Missouri Manages To Screw Up Throwing Out Cell Phones

When your school is trying to raise money, sell cookies or something. Don't sell your coaches' old mobile phones. And if you must, make sure the address books and text messages have been erased. I'm looking at you, Mizzou.

Mike Bellman paid $190 for a box of 25 old phones at a University of Missouri surplus sale, and looky looky what he found.

One cell phone, a Sprint Treo, belonged to MU basketball Coach Mike Anderson, according to Bellman's online inventory. Photos of the phone's screen show text messages between Anderson and MU football Coach Gary Pinkel and Athletics Director Mike Alden. The messages appear to be well wishes for upcoming games and congratulations after victories.

Other phones from assistant coaches and Athletics Department staff have hundreds of contact phone numbers, e-mail messages and text messages.

This being America, Bellman is offering the phones as "collector's items" for $3,000, and plans to put them up on eBay. MU asked for them back; he refused. MU offered to wipe them of any personal data; "it would be impossible to delete information from some of the phones because they're damaged or because doing so requires special codes," he said, lying through his teeth.

Surplus Phones Have MU Sports Messages [Columbia Daily Tribune]