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.

Barack Obama Booed at NCAA Elite 8 Game in Washington, DC Between Syracuse and Marquette

Just curious … what are exactly the cut backs for Obama due to sequestration, actually doing work for the American people?

President Barack Obama was booed when his mug was displayed on the huge screen at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. during the NCAA Elite 8 game between Syracuse and Marquette. A little more than have the crowd booed while some cheered after they realized the Bracketologist in Chief was being dissed. Rather interesting that Obama was booed in of all places DC. So why so many boos, other than the obvious failed job as president? Maybe because his final 4 picks, No. 1 seeds Louisville and Indiana, No. 2 seed Ohio State and No. 3 seed Florida are in deep trouble except for the obvious pick of Louisville. Indiana and Ohio St have already lost, the Gators are presently losing 25-15 to Michigan. Or Maybe they booed, because if you watch the following VIDEO, Obama seems to put more effort in his NCAA College basketball picks that he does the US budget, job growth, debt reduction or unemployment. Or maybe it is because Obama has closed the White House tours from “We the People” citing Secret Service sequester cutbacks, yet he has no trouble making sure there is enough in the budget for Obama to attend a tournament game, play golf or have his kids go on multiple spring break vacations.

One would have expected a friendlier crowd for the President, but there are still several possible explanations for the boos. Obama and his White House team had supported Georgetown (Syracuse’s rival) in the past, and the President had forecast Indiana (who was eliminated by Syracuse) to win the East Regional and go on to win the national title, for example.  Or, perhaps they booed because POTUS had gone to the game with Secret Service agents while the White House remains closed to tours.

It was quite a busy day for Obama as he did none of the work of the American people, NOT! First  playing golf with his buds and then attending the NCAA Elite tournament game. What he do later that night, play on-line games with Pelosi and Reid?

Just in case some of you think that the above video is false, Twitter exploded when Obama was booed yesterday. Mark Packer, the Host of College Sports Today on SiriusXM tweeted the following. Also, CBS tweets as well that Obama was met with jeers and cheers.

International Diplomacy … Massive Brawl Breaks Out During World Baseball Classic Between Canada and Mexico

International Base Brawl …

So much for these games don’t matter as a brawl broke out during the World Baseball Classic between Canada and Mexico. Hardly two teams one would think would get into a bench clearing brawl, but the game got a bit chippy. There is nothing like a bunt single in the 9th inning when you are up by 6 to get the Latin American blood boiling. The result, a subsequent throwing at a batter and a bench clearing melee. How many GM’s and MLB owners must have had their hearts in their mouth when they saw this happened fearing an injury of one of their key players or superstars. If more of this happens, look for MLB to restrict players from taking part in the World Baseball Classic.

The seven ejected players … Team Mexico’s Arnold Leon, Oliver Perez, Eduardo Arredondo, Andrew Albers and Alfredo Aceves and Canada’s Pete Orr, Rene Tosoni and Jay Johnson. The players will not face discipline beyond the ejections, according to a statement released by the World Baseball Classic, Inc.

From the Yard Barker:

In a chippy game that had previously involved a late takeout slide and a collision at home plate, Canadian Chris Robinson bunted to lead off the ninth inning with Canada holding a 9-3 lead. Mexico pitcher Arnold Leon responded by throwing at Rene Tosoni and missing as both teams were warned by the umpire. Then, Leon hit Tosoni on the next pitch and the benches emptied.

Red Sox pitcher Alfredo Aceves was heavily involved in the fray, seen wrestling with Tyson Gillies and appearing to suffer a blow to the head. Aceves’ Red Sox teammates were reported to have cheered at the sight of their pitcher fighting.