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Eugene–Oregon athletics have again been thrown into turmoil and scandal as Mike Bellotti tries to answer questions about recent explicit photos of the head football coach have been published on an adult Web site.
The Commentator found pictures on Friday of Bellotti's recently shaved face on the ShavedCelebs.com site. Recent media reports had the reason for the removal of the coach's trademark facial hair as a support mechanism for a friend with a serious illness and thus the conflicting nature of the pictures has raised serious concern.
The Web site, which also features pictures of a recently shaved Sinead O'Connor, a thinning Ted Danson and bootlegged snapshots of one-time movie success Kevin Costner's hairless crown, had Bellotti listed as its "Sexy Saturday Sports Special" for the upcoming week.
The OC, however, was able to break the story wide open before the public had access to the pictures. Now community members are raising serious questions about the morals of a beloved public figure.
"There are just some things you don't parade in public," said long-time booster Kevin McGrady. "And a clean upper lip for a gentlemen — a highly trusted gentleman, I may remind you — is one of those things."
Athletic Director Bill Moos has denied any speculation that he has reprimanded the second-winningest coach in school history over the matter and said his department is still in the process of gathering facts.
"Obviously this is a matter some people take very seriously, and we are looking into it," Moos said. "I don't know yet if Coach Bellotti has done anything wrong, though I can say at this time that even if he did what he is accused of, that still wouldn't be as bad as (Pee Wee Herman star) Paul Reubens with kiddie porn and public masturbation, so let's just prevent those analogies before they start."
Bellotti, however, maintains there has been no impropriety with his facial hair and says he was upset about the use of the pictures by the Web site operators.
"(The mustache) used to be there. Now it's not. I honestly don't get what the big deal is," the coach said. "I am upset that they published the pictures because I was told they were for personal use."
Insiders believe the coach will keep his job because Eugene desperately needs something — anything — to root for.
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