Pearl's Situation and the State of College Sports

[Col. Bleep]

Whatever you think...it's an important issue for college sports fans.
But under the circumstances it's sad to see Pearl as the basis for the argument.

http://nypost.com/2016/01/25/how-pearl-washingtons-sad-story-shows-how-we-dispose-of-ncaa-stars/

 

[Toga]

Whatever you think...it's an important issue for college sports fans.
But under the circumstances it's sad to see Pearl as the basis for the argument.

http://nypost.com/2016/01/25/how-pearl-washingtons-sad-story-shows-how-we-dispose-of-ncaa-stars/

I'm afraid I'm responsible for this travesty. Couple of days ago I emailed Mike Vaccaro of the Post to advise him of Pearl's situation and the Go Fund Me website. I picked Vaccaro because I knew he had written articles in the past about Pearl. Was hoping to get the donation site some pub. He wrote back - a very nice - short email. Looks like he gave that tool Mushnick the info. Mushnick then does his whole negative thing using Pearl as the poster boy. Both Mushnick and Vaccaro have received some unpleasant emails this morning. My bad.

 

[retro44]

I'm afraid I'm responsible for this travesty. Couple of days ago I emailed Mike Vaccaro of the Post to advise him of Pearl's situation and the Go Fund Me website. I picked Vaccaro because I knew he had written articles in the past about Pearl. Was hoping to get the donation site some pub. He wrote back - a very nice - short email. Looks like he gave that tool Mushnick the info. Mushnick then does his whole negative thing using Pearl as the poster boy. Both Mushnick and Vaccaro have received some unpleasant emails this morning. My bad.

You did right...no worries from us.

 

[br801]

Mushnick conflating Pearl's plight with the education he received at SU is way out of bounds and in poor taste.

Many people confronted by tremendous medical expenses have their assets depleted despite having health insurance and significant savings and successful careers. I find it hard to believe Mushnick doesn't know this.

 

[cuseattle]

The tone of that article made me angry. You did nothing wrong Toga.

 

[jec1521]

What a terrible article. It's almost as if the writer was stating that SU was somehow responsible for his health situation, and won't do anything about it

Get well pearl.

 

[MSOrange]

That's just horrible. No mention that Pearl came back to get his degree and was studying for his master's degree. Phil Mushnick is a terrible person - not just from this article either. I've read several.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

JB is going to be pissed when he gets ahold of that article. Does he already hate this idiot?

(this was not pointed at you Toga - you did a very admirable thing that got twisted by a jerk with an agenda)

 

[cto]

That article made me very angry. Mushnick uses Pearl as a convenient "example" to write about an issue that apparently bothers him. The problem is .... it is not a good example. Pearl is not homeless or destitute or friendless. He has a home, he has a fiancee, he has friends, and he had a job until the cancer returned this summer. He also has the love of an entire community.

I was with Pearl at an event in the 1000 Islands this summer, one week before the recurrence of his brain cancer. He was the guest of Jim Boeheim at the event, and he definitely was not destitute or friendless. He was surrounded by people who adored him and cared about him.

Brandon Steiner, who is a warm-hearted and very generous human being, become aware that Pearl needed things that were not covered by medical insurance. Very expensive things. And he launched the fund-raising campaign because he knew there would be many people who would want to help. So far, more than 500 people have responded. (And Brandon would probably not want me to say this, but he personally gave considerable aid to Pearl before starting the public campaign).

If Pearl had been abandoned by SU and the people around it, those hundreds of people would not be reaching out to help him. And he would not have been JB's guest at a very nice party in the 1000 Islands.

 

[br801]

I'm afraid I'm responsible for this travesty. Couple of days ago I emailed Mike Vaccaro of the Post to advise him of Pearl's situation and the Go Fund Me website. I picked Vaccaro because I knew he had written articles in the past about Pearl. Was hoping to get the donation site some pub. He wrote back - a very nice - short email. Looks like he gave that tool Mushnick the info. Mushnick then does his whole negative thing using Pearl as the poster boy. Both Mushnick and Vaccaro have received some unpleasant emails this morning. My bad.

Mushnick has had a hardon for SU and the athletic department for a long time. Nothing you did led to him creating that piece of garbage.

 

[br801]

That's just horrible. No mention that Pearl came back to get his degree and was studying for his master's degree. Phil Mushnick is a terrible person - not just from this article either. I've read several.

He assumed he knew what Pearl's situation was all about, but clearly didn't bother to actually find out anything about his life. Mushnick is awful on many levels.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I'm afraid I'm responsible for this travesty. Couple of days ago I emailed Mike Vaccaro of the Post to advise him of Pearl's situation and the Go Fund Me website. I picked Vaccaro because I knew he had written articles in the past about Pearl. Was hoping to get the donation site some pub. He wrote back - a very nice - short email. Looks like he gave that tool Mushnick the info. Mushnick then does his whole negative thing using Pearl as the poster boy. Both Mushnick and Vaccaro have received some unpleasant emails this morning. My bad.

Medical Bills are the #1 cause of bankruptcies in this country. For Mushnick to assume he didn't have health insurance was a bad assumption. And, even with health insurance, illnesses can still be a tremendous financial drain.

And, since when do universities have an obligation to pay for health insurance for life for former students?

I would say that I am surprised that a journalist would write such trash but, considering what he writes for, calling Mushnick a "journalist" is playing fast and loose with the term...

You did nothing wrong.

 

[CusefanATL]

I'm afraid I'm responsible for this travesty. Couple of days ago I emailed Mike Vaccaro of the Post to advise him of Pearl's situation and the Go Fund Me website. I picked Vaccaro because I knew he had written articles in the past about Pearl. Was hoping to get the donation site some pub. He wrote back - a very nice - short email. Looks like he gave that tool Mushnick the info. Mushnick then does his whole negative thing using Pearl as the poster boy. Both Mushnick and Vaccaro have received some unpleasant emails this morning. My bad.

Please don't feel bad for doing the right thing and having people twist it around to serve their own purposes. They may have already or probably would have found it with or without your email.

The sad thing is Pearl at least from my point of view was always welcomed at any Syracuse function with open arms and the fans literally opened their arms to him. I dont believe i have ever seen any former player give more hugs to fans than pearl.

I am lucky enough to have met pearl a half dozen times. I was a little more star struck each time.

Some people have money, Pearl has power (and maybe even some money too, i'm not in his pocket book). And like my friend Frank Underwood once said "Money is like the mcmansion in Sarasota thats starts falling apart after 10 years. Power is the stone building that stands for centuries"

I don't want to put words into Pearls mouth (like the NYP basically did) but Pearl was very loved by the Syracuse community.

 

[Millhouse]

That article made me very angry. Mushnick uses Pearl as a convenient "example" to write about an issue that apparently bothers him. The problem is ... it is not a good example. Pearl is not homeless or destitute or friendless. He has a home, he has a fiancee, he has friends, and he had a job until the cancer returned this summer. He also has the love of an entire community.

I was with Pearl at an event in the 1000 Islands this summer, one week before the recurrence of his brain cancer. He was the guest of Jim Boeheim at the event, and he definitely was not destitute or friendless. He was surrounded by people who adored him and cared about him.

Brandon Steiner, who is a warm-hearted and very generous human being, become aware that Pearl needed things that were not covered by medical insurance. Very expensive things. And he launched the fund-raising campaign because he knew there would be many people who would want to help. So far, more than 500 people have responded. (And Brandon would probably not want me to say this, but he personally gave considerable aid to Pearl before starting the public campaign).

If Pearl had been abandoned by SU and the people around it, those hundreds of people would not be reaching out to help him. And he would not have been JB's guest at a very nice party in the 1000 Islands.

Hopefully Bilas is aware of this whole situation with Mushnick.

 

[Cheriehoop]

He assumed he knew what Pearl's situation was all about, but clearly didn't bother to actually find out anything about his life. Mushnick is awful on many levels.

Hope someone in the media takes him to task for exploiting a devastating health issue for a beloved player for his own selfish reasons. Absolutely irresponsible, unethical and cruel to do this to Pearl and those who love him.

 

[orangefog]

It's pretty clear that the facts of Pearl's situation do not suit the story that this a-hole wanted to write, so he might as well make them up. And, he won't be held accountable for his misinformation.

 

[MSOrange]

No mention either about how Syracuse supported Eric Devendorf, Mookie Jones and Derrick Coleman as they came back to earn their degrees either. This just infuriates me.

 

[Toga]

"Someone" from the Post just emailed me and characterized Mushnick's column as utterly appalling.

 

[cuseattle]

"Someone" from the Post just emailed me and characterized Mushnick's column as utterly appalling.

That's a start.

 

[Alsacs]

Mushnick is a cynic about every single thing he writes about. His act is old and he writes contrarian takes to sound like he is perfect. That piece is such a joke. Responding is what Mushnick wants.

 

[Cheriehoop]

That article made me very angry. Mushnick uses Pearl as a convenient "example" to write about an issue that apparently bothers him. The problem is ... it is not a good example. Pearl is not homeless or destitute or friendless. He has a home, he has a fiancee, he has friends, and he had a job until the cancer returned this summer. He also has the love of an entire community.

I was with Pearl at an event in the 1000 Islands this summer, one week before the recurrence of his brain cancer. He was the guest of Jim Boeheim at the event, and he definitely was not destitute or friendless. He was surrounded by people who adored him and cared about him.

Brandon Steiner, who is a warm-hearted and very generous human being, become aware that Pearl needed things that were not covered by medical insurance. Very expensive things. And he launched the fund-raising campaign because he knew there would be many people who would want to help. So far, more than 500 people have responded. (And Brandon would probably not want me to say this, but he personally gave considerable aid to Pearl before starting the public campaign).

If Pearl had been abandoned by SU and the people around it, those hundreds of people would not be reaching out to help him. And he would not have been JB's guest at a very nice party in the 1000 Islands.

So true. Hell, Pearl was even in Syracuse having attending a game when his relapse was discovered at a Syracuse hospital. He was transferred from Syracuse to New York City to be near his family. Horrible indictment of some of the media's irresponsibility and dismissal of caring about the truth. The media needs to monitor and hold members accountable or they contribute to the public's increasing lack of respect for their profession. The truth really should matter.

 

[orange79]

He assumed he knew what Pearl's situation was all about, but clearly didn't bother to actually find out anything about his life. Mushnick is awful on many levels.

And has been for many, many years. Still not sure how he still has a job. Incriminating pictures, I guess :noidea:

 

[Col. Bleep]

It's pretty clear that the facts of Pearl's situation do not suit the story

That's the problem with the column.
I happen to agree with Mushnick on a lot of what he writes (albeit incessantly on the same topics).
Not this time.

There are plenty of examples of players "exploited" and "abandoned" by their schools.
He took Pearl's case as an example of the issue...but apparently did so without any fact checking.
Didn't even mention that Brandon Steiner is a force behind the GoFundMe.

 

[capeorange]

I'm afraid I'm responsible for this travesty. Couple of days ago I emailed Mike Vaccaro of the Post to advise him of Pearl's situation and the Go Fund Me website. I picked Vaccaro because I knew he had written articles in the past about Pearl. Was hoping to get the donation site some pub. He wrote back - a very nice - short email. Looks like he gave that tool Mushnick the info. Mushnick then does his whole negative thing using Pearl as the poster boy. Both Mushnick and Vaccaro have received some unpleasant emails this morning. My bad.

Thank you for trying to help Pearl. Mushnick should be ashamed and embarrassed for taking Pearl's story and poor health out of context to promote his personal agenda.

 

[SWC75]

Mushnick in 1993 advocated that the NCAA "get rid of cheaters like Boeheim". He ignored the actual facts then, too.

 

[MikeSU02]

I loathe the NCAA and think players should be given more of the pot, but this is absurd.

It's such an inappropriate conflation that it's infuriating.

Not only that, and obviously not nearly as dire, his other point about Cardale Jones where he writes:

As Ohio State QB Cardale Jones tweeted, “Why should we have to go to classes if we came here to play football, we ain’t come to play school.”

However you feel about that statement or Cardale, later on, Cardale recanted that statement, apologized and talked about the importance of an education. Talked about learning from his mistakes.

The crazy thing is, there are PLENTY of real examples to help support Mushnick's case if he actually gave a d@mn about doing the diligence and putting together a thoughtful piece.

Sad. I hope Pearl's time on Earth can be enjoyed while not being hijacked for another's misguided diatribes.