Pearl claims ‘heavy price’ for mistakes
College basketball: Bruce Pearl says he knows the NCAA made an example out of him, doling out a severe penalty to serve notice to other coaches as to what to expect if they don’t cooperate during an investigation.
The former Tennessee coach will find it nearly impossible to land a college job anytime soon with the three-year show-cause penalty given to him by the NCAA for lying to the enforcement staff during their investigation into recruiting violations. Pearl said Thursday it was a “very, very heavy price for the mistakes that we’ve made,” but doesn’t plan to appeal the sanction.
The show-cause penalty prohibits Pearl from recruiting during the next three years, and any school wanting to hire him would have to talk to the NCAA about removing that penalty.
Pearl was cited for unethical conduct for lying to investigators in June 2010 about improperly hosting recruits at his home and urging others to do the same. He also was found to have interfered with the NCAA’s investigation after he contacted a recruit’s father who had also been interviewed by investigators.
Source: Some Miami players ineligible
College football: Miami’s internal investigation has determined some football players, including quarterback Jacory Harris, are believed to have committed NCAA violations by associating with booster Nevin Shapiro and have been declared ineligible, said a person with knowledge of the process.
No one is authorized to discuss the ongoing investigations by the university and the NCAA. The person did not divulge how many current players have been linked to Shapiro, a convicted Ponzi scheme architect who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for bilking $930 million from investors.
The Miami Herald reported eight players have been declared ineligible.
Hurricane Irene forces time shuffling
Weather: Professional baseball games, the NFL, tennis matches and MLS games are being rescheduled as Hurricane Irene approaches the East Coast.
Major League Baseball announced it moved Sunday’s scheduled game between the Florida Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies to Saturday afternoon at 1:05 p.m., creating a day-night doubleheader. The Boston Red Sox also moved Sunday’s series finale against the Oakland Athletics to Saturday night as part of a day-night doubleheader.
The Giants and Jets have moved up the starting time of their preseason football game five hours to 2 p.m. Saturday.
The New Haven Open, the final WTA tuneup before next week’s U.S. Open, moved its championship match at Yale to 1 p.m. Saturday to avoid the storm. The U.S. Open also was working on contingency plans to try to avoid problems.
Major League Soccer also changed times or dates for three games scheduled this weekend.
California advances to play Montana
Little League World Series: Hagen Danner homered and struck out 12, and Huntington Beach, Calif., spoiled the Pennsylvania party at the Little League World Series with a 2-0 victory over the hometown heroes from Clinton County at South Williamsport, Pa.
California will face Billings in the U.S. final Saturday.
Japan moved on as well, to the international final Saturday against Mexico, with a 9-6 victory over Venezuela.
Frazar takes early edge at The Barclays
Golf: Harrison Frazar opened The Barclays with a 7-under-par 64. All anyone wanted to talk about was Irene.
The PGA Tour playoffs for the FedEx Cup got off a soggy start at Edison, N.J. Not only was there a rain delay of nearly three hours, the focus quickly shifted to how Hurricane Irene will affect the rest of the week.
Tour officials are waiting until today to see how the forecast shapes up before deciding what to do about the rest of the tournament.
Frazar had a bogey-free round to take a one-shot lead.
• Defending champ Wie trails by two: Ai Miyazato and Pernilla Lindberg shot 7-under-par 65s in wet conditions to share the first-round lead in the Canadian Women’s Open in Mirabel, Quebec, while Michelle Wie was two strokes back in her title defense.
Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., opened with a 73.
• Williams knocked out at U.S. Amateur: Chris Williams of Moscow, Idaho, was knocked out of the 111th U.S. Amateur Championship after losing 1-up to Max Buckley in the round of 32 at Erin, Wis.
Williams defeated Dave Lee 2 and 1 to begin the day.
Bobby Leopold, the 64th seed, began his day by knocking off the No. 1 seed. Leopold played his way into the third round, knocking off Harris English 4 and 3.
Butte’s Leipheimer moves back into lead
Cycling: Levi Leipheimer edged Christian Vande Velde in the third stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge at Vail, Colo., to regain the overall lead after three stages. Leipheimer, the Butte rider who competes for RadioShack, completed the uphill 10-mile time trial in 25 minutes, 47.8 seconds.
• Sagan wins sixth stage: Liquigas carried Peter Sagan to the sixth-stage victory at the Spanish Vuelta in Cordoba, Spain, while French cyclist Sylvain Chavanel kept the overall leader’s red jersey for a third straight day.