Stop whining: NCAA got it right on Cam Newton, Auburn
Cam Newton can go ahead of celebrate. The NCAA ruled that he and Auburn are in the clear.
Let me start this by declaring that I’m as cynical as the next person — OK, perhaps a little more — and I’m absolutely convinced there was a second gunman in the grassy knoll and there’s something about Area 51 that the government is not telling us.
But listen up: The NCAA got it right.
It could not suspend Cam Newton based on he whispered/he whispered.
It could not place Auburn on probation based on the fact the father of its star player admitted that he solicited money from ANOTHER school.
It could not significantly punish any athlete or institution based on what we all THINK must have happened simply because that’s what our suspicious mind tells us.
This whole saga has been one of the strangest NCAA investigations I can remember, in part because the athlete’s current school (Auburn) never was even connected to the allegations.
I know. Our head tells us: It’s Auburn. It’s the SEC. It’s big-time college football with big-time shenanigans. We’ve been exposed to so much of it in the past that we’ve come to believe that every player, coach, administrator and booster have been have been tainted. This story is even better than most because it involved a father allegedly pimping his kid . . . and he’s a minister!
At some point, you expected a Kardashian to show up on Toomers Corner.
But take a breath and, just for a moment, follow me through the levels of this thing. Then I’ll address why I don’t believe this can be compared to other recent cases, including the one at USC and A.J. Green’s suspension:
♦ Question: Did Cecil Newton, Cam’s father, solicit money from Mississippi State for his son’s services? Answer: Yes. INFRACTION.
♦ Question: Did Cam Newton know his father solicited an offer? Answer: Based on a lack of evidence, no. (If you want to assume otherwise, fine. But let’s just say I’m aware of situations where children did not know of things their parents did. Whether you consider that a longshot or not, the bottom line is that it can’t be proven.)
♦ Question: Did Cecil Newton receive money? Answer: Based on a lack of evidence, no.
♦ Question: Did Cam Newton receive money? Answer: Based on a lack of evidence, no.
♦ Question: Did Cam or Cecil Newton solicit an offer from Auburn? Answer: Based on a lack of evidence, no.
♦ Question: Did Cam or Cecil Newton receive money from Auburn. Answer: Based on a lack of evidence, no.
That’s it. There’s nothing else.
Now, should the NCAA continue to investigate this thing and discover that somebody in the Auburn athletic department or a big-bucks booster slipped a fat envelope under Cam’s door or paid for new floors and sheetrock in Cecil’s new church, then all bets are off.
But that’s not where we are right now.
Now, as for comparing Newton to other cases, I’ve been hearing from USC and Georgia fans all day and night and reading comments on line from various stunned officials, including USC athletic director Pat Haden. But this case is so not those cases. Consider:
♦ Newton vs. USC: Really? Fact: Reggie Bush’s parents received thousands of dollars in benefits from an agent. They lived in a home rent-free for one year. A USC assistant coach, Todd McNair, was tied directly to the case when the NCAA ruled he had knowledge of Bush’s dealings with agents. For whiny Trojan fans to be comparing their case to the Cam Newton case is completely nonsensical.
♦ Newton vs. A.J. Green: Really? Fact: Green sold his Independence Bowl jersey for $1,000. That’s a violation, even if he sold it to you. The fact that he sold to a person that the NCAA classified as an agent increased the suspension to four games. (Best estimate: It would’ve been two games otherwise.) It has not been found that Cam and Cecil Newton received anything (or sold his Blinn Community College jersey).
♦ Newton vs. Damon Stoudamire: This is a very similar case, as laid out by SportsByBrooks, in which the father of the former Arizona basketball star was accused by the NCAA of accepting a plane ticket from an agent in 1995. Stoudamire denied knowing about his father’s alleged transaction. The father denied taking the ticket. The NCAA suspended the player for a game, then reinstated him just before the NCAA tournament. But here’s where the cases go in different directions. The agent in question, Steve Feldman, ultimately admitted he gave airplane tickets to Stoudamire’s father. The father had to reiumburse him. The NCAA believed to other penalty was warranted. Coversely, there is no paper trail or evidence of any kind in the Newton case.
Some believe the NCAA has opened a giant loophole with this ruling — the thinking being that now every dad can go out and pimp his kid to universities, then just claim the kid knew nothing about it. The only problem with that theory is — again — Cecil Newton was not found to have taken anything.
If a father puts his son up for bidding and actually accepts a payment, effectively closing the deal, it really doesn’t matter whether the son knew or not. The athlete is ineligible. It’s like saying you want to rob a bank without ever doing it.
So enough with the NCAA bashing. They got it right. You can’t convict on conjecture.
♦
Recent episodes . . .
♦ Gruden to Miami would be manna for starving ACC
♦ Falcons are winning because they’re following Mike Smith
♦ Surprise! Spurrier proves South Carolina can be a player in SEC
♦ Alabama staffer fired for mocking Cam Newton with songs
♦
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1,356 comments Add your comment
jarvis
December 2nd, 2010
10:04 am
“Then you should see a Proctologist.”
4-stars ****
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:04 am
“AU should administer self-punishment, back out of the SEC title game, and any bowl games, and retain some level of integrity and dignity. ”
UGA fans should shut up, move out of their mom’s trailer and get a haircut.
StatesBurr
December 2nd, 2010
10:04 am
AU Fan: Man you are a tuff guy. The Moron is someone who is blindly following SCAM.
Nothing against Auburn folks…they are pretty good guys, obviously you are a fraud.
Seriously . . . .
December 2nd, 2010
10:04 am
AU Fan . . . I’m not here to defend UGA or Bama, I was just wondering if just ONE AU fan would/could look at this honestly. Obviously, you can’t
AUfanatic
December 2nd, 2010
10:05 am
Seriously…. were you born retarded or did you have to work long and hard to get there? You’re asking Auburn to admit to a crime (that never happened) and give itself 100 lashes as a result. I’ve seen opposing fans get bitter and spiteful when their team sucks complete @ss but you take it to a whole other level.
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:05 am
“Could be that Mississippi State is the program that will fall.”
Would explain why Mullen is looking at going to U of Miami.
Nova Roars
December 2nd, 2010
10:05 am
StatesBurr
December 2nd, 2010
9:56 am
It is getting embarassing listening to the AU fanatics defense.
***********************
The same defense that swept the ankles out from under you leg humpers? THAT defense?
49-31!!!
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:06 am
“Man you are a tuff guy. The Moron is someone who is blindly following SCAM.”
Have fun at the Liberty Bowl, loser.
“obviously you are a fraud.”
And you know this how?
LuvIt
December 2nd, 2010
10:06 am
jarvis:
Seriously doubt you could read more than *see Dick and Jane* and *see Spot run.*
but — thanks for giving it a shot!
And, yep, this is GLORIOUS fun. Always a good day when Bulldawgs make fools of themselves in print.
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:07 am
“I’m not here to defend UGA or Bama, I was just wondering if just ONE AU fan would/could look at this honestly. Obviously, you can’t”
Go sell stupid somewhere else.
ATL is TigerTown
December 2nd, 2010
10:08 am
Quit whining? Quit Whining?! Get real. These morons won’t quit whining until they’re six feet under. Whiners whine. That’s who they are and that’s what they do. Bitter, malicious, immature hypocritical whiners. War Eagle, ladies!
BreakingNews
December 2nd, 2010
10:09 am
It doesn’t matter what college team you’re a fan of – the bottom line is: any player now has a loophole, thanks to the NCAA, and can easily be shopped-out by a parent. All that has to be said is “I was unaware of what my parent was doing” and there are no repurcussions for the athlete. I’m sure this entire blog will turn into an ignorant argument, but the bottom line is – there’s no way to regulate this in the future, thanks to the NCAA’s ruling in this case. This has nothing to do with who you are a fan of – this can happen at ANY university now and opens the door for more under the table negotiations for high school athletes.
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:09 am
ATL is TigerTown
I remember a few years ago when UGA fans whined about UF and Spikes. It was never ending crying and complaining from dawg fans.
Fact is, UGA has sucked at football for a long time. Auburn sucked two years ago and we’ve moved forward.
Randy
December 2nd, 2010
10:09 am
UGA FANS ARE BABIES All you need to know is Can Newtons dad was a whore and Cam Newton himself was what was sold. So that makes him a what?
LuvIt
December 2nd, 2010
10:10 am
Funny how when Auburn beats the crap out of Georgia, it’s because of the refs and non-calls, bad calls and dirty play.
But when Georgia beats Auburn, the refs are perfect.
Amazing how that works, huh?
Poor puppies.
TBone
December 2nd, 2010
10:10 am
@ AU fan It’s all that limburger cheese that you UGA puppy dogs ordered with your whine.
I am a Gamecock fan doofus.
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:10 am
BreakingNews
College football has been about money for years. Did you just wake up from a coma?
Seriously . . . .
December 2nd, 2010
10:10 am
AUFanatic . . . I’ll ignore the cheap shots, and the childish ones, and simply state, AGAIN, that it would be nice to see someone put integrity before blind loyalty. I’ll say again, this is not about fans of other schools being bitter, actually, if the UGA fans on here are correct, Richt has been quite successfull against AU so they have no reason to be bitter (perhaps the cheap shot by Fairley which everyone non-AU thought was a cheap shot), but, it is about integrity in sports. If I were an AU fan I’d be embarassed. A Georgia fan I know well was glad to see AJ suspended because, “He broke the rules”. He was an elderly gentleman, with class. Is there any class an integrity at AU? Seriously, a father, a minister, pimping his son’s services?????? Have you no shame????
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:11 am
“Amazing how that works, huh?”
Yep, they remind me so much of Nancy Pelosi.
Nick Fairley
December 2nd, 2010
10:11 am
It’s my fault!!
BreakingNews
December 2nd, 2010
10:12 am
Sure, NCAA – Cam was unaware of what his father was doing. Just like Cam was unaware it was against the rules to cheat in college, against the law to possess stolen property, and against the law to not pay one of your 13 traffic violations accumulated in a year in the state of Florida. You know what – I’m just going to not show up for work the rest of the week and tell my boss I was unaware I was supposed to.
ATL is TigerTown
December 2nd, 2010
10:12 am
Read the known facts, AU. The facts, not the conjecture. That’s honest.
StatesBurr
December 2nd, 2010
10:12 am
Nova and AU Fan: You guys are pretty good.. Where were you the last 4 years?
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:12 am
“if the UGA fans on here are correct”
But they’re not.
“the cheap shot by Fairley which everyone non-AU thought was a cheap ”
Only UGA fans thought it was cheap.
“A Georgia fan I know well was glad to see AJ suspended”
Yeah, until UGA lost 3 games in a row…….
“Is there any class an integrity at AU?”
Auburn didn’t do anything wrong.
StatesBurr
December 2nd, 2010
10:13 am
Nova – AU Fan: I ll let you guys go..I know you have to get to class.. Ha!!
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:13 am
“I’m just going to not show up for work the rest of the week and tell my boss I was unaware I was supposed to.”
And we care, why?
McDawg
December 2nd, 2010
10:13 am
what bothers me about the AJ thing is he was investigated for attending an agent financed party based on induendo-it was clear that he did not attend the party but instead of closing the books they turned him inside out and spent months trying to determine if the guy who bought the jersey was an agent–i don’t believe the two situiations are comparable but it seems that the NCAA had a different standard for AJ than it did for the Bama kid and Cam Newton and that is a big problem when an investiagtive body appears arbitrary and capricious
LuvIt
December 2nd, 2010
10:14 am
Breaking News — go back and read the article to which you’re posting a response. Read it a little slower this time.
There’s no loophole. If you play for pay, you’re busted.
There WOULD, however, be a terrible precedent if the NCAA suspended a player due to the alleged actions of a relative. If you open THAT can of worms then anyone could set up a player by allegedly shopping him. You’d have the power to bring down any player you choose and any program along with it and the player would be helpless to do anything about it.
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:14 am
“Have you no shame????”
You sound just like Barney Frank.
Randy
December 2nd, 2010
10:14 am
History will show Auburn to be the trash they are, history will show the wins of this year as vacated. Let them bask in their moment of glory, let them talk all the trash they want. Reality shows inbreeding for what it is, they become disillusion, irrational and highly ret@rded. In time we will all be back here laughing at the redneck trailer trash from All Burn.
SECWasteManagement
December 2nd, 2010
10:15 am
Amongst all the controversy, you at least have to appreciate that the race card hasn’t been played yet.
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:15 am
McDawg
You should write a letter.
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:16 am
“History will show Auburn to be the trash they are, history will show the wins of this year as vacated. ”
Um….no it won’t.
“Let them bask in their moment of glory, let them talk all the trash they want.”
Pot meet kettle.
“Reality shows inbreeding for what it is, they become disillusion, irrational and highly ret@rded. ”
What was that you were saying about trash talking?
“In time we will all be back here laughing at the redneck trailer trash from All Burn.”
What was that you were saying about trash talking?
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:17 am
“Amongst all the controversy, you at least have to appreciate that the race card hasn’t been played yet.”
Only happens in the state of Georgia in a town called Atlanta.
Seriously . . . .
December 2nd, 2010
10:17 am
“go sell stupid somewhere else”
really AU fan . . .
that’s intelligent, remember, I’m not throwing cheap shots, nor calling names, I’m asking a simple question about integrity and class in college sports. If I were an AU fan, I’d be embrassed and would rather see AU sit out than a father/minister pimp his son
Everybody Knows
December 2nd, 2010
10:17 am
what is going on here. If this was a Texas, Southern Cal, or Oklahoma player not one Ga fan would care. But since Auburn just beat the snot out of Uga a few weeks ago, and they, not Uga are going to play for an SEC title and possibly a NC, the dog fans are consumed with bitter envy. Does anyone doubt for one minute that if Uga was in Auburn’s position that the same Ga fans who are on this blog demanding that Cam Newton be kicked out of sports and his father be in jail would be voraciously defending them if Cam was wearing a G on his helmet.
5150 P.O.A.D.
December 2nd, 2010
10:18 am
Seriously
An Intgrity in Sports talk from a DAWG? You are kidding right? Seriously UGA rushing the field in the Auburn game. Ben Jones play all year. UGA whloe yeam celebration in the Endzone a few years ago. Stomping on other teams logo at the50 yardline. UGA tore up the Tech turf last year. UGA winning the Fulmer Cup. All the arrest of teachers, students, players, and administrators and UGA is calling out AUBURN? AHHAHHAaHHHhhahaahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahaha!!!!!!
Seriously….a UGA fan talking Integrity Seriously
LuvIt
December 2nd, 2010
10:18 am
Seriously…
Type *e m b a r r a s s e d* one more time
(3rd time is charm, they say)
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:18 am
“If I were an AU fan, I’d be embrassed and would rather see AU sit out than a father/minister pimp his son’
Ok, again, use spell check.
So, Auburn is supposed to sit Cam because the NCAA cleared him to play?
No wonder UGA is in such trouble.
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:20 am
Everybody Knows
Love how one particular UGA fans says “do the right thing” when her own team is 6-6. If UGA was in the same position, let’s say 1980, and Walker was just cleared by the NCAA, UGA fans would be screaming in joy right now.
Funny how ignorant some UGA fans are.
LuvIt
December 2nd, 2010
10:21 am
SECWastemanagement:
Actually, there have been at least 3 racial remarks. Two were UGA and one was Bama. I reported one of them myself.
All 3 have been removed by AJC.
Nova Roars
December 2nd, 2010
10:21 am
If I were an AU fan, I’d be embrassed and would rather see AU sit out than a father/minister pimp his son
******************
Well you’re NOT an AU fan so why are you worried about it. And when you actually SEE someone pimp their kid, call us all for a look.
AUfanatic
December 2nd, 2010
10:22 am
Nice try at the whole guilt trip thing, Seriously. Sorry it doesn’t work, though. We, AU, have nothing to be ashamed of nor embarrassed about. AU did NOTHING wrong. AU broke NO rules. I know that’s a hard pill to swallow but facts are facts. And there’s no friggin’ loophole here. If there were evidence that Cam’s dad received money at all from any school whatsoever then that school would be paying the price and Cam wouldn’t be taking snaps. Period. Seriously (as in literally), all you pathetic little whiners and haters with nothing better to do than self loathe and grit your teeth because you’re not at the top of the food chain this year need to GET OVER YOURSELVES. Sheesh, there’s always next year. Just be glad the SEC still crushes the competition and we’re the conference everyone loves admire and hate collectively.
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:22 am
Seriously . . . .
Remember that time that coach at UGA gave a choke sign?
Remember that time UGA players danced on the Auburn logo?
Remember that time 11 players got arrested?
Remember that time the AD got caught with an underage girl with red panties?
Remember that time UGA hired an employee with child porn?
Bamamy
December 2nd, 2010
10:22 am
Does anyone know if this is true – I have heard reports that it is on record Cam declined going to Miss State saying “I want to play there but the money is just too good”? I don’t think this whole situation is done – just declaring him eligible to play FOR NOW.
Cam-A-Lot
December 2nd, 2010
10:22 am
NCAA Bylaw 10.1.C states it is a violation for an athlete or university staff member to have “knowing involvement in offering or providing a prospective or an enrolled student-athlete an improper inducement or extra benefit or improper financial aid.” That bylaw does not mention family members or anyone representing the athlete.
The conclusion from the Newton ruling could easily be that parents can solicit benefits from one university while remaining eligible at another. “But I don’t think it’s a huge leap to assume they’re going to try and close that gap real soon,” attorney Donald Jackson
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive told AOL Fanhouse the conference will sponsor NCAA legislation to close the loophole.
Meanwhile, the SEC bylaws state that an athlete will be ineligible for the rest of his career if at any time the athlete or a family member “receives or agrees to receive, directly or indirectly” any impermissible benefit.
SEC spokesman Charles Bloom said via e-mail the bylaw “only applies when there is an actual payment of an improper benefit, or an agreement (such as a handshake agreement) to pay and receive an improper benefit.”
Based on the presented facts in this case, Bloom said, “the student-athlete’s father, without the knowledge of the student-athlete, solicited improper payments (which were rejected) from an institution the young man did not attend, and that the institution where the young man is enrolled was not involved.”
USC Athletics Director Pat Haden told The Los Angeles Times he was surprised the NCAA reinstated Newton without penalty. USC was hit with harsh NCAA sanctions, in part because Reggie Bush’s parents were found to have accepted extra benefits from agents and potential sports marketers.
USC argued that it was unaware of alleged improprieties involving Bush’s parents because they lived far away. Haden said the Newton ruling is at odds with how USC attempts to educate athletes and their parents about NCAA rules.
“In the Reggie Bush case, when the parent (did) something inappropriate the kid and the school suffered,” Haden said. USC has a pending appeal with the NCAA and will review the Newton case, Haden said.
The cases differ because there is no evidence that Newton or his father were paid. “It sounds like a guy who just inherited an AD position and he’s trying to posture to see if he can get his punishment reduced,”
“If this was in April, I don’t think we’d be dealing with this as much,” “You wonder if Auburn had gone 8-4 and Cam was not the Heisman favorite whether we’d be hearing about this right now.”
SECWasteManagement
December 2nd, 2010
10:22 am
Well glad they got removed. No business for that here.
Seriously . . . .
December 2nd, 2010
10:23 am
Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank . . . really AU fan, is that necessary. And while I’m not a dawg fan, you should check your facts on richt’s record vs. Auburn. I’m going to leave it with you. I was just hoping one, just ONE, AU fan would admit how classless this whole thing is. Auburn is an embarassment to SEC football and I’m sure, IF (ha ha) Cam didn’t know, Cecil is an embarassment to his son. Enjoy the wins . . . in a short time they will be vacated!
StatesBurr
December 2nd, 2010
10:23 am
You have to admit its funny when Kentucky, Miss State, Tenn, etc,,, are laughing at you. It must be tough to be 11-0 and can’t enjoy it because you are so dang tied up defending SCAM. It would bother me too.
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
10:24 am
“Does anyone know if this is true – I have heard reports that it is on record Cam declined going to Miss State saying “I want to play there but the money is just too good”? ”
It’s called “a rumor.”