His Florida International team got blown out of Tulsa yesterday, losing 81-49 to the Golden Hurricane, its third double-digit loss in three games. But the story, as always, was Isiah. Midway through the second half, it seems, Thomas gestured testily toward Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik in what I assume was standard coaching semaphore for, "Pull your goddamn starters; a few more blowouts like this, and I'll never get that DePaul job." Minutes later, according to the Associated Press, he began yelling at Wojcik. Wojcik merely shrugged.

"It's a 40-minute game. If you want the truth of it, go back to the (North) Carolina game Monday night, when Carolina was pressing them with 3 minutes left," Wojcik said, referring to FIU's 88-72 loss at North Carolina. "I don't press, and I don't embarrass anybody. But it's a 40-minute game, and I'm in this game to get better.

"I've never seen anything like that. It was very bizarre."

If there's a better epitaph for Isiah Thomas' post-playing career, I've yet to hear it.

Tulsa's Doug Wojcik at odds with Florida International's Isiah Thomas [AP]

FIU was invited to the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament because the big schools always need a gimme to open up their schedule. So while the Golden Panthers were more than content to lose to Ohio State in Thomas' coaching debut, they're none too happy about being scheduled to lose to North Carolina.

The new FIU coach had sounded excited to play an elite team, but apparently not too elite:

Big Ten country," he said [earlier this month]. "If at some point and time you're going to be able to compete with the big boys, you might as well jump right into the fire and get started."

Thomas said he was completely caught off-guard by the switch.

"I had no idea," he said. "No one contacted me, our athletic director, no one. Maybe in 2010, 2011 we can play North Carolina, but not this year."

They had signed a contract that stipulated FIU would play either the Buckeyes or the Tarheels, but were under the impression that it would be OSU. They were in for a surprise when UNC released their schedule today, with FIU first on the docket. Now they're threatening to pull out of the tournament, which behooves me to remind you of two things: they signed a contract, and they're threatening to boycott a tournament that benefits cancer research.

I would be stunned if Isiah Thomas' first act as a head coach was to break a contract," [the tournament organizer] said.

Obviously he hasn't followed Isiah Thomas' career too closely.

FIU Wants To Open Vs. Ohio State [ESPN.com]

I'm sure Isiah Thomas had his reasons for going back on a promise made by the previous administration. Could it be because there are now so many blue chippers flocking to Miami begging for a spot in his dream factory? Plus, I'm sure Chris hadn't made any plans for the fall or anything. The good news is that Rozier was fortunate enough to find another available scholarship, at his hometown school of Jacksonville University, which also means he will never have to use basketball as his one ticket out of the swampy dead-end town that he grew up in. What a relief!

Wolfson basketball coach Bruce Rosebrock was bothered by the way FIU handled Rozier's recruitment at the end.

"I think it could have been handled more professional, especially when you consider the people involved are supposed to be professionals," Rosebrock said. "I've gotten calls from several college coaches apologizing for the way that Chris was treated by FIU. They were apologizing for their profession."

A spokesman at FIU said Thomas was assembling his staff and was unavailable for comment.

So Rozier won't get to play for Isiah Thomas. Tough break ... or the luckiest break of all time?

Wolfson's Rozier to sign with Jacksonville University after FIU reversal [Jacksonville Times-Union]
Wolfson's Rozier to sign with Jacksonville [FHSAA Sports]

Let's take a look at what Isiah Thomas' credentials are to run a college basketball team. None. He played two years for Bobby Knight almost 30 years ago and, for all we know, hasn't set foot on a college campus since. He was a lousy coach in the pros, taking a conference champion to a .500 record and three straight first-round playoff defeats. He has never given the slightest indication that he would be anything but mediocre on the bench.

But he's more of an executive type, right? His experience can probably straighten out a troubled organization? Except in that department he's even worse. He ruined both a historically proud NBA franchise and a completely unblemished one, and also single-handedly bankrupted an entire league. He's been a total disaster in any sort of management role that he's had.

His basketball resume alone should disqualify him from ever getting another job in the sport again, but that's before we even get to his numerous off-the-court issues. There was the $11 million sexual harassment lawsuit, other accusations of racism, misogyny, general jerkiness, and ... oh yeah ... the man (probably) overdosed on sleeping pills and then tried to claim that it was his daughter who got carted away in an ambulance. That was six months ago. How has everyone forgotten about that?

Will Florida International get better? It would be hard not to. They're a lousy team in a lousy conference, but Isiah's presence alone will probably get them a game or two on ESPN and more interest from top recruits. The one good thing that everyone always says about Thomas is that he has a knack for finding talent, which I guess is not untrue. But do you really think he's interested in flying around the country and eating meatloaf in the living rooms of high school kids? Or even opening the NCAA rule book? I guarantee you he leaves that school with at least one major recruiting violation. FIU is selling their soul and they know it, but what do they really have to lose?

Oh, and his popcorn his terrible.

Former New York Knicks president and coach Isiah Thomas named coach at Florida International [NJ Star-Ledger]

On the FIU campus yesterday, they held some sort of pep rally for the Golden Panthers, and a Deadspin reader attended. Here's his report:

As a student of FIU, there is no game we looked forward to last year more than the UM game. It obviously didn't disappoint anyone in attendance last year. It was right up there with the Marlins World Series games as the greatest sports games I ever attended.

So this year obviously there was a big demand for tickets and once again a lot of hype surrounding the game. To try to get the FIU faithful ready and excited for this game, the FIU Football team decided to have an autograph signing in the bookstore, which had a number of players and coaches. Obviously when i heard about this I rushed to get into my FIU gear hoping to meet the school hero that is A'mod Ned. With nothing but hope on my side, I tried to get my crutches to fake an injury to try and get Ned to sign one if he was there. No dice: I couldn't find my crutches but put on my goldrush shirt to get in the mood.

He ended up being there along with some defensive players and the back up kicker, who, when we asked a bookstore employee why he was there, said he had heard about the signing and was hanging out there pathetically, and the coach felt bad, so told him to sign things.

Well, whatever ... look, there's Ned! We hope he runs for 300 yards and pulls off the upset.

It's on!

Florida International faces The U on Saturday in a rematch of the famous "hell 2 da nah" brawl from last year. Lamar Thomas, having been fired for last year's debacle, sadly won't be there, but Ned will be ... he's actually the Golden Panthers' starting running back. (The crutches, sadly, are also gone.)

They say there's not going to be a fight this time. We can only hope and pray that they are wrong.

UM, FIU Coaches Step Up To Ensure Brawl Won't Occur Again [Orlando Sentinel]
Deadspin Hall Of Fame: Ned [Deadspin]

So it may not come as a surprise to anyone that more suspensions have come down following the steel cage match between the University of Miami and Florida International football teams on Saturday. A total of 31 players have been dinged — and must sit out their respective games this weekend — 18 from FIU, and 13 from Miami. You've likely seen the video, witnessing the carnage yourself. (Why is everyone pounding on the Miami placekick holder?) But were you paying attention to the audio portion of the proceedings?

As the fight unfolded, color analyst Lamar Thomas seemed to be as fired up as the players, at one point exclaiming "I feel like taking the elevator down to the field and getting involved myself!" Thomas went on: "You don't come into our house talking smack!" And so forth. Because that's what a play-by-play commentator wants from his partner, to be able to look down on the field and see him brawling with the players.

Anyway, we got a couple of e-mails asking the musical question: "Is that the same Lamar Thomas who played for the Hurricanes and the Dolphins?" Yep. And he wasn't exactly a solid citizen. Thomas' rap sheet includes:

• Arrested and jailed for aggravated battery for attacking his pregnant fiancee with a deadly weapon.

• Arrested for violating probation.

• Detained for brandishing a handgun and threatening suicide, prompting authorities to check him in to a mental institution.

• Did jail time for again violating probation related to the battery charges, when he was arrested for choking
his fiancee. His six-month old son was present at the scene.

But don't forget that it was also Thomas who was the victim of "The Strip," shown in the video above, in which Alabama's George Teague ran him down and took the ball just as Thomas was about to score a touchdown for Miami in the 1993 Sugar Bowl. Perhaps this is the source of the pent-up rage?

Well, at least Thomas didn't make a joke about Lou Piniella stealing his wallet. Now that would have been serious.

School Officials Suspend 31 Miami, FIU Players [MSNBC]
The Only Thing Dumber Than Swinging A Helmet Is Not Wearing One [Deadspin]

(UPDATE: Thomas is going to be "disciplined," and they're not sure what that means yet.)

(SECOND UPDATE: Thomas has been fired. And we'll see how long that YouTube video lasts, for that matter.)