NCAA looking into Cam Newton Recruitment

[the real dill]

During the height of star quarterback Cameron Newton's recruitment out of junior college last year, a man saying he represented Newton allegedly was soliciting a six-figure payment to secure his signature on a national letter-of-intent, ESPN.com has learned.

Former Mississippi State quarterback John Bond told ESPN.com that a teammate of Bond's at Mississippi State in the early 1980s contacted him soon after Newton's official visit to Mississippi State during the Ole Miss game in December, and said he was representing Newton.

"He said it would take some cash to get Cam," Bond said. "I called our athletic director, Greg Byrne, and he took it from there. That was pretty much it." Multiple sources told ESPN.com that Mississippi State called the SEC office with Bond's information shortly after he brought it to the attention of the school.


Sources told ESPN.com that the former teammate is Kenny Rogers, who played at Mississippi State from 1982-85. Rogers operates a Chicago-based company called Elite Football Preparation, which holds camps in Chicago, Alabama and Mississippi. A Lexis search for that business lists Kenneth Rogers as the contact and his title as "agent." A Birmingham News story from 2008 said Elite Football Preparation "matches high school athletes with college programs."


Bond said the former teammate told him other schools had already offered $200,000, but that since Newton really liked Mississippi State and already had a relationship with head coach Dan Mullen dating to when both were at Florida, Mississippi State could get him for $180,000.

"I have no agenda other than protecting Mississippi State," Bond said. "We've done what we were supposed to do from the very beginning. Mississippi State has done nothing wrong, and I've done nothing wrong. It's been handed off to the NCAA, and it's in their hands now. I don't know what happened at Auburn. I don't know why he went to Auburn. That's not my concern. My concern is Mississippi State and making sure this doesn't cause us any trouble."

Bond said an NCAA investigator came to Mississippi to meet with him in early September, as well as with Mississippi State officials.


When interviewed by ESPN.com Thursday at the family's home in Atlanta, Cecil Newton, Cameron's father, denied any wrongdoing.


"If Rogers tried to solicit money from Mississippi State, he did it on his own, without our knowledge," Cecil Newton said.


Cecil Newton said he first met Rogers two years ago, when Cameron Newton left Florida. He said he talked to Rogers on several occasions to find out more about Mississippi State, but never met Rogers until Cameron Newton's official visit to Starkville.


Cecil Newton said the family received a letter from the NCAA "about a month ago" asking for financial statements. He said he submitted bank statements and records for the church where he is pastor, Holy Zion Center of Deliverance in Newnan, Ga., along with other records.


The church has been in the news in Coweta County, Ga., often in the past year. According to stories in The Times-Herald newspaper Cecil Newton's church was in danger of being demolished by order of the Newnan City Council in 2009 for failing to meet the city's building code. One story said Cecil Newton told the council last September that the building would be brought to code "inside of six months." After numerous delays, extensions and compromises from the council, renovation work began last spring and The Times-Herald reported last week that the church now is in compliance with Newnan's building requirements.


"If you've ever seen our church, you'd know we don't have any money," said Cameron Newton's mother, Jackie. "We have nothing."

Holy Zion Center of Deliverance is not the only church Cecil Newton is involved in overseeing. Cameron Newton told ESPN.com last month that his dad is a bishop to five churches in Georgia.


"I'm just trying to protect my son's interests, because he's fought very hard to get back where he is," Cecil Newton said. "It's a hell of a fight when people give up on you and think they'll never see you or hear from you again."


NCAA officials declined comment on the allegation involving Newton on Wednesday. "

We do not comment on current, pending or potential investigations," said Stacey Osburn, the NCAA's associate director for media and public relations.

Julie Roe Lach, the NCAA's new director of enforcement, said it is the association's policy to neither confirm nor deny an investigation.


SEC associate commissioner Greg Sankey, who oversees conference compliance, said the league received "specific information" regarding the Newton allegation in late July of this year.


"When we get information, we share it with the institution when it is involved," Sankey said.


Without specifically addressing the initial call from Mississippi State, which came several months earlier, Sankey said what the SEC originally was told about the allegation was "limited information."


"We don't deal in rumor and innuendo," Sankey said. "We deal in facts."



He said the SEC is not an investigative body, adding that it can share information with NCAA enforcement as needed. He declined to say whether the Newton allegation was shared with the NCAA.

Sankey also would not directly comment on whether the league office considers this an ongoing issue or a closed case.


"We're attentive to a variety of issues at any given time," he said. "We pay attention to a lot."


"We are comfortable that representatives of Mississippi State University's interests conducted themselves appropriately and in compliance with all NCAA by-laws," Mississippi State said in a statement to ESPN.com. "Mississippi State is committed to operating our athletics programs within the rules of the NCAA and Southeastern Conference, and we expect those affiliated with our program to continue to do the same."


Sources said Mississippi State refused to get involved with Rogers, whose association with Chicago-based agent Ian Greengross has come under scrutiny from the NFL Players Association and the NCAA.


NFLPA spokesman Carl Francis told ESPN.com on Thursday that the organization is "in the process of investigating [Greengross and Rogers] as we speak for violations of our rules and regulations."


A voice message left with Greengross by ESPN.com was not immediately returned. Attempts to reach Rogers, who also played for the Miami Dolphins during the 1987 strike, were unsuccessful. The voice mailbox at Elite Football Preparation was full Thursday.


At the time of Rogers' alleged solicitation, Mississippi State was perceived to have the inside track because of Newton's relationship with Mullen, who was the offensive coordinator at Florida when Newton was a backup to Tim Tebow. He later left Florida and went to Blinn College, a two-year school in Brenham, Texas.


After his official visit to Starkville, Newton took visits to Oklahoma on Dec. 11 and Auburn Dec. 18.


On Dec. 31, 2009, Newton publicly committed to Auburn, where this season he has led the Tigers to a 9-0 record and No. 2 ranking in the BCS standings. Along the way, Newton's dazzling running and passing have elevated him to Heisman Trophy favorite status.


"We have been made aware of the allegation. Unfortunately, we cannot comment at this time," Auburn assistant athletic director, media relations Kirk Sampson said. "However, Cam Newton is eligible to play football at Auburn."

Multiple media reports this fall have said Cameron Newton preferred going to Mississippi State, but his father preferred Auburn. According to a story in Sports Illustrated last week, Cameron Newton left the final decision to his father, who declared to the family last Dec. 23 that his son would attend Auburn.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5765214

[Taylor]

Ruh, roh!

[Stoopstrooper]

Bullet dodged thread?

[azdoubledown]

Shady dealings in the SEC?! Never!

[PatrickJ]

"He said it would take some cash to get Cam," Bond said. "I called our athletic director, Greg Byrne, and he took it from there. That was pretty much it." Multiple sources told ESPN.com that Mississippi State called the SEC office with Bond's information shortly after he brought it to the attention of the school."

Glad to see our new AD was on the right side of the story there.

[Machina]

I have really like Byrne, but this just adds to it, we got a great guy as our AD

[Cats101]

I have really like Byrne, but this just adds to it, we got a great guy as our AD

Greg has done an amazing job thus far. He's interactive with the fans, he's spiced up gameday a bit and he likes to promote all the programs amongst other things.

But 6 figures for Newton? What a weird time for all this to unravel.

[Coop Cat]

A couple weeks ago on Rivals Radio the host, Bill King, asked Dan Mullen (MSU Coach) how close he came to landing Newton. Mullen laughed and said "someday I will tell you the whole story, you won't believe it". Looking back on it, I guess now we know.

[Machina]

Seriously, if Byrne reported this almost a year ago, why is it coming out now?

[Wyo-Cat]

SEC = Dirty Dozen!!

[CatsbyAZ]

Seriously, if Byrne reported this almost a year ago, why is it coming out now?

Because now that Auburn is leading the way to the national championship, and because Cam Newton is leading the way to the Heisman, someone got a much larger trumpet and started playing on the rooftops until the issue had to be addressed.

Same thing happened with Favre's sexting. The internet was abuzz with Favre/Struger talk back in early August but the rest of the world had to wait until October.

[the real dill]

Seriously, if Byrne reported this almost a year ago, why is it coming out now?

being reported by Auburn Rivals' Jeff Lee this morning:


"Florida coach Urban Myer, Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen and former Mississippi State quarterback John Bond had a telephone conversation recently to discuss the allegations.

* Meyer had an interest in this story getting out and encouraged Bond to do so.

* Mullen told the two he thought they should move on, let it go, regardless of what was being alleged. Meyer said no, that it needed to get out to the media."

[Itamicbomb]

being reported by Auburn Rivals' Jeff Lee this morning:


"Florida coach Urban Myer, Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen and former Mississippi State quarterback John Bond had a telephone conversation recently to discuss the allegations.

* Meyer had an interest in this story getting out and encouraged Bond to do so.

* Mullen told the two he thought they should move on, let it go, regardless of what was being alleged. Meyer said no, that it needed to get out to the media."

Easier than faking a heart attack. The goat would beat Cam in a footrace.

[the real dill]

http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/583513/itsawonderfulheist_medium.gif



awesome

[LegallyKenny]

Anyone want to bet right now Auburn's penalties are less severe than USC's?

[Merkin]

http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/583513/itsawonderfulheist_medium.gif



awesome

It is.

<a target='_blank' title='ImageShack - Image And Video Hosting' href='http://img203.imageshack.us/i/itsawonderfulheistmediu.gif/'><img src='http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/7177/itsawonderfulheistmediu.gif' border='0'/></a>

[the real dill]

FBI now interested in the Cam Newton recruitment

http://www.tmz.com/2010/11/09/cam-newton-john-bond-fbi-investigation-college-football-recruiting-auburn-university-mississippi/

[Merkin]

FBI now interested in the Cam Newton recruitment

http://www.tmz.com/2010/11/09/cam-newton-john-bond-fbi-investigation-college-football-recruiting-auburn-university-mississippi/

Bond's attorney confirms to TMZ Sports that the FBI has requested a sit-down meeting with his client -- and tells us the agent who contacted him said, "We are interested in whether young men are being shopped to colleges."

I think they need to investigate the military build up in Germany and some madman running the country.

There has been chicanery in college football since the 30s. They are just taking note now?

[SCCat]

Two sources who recruit for Mississippi State said that Cecil Newton and his son, quarterback Cam Newton, admitted in separate phone conversations to a pay-for-play plan while Newton was being recruited late last year.

Mississippi State compliance officials relayed the alleged conversations to Southeastern Conference compliance officials in January, according to two other sources close to the football program.

Prior to Newton's commitment to Auburn, one of the recruiters said Cecil Newton told him it would take "more than a scholarship" to bring his son to Mississippi State, a request the source said the school would not meet. Cecil Newton also referred the recruiter to a third person that would provide more specifics, the source said.

After Newton committed to Auburn, another source said an emotional Cam Newton phoned another recruiter to express regret about his change of commitment from Mississippi State, stating that his father Cecil had chosen Auburn for him because "the money was too much."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5786315

/popcorn

[ice]

A few weird things.

1) Newton told another recruiter that Auburn was paying too much? Either Newton has a really big mouth, or he trusted that recruiter so much that he would tell him a secret that could eventually be used against him.
2) No one knows if any of this is true or not. I believe it, but I also believe that a lot of athletes are cheating. I'm of the mindset that most of the big programs are paying guys, although some programs definitely cheat more than others.
3) Someone out there must really hate Cam Newton for all this sh*t to come out, from the alleged payments to the report that he almost got kicked out of UF for cheating. Regardless of whether all of this is true or not, Cam is being targeted unfairly, guilty or innocent. I'm sure many of his SEC rivals are involved in similar behaviors.

[ArzCatz3]

A few weird things.

1) Newton told another recruiter that Auburn was paying too much? Either Newton has a really big mouth, or he trusted that recruiter so much that he would tell him a secret that could eventually be used against him.
2) No one knows if any of this is true or not. I believe it, but I also believe that a lot of athletes are cheating. I'm of the mindset that most of the big programs are paying guys, although some programs definitely cheat more than others.
3) Someone out there must really hate Cam Newton for all this sh*t to come out, from the alleged payments to the report that he almost got kicked out of UF for cheating. Regardless of whether all of this is true or not, Cam is being targeted unfairly, guilty or innocent. I'm sure many of his SEC rivals are involved in similar behaviors.

I agree that he is being targeted unfairly but if the NCAA had balls they would set an example with him (since he's the best player in the country) and not let him play another snap the rest of the year. They should also give Auburn the death penalty for this. His father needs to be thrown in jail also

[Cats101]

A few weird things.

1) Newton told another recruiter that Auburn was paying too much? Either Newton has a really big mouth, or he trusted that recruiter so much that he would tell him a secret that could eventually be used against him.
2) No one knows if any of this is true or not. I believe it, but I also believe that a lot of athletes are cheating. I'm of the mindset that most of the big programs are paying guys, although some programs definitely cheat more than others.
3) Someone out there must really hate Cam Newton for all this sh*t to come out, from the alleged payments to the report that he almost got kicked out of UF for cheating. Regardless of whether all of this is true or not, Cam is being targeted unfairly, guilty or innocent. I'm sure many of his SEC rivals are involved in similar behaviors.

If all this is true then I am starting to feel a little bad. Seems like another example of when a parent gets too involved with recruiting. Who I don't feel bad for is Auburn and his dad, especially to write a 6 figure check.

Then again...

He stole a laptop, he has 13 criminal traffic tickets, he's cheated at Florida, he drives a motorcycle without a motorcycle license...

[Winger]

Regardless of whether all of this is true or not, Cam is being targeted unfairly, guilty or innocent.

I dont get how one can be targeted unfairly if guilty.

[Cats101]

Apparently the NCAA is sitting on some information that will come out before the week is over. Cam Newton really is stupid :eek:

[Chicat]

If it took a $100,000+ payment to get him to Auburn . . . how much did it cost Florida to get him out of high school?

[the real dill]

Apparently the NCAA is sitting on some information that will come out before the week is over. Cam Newton really is stupid :eek:

some people are claiming there is a suspension coming possibly as soon as this weekend's game. Might be a good time to load up on LaMichael James Heisman futures while you can still get favorable odds.

[LegallyKenny]

1) Newton told another recruiter that Auburn was paying too much? Either Newton has a really big mouth, or he trusted that recruiter so much that he would tell him a secret that could eventually be used against him.


There's a fair amount of evidence that he's just really stupid.


3) Someone out there must really hate Cam Newton for all this sh*t to come out, from the alleged payments to the report that he almost got kicked out of UF for cheating. Regardless of whether all of this is true or not, Cam is being targeted unfairly, guilty or innocent. I'm sure many of his SEC rivals are involved in similar behaviors.

Pretty obvious that Urban Meyer really dislikes the kid - both for ****ing up at Florida and for going to a conference rival while Florida is having a ****ty year.

[Winger]

Everyone except the Wynn has pulled this weekends Auburn game down.

[the real dill]

With the dawn of every new day, it seems, come new allegations of impropriaties by Cam Newton or those associated with him. We at FOTP just want to get it all out there in the open now…let all those transgressions breathe a bit and let time, as it always does, heal those wounds. Such a compilation of wrongdoing could not be put together by just little ol’ me, so I enlisted the help of a the likes of Godfrey, Rick Muscles, Mike Medallion, and Zac Stuckey, a blue ribbon panel for sure, to make sure we got all the skeletons out of the closet….

Cam Newton is bangin’ your girl right now.

Cam Newton drowns a sack of orphaned puppies before every Auburn home game.

Cam Newton just drank the last homebrew beer you had in your refrigerator.

Cam Newton still watches Entourage.


Cam Newton once beat Harley Race to a bloody pulp with a blackjack…or maybe that was Ric Flair, I can’t remember.

Cam Newton is running the Save Colonel Reb campaign, because it’s ABOUT HERITAGE NOT HATE Y’ALL.

Cam Newton doesn’t feel it necessary to tip a barista, yet demands the perfect balance of half-caf.

Cam Newton gets a solid 3.5 hours of Dougie in before kickoff.

Cam Newton’s presence is the sole reason for cancer and miscarriages in Lee County.

Cam Newton wont let Arrested Development back on the air.

Cam Newton collects Nazi memorabilia….but just because he is a fan of the era, of course.

Cam Newton volunteers with Child Protective Services just so he can be the one who comes and takes the babies away.

Cam Newton was the one who request that the DJ play the Cupid Shuffle in the club.

Cam Newton prays for more hurricanes in the Gulf.

Cam Newton sends empty wrapped gifts to Toys 4 Tots.

Cam Newton was the one who sent Donna Bragg all of those text messages.

Cam Newton writes for Bleacher Report.

Cam Newton keeps his rent house in disrepair, therefore effecting the value of your home in the same neighborhood.

Cam Newton petitioned for a lengthier sentence for Lil’ Wayne.

Cam Newton just sent cock pics to your grandma.

Cam Newton enjoyed singing in his church choir, but only because the silk robe felt so good against his naked body.

Cam Newton bought a ticket to see Due Date this weekend, but he snuck into For Colored Girls, twice.

Cam Newton enjoys trips to the ATL’s Pink Pony, but it’s for the camaraderie and prime rib special.

Cam Newton celebrates Kid Rock’s entire catalogue.

Cam Newton is featured in Tim Tebow’s memoir as “my favorite mistake”.

Cam Newton murdered a vagabond, then resuscitated him and murdered him again because he wasn’t sure the homeless man was awake the first time.

Cam Newton dumped a girl. Literally. In one of those Waste Management bins behind a Carl’s Jr. 27

Cam Newton wants to get drafted by the Browns just so he can eventually leave Cleveland in the lurch.

Cam Newton dines and dashes at charity fundraising dinners.

Cam Newton roofied your baby sister…and your mom.

Cam Newton has a Lance Armstrong bracelet that says “Hope You Get Ball Cancer”.

Cam Newton tells racially insensitive jokes in mixed company.

Cam Newton fills his pool, then drains it, then fills it again…all during drought seasons.

Cam Newton, to treat himself on Sundays, sucker punches elderly nuns on their way to Mass.

Cam Newton turns “Jenny Says” by Cowboy Mouth to full volume on his stereo and puts it on repeat for days at a time.

Cam Newton just stands at the foot of the bed and points and laughs when the Auburn team visits children’s hospitals.

Cam Newton watched Prison Break past Season 1.

Cam Newton bought the last copy of Black Ops at Best Buy.

Cam Newton never eats what he kills.

Cam Newton runs a kidnapping syndicate out of Tuxtepec, Mexico that specializes in small children and the elderly.

Cam Newton was going to be the subject of one of Taylor Swift’s break-up songs, so he punched her in the larynx.

Cam Newton’s favorite NASCAR driver is Jeff Gordon.

Cam Newton pees in baptisteries.

Cam Newton mules for Columbian cartels in the offseason.

Cam Newton still recites quotes from The Hangover.

Cam Newton fired that rocket out of the Pacific. It was headed to your mom’s house.

Cam Newton is funnelling money to Somali pirates.

Cam Newton is that guy who ripped ass in the crowded bar you were in Saturday night.

Cam Newton, for the right price, has some spare kidneys he could sell you.

Cam Newton gave Jessie Spano those caffeine pills.

Cam Newton accellerates through elementary school crosswalks.

Cam Newton was the first man on earth to wear an Ed Hardy shirt.

Cam Newton is holding the cure for Alzheimer’s

Cam Newton won’t win your big rig accident suit but you still owe him for services rendered.

Cam Newton makes Michael Vick look like Sarah Mclachlan.

Cam Newton blocked AT&T U-Verse in your neighborhood.

Cam Newton parks in handicap spots with no intention of “running in and out”.

Cam Newton thinks if Pacquiao vs Margarito wasn’t a fight, it would be great as “Lunch Special #11″ at Pancho’s. #thatsracist

Cam Newton comes to read Clay Travis articles for their blind and uninformed stance on an issue but stays to be reminded that Clay is, in fact, a lawyer.

Cam Newton touches his girl inappropriately during praise and worship.

Cam Newton fuels his sled at the nearest BP station.

Cam Newton planted Wade Phillips years ago.

Cam Newton is keeping the Beatles off of iTunes.

Cam Newton eats an entire tray of samples at a Sam’s Club demo with no intention of buying product.

Cam Newton handed out disco biscuits in Smarties wrappers on Halloween night.

Cam Newton is booking Pat Green in your town as we speak.

Cam Newton sneaks into your house at night and plants asbestos in the attic.

Cam Newton swerves to hit stray cats on the highway.

Cam Newton gave picture books to blind kids for Christmas; the deaf kids got iPods.

Cam Newton clubs baby seals in his free time and at lunch.

Cam Newton hid your remote. And your car keys.

Cam Newton made F/X run a 2 1/2 Men Marathon.

Cam Newton made lawn darts illegal.

Cam Newton orders his steak well done at Ruth’s Chris.

Cam Newton made sure your wife didn’t lose the weight after the pregnancy.

Cam Newton stole all of the medals at last years Opelika Special Olympics meet and sold them for scrap.

Cam Newton shoots off fireworks during a burn ban.

Cam Newton shot over his limit of grouse last season.

Cam Newton drives with his brights on at all times.

Cam Newton steals the identities of injured soldiers and buys nothing but nudie magazines and pork rinds with their credit cards.

Cam Newton reports your illegal music downloads to the proper authorities.

Cam Newton didn’t think that Glo Coat Commercial was all that great.

Cam Newton is Kanye West’s ghost writer on Twitter.

Cam Newton drives the speed limit in the left hand lane.

Cam Newton forced Brett Hart to job in Canada.

Cam Newton tricked Mike Slive’s son into joining a pyramid scheme in Atlanta.

Cam Newton is ducking Serbian war crime charges in Newnan, Georgia.

Cam Newton didn’t blow the Yella Fella. The Yella Fella demands his pound of flesh.

Cam Newton shot Omar.

Cam Newton invented Axe Body Spray.

Cam Newton thinks Steve Zahn was underused on Treme.

Cam Newton once forgot to check in on 4 square at the Auburn Moe’s.

Cam Newton caused The Dexateens to break up.

Cam Newton killed the dude who wrote, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.”

Cam Newton erased your Mom’s recording of Dancing With The Stars last night before she saw it.

Cam Newton voted against The Machine for Alabama’s homecoming court, at least the GDI’s were happy.

Cam Newton gave Wet Hot American Summer a 1 star review on his movie blog.

Cam Newton broke the Washington and Lee honor code.

Cam Newton exposed the fact that the NCAA only takes money from football and basketball programs and uses it to enforce title 9.

Cam Newton stopped following Friends of the Program’s twitter feed after Bunkie posted pictures of naked ladies.



http://friendsoftheprogram.net/2010/11/10/the-100-offenses-of-cam-newton/

[gumby]

I dont get how one can be targeted unfairly if guilty.

I'm puzzled by that phrasing, too. Was there a fair way to target him, or is the act of targeting itself unfair?

So every kid busted taking money is unfairly targeted, because somebody else might've done it, too?

Don't bust shoplifters because others have gotten away with it?

[Cats101]

some people are claiming there is a suspension coming possibly as soon as this weekend's game. Might be a good time to load up on LaMichael James Heisman futures while you can still get favorable odds.

Text messages and voice mails :eek: too easy.

[EndOfAnEra]

It's nice to know that there are fans out there as ignorant, blind, and homeristic as some of those on our premium forums. Some choice posts from the Bunker(AU Insider site), Observe:


tigers2291

Next week's story: UF paid Blakley The word I'm hearing is that Coach Urban Meyer knows that Auburn has the goods on him and so he's doing all he can to distance himself from the Newton leaks. Don't be surprised if Auburn's off week next week leads to the finger pointed right back at Florida. It's going to get a lot more interesting.



Wareagle2417

My take I know everyone has a take on it but here is what i think. Sorry if it sucks.

I think that Bond/whoever told Miss state that 180k would get cam.( They wanted to make money) Without Cam/family knowing. Miss st said yes, Then bond went to cam and his dad and said I can get 180k. Ill split it with you. Cam and his dad sad no and he went to Auburn.

Miss st asked why did u goto AU - "The money was to much" Meaning they crossed the line and he wants to turn a new leaf in his life?
I think no money was given out. Thoughts?



pocketrob

I'm done. I'm not going to worry about this anymore. I think it's a smear campaign, and has been orchestrated by some truly POS human beings. We need to be All In for this weekend. It has become a big distraction, but I also think this is the only way that georgia even has a shot at beating us. I will be in JH sat. and doing my best to blow the roof off that joint. Let's show Cam all the love we can. His "family" needs him. A poster yesterday said maybe the only way this goes away, is we lose. Well, lets's not do it. War Damn Cam.



LTHauburn

Cam may have wanted to play for MSU because of his relation to the coaches but his dad may have figured out that Auburn was better for preparing him for the NFL and a high draft pick.. thus the money he would earn from the NFL would be higher if he went to Auburn. That quote can certainly be interpreted a lot of ways... if it is even accurate at all.


This one is gold:lol2:


rascocm


VERY Interesting post ffrom elsewhere Not from me--

An angle I had not heard

My wife just said someone called into a Baton Rouge show(she is travelling) and said that late in the recruiting process someone at MSU offered the Newtons $180,000 to get Cam to sign with them, Auburn reported to the SEC and the NCAA is investigating MSU and they are in the process of trying to cover their a$$. Don’t know if any of this is true, this is an angle I had not heard.


This one is just :hangref:

jskilgro

most laughable part of ESPN's coverage to me..... Reply

every picture of Cam they show is an intense "in the heat of the moment" facial expression. they chose his tough, mid-game looks instead of his gentle, glowing smile that everyone in and around AU knows and loves.

just another subtle way to make Cam look bad.

anyone else notice this?

[Reydituto]

Cam Newton just drank the last homebrew beer you had in your refrigerator.

Cam Newton once beat Harley Race to a bloody pulp with a blackjack…or maybe that was Ric Flair, I can’t remember.

Cam Newton doesn’t feel it necessary to tip a barista, yet demands the perfect balance of half-caf.

Cam Newton wont let Arrested Development back on the air.

Cam Newton volunteers with Child Protective Services just so he can be the one who comes and takes the babies away.

Cam Newton keeps his rent house in disrepair, therefore effecting the value of your home in the same neighborhood.

Cam Newton enjoyed singing in his church choir, but only because the silk robe felt so good against his naked body.

Cam Newton wants to get drafted by the Browns just so he can eventually leave Cleveland in the lurch.

Cam Newton dines and dashes at charity fundraising dinners.

Cam Newton fills his pool, then drains it, then fills it again…all during drought seasons.

Cam Newton never eats what he kills.

Cam Newton is that guy who ripped ass in the crowded bar you were in Saturday night.

Cam Newton gave Jessie Spano those caffeine pills.

Cam Newton was the first man on earth to wear an Ed Hardy shirt.

Cam Newton blocked AT&T U-Verse in your neighborhood.

Cam Newton parks in handicap spots with no intention of “running in and out”.

Cam Newton fuels his sled at the nearest BP station.

Cam Newton is keeping the Beatles off of iTunes.

Cam Newton eats an entire tray of samples at a Sam’s Club demo with no intention of buying product.

Cam Newton hid your remote. And your car keys.

Cam Newton made F/X run a 2 1/2 Men Marathon.

Cam Newton orders his steak well done at Ruth’s Chris.

Cam Newton made sure your wife didn’t lose the weight after the pregnancy.

Cam Newton shot over his limit of grouse last season.

Cam Newton drives with his brights on at all times.

Cam Newton reports your illegal music downloads to the proper authorities.

Cam Newton is Kanye West’s ghost writer on Twitter.

Cam Newton forced Brett Hart to job in Canada.

Cam Newton invented Axe Body Spray.

Cam Newton killed the dude who wrote, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.”

Cam Newton erased your Mom’s recording of Dancing With The Stars last night before she saw it.

Cam Newton gave Wet Hot American Summer a 1 star review on his movie blog.

These were genuinely funny. The rest weren't, especially some of the pop culture references that assume too much about what is or isn't "cool". They should have sobered up and edited it down one more time ....

Cam Newton drives the speed limit in the left hand lane.

OK, this is funny, if only because it carries added significance to this message board ...

Cam Newton has a Lance Armstrong bracelet that says “Hope You Get Ball Cancer”.

Cam Newton gave picture books to blind kids for Christmas; the deaf kids got iPods.

Cam Newton steals the identities of injured soldiers and buys nothing but nudie magazines and pork rinds with their credit cards.

Cam Newton swerves to hit stray cats on the highway.

Cam Newton clubs baby seals in his free time and at lunch.

On second thought, these are dark, cruel and hilarious ... I LOL'd and I'm a bad person ...

[SCCat]

Kenny Rogers, the former Mississippi State player who ESPN.com reported allegedly sought money to sign Cam Newton to a national letter of intent with the Bulldogs, said Thursday that Newton's father, Cecil, put a price tag on his son.

Rogers, in an interview with ESPN 103.3 FM in Dallas, was asked if Cecil Newton ever told him how much money it would take to get his son to play for Mississippi State. "Yes, he did," Rogers said.

Asked how much, Rogers said: "Anywhere between $100,000 and $180,000."

Later in the interview, Rogers said he and Cecil Newton first talked after Cam Newton left Florida Gators following the 2008 season. In the course of their conversations, he said Cecil Newton told him, "It's not gonna be free this time."

Rogers said he only was involved with Cecil Newton in regards to Mississippi State.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5792707

[ArzCatz3]

How is he possibly being allowed to play today? The only thing worse is that Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson will suck this dude off the entire game...and 50,000 rednecks will wave pom pom's like a bunch of morons.

[WildcatBlitz]

How is he possibly being allowed to play today? The only thing worse is that Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson will suck this dude off the entire game...and 50,000 rednecks will wave pom pom's like a bunch of morons.

I believe NCAA advised Auburn to sit Newton, but its was the schools decision. If something is found wrong though by the NCAA, I expect NCAA to remember this and have harsher penalties.

Auburn is probably trying to win a championship, get the money take the penalties and move on, but at least Auburn gets the money. NCAA doesn't move very fast.

[LegallyKenny]

How is he possibly being allowed to play today?

Since when has anyone in the SEC cared about the NCAA?

[Winger]

They just ran a timeline that said that his father admitted asking for $, without Cam's knowledge.

Is that a violation?

In terms of sitting him, it's an easy decision, you play him until you can't. If your guilty you are going to lose the whole season anyway, as it is you have a shot at the MNC.

[Wyo-Cat]

They just ran a timeline that said that his father admitted asking for $, without Cam's knowledge.

Is that a violation?

Benefits to the family is basically the upshot of the Reggie Bush incident - so it may be a violation.

[ZonaCats8]

Yea, so the dad has admitted that he asked for money without Cam's knowledge, and Cam has admitted that he let his dad make the decision to where he'd play.

ZERO chance Cam didn't know about the money.

[77HoyaCat4Ever]

Things just keep getting worse and worse, as more information comes forth.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTCbohUayTNGM_5085X5vORtmukymh7I P8mCULpBMUKdC-DqTkD

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTOxo0nYzhWhT4P7Qtuf-l-XwEwW1Bz1V4QSvABdHyMyll10OpvZg

[azdoubledown]

anybody else sick of cammy and these shill SEC/CBS announcers kissing his azz all game long, pretending like he's somehow plausibly innocent, even though the crook and his crook father haven't even DENIED the allegations.

To hear them describe it he's like a hybrid of Joe Montana, Emmit Smith, Jake Locker and Autzen, and Rudy!! OMFG!! puke

[ice]

anybody else sick of cammy and these shill SEC/CBS announcers kissing his azz all game long, pretending like he's somehow plausibly innocent, even though the crook and his crook father haven't even DENIED the allegations.

To hear them describe it he's like a hybrid of Joe Montana, Emmit Smith, Jake Locker and Autzen, and Rudy!! OMFG!! puke

He may not be innocent, but don't act like it's only Newton who has gotten illegal benefits. If you think there is a single good team in CFB that doesn't have a guy on the team receiving extra benefits (either a parent taking money from boosters, players getting money from coaches, etc.) then you are out of your mind.

If the NCAA found out everything going on, every team would have to vacate every win every year.

Personally I hope Newton wins the Heisman. I doubt the other candidates are much cleaner than him anyway.

[TucsonDon]

He may not be innocent, but don't act like it's only Newton who has gotten illegal benefits. If you think there is a single good team in CFB that doesn't have a guy on the team receiving extra benefits (either a parent taking money from boosters, players getting money from coaches, etc.) then you are out of your mind.

If the NCAA found out everything going on, every team would have to vacate every win every year.

Personally I hope Newton wins the Heisman. I doubt the other candidates are much cleaner than him anyway.
I'm sure the extra benefits Kellen Moore received from Boise State made him forget all the love he was getting from Idaho and Eastern Washington.

Trust me, I know how dirty all this stuff, and anybody who thinks what happened with Newton is some kind of an anomoly in that conference is fooling themselves. However, Auburn is looking at the death penalty if this stuff all comes out.

[ice]

I'm sure the extra benefits Kellen Moore received from Boise State made him forget all the love he was getting from Idaho and Eastern Washington.

Trust me, I know how dirty all this stuff, and anybody who thinks what happened with Newton is some kind of an anomoly in that conference is fooling themselves. However, Auburn is looking at the death penalty if this stuff all comes out.

Of course, Auburn is absolutely f*cked if they can prove they paid for Newton. But what makes the NCAA such a joke is that they only sporadically enforce things, usually when they turn public. And what's annoying is when the media acts like this is an isolated incident. It's not. And what's sad in the Auburn case is it doesn't even seem like Newton's fault, and his chances of winning the Heisman (or more like keeping it if he wins it) are at severe risk because of the actions of his dad.

I really think the NCAA just needs to let schools pay guys because this notion of "amateurism" is one big joke. People might say that it can be "cleaned up," but that's like saying the US government can win the drug war.

[LegallyKenny]

Personally I hope Newton wins the Heisman. I doubt the other candidates are much cleaner than him anyway.

Yeah, most of the other candidates probably have criminal records and histories of academic fraud too.

[ArzCatz3]

He may not be innocent, but don't act like it's only Newton who has gotten illegal benefits. If you think there is a single good team in CFB that doesn't have a guy on the team receiving extra benefits (either a parent taking money from boosters, players getting money from coaches, etc.) then you are out of your mind.

If the NCAA found out everything going on, every team would have to vacate every win every year.

Personally I hope Newton wins the Heisman. I doubt the other candidates are much cleaner than him anyway.

I see your point but the line has to be drawn somewhere...which is why they should make an example out of Cam and suspend him the rest of the season and if he does win the Heisman, strip it from him. Auburn should get the death penalty too and not be allowed to play football for 3+ years. This is way worse than what Bush did at USC and look what happened to them.

[catgrad97]

Somebody at the NCAA, though, has to have figured out by now not to do too good a job with this investigation.

Because if everything is proved about Newton and his dad which has been alleged, fresh off Bush getting stripped of the Heisman, college football is facing a serious credibility problem.

[the real dill]

ESPN.com says ex-Mississippi State football player and booster Bill Bell said he received text messages from former teammate and sports agent Kenny Rogers that detailed a money plan for Cam Newton to sign with MSU.

Rogers admitted to talking to Bell about the plan last week.

ESPN.com says Bell says was contacted by Rogers, in behalf of Cecil Newton Sr. Rogers said last week he acted in Cecil Newton's behalf last week.

None of the principals have said Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was involved.

The ESPN report says Bell said Cecil Newton never asked for the money, but was part of a three-way conversation in which Rogers did. The story says Bell played related voice mails for the NCAA, but the text messages are a phone damaged by water.

Neither Cam Newton nor Auburn is mentioned as participating in a similar plan.

Bell said he told the NCAA that Rogers sent him a text message outlining a payment schedule, says ESPN.com Bell said the text included a request for $80,000 the day after Cam Newton signed his letter-of-intent with Mississippi State, $50,000 after 30 days after that and another $50,000 30 days later.

"When he asked for it, it was like, 'Bam!' " Bell told ESPN.com. "He told me this kid's dad is going to want money and the next day he sent me a text message. He didn't say anything other than, 'This is what I want and I want it in three installments.' "

"[Cecil Newton] didn't come out and say, 'I want $180,000,' " Bell said. "He inferred it and talked about it, but not directly. Kenny would talk about it in front of him, and [Cecil Newton] never corrected him or said, 'No, that's not what we're doing.' "

Bell said the initial contact to him was made by Rogers, who played football with Bell in college. But Bell, a Florida businessman, said he also had several conversations with Cecil Newton during his son's recruitment.

"He said it was going to take more than just a relationship with [Mississippi State coach] Dan Mullen and that Cam's relationship with Mullen wasn't what Mullen thought it was," Bell said. "That's when he said, 'Dan Mullen is going to have to put a smile on my face if he thinks he's going to get my son.' "
Bell said the reason he's providing details of the alleged scheme is because he wants to make sure everybody knows Mississippi State didn't break NCAA rules during its recruitment of Cam Newton, who has emerged as the Heisman Trophy front-runner in his first season at Auburn.

Rogers' attorney, Douglas Zeit, told ESPN.com on Wednesday: "As I understand it, that was the payment plan Cecil Newton was seeking."

[Action Bill]

Here's some interesting (maybe true, probably not) reading from an LSU board.


http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/MessageTopic.asp?p=22778676&Pg=1

A basic summary of a long post:

- FBI involved
- unmarked ATM cards issued to players
- wire taps lasting 13 months
- 13 months of evidence
- board of trustees in on it
- recruits mysteriously committing to AU all of a sudden
- casino/gambling poker chip payments
- legitimately has a chance to get kicked out of the SEC
- this will all come out within the week

I doubt the validity of most of it, but it reads like something about of a spy novel.

[budd1e_lee]

http://www.tmz.com/2010/11/17/cam-newton-fbi-investigation-probe-auburn-university-booster-milton-mcgregor-sec-football-ncaa/


Big time Auburn booster being asked about by the FBI...


According to sources connected to the probe ... FBI agents looking into the Newton recruiting controversy are also asking about Milton McGregor -- a dog track owner arrested last month for allegedly bribing Alabama politicians to vote pro gambling.

We're told agents asked someone connected to the Newton case if he was familiar with McGregor or the bribery scandal.

It's unclear what, if any, direct connection McGregor has to Newton. Back in 2008, McGregor did donate a million bucks toward construction of a new arena at Auburn.

[Cats101]

Here's some interesting (maybe true, probably not) reading from an LSU board.


http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/MessageTopic.asp?p=22778676&Pg=1

A basic summary of a long post:

- FBI involved
- unmarked ATM cards issued to players
- wire taps lasting 13 months
- 13 months of evidence
- board of trustees in on it
- recruits mysteriously committing to AU all of a sudden
- casino/gambling poker chip payments
- legitimately has a chance to get kicked out of the SEC
- this will all come out within the week

I doubt the validity of most of it, but it reads like something about of a spy novel.

So basically, If even half of this AU will be given the biggest death penalty of all-time? I don't how much of that to take serious, as I only skimmed most of it, but it is pretty interesting.

[Winger]

Rule 4a for ADs is don't let dog track owners anywhere near the program.

[the real dill]

$150k for Cecil Newton and $30k for Kenny Rogers? I'm guessing Rogers asked for around 15 percent and Cecil told him to just add his amount to the top. $180 just seems like a weird amount to ask for.

[In Re UofA]

This will not end well for Auburn.

[the real dill]

http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/MessageTopic.asp?p=22778676&Pg=1

way too long to post the content, but interesting read if you have a bunch of time

[RichardCranium]

http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/MessageTopic.asp?p=22778676&Pg=1

way too long to post the content, but interesting read if you have a bunch of time

So I guess there's no chance of a home and home series with Auburn in the near future then?

[Zona Dave]

Remember TMZ reported Tiger with all his ladies....

[Winger]

http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/MessageTopic.asp?p=22778676&Pg=1

way too long to post the content, but interesting read if you have a bunch of time

Probably the best post I have ever seen, and the less of it that is factually correct, the better of a post it becomes.

I had previously questioned the veracity of the charges as, I couldn't figure out why AU would continue with a PFP scheme for Cam after MSU had notified the SEC/Silve. Presuming that Cam's father was acting as a rogue.

It appears now that:

1. The SEC was notified after Cam's recruitment/commitment (which implies btw that MSU/Byrne sat on the information for a couple months).

2. Silve and the SEC was less than aggressive about pursuing the charges. Implying to me that he didn't know how concrete the information was regarding Cam's PFP/recruitment and that he hoped it would all go away. This implies to me that cheating in recruiting in the SEC is prevalent (tho almost certainly not typically PFP).

3. Cam's father wasn't acting as a rogue.

4. I understand why Chizik was offered the AU job, I never could figure that one out.

Question:

To date, the buzz coming out of Arizona is that this is proof that the right man was hired for AD.

But, man, I sure wonder if the folks doing the hiring knew about this during the process (everything that I know says no). And, if they didn't, I wonder if Byrne would have been hired if they did. I wonder why MSU waited so long to report the infraction (assuming I am understanding the timeline correctly). Assuming a nefarious type of answer to that lingering question of mine, we get to the question:

Was Byrne running from a burning house?

[the real dill]

NCAA addresses Cam Newton's eligibility
Auburn University football student-athlete Cam Newton is immediately eligible to compete, according to a decision today by the NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff. The NCAA concluded on Monday that a violation of amateurism rules occurred, therefore Auburn University declared the student-athlete ineligible yesterday for violations of NCAA amateurism rules.

When a school discovers an NCAA rules violation has occurred, it must declare the student-athlete ineligible and may request the student-athlete’s eligibility be reinstated. Reinstatement decisions are made by the NCAA national office staff and can include conditions such as withholding from competition and repayment of extra benefits. Newton was reinstated without any conditions.

According to facts of the case agreed upon by Auburn University and the NCAA enforcement staff, the student-athlete’s father and an owner of a scouting service worked together to actively market the student-athlete as a part of a pay-for-play scenario in return for Newton’s commitment to attend college and play football. NCAA rules (Bylaw 12.3.3) do not allow individuals or entities to represent a prospective student-athlete for compensation to a school for an athletic scholarship.

In conjunction with the case, Auburn University has limited the access Newton’s father has to the athletics program and Mississippi State has disassociated the involved individual.

“The conduct of Cam Newton’s father and the involved individual is unacceptable and has no place in the SEC or in intercollegiate athletics,” said Mike Slive, Southeastern Conference Commissioner. “The actions taken by Auburn University and Mississippi State University make it clear this behavior will not be tolerated in the SEC.”

“Our members have established rules for a fair and equal recruitment of student-athletes, as well as to promote integrity in the recruiting process,” said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president for academic and membership affairs. “In determining how a violation impacts a student-athlete’s eligibility, we must consider the young person’s responsibility. Based on the information available to the reinstatement staff at this time, we do not have sufficient evidence that Cam Newton or anyone from Auburn was aware of this activity, which led to his reinstatement. From a student-athlete reinstatement perspective, Auburn University met its obligation under NCAA bylaw 14.11.1. Under this threshold, the student-athlete has not participated while ineligible.”

“We are pleased that the NCAA has agreed with our position that Cam Newton has been and continues to be eligible to play football at Auburn University,” Auburn University Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs said. “We appreciate the diligence and professionalism of the NCAA and its handling of this matter. “

During the reinstatement process, NCAA staff review each case on its own merits based on the specific facts. Staff decisions are made based on a number of factors including guidelines established by the Division I NCAA Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, as well as any mitigating factors presented by the university.

Reinstatement decisions are independent of the NCAA enforcement process and typically are made once the facts of the student-athlete’s involvement are determined. The reinstatement process is likely to conclude prior to the close of an investigation. It is NCAA policy not to comment on current, pending or potential investigations.

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2010+news+stories/december/ncaa+addresses+eligibility+of+cam+newton

[Chicat]

Dill, is that a joke?

The NCAA doesn't want to suspend Newton because they know he's a cash cow. They are no better than his father. They're all pimps...

[ZonaCats8]

So Cam left the decision of where he was going to go completely up to his dad, his dad asked for money for his commitment, but Cam didn't know that he was asking for it?

Yeah, okay, I believe that.

[ArzCatz3]

So Cam left the decision of where he was going to go completely up to his dad, his dad asked for money for his commitment, but Cam didn't know that he was asking for it?

Yeah, okay, I believe that.

There is also a recording of Cam telling someone over the phone he wanted to go to MSU but couldn't b/c his dad was taking the cash.

[LegallyKenny]

I'm starting to hope USC does sue the NCAA.

[ArzCatz3]

I'm starting to hope USC does sue the NCAA.

This is akin to USC stealing a candy bar and being sentenced to 25 years in prison while Auburn commits a murder, filmed on camera, and is not prosecuted.

[azlax04]

This is akin to USC stealing a candy bar and being sentenced to 25 years in prison while Auburn commits a murder, filmed on camera, and is not prosecuted.

F*ck USC.

How about us vacating the NCAA tourney streak and losing scholarships because Jamelle Horne, Brendon Lavender, and Zane Johnson ate free pizza?

Unbelievable.

[SCCat]

:lol2: @ NCAA

[the real dill]

Dill, is that a joke?

The NCAA doesn't want to suspend Newton because they know he's a cash cow. They are no better than his father. They're all pimps...

Interesting precedent set here. You can sell your child to the highest bidder as long as your child doesn't know it is going on.

I love this quote:

“The conduct of Cam Newton’s father and the involved individual is unacceptable and has no place in the SEC or in intercollegiate athletics,” said Mike Slive, Southeastern Conference Commissioner. “The actions taken by Auburn University and Mississippi State University make it clear this behavior will not be tolerated in the SEC.”

[LegallyKenny]

“The actions taken by Auburn University and Mississippi State University make it clear this behavior will not be tolerated in the SEC.”

Let's all casually ignore the fact that Auburn and MSU didn't actually take any "actions".
Hopefully the MSU and Auburn boosters start suing eachother.

[the real dill]

In fairness, the NCAA is not allowing Cecil Newton to travel with the team or use Cam's tickets.

[LegallyKenny]

In fairness, the NCAA is not allowing Cecil Newton to travel with the team or use Cam's tickets.

I'm sure the 200k Cecil got from Auburn will buy plenty of tickets to the SEC CG.

[budd1e_lee]

Did they actually investigate anything or just read message boards?

[Main Event]

They'll get buried eventually...Everyone knows the big time schools pay there players its kinda funny they actually got snitched on though :lol:

[catgrad97]

F*ck USC.

How about us vacating the NCAA tourney streak and losing scholarships because Jamelle Horne, Brendon Lavender, and Zane Johnson ate free pizza?

Unbelievable.

+1.

OK, DCCat, the respect officially flew out the window.

If you want an even more apt analogy IMO, this is Mark McGwire and pro baseball all over again.

The NCAA as it currently stands is a corrupt institution which stands for nothing that doesn't make it money.

Stay tuned, as Kentucky and UConn hoops will also soon be quietly cleared of all their charges. :fur:

AbsoLUTEly disgusted right now.

[Taylor]

Damon Stoudamire was suspended because his dad was given plane tickets by an agent, but Cam Newton's dad can take $200,000 and the kid doesn't get suspended?

What the **** are they thinking, and who's cock is the NCAA gobbling these days?

[azcat34]

Damon:

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/95-suspended-star-didnt-know-of-dad-benefits-29294

[TucsonClip]

More reasons why the NCAA is a business and cares nothing about integrity of its "intercollegiate sports and universities".

[Taylor]

Damon:

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/95-suspended-star-didnt-know-of-dad-benefits-29294

Somebody read my mind...

[LegallyKenny]

Damon:

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/95-suspended-star-didnt-know-of-dad-benefits-29294

The commenters on that page are spectacularly stupid. Doesn't say much for the intelligence of the Auburn fanbase.
I particularly like the post by the guy who seems to think it's worse for a player to take a benefit from an agent than from the school recruiting him. Once again, only in the SEC...

[ArzCatz3]

The commenters on that page are spectacularly stupid. Doesn't say much for the intelligence of the Auburn fanbase.
I particularly like the post by the guy who seems to think it's worse for a player to take a benefit from an agent than from the school recruiting him. Once again, only in the SEC...

What else would you expect from a conference made up of backwards ass states?

[the real dill]

You are not eligible if any organization or group of people outside your institution spent money recruiting you to attend your institution, including entertaining, giving gifts or services and pro-viding transportation to you or your relatives or friends. [NCAA Bylaw 13.15.4]

[azcat34]

You are not eligible if any organization or group of people outside your institution spent money recruiting you to attend your institution, including entertaining, giving gifts or services and pro-viding transportation to you or your relatives or friends. [NCAA Bylaw 13.15.4]

Rules don't apply to the SEC.

[the real dill]

look who is super excited about the NCAA's decision......


NCAA decision on Newton opens Pandora’s box

By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
57 minutes ago

Printable View
Return to Original
OK, so after all the rumors and reports in the Cam Newton pay-for-play investigation, the NCAA and Auburn have agreed on the following set of facts:

“The student-athlete’s father (Cecil Newton) and an owner of a scouting service (Kenny Rogers) worked together to actively market the student-athlete as a part of a pay-for-play scenario in return for Newton’s commitment to attend college and play football. NCAA rules (Bylaw 12.3.3) do not allow individuals or entities to represent a prospective student-athlete for compensation to a school for an athletic scholarship.”

Developments in this case have been dizzying. Just this week … The NCAA determined Monday that a violation of Newton’s amateur status had occurred. Auburn ruled the quarterback ineligible Tuesday and requested he be reinstated. By Wednesday, the NCAA restored his eligibility because it “does not have sufficient evidence” to prove that Cam Newton knew his father was trying to sell him.


So, it’s no big deal. Bylaw 12.3.3 is nothing.

Wait … what?

Cecil Newton tried to get $180,000 to $200,000 for his son to play football and the NCAA said, hey, no problem?

Now that is one heck of a precedent to set. Hey Pandora’s Box, see you on signing day.

“That’s the most amazing thing I’ve heard in over four decades of being around college and high school sports,” said Sonny Vaccaro, the retired sneaker czar, hoops middle man and player confidant who admits he’s been around hundreds of major recruiting battles through the years. He’s a longstanding advocate of player rights and was, on some level, overjoyed that the NCAA was shooting itself in the foot.

“The NCAA just gave cover to every middle man in the country,” Vaccaro said. “The kids never know. In all my years, I’ve never heard of a kid being involved in the negotiation. You think they ask? Of course not. Their mom asks. Their coach asks. Their cousin asks. This is crazy.”

Step back from the specifics of how this case involves the best player on the best team heading into the SEC championship game and likely the BCS title game (which Auburn may reach even with a loss Saturday). If you look at it globally, it’s a head scratcher.

The NCAA just ruled that as long as the player denies he knew anything about being shopped around ? even by someone as close as his own father ? then there is no penalty. And let’s not give any credit to the NCAA banning Cecil Newton from associating with Mississippi State (why would he anyway?) and allowing just “limited” association with Auburn, a school they’ll leave in the tail lights one minute after his son’s final game. That’s the biggest non-penalty penalty of all time.

At this point, why wouldn’t the parent of every recruit in America ask about getting paid? What’s the harm, right? Just do it behind your son’s back ? or at least pretend. You might as well see what’s out there, even if it’s just for the fun of it.

The NCAA has taken one of its better deterrents ? a rule that clearly stated no one representing an athlete can even solicit extra benefits ? and all but reversed it. They’ve essentially said that you’d be a fool for not soliciting.

“That’s the most messed up ruling I’ve ever heard,” one major college assistant coach said Wednesday. “They can ask every school for money and then someone will bite on it. And then if they get caught for asking they can just say the kid didn’t know.”

Said another major college assistant: “the NCAA could’ve sent a clear message to everyone that this won’t be tolerated. Don’t ask. Don’t suggest. Look what happened to Cam Newton. You don’t want that happening to your son, your player. Instead they said the opposite.

“I can’t even imagine what it will be like. Oh, man.”

Let’s get a couple caveats out of the way. It’s worth repeating the NCAA has not offered any proof that Newton received any extra benefits from any school or that Cecil Newton asked for money from Auburn.

And please note this isn’t a defense of the NCAA structure. I’ve long complained that everyone but the guy wearing the helmet is getting paid. I’ve long pointed out the amateurism rules are little more than cover to maintain college sports’ sweetheart tax free status.

I believe that Cam Newton is worth far more to a school than 200 grand. I believe he should be allowed professional representation since he’s essentially a walking $50-70 million commodity. I’m with Vaccaro in finding enjoyment in the NCAA’s self-inflicted wound.

I’m glad Cam Newton gets to continue playing football.

That said if the NCAA is going to continue to pretend it cares about pay for play, how does it provide no deterrent here?

Even if it just sat Newton for one half of the SEC title game, it’d be something. There is now essentially no penalty to asking for money in the recruiting process.

“I don’t want to hear about another player suspended again,” Vaccaro said. “They just took the legs out of all of their rulings. Do they have any idea what they just did?”

Will this extend to conversations with agents? Can the “player didn’t know” precedent eventually include a parent receiving actual money? Where does this end? Lawyers for players could have a field day here.

That’s why this reversal makes so little sense to so many people.

You can argue Cam Newton shouldn’t have to be set up as an example ? and I hear you since he’s hardly the only guy who got shopped, let alone sold ? but he’s a grown man who had already played major college football when he was being recruited this time. He wasn’t naive. And the person responsible for causing him to be suspended would be his own father. It’s a neat and tidy case.

In the long term, Newton could return for an Auburn bowl game ? or even the second half of the SEC title game. Even with a loss to South Carolina the Tigers could easily argue they deserve a spot in the BCS title game regardless ? they have the best resume and their only setback would be without their star quarterback. They probably don’t have to win Saturday anyway.

Soon enough Newton could still go on and make a fortune in the NFL, which certainly doesn’t care about all of this.

It’s not like the punishment had to be crippling. There had to be some punishment though.

Instead, Cam’s in the clear. The precedent is set on the recruiting trail. And the public’s imagine of college sports being out of control dirty is beautifully reinforced.

The NCAA enforcement staff will continue to investigate this case and if over the coming months, if not years, further improprieties are found, Newton (and Auburn) can be sanctioned. This doesn’t end the possibility of vacated victories.

It just confuses the heck out of college athletics.

[Chicat]

I am going to start befriending top level high school athletes now so I can pitch their services to colleges.

Thanks NCAA for the sweet career change!

[Winger]

I dont know if I am more astounded by the decision or the fact that it took only a few weeks to investigate and hand it down.

Bad ruling and bad day imo.

[Itamicbomb]

I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding about what today's decision was. Auburn is going to get hammered three years from now like Alabama or USC.

I would pay the goat $180,000 to play for Duke.

[GlobalCat]

I too would pay the goat $180K to play for Duke.




And would then quickly tell the NCAA about it :bandana:

[catgrad97]

I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding about what today's decision was. Auburn is going to get hammered three years from now like Alabama or USC.

Or like Kentucky and UConn?

the goat would have more sense than to have faith in the NCAA's decision.

[Itamicbomb]

Or like Kentucky and UConn?

the goat would have more sense than to have faith in the NCAA's decision.

The NCAA hasn't ruled yet on the sufficiency of UConn's self-imposed violations, and of course its glacial pace hasn't caught up to Calipari for the third time yet (although it has ruled Kanter permanently ineligible). Kentucky did get a two year postseason ban for 90/91. The only thing the NCAA did today was say that it doesn't have enough evidence to rule Newton ineligible yet, which it doesn't because it takes 3 years to do anything in Indianapolis.

the goat would have a better alibi than "I didn't know what my dad was doing"

[F Duke]

It's just odd that they would let Newton continue to play when it's obvious an infraction occurred. What sense (yes I know, it's the NCAA) does it make to delay the issue if Auburn wins the national title only to have it taken away in a few years?

[LegallyKenny]

The NCAA hasn't ruled yet on the sufficiency of UConn's self-imposed violations, and of course its glacial pace hasn't caught up to Calipari for the third time yet (although it has ruled Kanter permanently ineligible). Kentucky did get a two year postseason ban for 90/91. The only thing the NCAA did today was say that it doesn't have enough evidence to rule Newton ineligible yet, which it doesn't because it takes 3 years to do anything in Indianapolis.

the goat would have a better alibi than "I didn't know what my dad was doing"

Nope, you're wrong. The agreed set of events as between Auburn and the NCAA at this point is that Cecil solicited cash from MSU for Cam's commitment. That's a violation.

[the real dill]

I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding about what today's decision was. Auburn is going to get hammered three years from now like Alabama or USC.

I would pay the goat $180,000 to play for Duke.

This is what people are confused about. How do you get from this:


According to facts of the case agreed upon by Auburn University and the NCAA enforcement staff, the student-athlete’s father and an owner of a scouting service worked together to actively market the student-athlete as a part of a pay-for-play scenario in return for Newton’s commitment to attend college and play football. NCAA rules (Bylaw 12.3.3) do not allow individuals or entities to represent a prospective student-athlete for compensation to a school for an athletic scholarship.


to this:

“Our members have established rules for a fair and equal recruitment of student-athletes, as well as to promote integrity in the recruiting process,” said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president for academic and membership affairs. “In determining how a violation impacts a student-athlete’s eligibility, we must consider the young person’s responsibility. Based on the information available to the reinstatement staff at this time, we do not have sufficient evidence that Cam Newton or anyone from Auburn was aware of this activity, which led to his reinstatement. From a student-athlete reinstatement perspective, Auburn University met its obligation under NCAA bylaw 14.11.1. Under this threshold, the student-athlete has not participated while ineligible.”


He skips the entire part they do have sufficient evidence on, this part:

NCAA rules (Bylaw 12.3.3) do not allow individuals or entities to represent a prospective student-athlete for compensation to a school for an athletic scholarship.


No part of that statement requires that "Cam Newton or anyone from Auburn was aware of this activity"

[Merkin]

http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2010/12/01/stop-whining-ncaa-got-it-right-on-cam-newton-auburn/

Newton vs. Damon Stoudamire: This is a very similar case, as laid out by SportsByBrooks, in which the father of the former Arizona basketball star was accused by the NCAA of accepting a plane ticket from an agent in 1995. Stoudamire denied knowing about his father’s alleged transaction. The father denied taking the ticket. The NCAA suspended the player for a game, then reinstated him just before the NCAA tournament. But here’s where the cases go in different directions. The agent in question, Steve Feldman, ultimately admitted he gave airplane tickets to Stoudamire’s father. The father had to reiumburse him. The NCAA believed to other penalty was warranted. Coversely, there is no paper trail or evidence of any kind in the Newton case.


And Rev. Newton is no doubt thanking God.

<a target='_blank' title='ImageShack - Image And Video Hosting' href='http://img441.imageshack.us/i/camnewtoncecilnewton.jpg/'><img src='http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/6721/camnewtoncecilnewton.jpg' border='0'/></a>

[Itamicbomb]

This is what people are confused about. How do you get from this:


According to facts of the case agreed upon by Auburn University and the NCAA enforcement staff, the student-athlete’s father and an owner of a scouting service worked together to actively market the student-athlete as a part of a pay-for-play scenario in return for Newton’s commitment to attend college and play football. NCAA rules (Bylaw 12.3.3) do not allow individuals or entities to represent a prospective student-athlete for compensation to a school for an athletic scholarship.


to this:

“Our members have established rules for a fair and equal recruitment of student-athletes, as well as to promote integrity in the recruiting process,” said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president for academic and membership affairs. “In determining how a violation impacts a student-athlete’s eligibility, we must consider the young person’s responsibility. Based on the information available to the reinstatement staff at this time, we do not have sufficient evidence that Cam Newton or anyone from Auburn was aware of this activity, which led to his reinstatement. From a student-athlete reinstatement perspective, Auburn University met its obligation under NCAA bylaw 14.11.1. Under this threshold, the student-athlete has not participated while ineligible.”


He skips the entire part they do have sufficient evidence on, this part:

NCAA rules (Bylaw 12.3.3) do not allow individuals or entities to represent a prospective student-athlete for compensation to a school for an athletic scholarship.


No part of that statement requires that "Cam Newton or anyone from Auburn was aware of this activity"

14.12.3 states that "A student-athlete is responsible for his or her involvement in a secondary or major violation of NCAA regulations (as defined in By- laws 19.02.2.1 and 19.02.2.2), and the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement may restore the eligibility of a student involved in any violation only when circumstances clearly warrant restoration."

From what I've read, the NCAA says it has insufficient evidence to find that Cam Newton was involved in the rules violation. He was automatically ruled ineligible because of the violation of 12.3.3, but it seems like the NCAA isn't willing to hold him responsible for that violation (at least yet). If the NCAA doesn't hold Cam responsible for any involvement in the rules violation, then the NCAA Reinstatement Committee doesn't have enough before it to warrant holding him ineligible, and like Stoudamire there is a restoration of eligibility.

This is not to say that Auburn isn't going to get crushed if/when it comes out that they did pay Cecil, or that Cam will be ruled retroactively ineligible if they determine that he did know something (similar to the Derrick Rose situation where the NCAA signs off on eligibility then determines later that it ****ed up), or even that if nothing else is discovered Auburn/Cam won't have any price to pay when the infractions committee makes its ultimate findings.

the goat would find the necessary evidence quickly.

[LegallyKenny]

14.12.3 states that "A student-athlete is responsible for his or her involvement in a secondary or major violation of NCAA regulations (as defined in By- laws 19.02.2.1 and 19.02.2.2), and the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement may restore the eligibility of a student involved in any violation only when circumstances clearly warrant restoration."

From what I've read, the NCAA says it has insufficient evidence to find that Cam Newton was involved in the rules violation. He was automatically ruled ineligible because of the violation of 12.3.3, but it seems like the NCAA isn't willing to hold him responsible for that violation (at least yet). If the NCAA doesn't hold Cam responsible for any involvement in the rules violation, then the NCAA Reinstatement Committee doesn't have enough before it to warrant holding him ineligible, and like Stoudamire there is a restoration of eligibility.

This is not to say that Auburn isn't going to get crushed if/when it comes out that they did pay Cecil, or that Cam will be ruled retroactively ineligible if they determine that he did know something (similar to the Derrick Rose situation where the NCAA signs off on eligibility then determines later that it ****ed up), or even that if nothing else is discovered Auburn/Cam won't have any price to pay when the infractions committee makes its ultimate findings.

the goat would find the necessary evidence quickly.

You're going about this completely ass-backwards. This isn't a question of whether Cam is responsible for a violation by Auburn or MSU (for now at least - this will obviously change after the season once the Auburn payoff evidence comes out). What his dad did by soliciting cash from MSU boosters was a violation that makes him ineligible because the acts of the family members are attributed to the player.

[Itamicbomb]

You're going about this completely ass-backwards. This isn't a question of whether Cam is responsible for a violation by Auburn. What his dad did was a violation that makes him ineligible because the acts of the family members are attributed to the player.

I can see why you would think that if you didn't read my second paragraph. The question is whether the NCAA considers Cam's lack of involvement in Cecil's solicitation (according to what the NCAA is ruling on at this point, at least) to be a factor weighing in favor of his reinstatement at this point under 14.12, as they did with Stoudamire in 1995. It doesn't matter for the purposes of 12.3.3 that it was Cecil and not Cam that solicited, but it can for the purposes of 14.12, the bylaw in question for today's ruling.

The U.S. should have sent the goat to lock up the 2022 WC bid.

[LegallyKenny]

The U.S. should have sent the goat to lock up the 2022 WC bid.

They sent my firm. Is that better or worse than the goat?

[Itamicbomb]

They sent my firm. Is that better or worse than the goat?

It looks like your firm did a great job (I watched the presentation and it looked really slick; I also saw the formal presentation was given a 100), but no one would be better than the goat. FIFA would have readjusted the scale for him. In any event I think the fix is in for Qatar, but that's for another thread.

[BibbysTowelDude]

I am going to start befriending top level high school athletes now so I can pitch their services to colleges.

Thanks NCAA for the sweet career change!


Obviously you are joking but it would be crazy lucrative!

[budd1e_lee]

Obviously you are joking but it would be crazy lucrative!

And the best part, you've never gotta find a new program. They only disallow contact with the ones that DIDN'T pay you...

[the real dill]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Quarterback-66-250-lb-elusive-Great-Liar-/230558281502?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35ae582f1e#ht_500wt_1156

[Winger]

They sent my firm. Is that better or worse than the goat?

Looks like worse.

[catgrad97]

The NCAA hasn't ruled yet on the sufficiency of UConn's self-imposed violations, and of course its glacial pace hasn't caught up to Calipari for the third time yet (although it has ruled Kanter permanently ineligible).

Not so fast, my friend.

UK wants to resubmit Enes Kanter case (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5880507&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines)

Kentucky has asked the NCAA to resubmit its eligibility case for freshman Enes Kanter, instead of seeking an appeal.

A source with knowledge of Kentucky's plan told ESPN.com the NCAA's decision on Auburn quarterback Cam Newton prompted the new approach.

Newton was allowed uninterrupted game eligibility because it was determined he was not aware of his father shopping his services as quarterback to Mississippi State for pay.

Kentucky and the NCAA issued a joint statement Friday afternoon that read:

"When a school receives new information that could impact a student-athlete's eligibility, it is a standard NCAA process to provide the university with an opportunity to resubmit the case for consideration.

"Because an NCAA appellate body, such as the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, cannot hear new information on appeal, this reconsideration must first be made by the NCAA reinstatement staff. The university would then have an opportunity to appeal the staff decision to the committee.

"This opportunity is available to ensure a fair and thorough consideration of eligibility matters for the student-athlete. The NCAA and University of Kentucky will not have any further comment regarding the specifics of this case until the process has concluded."

According to the source, the school is expecting to hear from the NCAA amateurism staff within a week.

The NCAA staff handles the initial rulings in these cases from its Indianapolis headquarters. The appeals committee is made up of administrators from the membership.

There is precedent for a staff decision to be overturned by an appeals committee. Earlier this fall, Mississippi quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was initially denied a waiver to play right away after transferring from Oregon.

Masoli was using a waiver that allows students to transfer to another school without sitting out a year in residence if they've graduated and the current school doesn't have their desired graduate degree program. Masoli was granted the waiver and played for Ole Miss this fall.

Kanter, who is projected to be a top-10 pick in the June NBA draft if he were to declare, has been working out in Lexington and remains in school, but has not been allowed to travel with the team. He wasn't allowed to go on the team's August trip to Canada, either.

Kanter played three seasons with the Turkish club Fenerbahce from 2006 to 2009. He was on the senior club team in 2008-09. The NCAA said in a release Nov. 11 that the university and the NCAA Eligibility Center agreed on the facts that Kanter received $33,033 more than his allowable expenses for the 2008-09 season.

The new NCAA bylaw does allow possible players to play on teams with professionals. But players aren't allowed to exceed the actual and necessary expenses. Previously, players weren't allowed to be on a team with a professional without a game penalty.

West Virginia sophomore and fellow Turkish national Deniz Kilicli sat out the first 20 games of last season because he played on a team with a professional.

"Enes took advantage of an opportunity to play at the highest level available to him, but the consequences of receiving payments above his actual expenses is not compatible with the collegiate model of sports that our members have developed," Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president of academic and membership affairs, said in the Nov. 11 release.

Kentucky is hopeful that the same committee will now look differently at the case after the Newton decision. Kentucky has maintained that Kanter intended to be an amateur by pursuing an education in the United States as a senior in high school and then as a freshman in college instead of going directly to a professional team in Europe, considering he was a rare foreign player who was a lottery lock but wanted to be a college player.

The NCAA's student-athlete reinstatement staff ruled an amateurism violation did occur with Newton, but according to the facts agreed by Auburn and the NCAA enforcement staff, Newton was unaware of the plan by his father and the owner of a scouting service to seek a payment for his signed commitment.

In the Dec. 1 release regarding Newton's eligibility, Lennon said: "In determining how a violation impacts a student-athlete's eligibility, we must consider the young person's responsibility. Based on the information available to the reinstatement staff at this time, we do not have sufficient evidence that Cam Newton or anyone from Auburn was aware of this activity, which led to his reinstatement."

Kentucky will argue that, like Newton, Kanter was unaware there was an amateurism violation.

Plausible deniability. It works so well in politics, why not use it as much as you can in recruiting too? :rolleyes:

[Itamicbomb]

Not so fast, my friend.

UK wants to resubmit Enes Kanter case (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5880507&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines)



Plausible deniability. It works so well in politics, why not use it as much as you can in recruiting too? :rolleyes:

There are really only three options here, all of which are in play with an SEC program's compliance staff:

1) UK does not understand the difference between a ruling of permanent ineligibility and a reinstatement under 14.12 pending final disposition of the investigation
2) UK does not understand that the player not knowing is not a defense under the NCAA Rule holding him (and ultimately Newton once they find the money) ineligible
3) UK understands either 1 or 2, but is dishonest enough to file the appeal in the hope that public pressure unrelated to the merits of Kanter's case will force the NCAA to rule otherwise

[NorCalCat]

http://theclevelandfan.com/ohio-state-buckeyes/3-buckeye-archive/7274-the-fall-of-bobby-lowder-and-the-fallout-at-auburn


The Fall of Bobby Lowder, and the Fallout at Auburn
Dan Wismar

If you're sick of hearing about Cam Newton, bear with me. Because Cam Newton is a part of this story, but in many ways he is incidental to it. The story is Auburn University, specifically its athletic department, and the shadowy but undisputed influence on it by Robert "Bobby" Lowder for the last 25 years.

Cam Newton's star is ascending, the Heisman nearly assured, and his future unlimited. A year from now he'll be wealthy, and college will have served its purpose for this special athlete. Bobby Lowder is 67, and in decline. His personal, business and financial life is in shambles. He is being investigated, sued and will probably be prosecuted.

It looks now like the unraveling of Lowder's business and personal affairs won't be able to drag down Cam Newton. The Auburn University athletic department on the other hand, might not survive the fall of Bobby Lowder. They are inseparable.

---

Let me say up front I'm not a secret "Bammer" or anything, really. I just waded into this story and this is what came out. Everyone knows I'm a Buckeye fan, which requires that I hate all SEC teams equally. If I were an Auburn fan though, I'd be furious at what Bobby Lowder has wrought on my beloved program. All I've tried to do below is assemble events into a coherent narrative for the reader, and to be as faithful to the truth as I can be.

A quick note to the "everybody does it" crowd: No they don't. Not every college program pays 200 grand cash for players. And for those others that do...this article isn't about them. It's about Auburn.

---

There are potentially troublesome athletic boosters insinuating themselves into nearly every major college football and basketball program in the country, but you could say Bobby Lowder redefines the position. As a member of the Auburn Board of Trustees for 27 years, and the sitting chairman of the university Finance Committee, Lowder has essentially run Auburn athletics as his private preserve for decades.

Auburn football coaches, athletic directors...even university presidents, serve at his pleasure. A 1964 graduate of the school, Lowder and his parents have donated as much as $20 million to Auburn over the years, and several campus buildings bear their name. As a self-made CEO of a major regional bank with over $25 billion in assets, Lowder's passion for his work was exceeded only by his passion for Auburn football. He has often been called the most powerful man in the State of Alabama.

Lowder has been the subject of profiles by ESPN.com and by Fortune/CNN-Money that are both worth the time to plow through for more background. The man apparently has his defenders, but they can meet in a phone booth. From the Fortune article:

...Lowder has made plenty of enemies over the years. His name might not be familiar outside Alabama, but he is easily one of the most feared, loathed, and some say misunderstood men to wield power in this state since George Wallace -- the governor who first appointed him to the board in 1983.

Lowder has been accused of making backroom deals with governors and treating the Auburn football program like a private fiefdom. (Because of his influence over Auburn's athletic program, three years ago ESPN named him the most powerful booster in college sports.)

At various times Lowder has been at war with Auburn's faculty, its student newspaper, its alumni association, and some of his fellow trustees -- developing a reputation along the way as a tyrant with a vindictive nature. It has been alleged that Lowder made a death threat to one board member he clashed with.

Former Alabama Governor Fob James tried to have Lowder removed from the Auburn Board of Trustees in the late '90's, but Lowder sued the Governor to stop him, and used his influence on the Board to prevent them from naming a successor. Lowder supported James' political opponent in the subsequent election, and when his man, Don Siegelman, was elected Governor in 1998, the new Alabama chief executive promptly extended Lowder's appointment to the Auburn Board for an additional 12 years, set now to expire in 2011. Siegelman was convicted in 2006 on bribery and mail fraud charges, and served two years in federal prison.


The Rich Tradition of Auburn Cheating

One sports web site titled an article on Lowder, "What if a Booster Ran an SEC School's Budget?" Exactly. What could go wrong? At this point, the question is: What has gone wrong? Few would argue today that Lowder's influence on Auburn athletics, while fanatically well-intended, has been a malign and destructive one more than it has served the university's interests.

Lowder has by many accounts presided over a longstanding system of buying and paying Auburn football players through a network of surrogates including assistant coaches and other boosters. This is hardly just a matter of unsupported rumor, or of bad faith accusations by Auburn's rivals (though there is plenty of the latter going on). The school has a track record of NCAA violations of this sort ever since Pat Dye Jr. was forced out as Athletic Director in 1991, and a year later as head coach, based on NCAA findings that Auburn was paying players.

And that doesn't even count 1957, when Auburn went undefeated, but was not allowed to play in a bowl game owing to...you guessed it...previous recruiting violations. Since Bobby Lowder was 13 at the time, I guess we can't hang that one on him.

Dye's reign at Auburn was undone by Eric Ramsey, an Auburn player who secretly recorded his coaches talking to him about the cash payments and "loans" he was getting through the program, a scandal that resulted in a "60 Minutes" episode, and got Bobby Lowder busy looking for a new A.D. and a new coach.

The NCAA was particularly peeved with Auburn at the time, as they had already been on probation an unprecedented six times, and the two-year probation they earned for the Eric Ramsey case had to be delayed at its outset so the most recent two-year probation for previous violations involving basketball and tennis could expire. Take a number, football.


The Terry Bowden Years

Terry Bowden, at the time the coach at Samford University in Birmingham, took over the Auburn program after Dye. Lowder's daughter Katherine, who happened to work in Bowden's office at Samford, stuck her head into his office one day, and said "Dye is leaving and my dad wants you to be coach at Auburn.” That's the way it works when you're the SuperBooster, and you own the Board of Trustees and the A.D. (Lowder once reportedly said of David Housel, one of his many athletic directors, "He's not a good A.D., but he's my A.D.")

According to an interview Bowden gave in 2001 to Paul Davis, the editor of The Tuskegee News, he tried his best to end the payments to players when he arrived at Auburn, but was undermined and eventually forced out by Lowder for not going along to get along with the program's pay-to-play scheme. Bowden negotiated a $1.8 million buyout package, and as a condition of his deal, agreed to a confidentiality clause that prohibits him from discussing Lowder, the Board, the Athletic Dept. or player recruiting. Convenient, but Bowden at least unburdened himself to Davis about the corruption at Auburn before clamming up. Near the end of his days at Auburn, Bowden says he was "checking my house for bugs".

The Bowden interview linked above can be found in numerous places on the web in basically this same form. I attempted to verify with Davis the accuracy of the transcript, but have not as yet received a reply. So, as with anything sourced this way, take it for what it's worth. If it helps give it credibility, know that USA Today reported on Davis' account of the interview in a 2003 article. Here's part of what Bowden told Davis in 2001 about the way it worked at Auburn when he was head coach there (1993 to mid-season 1998):

We paid then $12,000-$15,000 to sign. We sign about four every year that we pay.(Former assistant coach Rodney) Garner paid most of the players. He was paid when he was a player at Auburn.(Stacey) Danley is the assistant compliance guy, and he was paid when he was a player. I broke the rules. I said pay it off, and it will never happen again.

(Asst. coach Wayne) Hall said “OK, but you will change your mind.” Katherine came to Auburn as my assistant, but she worked for Colonial. We were real close. I told Lowder “We have cash all over.” Lowder said “I told Wayne not to collect more than we had to have to pay the players.” Wayne had a safe in his house where he kept the money. Within two weeks of me being hired they told me about paying Jelks.

Nothing was done without Lowder knowing. I will go under oath and say that Lowder looked me in the eyes and said, “I didn’t want Wayne to collect more money than we needed to pay the players.” I was hiding a dirty secret. We were paying (star running back and current Washington Redskin) Steve Davis and his cousin the fullback.

It took about two years to get it all cleaned up. Most the guys we were paying weren’t any good and weren’t helping us win games. Steve Davis was the exception.

Here is how it works, fifty to 60 men give $5,000 per year. Wayne would collect it. These are all good men. They didn’t ask questions. The coach tells them that everybody cheats so we have to. My first two years we went 11-0 and 9-0-1.

Jetgate

From Dye to Bowden and then to Tommy Tuberville, Lowder always had his eye on his next coach. In 2003, after Tuberville had lost three straight SEC games down the stretch, Lowder dispatched his interim President, his AD Housel, and a couple of Board members in the Colonial BancCorp corporate jet to Louisville to meet secretly with then-Louisville coach Bobby Petrino, and offer him the Auburn job. The plane was identified, and word of the meeting leaked. The Iron Bowl with Alabama had yet to be played, and Lowder had undermined his coach in an incident that came to be called "Jetgate".

Petrino wisely turned Auburn down, but Tuberville was justifiably angry, and Lowder was justifiably criticized for his ham-handedness. Tuberville was able to negotiate a disclosure clause going forward, requiring him to be told if contact was made with another coach, a clause Lowder may have later violated by contacting Houston Nutt.

Academic Misconduct Embarrasses Auburn

The increasingly brazen and unseemly influence of one particular Auburn trustee was brought to light yet again in 1999, when Lowder set about settling personal scores by defunding Auburn academic departments using his power as Finance Committee chair. He eliminated the respected Auburn PhD program in Economics, as one example, and reorganized the journalism department that he claimed had generated negative stories about him. His micromanagement of university affairs eventually drew the attention of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the accreditation body for SEC schools.

The ensuing SACS investigation resulted in a one-year probation for Auburn, and cited Lowder's influence in the Pat Dye payola scandal, the Bowden firing, and the stacking of the Auburn Board with Lowder cronies, board members of Colonial BancCorp, Lowder's bank, and recipients of loans from Colonial, to an extent that the "independence" of the board was in question. Not only had Lowder's nearly unlimited power at Auburn brought disgrace to their athletics programs, but it had brought the entire university to the brink of losing their academic accreditation.

William Muse, the President of Auburn University at the time of the SACS accreditation investigation was summarily fired by the Lowder-controlled Board not long after that episode. Years later, Muse spoke with Paul Davis, the aforementioned Alabama newspaperman, who reported that Muse, Bowden, and even Davis lived in fear of what Bobby Lowder could do to them...

I spent many hours with Dr. Muse, a good man. We talked early on by phone, from my office to his. He then became concerned that his phone was tapped and asked that I call him at home. Then he became fearful about using his home phone. Those were tough days. Jim Martin, also a former president, had me meet with him face-to-face off campus. Former Coach Terry Bowden had his home checked for electronic bugs. I finally decided to do the same.

Threats I received were so scary that I called the FBI and met with agents in my office. During those days, my newspaper building burned to the ground under mysterious circumstances. The stakes were high at Auburn and for Mr. Lowder.

One day over lunch in a downtown restaurant, I also asked Dr. Muse why he just didn’t go public, tell the whole, sordid story, get fired and get it over with. I knew he was going to be fired sooner rather than later. I think he did, too. “It’s just useless to have a public brawl. He (Lowder) has too much power. Who wins? Who loses? Would it help Auburn?,” he asked me--or maybe himself.

In a 2009 article, Davis characterized Lowder's effect on the university like this:

John Dean once told President Nixon: "There’s a cancer growing on the presidency.

Ditto for Auburn. Nixon’s cancer was Watergate. Auburn’s cancer is Lowder.

MSU Said No. Did Auburn Say Yes?

Which brings us back around to Cam Newton, Auburn University quarterback and Heisman front-runner. In case you don't pay attention to the sports news, or if you're a sports fan who just crawled out from under a rock yesterday, let me review very briefly what we know for sure about the Cam Newton scandal:

- Three former Mississippi State players have said that Cecil Newton attempted to arrange a six-figure payment for his son to attend Mississippi State. After repeated denials, Cecil Newton has since admitted that he asked Mississippi State representatives for money (reportedly $180,000) in return for Cam's commitment to play for MSU.

- ESPN reported the following on November 11: After Newton committed to Auburn, another source said an emotional Cam Newton phoned another recruiter to express regret about his change of commitment from Mississippi State, stating that his father Cecil had chosen Auburn for him because "the money was too much."

While not proof of any wrongdoing by Auburn, you would think that would be enough to get the NCAA looking under a few more rocks in Auburn, Alabama. And of course, they are.

The latest on Newton as of this writing is the agreement between the NCAA and Auburn University to declare Newton ineligible for one brief moment...a nod to public evidence of his father shopping him to MSU for a six-figure sum...and then immediately reinstate him to eligibility just in time for the SEC Championship Game. This, we are told by the conference president, "make[s] it clear this behavior will not be tolerated in the SEC.”

No doubt this is a scary signal to greedy, opportunistic fathers throughout SEC country. Says Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN, "This isn't a slap on the wrist; it's a wet kiss on the ring finger" for Newton's father Cecil.


Who's Kidding Whom?

Indeed this joint NCAA-Auburn action has the appearance of a tactic meant only to buy time...to at least for the moment disperse the cloud of controversy hanging over the unbeaten Tigers, this Saturday's SEC Championship Game, and potentially the BCS National Championship Game.

But the controversy is going nowhere. Because people aren't stupid. I have yet to meet the person who believes that Cam Newton's father didn't get Auburn to say yes to a six-figure payment after Mississippi State said no to his demand, and reported it to authorities. Whether we know it or not, I think most of us subscribe to the Occam's Razor principle...that when considering two or more competing theories, we select the one that requires us to make the fewest new assumptions. In other words, generally the simplest explanation or theory is the most likely to be true.

The presumption of innocence is one thing, but the suspension of disbelief is something else entirely. Cam Newton surely is entitled to the former. But given Auburn's sleazy history, plus what we now know about the elder Newton, to believe in his innocence is to make an irrational leap of faith. It is borderline delusional.

We take into account our (okay, my) existing assumptions...a) It is well-documented that Auburn has had a longstanding system in place to pay for the acquisition of football talent and to continue paying players during their time at the university (as Dye's termination and Bowden's interview attest). b) Cecil Newton insisted on being paid a large amount of money to get his son to play for any university. c) Cam Newton told MSU recruiters he wanted to play for MSU, but his dad told him he selected Auburn for his son because "the money was too much".

The question begging to be asked these days is not whether the Newtons received a big chunk of cash to commit to Auburn. I've got to believe none but the most blinded of Auburn partisans doubt that they paid big money to land Newton. The question is whether the NCAA (or the SEC) has any interest in opening this Pandora's Box of college football corruption by investigating fully, disclosing eveything they discover, and punishing the offenders appropriately.

I have grave doubts that they will do any such thing.


Bit Players With Lousy Timing

The system for paying players has been in place at Auburn for years, as we have demonstrated, and it appears that any coach or athletic director who opposed the system has been removed by Lowder Inc. Whether Cam Newton and his father have become part of this system as willing participants or, to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, as unwitting pawns, is not really the issue.

In either case, the Newtons would appear to be bit players in a much broader and deeper system of athletic corruption run by Lowder, and since 1993 it seems, winked at by the NCAA. Bobby Lowder is the proverbial elephant loitering in the living room, while the media are obsessed with Cam Newton's initials carved in the baseboard.

Newton and his father are alleged to have done some shady things, but in the end, having incredibly bad timing may turn out to be the most damaging of their offenses. That's because Newton's time at Auburn just happens to coincide with the utter collapse of Bobby Lowder's world. It's not a pretty picture, and it could very well bring Auburn University athletics crashing down along with it.

And the more I learn about the goings on at Auburn, the more I'm convinced that it probably should.


Crashing and Burning - The Beginning of the End


As if the above story-telling doesn't do enough to paint Bobby Lowder as the guy in the black hat in the piece, consider also that he was a major player in the mortgage lending crisis that brought the entire U.S. economy to the brink of collapse two years ago.

Lowder's bank, Colonial BancGroup, was seized by federal regulators in August of 2009, just weeks after Lowder resigned as CEO of the company. The bank's failure was the sixth largest in U.S. history, and by far the largest of 2009, which as we know was a bad year for banks.

Colonial, with its $26 billion in assets and 350 branches, was in turn sold to North Carolina-based BB&T, but the problems for Lowder were just getting underway. In just the value of his own stock holdings in Colonial, Lowder has lost over $160 million personally, and he is being sued from all sides, and investigated by the FBI for TARP fraud, as Brian O'Keefe reports in the Fortune article:

As much as Lowder has already lost, he could still lose much more. A slew of class-action suits have been filed by both Colonial shareholders and former employees that charge Colonial with reckless and dishonest conduct and name Lowder as a primary defendant.

[...]

Perhaps most worrying for Lowder is an investigation by the FBI and the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program into Colonial's so-called warehouse-lending business.

Colonial applied for $550 million in TARP funds last fall but was never cleared to receive a bailout. On Aug. 3, just 11 days before regulators shut down Colonial, agents raided the bank's offices in downtown Orlando, where the warehouse lending was managed, and spent hours carting away boxes of documents.

As the man who signed Colonial's financial statements, Lowder could face civil or even criminal charges if evidence of fraud is found in the bank's TARP application.

The so-called "warehouse lending" operation would be the same kind of unscrupulous packaging and securitizing of shaky mortgage loans that contributed greatly to the ongoing banking crisis in the country. Colonial's collapse has already cost the FDIC some $2.8 billion, and it could be on the hook for an additional $15 billion.

If the Justice Department is investigating Colonial with the intention of prosecuting one of the "big fish" at the heart of the lending scandals, I think most of us could agree that Bobby Lowder is a fish worth landing. At the very least, the government is trying to recover (from the hide of Bobby Lowder, preferably) some or all of the money that he has cost the FDIC.

Paul Davis was one of many people celebrating the apparent end of Bobby Lowder's reign last summer:

It is over. Bobby Lowder’s Colonial Bank is dead along with his powerful control over Auburn University. That’s terrible news for the thousands of Colonial Bank employees but wonderful news for Auburn University.

Davis again...

He stacked Auburn’s board with his closest cronies and those who owed him the most money. He spoke little at public meetings. He knew the outcome well before the public meetings started. He always meet first in secret. He always knew the outcome of every vote. He always chaired the athletics committee. He always hired the coaches and fired the coaches. He alone, ran Auburn-- almost into the ground. He alone hired and fired the presidents, the good ones and mediocre ones.

Davis' celebration may have been premature. Because much to the ongoing embarrassment of the university, the disgraced Bobby Lowder still has a spot on the Board of Trustees until next year, and as far as I can determine, still chairs the powerful finance committee, at least in name.

Trust me...we'll eventually bring this back to Cam Newton and Auburn football...promise.


McGregor, Geddie, Vote-Buying and Political Corruption


McGregorBobby Lowder's eventual fate might well be dependent upon the resolution of the legal problems facing many of his associates who are, variously, under indictment, under arrest, or under investigation for a variety of criminal offenses apparently unrelated to Lowder's bank collapse. (I'll try to keep this brief...read more at the links.)

Principal among them is Milton McGregor, (pictured) an Auburn alumnus and owner of Victoryland, a dog track/casino/hotel operation in Alabama. He is a longtime Auburn University booster, major donor, and a large investor/shareholder in Colonial BankGroup, hence the clear connections to Lowder.

Just two months ago, McGregor was arrested by the FBI in connection with a vote-buying scheme in the Alabama state legislature, a scheme intended to positively influence pro-gambling legislation.

The same day, lobbyist Robert Geddie was also arrested in connection with the same investigation. Geddie's lobbying firm, Fine-Geddie, was apparently the conduit through which McGregor channeled cash to at least four state senators, who are also now under indictment (pdf). The money was reportedly distributed by Fine-Geddie through a number of political action committees (PACs) further distancing it from its sources and making it difficult to track.

The FBI's investigation of McGregor has been going on at least since early 2009, and they have made use of wiretaps of McGregor in their evidence-gathering. In addition, some of the state legislators wore wires as part of the probe.

And this is where the links to Auburn University come back into play.

The ever-present Paul Davis has connected the Fine-Geddie lobbying firm to another of its clients, Auburn University's Tigers Unlimited Foundation, a group with a tax status that allows its donors to remain anonymous, and which is set up to benefit Auburn's athletic programs. Tigers Unlimited is a client of Fine-Geddie, and according to Davis, has paid the lobbying firm almost a million dollars. To what end, one wonders?


Opportunity

So, we've established that a wealthy, prominent Auburn booster has used a lobbying firm to channel largely untraceable sums of money through as many as a dozen different PAC's to illegally influence legislation by bribing politicians. (OK..."allegedly", at this point in the process). So we know where their ethics are.

That same lobbying firm also is in possession of as much as a million dollars from a client foundation whose express goal is to advance the cause of Auburn athletics. We can assume that the same (or different) PAC's might be utilized to channel cash to that foundation's intended recipients, be they Auburn football players or, say...Jordan-Hare stadium peanut vendors. And they have already shown us that applicable laws and regulations concern them not one bit.

Which brings us back to the bad timing of the Newton family, and to some unsubstantiated but entirely plausible speculation about what kinds of things might be on those Milton McGregor wiretap tapes.

TMZ is reporting (11/17/10) that the FBI probe is looking into a possible connection between McGregor and the Cam Newton case. The author of a detailed and highly informative message board post on the Newton-Auburn affair has speculated that "sources" (again, take it at face value) have indicated that McGregor has long been thought to be the money man involved in Auburn's pay-to-play system of player remuneration, and that the FBI may have stumbled onto evidence of the Auburn football corruption in the course of their wiretap surveillance of McGregor in the unrelated vote-buying scheme. Got that?

The timing of the probable start of wiretapping of McGregor (mid-2009-early 2010) would match up with the approximate time in the courtship of Newton that could have seen Auburn boosters like McGregor talking on tape about the Cecil and Cam Newton situation. Stay tuned.

---

So that's the state of play as far as my digging into the matter has been able to establish. Thanks for getting this far. What remains to be seen is how much appetite exists within the NCAA for rooting out what has gone on at Auburn, and what continues to go on at Auburn and elsewhere, and for disciplining the offenders.

One hopes the FBI and NCAA are working cooperatively, since the Feds have the subpoena power that the private NCAA bureaucrats lack. For the sake of the credibility of the game of college football that we all love, let's hope the full truth comes out this time.

Maybe there's a chance for an "Eric Ramsey of 2011" to emerge from the current or recent group of Auburn players, to tell the truth, and...who knows...maybe start a landslide of truth-telling by young men of integrity. Am I dreamin'?

The authorities can't afford to let this opportunity pass. The fall of Bobby Lowder affords the ideal moment to clean up the Auburn athletic department once and for all.

---

Correction: 12/5/10: The date of the "Jetgate" incident was not 2008, as indicated in the text, but rather 2003. Thanks to a reader for the heads up. The original text has been edited to reflect the accurate date.



Related: (all articles listed below are also linked in the above text)


TigerDroppings post - This message board post at an LSU-affiliated site doesn't make any claims to being authoritative, but does do a good job of assembling timelines, links to media sources, and mini-bio's of the major players in the ongoing story of Cam Newton and Auburn football. It's a good jumping off point for anyone interested in learning more about the issue.

ESPN.com - "A Tiger of a Trustee" (2006)

CNN/Money - "The man behind 2009's biggest bank bust" (October, 2009)

New York Times - "A Hard-to-Forget Voice from Auburn's Past" - Bill Rhoden - (Nov. 24, 2010)

Bobby Lowder - Wikipedia

Eric Ramsey - "60 Minutes" Segment (YouTube)

[CalStateTempe]

I love how TMZ may be the investigative journalism that blows this up.

[ZonaCats8]

No chance I'm reading that whole thing, anyone want to give a reader's digest?

[77HoyaCat4Ever]

No chance I'm reading that whole thing, anyone want to give a reader's digest?

I'm not sure I have ever read "War and Peace" cover to cover either but I did read the Cliff Notes version. Hasn't adversely impacted my life as far as I know.

The Cliff Notes version of the article is that Auburn has always been crooked, that they are still probably crooked, and that presumption of Cam's innocence in not knowing what his father was doing strains credulity. If the FBI finds a trail of money from Auburn to Mr. Newton, the game will be over.

[Merkin]

In the business world it is no longer called Reader's Digest or Cliff Notes. The proper term is Executive Summary since they apparently don't have the time or inclination to read the whole thing.

Or can't, in the case of George W. Bush.

[77HoyaCat4Ever]

Are you saying I'm and old fart?

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQTS3fbCMGXWa11e9ecDUPnce3EMRPQJ-ibSGNE5G9W-arTpir7

[catgrad97]

The new president issues a response:

http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1161735

You think the NCAA's ruling on Cameron Newton didn't shock a few people last week? The response was such that new NCAA president Mark Emmert posted a reply on the organization's Web site Thursday, a day after the ruling, saying, "We recognize that many people are outraged at the notion that a parent or anyone else could 'shop around' a student-athlete and there would possibly not be repercussions on the student-athlete's eligibility." Emmert also said he's committed to "further clarifying and strengthening our recruiting and amateurism rules so they promote appropriate behavior by students, parents, coaches and third parties." ACC commissioner John Swofford, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott weighed-in separately, each voicing concerns about the precedent the NCAA may have set with the ruling.

smashie, all hopes to your guy Mark Emmert that he can change around the widespread disrespect for the NCAA fomenting right now.

[catgrad97]

Newton declares for NFL draft (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft2011/news/story?id=6019964&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines)

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton will skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft after leading Auburn to a national championship and drawing nearly as much attention for a pay-for-play scandal as for his dynamic performances.

"This decision was difficult for me and my family," Newton said, adding that he made it after talking to coach Gene Chizik and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.

Sure it was, terribly difficult. Here's the extent of his pre-decision talk:

"Coach, I think I'm going to leave for the NFL now."

"Good idea, Cam."

"I concur." :lol:

The national champions are waiting on Lombardi Award-winning defensive tackle Nick Fairley to announce his NFL decision on Friday in his hometown of Mobile.

Are they sure that Nick can get the words out?

The dual-threat quarterback brought joy to Auburn, but some troubles also came along with him. He played under a cloud the last two months of the season after reports surfaced that his father, Cecil, shopped his services during Mississippi State's recruitment of his son.

All that came of it so far is that Auburn declared Newton ineligible the week of the SEC championship game against South Carolina and the NCAA reinstated him a day later. The NCAA said it hasn't closed the case but that it had no evidence at the time that Cam Newton knew about his father's solicitation.

The case may prompt a new addition -- call it "Newton's Law" -- in the NCAA rule book.

It was prominent and polarizing enough that NCAA president Mark Emmert, speaking at the governing body's annual convention Thursday, called for new rules ensuring that parents can't "sell the athletic services" of their children.

"If you look at the Newton case, a lot of people came away from that, because it's a complicated case, saying, 'Gosh, it's OK for a father to solicit money for the services for his son or daughter?' " Emmert told reporters afterward. "The answer to that is no, it isn't. But we don't have a rule that makes that clear."

Well, golly, Mr. Emmert! Maybe if you would care to read the text of that nice big book of bylaws you use, you might find one or a gazillion which clearly apply to Cam Newton.

I've never seen a college football player steal a championship and get off on a technicality before. Gee, that's swell!

Regardless of whether all of this is true or not, Cam is being targeted unfairly, guilty or innocent.

Still believe this?

Newton left Auburn for the pros faster than Larry Brown got the hell out of Lawrence.

Trust me, I know how dirty all this stuff, and anybody who thinks what happened with Newton is some kind of an anomoly in that conference is fooling themselves. However, Auburn is looking at the death penalty if this stuff all comes out.

The SEC is beginning to remind me of Chicago at the height of Al Capone's power. Only spread out over several states.

Was Byrne running from a burning house?

More like a whorehouse at low tide. A couple of bridges may have been burned along the way, though.

“The conduct of Cam Newton’s father and the involved individual is unacceptable and has no place in the SEC or in intercollegiate athletics,” said Mike Slive, Southeastern Conference Commissioner. “The actions taken by Auburn University and Mississippi State University make it clear this behavior will not be tolerated in the SEC.”

Words that will live in infamy.

If you want an even more apt analogy IMO, this is Mark McGwire and pro baseball all over again.

With Mark Emmert in the Bud Selig role, trying to explain away selective enforcement.

smashie, all hopes to your guy Mark Emmert that he can change around the widespread disrespect for the NCAA fomenting right now.

Boy, was I naive.

[Zona_Soccer10]

As much as I hate to jump to conclusions, it looks as if Newton is running scared. I hate situations like this, such a blow to the game.

[catgrad97]

As much as I hate to jump to conclusions, it looks as if Newton is running scared.

There's more!

Despite contrary reports, Cecil Newton was at BCS title game (http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Despite-contrary-reports-Cecil-Newton-was-at-BC?urn=ncaaf-306263)

Earlier in the day, Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said Cecil Newton wouldn't be attending the national championship game. It was a "mutually agreed upon" decision, Jacobs said.

Evidently no one told that to Cecil, who managed to stay unseen during the game, sitting away from his family and out of the view of ESPN cameras. He wasn't on Auburn's ticket list and the university later denied giving him admission to the game.

http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_ncaaf_experts__48/ept_sports_ncaaf_experts-788803214-1294786669.jpg?ymtRnYEDX4FC0vIP

And this guy is a reverend, right? Where, Our Lady of the Cheat and Run?

[Merkin]

:lol: Like you can walk right in. The lies just keep coming.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/01/cecil_newton_watched_bcs_champ.html

Adding a new wrinkle to the strange story, Cecil Newton's attorney, George Lawson, told USA Today that his client did not attend the game but entered the stadium afterward to congratulate his son.
"Mr. Newton viewed the game from an off-site location and came to the stadium after the game when everyone was leaving to personally congratulate his son," Lawson said. "He was probably at some sports bar or something like that. I don't know."

[azcat34]

Seems like Auburn is just trying to taunt the NCAA at this point:

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/ncaa-tainted-rapper-hosting-auburn-players-29429

[Merkin]

Seems like Auburn is just trying to taunt the NCAA at this point:

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/ncaa-tainted-rapper-hosting-auburn-players-29429


Somebody wised up:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=194268963921846

BCS Buster National Championship Party-CANCELLED!!

[the real dill]

Monday NCAA investigators descended on Thibodaux, Louisiana, to meet individually with Auburn football recruit Greg Robinson, Robinson’s mother Lydia, Robinson associate Sean Nelson and Robinson’s former Thibodaux High School Coach Dennis Lorio.

At issue in those meetings was Robinson’s recruitment by Auburn, which raised red flags after an investigative piece by Thayer Evans at FOXSports.com in early January.

In a private meeting held at Thibodaux high school on Monday, Lorio met with an NCAA investigator and a Thibodaux high school official.

During the meeting Lorio was asked by an NCAA investigator about Auburn’s recruitment of former Thibodaux high school players Trovon Reed and Robinson. More specificially, Lorio was asked about the role Nelson played in the recruitment of both players and the nature of Nelson’s relationship with the Auburn coaching staff.
Also discussed between Lorio and an NCAA investigator was numerous trips Nelson took to Auburn with Reed and Robinson, and an iPhone that Robinson allegedly acquired following a trip to Auburn.

Additionally, Lorio was asked by an NCAA investigator to expound on the following comment he made to Evans in the FOXSports.com piece:

“How did players from Thibodaux, La., become so interested in Auburn?” Lorio asks. “That’s a really good question. Trooper Taylor and Sean Nelson would know.

Taylor is an assistant football coach at Auburn who was involved in the recruitment of Reed and Robinson.

While Auburn’s recruitment of Reed and Robinson was the center of the conversation between Lorio and the NCAA investigator, multiple sources indicate that the NCAA is also focusing its attention on so-called “street agents” like Nelson, with similar NCAA probes currently taking place around the country.

Nelson, Reed and Robinson all denied any impropriety involving Auburn’s recruitment of the two players in Evans’ FOXSports.com piece.

When contacted via email about NCAA representatives being in Thibodaux on Monday, NCAA spokesman Stacey Osburn replied in an email, “The NCAA cannot comment on current, pending or potential investigations.”

For more on the story later today, visit FOXSports.com.

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/ncaa-questions-four-in-louisiana-about-auburn-29499

[JW_in_Philly]

"potential investigations"? so that means they can't comment on any D1 program in any sport? ;)

[Cats101]

:lol: Like you can walk right in. The lies just keep coming.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/01/cecil_newton_watched_bcs_champ.html

Adding a new wrinkle to the strange story, Cecil Newton's attorney, George Lawson, told USA Today that his client did not attend the game but entered the stadium afterward to congratulate his son.
"Mr. Newton viewed the game from an off-site location and came to the stadium after the game when everyone was leaving to personally congratulate his son," Lawson said. "He was probably at some sports bar or something like that. I don't know."

:lol2: How did I miss this?

[the real dill]

Scott Moore: Cam Newton Was in Room When Cecil Asked for Money
on Feb 25, 2011 10:55 AM EST in SEC Football

Huntsville, Alabama radio host Scott Moore appeared on a Mobile radio station this morning to talk more about what he knows from John Bond's and Bill Bell's tapes regarding the Cam Newton scandal. (Listen here, "Morning Sports Center Hour 3" around the 32 minute mark) He was one of the big sources who talked about the HBO Real Sports special on college football based on what Bond had told him.

Moore said that one of the tapes has Cecil Newton asking for money from Mississippi State with Cam in the room at the same time. He also said that the NCAA has a copy of some of the tapes and did encourage Auburn to sit Cam down before the Auburn-Georgia game. If you remember, it was shortly before that game that AU officials quit saying that everyone was innocent and switched to "no comment" as the standard response to everything. He also says that Cecil claimed to have a $200,000 offer from Tennessee but he'd give Mississippi State a $20,000 discount.

While confirming what we know about the NCAA investigating Auburn's recruiting practices in Louisiana, he also said it's about to look into Auburn's recruiting in Arkansas as well. Auburn's recent signees from Arkansas include RB Michael Dyer and TE Dakota Mosley in 2010 and QB Kiehl Frazier in 2011.

Finally, Moore reiterated the story that an FBI agent told Bond that Cam Newton would be a footnote in the Bureau's investigation, and he said that the investigations into Colonial Bank will eventually be a problem for Auburn. AU Board of Trustee member and athletic booster Bobby Lowder was the CEO of the now-defunct bank, and several other prominent boosters serverd on Colonial's board. Moore is not sure if Bond will appear on the Real Sports episode or not, and HBO has not offered him money to do so.

Now of course, the disclaimers: Moore is an Alabama guy and his cohost on his radio show is a former Alabama player. Also, all of his information is coming from Bond and Bond's tapes, not from himself. However, Moore says he has heard Bond's tapes, and the two of them are good enough friends that Bond gave his first and only interview since last November on Moore's show. Moore also said he didn't go looking for this story, but that it kept coming to him via his connections.

Furthermore, when you can only hear a conversation and not see what's going on, you can make errors in your interpretation of it. Moore seems completely convinced that Cam was in the room for one of Cecil's money calls, though, so at least one tape gives off a very strong indication of that being the case.

The lingering question is how Cam Newton could have been found ignorant of his father's shakedown of MSU if such a tape really exists. I can think of a few ways: 1) there is more doubt about Cam's presence in the room on the tape than Moore believes there is, 2) the NCAA hadn't yet heard that tape when the reinstatement decision was made, and/or 3) the reinstatement decision was based solely on information furnished by Auburn itself, which would not have included any evidence turned over by Bond and Bell.

As for the first one, it's completely plausible. For the second one, Moore says the NCAA doesn't have all the tapes from Bond and Bell so he doesn't know which the NCAA has heard. That one seems somewhat fishy; I would have thought the incriminating tape would be the first one they would turn over.

As for the last one, the NCAA's official statement said the reinstatement decision came from a list of facts that Auburn and the NCAA enforcement staff agreed upon. I simply don't know enough about the reinstatement process to know if this means the enforcement staff told Auburn everything it knew or if this is a case of giving Auburn and/or the Newtons enough rope to hang themselves with by witholding contradictory information.

Regardless, Bond clearly believes that he has evidence contradicting the idea that Cam Newton had no knowledge of his father shopping him around, and according to Moore, he'll make the tapes containing that evidence public at some point. Until then, we'll just have to keep watching and waiting.

[ZONACAT]

Good job NCAA.

[Cats101]

Well there's a surprise. :rolleyes:

[Itamicbomb]

I know that's fake because no one would take a discount to live in ****ing Starkville.

[budd1e_lee]

$1.3 million dollar raise for Chizik.

[Merkin]

Auburn can afford it now with Cam and family off the payroll.

[SCCat]

It pays in the short and medium term to cheat in NCAA football.

[catgrad97]

And what sucks the most is that it wouldn't have mattered who won this last BCS championship under SCCat's theory.

Auburn and Oregon are just two rulebreaking programs wearing different colors.

Which, I guess, ultimately does pretty much reduce their fans to rooting for laundry.

[the real dill]

Can someone embed this for me?

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a78/nursetpd/Auburn/Auburn_Not_Guilty.gif

[budd1e_lee]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a78/nursetpd/Auburn/Auburn_Not_Guilty.gif

[Merkin]

NCAA has no power to subpoena telephone or bank records, so not sure how they were able to get hold of them since the SEC wouldn't give them up.

Just another day closer to the end of the NCAA.

[budd1e_lee]

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2011/october/ncaa+statement+on+auburn+football+investigation

After conducting more than 80 interviews, the NCAA has concluded its investigation into Auburn University. The NCAA enforcement staff is committed to a fair and thorough investigative process. As such, any allegations of major rules violations must meet a burden of proof, which is a higher standard than rampant public speculation online and in the media. The allegations must be based on credible and persuasive information and includes a good-faith belief that the Committee on Infractions could make a finding. As with any case, should the enforcement staff become aware of additional credible information, it will review the information to determine whether further investigation is warranted.