Knucklehead of the Week
Until a few days ago, Kermit Washington was best known as the NBA enforcer who nearly killed Rudy Tomjanovich with a vicious punch in 1977. Last week he was indicted by a federal grand jury, accused of defrauding donors to his charities. Prosecutors say Washington used money earmarked for needy people in Africa to pay for vacations, jewelry and other stuff. Washington collected nearly $200,000 from 2010-15 for a pair of charities, according to authorities. He’s facing prison time and a $1 million fine. I hope he doesn’t punch me when he reads this.
I’m back at my keyboard after putting down what seemed like 100 bags of mulch. You do crazy things when you’re hosting a graduation party. Nicole soon will be headed to Purdue. Me? I need a deep-tissue massage to forget about all that yard work.
Baylor University's response to the way its football program went rogue when faced with several sex assault allegations should send a message to all big-time coaches who sell their souls to chase championships. Art Briles, a beloved and wildly successful coach, was given the boot because he thought some of his players were above the law.
Briles’ firing is shocking, considering the emphasis we place on big-time sports. I don’t think this would’ve happened 10 or 15 years ago. Times are changing. Quickly. This scandal could cripple Baylor football, but it also could make college campuses safer for everyone.
I can't think of any other high-profile coach who has been canned in this manner. The circumstances are very different, but I wonder if this will have any impact on Rick Pitino's future at Louisville. Oh, that's right, it's Louisville. The school that hired Bobby Petrino. Twice.
Wright State won its second straight Horizon League baseball tournament title Saturday, advancing to the NCAA tourney. The Raiders aren't your run-of-the-mill mid-major team. They are 87-32 the past two seasons and have defeated North Carolina State, Georgia, Ole Miss, Miami (the U) and Notre Dame. WSU won two regional games last year so the Raiders won't be any easy out.
The Indy 500 is a sellout only because it's the 100th running of the planet's most prestigious open-wheel race. Nostalgia is powerful. The race no longer is a must-see event, but it's worth checking out today. My guess is that the 200th Indy 500 will be contested on the 2116 version of the Xbox.
Trending up: Sinclair CC baseball, Yoenis Cespedes, Annie Apple. Sinclair makes its first appearance in the NJCAA Division II World Series today in Enid, Okla. The Tartan Pride plays Monroe CC from Rochester, N.Y., at 1 p.m. Sinclair is 50-10, 9-0 in May. Cool stat that says a lot about the quality of baseball in our state: 26 of Sinclair's 31 players are from Ohio.
Trending down: Summer Olympics, Alfredo Simon, Bismack Biyombo. More than 100 doctors and other experts with many letters behind their names want the Olympics moved out of Brazil because of the Zika virus. Of course, that's a logistical impossibility. That said, I don't think I'd go to Rio if they gave me front-row tickets and dipped me in Off! three times a day.
About the Author