OT - Sun rises in east, Auburn pays players, alters grades

Submitted by Butterfield on

Selena Roberts, formerly of Sports Illustrated, has released a new investegative piece for her own blog in regards to Auburn University paying football players and altering grades under the watchful eye of Gene Chizik.  Roberts has credibility - she was the first journalist to do an investagative piece on A-Rod's use of steroids - so this can probably be taken fairly seriously....   

Rumors have been rampant forever, but now we have some specifics:

Three players say that before the BCS Championship game the team was told that as many as nine of their teammates would not be able to play in the title game because they were academically ineligible. “We thought we would be without Mike Dyer because he said he was one of them, but Auburn found a way to make those dudes eligible,” says Mike Blanc, a teammate and roommate of Mike McNeil’s. 

Receiver Darvin Adams, a star player with NFL dreams and a family to support, wrestled with whether to turn pro after the championship season. He discussed his plans with teammates and told them how much pressure he was under by Auburn coaches to stay. McNeil and Blanc say Auburn coaches offered Adams several thousand dollars to stay for his senior year. 

Link:  http://www.roopstigo.com/reader/auburns_vainted_title_victims_violations_and_vendettas_for_glory/ 

Also, a USA today piece which provides some background and links to Roberts' piece:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2013/04/03/ncaa-football-auburn-violations-gene-chizik/2051041/ 

Blarvey

April 3rd, 2013 at 11:54 PM ^

Even if the NCAA investigates and decides to punish Auburn, it will not be for another couple years and it won't change a thing. Auburn fans won't stop counting 2010 as a MNC year and the school still sold a bunch of stuff with their logo on it. Even any puny punishment the NCAA can dish out will be long after self-imposed bowl bans following meaningless 6-6 seasons. I almost think such egregious violations all deserve the "death penalty" as NCAA fumbling and weak enforcement do not seem to be a deterrent at all.

The FannMan

April 4th, 2013 at 12:03 AM ^

 

The point of the story wasn't actually that Auburn cheats,  Rather, Roberts is claiming, but not too directly, that McNeil is being framed by the authorities because Auburn wanted to keep him quiet.  This is a very serious accussation of criminal conduct by the police, the DA and even the judge.  It would be an incredible story if she had actual evidence to support it.  The problem is that she doesn't have anything to back her allegations.  There isn't even a mention that the guy was going to go public with anything. Maybe Chizik should have at least spoken to his mother.  However, its a big leap from that to claiming that Auburn and the local police/DA are in a consipracy to put McNeil in jail for the rest of his life.  Roberts even tries to pull the judge into this just because he 1) went to Auburn 2) once worked at the stadium (during college?) and 3) has a sister who is an Auburn professor.  She also finds fault with the police not telling McNeil's mother what charges he was facing right after his arrest  But she neglects to mention that the police didn't have to tell McNeil's mother anything since he is over 18.  If he wanted a lawyer, he could have asked for one.  (The Miranda issue can be significant - but only if he confessed to something.) 

At the end of the day, all Roberts has to support the accusations and implications at the heart of her story is McNeil's claim that he is innocent and the well known reports that Auburn doesn't follow the rules.  Her attempts to link these two things are weak  She eventually resorts to the "I'm just asking questions" bit.  If she could prove a conspiracy, it would be a bombshell that would rock college sports.  Instead, her story is a flat article which smears police, DAs and a judge who seem to be just doing their jobs.

Now, McNeil may very well be innocent.  If so, I hope that he is acquited.  However, according to Roberts, he was at a known dug house, saw one of the guys he came with go into the house with a "fake gun" (still probably counts as armed robery since it looks like the real deal) and he covered his face with a black t-shirt and went into the house.  Again, according to the story, a jury already found that a robbery occurred and convicted another one of the guys who were there.  I don't know all of the facts.  But, based on the story, it seems like there are reasons to try the case - other than a grand conspiracy to silence a player who wasn't talking to anyone anyway.

ND Sux

April 4th, 2013 at 7:52 AM ^

I remember staff at Miss State saying that Scam Newton's dad wanted fifty thou for Scam to play there.  The said no, so he ends up at AU.  Anyone believe he just up and went there for free? 

I've been telling Ms. ND Sux ever since that I can't wait to see the Heisman and NC Trophy surrendered. 

Jmilan

April 4th, 2013 at 8:41 AM ^

For some reason I find the Mrs. ND Sux reference to be very funny. It is only a matter of time until all those trophies are going back. This whole program should be hammered, but we will see if it it happens. The NCAA is an organization full of cowards