Sports Potpourri: Bruce Pearl, Big East, Jay Cutler and More!

By Guest Blogger John Manuel:

How does Bruce Pearl still have a job?  Or maybe it’s just a matter of time until the NCAA cracks down on Pearl and Tennessee.  Pearl clearly cheated in recruiting, got caught lying and worst of all, has a terrible past.  Pearl was considered a top coach who did a great job making Tennessee a contender, now he is a joke.  I know there are coaches who cheat and nobody is probably 100% clean, but a coach to attempt to turn in a rival school for cheating twenty years ago as an assistant to get caught now is bad.  If you’re not familiar with that, check the Bruce Pearl Wikipedia page under Pearl/ Thomas incident.  I thought Pearl couldn’t be more of an idiot than the time he painted himself orange for a Tennessee women’s game.  And I thought John Calipari was the biggest ahole in the SEC.

I have to admit I have not been 100% in on college hoops so far.  Got multiple texts from the Matzie talking up the Big East this season–although the Matzie went to a Big Ten school?  Since his text barrage, Pitt lost to Notre Dame and Syracuse dropped three in a row including at home to Seton Hall.  Right now the Big East is the best conference, but it helps when you do have 959659 teams in it.   It’s got so many, solid teams like Marquette get forgotten.  How can one conference be so loaded in basketball, yet so pathetic in football in the same year?  The real question is what happens in March with the Big East.  Can any of the 589985 teams win a title?

I watched a rerun last week of the ESPN 30 for 30 when the Red Sox came back from 3-0 to the Yankees.  I hate both the Yankees and the Red Sox very, very, very much.  But this one might be my favorite because they had Lenny Clarke and Bill Simmons commenting on it.  If you ever want a reason to hate Alex Rodriguez, just watch this again.  With failed steroid test and the orange faced interview, you forgot about the play where he intentionally knocked the ball out of Bronson Arroyo’s glove at first base.  From Simmons and Clarkes commentary to Orlando Cabrera’s wiping his eyes to the Yankees fans this is great.  Plus it showed the class of some Yankees fans throwing stuff onto the field.  Sorry for all the hate, but A-Rod and Bruce Pearl should hang together, they would probably get along great like Chunk and Sloth.

I applaud Boomer Esiason this week for standing up for Jay Cutler and attacking Deion Sanders.  Deion questioned Jay Cutler‘s heart.  I agree with Boomer in that Deion wouldn’t make contact or hit anyone.  I am sick of Deion Sanders and probably will stay away from the NFL Network shows because of him.  I was almost all in on the Skins drafting Eric Berry last year just because he ripped Deion.   Although I have never had any issues with Maurice Jones Drew, what was with his questioning of Cutler?  He said he played with an injured knee all season?  He missed the last two games when the Jags were battling for a division title.  I heard he then said he was joking, hope so.  Its true, Cutler should have acted better on the sidelines, but that flat out sucks to be knocked out of a NFC championship game.

I hope the Packers take down the Steelers next week.  Should be a good game.  Will be ready game day to make some solid in game wagers like will the next commercial be a Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie or Steve Carrell movie?  Will the Black Eyed Peas screw up a miss a line?  Or the over/under on when Troy Aikman forgets where he is.  Calling first touchdown to John Kuhn.