Rick Majerus has had a lot on his mind lately. The Utah head coach has been dealing with his mother’s battle with cancer, not to mention returning to the sidelines after sitting out a year with his own health problems.
So, like many other head coaches, Majerus turned over his vote in the ESPN/USA Today poll to an unnamed assistant. Bad move. The aide, knowing of Majerus’ admiration for Temple’s John Chaney, voted the Owls, despite a 6-12 record at the time, No. 9 in last week’s poll.
When that discrepency was pointed out to USA Today, deputy managing editor for sports Jim Welch removed Majerus from the 31-coach panel.
Majerus told ESPN.com he was unaware of the vote and sent letters of apology to Reggie Minton, associate director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, which helps in picking the coaches, and Chaney.
House arrest?
For the first time at the Olympics, electronic ankle bracelets will measure athletes’ times in cross-country, biathlon and Nordic combined skiing.
“We put one on each leg because we don’t know which leg will cross the line first,” said Andrew Barton of Seiko, timing-gear sponsor.
Say what?
`I’ve seen him and he’s come back with a good tan.’
–Interim coach Phil Thompson on Liverpool head coach Gerard Houllier’s recuperation from heart surgery
