NCAA/OSU Update. Almost laughable if it weren't so sad

Since someone (guess who) is blocking the article cited at the beginning of this thread (by Hooley, Fox sports, see link above), let me quote its main points;

“In USC’s recent two-year bowl ban and 30-scholarship bludgeoning, a marketing guy ticked off by Reggie Bush’s broken promises went public.  As far as NCAA investigators digging up anything, forget it.  And as far as the NCAA addressing anything about the Ohio State investigation, forget that, too. It did not return a call seeking comment.

The NCAA cannot subpoena witnesses. Current players and coaches are the only ones it can force to answer questions  That puts a limit on NCAA investigations, but it’s no more limiting than the lack of interest the Enforcement Staff shows in getting to the truth.

There’s no other explanation after looking at the OSU case.

The NCAA did not speak with -- and often did not attempt to speak with -- numerous people linked to the case...the owner of the tattoo parlor... a car salesman who did business with OSU athletes... and a memorabilia dealer implicated in paying Pryor as much as $40,000.

“Ellis,” the pseudonym given a source in Sports Illustrated’s expose that hastened Tressel’s resignation, agreed to speak with the NCAA only if it would conceal his name from those he implicated. The NCAA has done that in the past… but refused this time and therefore did not use any of the information “Ellis” provided in its investigation.

Aaron Kniffen, the car salesman cleared by an Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles investigation into violations of state law regarding multiple car sales to OSU athletes, said he was never contacted by the NCAA….OSU pledged to pursue that angle after the BMV investigation ended, but then the school cancelled those plans.

Dennis Talbot, who ESPN reported paid Pryor up to $40,000 for signing memorabilia, also was never contacted by NCAA investigators….Talbot maintains his dealings with OSU were approved by the school and that documentation exists to prove that.

If that’s true, and that’s why the NCAA didn’t call him, that means the NCAA took the word of Ohio State about Talbot being above board….this underscores ..the school being investigated can vouch for someone and that automatically takes that person off the NCAA’s radar.

That’s often how it works. Schools “self-report” violations and then are charged with investigating those matters and reporting their findings to the NCAA. ...that’s like saying a drunk driver caught in a highway checkpoint self-reported his DUI upon answering affirmatively to, “Have you been drinking?“ 

OSU only discovered its violations when notified by a December letter from the Justice Department about memorabilia seized in a drug sting at a tattoo parlor owned by Edward Rife.  And once Ohio State discovered on Jan. 13 that Tressel had known about violations in his program since the previous April, OSU waited more than three weeks before telling the NCAA on Feb. 3, the day following National Signing Day.

Rife (the tatto parlor owner) declined to speak with the NCAA when approached….(his lawyer said he) is unlikely to ever tell his secrets about the OSU scandal that brought down Tressel and Pryor.  That’s the kind of booster every school wants….

It’s Ohio State’s good fortune that Sarniak and Pryor remain cozy.  OSU went to the mat with the NCAA in 2008 to get Pryor into school when the NCAA had suspicions about Sarniak serving as a booster that steered the quarterback to Columbus.  OSU avoided any punishment by convincing the NCAA that Sarniak was a surrogate father to Pryor. When the NCAA agreed, it told OSU Sarniak could not provide anything of value to Pryor throughout his college career.

Tressel told NCAA investigators Feb. 8 that he called Sarniak as many as three times each week and was in regular contact with him about Pryor.  “I was very impressed with the guidance that (Pryor) would say that Ted had with him,“Tressel said. “…He didn’t wanna just be, you know, hanging onto (Pryor) like a groupie.“

Maybe not, but last week, Pryor’s attorney, David Cornwell, told ESPN that Sarniak gave Pryor cash and helped him make his car payments while at Ohio State.

OSU said it had no such knowledge of that and denied Pryor told the NCAA of the payments by Sarniak.

Pryor, of course, refused to talk with the NCAA after Tressel’s resignation on May 30 and dropped out of school a week later.  Sarniak has consistently turned down every request for an interview about his dealings with Pryor and Tressel.  It is preposterous to believe he would agree to speak with the NCAA about either.

Hence, Sarniak’s payments to Pryor are not part of the NCAA case against Ohio State. Likewise, OSU is not charged with failure to monitor or lack of institutional control, despite being put on notice by the NCAA about Sarniak three years ago and having him then provide illegal extra benefits to Pryor while in regularly in contact with Tressel.

So while OSU fans comfort themselves with the dirty dealings at Miami as a way to exonerate the Buckeyes for what’s gone on with Tressel, and Pryor, they should remember one thing:  While silence may be golden, it‘s not white as snow."
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