship, WHAS11, is tweeting so whether it's sports or news you can be the first to know by following us on twitter.