We got caught up in the Knight drama (or crisis or farce, depending on your
point of view) and only paid slight attention to the Minnesota
developments. How's this for bad news? Clem Haskins
is being investigated for mail fraud, wire fraud, and misappropriation of
Pell Grant funds. That's ugly.
So to sum up the recent Big 10/1 balance sheet, Michigan has a major problem,
with a serious case in the courts which includes alleged payoffs to players back
to the Fab Five, a lesser problem with drunk driving charges, Minnesota has the
feds sniffing around, Northwestersn is still getting over a major point shaving
scandal, and in Bloomington police are escorting people everywhere because
of death threats in the wake of Knight's firing. Oh, and we forgot Purdue's less
significant NCAA problems.
Speaking of Indiana, they now have a
code of conduct for coaches and athletes, but apparently not for supporters,
as the President
and his wife have been driven from their home by threats. Perhaps the
President, Kent Harvey and Murray Sperber can start a support group. And
speaking of Sperber, here
is a review of his new book. It's from the Times, meaning you must register,
but it's free and it's the Times, so why wouldn't you? Finally, on the Knight
front, one of our
readers is pushing hard for him to be hired at Idaho.