Apologies in advance for our server issues – apparently, it’s Canada day! Jesse “fauxhawk” Palmer is hosting 1st and 10, and every single one of our neighbors to the north is attempting to get on our site thanks to this blasted story. People care that much about cheerleaders?

Now, the real fun: Pearlman’s livechat!

Q: What did you mean by this: “What is more directly tied to the environment than athletics? We need the green grass, the warm sun, the nice days, etc. Global warming is making it increasingly difficult to rely on these things. But if you listen to the morons who say global warming doesn’t exist, well … don’t listen to them. They’re morons. All I know is I have two kids, and I want them to be able to enjoy this planet for their entire lives. It’s not looking so promising.”

PEARLMAN: Well, if you listen to the buffoons like Tom Coburn and Rush Limbaugh and even our vice president, global warming doesn’t exist and all the crazy stuff happening in the world is just wacky good times. But, clearly, they’re wrong.
I cite a brilliant article Alex Wolff wrote last year in Sports Illustrated, which detailed the unprecedented eight World Cup ski races in Europe that were canceled due to lack of snow and warm temperatures; the inevitable rising sea levels in Florida that, by 2100, could submerge eight of the state’s biggest sports arenas; the ash trees (used to make bats) that are under greater stress because of a beetle that excels in higher temperatures; so on and so on and so on and so on. It’s a legitimate issue, and I’m sick and tired of hearing politicians and business leaders say, “we have to worry about the economy before we deal with the possibility of global warming.” Maybe that sounds great now. But what about 40 … 50 … 100 years down the line, when my kids and grandkids are trying to hold together a dying planet with rubber bands and shoelaces because our leaders were too naïve/selfish to take action when there was still time.
Hell, let’s say—for argument’s say—global warming might not be legit. I still say I’d rather be safe than sorry; that, just in case, we should err on the side of caution and make the planet cleaner. The answer should be 50 pages, not three graphs.

Q: ask Pearlman why he barely bothered to fact check “The Bad Guys Won” I understand his Met fandom but the potential of the book was too great to fuck it up with superlatives and overblown stories. I think he mixed and matched ‘86 and ‘87. He tried to write the thing as some overhyped story instead of telling the actual story which was insane to begin. I am cracking the book open tonight and will e-mail the specifics…I wanted that book to be good so bad that it still pisses me offa man of his “talent’ fucked it up.

PEARLMAN: It’s funny. For a long time I truly resented these types of questions. A. Because they’re hurtful and insulting; B. Because writing a book is an absolute beast; C. Because people like this tend to bash and bash and bash without ever—literally ever—remarking when they like something.
However, over time I’ve changed my position. If I use the platform I’m lucky enough to have to call out, say, Barry Zito for going Hollywood or Barry Bonds for cheating, it’s equally fair for people to rip my stuff. Anyhow, just wanted to state that.
To answer your question: “The Bad Guys Won,” was my first book, and I really had no idea what I was doing. I signed a deal, said, “I need 18 months and just dove in.” So there are, without questions, flaws—overwritten; under-developed; a little too much fan/too little journalist. And as for the fact checking, I actually hired a very good reporter to go through the thing, and I think she did as good a job as humanly possible in the short time she had. I know for a fact there were—and I’m going on memory here—four or five errors (The year Tom Seaver was traded to the Reds somehow jumps out at me now.), and in the end they’re all on the author. That said—and this isn’t an excuse, because the goal is perfection—I have yet to meet an author who’s written a biography with absolutely no miscues. They cause nightmares; drive you to the brink of insanity; you check and check and check … read your draft
over and over 100 times (literally, 100 times). But some things inevitably sneak through, and it breaks an author’s heart. It truly does.
However, I am very proud of “The Bad Guys Won!” It was my first book, it made the New York Times’ list and I’ll always remember the day Ron Darling came up to me and said something along the lines of, “Some of it was painful reading—but you nailed it.”

Q: If everyone hates Marriotti. Why does he still have a job?

PEARLMAN: Well, I’m not sure everyone hates Marriotti. Personally, I’ve never met the man; think we spoke on the phone once. But from afar, I’ll admit that I’m not an especially big fan of his stylings. Like everyone says, he’s a truly talented writer, but you watch him on TV and read about his journalistic misdeeds online and you can’t help but think, “Here’s a man who wants to be famous. Who really, really wants to be famous.”
I’m not the only writer to state the thought, but I’ll say it anyway: This is the first generation in journalism where large numbers of writers have the opportunity to become “TV personalities,” and it’s telling to see which ones bite the poison apple. From my vantage point, guys like Buster Olney, Jason Stark, Peter Gammons, Tim Kurkjian, Ken Rosenthal—those are the people who have done it the right way; who still clearly see their roles as dispensers of information before all else. I can listen to Buster talk baseball all day and enjoy the hell out of it. But then you have journalists like Marriotti, Mike Lupica, Skip Bayless—guys with oodles and oodles of talent who, I truly believe, settle on the cheap score. Instead of developing an argument or viewpoint and laying it out there step by step, they scream into the camera, then avoid clubhouses like the plague. It’s embarrassing—maybe not to the men themselves, but to a profession (print journalism) that’s at a real crossroads. Probably all of us desire attention to a certain degree; I’m no different. But it’s something most people try to suppress.

Q: Obama or McCain? why?

PEARLMAN: Obama. Like most people I talk to who support Obama, there’s a ton of respect for McCain. I wouldn’t call him a maverick, so to speak, but he’s had a pretty distinguished career. He certainly wouldn’t be the disaster that George W. Bush has been.
And yet, I just can’t support a pro-life, anti-gun control, keep-up-the-across-the-board-tax-cuts, let’s-drill-wherever-we-have-to right winger. Not now, when everything is going so poorly. I look at Obama and, like a lot of people, I see an inexperienced candidate who could really be overmatched. But I also see an inexperienced candidate with vision; with a Reagan-esque ability to move people. Among the 8,000 problems we’ve got going on right now, the United States’ citizen confidence is at a Carter-like low. People don’t trust their government; not when it comes to terrorism, not when it comes to Iraq; certainly not when it comes to the environment and the economy. We desperately need a new vision, and—as much as I like him—I don’t see that in McCain.
Plus, this is a man who screwed up the two most important votes he ever made: Twice, he not only voted for Bush, but campaigned for him. That’s abhorrent judgment.

Q: most interesting member of the 86 mets you interviewed? biggest screw up?

PEARLMAN: Well, there’s no question the biggest screw-up is a tie between Gooden and Strawberry, though—as the son of a substance abuse counselor—I probably wouldn’t term substance abuse as simply a “screw up.” But they’re two guys who wasted Hall of Fame talent on chemical excesses.
As far as the most interesting, I’d probably go with Ed Hearn, Gary Carter’s backup catcher. First off, Ed was a tremendous interview—brutally honest; intelligent; etc. But he’s also had a really tough post-baseball life. Has battled kidney problems for years; once nearly committed suicide; majors in life’s ups and downs. But he’s such a warm, compassionate man, and he now thrives as a motivational speaker.

Q: do you have a google alert set up with your name on it so that you can see anytime your name pops up on the net?

PEARLMAN: Not gonna lie—I do often Google my name to see what people are saying after I write something (I sort of feel like this is only human, not that most everyone does it). But I don’t have a Google alert.

Q: what has become of the kangol from the Rocker days?

PEARLMAN: Ha. Man, I still catch more grief for that hat. Well, hats—there were actually three or four I rotated. First, an explanation. I wasn’t a hat wearer throughout much of life, and I’m still not a huge one. But when I started covering the majors for Sports Illustrated, I realized I was at a big disadvantage, having never been a beat writer. Guys like Joel Sherman or Hal McCoy would know players everywhere, and I know no one. So I thought, “Maybe if I wear this stupid hat, people will remember me.” And it actually worked—still remember the day Ken Griffey, Jr., having not seen me for more than a year, said, “Hey dude, where’s the hat?”
Anyhow, after the whole Rocker thing the hat started to backfire. People would see it and know not to talk to me. So one day I was walking through the Pac Bell concourse after a game and it fell off into a crowd. I said, “screw it” and let it go. Haven’t worn a Kangol since.

Q: “Put it to rest — is it pronounced ‘Ma-HO-peck’ or ‘MAYO-pack’ “

PEARLMAN: MAYO-pack. Home to Rodak’s Deli, a big ol’ lake, Henry Winkler’s mother and former Seattle Mariners lefty Dave Fleming.

Q: If a book is published three weeks after Game of Shadows, and no one actually reads it, was it ever even published in the 1st place?

PEARLMAN: Now that’s just mean. The better question is, ‘If a book is published three weeks after Game of Shadows, and no one actually reads it, what should the author do with the 200 extra copies sitting in his basement?’

Q: best part of working for SI? worst? do the same for ESPN.

PEARLMAN: The best part was actually having a dream come true. When I was a young teenager I told my parents that one day I was going to write for SI. My mother—who is my best friend—told me I should “be realistic” and try and be a lawyer or an accountant. So when I was sitting in my Nashville apartment and Bambi Wulf called to tell me I was hired … I mean, it was euphoria. Because I achieved my lifetime goal.
The worst part, for me personally, was watching the way Bill Colson, the managing editor who hired me, was treated by AOL Time Warner at the end. Bill remains the most decent, most honorable person I’ve ever ever met. He absolutely loved that magazine; took it very personally. But he wasn’t a schmoozer or a guy who wanted to deal with the standard, “We grew by 19% last year, but we promised to grow by 21%—so you need to cut staff.” So the powers that be went in a different direction. I was treated very well by Terry McDonnell; he’s a great guy and I like a lot of the things he’s done. But Bill was the first magazine editor I’d ever seen who had absolutely, positively zero ego. I still consider him a good friend, and I have as much admiration for him as anyone I’ve ever met.

As for ESPN, it’s a totally different thing. Technically, I don’t “work” for them so much as I contribute regular columns for Page 2. I told my wife this the other day, and it’s true: Writing for ESPN.com has brought a lot of my journalistic passion back. For good or bad, it’s a real forum for writing. They give you almost unlimited space, they encourage you to pick different/unusual/quirky topics and they seem to have a when-in-doubt-let’s-trust-the-writer philosophy toward editing. David Schoenfield and Thomas Newman are my primary editors at Page 2, and they’re both joys to write for. I believe in the product.
As for the worst, I’d say I’m still adjusting to the whole idea that I’m working for a television network. I was raised to think of TV as the enemy of print. That line has clearly been blurred, and I probably need to make the mental adjustment a little better.

Q: who quits SI?

PEARLMAN: Uh, me. To be honest, I was very happy at Sports Illustrated from beginning to end. It was an amazing place to work; a dream come true. But I had a real epiphany during the 2001 World Series. I was in the auxiliary press box in right field at Yankee Stadium, and midway through the first inning I started having this really intensive stomach pains. I told Steve Cannella, my friend and colleague, that I had to leave. I took the subway back to my then-girlfriend’s apartment and watched the rest of the game on the couch. That was the night when Tino Martinez hit the homer off of Kim, Yankee Stadium went bonkers—and I was so happy not to be there. I didn’t want to deal with the postgame crush; with the clichéd quotes and clichéd questions. And that’s when it first hit me—if I was happy not to be at a classic World Series game, maybe it was time to take a break from covering baseball.
It had been mounting over that season; a fatigue with the same old storylines of so-and-so overcoming the odds; so-and-so the hot young phenom; is so-and-so manager about the get fired. I was bored, and I didn’t want to look back 20 years later and think, “Why am I still doing this?”
So I left and took a job at Newsday writing non-sports features. It was, in hindsight, the best career move I’ve ever made. Because A. It brought me to Pat Wiedenkeller, the best line editor I’ve ever met; and B. It gradually brought back my love for sports.

Q: was the most rewarding moment of your career when you wrote about the lack of a delaware-delaware st football rivalry … and then they played?

PEARLMAN: No. I’d say the most rewarding moment came immediately after 9/11, when SI put out an APB for story ideas. I wound up writing a one-page profile of a former Columbia basketball player, Tyler Ugolyn, who died in the World Trade Center. I probably can’t explain this without sounding self-righteous, but it was the first time I felt like I was able to write a story with sensitivity and decency, without relying on any journalistic gimmicks or fake, you-think-they’re-real-at-the-time-but-they’re-actually-contrived emotions. When I first called Tyler’s dad, Victor, he said, “I’d rather not talk.” Then, a few minutes later, my phone rang. “I don’t know if I want you to write anything,” he said, “but let me tell you a little about Tyler.” It was so raw and emotional, and I feel like I let the kid’s life speak for itself. And Victor and I remain good friends to this day.

Q: After all those anti-U Delaware pieces you wrote for ESPN.com, did Joe Flacco call you so you could tell him how his ass tastes?

PEARLMAN: He did. I would say like gingerbread, with just a hint of cinnamon.

Q: Delaware is smaller, brings in less tax revenue, and is less populated than Westchester county, NY. Does anyone take anything in the state of Delaware even remotely seriously?

PEARLMAN: No.

Q: how are the women in Nashville?

PEARLMAN: Well, it’s been 12 years since I last lived there. But if things are relatively constant, they’ve still got huge hair.

Q: when you approached Bonds for an interview (or repeated interviews) about the book, what was his reaction? did his ‘handlers’ reject the idea, or him?

PEARLMAN: Initially it was his handlers. Over and over and over again. Then I approached Bonds at his locker in San Francisco. If you’re willing to fork over 38 cents at the Borders’ sales rack, you can learn the details of how it went down. In a nutshell, I nervously tiptoed over, told him what I was doing, and how I felt it journalistically righteous to approach him directly. He shook my hand, said, ‘No thanks’ and turned away. Then I told him how I’d interviewed more than 400 people, including his Cub Scout den mother.
He got sort of loud and said, “Dude, I was never even in the Cub Scouts!” Which was odd, considering I’d interviewed his den mother and about six members of his troop.
Such is Barry.

Q: Mike Lupica is the most unpleasant sportswriter you’ve had the misfortune of working with, right?

PEARLMAN: I’ve never worked with Lupica. Truthfully, I’d say the most unpleasant sportswriter I’ve endured was myself, back in the mid-1990s at The Tennessean, when I was a straight-out-of-college punk who thought he knew everything and could do no wrong. Then, after one factual error after another, I was moved to the cops beat by an editor named Catherine Mayhew. “Don’t worry about flash, don’t worry about style,” she said. “Just get the facts right.”
That moment saved my career.

Q: Who wins the AL Central? And does the winner have a chance in the postseason?

PEARLMAN: Detroit. I don’t care that they’re a .500 team. The White Sox and Twins just don’t blow me away, and I think the Tigers have gotten most of their cruddy play out of the way. They’re the most talented team in that division, and somehow they’ve remained in striking distance. Do they have a chance in the postseason? Not really.

Q: Chances the Brewers sign Sabathia?

PEARLMAN: Slightly worse than the chances of the Brewers signing me.

Q: would you ever wear a pink tie on national television?

PEARLMAN: I almost did. Back in the 1970s—during the George Clinton days—my mom made my dad a tie out of some really, really funky pink-and-black curtain fabric. I stole the tie a few years ago from a cardboard box, and I brought it with me to a taping of Outside the Lines earlier this year. I chickened out at the last second, because it’s the ugliest singular piece of clothing I’ve ever seen. But it’s always a possibility.

Q: describe, in detail, the cafeteria at ESPN’s headquarters. whats the menu like?

PEARLMAN: I am proud to say I’ve never been there. If there’s a pure bliss to my career, it’s that I live as non-corporate a life as one probably can. Whenever I complain, Jon Wertheim of SI says, “Lemme ask you a question—are you wearing shoes right now?” As I write this, sitting in my home office, I’m not.

Q: my fantasy league is debating whether or not to drop total bases and instead go with OPS. your thoughts?

PEARLMAN: My confidence in Fannie Mae is not great right now.

Q: i’m a senior in high school and i’m interested in journalism. am i crazy?

PEARLMAN: Hell, no, you’re not crazy. I’ve loved my career. Absolutely, positively loved it. The places journalism can take you; the things you see; the lives you experience. It has the potential to be a breathtaking journey, whether you’re covering the Yankees, blogging about celebrity gossip for People.com, reviewing movies, travel guiding. You just need to think differently than someone like myself did back in the mid-90s. The longterm goal probably shouldn’t be writing for a newspaper, because newspapers as we know it are—factually—on their last legs. It breaks my heart, but it’s true. So develop the skills that are needed for the modern era. Anything/everything internet and multimedia; being able to put something together in the blink of an eye (rapid story development and execution). So much now is about immediacy—so make that who you are. The joys are still the same. They just come in an unfamiliar package.

Q: you might think will clark was a bigger a-hole than bonds, but at least admit clark had a kick ass batting stance.

PEARLMAN: My favorite all-time stances (in order):
1. George Foster
2. Rickey Henderson
3. Julio Franco
4. Don Mattingly
5. Dan Gladden

But you’re right. The Thrill was cool.

Q: think josh hamilton’s juicing?

PEARLMAN: Absolutely, positively no way. You’re talking about a guy who struggled and struggled and struggled to overcome substance abuse. The odds that he’s now putting illegal substances into his body in order to hit a baseball: Zero. This guy was very near death—baseball is important to him, but not THAT important to him. If nothing else, the man has a perspective far too few ballplayers possess.

Q: i need a few new songs to download. what do you recommend?

PEARLMAN:
1. “Good Day” by Greg Street Presents Nappy Roots
2. “Wishing Well” by Blind Melon
3. “Oh Josephine” by The Black Crowes (not that new anymore, but killer)
Also, a great website, musically, is http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com. Listen to the Travis McCoy episode. Loved it. (stop laughing)

Q: i just had to buy some stamps and they keep getting more expensive. why should i spend money on stamps when i can just email someone for free?

PEARLMAN: I haven’t bought a stamp in six months. But my mom used to work in a prison, and she said some of the inmates would try and melt down the glue on the back and snort it. I’m not saying it’s the best thing to do, but, well, if it’s good enough for the state pen, I reckon it’s good enough for readers of the the big lead.

Q: Would he be content with the John Rocker interview being his lasting legacy?

PEARLMAN: No, no, no, no. That’s probably one of my greatest journalistic fears because, being honest, it’s sort of gone that way. Maybe that’s partially my fault, because I haven’t divorced myself from the whole episode. But it’s not like that was my best story or my favorite story. It was a case where a guy with very, very bad judgment and very, very racist opinions opened up to me, and I just happened to be the reporter on hand. Had Tom Verducci or Steve Cannella been assigned Rocker for SI, one of them would have been “the Rocker guy.” And I’d be serving Slurpees at 7-Eleven.

Q: Does he feel bad/responsible for the turn Rocker’s career took post- SI piece?

PEARLMAN: I always felt bad about the aftermath, because the reaction by baseball was a horrible one. You allow your 600 high-profile employees to speak unfiltered to the media. You push them and push them and push them to be proactive. Do you think all of them are going to be open-minded? Intelligent? Well-spoken and well-versed? So to suspend Rocker, as they did, well, it wasn’t right.
That said, from a personal point of view I have a hard time feeling too badly for Rocker. He’s not a very good guy; he did, factually, refer to his black teammate as “a fat monkey.” And I’ll never forget being in Cleveland a few years later, when he was with the Indians. I was there to profile either Sandy Alomar or Jim Thome, and Rocker followed me around the clubhouse, snapping photos with one of those disposable cameras. He’s cracking up, and teammates are watching him with the, what’s-with-this-dolt? sort of look. It was sad.

Q: If he could be any member of the 86 Mets not named Mookie Wilson, who would he be and why?

PEARLMAN: Easily Ron Darling. Smartest guy on the team, best looking guy on the team, and a key role as “Handsome Li’iBoy” in Shallow Hal.

Q: Has he ever helped Keith Hernandez move?

PEARLMAN: Uh, no.

Q: have you ever solicited financial advice from Lenny Dykstra?

PEARLMAN: Uh, no. But I once did a profile on Vanilla Ice when he was competing in motocross. He told me something I’ve never forgotten. “You know why Hammer lost all his money? Because he invested in horses. But the Ice Man—he invested in land. That’s where it’s at, baby. Land.”

Q: have you ever played a sport? do you think that hinders your ability to write about it?

PEARLMAN: Not sure if this counts, but I ran cross country and track for a year at the University of Delaware. Hasn’t impacted my coverage ability—but I’m usually the fastest guy to the ice cream dispenser in the media lunch room.

Q: and the award for best pregame meal goes to ….

PEARLMAN: Easily, easily, easily Minute Maid Park in Houston. Not even close.

Q: Other than the Rocker confrontation in 2000, have there been any other notable/sweatable confrontations with athletes or story subjects based on whatever you may have wrote about them?

PEARLMAN: Well, Will Clark, my lest-favorite professional athlete, was a true jerk after the Rocker incident. In spring 2000, he called me out in front of the Orioles clubhouse for having the audacity to write the Rocker piece. Then, when the humiliation was over, Delino DeShields called me over and said something like, “Consider the source.”
And Shawn Estes once called me at home to complain about something I wrote. But he was in the right. He felt like I misused the essence of his quotation. It wasn’t intentional, but I was clearly wrong, and apologized.

Q: Are you of the opinion that athletes get the hotter women, or rock stars?

PEARLMAN: I haven’t been around many rock stars, but waiting outside the clubhouse after a baseball game—well, the women are very attractive. And I don’t think they’re writer groupies.

Q: The Tampa Bay Rays will finish with __ victories.

PEARLMAN: 92.

Q: best dugout skirmish you’ve ever seen?

PEARLMAN: Shoot, just happened. Wasn’t in the dugout, but I was standing right there when Shawn Chacon and Ed Wade went at it. Was a truly bizarre scene. I was actually interviewing Drayton McLane, the Houston owner, when I hear this loud noise. People are yelling, ‘F— this’ and ‘f—’ that. I see Chacon storming away, and only later did I realize he was yelling at little Ed Wade.

Q: Who would you rather be: Joe Theismann after the LT hit or Scott Norwood after the field goal miss in the Super Bowl?

PEARLMAN: Scott Norwood, easily. Field goals come and go, but a leg is forever.

Q: What’s your video game nickname? (a la Pacman)

PEARLMAN: Frogger.

Q: You have the last HOF ballot to decide whether Bert Blyleven gets in or not. What way do you vote?

PEARLMAN: I don’t actually have a Hall vote, but I’d vote no. Blyleven was an excellent pitcher—probably the equal of Don Sutton and Phil Niekro. But on my ballot those two guys don’t get in, either. A milestone isn’t a milestone if it’s reached when you’re 432-years old.

Q: you’re an owner of any team in the majors. you can pick any GM to run the show. who’s your guy?

PEARLMAN: Billy Beane

Q: bottom of the ninth, runner on second. you’re facing Mariano. what hitter do you want at the plate?

PEARLMAN: Chase Utley

Q: How much would I have to pay you to spend a look holiday weekend in Florence, south Carolina? Would a free rental car and a free stay at the Holiday Inn be enough to entice you?

PEARLMAN: There are about 30 places I’ve visited in this country that I hope never to see again. Here are five:
1. Gary, Indiana
2. Garden City, N.Y.
3. Tulsa, Ok.
4. Newark, N.J.
5. Brewster, N.Y.

Florence isn’t my favorite. But if the Holida Inn includes wireless and breakfast, and the car is a convertable, I’ll make the trip.

Q: Are you going to watch the new 90210?

PEARLMAN: Only if they bring back Ray Pruitt to teach the new gang how to play guitar at the Peach Pit.

Q: If your story becomes a movie, who plays Jeff Pearlman?

PEARLMAN: John Rocker.

Q: Last good book you read?

PEARLMAN: Unraveling by Lynn Biederman

Q: What, or who, is the biggest fluke in baseball this year? Do the Rays count? A lot of pundits have been predicting this for years.

PEARLMAN: The Marlins. They’ll win 78 games, best-case scenario. The Rays, however, are legit.

Q: When was the last time you got real drunk, and what where you drinking?

PEARLMAN: I haven’t been drunk in eons. But my favorite drunk moment came alongside a good friend, USA Today’s Rick Jervis. We were interns together at The Tennessean, and we went out one night to a bar, Ace of Clubs. We were doing shots—Rick had strength, I had none. Last thing I remember—and this is 15 years ago—is hitting on some girl from Michigan. According to Rick, I passed out on the dance floor shortly thereafter, and the DJ announced, “Will anyone here with Jeff Pearlman please report to the DJ stand and pick him up.”

Q: Who wins the World Series? Don’t be like Buster Olney and pick Cleveland.

PEARLMAN: Boston—again.

Q: Did you wait on line for the iPhone? would you?

PEARLMAN: No, because I don’t want my e-mail coming along with me. I’m not especially important or necessary, so few people are actually trying to contact me on a daily basis. I’m pretty happy with morse code.

Q: Did Willie Randolph get a raw deal or what?

PEARLMAN: Factually, that team wasn’t responding, and wasn’t going to respond. Something clearly carried over from last season, and the results weren’t equaling the talent. I have a ton of respect for Willie, and I hope he gets another shot. But it was time.

Q: Any thoughts on Billy Packer losing his job?

PEARLMAN: I’m a Seth Davis guy (we used to office alongside one another at SI)

And that’s a wrap!