Scumbag Gets Caught Lying -- Big Surprise

"I provided incorrect and misleading information to the NC double A."

Yeah, Bruce -- in the real world we call it lying. Unethical behavior. You know it pretty well.

Although I am not an alum of the University of Illinois, I support its sports teams and share in the good times and the bad. One of the worst times was caused by none other than Bruce Pearl, probably one of the most hated men in Illini history. It may have happened over twenty years ago, but it still sticks in the craw of every Illini fan who was around at that time.

I won't go into all the details and related issues and consequences, but this demented University of Iowa assistant basketball coach taped conversations with recruits and cajoled a naive and frustrated 18-year-old to agree with some false allegations against Illinois coaches. The NCAA Nazis tried to screw the Illini, but upon finding no proof of Pearl's allegations, hit the Illini with the dubious "lack of institutional control" sanction.

I have worked in higher education my entire professional career. Nothing chaps my butt worse than seeing older, seasoned professional educators take advantage of 18-year-old kids. Yeah, when they are heading to college, they still are kids. Pearl took advantage of one and used him for his own means. He has never come clean about what he really did and why he did it, thus no sympathy at all for him.

I rarely like to revel in another person's misfortune, but this is one time when, sadly, I find myself smirking. Enjoy the publicity you crave so much, Bruce.