Big East not laughing about crank calls

Well, if you haven’t heard, the Big East’s weekly basketball teleconference call was broken into on Jan. 24, when crank callers posed as staff writers and columnists from major newspapers across the country.

And these pranksters knew exactly what they were doing — setting up certain questions to make it sound like they were legitimate reporters.

Two days before, the SEC women’s basketball teleconference received calls that might be connected with the latest ones.

The questions would take a turn for the weird, as the men’s voices asked inappropriate sexual questions to Big East coaches, such as how often they watch their players in the shower.

Needless to say, I found a Web site that has the full audio of the teleconference. I just had to hear how insane this really was.

I listened to it — and found myself immediately impressed with the way the coaches handled the situation.

The fake reporters would set up questions like they cared about the answers and started to ask follow-ups when the teleconference host was suspicious of each and every potential name and media outlet.

No one freaked out, no one lashed back at the crank callers, and not a single coach acted utterly disgusted.

“I’m a little stunned by that last caller,” Marquette head coach Tom Crean said, “Because it just dawned on me — That’s got to be the first prank call in Big East history. I’m a part of history — that’s good.”

Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun was upset afterwards yet just said, “I wish someone would get a life.”

I respect these coaches. I really do. That had to be embarrassing to sit there and have half of a dozen people ask ridiculous questions like that.

They were cool, calm and collected — just like college basketball coaches should be.

So next time these crank callers want to be hilarious, maybe try a different conference?

Because you aren’t humoring the Big East.