Former Auburn Basketball Star Korvotney Barber Missing Since 7/20/13 …Believed to have Drowned in Panama City Beach, FL

Korvotney Barber, one of the most highly decorated recruits in the history of Auburn basketball and former player, has been missing since 7 pm Saturday, July 20, 2013 in the waters off the coast of Panama City Beach, Florida directly behind the Boardwalk Beach Resort Condominiums on South Thomas Drive. He is believed to have drowned. According to reports, Barber went into the surf Saturday, July 20 around 7 p.m. with a group of family and friends and never came out.   Swimming was prohibited on Saturday due to hazardous conditions as there were double red flags flying on the beach which was a signal for individuals not to swim in the water. The search for Barber’s body was suspended on Sunday due to bad weather.

Former Auburn basketball player Korvotney Barber is missing and is believed to have drowned off the coast of Panama City Beach, says coach Tony Barbee.

Barber went missing in the water Saturday at 7 p.m. near the area of Pineapple Willy’s and has not yet been spotted, according to information provided Sunday afternoon by Lt. William Bruhmuller of the Panama City Beach police.

The search for Barber was suspended Sunday afternoon due to bad weather, according to WALA-TV. The search is expected to resume when the weather conditions improve.

Basketball coach Tony Barbee tweeted late Sunday afternoon that it’s “believed” Barber drowned Saturday night.

UCONN Lady Huskies Win 8th National Title Beating Louisville by Largest Margin in Finals History 93-60!!!

WOOO-HOOO, Ladies Night in the Big Easy as UCONN wins big … Simply the Best!!!

The University of Connecticut Lady Huskies have won their 8th NCAA Woman’s Basketball Championship by beating the Louisville Cardinals 93-60. It is the 8th championship for Huskie head coach Geno Auriemma, tying him with the immortal Tennessee Vol head coach Pat Summitt. After 5 to 8 minutes into the game, the game was over. With 13:52 left in the first half UCONN found them self behind 14-10 and the Huskies went on a 19-0 run and the rest was history. The Huskies lead at the half 48-29 and then outscored Louisville 45-31 in the second half to go on to a record largest margin of victory in a Woman’s final 93-60.

Click on pic for ESPN VIDEO 

It was the largest margin of victory in the history of the women’s championship game. UConn has beaten Louisville 12 consecutive times dating back to 1993. Auriemma is only two championships shy of tying legendary UCLA coach John Wooden for the most titles won by any coach at the major college level.

Connecticut (35-4) made 13 of 26 3-point shots and raced to a 19-point halftime lead. The Huskies eventually stretched the lead to 35 points.

Move over Kerry Bascom, Rebecca Lobo, Jen Rizzotti, Sue Bird, Maya Moore and even Diana Taurasi .  There is a new sheriff in town, she is a freshman, and was named  the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player … her name is Breanna Stewart. Stewey for short. What a talent and Geno has her for another 3 more years. Breanna Stewart scored 23 points for UConn with nine rebounds and was one of five Huskies to score in  double figures. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis made five 3-pointers and finished with 18 points. The UCONN Huskies set a Finals record for 3′s as well. And probably more fitting than anything, beloved senior Kelly Faris in her final game for UCONN scored 16 points, pulled down 9 rebounds and was her typical defensive stopper raising havoc in helping the Huskies hold Louisville to 37% shooting and 22% 3 point shooting.

Congrats to the UCONN LADY HUSKIES. What makes this National title probably the most rewarding for Geno and the Huskies is that this was supposed to be a down year. It was supposed to be a rebuilding year. UCONN had been bested by the Irish in recent years and lost to them in the Big East Finals. However, that was 6 games ago and what seems like forever ago. In a year that was supposed to be a down one, the Lady Huskies finish 35-4, win the National Championship going away and crushed all who got in their way. Their average margin of victory for the tournament, 35 points.

In what is the swan song of the “BIG EAST” Conference as we know it, the Men’s and Woman’s champs both come from what will be known as the greatest NCAA basketball conference in history. What a shame that university presidents and their greed had to screw it up.

The local hometown Huskie newspaper may have summed it all up the best. The New Haven Register reported, while ESPN spent the entire season promoting the trio of seniors, it was not Baylor’s Brittney Griner, Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins or Elena Delle Donne of Delaware who dazzled the nation during the women’s Final Four. Brittney Griner and  Elena Delle Donne both lost in the Sweet 16. Notre Dame and Skylar Diggins, who had previously beat UCONN three times this year, were crushed by the Huskies in the National Semi Finals 83-65. So, instead of the three that ESPN promoted … the role was more than ably filled by UConn freshman Breanna Stewart. And will be for years to come.

F.B.I. Investigating Former Rutgers Assistant Whistle Blower Eric Murdock Who Brought Down Coach Mike Rice & AD Pernetti … Accused of Extortion

 Is there anyone wearing a white hat in this scandal? Where have all the cowboys gone?

The Rutgers University basketball scandal will just not go away. Gone is head coach Mike Rice for his abusive behavior after the VIDEO was released and went viral displaying his despicable acts. Gone is the Athletic Director Tim Pernetti, who resigned as the heat became too much for him to stay after his poor decision to only suspend the coach as his initial punishment, rather than fire him.  Some are now questioning whether the Rutgers University president should resign. However, the New York Times is reporting that the FBI is investigating the whistle blower Eric Murdock and whether he attempted to extort the university for  $950,000.

The F.B.I. is investigating whether the assistant at Rutgers who first voiced concerns about the abusive behavior of his boss, Mike Rice, tried to extort the university.

As part of its investigation, an F.B.I. agent recently visited the office of Tim Pernetti, the athletic director, according to two people familiar with the investigation, one of whom is a university official who insisted on anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. Pernetti resigned as the Rutgers athletic director on Friday.

In December, a lawyer representing the former assistant, Eric Murdock, a retired N.B.A. player, sent a letter to the university demanding $950,000, according to a copy of the letter. The letter — which was first reported by ESPN on Friday — was sent two weeks after Rice was suspended for three games for the abusive behavior that eventually led to his firing Wednesday.

Are you kidding me? Could this scandal get any worse?

Only A Matter of Time … Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti Resigns in Wake of Mike Rice Abusive Behavior Scandal Firing

The Buck does not stop at the desk of the Rutgers University President …

In the wake of the firing of Rutgers University Basketball coach Mike Rice firing and the scandal that surrounded his abusive behavior toward his players, it was only a matter of time before the next shoe dropped. Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti has now resigned  in an effort to calm down the public furor over their handling of abusive behavior by the Scarlet Knights’ men’s basketball coach. We had asked the very question, why once the video came out of the inappropriate and abusive behavior of coach Rice was he fired as opposed to when he was first punished with a suspension? Those that made the decision to only suspend Rice saw the very same videos. Obviously, those at Rutgers who made the decision to only suspended Rice had made a grave error in judgment and were going to pay a price once the video became viral. However, how many scapegoats will be required to take the fall to make up for the initial non-firing of Rice?

They also revealed that the circle of people who viewed video of abusive treatment of players by the coach, Mike Rice, as early as December was wider than previously understood, and that it included members of the university’s board of governors. That group was informed of the decision to suspend Mr. Rice for three games and send him to anger-management counseling, but not to fire him, according to Ralph Izzo, chairman of the Rutgers board.

On Friday morning, two days after Mr. Rice was fired, Athletic Director Tim Pernetti resigned, and implied that he was being made a scapegoat. He said his initial inclination when he saw the videos last fall was to fire Mr. Rice, but “Rutgers decided to follow a process involving university lawyers, human resources professionals, and outside counsel.”

Robert L. Barchi, the president of Rutgers, placed the blame on Mr. Pernetti and other senior officials who he said recommended that Mr. Rice be suspended rather than fired.

At a news conference Friday afternoon, Rutgers University President Robert L. Barchi announced the resignations of Mr. Pernetti and John B. Wolf, the university’s general counsel. It would appear at Rutgers, the buck does not stop at the president, it stops at those beneath him who he wishes to throw under the bus. Question, how with such a scandal like this does the president of a university not watch a tape unless they wish to claim plausible deniability?

Dr. Barchi placed the blame for the decision to suspend rather than fire Mr. Rice in December squarely on Mr. Pernetti and the university’s lawyers, saying he had not watched the video of Mr. Rice’s actions last fall and instead had relied on their descriptions of it.

“I know had I seen the tape that my assessment would have differed from theirs, and I would have acted on my assessment,” Dr. Barchi said.

When asked why he had not watched the video, he said: “I can’t answer exactly why I didn’t. You can only say in retrospect I sure wish I had.”

Rutgers University Fires Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Rice After Video Aired of Him Shoving, Grabbing & Throwing Balls at Players and Using Gay Slurs

Rutgers University fires Men’s basketball coach Mike Rice after video surfaces …

The University of Rutgers Scarlet Knights have fired Mike Rice, the men’s basketball coach after a video went viral of him shoving, grabbing, throwing balls at players and making gay slurs during practice. However, here lies the rub, the incidents in the videos are not new, they took place last year. Rutgers athletic director Pernetti had previously seen the video and last Fall suspended Rice for three games, fined him $50,000 and ordered him to attend anger management classes. So why is there a difference now? Of course the actions of the coach were way over the top, but the question remains, why after watching the same video that is now so outrageous, was it found to be a ok to suspend him previously, but not now?

Rutgers fired basketball coach Mike Rice on Wednesday after a videotape aired showing him shoving, grabbing and throwing balls at players and using gay slurs during practice.

The videotape, broadcast Tuesday on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” prompted sharp criticism from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and the head of the New Jersey Assembly called for Rice to be fired.

With mounting criticism on a state and national level, the school relieved Rice of his duties after three largely unsuccessful seasons at the Big East school. There will be a national search to replace him.

Rutgers fired basketball coach Mike Rice on Wednesday after a videotape aired showing him shoving, grabbing and throwing balls at players and using gay slurs during practice.

The videotape, broadcast Tuesday on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” prompted sharp criticism from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and the head of the New Jersey Assembly called for Rice to be fired.

With mounting criticism on a state and national level, the school relieved Rice of his duties after three largely unsuccessful seasons at the Big East school. There will be a national search to replace him.

Some are calling for the heads of President Robert Barchi and Athletic Director Tim Pernetti.

This may be a bit syndical, but it is the truth and some one needs to say it. Mike Rice was fired because he had been at the school three years and had yet to have a .500 season. In the Big East he went just 44-51 in three seasons. Rice posted a 16-38 mark in the conference after going 73-31 in three seasons at Robert Morris. If Rice had been a successful coach, had the team headed in the right direction and was bringing $’s to the university, the outcome might have been a bit difference.

On a personal note I will say the following after playing sports my entire life from Pee-wee’s to Elementary School. High School and College … has a coach ever put their hands on me, grabbed me by the face mask, yelled (screamed) in my face or thrown a ball at me … yes. A ball at my head, no. I will also note that this coach did get a tab bit too physical with the player and cross a line. But there seem to be other issues in this incident that would not have ever been a consideration in the past. Have I ever experienced a coach ever used what today’s PC media calls a gay slur, gee ya think? I guess being told that men were playing like girls would be a no-no today as well? But of course we live in a different world today where you cannot hurt another’s feelings or make them feel uncomfortable. I do think that this coach stepped over the line, but keep in mind there is a line. Grabbing a player is hardly a fireable offense. Sometimes shoving is not either. Anyone who has ever played a sport knows exactly what I am talking about and knows that most of lives greatest lessons are taught to them in the realm of athletics.

The only conclusion I can draw from this was it was not his actions that got him fired, but the VIDEO. Let this be a lesson to every coach in a world where ever 10 year old has a video phone.