Houston coach Tony Levine pranks his fan base again
Houston coach Tony Levine is a big fan of April Fool’s Day.
During his time as head coach, he’s used April 1st to change the team logo and move the team’s best offensive player to defense.
And just when we though he was getting out of the pranking business because fans had gotten wise to his tactics, we were greeted by a press release regarding transfer Ben Dew.
On its face, the transfer looks legit. Dew is an offensive lineman, who will transfer from Hawaii after finishing his studies in May. Dew is a real player who really plays at Hawaii and was recruited by new Houston offensive line coach Gordy Shaw, who spent three seasons at Hawaii.
But then we kept reading.
"There are a number of very important reasons that I am choosing to continue my playing career and pursue my graduate degree at the University of Houston," said Dew. "Being so much closer to my family in New Zealand was a major factor, as well as being near my Uncle Scooby who lives in Beaumont with my cousin Montan.
"Since I've been at Hawaii for three years I've grown accustomed to telling people that I go to UH," Dew added. "Continuing to tell people that I attend UH will help make my transition that much smoother."
And then there was this line:
Dew comes from an athletic background, as his second cousin is former New York Mets pitcher Sidd Finch. Like Finch, Dew plays the French horn.
Of course the “Curious Case of Sidd Finch” is one of the most well-known sports pranks perpetuated by Sports Illustrated’s George Plimpton, who made up a Major League Baseball player and fooled a nation.
Levine capped the press release with this gem of a quote, which we’re still trying to decipher:
"One thing I think everyone needs to understand is this," added Levine. "He's a people-person, yet a person rarely in love finds out our luck suffers during a yawn."
What???
We love that Levine is a big fan of April Fool’s Day, but he’s going to have to get creative if he wants to keep his fan base on its toes in the coming years.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter Follow @YahooDrSaturday
