March Madness

[victor steinbok]

One of the things that's fun about the NCAA tournament is that you get
to hear people nationally who are normally hidden away within local
enclaves. But it also brings some interesting comments from the media.

http://goo.gl/AIQF2
> Pearl, who Hamilton apologized to him for the timing of his remark, made a case for his return despite looming sanctions.

There is a double whom and preposition avoidance here. What was meant:

> Pearl, to whom Hamilton apologized for the timing of his remark, made a case for his return despite looming sanctions.

Pearl is the Tennessee coach who had served an 8-game suspension for
lying during an investigation and had the rest of his contract voided
by the university. Hamilton, the AD, made a comment this week that it
was not clear whether Pearl would be retained or let go. Hence the
remark.

But I am not convinced that this was a deliberate construction, as
opposed to a left-over schmutz from rephrasing of what probably used
to be "Hamilton apologized to Pearl...".

VS-)

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