Shirtless Pearl backs Lady VolsDarren Epps Commentary
KNOXVILLE Bruce Pearl is not wearing a shirt.
Hes the mens basketball coach at Tennessee, a public figure nationally, a man who will be on the sideline at Ole Miss in less than 48 hours wearing we think a coat and tie.
But surrounded by 21,000 people and national television cameras for the Tennessee womens game Monday night, Pearl is waving a shaker in the student section, sporting a headband and a nice physique for a 46-year-old man. His bare chest is painted orange.
I repeat, hes not wearing a shirt.
Think this is how Duke mens coach Mike Krzyzewski gets the Cameron Crazies pumped up before a game? Wearing little but a headband and a smile from the waist up? Duke guard Abby Waner laughed at the thought.
"Im going to go suggest it to him and see what he says," Waner said after No. 1 Duke toppled fourth-ranked Tennessee 74-70. "Wow. You can really tell the students love (Pearl)."
Pearl continues to exemplify what is right about college athletics, school spirit and promoting the game of basketball. Pearl and some of his players his son Steven, Wayne Chism, Josh Tabb and Jordan Howell all sported bare, painted chests on the front row of the student section to support the Lady Vols in the first half. Chism highfived fellow students, bounced around like a pogo stick and took part in every cheer. The atmosphere was tremendous.
"What Coach Pearl and the mens team do is great for womens basketball," the Lady Vols Sidney Spencer said.
Pearl said he got the idea after Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt said last years Duke crowd created the most difficult environment shes seen in 33 years of coaching.
"I had to do something," Pearl said at halftime, wearing a shirt. "I wanted to do something to try to help bring attention to the game and get the crowd hyped. You mention Coach K. I thought about that part of it and what it would look like. But Im a college coach. Im not in the NBA. Its about the students."
So Pearl isnt wearing a shirt, Chism is leading cheers and this is already a strange night. And then this: Duke 19, Tennessee 0. Fans stand and clap at Tennessee womens home games, a tradition, until the Lady Vols score. Tennessee misses four straight shots to start the game. The Blue Devils make their first four shots. Its 8-0. Timeout, Tennessee. The fans continue to stand. After the timeout, Shannon Bobbitt misses and Waner, reminiscent of another Duke player who wore No. 4 J.J. Redick continued an 8-for-8 first half with a 3-pointer. Then another basket. Then a threepoint play by Lindsey Harding. Its 16-0 with 15:49 remaining. Theres the first media timeout. Everyone still stands.
At this point, hands are tired and legs are getting weak. And you feel for some of these Lady Vols fans. I dont want to say theyre old, but lets just take a guess and say a lot of cars probably left Thompson-Boling Arena with a blinker on.
Waner drills another 3-pointer. And Tennessee, which wins almost every home game, is trailing 19-0. Nicky Anosike mercifully allows Tennessee fans to sit by draining a jumper.
Finally able to sit and think, Tennessee fans finally realized this: The Lady Vols are still not in the class of the ACCs elite. They are very good, certainly one of the nations better teams. But they are not, even after a valiant comeback, at the level of Maryland, Duke or North Carolina. They are not a certain Final Four team as in previous years.
But the Lady Vols comeback proves they can reach the upper echelon if Spencer shoots more consistently, Alexis Hornbuckle can remain composed and Candace Parker can hit a free throw. So dont get too concerned yet, Lady Vols fans.
Keep your shirts on.
