Random notes (catching up from vacation edition):
■ Sports Illustrated is reporting that former Kentucky basketball coach Billy Gillispie lost as much as $2.3 million in the Ponzi scheme that entrapped several basketball coaches.
An excerpt:
More than a dozen current and former college coaches — including Texas Tech's Billy Gillispie, Arizona's Lute Olson, Baylor's Scott Drew and Gonzaga's Mark Few — are believed to have lost investments most recently valued at over $7.8 million combined with the late Houston-area businessman and AAU basketball operator J. David Salinas, sources close to the matter tell SI.com.
According to documents reviewed by SI.com, the value of Gillispie's investment alone was purported to be $2.3 million; Olson's, $1.17 million; Drew's, $621,000; Few's, $353,000.
Salinas committed suicide on Sunday.
■ Football season unofficially starts today with the opening of SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala., outside of Birmingham. Attendance is not necessary. Life is already better just knowing such information.
■ Three hot topics for SEC Media Days: Which SEC school might welcome NCAA investigators to its friendly campus next? Who is Will Muschamp and how did he get the Florida job? Will Stephen Garcia be suspended again before the event ends?
■ Looks like the other pro league, the NFL, is ready to end its lockout and get started, as well.
■ If you did not see former Lexington Catholic star Ben Revere tumbling to a triple last Friday for his Minnesota Twins, look up the video at mlb.com.
■ Mark me down as one who does not believe the U.S. women choked in the World Cup final. U.S. led Japan 2-1, not 20-1. Japan knocked out the two-time defending champ Germany two rounds earlier.
■ Not surprised by the TV ratings for the WWC final. Beat last year's World Series. Slaughtered the British Open. Played at a high level, with a national rooting interest involved, the beautiful game is truly a compelling television entity. Forget the critics. It is growing here, and will continue to grow.
■ The British Open appeared as if it was played under the same conditions experienced by that fake weatherman in those Buffalo Wild Wing commercials.
■ Come on now, education funding is being cut in this state and we're going to have hearings about people who didn't leave early enough to get to the NASCAR race on time?
■ Saw where Rick Pitino wants the Big East split into divisions. Ideally, I'm sure he wants Connecticut, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Marquette, West Virginia, Villanova and Notre Dame in the OTHER division.
■ NCAA issued a clear warning last week to those unwilling to cooperate. Georgia Tech's transgressions were nearly minor in nature. Its reaction bordered on impeding, in the NCAA's view. Thus Tech was hit with a four-year probation and a $100,000 fine. It's another sign the powers that be in Indianapolis are taking a tougher line.
■ Meanwhile, LSU co-operated in a long football investigation. Tuesday, NCAA hit the Tigers with a one-year probation but accepted (for most part) pre-emptive recruiting restrictions.
■ None of the sanctions involve Coach Les Miles and his habit of eating grass, however.
■ When it comes to Auburn, the feelings of its fellow conference schools are hardly hidden. Cameron Newton won the Heisman Trophy but did not win the SEC's Male Athlete of the Year honors, as voted by the league's athletic directors. Gene Chizik led the Tigers to the national championship, yet did not win Coach of the Year honors, as voted by the league's coaches.
■ Since 1992, no league has committed more major infractions than the SEC.
■ Since 1990, only one SEC school has not committed a major violation in football. That would be Vandy. (And that factoid comes by way of the Tuscaloosa News' Cecil Hurt.)
■ If reports are true that Kentucky and Maryland will play the first basketball game in Brooklyn's Barclay Center after it opens next year, how ironic that former New Jersey Nets coach John Calipari will coach a game there before the Nets play a game?
■ Reds must go 44-22 (before Tuesday night's game) the rest of the way to match last year's 91 wins. Don't see it happening.
■ Did you see where Elin Nordegren is dating the son of a billionaire investor? Best news: He doesn't play golf. But then these days, neither does Tiger.
