The NEW YORK TIMES has a piece today on Tommy Amaker as he plumbs the depths of the bowels of college basketball at Harvard. Amaker is in his first year coaching the astonishingly, historically-inept Crimson (they’ve never won an Ivy League title?) .

Now, we know what a wonderfully mediocre head coach T.A. was in his previous stops at Michigan and Seton Hall. But Pete Thamel of the NEW YORK TIMES reports that he may have somehow eclipsed that futility at Harvard, by committing NCAA recruiting violations at the scholarship-free institution. Read more…

We’re *pissed* that Scott Van Pelt’s not starring in “Semi-Pro” instead of Will Ferrell - and we don’t have to apologize for saying so.

• The Broncos may have been Belichick-ing the Chargers, as a report revealed that Denver was spying on San Diego:

• Manny Ramirez sox it to his agent, then gets on board with Boras.

• ‘Love Boat’ louse & ex-Hurricane Bryant McKinnie blows into Miami, causing a seastorm of spitting & obscenities outside a nightclub.

• Congress is pitching to put Roger Clemens under investigation for perjury.

Read more…

Days after accepting a $750,000 buyout from Indiana University in the wake of accusations he lied to NCAA officials about phone-related recruiting violations, the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES reports Kelvin Sampson has been seen texting his former Hoosier players.

Jay Mariotti has an anecdote that includes Sampson texting IU’s Armon Barrett - as the columnist paints a scene of torn player loyalty that may well have an effect the team’s performance.
Read more…

Dan Dakich’s career is off to an ominous start. The INDIANAPOLIS STAR reports that six Indiana players didn’t show up for the interim coach’s first practice Friday afternoon.

The boycott - by D.J. White, Armon Bassett, Jordan Crawford, Jamarcus Ellis, DeAndre Thomas and Brandon McGee - was over Kelvin Sampson’s resignation, and the promotion of Dakich over fellow assistant Ryan McCallum, who was the more popular choice among the players.

Does this mean the Hoosiers won’t be showing up in Evanston on Saturday against Northwestern? (As an NU alum, a forfeit win is still a win - especially when your Big Ten win column contains a big fat zero.) Read more…

Good news for Kelvin Sampson! The Indiana coach won’t be suspended by the school - because he’s resigned from the Hoosiers.

The INDIANAPOLIS STAR reports that Sampson accepted a $750,000 buyout and turned in his coach’s whistle Friday evening. As part of the buyout, Sampson will not sue the university over his job loss. Assistant Dan Dakich will take over as interim coach.

So, are the Hoosiers’ players gonna pull a Chitwood and not show up against Northwestern on Saturday?

Garry Parrish of CBSSports.com reports today that IU players walked out on Athletic Director Rick Greenspan when he tried to tell them that Hoosiers basketball coach Kelvin Sampson was going to be fired.

One player reportedly said to Greenspan before the exit en masse: “We don’t care what you do. But if Sampson ain’t coaching, we ain’t playing.” Read more…

An announcement on Kelvin Sampson’s fate at Indiana will come later this afternoon. The coach does not know what it is, but his fate is sealed, according to Indiana AD Rick Greenspan (whose colleague is obviously not familiar with the works of Ray Bradbury and others).

ESPN’s Andy Katz has the details. Read more…

• ON THE BASELINE serves up word that Maria Sharapova’s promise of a new tennis facility may have been the victim of a Vietnamese joke.

• ESPN’s HASHMARKS knows of one NFL combine combatant not afraid to get his Kenny Chesney on.

• PRO FOOTBALL TALK hikes over word that the Saints have made an offer to Zach Thomas.

• JOE SPORTS FAN needs a friend, as Kelvin Sampson is pretty unpopular with Facebook users.

Read more…

• Cowboys fans can keep cringing, as Tony Romo & Jessica Simpson could soon be tying the knot:

• Shaq & Kidd’s new team debuts could have gone better.

• Amani Toomer doesn’t really Hail to the Victors much these days.

• The Lakers’ Coby Karl had a busy Tuesday, playing two pro basketball games back to back.

Read more…

Jeff Goodman of FOXSports.com reports today that Indiana Coach Kelvin “Sampson was informed early Thursday that he will no longer be the coach at Indiana, numerous sources told FOXSports.com.”

“The official announcement is expected to come Friday, when the university’s self-imposed seven-day investigation period ends. When asked to confirm Sampson’s firing, Indiana director of media relations J.D. Campbell told FOXSports.com, ‘I don’t know that to be true.’”

WTHR in Indianapolis also reports Sampson is officially out and his replacement for the rest of the season will be assistant coach Dan Dakich.

Now IU fans are hoping Dakich will soon become shades of Steve Fisher.