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Injured Player Holds News Conference; Abusive Coach Caught On Tape; Beer, Drugs And Gun Inside Jail Cell; Rutgers Basketball Coach Fired; Sanford Wins Runoff; Murray Behind Bars

Aired April 03, 2013 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: It was a moment that stunned everyone. It has been only three days since basketball star Kevin Ware's leg snapped while the country was watching March Madness. This hour, we're going to hear from him for the first time since that horrific injury.

Plus, kicking, shoving and yelling ugly slurs at his basketball players all caught on tape? The outrage. At first, the coach was only suspended for three days.

And beer, drugs and loaded guns inside a New Orleans jail. Well, now there's a battle to clean things up, but it is going to cost some money. And this just in, it is official. Jay Leno officially out of the "Tonight Show" after 22 years. His run there at NBC, well, now, starting spring 2014, his replacement, Jimmy Fallon, taking the reigns. We're going to have our own Nichelle Turner, she's going to have more on this in just a couple of minutes.

This is CNN NEWSROOM, and I'm Suzanne Malveaux. The Louisville basketball player who broke his leg in the middle of NCAA game about to give a news conference. You'll recall, of course, Kevin Ware broke his leg so severely that the bone pushed through his skin. It happened during his team's nationally televised game at Duke. That happened on Sunday. Well, his teammates, they were so upset. We saw them crying. His coach wiping away tears. The whole nation in shock. In about 30 minutes, the 20 year old is set to hold a news conference in Louisville where his team takes on Wichita State in the men's Final Four in Atlanta on Saturday.

Our Joe Carter, he's in Louisville. Joe, wow, Kevin Ware attracting a lot of attention here and also making an amazing recovery. How's he doing?

JOE CARTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know what? He's in really good spirits, Suzanne, I mean, especially considering all that's happened to this young man in the last three days. We've seen him up or on crutches -- up and around campus today on crunches, smiling, just seems to be excited to be back here with the guys and knowing that's he is actually going to go to the Final Four. We were wondering if the doctors were going to medically clear him to be able to get on the plane tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern with the team. They have gone ahead and medically cleared him, so he's going to be able to go with the guys. He's going to be able to spend the Final Four weekend with his team, with his coaches, taking part in all the festivities, the team meals as well as the practices and then, obviously, the game on Saturday.

When we saw him arrive at practice yesterday, the first time since he had been in Louisville, obviously after the two-hour surgery. He had a rod put in his leg, after that horrific injury on Sunday. We saw him arrive at practice yesterday. He seemed very eager to get inside to show his coaches and show his teammates that he was OK, his mom was by his side carrying the championship trophy. She told everybody just before she walked inside, I just want everybody to know that we really appreciate the outpouring of support and all the messages. I mean, Suzanne, this story has transcended sports.

MALVEAUX: Yes.

CARTER: I mean, when you -- whether you -- whether you saw it during the game live on Sunday or you've seen the pictures or video since, when you see him break his leg, you really -- your heart goes out to the guy. And then, you hear the stories that follow how just before he went away on the stretcher how he told his teammates, don't worry about me. Go win the game. It really inspired a lot of people and how he's really handled himself from Sunday until now with such grace, with such maturity and perseverance. I think a lot of people now are rooting for Louisville, rooting for Kevin Ware -- excuse me. And the outpouring of support that he's received.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

CARTER: He got calls from Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson. He's received Twitter messages from LeBron James to little Wayne. I mean, the support has been absolutely incredible and I think it's because of this young man's story and how he's handled the situation for the last few days.

MALVEAUX: Oh, yes.

CARTER: But I can tell you, he's very eager -- very eager to start this recovery process. Doctors saying it's going to take about 12 months to get back on the basketball court. I know if anyone -- if you've seen the video or you've seen the picture, it's incredible to even think he'll even have the opportunity to play basketball again.

MALVEAUX: He does, yes.

CARTER: So, he's going to get up in front of media about 1:30 Eastern. And we're expecting him to talk about how gracious everyone has been to him. We expect him to express his gratitude towards those people. And then, obviously, reflect on the past few days and talk about the recovery process. And that's going to be --

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: And you got to love this guy. I mean, whether or not you follow basketball or not, really an amazing spirit that he has, a lot of hope inspiring a lot of young folks along the way. It really shows you how --

CARTER: Yes.

MALVEAUX: -- it's done, really, to get over adversity. Thank you so much. And, of course, we're going to go to Louisville as soon as the news conference starts. 3:30 Eastern as well, our own Rachel Nichols, she's going to talk one on one with Kevin Ware.

Now, in other sports, another story that has really shocked parents and players alike. We are talking about Rutgers basketball coach, Mike Rice. He has been fired now after he was caught on tape shoving, pushing, berating his players. The abuse allegedly spanned more than two years. Thelma Brown, she's got the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hurling basketballs at player's legs, even their heads.

MIKE RICE, BASKETBALL COACH, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY: (INAUDIBLE.)

BROWN: Grabbing, pushing, kicking and punching them.

RICE: (INAUDIBLE.)

BROWN: And screaming homophobic slurs.

RICE: (INAUDIBLE.)

BROWN: This video obtained by ESPN's "Outside the Lines" shows Rutgers head basketball coach, Mike Rice, going off the handle and abusing his players during practices from 2010 through 2012, according to the Sports Network. It ultimately cost Mike Rice his job. He spoke with CNN affiliate WABC and said there is no excuse for his behavior, saying there's no explanation for what's on those films, because there's no excuse for it. I was wrong. And I want to tell everybody who's believed in me that I'm deeply sorry for the pain and the hardship that I've caused. The footage surfaced after Eric Murdock, who was Rice's director of player development until he was fired, showed it to Rutgers athletic department officials. In an interview with ESPN, Murdock says the abuse caused several players to leave.

ERIC MURDOCK, FORMER DIRECTOR OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY: To see your coach physically putting his hands on players, physically kicking players, you know, firing balls at players from point-blank range. The verbal abuse, the belittling, yes, I was, like, in total shock that this guy wasn't fired immediately on the spot.

BROWN: Former NBA player, John Amaechi, says Rice's behavior crosses the line.

JOHN AMAECHI, FORMER PLAYER, NBA: It's physical and verbal abuse. It's psychological and emotional abuse. No -- he should not be allowed near anybody. I mean, forget sports. There is no context where his management style is appropriate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE.)

BROWN: Seeing basketball coaches lose their cool is nothing new. Remember legendary coach Bobby Knight? He was known for his hot temper and throwing chairs, but it was this video showing him with his hands around a player's neck that led to his dismissal at Indiana.

BOB KNIGHT, FORMER BASKETBALL COACH, INDIANA HOOSIERS: I mean, maybe I grabbed him by the shoulder, maybe I took him by the back of the neck, I don't know. I mean, I don't remember everything that I've ever done in practice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: I want to bring in Pamela Brown. So, first of all, I mean, it seems outrageous for those of us who are not in sports, but, you know, you talk to some people, they say, well, some coaches actually do behave this way. Could this school face any kind of legal repercussions because of all this?

BROWN: Well, Suzanne, at this point, it appears the university would actually be in more legal trouble than Mike Rice. According to a legal analyst we spoke with, the university knew about this for a long time, in fact, since last summer. And essentially, officials made the decision to put Rice on probation and send him to anger management. So -- and now, it appears that officials are back peddling on that deal that they struck with Rice. So, this could be breach of contract with him.

And you have to remember that Rice is an employee of the state of New Jersey as part of the Rutgers University. And state employees, unlike private employees, have due process rights with respect to termination. However, Rice's mea culpa, earlier today, may have made it more difficult for him to successively sue since he admitted wrongdoing essentially -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Pamela, thank you. I appreciate it.

It is official now, Jimmy Fallon replacing Jay Leno as host of the "Tonight Show." The show moving back to New York from L.A. Nichelle Turner from where it is happening in L.A. Nichelle, give us the skinny.

NICHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, there's a lot happening right now, Suzanne. And it's kind of what we have been hearing, now the official announcement has been made. After 22 years, Jay Leno is stepping down as the host of the "Tonight Show." Jimmy Fallon will take the reigns in the spring of 2014. We've also got another little piece of information. Besides the fact that the show's going to move back to New York, Lauren Michaels is going to be the executive producer of the new "Tonight Show." Of course, the executive produces "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock." So, he's going to be taking the reigns of this as well.

And, Suzanne, we have heard from all parties involved, and this is just coming in, so forgive me, I'm going to read a little bit, from Jay Leno's statement. He said, congratulations Jimmy, I hope you're as lucky as me and hold on to the job until you're an old guy. If you need me, I'll be at the garage. And, of course, that is a reference to his love of cars and restoring vintage automobiles.

Jimmy Fallon also said, I'm real e really excited to host a show that starts today instead of tomorrow, of course because "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" started at 12:35 in the morning. That's pretty darn funny.

And Steve Burke, who is the Chief Executive Officer of NBC Universal, did said that Jay Leno is an entertainment icon, making millions of people laugh every week night for more than 20 years. Also said, his long reign as the highest rated late-night host is a testament to his work ethic and dedication to his viewers.

You know, it's funny because he talks about his work ethic. And one of the things -- I spoke with someone very close to Jay Leno yesterday, and he said Jay Leno's a workaholic, you know. They mentioned to me that Jay continues to still do standup all these years. After hosting the "Tonight Show," he's still in the comedy clubs perfecting his act. He really, really works hard.

They also told me, when I spoke to the source close to Leno yesterday, they told me that Jay was expecting an announcement. They thought maybe it would come a little later, maybe at "NBC UP FRONT." But they also said that he had been prepared for change. That he wasn't happy about how this was presented, basically that he was bothered by the presentation. But he did feel like he knew it was coming. And he had been upbeat about the whole thing.

I've been told that the "Tonight Show" staff that's in place right now, they've all stayed and remained upbeat because all of them always felt like it would come at some point in time. They knew --

MALVEAUX: Sure.

TURNER: -- they couldn't do the show forever.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

TURNER: But I'm sure they all are pretty sad today because it's going to be a change in the guard for sure.

MALVEAUX: Yes, passing the baton. Yes, that happens. But you say -- as you said, you know, he's a workaholic. We'll see him again, I'm sure, in some sort of other venue. We'll see them both. That'll be fun.

(CROSSTALK)

TURNER: Now that you mentioned it --

MALVEAUX: OK, go ahead.

TURNER: Yes, now that you mentioned it, I mean, one of the things Jay Leno was being -- that was being talked about the first time around when Conan O'Brien was going to slip into that place was that maybe Fox was courting him for a late-night show, because fox doesn't have one. And that was maybe the worst-kept secret in Hollywood, at that point, that they wanted to get him and they wanted to start a late- night show. So, who knows.

I mean, when we saw Jimmy Fallon and Jay Leno do their bit a couple days ago, when they did "West Side Story" to each other, one of the lines that Jay Leno said was, I've got Fox on the line. So, who knows.

MALVEAUX: Oh, OK. We might see him somewhere else. All right, thanks, Nichelle. I appreciate it.

TURNER: Absolutely, sure.

MALVEAUX: Videos from a New Orleans jail raising a lot of questions today. We want you to take a look at this. These are guys walking around with guns, shell casings thrown on the floor, people drinking beer. Again, this is all inside the jail.

I want to bring in Sara Gannon who is following the story for us. Sara, first of all, the video is not new, shot a couple years ago. So, how -- first of all, how does it -- how did it surface that we found out that all this is taking place inside the New Orleans jail?

SARA GANNON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Suzanne, it actually first came to -- first was aired yesterday in a federal court in a proceeding in which the city mayor and the Orleans Parish sheriff's office are fighting over how to fix this, has clearly broken prison conditions and prison system in Orleans Parish, Louisiana. This first aired in this courtroom. But on some of this audio tape you can actually hear the inmates say the reason that they were shooting this video was to expose these conditions.

So, this morning, CNN asked the mayor how they actually got these tapes. And I want to read to you what he said. He said, this tape was hidden away from the public in a safe in the sheriff's office and only came to light when the city's legal team fought to uncover it.

Now, like I said, they're in court all this week, in a federal court, over this issue because fixing prison conditions, as you know, costs money. And they're fighting over who should fork over that money to pay to fix these conditions.

MALVEAUX: Sara, who was responsible for this prison, for this jail, the detention center where all the craziness is happening?

GANNON: Right. So, it's interesting, the sheriff oversees these facilities, but the city and the mayor actually pay for them. So, the city is saying, look, we want the federal government to come in and take over, take the power away from the sheriff. Clearly, he is -- he isn't doing his job. The sheriff is saying that he needs more money, that the facilities are understaffed. He acknowledges that the system is broken, that the conditions are not -- are not -- are not good. But that he simply doesn't have the money to fix it. MALVEAUX: All right. Sara, thank you. We'd certainly hope that that does get fixed. It looks like a hot mess over there. Tonight, 7:00 Eastern, Erin Burnett taking a closer look at what is really going on inside the jails in New Orleans. Erin Burnett, "OUTFRONT," right here on CNN.

Here's what we're working on if this hour. The doctor in jail for the death of Michael Jackson called CNN from prison. It is not the kind of interview that you'd actually even expect. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a little boy that Santa Claus forgot. And goodness knows, he did not want a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Plus, he left office after his affair became public. Well now, Mark Sanford, he is back. And right by his side, his mistress turned fiancee.

And she's got better rhythm than many of us. I'm not kidding here. This is a sea lion who really gets on her groove -- getting the groove on, bopping her head in time with the music. What do -- why you think it's important for science, up ahead.

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MALVEAUX: Investigators in Texas are hoping that skid marks are actually going to help them figure out who killed the Kaufman county district attorney and his wife. Mike McLelland, he was the second prosecutor killed in two months. Now, authorities say that tire marks near his home appear to be from two large vehicles. Well, so far that's one of the few clues that they actually have to go on. According to our CNN affiliate KTVT, the reward for information leading to the arrest and indictments is going to be doubled to $200,000. Public memorial service for McLelland and his wife Cynthia is going to be held tomorrow. And the funeral will take place on Friday.

President Obama taking his fight for tougher gun laws on the road. He's going to speak at Denver police academy, that's later today. And the White House says that the president believes that the country still supports new gun regulations after the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. In Colorado the president is going to meet with victims of the movie theater shooting in Aurora and from the 1999 Columbine massacre. Next week he's going to take his campaign as well to Hartford, Connecticut.

Well, the disgraced former governor of South Carolina taking another step on his road to political redemption now. Mark Sanford won the Republican primary runoff election for U.S. House seat yesterday. Results showing him beating his opponent 57 percent to 43 percent. And now he faces comedian Steven Colbert's sister in a May 5th special election. Many people, May 7th rather, many people thought Sanford's political career was over when he admitted to an affair while he was governor.

Want to bring in our own Candy Crowley. Candy, wow, what a political comeback story, yes? Was this expected?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes. As a matter of fact he did show going into this primary runoff. But the fact that someone who has been the governor, also run for Congress before had to have a runoff tells you that his support is somewhat weakened. Let's see if it's a true redemption story. He needs to win this race against Colbert's sister as you say. But he's certainly on the road to it. And in fact it's a little bit how he sold his campaign. He went about American voters love redemption stories. I give you Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton for very different reasons here. But nonetheless it's the kind of story that voters tend to like if they feel the redemption is real.

MALVEAUX: How important do you think it was for voters to see his mistress standing beside him who's now his fiancee?

CROWLEY: Former mistress now fiancee, you know, I don't know how this will play out. This is a very Republican district first of all. So you have to give mark Sanford the edge in this. He is running against a woman, which also makes this interesting, and by the way a well- financed woman because her brother is Steven Colbert is going to raise money for her. This will be an interesting race to watch.

I think it is important that if he is still seeing her that people see this relationship on, you know, a stable basis. But, you know, when people talk to voters, some were totally turned off saying I couldn't trust him at all as a Congressman. Others saying, you know, people make mistakes, let's move on. What he needs is more of those. Again, he's sitting pretty well simply because he is in a very Republican district. I can't totally remember but I think the last person that won it who now is sitting in the Senate won this by 20- something percent in a Republican district. He has a good shot at this. And there are going to be those that are never going to forgive him and those say, hey, people make mistakes.

MALVEAUX: Yeah. Either way a race everybody will be watching. Candy, thank you so much for covering it. Appreciate it.

CROWLEY: Thanks.

MALVEAUX: You can hear from Mark Sanford himself live today 4:00 eastern. He's talking with "THE LEAD" after winning the Republican nomination for his former House seat. That is today 4 eastern on "THE LEAD" with my friend Jake Tapper.

MALVEAUX: Well, he was Michael Jackson's doctor, now Conrad Murray trying to clear his name. Not only speaking from prison, now he's singing.

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MALVEAUX: Concert promoters say Michael Jackson was responsible for his own death. That is the argument that they're expected to make this week in a trial over Jackson's death. Now, jury selection's already started in Los Angeles. A trial could last several months, actually. Now, this is a case that is filed by Michael Jackson's mother and children against AEG Live. That is the company promoting this worldwide Michael Jackson tour that was scheduled to start the summer that the singer died.

Well, one man has already been tried and convicted in Michael Jackson's death. And of course that is his doctor at the time, Conrad Murray. So Murray, he's now speaking out to CNN from prison. His first interview since the trial that found him guilty. Last night live on the air with Anderson Cooper he insisted he was innocent. Then he started singing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONRAD MURRAY, FORMER DOCTOR TO MICHAEL JACKSON (singing): He envied all the lucky boys, but goodness knows he didn't want a lot. I'm so sorry for the laddie who hasn't got a daddy. He's a little boy that Santa Claus forgot. That song tells my story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: All right. Don Lemon is here with us. Don, you also had an opportunity, right, to talk to Conrad Murray from jail. He called you as well. You had a discussion with him. Can you explain really what we just saw there? I know Anderson was quite perplexed by the whole thing. We're all looking at it like what the heck was that.

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I spoke to him on Friday and let me explain.

MALVEAUX: Please.

LEMON: That was a song that he and Michael would sing together because they felt like they each didn't have a childhood. And as a matter of fact I just got off the phone with his attorney, Valerie Wats, who was on last night on "360" with him and said, do you think people understood what the song was about? I said absolutely not. I said do you think him singing overshadowed the interview? I said, yes, he's singing on national television.

MALVEAUX: What's his point?

LEMON: His point is, is that he felt a kinship with Michael Jackson because they spent so much time together. He said Michael opened up to him in ways that he didn't open up to anyone, not even his family, not even his children. They had a genuine love for each other. I was there during when he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

LEMON: I said you didn't show much emotion. You didn't seem very human at all. I said do you think you've been made out to be the bad guy? Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Do you think that you've been made out to be a villain?

MURRAY: I don't want to pass judgment on others. I can see that I am a scapegoat. There's no doubt about it. All of the mishaps that he has encountered in life seems to trickle down on me. And I think that is the case of the scapegoat. Nobody has taken any responsibilities for anything that they may have done to this man. But, because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, here I am.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Yes. So you get his drift?

MALVEAUX: What does he make of what's happening now? You've got Jackson's mother and Jackson's kids saying that it was the promoters fault for his death. What does he make of all this?

LEMON: That why he says he's sort of the scapegoat in all of this. He happened to be there at the end. Because there were family members and friends and people he calls hangers on who were responsible for Michael Jackson's death. And he said out of everyone he feels sorriest for the kids because he loved the kids. Listen to what he said about the children.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

MURRAY: I hope that the children are doing well. I hope that they are looked after very well. I hope that regardless of whatever proceeds the estate is gathering, I do hope that the children will always be protected and that the proceeds for the children will always be there.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

LEMON: Basically insinuating that the children in some way may be pawns in this particular situation saying this is the last thing that Michael Jackson would want. He was so adamant about his children's privacy and then to have them drawn into this media circus now and this courtroom circus now is absolutely antithetical to what he would want.

MALVEAUX: Does he ever like -- have they reached out to him in jail? The family? Does he have any relationship with them at all, or do they say we'll have nothing to do with this guy anymore?

LEMON: I think there may possibly be a meeting between Michael Jackson's mother and Conrad Murray. I think both sides have agreed to it, but it hasn't happened yet. Here's the thing, Michael Jackson's family wanted Conrad Murray to pay, right? Conrad Murray could end up helping the family by saying I was hired by AEG or end up helping AEG saying I was hired by Michael Jackson. But he probably won't say that in trial.

MALVEAUX: Don, keep us posted on your jailhouse conversations.

(LAUGHTER) LEMON: Thank you, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Be sure to tune in Friday night for a CNN "SPECIAL REPORT." It's Anderson Cooper on "MICHAEL JACKSON, THE FINAL DAYS," Friday night 10:00 eastern here on CNN.

This was a moment of course that made everybody cringe. Kevin Ware's leg snapping right in front of folks on national television. Now the basketball star, he is now speaking out for the first time since that dramatic injury. We're going to hear from him up next.

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