SEC Commissioner Mike Slive might have been hoping that when college football season ends, he would not have to be issuing weekly warnings to his high profile coaches to watch their mouths. But it looks more like he will be chiding coaches some time into April.
The addition of John Calipari at Kentucky means the SEC coaching family gatherings promise to be more entertaining. Calipari has never been one to build warm relationships with other coaches in his conference (right, John Chaney?). His soured relationship with Rick Pitino should make his meetings with Florida's Billy Donovan more interesting.
The warm and special relationship that was built during his time at Memphis, with Tennessee's Bruce Pearl will undoubtedly produce the most entertainment. .
Now the basketball team drops an exhibition game to a Division II school, 82-79. This was not just losing to a D-II program, like Michigan State and Ohio State both did two years ago. That's embarrassing enough. This was losing to the Le Moyne Dolphins, a D-II school located right in Syracuse. It really doesn't get any more humiliating than that. Bragging rights in town for the year.
Well, at least Tim Floyd is not simply spending his free time down in Mississippi waiting to find out what the NCAA investigations will eventually/someday/maybe rule regarding O.J. Mayo and what kind of asylum he was running at USC.
No, Floyd has found time to go to the Morongo Resort and Casino in beautiful Cabazon, Calif. Apparently a place where things can get a little wild. Floyd waded hip deep into trying to break up a cat fight. Blogger Spencer Hall sees this as proof of a future as a bouncer at the casino. Judging by the women in the fight, and willingness to pick up a chair to attempt to go upside Floyd's head, I'd say he should be aiming to be security on the Maury Povich Show. Video after the jump.
A serious situation at the University of Arkansas seemed to resolve itself last month when it was determined that there was insufficient evidence to file rape charges against three unnamed Arkansas Razorback basketball players. For a program that has had numerous off-the-court distractions and dysfunctional coaching searches, this was a small relief not to have it hanging over its head when the season got underway.
So much for that plan. Questions quickly arose surrounding the prosecutor that determined there was insufficient evidence. Now the Razorbacks are looking at a case that's being reopened by a special prosecutor appointed by the state, just as the season opener looms.
It really shouldn't come as a surprise that Bob Knight would opt not to attend his own induction into the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame. His departure from Indiana was ugly, well-documented and Knight has never been one to easily forgive and forget.
Or maybe he is mellowing just a bit. Rather than not even respond to the invitation, Knight actually let Indiana know that he would not attend.Not just passing word along through an intermediary or via press release. He called Indiana's athletic director Fred Glass directly. A former sportswriter that is a longtime friend of Knight, will represent Knight at the ceremony.
The reason claimed is that Knight would not attend because he didn't want a media crunch that would ensue were he to attend, to overshadow the induction of many of his former players. That almost seems reasonable except for one thing. Considering Bob Knight is being inducted, regardless of his physical presence, he will overshadow the event.
Twice before in his life, Billy Gillispie had been accused of drunk driving. He avoided an actual admission and penalties the first couple of times. The third time was the not quite the charm as the former Kentucky coach pled guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol in Anderson County District Court in Kentucky.
Gillispie limited most of his responses to the judge to one word answers. He received a sentence similar to most first-time offenders in Kentucky. A 30-day suspension of his driver's license, a fine plus all court costs and being required to complete an Alcohol Drivers Education Program.
Oh, the uber-talented guard is practicing and with the Wildcats and impressing all who see John Wall play. It's just that the NCAA has suspended him for the first two games. Well, an exhibition and the season opener. So it is more like 1.5 games. Wall will miss the exhibition game against NAIA Campbellsville on Monday, November 2. He will also miss the season opener with Morehead State. That means his debut will be on November 16 against Miami (Ohio).
Wall's eligibility was called into question because his AAU coach/adviser/future entourage and hanger-on Brian Clifton had also been failing to be an NBA agent while Wall was being recruited as a high school junior. Clifton had helped pay for some of Wall's travel expenses for unofficial visits to schools. Wall also has to repay Clifton almost $800.
Somehow, Kentucky should be able to find a way to get past those first two opponents without Wall.
Connecticut police have charged a man with the murder of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard. John William Lomax, 21, has been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit assault.
His attorney insists Lomax was attempting to break up the fight. His bond was set at $2 million.
Police charged Hakim Muhammad, 20, with conspiracy to commit assault, and 21-year-old Jamal Todd with pulling the fire alarm, which reportedly began the fight.
None of the three men are listed as students or employees at the university, according to the school's Web site.
Howard, 20, was stabbed just after 12:30AM, Oct. 18, following a school-sanctioned dance on the Connecticut campus. He was airlifted to a Hartford hospital where he died later that morning.
Having lost eight of 10 games to Gonzaga between 1997 and 2006, the Washington Huskies felt they needed a break because "the schedule began to get away from us." Apparently, that was code for "tired of being beaten by an in-state team from a non-power conference."
Well, after a few years of finding themselves, Washington would like to renew the series with Gonzaga. Just as long as the games are played for Washington's benefit.
Rather than play a home-and-home type of series with Gonzaga as had been done (and how Gonzaga plays it with Washington State, Wake Forest, Illinois, and Michigan State), Washington wants a three game series to be played at Key Arena in Seattle as a neutral site contest. Apparently playing a scant five miles from Washington's campus still constitutes a "neutral" site to Washington's athletic department as long as the ticket sales are split 50-50.
No one really expected ex-Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie's lawsuit against Kentucky for breach of contract to ever make it to trial. Neither side really wanted everything in the open court, and dragging into the actual college basketball season.
So it was not a real surprise that the parties agreed to mediation and a settlement was reached for roughly half of the $6 million dollars in dispute. Gillispie gets $2.98 million and his attorney and mediation costs paid by Kentucky. Or roughly one-tenth of the amount Kentucky is paying John Calipari over the next eight years.
Gillispie gets to put one more aspect of his time in Kentucky behind him. Arguably that was the easiest item. He still has to sell his house in a bad real estate market and settle that DUI charge.
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive might have been hoping that when college football season ends, he would not have to be issuing weekly warnings to his high profile coaches to watch their mouths. But it looks more like he will be chiding coaches some time into April.
There are days that make you question why you put up with the things you do as a fan. For Syracuse fans, Tuesday was that day. The continuing fallout from the 
It really shouldn't come as a surprise that 
Twice before in his life, 
Oh, the uber-talented guard is practicing and with the Wildcats and impressing all who see 
Connecticut police have charged a man with the murder of Connecticut football player 
Having lost eight of 10 games to Gonzaga between 1997 and 2006, the Washington Huskies felt they needed a break because "
No one really expected ex-Kentucky coach 
