OT: "Everyone has something" on Nick Saban (paying players)

Submitted by SteelCityMafia on

According to the article, apparently Alabama pays their players (surprise, surprise).  Some of the more damning quotes include ""everyone has something" on the Alabama coach and that, under oath, his players would say they were being paid" and "When he was asked if Alabama players were being paid he said "Oh, come on...When you get these guys down and you get them under oath, they'll tell you that" and finished up with "...that's the way he and most of the big-time schools, particularly in the SEC, operate."

 

It's a Yahoo story, and we know their track record of digging up crap (they're just reporting on the initial interview, but hopefully they're on the phone with this agent right now).

 

Link: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/agent-ralph-cindrich-says-everyone-something-nick-saban-022255954--ncaaf.html;_ylt=ApYCThHRM_5GzXm5mP6_1J85nYcB;_ylu=X3oDMTRoN3ExMXVlBG1pdANMSVNUUyBNaXhlZCBMaXN0IEZQIEJsb2dzBHBrZwM3NTY4ZDM2ZS1jODQ0LTM1MTAtOTViZS1iOWFlZDZmOWQwNTcEcG9zAzIEc2VjA01lZGlhQkxpc3RNaXhlZExQQ0FUZW1wBHZlcgM2YTVmZWFjMC1kODViLTExZTEtYWUyYy1iNDIzMDk2YzcxOTg-;_ylg=X3oDMTFpNzk0NjhtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3

In reply to by wiper

MGoDC

July 28th, 2012 at 5:57 AM ^

Even if Alabama vacates the win, we keep the loss. The official game if Alabama wins and then vacats will be Bama 0-0 and Michigan 0-1.

TheJoker

July 28th, 2012 at 1:42 AM ^

If Alabama is convicted of a Pay for Play scandal, the very thread that holds College Football together would unravel.

 

CFB would cease to exist as we know it. 

turd ferguson

July 28th, 2012 at 3:08 AM ^

This argument is losing some of its persuasiveness with me. The NCAA hasn't been able to land a punch on every recently accused program (e.g., Auburn), but when it has, it has hit pretty damn hard (e.g., Penn State, USC, and I'd argue OSU). And it's not like these are mid-level programs.

coldnjl

July 28th, 2012 at 7:49 AM ^

Lets not include Penn State here, since we are discussing the NCAA enforcing their rules. We have seen in the past, that without subpeona power or a Freeh report falling from the sky, the NCAA is quite bad at doing their job: enforcing the rules that ensure competitive balance. See UNC or UM (YTM) for example.

I also don't quite buy this story. They have alot of built in advantages at Alabama: Top head coach, schoo built around football, great facilities, winning tradition, rapid fan base, etc. I think they could have built what they have now with just those advantages. Maybe some players are being paid by boosters, but that is a far cry from saying Saban is employing a wide spread pay practice to win with his direct knowledge.

Mr Miggle

July 28th, 2012 at 9:32 AM ^

There is no reason to think the NCAA is not going to come down hard on YTM. They have extended their investigation, not ended it That is not a good thing for Miami.

Alabama has a built in disadvantage as well, a big time conference rival in their own backyard that is quite willing to outbid them for talent.

bronxblue

July 28th, 2012 at 11:12 AM ^

All those are valid points, but so do other schools in the SEC and beyond.  USC has at least as many advantages as Alabama does, and they were found to have paid at least one high-profile player, and there has always been talk about other illegal activities going on there.

And Saban is a smart guy, so yeah I doubt he is directly paying players, but he's also a head coach who wants to win, which means he's not above looking the other way and blessing these practices indirectly.  As we learned with OSU, PSU, USC, Miami, etc., there is a wide spectrum of official and unofficial actions coaches can take to support illegal causes.

Tater

July 28th, 2012 at 10:48 AM ^

Now that the NCAA has changed their standard of evidence, and have shown that they can really lay the hammer down if there is something in it for them, it's time for them to prove that they can actually punish those who cheat.  

I want them to revisit ten years of cheating at Ohio State, but taking down Bama would be a great place to start, too.  Also, the NCAA has shown that they are capable of acting in two weeks without even doing their own investigation.  It would be nice if they decided to show this kind of urgency with Bama.  

It could make the game a bit less daunting if a team that cheated to get personnel that is superior to everyone in the country suddenly had some of their players ineligible, or many transferred out.

Changing sports, I wouldn't mind them heading down to Lexington and finding out how John Calipari is getting all of his one and dones.

 

WolverineHistorian

July 28th, 2012 at 2:55 PM ^

The speed of which the NCAA punished Penn State was based solely on the uniqueness of what happened there for so long.  Nothing like that with such powerful people in charge had ever happened before, at least to our knowledge. That's why it was considered a "special situation," in which the NCAA could act quick. 

While I have no doubt that programs like Ohio State and Alabama are full out cheaters, anything the NCAA could investigate them for would go back to taking a snail's pace before a wrist slap could be handed to them.  

ClearEyesFullHart

July 28th, 2012 at 6:08 AM ^

Most popular team in the country just had tattoo gate.
Second most popular team in the country just had practice gate.
Third most popular team in the country just had chomogate.
You think #8 having a scandal is going to bring the whole system down?

Frito Bandito

July 28th, 2012 at 1:50 AM ^

In other news why isn't Auburn under sanctions and why does Cam Newton still have his Heisman?

 

/ Serious

TheDirtyD

July 28th, 2012 at 2:05 AM ^

I can see it now uh sorry guys I didn't know it was illegal to pay players....Okay...I'll stop.

Only a matter of time before that ship epicly starts to sink same said for Kentucky basketball

ommeethatsees

July 28th, 2012 at 8:43 AM ^

I've always had the belief that the reason Urban quit Florida wasn't because he had health issues, it was because he was dirty and he was dirty because he had to be to win in the SEC.  The top programs in the SEC are all dirty. 

He realized that he could eventually be caught and that would put an end to his future multi-million dollar salaries not to mention ruin the image he had established.  He decided to move to another conference where he could continue coaching and earn his millions without having to resort to cheating. 

hart20

July 28th, 2012 at 2:05 AM ^

Afford a new house, a $60,000+ car, taking care of 2 kids, a girlfriend, his mother, himself, and $1,000+ suits, all on a college student's salary?

clarkiefromcanada

July 28th, 2012 at 2:19 AM ^

Let's be clear here...Cindrich is not some lackey without a history as an agent. The guy has been a high profile agent for a long time and has represented significant names in significant negotiations.

Probably, the guy dislikes Saban and took an opportunity to mock him and diminish his accomplishments (and that of Alabama). That doesn't make what he is saying untrue.

While State College burns it's not like there are not other centres of impropriety in the NCAA (Tuscaloosa comes to mind).

R Kelly

July 28th, 2012 at 8:52 AM ^

I heard Cindrich give a presentation at my school last year.  Very interesting guy, had some great stories to tell.  He was asked a question about about both Nick Saban and Urban Meyer and responded very negatively.  He didn't elaborate much more than saying that they were both huge hypocrites, but I think one of his biggest issues with them, and other college coaches, was that they were restricting agents' access to the players unless the agents would offer kickbacks to the coaches.  

_DG7_goblue

July 28th, 2012 at 2:38 AM ^

Honestly does a great job breaking big media stories. With that said virtually every big time school pays players!!! That's the truth. Why would a big time recruit who comes from nothing and has offers from top 10 schools/programs not take the money when offered? Shit I would, and everyone on this board would as well. For god sakes even Woodson took money he even admitted that in court. He took from his agent while still playing at Michigan.

denardogasm

July 28th, 2012 at 10:27 AM ^

I think thats an overstatement. Im not one to see the world as full of rainbows and unicorns but i think there are plenty of people who would turn down cash if they were a top recruit. The money will come someday, and some people are more concerned with integrity than others. If it was something like having a meal on the house or something I'd say a lot more people would slip up but taking a paycheck is pretty obviously a shady deal.

Yeoman

July 28th, 2012 at 2:39 PM ^

 

taking a paycheck is pretty obviously a shady deal.

 

Surely this is a cash-only business? Jacksons in a handshake, services in lieu, maybe at most a pre-loaded Colonial Bancshares debit card? Call me naive but a paper trail as obvious and easily traced as a check doesn't seem like the way to go no matter how intent the authorities are on looking the other way.

TallyWolverine

July 28th, 2012 at 2:43 AM ^

If that's the case, I wonder what Auburn agreed to pay Reuben Foster to decommit from Alabama, and what LSU arranged for Andy Dodd. Lots of negotiations taking place.

LSAClassOf2000

July 28th, 2012 at 9:00 AM ^

"Pay for play accusations always raise eyebrows, even though they've become fairly commonplace. Will this go anywhere? Until Cindrich offers specifics, likely not."

These would have to be some rather significant specifics too if Cindrich is essentially accusing a coach of being the signing authority on paychecks, but I will admit, part of me would like to see  exactly what he has on Nick, if anything (a copy of Trent Richardson's W-2 would be a good start, yes?). He certainly doesn't offer much at all in the actual interview - here. The interviewers sort of let Cindrich control  the flow of topics and buy into what is at best rambling equivocation by Cindrich as well.