While Tennessee Head Coach Phil Fulmer probably likes being being served certain things, like a whole roast turkey and a bucket of mashed potatoes for example, he probably didn't appreciate being served a subpeona to testify in a defamation suit against the NCAA.In 2002, following a fairly lengthy and secretive investigation, the NCAA's Committee on Infractions handed down some of the most severe penalties in decades. To say that a certain sect of Alabama fans were displeased with Fulmer's involvement in that investigation would be a bit of an understatement. After the dust settled, a number of Alabama boosters had been named and subject to public humiliation at the hands of the Committee on Infractions.
This produced a number of law suits in Alabama, all of which posed the threat that Fulmer would have to take the stand and be forced to answer for his dealings with the NCAA. To avoid that, he skipped SEC Media Days in 2004 and was fined for it.
We don't know whether he's actually ready to face the questions that will be posed or just didn't see it coming this year, but either way, it'll be interesting to see what comes of the deposition. In fact, it'll be as interesting to hear what questions get asked as what answers Fulmer provides.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-24-2008 @ 1:35PM
Charlie said...
This is actually premature. Fulmer just said today that he has not received any subpoena whatsoever.
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7-24-2008 @ 1:53PM
Pete Holiday said...
Not so. What he said was that he hadn't "seen" it. He never said that he hadn't received it.
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/07/post_8.html
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7-24-2008 @ 2:17PM
Charlie said...
Well doesn't that mean he wasn't served since he has not been handed one? I'm almost positive in the state of Alabama that the person must be served first hand.
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7-24-2008 @ 2:22PM
Pete Holiday said...
No, that's not what it means.
If I hand you a subpoena in an envelope and you don't open the envelope, you haven't seen the subpoena, but you most certainly have been served, in the legal sense of the word.
Fulmer is playing word games, unless you expect us to believe that three representatives of the law firm are actively lying to the press.
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