Unbelievable Hypocrisy Re: Cam Newton (and RichRod)

It's called ESPN covering the SEC.  Bias is inherent. 

The sports media, quoting the great Mike Gundy, likes to "kick people while they're down" so to speak... Losing plus any magnitude of negativity outside the lines equates to the sports media jumping all over it, it seems.... Well, negativity in general. ESPN has also had a massive erection for the SEC for quite some time now.

Kinda sucks bad but that's why we are all blessed with knowledge past the MSM...

But I completely agree. From everything I've heard, people have been saying "if you think this doesn't go on at other programs, you are crazy." Almost like that's a suitable excuse. The most frustrating thing is that it's also happening locally from the tools who shall not be named. Clearly that wasn't an excuse for us and if anything, this situation is way worse than what we did which amounted to clerical errors. 

Bringing in viewers is.  ESPN's general strategy is to go to polar opposites in coverage.  Have certain people say outrageously stupid things to generate water-cooler buzz about what they just heard on ESPN, and then have other guys say what people want to hear.

ESPN is not about marketing sports, it's about marketing ESPN via sports.  So congrats, you've helped ESPN gain more viewers by making a thread about something deliberately outrageous ESPN broadcast.

The difference is what Auburn was(alledgeldly) caught doing was much worse than what Rich Rod got in trouble for. 

The difference is ESPN is making money of making Cam Newton the headliner athlete of the year.

The difference is ESPN was making money by paiting michigan in a bad light to create a compelling story.

... It'll always be like this. The best solution is to just stop watching ESPN and get your college football news from quality blogs like this one.

that players are paid everywhere so it's okay. Clearly they aren't paid everywhere or he'd be at Miss. St. And that's just the SEC. Do you think Stanford is paying players? Iowa? Wisconsin? Give me a break.

UNBELIEVABLE!

Sounds to me like somebody felt they didnt get their fair share of the pie..and has decided to blow the whistle on everyone involved

On RR's situation his issues came within the walls of his own program whereas Auburn is in better position to defend its fortress because the claims are coming from another University. Auburn is trying very hard to make Miss. State claims to be frivolous. So now you have figure heads at different stations of the University taking slightly different stances with the overall perception of claiming innocence. Chizik will defiantly defend his turf while the Auburn Regents/Pres will defend it with caution knowing there is a probability of this being true.

Players are paid through scholarships. I think the situation could be fixed almost entirely if students were given the opportunity to pursue their education free of cost after their playing days were over. It is truly impossible to submit the highest quality of work when you must take 12-15 credit hours as well as being occupied with athletics for at least that long. Even worse, some of these players have jobs.

It is total hypocrisy. The only difference is Rodriguez was coming off of 3-9 and Cam Newton is putting up great numbers on an undefeated and top 2 team. Everyone loves a winner. Sad but predictable.

Because the world needs villians, and when RichRod had the audacity to leave his good job for an even better, higher paying job (a decision most people, if put in a similar situation, would have made), the media collectively decided that he was a bad guy forever. 

Sports fans, especially those who root for bad teams, need something that they can grab onto - someone they can root against no matter who they play.  And the media needs a narrative for everything.  Right now, the narrative is RichRod = traitor; Cam Newton = kid who overcame adversity to become the best player in college football.

Granted, not all (probably most) of the national coverage of the Michigan situation was fair, but I remember a lot of analysts coming out in defense of Rich Rod. Less so ESPN articles, but ESPN commentators and other coaches were defending him a fair amount (including Tressel and Meyer).

EDIT: I also think it's worth noting that a lot of the national press got their information from the Free Press, which caused a pretty nasty trickle down effect of negative coverage. Everyone was pretty much getting their info from the same biased source.

I have been against shamateurism for about twenty years now.  I have stated on many occasions that players should be allowed to accept all of the outside income anyone wants to offer to them. 

However, I also think that players should follow the rules as they are set out.  Until the rules change, players have no right to violate the terminology of their scholarship agreements.  If Newton or his father violated the rules, they will probably be caught now.  There are too many eyes searching for answers. 

I, too, had a cynical eye toward the charges until the feds got involved.  Usually, though, once the feds get involved, it's pretty much a fait accompli that improprieties will be found and charges will be filed. 

As Reverend Newton is rumored to have said:

"Brothers and sisters of the congregation, throw all your money on the wall.  What stays is the Lord's and what falls is mine."

Me too. I'm a hypocrite, and don't always practice what I preach. I don't feel good about that, but it is my reality. I would argue that if we're honest, it is the reality of most all people.

We want justice and fair play for others, but often want a free ride and a lack of accountability for ourselves, and our own team. That's human nature.

Having said that, the worst hypocrites are those who really want to bring the hammer down on others, but beg mercy for themselves. Some journalists, politicians, and preachers can easily fall into this category.

Regarding Cam Newton & Auburn, this whole discussion has several distinct parts, which are not identical.

1. Should players be paid? Obv., they are "paid" in the sense that they received a scholarship for tuition, room, board, and fees. But should they be paid? I think the answer is a limited "yes." But this is a discussion for another day. Whether or not players should be paid is irrelevant to Cam Newton's situation.
2. Should teams (and those on them) follow the rules? And specifically, should Auburn and Cam Newton be expected to follow the rules, as they are currently constituted? Have Auburn and Cam Newton followed the rules, as they are currently constituted? This is what we are waiting to find out.
3. Does "innocent until proven guilty" apply in this case? The assumption is yes. And that assumption would not necessarily be right. I am far from a lawyer, but I know that individual organizations have the right to impose sanctions which go far beyond the law of the land. Let me use an example from my personal field of expertise. I am a preacher. If I was charged with sexual abuse of a minor, (or, for that matter, any sexual relations outside of marriage,) my career would be over, in practical terms. There might be no proof, but it really wouldn't matter. This is why slander is such a huge issue. I feel bad that Newton's reputation, and his father's, (like RR's) have been dragged through the mud. But ultimately, his team, and Auburn, and the NCAA, have the right and privilege to make judgment calls that exceed those of the law.
4. What is our concept of right and wrong? This is a big discussion, which I won't really start. But I would say that for some, right and wrong is more about shame, and whether or not you are "caught," than about whether you are acting ethically or unethically. This seems to be the ethic that Terrell Pryor and Reggie Bush and maybe Chris Webber operate under. (everybody does it.) I would argue that society (and sports) operates in a more fair way when you do the right thing because it is right, not because you are afraid of getting caught. This is the conflict between image (what people see) and essence (who you are.)

The thing that really bothers me about the coverage is all of the "wait and see... benefit of the doubt... innocent until proven guilty" stuff I keep hearing.

Since when?!

NTM they (Newton's) have already admitted guilt as far as I'm concerned... Unless someone can give me a legit reason not to deny the accusations (aside from being guilty)?

...but if Cam and his family took cash, they need to be held accountable and punished.

I like the headline possibilities, too:

Will Cam get the shaft?

"Scam" Newton says goodbye to Heisman.

We all know RR has been a favorite whipping-boy for the media. He has been losing. The media is lazy and gutless. I think the religious slant may be holding them back with Newtons...not even gonna bring up what else

If M had been winning games, then there would have been pundits rushing to RR's defense for sure

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

Kenny Rogers, on ESPN Dallas radio, telling the interviewer that Cecil Newton told him, in front of two Miss St coaches, that it would take "between $100,000 and $180,000" to sign Cam.

You reap what you sow. The pro-Newton faction tried to make it out like Rogers was an independent actor trying to make $ off of Rogers, giving Rogers an incentive to come public and clear his name.

I know a lot of you are trying to say "Freep innocent until proven guilty etc etc" but this case is different. Notice how the Newtons don't actually deny anything -- they just shoot the messenger or say "I'm not talking about that."  They are guilty.

What is horrifying about this whole story is how a father is willing to put his son's future at risk so he can make some extra cash.  I'm surprised more people haven't called him out for that.