Sports Columnists

By Russ

January 24, 2007 11:02 AM | Link to this

Bruce Pearl is a complete jack-a*. When he was an assistant at Iowa he called an Illinois recruit (I believe Marcus Liberty) constantly in the middle of the night, making his life miserable until Liberty told him what he wanted to hear just to get him off his back. Illinois eventually was disciplined by the NCAA for violations they never actually committed. Pearl’s a real class act.

By Burdell's Brother

January 24, 2007 11:03 AM | Link to this

T-

As much as I usually disagree with you, this is right on. I think it is great to see someone like Pearl do something like this. I think it shows the best of college athlectics, it is nice to know that for every Nick Saban in college athletics that there is a Bruce Pearl.

By Chris Brown

January 24, 2007 11:06 AM | Link to this

Great article Terence… We should see more of that…instead of these coaches jumping ship for what is perceived as greener pastures instead of greener dollars!

By jt

January 24, 2007 11:09 AM | Link to this

no chance that other coaches mentioned in this article would pull something like this. and thank goodness. they are all classier than that. support your school…yes, act like a juvenile in the process just to draw media attention to your faltering team…no thanks. obviously a ploy for more media attention, the sad thing is…it’s working.

By INcredibility

January 24, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this

I agree! AWESOME move by Pearl! Loved it! I wish more coaches would let loose like this more often.

By dawgsrule

January 24, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this

Hey TM,

Pearl is your idea of a role model ? A guy who twice has been tossed out of his son’s high school basketball game for berating the officials ?

No thanks.

By An Inquiring Mind

January 24, 2007 11:29 AM | Link to this

Hey dawgsrule, was Jim Harrick YOUR idea of a role model?

Or perhaps it’s Tony Cole? Or any of the other Bulldog “student-athletes” who have been arrested in recent years?

By dawg_gone_truth

January 24, 2007 11:30 AM | Link to this

Mr. Moore, this is the first columne you have written that I agree with of cours I am biased as a huge Vol fan.

In the past you have supported keeping coach Dan Reeves, and just recently you are commending Chan Gaily for being mediocre, more like this Mr. Moore, I think you are a good writer and you know how to create buzz with controvesy, like the last blog you ran about Manning, you had to know that Tee Martin had a street on the UT campus you cannot be that stupied but you put it out there to stir emotion and I think that was wrong.

By dawgsrule

January 24, 2007 11:38 AM | Link to this

Harrick-no. I distanced myself from the program when they hired him. Once a crook, always a crook. Tony cole was just part of the Harrick mess.

Pearl is overrated as a coach and is an attention getting wannabee. His teams will tank in the long run. Give me Felton or Tubby Smith any day.

Student athletes getting in trouble aren’t exclusive to UGA. Even the great and mighty Institute had a drug dealer playing cornerback for them. Getting drunk and getting into trouble pales in comparison to committing felonies.

By Jay

January 24, 2007 11:59 AM | Link to this

I fail to see how painting your chest like millions of fans do every year, college and pro, young and old…is juvenille.

Pearl is another example of why college sports are fun. I doubt any college coaches would have the courage to do this…at a women’s b-ball game much less!

By KL

January 24, 2007 12:14 PM | Link to this

I’ve seen Hewitt at quite a few women’s games at Tech with his daughters. I think they would be too embarrassed if their dad painted his chest at the game however.

By GW

January 24, 2007 12:25 PM | Link to this

If 5 other coaches do this before the season is over ESPN and sportswriters will be saying what a stupid copycat trend Pearl started. He looked like an idiot.

By My Name Is Pearl

January 24, 2007 12:31 PM | Link to this

i thought he looked just absolutely yummy without his shirt on and all that paint. pearl really is the big sexy!

By The Alpha Male

January 24, 2007 12:33 PM | Link to this

Pearl accomplished exactly what he intended….. to get his mug on TV and in the papers and to show off in front of the student body to thereby promote HIMSELF and HIS MEN’S PROGRAM.

By MidTnDawgFan

January 24, 2007 01:15 PM | Link to this

It’s sad that Pearl had to take off his shirt and paint his chest orange to draw attention away from the fact that his team is overrated. I guess when you lose to Auburn and Vandy you do what you have to do. UT is a one man show (Chris Lofton) and lacks depth. It’s pathetic when you are coaching the Men’s basketball team of an SEC school and the Women’s program draws more fans and support.

By BlueDevil

January 24, 2007 01:17 PM | Link to this

Let’s not lose sight of the real story due to a publicity stunt: Duke 74, Tennessee 70.

Duke remains the #1 team in women’s basketball with a great performance against the Vols, beginning the game with a 19-0 run and never trailing to score the win.

Go Blue Devils!!!

By GC

January 24, 2007 02:42 PM | Link to this

Pearl’s support was awesome. He is in an unenviable position — working at a university where women’s basketball is so traditionally powerful. Coach K, Gary Williams and Jim Calhoun are Hall-of-Famers and don’t have the same pressure, but they are also coaching the second-best basketball teams on their campuses right now. Jeff Capel better take a page from Pearl and show up for the women’s game when he’s got time.

By Doyle Hargraves

January 24, 2007 02:45 PM | Link to this

Pearl fits right in at UT. Cheesy Coaches = Cheesy fans and we all know the most obnoxious fans in the world are Tennessee fans!

What’s next: Pat Summit going shirtless to a Men’s game with her special guest Rosie O’Donnell? (what a sight)

Or maybe

Phat Phil going to a women’s volleyball match shirtless with a Krispy Kreme logo painted on his chest!

By Go Vols!

January 24, 2007 03:08 PM | Link to this

Great article! Terence do you think that Bruce Pearl would have scored a touchdown for Tennessee if he was on the roster this season when we played Georgia in Athens? I think everyone on the football team scored. We hung 51 on the pups in Athens!

By McRib

January 24, 2007 03:14 PM | Link to this

I love it! Dawg fans showing a little jealousy. Go put on your red pants and bark like the b*tches you are.

By gdawginkalamazoo

January 24, 2007 03:23 PM | Link to this

Damn Doyle that was funny! LMAO.

BTW, Pearl also attend the SAE party afterwards where he was appointed “honorary kegger for life” after funneling 15 beers while doing a headstand. Did he ever work for Iowa State?

By UT STUDENT

January 24, 2007 03:33 PM | Link to this

Great joke, but SAE was kicked off UT’s campus, so get your facts straight before you go post a lie on the AJC message board.

By gdawginkalamazoo

January 24, 2007 03:39 PM | Link to this

UT Student, probably because of that incident!!!! It is a joke dumba$$ so there was no facts to it.

By gdawginkalamazoo

January 24, 2007 03:44 PM | Link to this

“were no facts to it.”

By honest_abe

January 24, 2007 03:49 PM | Link to this

you guys are crazy. it’s not appropriate for a head coach of a major college program to act like an 18 year old. spirit is one thing. but you can show just as much spirit by sitting in the student section cheering your heart out. by taking it to another level (taking his shirt off and painting it) it became a shameless pr move to give attention to a certain MR. PEARL. sad indeed.

By gdawginkalamazoo

January 24, 2007 03:58 PM | Link to this

I second that abe.

By Bob Bob Boran

January 24, 2007 04:50 PM | Link to this

Great column!

It was so refreshing to read this type of column versus FELTON crying about the officiating last Saturday. FELTON, look in the mirror— YOU blew a 20 point lead Bro! I guess the other team got ALL the GOOD calls!

Be a leader and lead your team! No wonder your team has a 8% graduation rate!!

By Najeh Davenpoop

January 24, 2007 05:57 PM | Link to this

Terence Moore, are you saying you really want to see Mike Krzyzewski shirtless and painted blue among the Cameron Crazies? Because if that’s what you are saying, you are all alone, my friend.

By volinga

January 24, 2007 06:43 PM | Link to this

it’s so funny to see all these georgia fans say how immoral it is that CBP went down on the court with his shirt off…how is that classless??? all he was doing is showing some school spirit, not promoting his basketball team. they can do that themselves unlike your dumba#@ little puppies. why don’t all you georgia fans get off this site and go cry about your bad basketball team and even worse football team….don’t hate bc we have the sec leading scorer in Lofton

By Scotty Reed

January 24, 2007 06:48 PM | Link to this

PEARL OWNS.

Who is your favorite Teacher?

Jim Harrick Jr? Jim Harrick Jr? Jim Harrick Jr?

By volinga

January 24, 2007 06:49 PM | Link to this

you georgia fans are so freaking annoying…anything other than georgia is stupid to yall…why can’t you just accept that you would love to see your coach have the same pride and school spirit…and that wasn’t classless you idiots, that was a good coach having some fun supporting his school…..you can all go back to athens and cry about why you’ll never be good at anything, especially sports…oh yeah, we’re one dimensional?? i didn’t know that giving the leading scorer in the sec and the best shooter in the nation more minutes than everybody was a bad idea…yeah, we should play some douche looking irish guy instead of Lofton seeing as how it worked so well for yall

By volinga

January 24, 2007 06:50 PM | Link to this

you georgia fans are so freaking annoying…anything other than georgia is stupid to yall…why can’t you just accept that you would love to see your coach have the same pride and school spirit…and that wasn’t classless you idiots, that was a good coach having some fun supporting his school…..you can all go back to athens and cry about why you’ll never be good at anything, especially sports…oh yeah, we’re one dimensional?? i didn’t know that giving the leading scorer in the sec and the best shooter in the nation more minutes than everybody was a bad idea…yeah, we should play some douche looking irish guy instead of Lofton seeing as how it worked so well for yall

By BadgerDawg

January 24, 2007 06:59 PM | Link to this

Bruce Pearl is THE MAN! I just wish he wasn’t wearing that awful orange and hanging around in Knoxville. He is a winner, first at D-III for many years then he kept UW-Milwaukee on a winning path started by Bo Ryan. Now he comes to Knoxville and turns around the awful situation there. He promotes himself and the team a ton, and it’s probably fair to equate him with a used car salesman with some of his gimmicks, but to show up at a game with the fans and be one of them and not just hanging out on the side in a suit is awesome! Even for him, I can’t believe he pulled that off. As ugly as that orange is, pulling out that blazer before going to Lexington and beating UK last year was a statement as well. I am very happy with Coach Felton, but I am jealous we don’t have Pearl.

By BadgerDawg

January 24, 2007 07:02 PM | Link to this

Terence, this can not and will not be a trend. Most coaches don’t have the passion and intensity to combine with the marketing tendencies and goofiness of Pearl. K, Felton, and Hewitt would be extremely out of place doing the same thing because they are not as flamboyant.

By CJ2

January 24, 2007 08:02 PM | Link to this

Classy. Just what you would expect at UT. Those inbreds don’t know how to behave.

By Stephen

January 24, 2007 08:11 PM | Link to this

As a DAWG, and as a College Fan, i REALLY LOVED what Coach Pearl did.

Would Coach Felton, or Richt do that?? No….BUT, they dont coach like coach pearl, and its not their style…they win in a different way…I dont think Coach PEarl ought to be there each and every single game..but THAT WAS A SPECIAL occasion….

Congrats coach pearl…i liked it, now put your shirt on and coach the men