NCAA closed its investigation of Auburn University

[RT Atlanta]

Let all the "they got away with it," "NCAA was bought," etc. begin.

http://auburn.scout.com/2/1116728.html

On Wednesday both Auburn and the NCAA announced an investigation has cleared the Auburn program, backing up previous statements by AU head football coach Gene Chizik and Athletic Director Jay Jacobs that Auburn had not illegally recruited Newton or violated NCAA rules. Public statements such as the one in the case by the NCAA are considered unusual, however, the fact that this case was a particularly high profile one probably led the NCAA to make the announcement.

2010 BCS Football National Champions!



http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q4hHl0lTUTk/TV0xQIgOHkI/AAAAAAAABvs/IHFwUScqYwk/s1600/toomers+corner2.jpg

[trumad]

1. That's fine

but if you think the NCAA is one fine organization--- well---yiou're fucking nuts.

[RT Atlanta]

2. In re: NCAA

No, I don't think they're necessarily a fine organization - I view them as a bloated bureacracy - but in this instance, the NCAA's decision is the only one that matters and I am more than pleased with the outcome of the investigation.

[joeybee12]

3. Just wait until ESPN or SI or some other outlet actually investigates this

a few years down the road...It took Yahoo Sports to reveal USC before the NCAA did anything...this is far from over.

[RT Atlanta]

4. You don't believe those outlets have investigated yet?!?

Particularly ESPN - they seem to have been chomping at the bit since last fall to uncover any shred of evidence; further, ESPN has slung enough mud & innuendo toward Auburn this past year to fill up Hudson Bay.

[Elwood P Dowd]

6. It was all lies, rumors, and speculation from the beginning, and I told you guys that

on here starting last football season. Sports media today is even worse than the corporate news media. When it comes to sports message boards, there are many posters who believe all the wild speculation and unfounded rumors they hear from the sports media and are just as bad as the repukes who believe every lie, rumor, and propaganda sound bite they hear fro Fox News and Limbaugh. ESPN and the rest of the sports media had themselves a nice, juicy story to increase web hits and TV viewers, and they went totally out of control with it.

The New York Times had two reporters working this case for several weeks and could come up with nothing. ESPN, Fox Sports, Yahoo, and who knows how many others spent time in Auburn, Atlanta, Starkville, and Gainsville trying to dig up dirt over several months. All they could come up with were rumors from unnamed sources. The NCAA investigators interviewd over 80 people and spent over 1,000 man hours investigating one guy and his recruitment. All they could discover was that one man, former Miss State player turned agent Kenny Rogers, approached Cecil Newton and claimed he could get him some money if his son would sign with his school Miss State. Mr Newton listened to his proposal but never accepted any money and never made any agreement to accept any money. In the end it turned out Rogers was full of shit. This is the same Kenny Rogers that was banned from the NFL for lying to players and claiming he could get them extra money for switching agents. He was also claiming that he now worked for the NFL Players Union.

As far the USC case, it is in no way similar to the Cam Newton case. The information came out quick on this case, and there was no long-running civil trial delaying the Cam Newton investigation like Bush's. The NCAA started investigating the Cam Newton claims in September, 2010. It became public in November, 2010. There was also proven facts Bush received benefits while playing for USC, and one of the coaches was aware of it. That's a big difference from a rival school's booster simply "offering benefits" during the recruiting process to another schools player or parent. Cam didn't live in an expensive house while at Auburn like Bush in LA. He lived in a cheap student apartment. Cam didn't drive an expensive car around town like Bush. He drove a cheap motor scooter. Someone wasn't paying for Cam's relatives living in Auburn like was going on with Bush in LA. Cam's relatives lived and worked full time in Atlanta.

People don't want their beliefs proven wrong, so most sports fans will continue to believe all the false claims and innuendo about Auburn and Cam......just like they believed many of the NFL draft pundits who said Cam did not deserve to be drafted high in the first round. After a game last year, when one of Cam's Auburn teammates was being interviewed by a large media type reporter he said something like this: "I just gave you the truth about Cam, but the truth won't sell with you guys." His quotes never made it into the news report.

[TZ]

5. Translation: Its okay if your Dad's a crook

as long he makes sure no one can prove YOU are a crook, its fine.
Barf. Sorry, being technically in the rules doesn't mean you aren't an unethical scumbag.

[Elwood P Dowd]

7. No, former Miss State player turned agent Kenny Rogers is the real crook.

He is the one who approached Cecil Newton and tried to lure his son to State with money from boosters. Mr Newton shouldn't have listened to him or even discussed it, but in the end Newton accepted no money and make to agreement to accept any money. That doesn't make him a crook. He didn't steal any money or kill someone. Rogers is now banned from the NFL and most college campuses from past shady dealings with college recruits and current NFL players.

All the other schools who recruited Newton were questioned by the NCAA and reported they heard nothing from Cecil about any play-for-pay deal. Those included Auburn, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and I think Kansas State.