Jeff Goodman of FOX Sports, a shooting-fish-in-a-barrel enthusiast, dug up some dirt on the University of Memphis’s courtship of elite point guard prospect Abdul Gaddy. The short version: Gaddy’s mom works in a FedEx call center. FedEx CEO David Bronczek, a huge Memphis booster, called Ms. Gaddy to talk about her son, the elite point guard prospect, and to lie say nice things about Memphis coach John Calipari.

This is an NCAA violation, of course. It falls in the same class as paying for a prospect’s mountain bike and eating a peanut butter sandwich after 2 p.m. on Tuesdays. Thus, as Goodman notes, Gaddy could be barred from receiving an athletic scholarship from Memphis.

A big deal has been made of all this, as Calipari has a shady reputation and Memphis seems to get mixed up in recruiting trouble frequently. Bronczek screwed up tremendously this time … but I just can’t get too worked up. In the grand rodeo of NCAA recruiting violations, is a situation where apparently no money or favors are offered really that bad? Maybe there’s a slippery slope, where something like this could lead to “send your kid to Memphis or you’re fired,” but I’m not seeing it.

Of course, it’s a minor victory for the NCAA to track down a recruiting violation before the kid has left for the NBA. (See: O.J. Mayo, Darrell Arthur etc.)

Tags: Fedex

Did you know that according to recent research from Quality Education Data Inc., teachers for kindergarten through grade 12 spend an average of $475 each year on classroom materials? Even more is spent by elementary teachers, who annually use their own money to purchase an average of $539 in products for the classroom. In response to this burden on America’s teachers, faculty members and administrators, FedEx Office, formerly known as FedEx Kinko’s, is proud to announce the reintroduction of its National Educator Discount Program.

The FedEx Office National Educator Discount Program is an initiative offering registered teachers a 15 percent discount on most products and services in FedEx Office Print and Ship Centers around the country and online. The reintroduction of the program comes just in time, as teachers around the country prepare to return to the classroom and stock their supply closets. In addition to the 15 percent discount, educators who register for the program between now and Sept. 30, 2008, will also receive 1,000 bonus points in their My FedEx Rewards account. Eligible products and services at FedEx Office Print and Ship Centers earn rewards points that can be redeemed for valuable items, including office equipment, gift cards and electronics.
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How to Register

To access the discount, teachers, faculty members and school administrators can visit http://www.fedex.com/teacher. After registering, a National Educator Discount card will be mailed in seven to 10 business days. The card can be used immediately in FedEx Office centers and online for all eligible purchases.

FedEx and Teach For America

The reintroduction of this savings program is an extension of our ongoing corporate commitment to America’s educators. In April 2008, we granted a four-year, $1 million grant to Teach For America supporting its efforts to increase diversity amongst corps members. By 2010, Teach For America aims for at least 33 percent of its corps to be members of diverse ethnic backgrounds, up from 28 percent currently.

Tags: Fedex