Pass It To Smith

I checked in on the college basketball game between the defending champs (in name only), the Florida Gators and the Tennessee Volunteers, led by my favorite coach in college, Bruce Pearl.
After listening for a few minutes I heard Brad Nessler get tied up several times by the fact that Tennessee had 3 players named Smith on the court at the same time.
He'd say the pass goes to Smith, then realize he needed a first name, but by the time he repeated it, the ball had already been passed to a different Smith.
The reason I bring all this up is to put my readers, the Poopheads to the test. If you've been paying attention at all this question should be very easy for you.

I Like Him Even More Now

The more I learn about Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl, the more I love him. I've written several times before about his antics but a great article in Sports Illustrated shed even more light into his character.



Two things struck me about this article. First of all, Pearl is Jewish. I guess this is reverse racism, but I like anyone who is Jewish, at least a little more than I would like that same person were he or she not Jewish. And he's actually a practicing Jew who invited his whole team to his daughter's Bat Mitzvah. His name used to be Pearlmutter, but his parents shortened it before he was born.

Pearl was raised in Massachusetts but "when he could have joined the other Jewish kids at Brandeis or Boston University, Pearl chose to attend one of the nation's most famous Jesuit schools. 'One reason I went to Boston College was to break down stereotypes," he says. "I wanted people to find out I was Jewish and go, 'You don't look Jewish. You don't act Jewish.' And then for me to be proud to say, 'I am Jewish!' And then to talk about the Old Testament and have conversations about how the Last Supper was a seder. Jesus was a rabbi! Jesus was a Jew! We're brothers!'"

Interestingly enough Step On Me and Master Bates wanted to join the other Jewish kids and Brandeis and Boston University. I also feel that I have tried not to be a Jewish stereotype, but to be proud of being a Jew.

The article covered the audiotape incident that nearly got Pearl blackballed from coaching but not in depth.

But here's where I find a huge similarity between Pearl and me. He says "Don't pay attention to how I'm delivering the message, pay attention to the message." I feel that way a lot. I'm often misunderstood because I'm blunt and obnoxious but if you listened to what I was saying, instead of how I was saying it, you probably wouldn't hate me as much.

Gotta Support the Team

Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl painted his chest to support the Lady Vols against #1 Duke.
He sat in the student section and with several of his players painted their bodies orange with the letters to spell Go Vols on their chests. Pearl was the "V".
Coach Pat Summitt appeared to acknowledge him and gestured enthusiastically at Pearl.
Duke won the game 74-70.





This is just the latest in a long line of funny Bruce Pearl posts.
There was the time he wore an orange sportscoat.
And the time he ripped off the orange sportscoat, the shirt and posed like a wrestler.
And of course the time he sweated through his jacket (not orange).

Success is 1% Inspiration and 99% Perspiration

If that's true Tennessee Coach Bruce Pearl is going to have a lot of success. That sweaty pig regularly perspires so much during games that his entire shirt and jacket are soaked through. Most disturbingly, his pants were completely dark with sweat during the last game also. This isn't the best picture, but it was the only one I could find. If you see better sweatier pictures please let me know.

Bruce Pearl is Crazy

Yesterday we pointed out his ridiculous orange blazer (which he plans to wear for every game against Vanderbilt and Kentucky), today we update you on a fewer other crazy things done by the Tennessee coach.

After the victory over Kentucky, Pearl ripped off his orange blazer, opened his tie, then for some reason ripped off his shirt and posed like a wrestler.
"He ripped his shirt off. It was just amazing," guard JaJuan Smith said. "He wouldn't let us do nothing to that orange jacket, though."

He was also ejected from his son's high school basketball game after he criticized an official. He left the stands before security had to escort him out.
Pearl says former Tennessee and New York Jets quarterback Pat Ryan, was sitting next to Pearl during the game, said Pearl was singled out because he is the Volunteers' basketball coach.
"He didn't curse him. The guy had missed a bunch of calls, and we were just giving him a little business, and the guy couldn't handle it very well," Ryan said.
Pearl said he commented during the game that the official had missed a few calls and should change ends with another official.
"And he looked at me, and he put the whistle in his mouth like I was coaching and he was going to give me a technical," Pearl said. "I said, 'What, are you going to throw me out?' And he ran over to security. Before anything could happen, I just left the gym and went to the concession stand."

I Gotta Get Me an Orange Sportcoat

Pizza Parlor Derek loves Tennessee Coach Bruce Pearl. He is a crazy man, but his team is pretty good this year. You may remember him from last year when he led UW-Milwaukee to the Sweet 16. In the early 1990s he tape recorded a conversation with a recruit in order to catch Illinois in recruiting violations.