'Cats Coach Accused of Cheating by Former Friend

September 8, 2011
by Gil Espy, The College Basketball Enquirer

CORDOVA, TN – Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari was caught cheating at a game of Scrabble, this according to a former friend. 

Merv Dingle, a used car dealer in the Memphis suburb of Cordova, contends that his friendship with the then-Tiger head coach ended three years ago thanks to the word "quilts."

"It was a pretty close game, but I was ahead," said Dingle.  "I could see that he was starting to get a little nervous too because tiny beads of sweat were forming along his brow." 

It was then, according to Dingle, that Calipari began behaving suspiciously.

"After he spelled the word 'stab,' he put his hand in the bag to retrieve a couple of new tiles." said Dingle.  "What was odd, though, was that he kept his hand in the bag for a good 30 seconds, and he was moving his fingers around a lot, almost like he was feeling for a particular letter."  

On his very next turn, according to Dingle, Calipari took the lead for good. 

"Out of nowhere, after diddling his fingers around that bag for damn near a minute, he suddenly spells 'quilts!" said Dingle. "He got a triple letter score with the 'Q" too, so that pretty much but put the game out of reach.” 

“I knew right then and there that he was a dirty, rotten cheat.  It was obvious that he was fishing in that bag for the 'U."

Dingle, a prominent booster for the Memphis basketball program, denies that Calipari leaving the Memphis program in 2009 to accept the head coaching position at Kentucky played a role in his decision to out his one time friend. 

"Scrabble is a game of ethics." said Dingle.  "If you're capable of cheating at Scrabble, God only knows what you’re capable of.  John leaving the Tiger program had nothing to do with me going public."

Calipari, who’s won 64 games in two seasons since taking over at Kentucky, was unavailable for comment.

Head Coach of The College Slams 'Cats Calipari

Gil Espy, The College Basketball Enquirer

Bobby Knight isn't the only legendary college basketball coach taking shots at Kentucky head man John Calipari these days.  On Thursday night, during a charity dinner at the Outback Steakhouse in Mason, Ohio, The College's longtime head coach, Orson Welles, landed a few shots of his own.  "We've got us a lot of Kentucky basketball fans in this area, folks who became Wildcat fans because of UK's unparalled tradition," said Welles at an event benefiting beaver attack victims in Warren County.  "But when it comes to their new coach, that Calipari character, the only tradition he should be known for is a tradition of shady test scores, one and done non-student athletes, and vacated Final Fours."

Welles, who has won 596 games in his 26 years as The College's coach, including a 6-2 mark this season, continued his rant on Calipari during dinner.  "Calling Calipari a snake in the grass is an insult to snakes...and grass," said Welles, whose "Peach Basket" style offense, known for its backdoor cuts and two handed bounce passes, is in sharp contrast to Calipari's vaunted "Dribble Drive Motion" offense.  According to Welles, Calipari's success is based less on coaching, and more on talent.  "Calipari couldn't coach his way out of a brown paper bag," said Welles.  "Give him Jason Wells instead of John Wall and we'll just see if he's still 10-0."

Welles' star player at The College, Jason Wells, who also attended Thursday night's event and is a noted Kentucky and Calipari supporter, was disappointed in his coach's comments.  "Look like Coach Welles is jealous hater too," said Wells, whose #35 uniform will be retired before Saturday night's game against the Academy of Art.  "His request to speak at my jersey retirement ceremony has been rejected!"
     
John Calipari, whose unbeaten Wildcats take on Austin Peay on Saturday, was unavailable for comment.

Criticism of Calipari Draws Ire of Popular UK Fan

by Gil Espy, The College Basketball Enquirer

Former Memphis basketball coach John Calipari has come under fire this week for his alleged involvement in a scandal that has forced the Tigers program to forfeit 38 victories and their 2008 Final Four appearance.  The internet's most prominent fan of Calipari's new team, for one, does not believe that the overwhelming criticism of the new Kentucky head man is warranted.

"Seems like Kentucky getting attack by the haters over Memphis screwing up a everyone wants Calipari out as the head coach at Kentucky." said Jason Wells, longtime Wildcats fan and arguably the most popular message board poster on cbssports.com.  "To the Calipari and Kentucky haters you're just pissed because Kentucky is back."

This week's ruling by the NCAA, which essentially erases the Tigers 2007-08 season from the record books, involves alleged inpropieties involving the SAT score of then incoming freshman Derrick Rose.  As far as Wells is concerned, neither Calipari nor the University of Kentucky bare any responsibility for what took place at Memphis.  "Why Kentucky should be punished Kentucky didn't do nothing wrong?" asked Wells.  "Everyone wants to point at Calipari because they are all pissed because he went to Kentucky."

Wells, himself a star basketball player at The College in Ohio, would simply prefer that Calipari's critics remain silent.  "Fans started trash talking about John Calipari like a old saying my dad told me what goes around comes around." said Wells.  "JDubs 3:16 says that the bottom line 'cause JDubs said so."

Kentucky opens their 2009-10 campaign on November 13 at home versus Morehead State.  Wells says he looks forward to what he expects will be a challenging non-conference schedule for the 'Cats.  "This year schedule is way better than last year's one." said Wells.  "Bump2."

Cal's Steakhouse Coming to Lexington, Changes Underway

by Gil Espy,  The College Basketball Enquirer

LEXINGTON -- Cal's Championship Steakhouse is coming to Lexington, but not everyone is celebrating. 

Several employees at The Thoroughbred, a struggling midtown eatery, have been informed that they will be losing their jobs once their restaurant is converted into a Cal's come September. 

"I've been working at The Thoroughbred for nearly five years." said waitress Joy Guillory, a 26-year old mother of two.  "I told the new management, when they met with us a few days ago, that I really wanted to work at Cal's, but they said they wanted to bring in their own people.  They said they were sorry, but there just wasn't going to be enough room."

Another waitress, Martha Pinkston, was also told that she would not be retained, this despite her upcoming return from maternity leave.  "I've been out for a while, waiting to have my baby, but I was definitely ready to get back in there." said Pinkston.  "I just think it's really unfair that I've been sitting out all this time, and now they tell me I can't come back." 

According to restaurant manager Orlando Johnson, several former employees from Cal's Championship Steakhouse in Memphis, including himself, will be brought in to work at the new Cal's in Lexington. 

"We consider our Cal's family to be the absolute best in the business." said Johnson.  "We honestly would have preferred to bring in even more people from Memphis, but it just wasn't possible."  Cal's Championship Steakhouse, according to Johnson, will strive to bring an exciting new dining experience to the people of Lexington.  "We will bring in the finest quality, 5-star beef in America." said Johnson.  "It will be so good, in fact, that we know it won't stay very long...on your plate, that is."

John Calipari, who was hired as Kentucky's new basketball coach in April, was reportedly on a recruiting trip, and unavailable for comment.

'Cats Coach Accused of Cheating by Former Friend

by Gil Espy, The College Basketball Enquirer

John Calipari was caught cheating at a game of Scrabble, this according to a former friend.  Merv Dingle, a used car dealer in the Memphis suburb of Cordova, contends that their friendship ended two years ago thanks to the word "quilts."

"It was a pretty close game, but I was ahead." said Dingle.  "I could see that he was startin' to get a little nervous though because tiny beads of sweat were forming along his brow."  It was then, according to Dingle, that Calipari began behaving suspiciously.  "After he spelled the word 'stab,' he put his hand in the bag to retrieve a couple of new tiles." said Dingle.  "What was odd though was that he kept his hand in the bag for a good 30 seconds, and he was movin' his fingers around a lot, almost like he was feelin' for a particular letter."  

On his very next turn, according to Dingle, Calipari took the lead for good.  "Out of nowhere, after diddling his fingers around the bag for a doggone half minute, he suddenly spells 'quilts!" said Dingle. "He got a triple letter score with the 'Q" too, so that pretty much but put the game out of reach.  I knew right then and there that he was a dirty, rotten cheat.  It was obvious that he was fishing in that bag for the 'U."

Dingle, a prominent booster for the Memphis basketball program, denies that Calipari leaving Memphis to accept the head coaching position at Kentucky played a role in his decision to out his one time friend.  "Scrabble is a game of ethics." said Dingle.  "If you're capable of cheating at Scrabble, what's next?  John leaving the Tiger program had nothing to do with me going public."

Calipari, who became the new head coach at Kentucky in early April, was unavailable for comment.

Memphis TV Stations to Pull Calipari Ad

by Gil Espy, The College Basketball Enquirer

A Public Service Announcement featuring former Memphis basketball coach John Calipari will be pulled from Memphis area television stations effective June 1st, this according to the television watchdog group Parents for Repsonsible Broadcasting.  The ad, which features Calipari urging middle school students to remain in school and to focus on their studies, was pulled, according to PRB, because of the messenger, not the message.

"Fans in Memphis, including children, feel betrayed by Coach Calipari." said Faye Shull, the executive marketing director for PRB.  "Given the enormous lack of trust that kids in the area now have in Coach, it was determined that he should no longer be the one delivering this critically important message."  Starting in June, according to Shull, the Calipari ad will be replaced by a similar ad featuring Grizz, the mascot for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies.  "Trust is a terribly important factor in the eyes of kids," said Shull, "and we feel, at this point, that Grizz represents a more trustworthy figure to them than Coach Calipari."

Calipari, who last month left the Memphis program to accept the head coaching position at the University of Kentucky, was unavailable for comment. 

Memphis to Send Kentucky a Bill

August 16, 2011
Gil Espy, The College Basketball Enquirer

MEMPHIS, TN -- The University of Memphis announced on Tuesday that it intends on sending an invoice to the athletic department at the University of Kentucky for recruiting costs incurred during the final months of John Calipari’s tenure as Tigers’ head coach.    

“After sifting through several hundred pages of account records, expense reports, credit card receipts, and other billable expenses, we’ve determined that Coach Calipari spent an absolutely ridiculous amount of University money recruiting players who ultimately followed him to Kentucky," said Memphis Director of Accounts Receivables Barb O'Hurley. 

“The fact that he continued recruiting those very same players after he ditched us is the primary reason why we’re sending Kentucky a bill.”   

According to O’Hurley, expenses accumulated during the recruitment of former Kentucky standout DeMarcus Cousins, who at one time was committed to play for Memphis, will prove to be especially costly. 

"Coach Calipari himself spent a considerable amount of time and money recruiting that young man,” said O'Hurley.  "Three nights in a row, Coach ate at a 5-star restaurant, and our records show that on two of those three nights, he ordered the Surf & Turf.” 

“And we're not talking the Sizzler here,” said O’Hurley.  “We're talking a Zagat rated, 5-star restaurant…and he's sitting there ordering the filet mignon and lobster every night." 

During recruiting trips, according to O’Hurley, Calipari’s penchant for the extravagant extended beyond the dinner table.  

“In the summer, during the AAU season, Coach Calipari stayed at the finest hotels,” said O’Hurley.  “I won’t name names, but let’s just say he wasn’t holing up at a Holiday Inn Express.”

Calipari, who has compiled an impressive 64-12 mark in his first two seasons as Kentucky’s head coach, including a Final Four appearance last season, was conducting "recruit strategy meetings" at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and was unavailable for comment.