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
AU Fan's Mama
December 2nd, 2010
12:09 pm
Brucie, come down stairs, your fruit loops are ready.
AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
12:09 pm
AUBURN WILL BE EVEN BETTER NEXT YEAR
WE WILL BEAT THE BAMMERS EVERY YEAR FOREVER BECOS OF CAM
ALL IN yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Randy
December 2nd, 2010
12:10 pm
Alabama fans are KKK
Georgia fans are irrelevant
Me so smart and witty
And all 2 of Auburn’s’ fans are still in the library with their coloring books working on their thesis.
Bammers own AU Fan
December 2nd, 2010
12:11 pm
“sucks to be you”
Wow… great post.
What if . . .
December 2nd, 2010
12:12 pm
Answer the question Nova, rather than attempting a childish retort. Or, better yet, another option, get off the dorm room laptop and go to class.
AU Fan's Mama
December 2nd, 2010
12:12 pm
I pour salt water down my pants to keep my crabs fresh.
Jeff Schultz uses flawed logic because
December 2nd, 2010
12:12 pm
his basic premise is that everything is a-okay simply because MSU turned him down. This nonsense because the act of soliciting the money alone is against NCAA bylaws. It does not matter that he never received the money. This is why so many smart people are confused by the NCAAs ruling. In the words of Sonny Vaccaro- someone who knows about breaking NCAA rules- the player never asks for the money himself, it’s always a middleman.
My friend on myspace told me last week -
December 2nd, 2010
12:13 pm
Her friend has a class with the almighty Cam at Aubarn. Cam rarely shows up, if he does he always 10-15 minutes late and sleeps the entire time. No BS
Nova Roars
December 2nd, 2010
12:13 pm
I know I said last week that the puppies suffered from an identify crisis, week to week changing their battle cry from hunker down to roll tide, war eagle, wreck tech! And now they’re using other’s blog handles.
Randy
December 2nd, 2010
12:14 pm
Cam Newton’s attorney home page
http://home.hiwaay.net/~pcasteel/aubdate.html
Hunk Erdown
December 2nd, 2010
12:15 pm
So Jeff? My ex-wife lives in Auburn and I live in Athens. Our son is being recruited by both schools. All I need to do to keep my son close is to call Ole Geno and ask for some bug bucks, right?
What if . . .
December 2nd, 2010
12:16 pm
No answer Nova . . . . I won’t wait. Have a good day. Just remember, when Aubarn and Scam get caught, we told you so.
Nova Roars
December 2nd, 2010
12:16 pm
My friend on myspace told me last week –
December 2nd, 2010
12:13 pm
Her friend has a class with the almighty Cam at Aubarn. Cam rarely shows up, if he does he always 10-15 minutes late and sleeps the entire time. No BS
**********************
My loser puppy friend on facebook last month told me her daddy’s cousin’s stepsister’s brother…..woah. lost track of what I was making up…..
Hunk Erdown
December 2nd, 2010
12:16 pm
Sorry… I meant “big” bucks… Ga Tech wasn’t supposed to be in the hypothetical.
Vince Dooley
December 2nd, 2010
12:18 pm
Did I go to Auburn? Dang, I forgot about that. Have you all seen my roses? Let’s talk about 1980.
Barbara Dooley
December 2nd, 2010
12:19 pm
Vince, come on back to the ward. They’re serving lunch now.
Herschel
December 2nd, 2010
12:19 pm
Barb, honey, can we get out of here and go to your place and “break down some film”?
gcs
December 2nd, 2010
12:22 pm
Jeff,
I thought sports journalists were supposed to be jaded, not naive.
.
Nova Roars
December 2nd, 2010
12:22 pm
What if
What question. You can’t catch something that didn’t happen. Where is Roger’s text messages. That’s all we need. Oops. The cell phone containing them was destroyed by water? Real easy to fix that. Just call his cell carrier. They’ll have a record of all calls and texts. Oh he can’t reproduce them? Well I guess not since they never existed in the first place.
And of course no one bothered to review personal bank records for the Newtons or the church’s bank records. Especially the FBI. How could they possibly have overlooked something so obvious!
Bamamy
December 2nd, 2010
12:23 pm
AU Fan you must have missed this:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/520583-eva-longoria-tony-parker-nfl-week-11-picks-and-todays-late-sports-news/entry/29654-cam-newton-fbi-investigation-leads-to-auburn-booster
And we are not currently on probation at Alabama.
LuvIt
December 2nd, 2010
12:24 pm
Speaking of rumors, I heard that thUGA’s are replacing beer at tailgating parties with w(h)ine produced exclusively in Athens.
The advantages? The beverage is cheap as it’s made from locally grown sour grapes and it has an endless shelf life. Georgia opponents have been heard to quip “The w(h)ine just seems to last forever….”
Nova Roars
December 2nd, 2010
12:25 pm
LuvIt
I love it!
Theyalldoit-'ceptVandy
December 2nd, 2010
12:26 pm
Hunk Erdown…you might try asking for a Classic Black 1980 Trans Am, or a class in “Let’s All Learn Our ABCs” via the Jan Kemp School of Remedial Studies. If you don’t get in, you can always attend Hargrave Military Academy or NW Oklahoma Jr. College for a year. That “Trans Am” school has been using those two pipelines to get less than qualified players for years.
Hunk Erdown
December 2nd, 2010
12:33 pm
All these years on these blogs and finally someone from Gloria Vanderbilt’s school of Home-ec chimes in. Congratulations and welcome to the madness.
Indydawg...
December 2nd, 2010
12:35 pm
Is it possible that Cam didn’t know—likely…
Is it probable that Cam didn’t know—highly unlikely…
This is a joke.
jarvis is an idiot
December 2nd, 2010
12:36 pm
“And we are not currently on probation at Alabama.”
Yes, Alabama is currently on probation until 2012.
jarvis is an idiot
December 2nd, 2010
12:36 pm
“Just remember, when Aubarn and Scam get caught, we told you so.”
Did you just wake up from a coma?
jarvis is an idiot
December 2nd, 2010
12:37 pm
“My friend on myspace told me last week”
The only people who use myspace are child molesters. Just sayin…
GT
December 2nd, 2010
12:39 pm
Jeff,very good logic. Lets also look at it from another side with Cam still innocent. Suppose Cecil Newton and Rogers had decided upon themselves that they could collect this kind of money, split it upon themselves (Cecil and Rogers) with no one the wiser. All they had to do is talk Cam into going to Mississippi State which was in the picture anyway, because Mullins had been Cam’s position coach at Florida. The second game of the year Auburn played MSU and the papers were filled with the almost MSU signee, with of course no mention of this, just very warm feelings toward Newton and Mullins. What most of us fail to see in these theories, is Cam Newton was not in any one’s mind ,maybe outside Mullins, expected to be this good, which might be worth 180,000 now but a two at best and done quarterback with questionable character that couldn’t beat Teebow out of his position at Florida? Not too different from the transfer from Oregon only we all expected Jeremiah Masoli to be the gamechanger but since he wasn’t no investigation. I remember going to the Arkansas State game and being shocked at how good Newton was and never really hearing much about him. This was not Hershal Walker coming out of high school, this was damaged goods, short stay, character problems and lots of questions. Now that Cam is superman everybody wants to think 180,000 is a realistic request.
Theyalldoit-'ceptVandy
December 2nd, 2010
12:39 pm
Hunk Erdown…not a Vandy fan. Just admire the fact that up there, they play the game with STUDENT athletes. Unlike ya’ll, and your “Nation,” most of whom never set foot in a college anywhere.
Hunk Erdown
December 2nd, 2010
12:45 pm
Sorry about that, just trying to find something remotely relavent or at least interesting about your comment.
Nova Roars
December 2nd, 2010
12:48 pm
Just visited the Barnhart blog and someone else talked about Bond being able to retrieve text messages from his carrier. Another blogger said “it couldn’t be done without a subpoena”.
I guess the FBI subpoenaed everything but the text messages. Now why would they leave those out. Afterall, it IS the smoking gun, isn’t it. Unless they never existed in the first place. Can’t subpoena what doesn’t exist.
Harold Wayne Jenkins
December 2nd, 2010
12:52 pm
I believe this is flawed logic, Jeff. There should be a penalty for even the solicitation of benefits by a third party. We all know that a parent holds sway over their child more than any other external source. The mere fact that Cecil Newton was bargaining on behalf of his child belies the notion that he felt he could deliver on the promise.
Let’s say Mississippi State agreed to pay the elder Newton. Wouldn’t we all agree that Cam would be a Bulldog? Does anyone dare suggest that Cam would defy his father and attend Auburn? It is a well-documented fact that Cam wanted to go to Mississippi State to be with his former Offensive Coordinator, Dan Mullen. So, there had to be external circumstances that prevented this kid from making the choice he was most comfortable with. We all know what happened.
People, intent should be factored in as well. We can look at our justice system as a model. In many instances, intent to commit a crime can be considered an attempt to commit a crime. For instance, if I walk into a bank and demand money from a teller and she refuses to give up the money, I’m still going to be charged with attempted robbery (even if I’m unarmed). Granted, the penalty would be less than actually getting away with the cash, but I’m still going to pay the price. This is common sense. However, common sense, it seems, is not so common. This is an epic “fail” for the NCAA.
The only reason we’re even talking about this situation is that it appears that Mississippi State had a sliver of integrity. That integrity cost them the services of College Football’s most dominant player, a player who ultimately took his tremendous talents to another team. I agree that Auburn should not be sanctioned as a program, based on the evidence that is available. However, Cam Newton should have been deemed ineligible at the moment it was determined his father acted outside the scope of NCAA rules. In essence, Rev. Newton cheated, got off scot-free and will still get his payday when Cam signs a multi-million dollar NFL deal in April 2011. Sometimes cheaters do win, huh?
Gatorhater
December 2nd, 2010
1:00 pm
It is suprising to me that so many people feel that this is some sort of high crime by Auburn. If it was your school you would certainly want “your” player to be absolved. Cam may have gotten something and his father may have gotten something but there is no smoking gun. Every team in the SEC and probably in the NCAA, is going to push rules to get the best athletes. Does anyone really think that all these athletes could qualify academically without some help?
Most schools are playing by the rules-as the rules are written. When Alabama could sign 150 players they did. If Coaches today could practice 30 hours a week they would. There are high school age travel baseball teams, giving more “aid” to players than Auburn gave Cam.
Maybe at some later date the story changes. For now the ruling makes sense. It will not matter if something turns up later. At that point the season is over. Even if the (possible) titles are deleted, the whole thing is over and you would not be in any worse trouble than if you play him now.
Yes, it is a flawed system. It IS the NCAA.
The question is: Can Auburn finish the drill? If they are cheating that usually works itself out doesn’t it?
Nova Roars
December 2nd, 2010
1:04 pm
Why would anyone be a gatorhater this year? Overall, their fans have been quiet, unlike Bama and Dawgs who don’t exactly have stellar performances on the field either.
LuvIt
December 2nd, 2010
1:04 pm
Harold … there’s nothing anywhere that proves MSU wasn’t the one doing the soliciting. Sliver of integrity? If it comes out that Bell was the Mississippi booster trying to buy Cam Newton (and not the other way around), you might be feeling a bit foolish.
The SEC requested further information not once, not twice, but THREE times from MSU and responses were delated until October. They claimed they were *too busy* with other things to comply with the SEC’s requests. How odd for a school to deliberately delay justice if it was actually justice they were seeking. Could be they were *too busy* hiding their own smoking gun.
When you say “we all know what really happened”…. really? Based on evidence, Harold? Or based on speculation.
Aubie's Denial
December 2nd, 2010
1:05 pm
I did not have financial relations with that quarterback (finger, or paw, wagging, while biting lip), Mr. Newton, nor with the good Rev. Newton. Now I’m going back to the barn, and back to work for the Aubarn people.
gcs
December 2nd, 2010
1:06 pm
♦ Question: Has Cecil Newton been lying for months about what happened? Answer: Yes.
♦ Question: Why should we believe Cecil Newton now? Answer: There is no reason.
♦ Question: Did the NCAA warn Georgia, Alabama, UNC and South Carolina that their players may have broken the rules and that they should sit them or risk having to forfeit games? Answer: Yes.
♦ Question: Did the NCAA warn Auburn despite knowing about possible violations longer? Answer: No
♦ Question: Did the NCAA rush to judgment after months of heel dragging of a half-assed investigation? Answer: It sure seems that way.
.
LuvIt
December 2nd, 2010
1:08 pm
Hey, Jeff?
Ironic that the title of your article is “Stop Whining.” Georgia Bulldawgs seem to read that as “Please post more whining comments here.”
Seems to be a problem with reading comprehension in Athens.
David Granger
December 2nd, 2010
1:08 pm
Good points, Jeff…and I agree with you.
One thing, though: Cam has stated that he went to Auburn because his father told him to, and…since his father is the one who has admitted soliciting money for Cam’s services…there is at least enough reason to wonder.
But as you point out, in the absence of any concrete evidence, I think that Cam and Auburn both deserve benefit of the doubt.
jarvis
December 2nd, 2010
1:25 pm
I also have self-esteem issues.
Cash In
December 2nd, 2010
1:26 pm
Why do auburn and alabama have to cheat all the time to win? Why can’t they use the same rules as clean programs like Georgia and Tennessee?
jarvis
December 2nd, 2010
1:27 pm
Your momma’s so fat sometimes when she jumps, she gets stuck.
To Granger
December 2nd, 2010
1:34 pm
Did Cam Newton actually make those statements to YOU?
We can’t find where he even made those statements to a newspaper, magazine, NCAA, SEC, etc.
All we can find is “a source” has indicated….
Where’s the evidence to back up what *a source* has said?
You see, the media over the past month has put a LOT of stuff out there; much of which was purported to have come from *a source.* So many are repeating these sources as being factual. It’s all quite blurry now and it’s important that intelligent folk put a stop at some point to all the speculation and base discussion on factual evidence.
Auburn Fans in the Big City
December 2nd, 2010
1:39 pm
Schultzy,
Stop trying to suck up to all of the Auburn fans in town for the game.
independent
December 2nd, 2010
1:41 pm
The dogs are just jealous because their paid players have not produced. georgia is ten times as dirty as Auburn and Florida yet they are still 6-6. It just shows that football in georgia is a joke, Alabama and Florida is far superior and always will be. Accept it dogs, you are a second tier program
gt4ever
December 2nd, 2010
1:43 pm
Got it RIGHT!!!! You have to be KIDDING!
My kid to the highest bidder!
December 2nd, 2010
1:49 pm
The only thing the NCAA did was open up a huge loop-hole in the system. Now if a kid is accused of taking money, whether they were paid or not, can now claim..”My dad/mom/grandma/cousin/brother/sister/uncle/aunt asked for the money. I didn’t”…This really smells bad!
astrouga
December 2nd, 2010
1:50 pm
Schultz, you got it wrong again. I never thought I would say this, but you should really read the column by Dan Wetzel at yahoo sports. He nailed it.
jarvis is an idiot
December 2nd, 2010
1:50 pm
“Why can’t they use the same rules as clean programs like Georgia and Tennessee?”
Oh the irony in that question.