Improper Benefits in the SEC

[Kak7304]

Y! SPORTS

Five Southeastern Conference football stars violated NCAA rules by receiving extra benefits prior to completing their collegiate careers, a Yahoo Sports investigation has found. The benefits – which in some cases came from multiple individuals – were conveyed to University of Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker, University of Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray, Tennessee defensive end Maurice Couch, Mississippi State University defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and Mississippi State wideout Chad Bumphis.

Long article with a lot of damning evidence.

 

[Kak7304]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Yahoo! with a whole lot of documentation alleging Alabama's DJ Fluker got extra benefits. Would affect a trophy if NCAA proves it.</p>— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) <a href="https://twitter.com/slmandel/statuses/377903568432668672">September 11, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Me2SouthBend]

The thread title comes from the Department of Redundancy Department.

 

[ACamp1900]

We already established today that the NCAA IS the SEC... move on and get over it.....

 

[Irish Houstonian]

That looks pretty bad for Fluker. Texts are pretty close to smoking gun status.

 

[ACamp1900]

I love Yahoo Sports, first they do the NCAA's job on SC and now this... where would amateur sports be without them??

 

[Axl Rose]

I wonder what gave it away?

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

In other news, water is wet.

 

[ACamp1900]

If Fluker turns out to be Bama’s Reggie bush, in all honesty I hope it takes the 2011 title before the 2012 one… talk about a team that didn’t freaking deserve it imo… I hope the whole program falls completely to **** over this, I'd be well deserved...

(and yes, the Bama peps on this board are really good, thanks for coming...)

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

Also, if the NCAA had any balls, they would strip Bama of that national championship for playing with an ineligible player assuming the Natty took place after the benefits were received. Pipe dream, but the only way this nonsense will ever stop is it there is zero tolerance and they start laying the hammer.

 

[ickythump1225]

Hahaha oh man I hope this is true. I hope Alabama gets some titles stripped and Saban bolts. I hate the hole effing SEC and hope that conference gets what is coming to it.

I've been waiting for this day for quite some time to be honest. I just hope the NCAA has the balls to do what needs to be done.

 

[GaryMcLain'sSkiLodge]

Wouldn't surprise me one bit if the SEC is as dirty as the Southwest Conference. Every year there are stories about this stuff (payments, cars, etc.) and nothing ever happens. With all the improper benefits and oversigning, it's no wonder why they win every single year. I feel like something big is going to happen in the near future with one of the more successful programs, and it will send waves across the conference. At least I can hope.

 

[ACamp1900]

Hahaha oh man I hope this is true. I hope Alabama gets some titles stripped and Saban bolts. I hate the hole effing SEC and hope that conference gets what is coming to it.

How Twilight Zone would it be to see Bama taking DOWN banners for titles they actually DID win??? lol

Wouldn't surprise me one bit if the SEC is as dirty as the Southwest Conference. Every year there are stories about this stuff (payments, cars, etc.) and nothing ever happens. With all the improper benefits and oversigning, it's no wonder why they win every single year. I feel like something big is going to happen in the near future with one of the more successful programs, and it will send waves across the conference. At least I can hope.

From the time of Saban at LSU I have had zero doubt in my mind it IS the SWAC... total wild west...

 

[IrishLax]

The entire SEC cheats to some degree. Most ACC schools cheat (Clemson, UNC, Miami, FSU, etc. are obvious offenders). The Big 12 is more dirty than most realize.

The Big Ten and PAC 12 are the only conferences where most schools are relatively on the up and up. Even with that being said, I'm sure quite a few of them still break the rules (USC, ASU, Ohio State, etc. come to mind).

It is what it is. The system is broken. Either increase enforcement via independent NCAA staff full time on every campus across the country and punish harshly... or reform the rules. This current system just hurts the teams that try to do things right.

Oh, and if a Notre Dame player wanted to take benefits from an agent there is NOTHING a coach could do to stop it. I hope everyone realizes that. One day, we might very well get burned. We're just lucky enough to not recruit a lot of kids with that kind of mentality so it hasn't happened yet.

 

[STLDomer]

I wonder what gave it away?

His account was hacked.....

 

[Woneone]

The entire SEC cheats to some degree. Most ACC schools cheat (Clemson, UNC, Miami, FSU, etc. are obvious offenders). The Big 12 is more dirty than most realize.

The Big Ten and PAC 12 are the only conferences where most schools are relatively on the up and up. Even with that being said, I'm sure quite a few of them still break the rules (USC, ASU, Ohio State, etc. come to mind).

It is what it is. The system is broken. Either increase enforcement via independent NCAA staff full time on every campus across the country and punish harshly... or reform the rules. This current system just hurts the teams that try to do things right.

Oh, and if a Notre Dame player wanted to take benefits from an agent there is NOTHING a coach could do to stop it. I hope everyone realizes that. One day, we might very well get burned. We're just lucky enough to not recruit a lot of kids with that kind of mentality so it hasn't happened yet.

100% agree.

Re-up with EA (settle the case first, of course), use that money to place at least one, maybe two full time staff on campus at all the "Big" players. Everything goes through them. Compliance being employees of the University is a joke.

Punish severely.

I still think they need the NFL to remove the "3 years removed from High School" rule, but this would be a start.

 

[Redbar]

With darn near every talking head on E$PN and now Time magazine arguing that these guys are getting a bum deal by being educated and trained in both their dream job and their back up plan...AND the NCAA thinking four years is a reasonable statute of limitation on looking at such scandalous behavior it is apparent that the will is not there to check this type of criminality. The lion is inside the gate and the lion is big money.
It is absurd that journalist, attorneys, agents, most of which have never competed in sports outside of their childhood have been able to muddy the waters of amateurism and competition for something other than personal enrichment, to this extent. All of the "expert" former NFL news pundits don't help things either, in their mind the game of football is the NFL, and should only be viewed through that lens. My question is why should I believe that they will break all these rules, pay players, do work, provide sex, automobiles, jewelry, cover up crimes etc...BUT they won't tell an official to see holding on a big play, or pass interference on a critical third down (twice). I mean if it is corrupt what makes anyone think that the corruption stops for a few hours on Saturday and it cannot touch the officials. Those 3-4 hours are sacred and the door to the officials locker room is impenetrable. If they don't get this stuff in check it is coming if it isn't here already.

 

[enrico514]

Hahaha oh man I hope this is true. I hope Alabama gets some titles stripped and Saban bolts. I hate the hole effing SEC and hope that conference gets what is coming to it.

I've been waiting for this day for quite some time to be honest. I just hope the NCAA has the balls to do what needs to be done.

As long as he doesn't bolt to USC !

 

[enrico514]

Y! SPORTS



Long article with a lot of damning evidence.

Were they still on probation?

 

[ND NYC]

100% agree.

Re-up with EA (settle the case first, of course), use that money to place at least one, maybe two full time staff on campus at all the "Big" players. Everything goes through them. Compliance being employees of the University is a joke.

Punish severely.

I still think they need the NFL to remove the "3 years removed from High School" rule, but this would be a start.

not holding my breath on this...NCAA football is a free farm system/developmental league for them. all about the benjis

 

[Kak7304]

Were they still on probation?

I believe UT and Miss St are. Not Bama.

 

[NDfaninBama]

I believe UT and Miss St are. Not Bama.

From an article on AL.com
Former Alabama star D.J. Fluker, Luther Davis implicated in extra benefits report | al.com

"In a second story, Yahoo! reported former Tide safety Mark Barron's name appeared in text messages between Davis and Simms involving recouping money from a player. The texts were reportedly exchanged in 2011 when Barron was recovering from a shoulder injury that kept him from declaring for the NFL draft as a junior. "

"Alabama had been on probation for three years starting in 2009 following a textbook scandal, but the penalty ended June 12, 2012."

Sounds like a major violation occurred while they were on probation....

 

[enrico514]

Bama was on probation when these allegedly took place.

Alabama Crimson Tide football - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In June 2009, Alabama was sanctioned for textbook and supplies-related infractions, valued at approximately $40,000, involving 201 student-athletes in 16 sports. The football program was forced to vacate 21 wins from the 2005-2007, pay a $43,900 fine, and received a public reprimand and censure. The football program was placed on three years probation, which ended in June 2012.[129][130][131] The university stated "none of the textbooks or materials was used for profit or to get items not related to academics, and that the athletes involved who still have eligibility remaining have had to pay restitution."[132] Alabama's appeal of the ruling was unsuccessful

 

[anarin]

Can we change the title of the thread to $EC ?

KTHNX!

 

[ND NYC]

the wetzel follow up article is a must read as well:

Y! SPORTS

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I'm with Lax on this one. 'Bama won't get anything more than a slap on the wrist; certainly nothing as serious as a stripped title. Hoping for that sort of thing makes us look petty.

Re-up with EA (settle the case first, of course), use that money to place at least one, maybe two full time staff on campus at all the "Big" players. Everything goes through them. Compliance being employees of the University is a joke.

Punish severely.

There's almost no chance that happens, given the tenor of the national debate. No one is defending amateurism. Lots of prominent voices are calling for a more "open market". Regardless of which way it breaks, I hope it happens soon. Would be nice to be competing on a level field again.

 

[ACamp1900]

Sounds like a major violation occurred while they were on probation....

And that's exactly what killed USC...

 

[enrico514]

Do you guys think that if the coaches were fined for major violations under their watch that the sport would become cleaner? It seems to me that they now have every incentive to cut corners.

 

[ND NYC]

something to ponder in all this, im not advocating it but:

if it was ever opened all up, let the players get paid by the schools, no ncaa interference, and amatuerism was thrown asunder, we would be the yankees of college football...having the biggest checkbook of them all.

 

[ickythump1225]

Tyler Bray gets paid to play quarterback at Tennessee. His words, not mine.

"I'm paid to win football games," Bray told news reporters Tuesday. Such a statement led to the inevitable follow-up question: Um, what?

Tennessee QB Tyler Bray: "I'm paid to win games"

Guess he wasn't lying.