- Is this the start of a new, possibly competent day for the NCAA? No, but at least the governing body for major college athletics is getting disciple right for a change. The case before the hypocrites of the NCAA was that of former Tennessee men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl, who has received a three-year show-cause penalty for violations that occurred in the program under his supervision. Pearl’s top assistants at UT, Tony Jones, Steve Forbes and Jason Shay, all received one-year show-cause penalties. The penalties mean any program wishing to hire any of the four must go before the NCAA and explain why they should be able to do so without incurring NCAA sanctions. In essence, it makes a coach un-hirable and can even spell the end of his or her career. The reason Pearl and his assistants’ disciple is noteworthy is because the NCAA has long been criticized for punishing programs instead of individuals. Even if a guilty coach was no longer at the school where the violations occurred, it was typically the school that was hammered with sanctions. This time, new Tennessee men's basketball coach Cuonzo Martin and his current players won't have to pay for Pearl’s misdeeds. The only penalty the program will suffer is a two-year probationary period that runs through Aug. 23, 2013. It was a welcome verdict for UT, but not for the Pearl family, especially not Bruce Pearl’s son Steven. "Define hypocrisy.... NCAA. Biggest joke of a committee I have ever seen. Punishing a man who came back and told the truth," the younger Pearl tweeted. To be fair, seeing your old man’s college coaching career take a slug to the back of the head would be tough, so cut young Stevie some slack. Bruce Pearl’s show-cause does not expire until Aug. 23, 2014, while the show-causes for Jones, Forbes and Shay expire on Aug. 23, 2012. The other party relieved at the NCAA’s decision was former UT football coach Lane Kiffin, now at USC. The Vols football program, at the time coached by Kiffin, was found by the committee not to have committed any major violations after a long investigation. "As I have said before, we always have been committed to following NCAA rules and bylaws both at Tennessee and now at USC, and we always will be," Kiffin said in a statement released by USC. "Now that this has reached its conclusion, I am looking forward to continuing to prepare our team for the upcoming season." Hitting coaches with a show-cause penalty is the most serious discipline the NCAA can impose, as it does not have the power to fire them. Tennessee likely would have incurred serious wrath if Pearl were still its coach, but he and his assistants were fired by Tennessee on March 21. He had previously been suspended by the SEC for the first eight conference games of the season for giving misleading information about a cookout in 2008 that involved a junior in high school (current Ohio State guard Aaron Craft). Craft was on an unofficial visit and was not allowed to be at Pearl's home. Pearl allegedly instructed those present not to report the violation. With his college coaching career over or at least on a long hiatus, Pearl is currently weighing an offer to coach the Texas Legends, the Dallas Mavericks' D-League team. Forbes is now the head coach at Northwest Florida State College and Shay is his assistant and Jones is slumming it as a high school coach in Tennessee. It seems fair to say their decisions all worked out very well for each of the four…………
- Oh, this should end well. If there is anything the most combustible region in the world needs, it’s world-class ass hat/agitator Glenn Beck jumping into the fray. Beck, still riding high (in his mind anyhow) off the “success” of his huge politically charged and largely faith-based rally in Washington, is at it again, this time in Jerusalem. Figuring maybe all the Jews and Muslims need to get along is a dose of his wisdom, Beck decided Wednesday was the day to hold a similar, pro-Israel rally in the Holy Land. As the event neared, critics from all sides question and bashed all manner of things about Beck’s rally, even Jewish people. While appreciative of any support, many Jews are uncomfortable over recent Beck pronouncements on Judaism and with the rally’s close association with conservative evangelical Christians from the United States. “I and some in my community have been critical of him and some of his expressions and we have made no secret about our feelings,” says Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish group that fights anti-Semitism. “We should welcome it and embrace it, but I hope he doesn’t make any faux pas, which he’s been prone to do.” Nooooo, not Glenn Beck. Since when has this idiot ever inserted foot into mouth? But what say you about your new rally, Glenn boy? “There’s an important distinction of saying I love Israel, I defend Israel, and not separating that from the Jewish people,” Beck said on Monday. “Make sure to say not that we only love Israel, but we love the Jewish people as they are.” Oddly enough, Beck has already issued some apologies to offended Jewish groups. One such apology came in February after he criticized Reform Judaism – a major movement among American Jews - on his radio show, calling Reform rabbis "generally political in nature” and likening the movement to “radicalized Islam in a way.” He later offered a mea culpa for those remarks and also apologized for alleging that financier George Soros, who is Jewish by birth, helped send Jews to death camps during the Holocaust. In light of this, I ask again: Since when has Glenn Beck ever said anything inappropriate or regrettable? Now would be a good time for any group – racial, ethnic, religious or otherwise - that does not want Beck holding a rally to support them to speak out, just to be safe…………
- The quest for world domination has taken a temporary step back for Google, but the Web giant will bounce back. The setback is a $500 million settlement over allegations that it sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of online ads to Canadian pharmacies that shipped drugs to U.S. consumers in violation of federal law. In other words, people who were too lazy to actually travel across the border to bootleg their cheaper medications firsthand were going online, Googling discount Internet pharmacies and having the meds shipped to their door. Google’s downfall came via an investigation led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Rhode Island and the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations. These legal sticklers found that Google as early as 2003 was aware that Canadian pharmacies were advertising prescription drugs in the U.S. through Google's AdWords program and that while the company had taken steps to block advertisements for pharmacies in other countries, Canadian pharmacies were allowed to continue advertising. Furthermore, the Department of Justice stated that shipping prescription drugs from pharmacies outside the country to U.S. customers generally violates the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and, in the case of controlled prescription drugs, the Controlled Substances Act. The chief antagonist in the case was Peter F. Neronha, U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, who said in a statement that the investigation represents a significant step in limiting the ability of rogue pharmacies to reach U.S. consumers with drugs that may be unsafe and/or unlawful. "It is about holding Google responsible for its conduct by imposing a $500 million forfeiture, the kind of forfeiture that will not only get Google's attention, but the attention of all those who contribute to America's pill problem," Neronha said. Neronha and his cronies were clearly not placated in 2009 when Google was alerted to the investigation and began taking steps to limit the unlawful sale of prescription drugs to U.S. consumers. Google’s policies have evolved to include requiring online pharmacy advertisers to be certified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy's Verified Internet Pharmacy Practices Sites program. "We banned the advertising of prescription drugs in the U.S. by Canadian pharmacies some time ago," a Google spokesperson said in an official statement. "However, it's obvious with hindsight that we shouldn't have allowed these ads on Google in the first place. Given the extensive coverage this settlement has already received, we won't be commenting further." All right then…………
- Have you been waiting to jump into the fray of searching for suddenly AWOL Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi because you just don’t want to waste your time if there’s no reward beyond being the tyrannical, 42-year reign of a despot to an end for the sake of the Libyan people? If so, now is the time to get off your butt and join the party. A wealthy Libyan businessman has offered a £1 million ($1.6 million) bounty to anyone who captures Col. Gadhafi — dead or alive. The dead or alive part has a definite Wild West, wanted poster vibe to it and that adds to the festivities. Believe it or not, the National Transitional Council (NTC) — the country’s de facto government — has approved the bounty. The council has also offered members of Gadhafi’s inner circle amnesty if they turn him in. “The NTC supports the initiative of businessmen who are offering two million dinars (£1 million) for the capture of Muammar Gaddafi, dead or alive,” said Mustafa Abdel Jalil, who heads the council. The search took on an added level of intrigue Wednesday when Gadhafi claimed to have made a “tactical” withdrawal from his Bab al-Azizia compound as the rebel forces closed in. He went on to taunt his opponents by claiming to have taken a discreet tour of the capital without feeling in any danger. Perhaps the bounty will change that…….even if the story seems to be total bullsh*t. During the day Wednesday, fresh fighting erupted in areas where Gaddafi was rumored to be hiding. Rebels suspect he may have channeled his inner Hitler and taken up residence in an underground bunker near the Rixos Hotel —close to his Bab al-Azizia compound. British sources have backed up the idea that Gadhfai has not left the capital, but some of those searching for him have begun looking outside the city. A vast network of tunnels weave underneath much of the city, making it possible that he fled unnoticed like the coward he is. Fittingly, there was also fresh fighting on Tuesday around Gaddafi’s home city of Sirte, about 500 miles from Tripoli, where loyalists fired Scud missiles at the rebel stronghold of Misurata. Yet it is Gadhafi’s capture that nearly all observers and participants agree would end the conflict. To that end, the bounty should draw out quite a few kooks, bounty hunters and adventure seekers. Anyone joining the hunt should be advised that, according to rebel leaders, Gadhafi may try to escape by channeling his inner RuPaul and sneaking out of the country dressed in women’s clothing. Abdel Salam Jalloud, a close ally of Gaddafi who switched sides in the past week, claimed the kooky leader developed a plan to drop out of sight before launching a guerrilla campaign once NATO air forces had been called off. “He is sick with power. He believes he can gather his supporters and carry out attacks ... He is delusional. He thinks he can return to power,” Jalloud stated. Therefore, Gadhafi hunters, be advised that you are looking for a desperate, delusional dictator who may or may not reside in an underground bunker and may have an affinity for nice dresses, pencil skirts, cute blouses and halter tops………….
- The scene at Taylor Swift's concert Tuesday night at L.A.'s Staples Center was almost enough to make a hormone-fueled teenage girl’s head explode. Not only was the super-sweet Swift on stage singing her usual repertoire of country pop and covering some Jason Mraz, Gwen Stefani and the Beach Boys, but a certain, mop-haired (usually) Canadian pop hack was in the house, making hearts flutter. Yes, Justin Bieber was lurking and after being spotted backstage before the show with a group taking a behind-the-scenes tour led by Swift's mom, Andrea, Biebs made an appearance on stage once the show began. Before the arrival of the talent-deprived Biebe, the more than 13,500 fans (approximately 10,000 teenage girls and 3,500 uncomfortable dads of teenage girls) in the arena went nuts as soon as they heard the band playing Bieber’s ear-assailingly awful song "Baby." "Who wants to see my friend Justin?" Swift asked the crowd. Bieber came out, the requisite mayhem ensued and he and Swift cranked out a vocally challenged duet. Having her show hijacked by an egotistical male star proved less problematic for Swift than it was when Kanye West ripped the mic during her MTV VMA acceptance speech a couple years ago, as she later tweeted, "You think you've heard LOUD screaming in your life.. Then @justinbieber comes out and does a surprise song during your show. Woah. Unreal." Swift incited her own dose of mini-mayhem by leaving the stage to do a lap around the floor, hugging and shaking hands with dozens of screaming fans. As for she and Bieber, Andrea Swift confirmed that the pair are good friends and that he “comes to her shows whenever he can.” For the rest of us, it’s a reminder that one need not have substantial musical talent or in Bieber’s case, any songwriting skills at all to be a crowd-pleasing performer……as long as the group with the worst music tastes around (teenage girls) is your target demographic………….
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