OT: NCAA Thinks It Has Found the Bagman On the Cam Newton Deal

Submitted by blueneverquits on

A summary is here:

The NCAA thinks Newton was bought and paid for; it's all a matter of proving it now. Some amount of money went to Cecil Newton, while another amount went to Cecil's church. This money was handled by a "third party". The investigation has "revved up" since Chizik's outburst in Destin. The total amount is approximately $180-200K, with $20-30K having gone to the church.

http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2011/7/20/2285291/cam-newton-danny-sheridan-finebaum

Also, a link to the podcast of the discussion referenced is here:

http://podcasting.fia.net/6960/4807908.mp3

 

Chizik's outburst in Destin is described in the link below.  Apparently this is old news, but it was news to me - Chizik challenged an NCAA rep at an SEC meeting a week ago, and she had an "oh, snap" response:

He peppered Roe Lach with a flurry of questions about the N.C.A.A.’s investigation into Cam Newton and why the N.C.A.A. had not publicly announced that the investigation was over. Chizik complained that the inquiry’s open-ended nature had hurt Auburn’s recruiting and he followed up at least three times, leading to a testy exchange.

“You’ll know when we’re finished,” Roe Lach told Chizik, according to several coaches who were at the meeting. “And we’re not finished.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/14/sports/ncaafootball/ncaas-investigation-of-auburn-isnt-over-yet.html?_r=2

highestman

July 20th, 2011 at 6:41 PM ^

He's already in the pros with a guarenteed contract.  I don't think anyone in the Newton family is all that concerned with NCAA awards getting taken away.

triangle_M

July 20th, 2011 at 7:20 PM ^

Over on elelvenwarriors I found this quote from Ramzy amusing and applicaple for this line of discussion:

"Auburn is the second-most popular team in Alabama, a state that consistently ranked in the high 40s out of 50 in most everything of consequence.  Its largest city is 1/8 the size of Columbus.  Being the second-most popularanything in Alabama does not register virtually anywhere else in the country or world."

I lol'd.  I would love to share this with my gf, an Auburn/UNC grad, but it would make the NFL lockout look short by comparison.

http://www.elevenwarriors.com/2011/07/the-sound-of-silence#more

 

 

triangle_M

July 21st, 2011 at 2:14 PM ^

Its the only OSU blog I'll touch.  Ramzy is a homer, there's no doubt.  I still find him eloquent most of the time even if he is delusional.    I agree with all the knocks to him here.   The perspective on AU/UA was what I found noteworthy and accurate.  My gf is from Alabama . . . so I can't very well go around saying what everyone thinks around her now can I?  

Cheers.

sheepdog

July 21st, 2011 at 11:17 AM ^

They are just like OSU fans, but even less educated. 

They celebrate mediocraty year after year (except last year of course).  They have 2 NCs in their whole history and are Alabama's little brother.  They are the 3rd best team in the SEC west, and its only a matter of time before Chizik brings them back down to their perenial 9-4 season, only to give him a long contract extension (see Tuberville).

NoMoPincherBug

July 20th, 2011 at 6:52 PM ^

Man, it is amazing how fast news travels these days.  A guy says this on a radio show this afternoon...the comments get blogged and then reblogged here immediately.  Its probably all over twitter too...

anyway...my thoughts are that Chizik always came across as an ass in his interviews and comments.... sounds like he will be getting what he has coming once this is all said and done

rederik

July 20th, 2011 at 6:57 PM ^

Two heisman trophies in five years vacated, and two national championships in a span of only six? Although this is still early, and nothing solid has been released yet, this alleged scandal is just one of many, all acting as catalysts for reform that together, upping the ante with each addition.

Hopefuly this shows that the NCAA also isn't anywhere close to being done with charging OSU. Particularly, if the NCAA finds the serious dirt so long after the Newton scandal erupted and seemingly cooled back off, it gives hope to us maize-and-blue bloods that OSU might finally see that Lack of Institutional Control and/or Failure to Monitor they so deserve.

CdubGoBlue

July 20th, 2011 at 8:02 PM ^

The NCAA has the power to override the statute of limitations and consider earlier shenanigans if they feel that past occurences would show some kind of "pattern" of wrongdoing.  Not saying that will happen in OSU's case.  I read today that the NCAA has talked to businessmen in Auburn concerning past payment of players, most notibly the ones linked to the HBO special from a few months back.

bluebyyou

July 20th, 2011 at 7:16 PM ^

If this turns out to be factually correct, my guess is that our fine congress will somehow become involved for something beyond BCS antitrust issues.

A major problem , as we all know, is once the athlete leaves, there is no recourse to the athlete, beyond taking away a trophy or two.  The NCAA has no subpoena power and the athlete is beyond reach. Pryor, Bush and now Newton, maybe.  I wonder if there is a way to make an athlete contractually liable for conduct that violates NCAA rules while attending a U - liquidated damages that survive bankruptcy.

WolvinLA2

July 20th, 2011 at 7:40 PM ^

Eh, I'm not really interested in punishing the player.  Especially the ones that don't go on to make millions in the NFL (which is not Newton and Bush obviously, but it's TBD whether Pryor makes it big). 

I'm much more interested in the school getting punished.

thesauce2424

July 20th, 2011 at 8:27 PM ^

..for the most part. Newton, and others like him, should get punished in some way. If we are going to pressure the schools it only makes sense to have some sort of real punishment on the player side as well-the lion share going against the schools. Whether or not a player goes to the pros, paying taxes on a 6 figure "gift" is a start.

WolvinLA2

July 20th, 2011 at 8:33 PM ^

Yeah, I'm OK with there being some sort of a penalty to the player, and paying taxes on the 6-figure gift should be a given.  That's not even an NCAA issue.

But if the bulk of the punishment goes on the player, then the school doesn't have that much of a reason to stop their shenanigans.  They can just throw it on a player and a booster and they go on doing the same thing with a different player and a different booster. 

If Pryor gets kicked off the team and fined and punished, that's fine.  But 5 years from now we won't give a shit about Pryor but we'll still be playing OSU.  The bulk of the punishment should stop the school from breaking the rules.

trueblueintexas

July 21st, 2011 at 12:22 AM ^

Had to +1 you. Everyone wants to look at the individual when college athletics is always about the institution. Hammer the problem where it takes root!
The last piece to clean up would then be the runners and boosters who are looking more for their return on investment by paying a player now in the hopes they are paid back when the player turns pro.

74polSKA

July 21st, 2011 at 11:08 AM ^

What are the tax implications of a non-profit making a "donation" to a non-profit?  Did the bagman try to write off the money to the church on their taxes?  I am more concerned about the reputation of the church than Auburn/NCAA.  We already knew they were crooked.

thesauce2424

July 20th, 2011 at 8:02 PM ^

Aren't these schools state and federally funded? It seems to me that these kids sign a contract (LOI), and probably sign something that has to do with not breaking the rules/take money. There should be some way to hold coaches, administrators, players..etc accountable. I just don't know enough about the law to put it together. Fraud? Because these schools take state and federal money couldn't they be pressured, by the threat of losing funded money, to toe the line?
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<br>I have no idea what the gov't could actually do to help here.
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WolvinLA2

July 20th, 2011 at 7:27 PM ^

I've seen Auburn's recruiting this year and I don't think this is affecting it much.  They aren't taking commitments from 2-star red-headed linebackers like someone.