THE BRUCE PEARL/IOWA SCANDAL FOR ZOMBIES

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This is the true story behind the Pearl/Iowa scandal. For twenty-two years, the mass media has mischaracterized the Pearl/Iowa fiasco as a recruiting scandal when, in fact, it is, and always has been, a classic case of stalking. In 1989, then-Iowa assistant coach Bruce Pearl became a frustrated stalker when prize recruit Deon Thomas, a 17- and then 18-year-old kid he had stalked over thousands of hours, spending tens of thousands of dollars, spurned him and his illegal offers. Pearl had spent hundreds of hours just on the telephone, calling Thomas and others at all hours of the day and night, visited him in person in Chicago, tailed Thomas to Europe to watch him play basketball, and hired moles -- people who Pearl thought could persuade this prized-recruit to come to Iowa -- to work on the inside, unbeknownst to Thomas.

.   HELPFUL HINT:  Stay away from Stalkers! Some famous stalkers:
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Many of the things that Pearl did during the Thomas recruitment violated NCAA rules, and all of it was creepy. Satan traveled to Europe to have contact with Deon Thomas on foreign soil, took Thomas and his teammates to the “Red Light” district of Amerstdam, called the teenager after midnight, and made offers of illegal riches to get Thomas and his closest friends and family to come to Iowa. Pearl’s creepiest deception, though, was to enlist Thomas’ “friends” to help in the stalking.


     OTHER RESOURCES:  Illinois counter-charges against Pearl.

Reynaldo Kyles was a school “chum” of Deon Thomas who, though only a junior in high school, Bruce Pearl made a de facto member of the Iowa basketball staff to recruit the McDonald’s All-American. From his Iowa basketball staff budget, Kyles was able to procure transportation, telephone calling privileges, clothing, weekend visits to lovely Iowa City, Iowa, tickets to basketball games and other items. As a junior in high school, Pearl offered Kyles a scholarship to come to Iowa as a “manager.”

Joanna Johnson was the mother of Deon Thomas, and Bruce Pearl obtained a job for her in the financial aid office of a small college. After Deon Thomas signed to play at Illinois, Ms. Johnson lost her job.

Bernice McGary was the Grandmother of Deon Thomas, and Bruce Pearl offered to fix up her house in order to continue his stalking of her Grandson. Pearl did not deny this offer when he was asked about it.

Latisha Scott (senior at Julian H.S.) was Deon Thomas’ girlfriend and another person Pearl tried to manipulate to get to Thomas.

Avery Stallings, Antoine Johnson, Jackie Crawford and others were teammates of Deon Thomas, and Pearl attempted to get in good with them by bribing them with food, clothing and entertainment.

.   OTHER RESOURCES:  A Deadspin article that doesn't suck at all.

There are portions of a transcript of telephone conversations recorded by Bruce Pearl, allegedly involving Deon Thomas. Bruce Pearl also recorded telephone conversations with Thomas on other occasions, as well as many other people in this stalking, including Deon Thomas’ little brother. Just one tape out of all these tapes had what Pearl claimed to be evidence that Thomas had been offered $80,000.00 and a Chevy Blazer to come to Illinois. The transcript and tape were unacceptable as evidence for a myriad of reasons, though, including gaps in the tape, the fact that the original was never handed over, the fact that Pearl made this particular call after midnight during a 48-hour period in which he had harassed the teenager with eight other telephone calls, etc.... Deon Thomas made a mistake that many make with stalkers -- don’t talk to them. Thomas agreed with the post-midnight-leading questions that Pearl harassed him with over the phone -- just to get him to finally give up and get out of his life.


    HELPFUL HINT:  Don’t talk to stalkers!


PEARL’S INCENTIVE TO LIE:  As an assistant coach, Bruce Pearl had to recruit basketball players. He had spent thousands of hours, tens of thousands of dollars, flew across the globe, had developed a huge network of secret “moles,“ and had violated countless NCAA rules to get to Deon Thomas. But his affection was unrequited. Even after turning in Thomas and the University of Illinois on trumped up charges, Pearl still believed that his desire for Thomas would somehow be fulfilled. In a “Confidential Memo” Pearl sent to staffers in the Iowa Athletic Department, Satan actually (and quite insanely) wrote:  “The University of Iowa must remain nameless or we’ll lose any chance of Deon coming to Iowa.” This is an artist’s rendition of an insane Bruce Pearl in a straightjacket:

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.   OTHER RESOURCES:  Stay tuned for Part II, below, including, “10 Proofs That Pearl Lied.”


WARNING:  The opinions expressed herein are stupid and should not be tolerated. No rights reserved. The unauthorized use of this material, or any portion thereof, is hereby authorized. This is a work of friction. The people, places, events and transactions depicted within are frictitious. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, or real places or events is purely transcendental, man.