Dave Bliss Still Alive. Praise Jesus?

Thanks to the tip from loyal Sportatorium reader, Luca: If you're not busy Sunday morning and you always wanted to barf on a pew, head down to Ovilla's First Baptist Church. Now appearing at the pulpit: David Bliss. Yep, that one. Actually, the church's website boasts a speaking engagement from a David Bliss,...

By Richie Whitt

May 13, 2009

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Thanks to the tip from loyal Sportatorium reader, Luca:

If you're not busy Sunday morning and you always wanted to barf on a pew, head down to Ovilla's First Baptist Church.

Now appearing at the pulpit: David Bliss. Yep, that one.

Actually, the church's website boasts a speaking engagement from a David Bliss, but there's no mistaking the stench of a former college basketball coach - including a corrupt stint at SMU from 1980-88 - who paid players, lied, cheated, hid positive drug test results and, in the end, tried to blame it all on the dead guy.

Supposedly you'll hear "an amazing story of tragedy, triumph and God's faithfulness." I'm betting Bliss' bullshit will be heavy on God's faithfulness and extremely light on the details about him - just days before commiserating with the player's family at the funeral in 2003 - telling Baylor players and assistant coaches to lie about Patrick Dennehy paying his tuition by dealing drugs.

Seriously, if any coach deserves to be in prison it's Bliss. In 2005 the NCAA slapped him with essentially a 10-year ban. Yet on the website his photo appears above the logos of the NCAA, SMU and, yep, even Baylor.

Wonder how the folks in Waco feel about that?

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