One day after Laurie Fine announced she was suing ESPN for libel, ESPN released the full recording of the 2002 phone conversation between Fine and Bobby Davis.

Last November, ESPN released portions of an October 2002 phone conversation between Davis and Fine that Davis secretly recorded. In the tape, Fine admits to concerns about her husband, former Syracuse University associate men’s basketball coach Bernie Fine, molesting Davis while he was a ball boy at SU.

In the libel lawsuit Fine filed against Mark Schwarz, Arthur Breko and ESPN, Fine claimed ESPN took portions of the recording out of context and referred to the taped conversation as ‘admittedly doctored, substantially inaudible, and entirely speculative.’

ESPN released the full 48-minute recording of the conversation Wednesday night.

‘We felt it was an appropriate part of our news coverage relating to Wednesday’s lawsuit,’ said David Scott, ESPN director of communications, in a statement.

Schwarz declined to comment.

Davis originally gave the tape to ESPN in 2003, but it was not published because ESPN was unable to corroborate Davis’ story. ESPN then chose to publish the tape after Mike Lang, Davis’ stepbrother and a former ball boy at SU, stepped forward last November.

Bernie Fine has denied all allegations and has not been charged.

The recorded conversation also indicated Laurie Fine and Davis had a sexual relationship while Davis was an 18-year-old senior in high school.

In the libel lawsuit, Laurie Fine claims she never had a sexual relationship of any kind with Davis. Fine also denied allegations that she had sexual relations with any players on the basketball team.

Fine also claimed ESPN’s reporting caused her to suffer permanent damage to her reputation, physical consequences from stress and emotional distress, and that she is unable to maintain or obtain gainful employment, according to the lawsuit.

jliannet@syr.edu 

Published on May 17, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Jessica: jliannet@syr.edu | @JessicaIannetta