Boehim went as far as to call the accuser a liar in his statements last week defending his longtime friend.

Fine was fired by Syracuse this afternoon after the audio tape between his wife and Bobby Davis became public.

He released the following statement late tonight after the university fired Fine:

“The allegations that have come forth today are disturbing and deeply troubling. I am personally very shocked because I have never witnessed any of the activities that have been alleged. I believe the university took the appropriate step tonight. What is most important is that this matter be fully investigated and that anyone with information be supported to come forward so that the truth can be found. I deeply regret any statements I made that might have inhibited that from occurring or been insensitive to victims of abuse.”

Boehim could and perhaps should lose his job for the way he shamed the alleged victims of Fine’s sexual abuse.

The firing of Fine came after an audio tape was released from around 2003 that had the victim, Bobby Davis, and Fine’s wife, Laurie Fine, discussing the abuse of the boy over several years.

Here is the text of the audio tape via Syracuse.com:

Bobby: Hello Laurie. It’s Bobby.
Laurie: Hi Bobby.
Bobby: You said to call you Monday or Tuesday.
Laurie: Hold on. Let me get someone else off the other line.
Laurie: Sorry.
Bobby: I was thinking about calling Bernie, just to talk to him. But I didn’t know if it was a good idea or a bad idea.
Laurie: I wouldn’t call him.
Bobby: A bad idea?
Laurie: Bernie gets something in his head …
Bobby: Yeah.
Laurie: I’m not telling you what (crosstalk) … I’m advising you. He carries a grudge. He feels like you owed him that money and he wants it and…
Bobby: That money from like…? Remember we talked about this the last time? Like he’s still talking about that then?
Laurie: Him? That’s his big bone of contention. If you …
Bobby: How about that stuff at Manley, when he came and threatened me and everything? Remember I called you that day and I was scared?
Laurie: Right.
Bobby: I just said Bernie I’m not going to pay you for all the things, for what you done to me and what you put me through. I think we’re even, whatever. You know. He thought it was good then because he thought I was going to talk to him again.

…

Laurie: He felt like he lent you the money. You said you were going to pay him back. And you didn’t and that’s the end of it. He says, ‘I’ll check off my losses but I will never forget.’ ‘That’s up to you.’
Bobby: Like he did nothing wrong. You know, all the stuff he’s done to me …
Laurie: To him ….
Bobby: I think he really has a problem like that. He doesn’t think he does anything wrong.
Laurie: No, he doesn’t think he does anything wrong. And Bernie is also in denial. I think he did the things he did, but he’s — somehow through his own mental telepathy — erased them out of his mind.

…

Bobby: I kind of, like, I said, Bernie, leave me alone or I’m going to tell some people about what happened, what you did to me. He was like it was no big deal. Like, whatever. Like he’s never done anything.
Laurie: I don’t think he even acknowledges what happened. I think he did it and he might’ve been — I don’t know — in another … (cut off)
Bobby: You think I’m the only one he’s ever done that to?
Laurie: No.

…

Bobby: So.. You don’t think I’m the only one that did it.
Laurie: No, I don’t but … I don’t know … you’re asking me: should you talk to (Bernie)? No, cause what’s to talk about? It’s the same ..
Bobby: I’m having issues with the thing. Like I’m just struggling with it a little.
Laurie: Well, I mean, I’m not a good sweep-it-under-the-rug kind of person. You’re only going to end up getting hurt in the long run again.
Bobby: I know. As much as I try to avoid it, I try to stay away from it. I think about it every day. I don’t know. There’s so much history there, you know.
Laurie: Oh, I understand that.
Bobby: You’re the only one who really knows, like, me and you.
Laurie: I just think you’re going to set yourself up and what have you really got to gain from doing anything, from trying to confront him to talk to him?
Bobby: I don’t know. Just because he’s been there all that time.
Laurie: The thing with Bernie is if you run across paths in years to come, that’s one thing but …
Bobby: You’ve never see him do anything with anybody else, have you?
Laurie: No.
Bobby: That one time you told me you saw him, like when I was really young, you saw him through the basement window when you were taking the garbage out?
Laurie: Right. I don’t know. Is this bothersome to you?
Bobby: Yeah it is. Lately it has been. It hit me hard. I really don’t know why.

…

Bobby: You don’t think he needs help? Or is it too late?
Laurie: I don’t know.
Bobby: That’s what I keep thinking: maybe … I feel bad. All the stuff he did to me when I was younger, you know what I mean. (unintelligible) I tried to do something, he tried to grab me.
Laurie: He doesn’t learn.
Bobby: Exactly. Like the last time at Manley, the last time I saw him , I told him it’s over…
Laurie: No one’s with you, are they?
Bobby: No, no. I wouldn’t … Laurie.
Laurie: I know.
Bobby: When I called…
Laurie: (unintelligible) about peoples privacy and I … not that I think you’re going to.
Bobby: Is anyone there?
Laurie: No. Not that I think you’re gonna record anything I say, but I’m very cautious about what I say.
Bobby: The thing about Bernie, I called him a pedophile and all this, and he still goes to Manley and he still tries to grab me in his office. He shuts the door.

…

Laurie: No I don’t. I just think, I think there might have been others. but it was geared to you. There was something about you…
Bobby: That’s what I was wondering. Like, why was I the worst one?
Laurie: You know, Bobby, again … When he goes out of town, I don’t know anything. I don’t think… I’m involved with the kids. I don’t see anything else. I used to live, eat, sleep and drink basketball. Now, I am so the other end the last few years that I couldn’t tell you the recruits they have. Because I just don’t care.

…

Bobby: I remember you wrote him a letter once and he never …
Laurie: He never even responded to it, so you know what? You give up after a while.
Bobby: That’s why I think he needs help. I don’t know if it’s too late.
Laurie: He’s going to be 60 in a few years. What are you going to do to rehabilitate someone like that? What are you going to do?
Bobby: That’s what I keep thinking, maybe if I would’ve said something about him a long time ago, maybe he would’ve gotten some help.
Laurie: He doesn’t think he needs help. Because if I say to him…
Bobby: He likes boys. I mean, he likes. …
Laurie: When I told him, you know …. When we talked, I felt really bad you were calling me over a year ago about this whole money thing? I said to him, um, ‘You know Bobby and I talked. I know some things about you that, if you keep pushing, are going to be let out.’ He didn’t even flinch.
Bobby: I know, that’s what I’m saying.
Laurie: He says, Let him go. Let him go ahead. Let him go right ahead.
Bobby: He doesn’t think he could be (unintelligible).
Laurie: I think he thinks he’s above the law.
Bobby: I’ve always thought that but especially after he came and grabbed me by the neck in front of everybody at Manley, you know, I’m like what the heck. And I tell him, ‘Bernie, if you don’t leave me alone, I’m gonna tell … you know, go talk to someone.’ He goes, ‘Do what you gotta do. Whatever.’
Laurie: That’s his line: do what you gotta do.

…

Bobby: What about the money, like he said I owe him for … I went to Hawaii with him.
Laurie: He said, Laurie, he came to me and told me he’d pay me back within two years. So I gave him the money on good faith that I’ll get it back.
Bobby: Good faith? Laurie, can I tell you about what happened? (laughs) You probably don’t even want to know.
Laurie: Oh, I’d love to know because — you know what? — I don’t have that intimate, lovey feeling with Bernie. So I…
Bobby: He gave me some money but it …
Laurie: How much did he give you?
Bobby: I think it was $4,000. It was in three installments. This is what happened: I was so mad at the time. I was thinking about a lot, I was going through a lot. It was just to try to get even with him … I told him I had a school loan. I was just thinking of a way … Maybe it was the wrong thing to do, and I feel bad about it now. And he did give me about $4,000, in three installments. It was in the summer…
Laurie: (unintelligible) You had a student loan you wanted to pay off.
Bobby: That’s what I’m talking about. This was something I had to say. It had to be three, four summers ago now, right?
Laurie: Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Bobby: So four summers ago. (Editor’s note: Bobby was in his mid-20s at the time.) It was when you were in Scott Ave., whatever, it was in the house. He called me. It must’ve been during camp, too, I’m thinking, because he came over during lunch. He’s like, here, I’ve got this amount, and I’ll give you some more tomorrow, but then he’d make me do something.
Laurie: What did he want you to do? You can be honest with me.
Bobby: What do you think? What he always does.
Laurie: He wants you to grab him? Or blow him?
Bobby: He tried to make me grab him. But first he’d try to grab me and start touching me. …
Laurie: Right. But when he gave you the money, what did he want for that? He wanted you to grab him or he wanted to do you?
Bobby: He wanted to do me. He wanted me to touch him. He tried to make me touch him a couple of times. He’d grab my hand and then I’d pull away. Then he’d put me in your bed and then, you know, put me down. And I’d try to go away. Then he put his arm on top of my chest. He goes, If you want this money, you’ll stay right here. I’d try to leave and he’d grab me real hard. You know what he does — I told you about this before, right? He’d grab you if you tried to walk away and he’d say, I’ll pull it off or something like that.
Laurie: Right, right.
Bobby: I told you that before.
Laurie: But you never had any oral sex with him?
Bobby: No. I think he’d want to.
Laurie: Of course, he would. Why wouldn’t he?
Bobby: I don’t know. (laughs)
Laurie: So then he gives you all this money. Now you’re not willing to …
Bobby: This is three days in a row. And then I never came around again, I was so, like, distraught. I was like oh my gosh. I don’t know. It was a weird situation. Now I look back, there’s no way I could give him the money back after what I went through. Maybe that’s wrong, I don’t know.
Laurie: See, the money isn’t the issue here. He lured you with the money. See, he knew full well what he was doing.

…

Laurie: … In fact the other day, as a matter of fact it’s funny that you mentioned it, … we sold Scott Ave.
Bobby: You got rid of it?
Laurie: Yeah, Scott Ave. is gone so he couldn’t even drag you back there. Now, Wilson Street is sold sold.
Bobby: You don’t have the fraternity.
Laurie: Yeah, he has the fraternity. He doesn’t go up there anymore, hardly at all. The fraternity moved, so that wasn’t. .. Really, there’s no place for him to run and drag people …
Bobby: Laurie, it doesn’t matter. He would do it downstairs while you were upstairs cooking sometimes.
Laurie: Uh-huh.
Bobby: He’d be like at Manley, he’d shut the door. The secretaries must … I’d come out all red.
Laurie: When (the Fine’s son) was little and you lived there, he’d say, ‘You better put (their son) to bed.’ I’d say, ‘He is in bed.’ ‘Well, you better go check him.’ And I’d go up to check him. I’d come down. He’d be out of the living room in the basement. He used to think of ways to get me out of the room. Like, I’m not an idiot, Bernie.
Bobby: Exactly. When I stayed there in your basement, he’d come down there every night. I’m like, what the heck, what’s Laurie thinking?
Laurie: What did I think? … And then he’d come down to where you were every night. And he’d say to me, ‘Go check (their son).’ Or… Go lay with him. Go upstairs.’ Anything to get me out of the room. And I knew. I told you when I was walking down the stairs at night, I’d say to myself, Guaranteed he’s not in there. When I’d look in, his papers would be spread out all over and he’d be gone. Right down the basement, door closed.
Bobby: He did that every night.
Laurie: You know what, go to a place where there’s gay boys. Find yourself a gay boy. … Get your rocks off, and have it be over with. He needs that male companionship that I can’t give him. …
Bobby: You know how he’d always try to get me in the shower. You knew about that, right?
Laurie: Yeah. I still have a graphic memory of that, thank you.
Bobby: Whenever you weren’t there …(unintelligible)
Laurie: He’d always say, ‘Bobby and I are going in the Jacuzzi.’ And I’d go to the bathroom and I’d try to come in. The door’d be locked. I’d check: ‘What’s going on?’ ‘Nothing.’ I said, ‘Unlock the door.’ ‘No, we’re in our underwear.’
Bobby: So, it’s not me, it’s him.
Laurie: I understand that. You don’t have to explain to me.
Bobby: I’m trying to convince myself.
Laurie: Convince yourself. You did nothing wrong. You did nothing wrong, and you were a child, and he took advantage of that. And with Bernie there’s a price tag on everything. If he does for you, it’s like he records it in a book and you better do it for him.

Pretty damn, damning!!!!

Oklahoma State women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant coach Miranda Serna were killed in a plane crash in Arkansas on Thursday.

The pair along with the pilot and another passenger were killed when the plane crashed in Arkansas.

Budke and Serna were on a recruiting trip.

Budke had been the OSU women’s coach for 5 years. Serna had been his assistant for the past 7 years dating back to where they worked at Louisiana Tech before the Oklahoma State job.

Here is a photo of the stylish retro uniforms that the Memphis Tigers busted out today for the season opener against the Belmont Bruins.

The 1972/73 Tigers team, led by the late Larry Finch, went all the way to the NCAA Championship game where they were beat by Bill Walton and the UCLA Bruins. Walton had the best game in NCAA tournament history going 21-22 from the field.

The uniforms have a black patch with the #21 inside of it in memory of Finch who died earlier this year on April 2nd after a lengthy illness.

[photo: Memphis Roar]

A very angry and spiteful ex-girlfriend of Michigan Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson hacked his Twitter account and unleashed a fury of tweets blasting him for his lack of faithfulness.

“Hi. Yes, I hacked you lol. You are the most disgraceful person I have ever met in my entire life! You cheated on me our entire relationship!”

Read the entire series of hacked tweets in the screen grab above!

Robinson has regained control of his account, deleted the tweets, and either made his account inactive or deleted it to start over.

[screengrab: thebiglead]

Former college basketball player Phil Heath, who was a guard at the University of Denver, is bodybuilding’s new Mr. Olympia after beating out Jay Cutler (4-time winner) for the title in Las Vegas.

Heath becomes only the 13th man in history to win the prestigious title.

Read More on Heath’s Transformation HERE

Complete List of Mr. Olympia Winners

• Larry Scott (1965-1966)
• Sergio Oliva (1967-1969)
• Arnold Schwarzenegger (1970-1975, 1980)
• Franco Columbu (1976, 1981)
• Frank Zane (1977-1979)
• Chris Dickerson (1982)
• Samir Bannout (1983)
• Lee Haney (1984-1991)
• Dorian Yates (1992-1997)
• Ronnie Coleman (1998-2005)
• Dexter Jackson (2008)
• Jay Cutler (2006-2007, 2009-2010)
• Phil Heath (2011)

Congrats to Phil on his raging accomplishment!

Today, it was reported that former Tennessee Vols basketball coach Bruce Pearl would be handed a 3-year ’show-cause’ penalty from the NCAA.  One of the harshest penalties the NCAA can levy against a (former) head coach.

The University, according to the report, wouldn’t be penalized any further.

The report if true will bring a bit of closure for the University of Tennessee Athletic Department after one of the most hectic and dramatic years in the history of college sports.

Last summer it became public that Pearl had lied to the NCAA about a photo of current Ohio State guard (who was a high school junior at the time) Aaron Craft.  Pearl said he didn’t know where the photo was taken.  The photo was in fact taken in his own house at a Bar-B-Q he was hosting for players and recruits.

The Vols reprimanded Pearl by banning him from recruiting off campus for a year (Sep 24, 2010 – Sep 23, 2011) and docked him $1.5 million in pay on September 10, 2010.

The SEC suspended Pearl for 8 SEC Conference games on November 18, 2010.

The University fired Pearl after the past NCAA basketball season on March 21, 2011.

Tennessee hires Cuonzo Martin as the new head coach just 6 days after firing Pearl on March 27, 2011.

Vols Athletic Director Mike Hamilton was fired/resigned on June 7, 2011.

(And this was all after the Lane Kiffen departure drama in Knoxville.)

I normally wouldn’t post a prediction or personal email but when a pompous friend attempts to call me out on Twitter for not tweeting anything about his Vols not getting additional penalities from the NCAA it made me do some research.   Because I seemed to remember laying it all out for him several months ago as to what I thought would happen regarding Pearl.

Here is the email I sent back on September 17, 2010 to Matt Williams when a lot of the violations Pearl committed became known by the public.

From: Holmes, Joshua
Date: Fri, Sep 17, 2010 at 11:30 AM
Subject: Re: sure you have seen this by now
To: “Williams, Matt”

Hamilton might should be fired for that Pearl contract by itself. A lot of protection for Pearl in that.

Wolken said last night he wouldn’t be surprised if Pearl was suspended for the year.

Here is what I think quickly: The NCAA will hit UT or Pearl rather hard.

I think, almost either way, and there will be some penalty…but big or small Pearl is gone. Remember if they fire Pearl and hire a new coach that the new coach has no recruiting restrictions unless the NCAA hammers that. But Pearl’s recruiting restrictions by the University wouldn’t apply to a new coach. I think UT is hoping Pearl can secure a good class in the next two weeks. Otherwise I think it would have been smart go go ahead and bite the bullet and start the restrictions immediately. It would have looked a lot better to the NCAA as well. I think UT hopes Pearl has a haul of a class, the NCAA then if they strike UT or Pearl almost in any way, then they will fire Pearl and hire a new coach that could recruit without limit. And it would be easier to get a good coach because of where Pearl has put the program, barring any major NCAA sanctions. I think Pearl should be the one penalized hard by the NCAA not UT.

Remember all we lost at Memphis just because the NCAA ‘believed’ but hat no proof that Derrick Rose didn’t take his ACT. Rose was cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse. Memphis played him, then after the season they got hit. Totally different scenario, but like I mentioned before, the NCAA and Congress don’t take lying lightly.

Just my opinion.

So to sum it up:

1. “Hamilton might should be fired for that Pearl contract by itself.” – Hamilton resigned/fired on June 7, 2011
2. “I think, almost either way, and there will be some penalty…but big or small Pearl is gone.” – Pearl fired on March 21, 2011
3. “Remember if they fire Pearl and hire a new coach that the new coach has no recruiting restrictions unless the NCAA hammers that.” – Vols hire Cuonzo Martin on March 27, 2011 (just 6 days after firing Pearl). No recruiting restrictions on Martin as the off-campus recruiting ban only applied to Pearl.
4. “I think Pearl should be the one penalized hard by the NCAA not UT.” – NCAA gives Pearl 3-year ’show-cause’ penalty on August 23, 2011

Moral of the Pearl story? The coverup is always worse than the crime. There are three people you don’t lie to: 1. God, 2. Congress/IRS and 3. the NCAA.

And be careful who you try to clown on Twitter!

ESPN’s Andy Katz is reporting that the NCAA will announce on Wednesday that former Tennessee Vols men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl will be handed a 3-year ‘Show Cause’ ban for NCAA violations that took place while Pearl was at the University.

A show-cause penalty means a school wanting to hire a coach serving that penalty must appear before the NCAA committee on infractions to explain why it wants to do so.

If the school chooses to go ahead with the hire, it would have to agree to any possible additional penalties the committee might want to levy.

Traditionally, schools have stayed away from a coach on a show-cause penalty. But the NCAA has no jurisdiction to force a member school to hire or fire a coach.

Pearl’s former assistant coaches at UT Tony Jones, Jason Shay, and Steve Forbes will each receive 1-year show-cause bans.

Back in February the NCAA hit Pearl with’Unethical Conduct’ and ‘Failure to Promote an Atmosphere of Compliance.’

Pearl is still weighing his options as to what he will do next. He is weighing an offer to coach the NBA D-League’s Texas Legends.

My Prediction from Sep. 2010 On What Would Happen to Bruce Pearl

Tennessee Lady Vols head basketball coach Pat Head Summitt has been diagnosed with early onset dementia according to Go Vols Xtra.

Early onset dementia is a type of Alzheimers.

Summitt had noticed symptoms for several months that something was amiss with her:

Months of erratic behavior had left Tennessee women’s basketball coach bewildered, scared and asking herself “What’s wrong with me?”

Summitt went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in May. She underwent a series of tests and received a stunning answer. The diagnosis was early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type.

The hard-as-nails Summitt was angered at first but has decided to tackle the disease head on.  She said during her public announcement of the condition that she would make sure there was no pity party for her.

Watch Pat’s Video Discussing Her Condition:

Summitt is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history with 1,071 victories.  She has also led the Lady Vols to 8 National Championships.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Summitt and the doctors treating her condition.

According to someone describing themselves as an ” former friend”, quarterback Terrelle Pryor made as much as $40,000 signing memorabilia during his 2009-2010 season.  That’s a serious NCAA violation…if it actually happened.  The ex-friend is telling his story under condition of anonymity which sometimes means it’s just a lot of he said/she said.  However, in this case there seems to be just enough smoke to point to a serious fire.  According to ESPN.com:

The signings for cash, which would be a violation of NCAA rules, occurred a minimum of 35 to 40 times, netting Pryor anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000 that year, the former friend says. The source spoke to ESPN under the condition that his face not be aired on TV and that his name not be published.

He said Pryor was paid $500 to $1,000 each time he signed mini football helmets and other gear for a Columbus businessman and freelance photographer, Dennis Talbott. Talbott twice denied to ESPN that he ever paid Pryor or any other active Buckeye athlete to sign memorabilia. He said last week he has only worked with former players to set up signings. On Tuesday evening, he declined to comment whether he had ever operated a sports memorabilia business and said he was not an Ohio State booster.

The former friend went on to say that Pryor liked to spend money on expensive items like Gucchi shoes, belts and hats.  ESPN has since independently confirmed Pryor’s spending on such items.  The source wasn’t the only person who noted Talbott’s business relationship with Ohio State players.

Pryor may not have been the first active Buckeye player to collect cash for signatures from Talbott. The parent of one former Ohio State player told “Outside the Lines” that he saw Talbott provide what he called “stacks of money” to active Buckeye players, including a player now in the NFL.

Talbott, 40, shot photos of the major sports teams in Ohio, including Ohio State and the Cincinnati Bengals, as a freelance photographer. He has sold images to ESPN.com in the past.

On Tuesday, he denied that he ever received game tickets from players, though records from Ohio State show that he and his wife were on a player’s will-call ticket list multiple times throughout the 2008 season. When asked about those records, Talbott said he couldn’t remember if he had received such tickets.

I’m sorry, I don’t recall breaking the law.  Ah, the classic defense.  “What?  Tickets?  I guess it’s possible I attended Buckeyes games in 2009 but I really don’t remember.”  Seriously.  You don’t remember 2009?  Right.

The latest news about Pryor comes just eight days after Buckeyes coach Jim Tressell was forced to resign for not reporting information he’d received about players receiving improper benefits.

Looking good, Ohio State.  Looking really good.  I think, by the time this is all said and done, more heads will role and a National Championship might just disappear.  Maybe it is time to start paying players.  I’m sure it’s cheaper than all these investigations into pay-to-play violations.  This Ohio State debacle alone should prove that.

[PhotoSource: Along the Olentangy]

Long-time Maryland Basketball coach, Gary Williams, is finally calling it quits.  It’s probably about time, given the fact that he’s been the Terrapins’ coach since before most of his players were even born.  According to Sports Illustrated:

Williams announced his retirement Thursday, saying “it’s the right time” for him to end a career in which he led his alma mater to the 2002 national championship.

Williams coached for 33 years, the last 22 at Maryland, where he played as a guard from 1964-67.

“My entire career has been an unbelievable blessing. I am fiercely proud of the program we have built here,” Williams said. “I couldn’t have asked any more from my players, my assistant coaches, the great Maryland fans and this great university. Together, we did something very special here.

Williams compiled a more than respectable 668-380 record at Maryland and took his team to the NCAA tournament 14 times.  They also appeared in two Final Fours.

“I love Gary. What he has done for Maryland and for college basketball is remarkable,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He is one of the great coaches of all time. He is a coaches’ coach and an ultimate competitor. His retirement is a big loss for the ACC and for college basketball.”