2/25/2008 9:39:37 AM

Would he have done the same thing to a young, good looking male reporter? If not, it's harassment. Either way, it is inappropriate.

Jim Humbert

2/25/2008 11:28:05 AM

Part of me thinks it was just Pearl getting a bit too into the moment. He's just one of those guys that's a bit over the top sometimes. Maybe he would have done that to a male reporter as well.

At the same time, he's got a pretty checkered past with women. He's in the middle of a divorce that was caused by a long-standing affair he had with a "friend" on the road, which was rumored on sports blogs for a long time, and there's a few other stories out there. So that's not out of the realm of possibility.

I guess I could write this off to Bruce just being Bruce, but Jim's right, no matter what it's wildly inappropriate.

Adam Bartel

2/26/2008 9:00:39 AM

I'm giving him a pass on this one. I know his checkered past with women. But I also know his personality and style.

I've been watching Pearl since he was at Milwaukee-Wisconsin. He's always been that way. Waaaay to excitable. Then you add to the mix that he was coaching arguably the biggest game of his life, and in Tennessee team history, and something like this was bound to happen.

I also watched that interview live and too much is being made of it. He probably shouldn't have done it, true. But for God's sake, if you saw the game you know how intense and erratic it was.

Plus, it was a halftime interview. It wasn't like he pulled this off in the middle of the locker room, after the game, where he was only in a towel. He was on the court after a very emotional first half.

Remember: This is the same guy that supported the Lady Vols last season by showing up at the UT/UConn game sitting in the student section with no shirt on and his body painted orange.

It's just who the cat is.

Jeremy Fischer