Sports in brief
COURTSConviction in Pitino case
Karen Cunagin Sypher was convicted in Louisville of extortion after she demanded millions of dollars from Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino to keep their tryst at a restaurant secret. Sypher, 50, was found guilty of three counts of extortion, two counts of lying to the FBI and one count of retaliating against a witness.
The case involved a 2003 sexual encounter between Pitino and Sypher inside an Italian restaurant closed for the night. Pitino testified she came on to him and the sex was consensual. After she was charged, Sypher told police it was rape but Pitino was never charged.
GOLF
Bubba Watson sure didn't look as though he was making his debut at Firestone. He opened with a 6-under 64 to build a two-shot lead after one round of the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio. Seven-time champion Tiger Woods looked as if he had never been here before. Woods got off to an atrocious start on his way to a 4-over 74, his highest round ever at Firestone. It also ended his streak of nine rounds at par or better on the tree-lined course. Watson, who won the Travelers Championship in June for his first PGA Tour victory, is trying to play his way onto the Ryder Cup team. He was two shots clear of Phil Mickelson, Kenny Perry and Adam Scott.
Rory Sabbatini and Omar Uresti shot 7-under 65s and were tied for the lead in the rain-delayed first round of the Turning Stone Resort Championship in Verona, N.Y. Sabbatini and Uresti both had seven birdies without a bogey and they were one stroke in front of Brad Faxon, Brian Davis, Steve Elkington and Alex Cejka.
Suns hire Blanks as GM
The Phoenix Suns have hired Lance Blanks as their general manager. Phoenix brought in agent Lon Babby last month to serve as president of basketball operations and his first priority was to hire a GM who could evaluate talent for the franchise. Blanks spent the past five seasons as Cleveland's vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager. He also worked in San Antonio's scouting department for five years. Blanks played two seasons in the NBA with Detroit and Minnesota before finishing his career in the CBA and overseas. Blanks replaces Steve Kerr, who stepped down at the end of June. - AP
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