Well, the episode of Real Sports on HBO finally aired after much pomp and circumstance. There was a guy with a blog that released a transcript of the part about Auburn, which I read, so I didn't have to watch the show and be infuriated by it. The premise of the story was this: 4 former Auburn players that played sometime between 2005-2007 went on the show and said they were paid to come and play for Auburn. Some received money in bags, some in a handshake and some in envelopes by coaches. They said that most of it came from fans and boosters in the form of cash so of course you cannot trace it. I have a few problems with this.
First off, I am not naive. I am a huge Auburn homer but I am not stupid enough to believe that players are not getting some sort of monetary benefit at Auburn or any other school. All four of these players are disgruntled players that left Auburn on bad terms. McClover left early, despite his coaches advising against it, and crapped out in the NFL and is now broke. Chaz Ramsey got injured and never made it back on the field. He has sued the school two different times for mismanagement of his injuries and both times it has been thrown out of court. Troy Reddick said they made him change his major so his classes wouldn't interfere with practice. He also just recently applied for a GA job there and was denied. Raven Gray practiced for about a week, got into a fight, and was dismissed from the team. So, to be cliche, they all had an axe to grind against Auburn.
Every other Auburn player that played with these guys during the year have denied receiving any benefits. So who you gonna believe? 4 angry guys that left on bad terms or every other player that was there? What is also interesting is that HBO has stated it does not pay for interviews. However, HBO is sponsoring the First Annual (how can it be annual if it's the first one?) Celebration Day (or something like that) for McClover's charity. Wow, so HBO doesn't pay for interviews huh? That sure sounds like a payment to me. Sounds like McClover is so desperate for money and his 15 minutes that he is willing to say whatever they want him to in order to make a good story. Junior Rosegreen who was McClover's roommate at Auburn for two years has adamantly denied that he or Mac received anything. In fact, he states that Mac was always borrowing money from him and other players and never wore anything but old worn out clothes. Someone from Mac's background wound not be able to hide thousands of dollars; he would spend it on clothes or jewelry or on a car. Rosegreen did say Mac bought a car but he said that he was there when he bought it and Mac bought it with his Pell Grant money.
Lee Ziemba also stated that none of this ever happened that he saw. He said he walked behind all those guys from one time or another and never saw anyone get any handshakes from boosters or fans. Chaz Ramsey claimed to have received $1000 for his 2007 Iron Bowl tickets but Ziemba said that would be next to impossible. The tickets the players have are handled by the ticket office. They have to submit a list of people that can receive them at the beginning of the year and only those people can get them. There are so many holes in these stories that some of it is a little silly.
Again, I will say that I'm not naive and I know that this probably does go on, but not in the way these players say. What does this mean for Auburn and possible sanctions? The truthful answer is, I don't know. The statute of limitations is a rule that the NCAA can choose to ignore if they so desire. What you have to consider is the likelihood of being able to prove these things actually happened. Since the players said it was all in cash, that is going to be next to impossible to do. It was with a different coaching staff and a different set of administration. Unless there is a trail, it will be hard to prove. I do believe the infractions committee will look into this, but will not be able to find any substantial evidence. If you get a chance to read any of Travis Williams or Quentin Groves tweets or blogs, do so. They refute the accusations pretty well. Also, Gregg Doyel of CBS tweeted a pretty good statement earlier today. He said, "I'd be more inclined to believe the Auburn players on HBO if I'd heard of them. So I looked 'em up. One sued the OL coach. Another, booted from team. I'm not naive, but come on. Credibility issue." HBO only showed one side of the story, but I was not expecting them to show both sides. It doesn't make for good ratings. Gene Chizik said he was not contacted for an interview about this story. HBO said it contacted the athletic department and was given a no comment. Sounds like HBO didn't try very hard, but oh well, would you if you knew that you would get blasted into next year?
No matter what, it's a black eye for Auburn and the national perception of Auburn and the SEC in general is we all cheat. Forget what's going on at Ohio St. and what happened at USC. Don't look at Michigan or Oregon paying tens of thousands of dollars for a "scouting service" to land top players. This is all about Auburn and has been since they started playing really well. It seems most of the country has ganged up to bash Auburn and for what? I'm not really sure, but surely it's not jealousy. AU does rank in the top 10 in winning percentage and is 13th (I believe) in total wins. It really doesn't matter what others think because it has always been about Auburn and Auburn men and women against everyone else. AU has never been a sexy pick like USC or bama or Ohio St. I understand that AU will never be a media darling, but this has got to stop. Maybe when Auburn loses a game, people will drop it. Who knows, but what I do know is that the current coaching staff is doing their best to instill in these players the right character to be good players and good citizens. The rest is just hating. So, as they say, "haters gonna hate" (whoever they are).
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Birthday party and Chizik dismisses more players
This past Sunday, we had my oldest and middle child's birthday party and did it as a dual birthday. It was Mickey and Minnie Mouse themed and we had a friend of ours make the cakes. They were two tiered and had the mouse ears on them and everything. We had two jumping houses and we got Scott and Donna Karr to bring a horse for the kids to ride. Everyone had a really good time and the kids got a ton of presents. Also, the weather was absolutely gorgeous! The high was in the low 80's and there was a slight breeze. It did get a little hot out there chasing around 30 kids who were 5 and younger, but it beats Colt's birthday last year where it was about 35 outside. We had fun, but this will probably be the last time we can have a dual party, unless Addi doesn't mind.
Also, the few weeks or so has been really bad for the AU football team. After dismissing Eric Smith from the team for more off the field issues, 4 more players were kicked off due to being arrested for armed robbery with multiple guns. Antonio Goodwin, Mike McNeil, Dakota Moseley and Shaun Kitchens were the players arrested and held on $510,000 each in the Lee County Jail. This has serious implications for how they will spend the rest of their lives. If convicted, the face multiple years in prison and many years probation. These 4 kids (3 of them 19 years old) have just, for the most part, ruined a big chunk of their young adult lives. I have heard some people ask why in the world someone would do this especially when they have everything going for them: scholarship, playing football, going to a good university, being recognized/popular. I don't have an answer but all I know is these guys have alot of time to figure out just who they want to be. Their football careers are over before they started, but they do have a chance to be a good citizen and member of society. I feel for the kids, but if you're man enough to do the crime, you've got to be man enough to do the time (sorry for the cliche but it fits here). Now, the implications for the football team are that is four less players we now have after 30 of them graduated or left early. After the incoming freshmen, AU only has 73 scholarship players on the roster. That's down worse than when Tubbs left. The difference is, the guys we have now are much more talented than those from 3 years ago. I will have a spring practice blog after the A-day game. We should be ok at most positions, but there are a lot of if's especially on D-line and O-line and now, at saftety. Til next time.....
Also, the few weeks or so has been really bad for the AU football team. After dismissing Eric Smith from the team for more off the field issues, 4 more players were kicked off due to being arrested for armed robbery with multiple guns. Antonio Goodwin, Mike McNeil, Dakota Moseley and Shaun Kitchens were the players arrested and held on $510,000 each in the Lee County Jail. This has serious implications for how they will spend the rest of their lives. If convicted, the face multiple years in prison and many years probation. These 4 kids (3 of them 19 years old) have just, for the most part, ruined a big chunk of their young adult lives. I have heard some people ask why in the world someone would do this especially when they have everything going for them: scholarship, playing football, going to a good university, being recognized/popular. I don't have an answer but all I know is these guys have alot of time to figure out just who they want to be. Their football careers are over before they started, but they do have a chance to be a good citizen and member of society. I feel for the kids, but if you're man enough to do the crime, you've got to be man enough to do the time (sorry for the cliche but it fits here). Now, the implications for the football team are that is four less players we now have after 30 of them graduated or left early. After the incoming freshmen, AU only has 73 scholarship players on the roster. That's down worse than when Tubbs left. The difference is, the guys we have now are much more talented than those from 3 years ago. I will have a spring practice blog after the A-day game. We should be ok at most positions, but there are a lot of if's especially on D-line and O-line and now, at saftety. Til next time.....
Monday, March 14, 2011
Devastation in Japan, a sign of the times?
When I first heard that a devastating earthquake had happened off the coast of Japan (8.9 btw) I didn't know how to react. I wasn't sure what impact this might have not only on their own country but the world as a whole. You see, when a major world player like Japan gets hit hard, we all suffer the consequences. Now, they may be facing nuclear meltdowns along with flooding and other disasters. There have been many people killed and wounded and many more are still missing. This quake caused 7 foot waves in Hawaii! The economic impact of this will not be known for sometime, but I can assure you it will be major. Japan has far too much a hand in things for this not to hurt the world's economic infrastructure, especially ours. So, what does this mean in terms of spiritual matters? Well, I'm glad you asked.
[6] And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. [7] For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. [8] All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. (Matthew 24:6-8 ESV)
This is taken from the book of Matthew in the Bible. Jesus is speaking with his disciples here after they asked what will it look like when He comes back. I believe in the last 15-20 years, we have experienced the "birth pains" Jesus is talking about here regarding the last of days. Lets just start in the 80's with the cold war. There were constantly rumors of war, other nations warring with each other, African famine reached an all time high, AIDS epidemic, communism, etc. In the 90's you had the president commit lewd acts and get impeached for it, war in the Middle East, and other natural disasters. This is, of course, nothing new but I believe that things are going to get worse. Remember when Nashville flooded not too long ago? Maybe it has happened but I dont remember it happening in the recent past. People committing indecent and terrible acts against one another is esculating at an alarming rate. The things that are happening to children and babies are sickening.
The cool thing is, as Christians, Jesus tells us not to worry because even though we will have troubles in this world, He has overcome the world John 16:33. We know that we have the security of Heaven and an eternity with Christ even if this world takes our life. I know this is a sobering topic, but I wanted to share this because there seems to be alot of despair and worry. Trust in Jesus and your troubles wont go away, but you will inevitably know how to handle them. By giving them over to Christ you dont have to worry about what will happen. Contrary to popular belief, trusting in Jesus will not make you wealthy or powerful or popular by wordly standards but you will have a peace that surpasses all understanding.
Next weekend, Addi and Colt are having a duel birthday party to celebrate their 4th and 2nd birthdays. It will be a Mickey/Minnie Mouse theme and we are having a horse! Should be fun. Will let you know how it goes.
[6] And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. [7] For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. [8] All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. (Matthew 24:6-8 ESV)
This is taken from the book of Matthew in the Bible. Jesus is speaking with his disciples here after they asked what will it look like when He comes back. I believe in the last 15-20 years, we have experienced the "birth pains" Jesus is talking about here regarding the last of days. Lets just start in the 80's with the cold war. There were constantly rumors of war, other nations warring with each other, African famine reached an all time high, AIDS epidemic, communism, etc. In the 90's you had the president commit lewd acts and get impeached for it, war in the Middle East, and other natural disasters. This is, of course, nothing new but I believe that things are going to get worse. Remember when Nashville flooded not too long ago? Maybe it has happened but I dont remember it happening in the recent past. People committing indecent and terrible acts against one another is esculating at an alarming rate. The things that are happening to children and babies are sickening.
The cool thing is, as Christians, Jesus tells us not to worry because even though we will have troubles in this world, He has overcome the world John 16:33. We know that we have the security of Heaven and an eternity with Christ even if this world takes our life. I know this is a sobering topic, but I wanted to share this because there seems to be alot of despair and worry. Trust in Jesus and your troubles wont go away, but you will inevitably know how to handle them. By giving them over to Christ you dont have to worry about what will happen. Contrary to popular belief, trusting in Jesus will not make you wealthy or powerful or popular by wordly standards but you will have a peace that surpasses all understanding.
Next weekend, Addi and Colt are having a duel birthday party to celebrate their 4th and 2nd birthdays. It will be a Mickey/Minnie Mouse theme and we are having a horse! Should be fun. Will let you know how it goes.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Scott Moore, Baseball and Such
Last week, a radio show talk host and a self-proclaimed Alabama fan Scott Moore claimed that he had in his possession tapes that would incriminate Cam Newton. He claimed that on these tapes Cecil Newton could be heard talking with MSU recruiters or Kenny Rogers (not sure) about a pay-for-play deal and you could hear Cam in the background. It also included reports of how much Tennessee and Auburn were willing to pay. What's funny to me is that if these tapes do exist, why have the NCAA not heard of them and made a ruling? Oh, they have heard them, Moore says, and recommended Auburn sit Newton before the Georgia game and Auburn refused. Two things wrong with this logic: 1) if the NCAA had told Auburn to sit Cam, they absolutely unquestioningly would have sat him, period. It just works that way. And 2) if Auburn had blatantly refused to sit Cam and so vehemently ignored the NCAA's recommendation, why did they NCAA reinstate Cam without restrictions just 24 hours after Auburn ruled him ineligible? Also, why would NCAA president Mark Emmert say at least 3 times that Cam was eligible and there is no evidence to show that Auburn did anything wrong? It just doesnt add up. I know, there are a million conspiracies out there, mostly on blogs and message boards that state Auburn is about to get hammered and give up the NC. The problem with that is, there is no evidence out there to back this up, other than rumor and wishful thinking. And just yesterday, John Bond's lawyer came out with a statement saying that these tapes are fake. Really? Wow, breaking news! Scott Moore is a known liar and notorious for fabricating things to make him and his show get better ratings. This was just another ploy to get more callers and ratings for his show. Just look at what his radio station in Huntsville said. They basically said this does not reflect the views of the station. I know, this is a blanket statement and most stations do this, but if there was any truth to this, dont you think the station would run with it a la Paul Finebaumesque? Oh well, I guess this thing will never end as long as Auburn is successful. If this is the case, I hope it never ends.
On a completely unrelated topic, baseball season is here! Auburn has started the season 7-3 and have looked pretty good and especially in the pitching department. That was the main improvement that Auburn had to make in order to be successful again this year. I would really like to make it to a couple of games this season especially when SEC play starts. Also, the pro's start soon. The Braves will have a new look starting with manager Gonzalez and Chipper Jones not playing for the first time since '95. The pitching will be pretty good if Lowe can keep the form he had after the All Star break last year. Hudson will be solid and Uggla at second will be a huge lift for the offense. It is always fun to go to a game at Turner Field so I hope to get out there for a couple this summer.
Auburn basketball finished up the home regular season at the new Auburn Arena with a huge 20 point comeback over Ole Miss. Auburn has struggled this year to put it nicely and have only won 3 conference games going into tomorrow's season finale against LSU. Auburn has lost 6 SEC games by 5 points or less and have played really hard. Next year, Auburn brings in a good recruiting class along with two transfer players that will be able to help immediately. Auburn will be vastly improved and will compete in every game. I truly believe that with Barbee and his coaching and recruiting ability, Auburn will be competing for the West within two years. Maybe a bit optimistic but that's how I am.
Addi had her 4th birthday last weekend and we took her to the American Girl doll store in Atlanta to let her pick out a doll and outfit. That store is something else! You could literally spend a million dollars on doll stuff in there and still have about half the store left. Addi had a great time and we had a great time taking her and enjoying watching her with the dolls. She also got her first bicycle that weekend. She did pretty good pedaling but stopping is another issue. Colt turns two next week. Not sure exactly what we going to do for his birthday but he is so laid back, it wont matter. He will have a good time no matter what.
I am going to the UAB basketball season finale at Bartow Arena tomorrow night. One of the anesthesiologists at work, Luc, gave me two of his tickets courtside. I'm taking my dad and we get to go to the Champion's lounge and eat before the game. I got to go last year one game and had a great time. Also, this game is very important for UAB. Not only is it senior night and the last game of the regular season, but UAB can clinch the regular season Conference USA championship by beating ECU. Should be a good game and a big crowd.
Til next time....
On a completely unrelated topic, baseball season is here! Auburn has started the season 7-3 and have looked pretty good and especially in the pitching department. That was the main improvement that Auburn had to make in order to be successful again this year. I would really like to make it to a couple of games this season especially when SEC play starts. Also, the pro's start soon. The Braves will have a new look starting with manager Gonzalez and Chipper Jones not playing for the first time since '95. The pitching will be pretty good if Lowe can keep the form he had after the All Star break last year. Hudson will be solid and Uggla at second will be a huge lift for the offense. It is always fun to go to a game at Turner Field so I hope to get out there for a couple this summer.
Auburn basketball finished up the home regular season at the new Auburn Arena with a huge 20 point comeback over Ole Miss. Auburn has struggled this year to put it nicely and have only won 3 conference games going into tomorrow's season finale against LSU. Auburn has lost 6 SEC games by 5 points or less and have played really hard. Next year, Auburn brings in a good recruiting class along with two transfer players that will be able to help immediately. Auburn will be vastly improved and will compete in every game. I truly believe that with Barbee and his coaching and recruiting ability, Auburn will be competing for the West within two years. Maybe a bit optimistic but that's how I am.
Addi had her 4th birthday last weekend and we took her to the American Girl doll store in Atlanta to let her pick out a doll and outfit. That store is something else! You could literally spend a million dollars on doll stuff in there and still have about half the store left. Addi had a great time and we had a great time taking her and enjoying watching her with the dolls. She also got her first bicycle that weekend. She did pretty good pedaling but stopping is another issue. Colt turns two next week. Not sure exactly what we going to do for his birthday but he is so laid back, it wont matter. He will have a good time no matter what.
I am going to the UAB basketball season finale at Bartow Arena tomorrow night. One of the anesthesiologists at work, Luc, gave me two of his tickets courtside. I'm taking my dad and we get to go to the Champion's lounge and eat before the game. I got to go last year one game and had a great time. Also, this game is very important for UAB. Not only is it senior night and the last game of the regular season, but UAB can clinch the regular season Conference USA championship by beating ECU. Should be a good game and a big crowd.
Til next time....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
