Nick Saban Paying Players?

[IrishLax]

Pittsburgh sports agent accuses Alabama coach Nick Saban of cheating | al.com

Not sure what to think here, we've been down this road before where someone says they have "proof" that isn't actually certifiable proof.

 

[DSully1995]

They will pa if they have cheated, one day they will pay

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Saban doesn't need to pay players. Alabama recruits for itself by winning.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

Saban doesn't need to pay players. Alabama recruits for itself by winning.

Needing to and doing it are 2 completely different things. Just Saying.

 

[NDinL.A.]

Saban doesn't need to pay players. Alabama recruits for itself by winning.

* How did they get to this point though?

* And if it were that easy (winning and getting/keeping players), why was USC so lax in their compliance department that allowed so much bullsh!t to go on during the cheaty Petey era? Since they were winning and getting all the players (supposedly) b/c of the winning, why wasn't their compliance dept over-the-top making sure their players were clean?

* And if you don't think a player that came from nothing, living in the worst parts of the South, is going to take an offer from Clemson or Auburn or Ole Miss laced with cash over an offer from Alabama just because Bama wins, you're crazy bro. Money talks...just ask Cash Newton.

I haven;t even read the article yet, and I have no idea if Alabama was paying players (there was a lot of smoke regarding an businessman giving players like Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson gifts), but it wouldn't surprise me. Yes, winning makes it MUCH easier to recruit, but it doesn't mean you're not cheating...

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

---Agent that is upset at the way the NCAA hammered the Penn State Football program---

That's really all I needed to hear.. but I still smile at the idea of the SEC going down in flames one day.

 

[phillyirish]

Man I hope this is true, and is proven. I honestly give this sport agent no credibility that he has proof. However reading this comment there definitely seem like there is some smoke:


"It is interesting that this man has mentioned Nick Saban specifically now when several players from Alabama's 08 recruiting class are under investigation. This was Nick Saban's first number 1 recruiting class after Alabama finished 7-6 and recruits witnessed Alabama lose on homecoming to Louisiana Monroe. Combine this with the flurry of Nick Saban to Texas rumors and the recent recruits to decommit from Alabama with more rumored to follow, and you have an interesting situation indeed. Obviously all this is mainly speculation and rumors at this point, but there is something odd afoot. It will be interesting to see what follows."

Anyone have any idea who these recruits may be and there alleged scandals?

Also check out this comment while your at it:

"So now its an agent, Clemsons d-coordinator under Bowden, a Tex A&M assistant and a Oklahoma assistant who have made public allegations about Sabans $$$recruiting and the NCAA hasnt even looked"

I haven't really heard of these allegations but if its true that so many people are calling out Alabama and the NCAA doesn't even care to look then the system is really bullsh*t. The SEC is the most corrupt institution in mainstream sports today, even more so then the Italian Serie A. I still find it ridiculous that Auburn didn't even get a slap on the wrist when it was found that Cam Newton's "parents" received money. F***ing Bullsh*t...........

 

[Jerry]

* How did they get to this point though?

This is what I always think about. Obviously a great coach makes a huge difference but to take a .500 program that hadn't really done much in the last 15 years and basically turn them into the biggest powerhouse in the nation in 2 years seems unusual.

Man I hope this is true, and is proven. I honestly give this sport agent no credibility that he has proof. However reading this comment there definitely seem like there is some smoke:


"It is interesting that this man has mentioned Nick Saban specifically now when several players from Alabama's 08 recruiting class are under investigation. This was Nick Saban's first number 1 recruiting class after Alabama finished 7-6 and recruits witnessed Alabama lose on homecoming to Louisiana Monroe. Combine this with the flurry of Nick Saban to Texas rumors and the recent recruits to decommit from Alabama with more rumored to follow, and you have an interesting situation indeed. Obviously all this is mainly speculation and rumors at this point, but there is something odd afoot. It will be interesting to see what follows."

Anyone have any idea who these recruits may be and there alleged scandals?

Also check out this comment while your at it:

"So now its an agent, Clemsons d-coordinator under Bowden, a Tex A&M assistant and a Oklahoma assistant who have made public allegations about Sabans $$$recruiting and the NCAA hasnt even looked"

I haven't really heard of these allegations but if its true that so many people are calling out Alabama and the NCAA doesn't even care to look then the system is really bullsh*t. The SEC is the most corrupt institution in mainstream sports today, even more so then the Italian Serie A. I still find it ridiculous that Auburn didn't even get a slap on the wrist when it was found that Cam Newton's "parents" received money. F***ing Bullsh*t...........

The NCAA has a tough task policing this stuff because you have to figure that the programs that are cheating are smart enough to cover their tracks (ie, having people unrelated to the program deliver payments, ect.). But if they aren't going to punish people like Newton when they do catch somebody I think it sets a bad precedent for cheating. All they have to do is pay the parents directly and no sanctions get handed out.

 

[GreatGolson]

Where theres smoke.....

 

[Irish YJ]

Just like politics, dirty.... but most just don't care to know. The public (mostly) just wants to watch on Saturday, the NCAA just wants $ and to keep up appearances. Interesting to see how it all pans out. I'd actually like to see the NCAA get crushed if they could prove they failed act some how.

 

[irish1958]

Without full supoena power,the NCAA is virtually powerless to investigate these types of cases, especially when there are lawyers involved. The Miami scandal was uncovered due to a federal criminal trial. The Freeh report is incomplete because the main persons of interest refused to be interviewed and they all were represented by, or were lawyers. How can you get "their side of the story" if they won't give it?
The NCAA can't even get telephone or bank records, let alone force someone to testify. How can they prove a player was paid?

 

[ACamp1900]

If they are serious enough to find holes like the oversigning thing they are serious enough to do other, less gray areaish things as well imo...

I have believed fully for a while that Bama is dirty as all hell... just my opinion

 

[NDhoosier]

I always wonder how coaches approach recruits with cash offers. If they do not commit to the school, dont you think at least one person would talk about being offer money to commit to the school?

I would love this to be true, the SEC is what is wrong with college sports these days.

 

[phgreek]

I don't doubt the guy thinks he knows something based on the frequncy of rumors in his circles...I just doubt he has first hand knowledge of anything, and even if he does, what evidence is there?

Besides...wouldn't the NCAA need permission from ESPN to do anything of consequence to an SEC team?

 

[chubler]

I think the cash is all funneled through boosters who happen to be on tours of the facilities the same day a recruit is visiting...

There's no way the SEC players arent getting major illicit benefits. Wisconsin, who you don't really hear anything about as far as NCAA violations, gets their players all kinds of free stuff- they walk into any store in Madison and they don't pay, and the university is fully aware that this is going on. If thats happening in the Big 10...

and IMO its not that hard to investigate. If the NCAA wanted to get serious, all they'd have to do is threaten sanctions unless the school cooperates fully with the investigation. Kinda like being held in contempt of court... They could even establish a blacklist for people who wont cooperate with them and ban member institutions from employing anyone on the blacklist. That way its targeted specifically to the people who are trying to hide something.


Unfortunately the NCAA doesn't have the will to clean anything up, can you imagine the PR hit the NCAA would take if the SEC was exposed?

 

[Whiskeyjack]

and IMO its not that hard to investigate. If the NCAA wanted to get serious, all they'd have to do is threaten sanctions unless the school cooperates fully with the investigation. Kinda like being held in contempt of court... They could even establish a blacklist for people who wont cooperate with them and ban member institutions from employing anyone on the blacklist. That way its targeted specifically to the people who are trying to hide something.

What you're describing is a de facto subpoena power; cooperate with our investigation or else. The NCAA doesn't have the power to do this, and its member schools seem to like it that way. The PSU case was extraordinary in many ways, but the biggest reason why it's not relevant to this issue is because they basically plead guilty to the Freeh Report, which obviated the need for an investigation entirely.

Unfortunately the NCAA doesn't have the will to clean anything up, can you imagine the PR hit the NCAA would take if the SEC was exposed?

Emmert clearly has the will to be more proactive in cleaning up CFB. The question is whether his constituent schools will allow him to do it. I wouldn't hold your breath.

 

[Irish YJ]

WJ, I disagree on Emmert having the will to proactively clean up CFB. I think he saw an oppurtunity to bring the hammer with little resistance from the school, and support from the public. His background, and history pre-NCAA suggests to me he's part of the good ole boy network, and wants to keep the money train moving. Just my opinion, but this to me was an easy out for him, and one that would create a perception of toughness. I hope he proves me wrong, I really do.

 

[NDinL.A.]

WJ, I disagree on Emmert having the will to proactively clean up CFB. I think he saw an oppurtunity to bring the hammer with little resistance from the school, and support from the public. His background, and history pre-NCAA suggests to me he's part of the good ole boy network, and wants to keep the money train moving. Just my opinion, but this to me was an easy out for him, and one that would create a perception of toughness. I hope he proves me wrong, I really do.

There's a poster on ISD who knows Emmert somewhat from his days at Washington. This poster has maintained since he was hired that Emmert really is sick of the cheating that has been going on in the NCAA, but it seems that he felt his hands were tied. We'll see if that's true, but according to ONE person, Emmert really does mean what he says...

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

* How did they get to this point though?

* And if it were that easy (winning and getting/keeping players), why was USC so lax in their compliance department that allowed so much bullsh!t to go on during the cheaty Petey era? Since they were winning and getting all the players (supposedly) b/c of the winning, why wasn't their compliance dept over-the-top making sure their players were clean?

* And if you don't think a player that came from nothing, living in the worst parts of the South, is going to take an offer from Clemson or Auburn or Ole Miss laced with cash over an offer from Alabama just because Bama wins, you're crazy bro. Money talks...just ask Cash Newton.

I haven;t even read the article yet, and I have no idea if Alabama was paying players (there was a lot of smoke regarding an businessman giving players like Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson gifts), but it wouldn't surprise me. Yes, winning makes it MUCH easier to recruit, but it doesn't mean you're not cheating...

*Good coach who has won before and was a pro coach, tradition, big Southern players pool.

*Well a lot of the players who ended up being great under Pete came before the 2003-2004 season like Bush & Leinart. He got there by letting in shady players. Some players take cash and others aren't offered it. Some players pass on the cash because they have no interest in whatever reason. There are a lot of reasons why people choose places. It's just like Kentucky basketball and how IU fans love to imagine they are paying players.

Why would anyone want this to be true? It just hurts college football that much more if teams are paying players. And on the topic of a team going from mediocre to great, will y'all say the same thing if ND wins a championship soon?

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

I think Bama is dirty, but that's with oversigning and cutting kids, not paying players.

 

[Irish YJ]

There's a poster on ISD who knows Emmert somewhat from his days at Washington. This poster has maintained since he was hired that Emmert really is sick of the cheating that has been going on in the NCAA, but it seems that he felt his hands were tied. We'll see if that's true, but according to ONE person, Emmert really does mean what he says...

I truly hope he is that guy, and does what we would all love to see. Even if he is that guy, his hands are still tied. Unless he grows a major pair of bull nutz and doesn't give a **** about all the pressures and presidents, I just don't see it happening. Putting the hammer down on child molestation IMO was an easy no-brainer. Taking the hammer to the Alabamas and USCs of the world, or taking on 80% of the SEC would be very unpopular and hard road to travel. Would love to see it though.

 

[Irish#1]

* How did they get to this point though?

* And if it were that easy (winning and getting/keeping players), why was USC so lax in their compliance department that allowed so much bullsh!t to go on during the cheaty Petey era? Since they were winning and getting all the players (supposedly) b/c of the winning, why wasn't their compliance dept over-the-top making sure their players were clean?

* And if you don't think a player that came from nothing, living in the worst parts of the South, is going to take an offer from Clemson or Auburn or Ole Miss laced with cash over an offer from Alabama just because Bama wins, you're crazy bro. Money talks...just ask Cash Newton.

I haven;t even read the article yet, and I have no idea if Alabama was paying players (there was a lot of smoke regarding an businessman giving players like Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson gifts), but it wouldn't surprise me. Yes, winning makes it MUCH easier to recruit, but it doesn't mean you're not cheating...

Trent Richardson came from a poor family, but managed to drive a nice SUV (Escalade?) while at Bama. Wonder where he got the money for it?

 

[Irish#1]

I truly hope he is that guy, and does what we would all love to see. Even if he is that guy, his hands are still tied. Unless he grows a major pair of bull nutz and doesn't give a **** about all the pressures and presidents, I just don't see it happening. Putting the hammer down on child molestation IMO was an easy no-brainer. Taking the hammer to the Alabamas and USCs of the world, or taking on 80% of the SEC would be very unpopular and hard road to travel. Would love to see it though.

I tend to agree, but the PSU thing does give him some momentum to go down that path.

I've always felt Bama wasn't playing by the rules. You don't go from average to NC contender that quickly. Just ask Wooley and his Rule of 3.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

WJ, I disagree on Emmert having the will to proactively clean up CFB. I think he saw an oppurtunity to bring the hammer with little resistance from the school, and support from the public. His background, and history pre-NCAA suggests to me he's part of the good ole boy network, and wants to keep the money train moving. Just my opinion, but this to me was an easy out for him, and one that would create a perception of toughness. I hope he proves me wrong, I really do.

UCF got sanctioned today. We'll better understand Emmert's "will" after the sanctions for Miami and UNC come down as well.

 

[Emcee77]

WJ, I disagree on Emmert having the will to proactively clean up CFB. I think he saw an oppurtunity to bring the hammer with little resistance from the school, and support from the public. His background, and history pre-NCAA suggests to me he's part of the good ole boy network, and wants to keep the money train moving. Just my opinion, but this to me was an easy out for him, and one that would create a perception of toughness. I hope he proves me wrong, I really do.

I agree that the Penn State sanctions by themselves don't prove that he really wants to clean up college football. I think Emmert probably felt public pressure to get involved. Why else act so hastily, without conducting your own investigation. Freeh investigators were (anonymously) very critical of Emmert's decision to rely on their report exclusively; the report was not intended to be used in that way.

Report -- Freeh report source criticizes NCAA penalties of Penn State Nittany Lions - ESPN

The decision to impose huge sanctions may have come from a sincere desire to clean up CFB, but it may also have been bowing to public pressure. I don't think you can know without more info. We'll know soon enough, hopefully.

 

[Irish#1]

I agree that the Penn State sanctions by themselves don't prove that he really wants to clean up college football. I think Emmert probably felt public pressure to get involved. Why else act so hastily, without conducting your own investigation. Freeh investigators were (anonymously) very critical of Emmert's decision to rely on their report exclusively; the report was not intended to be used in that way.

Report -- Freeh report source criticizes NCAA penalties of Penn State Nittany Lions - ESPN

The decision to impose huge sanctions may have come from a sincere desire to clean up CFB, but it may also have been bowing to public pressure. I don't think you can know without more info. We'll know soon enough, hopefully.

I heard the criticism, but wondered why? The Freeh report was pretty thorough. Why reinvent the wheel? This also allowed the NCAA to act during the heat of the battle when they would get less backlash from PSU, fans and alum than if they waited.

 

[Emcee77]

I heard the criticism, but wondered why? The Freeh report was pretty thorough. Why reinvent the wheel? This also allowed the NCAA to act during the heat of the battle when they would get less backlash from PSU, fans and alum than if they waited.

The source's point was that the Freeh report wasn't trying to investigate the things that needed to be investigated to determine whether there was an NCAA violation:

"The Freeh team reviewed how Penn State operated, not how they worked within the NCAA's system," the source told The Chronicle. "The NCAA's job is to investigate whether Penn State broke its rules and whether it gained a competitive advantage in doing so."

The source also told The Chronicle that since the Freeh report didn't interview Paterno, Schultz or Curley, the NCAA should have furthered the investigation to see "how far this went."

"The NCAA took this report and ran with it without further exploration," the source said. "If you really wanted to show there was a nexus to cover up, interview the coaches. See their knowledge and culpability ..."

The source apparently thinks that the Freeh report showed a lot of wrongdoing but didn't show an NCAA violation because it didn't interview enough of the right people. I could definitely see the counterargument though, which is that it doesn't matter how far the cover-up went. The Freeh report showed that football was above the law at PSU, and that's enough for an NCAA smackdown.

 

[bigedefense]

I can tell you this for certain. Six years ago, we had an SEC caliber wide receiver. (good Lord what I wouldnt give to have one every year like some schools) Alex was a low 4/high 3 star player according to Gene something or other from Scout. He came by at least once a week. Alex had a breakout junior season & the offers were pouring in. (he was a D- student, so no offer from ND). Alabama calls and offers us coaches a job working the select camp they are having that summer. My head coach & I took them up on the offer. All we had to do was head on down to Tuscaloosa...and bring Alex for the camp. Alex left here with 6 dollars in his pocket. I know because I watched his Grandma give him all the money she had. We told her that Alex would not have to have any money, we would pay for his food and such. She insisted. She said six dollars ain't much, but it is when it's all you got. It's the principle of it. She wanted her grandson to know that she was willing to give all she had for him. Sorry, got sidetracked. Back to the story. We arrive on campus and coach and I are each given an envelope. It contained our room key, an itinerary, a map, and $400. Not bad for a three day camp. Next morning, we head down to see what we are suppose to do & we are told that we can either sit up in the press box where there's an open bar or walk around and watch. That evening we got another envelope. It had the next day's itinerary and $400. We got an envelope each evening we were there and Alex got a half doz gloves, couple pair of cleats, a warm up, and a hoodie. Also, he somehow managed to come home with $1,606.

When we worked the select camp at Mississippi State a couple of weeks later, we thought the gravy train had picked us up again. WE WERE WRONG! Those basterds had us working stations, doing ball boy duty. I was dead by evening. You know what we got for that? A soft sided brief case, a polo shirt & $50. Alex came home with the same amount of money he left with and a T shirt. His Grandma made him sign with MS State.

So, IMO, Alabama is dirty.

 

[irishtrain]

Oh my God I'm shocked-this is really big news.

 

[Redbar]

I can tell you this for certain. Six years ago, we had an SEC caliber wide receiver. (good Lord what I wouldnt give to have one every year like some schools) Alex was a low 4/high 3 star player according to Gene something or other from Scout. He came by at least once a week. Alex had a breakout junior season & the offers were pouring in. (he was a D- student, so no offer from ND). Alabama calls and offers us coaches a job working the select camp they are having that summer. My head coach & I took them up on the offer. All we had to do was head on down to Tuscaloosa...and bring Alex for the camp. Alex left here with 6 dollars in his pocket. I know because I watched his Grandma give him all the money she had. We told her that Alex would not have to have any money, we would pay for his food and such. She insisted. She said six dollars ain't much, but it is when it's all you got. It's the principle of it. She wanted her grandson to know that she was willing to give all she had for him. Sorry, got sidetracked. Back to the story. We arrive on campus and coach and I are each given an envelope. It contained our room key, an itinerary, a map, and $400. Not bad for a three day camp. Next morning, we head down to see what we are suppose to do & we are told that we can either sit up in the press box where there's an open bar or walk around and watch. That evening we got another envelope. It had the next day's itinerary and $400. We got an envelope each evening we were there and Alex got a half doz gloves, couple pair of cleats, a warm up, and a hoodie. Also, he somehow managed to come home with $1,606.

When we worked the select camp at Mississippi State a couple of weeks later, we thought the gravy train had picked us up again. WE WERE WRONG! Those basterds had us working stations, doing ball boy duty. I was dead by evening. You know what we got for that? A soft sided brief case, a polo shirt & $50. Alex came home with the same amount of money he left with and a T shirt. His Grandma made him sign with MS State.

So, IMO, Alabama is dirty.

As much as I know this stuff happens, it is still amazing to hear a first hand account. His grandmother must have been a heck of lady. Thanks.