As I predicted, Memphis freshman center Kareem Cooper was suspended yesterday for his possession arrest early Monday morning. This is the right thing to do. You have to send a message through some form of punishment, but dismissal would have been too severe.

What the public won't see or understand is the punishment Cooper will receive in practice. There's a reason coach John Calipari is allowing him to practice with the team. First, it keeps him in game shape. But second, it allows the coaches to remind him of the doghouse he is in.

Coach Cal & the University of Memphis did the right thing.

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College football coaches are taking advantage of technology in the battles of recruiting. Todd Willis of the Dallas Morning News writes this morning about the latest craze: cell phone text messaging. As Willis explains, "NCAA rules limit the number of times a coach can call a recruit. During a so-called "dead period," a coach may make no more than one phone call a week per recruit. But nothing stops a coach from texting "U can call me later" to a recruit and getting a call back."

It seems a rule adjustment by the NCAA in 2004 looks at text messages from a cell phone the same as an e-mail, fax or instant message & those are not limited.

I was hesitant to come into the text-messaging world. My wife on the other hand, lives by it. She purchased a plan allowing it on my cell phone & we use it to communicate regularly, especially if I am on-the-air or don't want to chance calling my house & waking up my almost two-year old.

But for recruiting? You have to hand it to coaches for staying up on the latest fad with teens, but where do you draw the line? Then again, if a recruit grows tired on the constant messaging he can just ignore the... or even turn the phone off.

Welcome to 2006.

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Georgia football coach Mark Richt is expected to receive a contract extension & raise today. Richt is currently trhee years into an eight-year deal paying him $1.5 million annually. Today, that puts him the middle of the pack in pay to SEC coaches, as Auburn's Tommy Tuberville, UT's Phillip Fulmer & Florida's Urban Meyer make $2 million or more.

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UCF coach George O'Leary is on the verge of inking an extension with the Golden Knights. There's no specific dollar figure just yet, but AD Steve Orsini says they will make it lucrative enough to wear O'Leary will want to retire there.

The coach currently makes $720,000 a year, plus bonuses, which puts him towards to top of CUSA in football coaches salaries.

Meanwhile, no surprise, UCF is expected to LOSE money from participating in the Hawaii Bowl.

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While on the subject of coaches & raises & extensions: Houston's Art Briles had two years added on to the end of his contract with the Cougars. His deal now runs through 2010.

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So Ron Artest has nixed his trade from Indiana to Sacramento. Makes sense, right? The guy who missed most of last season after creating one of the most embarrassing moments in professional sports feels he has leverage.

Mark Stevens is Artest's agent. In a statement to Steven A. Smith Tuesday night, Stevens wrote:

"Ron Artest did not want to be traded to Sacramento weeks ago, and he does not want to be traded to Sacramento now. Basketball is Ron Artest's passion. In order for Ron to fully demonstrate his natural skills and abilities, to the best of his abilities, he not only must be in an environment that is conducive to his growth an development as a player, he must also ensure that his family is happy and content as well. Ron does not believe that will be the case if he were in Sacramento. Period. However, as mentioned earlier, Ron is deeply committed to the sport of basketball and desperately misses playing the game he loves. If the trade is made he will play for his new team, regardless of how he may feel about it."

Artest is set to meet with the Pacers' front office this morning.

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The New Yord Daily News reports this morning that Knicks president Isiah Thomas has been hit with allegations of sexual harassment. According to the paper:

Anucha Browne Sanders, the team's former high-profile senior vice president of marketing, filed papers against the hoops great in Manhattan Federal Court yesterday - claiming Thomas called her a "b----" and asked her to have sex.

She said when she refused his advances, the 44-year-old married father replied: "What? I can't get any love today?"

Thomas' lawyer calls the plaintiff an opportunist looking to extort money.

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It's funny to read the crying & moaning from a handful of columnists around the country upset the media allowed the NFC & AFC Championships to overshadow Kobe Bryant's 81-point performance against Toronto. Oh the horror that Sports Illustrated put Shaun Alexander on the cover, instead of Kobe!

What Kobe did was noteworthy, but it was a regular-season game; the NFL games were the "Final Four" of the sport. It doesn't matter if both games were decided before the fourth quarter, the NFL is bigger news. Period.

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The season is barely past the half-way point, but the college basketball coaching rumors are swirling. The latest has Wake Forest's Skip Prosser going to Cincinatti; John Beilein of West Virginia replaicing Prosser; former Cinci coach Bob Huggins taking over Beilein at WVU, Huggy's alma mater.

Where there's smoke, I believe there is fire. Too many columnists & TV talking heads are describing this scenario.

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Congratulations to Memphian Loren Roberts & his win last weekend on the PGA Senior Tour. He's one of the good guys of professional sports. And in only his seventh senior event, he has already eclipsed the million-dollar mark.

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Music quote of the day:

"And I'm free, free fallin'
Yeah I'm free, free fallin'"

Tom Petty - "Free Fallin'"