Pearl Stiff-Arms $3-3.5 Million Memphis Offer; Tennessee Is A Basketball School
Friday, April 3, 2009
It's rare that a college coach anywhere takes less money to stay at his old job. Hell, it's rare that anyone at any job takes significantly less money to stay at their old job. On Thursday, after a day of intense speculation that sent the internets afire, Pearl turned down Memphis. Here's the Knoxville News-Sentinel article.
Now that Pearl has turned down Iowa, Indiana, and Memphis in the past couple of years, I think it's time for Tennessee fans to accept that Pearl isn't leaving anytime soon. The one thing that scares me a bit is that the NBA might come calling one day or another, but I think Pearl is ours to keep for a long time.
By the way, can we put to rest the ridiculous media cliche that Tennessee isn't a basketball school? I saw where Gus Johnson, whom I normally love, spouted off to Dan Patrick about this. Would someone please tell me what it takes to be a basketball school?
Does finishing in the top four in the country's attendance with over 20k fans per home game, not demonstrate basketball interest? (I haven't seen 2009 numbers yet, but Tennessee's numbers went up this year. Meaning 2009 Tennessee would be greater than North Carolina and Syracuse in 2008. So number two in the country is an outside possibility.) Does paying your basketball coach more than than your football coach not indicate basketball interest? Does having one of the most lucrative basketball facilities in the country (thanks to all the suites and the attendance), not indicate basketball interest? Any media member who says that Tennessee isn't a basketball school is guilty of misspeaking. And worst than misspeaking, they're just being lazy.
Just because Tennessee ranks number one for women's basketball attendance (by the way 5k less people attend the women's games, the other fallacy is that women's basketball attendance dwarfs men's), number four for men's basketball, and number three for men's football just means that there are a ton of Tennessee fans, not that men's basketball doesn't matter. Tennessee is the only program in the country that ranks in the top five for all three of these sports. I may be wrong, but I don't believe there is any other program in the country that ranks in the top 20 in all three of these categories.
It's time for talking-heads to let go of the antiquated notion that a school is a "football" or "basketball" school. If you're a top athletics program in a major conference, you shouldn't take any season off. And, for the record, Tennessee basketball drew an impressive amount of fans even without Pearl. The arena was just so large, it wasn't full. Even when the team sucked, fans were turning out. Now they're just turning out more. With Pearl there, they'll keep coming. Tough luck Memphis. Labels: pearl staying at tennessee new contract memphis offers 3.5 million
Posted by Clay Travis at 9:27 AM
 
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Travis has become enamored of several objects, phrases or events which he frequenly references in the column. Among the most frequent:
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"...And is bar psychology really any less valid than the Wonderlic or the scouting services that completely miss on guys? Like, do you have any doubt that if Ryan Leaf had been out the bar with you, he would have been a complete asshole? There's a theory here waiting to be unpacked that is probably worth millions..."
Ryan Leaf WAS a complete asshole at the bars. He was actually 86-ed from several campus bars in Pullman, WA (for the SEC folk: Pullman is home to Washington State Univ., aka Wazzu because students there think that is how one pronounces the word WSU).
My youngest sister attended WSU in Mr. Leaf's early NFL days. Leaf used some of his NFL money to buy a Lotus Esprit, and kept the car near Pullman so he could drive around town and show off, or something.
There are dozens of tales involving Mr. Leaf being 86-ed from bars for simply being a giant douche. He expected everything to be free, never tipped, and wheever he eventaully got kicked out (for treating everyone like shit and generally pooping on the party) he usually said something that sounded like "I can buy all of you/this bar/this town if I wanted to!!!"
One of my favorite tale's involves a very, ahem, "socially active" friend of my youngest sis. Her name is Monica. She is stereotypically blonde. Mr. Leaf approached her and announced "I'm Ryan Leaf."
Monica, always friendly and polite (and no clue who Leaf was), replied "I'm Monica!"
Leaf then responded "I'm Ryan Leaf."
Again, "I'm Monica!"
As the tale is now told, Leaf slowly and loudly exclaimed "I'm. RY. AN. LEAF!!!"
Blonde Monica slowly and dimly replied "I'm. Monica."
Leaf yelped "shitballs!" and stormed away. Yes, "shitballs" was the word he chose. It has become something of a running joke in the family.