Punishment severe, but Georgia Tech made its own mess
Georgia Tech's athletic director Dan Radakovich (right) and president G.P."Bud" Peterson were upset with NCAA's findings and language, but admitted errors. (Johnny Crawford/AJC)
There are a number of disturbing words that can be found in an NCAA news release. Booster. Agent. Academic fraud. The dreaded string: Lack of institutional control.
But this one ranks as one of the most troublesome: Manipulate.
If you believe the NCAA, Georgia Tech officials not only failed to cooperate with an investigation into possible impermissible benefits, they impeded, obstructed and tossed up road blocks.
The public infractions report reads like it was crafted by a performance-enhanced novelist. Claims that Tech attempted to “manipulate the information surrounding potential violations.” Claims that the school “hindered efforts to get to the truth.” Claims that former general counsel Randy Nordin, “adopted an obstructionist approach” to the investigation and referred to an NCAA staff member as “demonstratively untruthful.”
Maybe some of that is blather. But too much of it is truth.
Tech and its athletic department were slapped Thursday. They deserved to be.
While a case certainly can be made that the punishment is excessive – the Yellow Jackets effectively were stripped of their only ACC football championship in 2009 because one player received $312 worth of merchandise more than 20 months ago – a better case can be made that they had it coming.
Sorry. But a school whose title includes the words “Institute of Technology” should know how to read a manual.
Jackets coach Paul Johnson lost his ACC title. (Johnny Crawford/AJC)
In 2005, Tech went on two years’ probation because it used 17 athletes in four sports (11 in football) that it should have ruled academically ineligible. It lost scholarships and was forced to vacate rules. Now it has been hit with four years’ probation in football and basketball, fined $100,000 and must vacate records from the last three games of the 2009 football season (including the ACC title-game win over Clemson) because it acted stupidly when confronted with charges of using an ineligible player (Demaryius Thomas) and having a former basketball grad assistant involved with an on-campus AAU tournament.
Tech president G.P. “Bud” Peterson and athletic director Dan Radakovich both largely disputed the findings of the NCAA. (Tech had an official 53-page response to a 26-page infractions report.) But they were remorseful and Radakovich even apologized to the football team for the lost ACC title.
Paul Parker, the Jackets’ compliance officer at the time of the infractions, left the school in April to take a job at (ironically) Auburn. Radakovich did not publicly place any blame on Parker. But neither he nor Peterson were as kind to the school’s former counsel, Nordin, who has since retired.
“Perhaps we should’ve done some things differently,” Peterson said. “He didn’t have a great deal of experience in issues like this, and I believe if we had to do this all over again we would’ve hired an outside consultant to advise us and serve as legal counsel.”
He also cited the NCAA report saying that Nordin failed to inform the players of the consequences for lying. “Someone who had the experience working with the NCAA would know that’s their expectation,” Peterson said.
Actually, that seems more like common sense.
So is this: When the NCAA told Peterson and Radakovich not to inform anybody in the football program that an investigation was coming, that wasn’t merely a suggestion. But Radakovich told coach Paul Johnson. It trickled down from there. Radakovich said he never intended to influence the investigation, but he admitted it was a mistake.
Tech’s hearing took place at the worst possible time: the off week before the Georgia game, two weeks before the ACC championship. Thomas, a wide receiver, and safety Morgan Burnett both were the focus of the investigation into the football team. The Jackets rolled the dice. That was a mistake. (Georgia, in a similar situation last year, held out A.J. Green in the season opener before the NCAA suspended him four games for “Jerseygate.”)
Peterson was led to believe the players were innocent. He now says the school should have at least declared Thomas ineligible and then appeal for his immediate reinstatement. (Thomas denied the clothes were given to him by former Tech player Calvin Booker, whom the NCAA considers a runner for an agent. There were no findings with Burnett, but the NCAA blames Tech for letting the players know that investigators were going to ask them questions.)
It all may seem way too convoluted and the punishment too severe for what the NCAA admits ultimately could be a secondary infraction. But the mess is Tech’s doing.
“We could’ve done better,” Peterson said.
A tough lesson to learn.
By Jeff Schultz
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431 comments Add your comment
wes durham's gigantic bottom
July 14th, 2011
9:42 pm
Tech is on probation…….bwaaahhaaaaa……I hope this wakes up all you GT Types who think you are somehow somehow better than the rest of the world of college athletics……your stuff smells too.
Gman
July 14th, 2011
9:43 pm
John: Thinking you are the last to realize that
JB
July 14th, 2011
9:44 pm
John, I would be careful. FSU is now the team to beat in the ACC. They are loaded. But, You’ll find out soon enough.
Beast from the East
July 14th, 2011
9:45 pm
“Note – the punishment is because of the attitude – not the infractions. The lesson here is – make sure you bend over and kiss a.. when the NCAA comes calling because they really don’t have to find anything to sanction your program.”
John,
You are 100% correct. If the admin didn’t know you can’t spit in the cops face then they deserve the sentence. EVERYONE knows you can’t snub your nose at the NCAA. Do we like it? No….but we all know it.
NCAA to announce GA. Tech punishment today
July 14th, 2011
9:45 pm
[...] NCAA to announce GA. Tech punishment today Yep…Yep it is Paul Parker, the Jackets’ compliance officer at the time of the infractions, left the [...]
Seminole Backer
July 14th, 2011
9:46 pm
Man, look at all the whiny excuses flying………it funny to see Techies show their true, pitiful colors.
John
July 14th, 2011
9:46 pm
The point missing from my buddy wes durham’s – what the hell does probation matter if it doesn’t impact post-season appearance or result in scholarship reduction. It’s a hollow penalty. A fine??? That’s an acknowledgement from the NCAA that they didn’t find anything and someone needs to pay for all the money they spent investigating.
RandomName
July 14th, 2011
9:46 pm
Seminole Backer: This wasn’t a cheating offense. It’s hardly a violation which got taken way to far. Demaryius Thomas recieved so called “improper benefits” ($312 worth of clothing which he payed back) and it should have been maybe a warning but Tech is being accused with not cooperating with the NCAA. The NCAA got defensive and issued a rediculous penalty. Go to ESPN or watch College Football Live instead of just AJC. Many people believe this a BS call from a flawed system. I will admit, though that it seems Tech could have easily avoided this.
blunder
July 14th, 2011
9:47 pm
a huge mistake by radakovich, who gets paid big money to know the rules and law. He screwed up and should forfeit some of his outrageous salary ($100,000).
Cloudodust
July 14th, 2011
9:47 pm
NCAA = Judge, jury and hangman.
JB
July 14th, 2011
9:47 pm
Watching Johnson over the years, I think it was him who said, “Rad, screw ‘em. I’m playing him. We’ve come to to let some damn free sweat shirt stop us” Well, it wasn’t a sweat shirt, it was a damn good Iowa Defense!
TheAntiMe
July 14th, 2011
9:48 pm
Tech is on probation…….bwaaahhaaaaa……I hope this wakes up all you GT Types who think you are somehow somehow better than the rest of the world of college athletics……your stuff smells too.
lmao – It’s amazing how some of you folks really have such an inferiority complex when it comes to Tech. (I’m not exactly sure why as I also pull for the Bulldogs and their fans really should have nothing to be ashamed of.) I believe that Sigmund Freud referred to this condition as Yellow Jacket Envy.
John
July 14th, 2011
9:49 pm
Gman – assuming there is more to your comment. Unless you intended to end in a preposition with no punctuation?
Beast from the East – Exactly. The funny thing out of this … Auburn will NOT have the national title stripped because they ‘cooperated’ and the NCAA approved Newton’s eligibility before he played any more games. So even if later they decided Newton knew of the benefits – unless they can hang something concrete on coaching staff or admin – the NCAA has no recourse with Auburn even though dude’s FATHER solicited $100K for delivery. That’s funny.
JB
July 14th, 2011
9:49 pm
John…………….John……………….Ask Paul what having that ACC title taken away means. It soiled him.
RandomName
July 14th, 2011
9:52 pm
The whole NCAA system is flawed. The NCAA got defensive after Tech told them what they were looking for was rediculous and they enforced a larger than life penalty.
wes durham's gigantic bottom
July 14th, 2011
9:53 pm
Fire Radakovich and Johnson……cheaters……….Actually, $100,000.00 is a lot of money for the GT Athletic Dept considering they sell so few season tickets………GT cheated and still lost to UGA in 2009……….AntiMe, the only thing we feel inferior to GT men is in being unattractive……CPJ should return his bonus for winning the ACC……unless he already spent it on a triple chin and moob reduction surgery.
RandomName
July 14th, 2011
9:55 pm
It amazes me how people think this was a cheating violation. This had nothing to do with on the field play. Tech deserved that title and got it take away because they hurt the NCAA’s feelings.
NORRIS
July 14th, 2011
9:55 pm
Im a bulldog fan and i too would have to say that this is a little excess. How can you say it is only a 4 year probation and take away a title in o9. wouldnt that make it a 6 year penalty. The NCAA has got to be regulated by something. The control that they have and inconsistency of penalties is an absolute mess.
RandomName4234234
July 14th, 2011
9:56 pm
Enter your comments here
John
July 14th, 2011
9:56 pm
JB – Actually looking forward to FSU getting back where they belong in BCS bowl games – maybe the ACC will win one if the ‘noles get it going (grew up an FSU fan). I’m just glad they didn’t take away the stolen fumble game – that one would have hurt…..
But – just like USC fans – I’m pretty sure the NCAA can’t take away the massively enjoyable time I had at the 2009 championship game – even if the outcome never happened.
RandomName4234234
July 14th, 2011
9:56 pm
This violation had nothing to do with on the field play. Tech deserved every victory they got.
TheAntiMe
July 14th, 2011
9:57 pm
lol – Sure, Wes, whatever but you sure do sound kind of angry to me.
Greg
July 14th, 2011
9:57 pm
Spike, nice dog name loser! Maybe you can learn to count. 2000 and 09 would be twice this century, not once moron. Considering you can’t do simple math, I am not surprised you go by a k9 alias.
Paul in RDU
July 14th, 2011
9:58 pm
D-Rad’s salary in 2010 was $600k ($300k from GT + $300k from GTAA).
http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/genrel/061908aaa.html
Let’s see what kind of mea culpa he performs and how much he gives back.
Longtimetechfan1980
July 14th, 2011
9:59 pm
JB: You are right, it does cut both ways.
John
July 14th, 2011
10:03 pm
NORRIS – you get it. It will be interesting to see how Ohio State is handled. The interference in the investigation there is off the chart compared to this case. Shouldn’t OSU almost get the death penalty?
My guess- OSU gets a pat on the back for ’self-imposed penalties’ and maybe a 1-yr post season ban for this year – when they will suck anyway and have no chance of making the post season.
Nebraska, South Carolina, UGA, GT on the other hand – get jerked around for small, reasonably benign infractions.
GT VET
July 14th, 2011
10:03 pm
Being a GT Grad and retired Navy pilot,it does disturb me to hear of this happening to GT,but It did happen and we deserve what we got.Having said that, listening to these bullgirls slamming GT about it dosent bother me one bit either . I will say to the IDIOT bullgirl fan “WORM” that you are a gutless punk calling GT people SOBs.I have 2 brothers that are UGA grads and Idiot dosent even start to describe what they think of you worm.Grow up worm ,call us nerds,bugs,whatever (btw Im the best turkey hunting,bow hunting,fly fishing nerd you’ll ever hear of)but keep the childish “SOB” stuff to yourself………………..Good Luck GT football but Already missing GT baseball..GO JACKETS!!!
GTFAN
July 14th, 2011
10:03 pm
Yeah but if it was UGA it would be no big deal right Schultz…Cause Isaiah Crowell is the da man now.
GT93
July 14th, 2011
10:03 pm
Jeff Schultz – Close the Comments Section.
BuzzGotCaught
July 14th, 2011
10:08 pm
… But a school whose title includes the words “Institute of Technology” should know how to read a manual… What a great and funny comment. I guess common sense can NOT be found at the north Atlanta trade school or even in Radakovich or Peterson office. By the way, if you are going to cheat, you ought to at least win something important like the SEC or a NC!
Rafe Hollister
July 14th, 2011
10:10 pm
Keep Paul Johnson!
Creative Loafing
July 14th, 2011
10:11 pm
Enter your comments here
mgdawg
July 14th, 2011
10:13 pm
Glenn, the fact that he gave the merchandise back is essentially worthless. AJ Green gave the money he received to a charity I believe and still had to sit out 4 games. Anyways, this is not really a matter of 300 dollars worth of merchandise, it’s a matter of tech handling the situation totally wrong. In truth though, other then the fine, as long as they don’t mess up again it really doesn’t matter.
89Dawg
July 14th, 2011
10:13 pm
SO ANGRY…Why the mud slinging (and juvenile name calling) at Schultz or the Dawg fans on here – many of us (Dawgs) agree the NCAA has gone too far on this one and that Tech is getting a raw deal. As for Schultz, he’s intitled to his opinion and if you disagree try doing it in an intelligent and respectful manner…it will make your arguement sound much more credible.
Bill
July 14th, 2011
10:17 pm
NCAA is nothing more than the Mafia. Make there on rules and don’t give a damn about schools, players are fans. Just show me the money! This BS is like a cancer..it can happen at any school at any time because they rule. Looks alot like Washington!!!!
Hahahahahaha!!!!
July 14th, 2011
10:17 pm
It’s one thing to cheat and win, but to cheat and still be so bad? Must be tough to be a Jacket!
GO DAWGS!
Jacket Dad
July 14th, 2011
10:18 pm
If we did the wrong, we have to pay the price, no matter how painful or over-reaching it seems. Don’t know all the facts, but from here it looks like DRad screwed GT over on this one. (If they tell you not to tell anybody, follow their instructions!)
I’m not going to make any negative UGA comments or point at anyone else. (and by the way, I didn’t party when AJ Green got messed over – thought that was a stretch too) I am sick and tired of GT getting the short end of most sticks. The administration and coaches better get their act together or they are going to have a hard time re-gaining our trust.
Steve
July 14th, 2011
10:19 pm
All the UGA fans who say Tech does not matter are all on here commenting on something they claim not to care about. I think UGA is the one with the little brother syndrome. If we truly did not matter you would not be reading this,
Mike
July 14th, 2011
10:21 pm
Hope you enjoyed slobbering all over and sensationalizing this story, Schultz. Can’t wait to dig up dirt on anyone to sell a 5 cent story. I’m sick of the lack of media support for our local teams and am sick of the AJC. This is why I quit taking the paper after 25 years. By the way, I’m a UGA alum & fan.
O-me
July 14th, 2011
10:24 pm
JB nobody give a GF what you think. A good dawg fan you are..I see your blogs on all uga blogs and u never have anything to say positive..screw off.
Tech-nically Speaking
July 14th, 2011
10:26 pm
@Steve
Exactly! These mutts are still mad we kicked their tail in 2008.
45-42!!!!
Ha! Suck it rednecks!
GT12
July 14th, 2011
10:30 pm
If any of you would take the time to read Bud’s letter to the NCAA, you would see that we were perfectly right in playing Thomas. We based it on 1). An internal investigation. 2). Outside legal counsel that assured us there was no standing (the guy was his cousin!). 3). We passed the information along to the ACC and they assured us that there was little to no chance he could be declared ineligible. The allegation was basically recognized as being the BS it was, and we played him. Upon appeal this will definitely be overturned.
Drad contacted Johnson because the NCAA investigators arrival was immanent and Johnson needed to set up an appointment between the young men and the investigators. When Johnson set them up he told them they better tell the truth. How insidious!
But don’t let facts and that reading thing y’all have such a hard time with get in the way of a good time! The NCAA needed to make an example of somebody. Notice how quickly all of this happened. They got pissed that a few very minor violations were committed, and that we thumbed our noses at their ridiculous request. Without anything to find, they allege a massive coverup (evidence, anyone? Bueller?). Bunch of ridiculous people in a sad organization trying to cover their a***es.
gadawg
July 14th, 2011
10:31 pm
St. Simon………I can’t hear you…….. are you out there?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
We are the Rambling Wreck from Ga. Tech and we are a bunch of cheaters. THE HELL WITH TECH! THEY SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE DEATH PENALTY. Coach Hewitt last year, Paul Johnson this year. Maybe you bunch of losers can convince ole Chan Gailey to come back
89Dawg
July 14th, 2011
10:31 pm
Really? We’re on here because we are sports fans and there is NOTHING on TV…Braves are back tomorrow baby…
wes durham's gigantic bottom
July 14th, 2011
10:33 pm
GT folks, we are enjoying this because most of you think your athletes are head and shoulders above other schools’ athletes…..the truth is that they take money and gifts, drink, smoke weed, take growth hormones, and get help to stay in school, just like athletes at every other Division I-A / FBS school. One of my best friends went to GT while Kenny Anderson was there and talked about how he only showed up on test days and would fill out the scantron answer sheet before the test was handed out…..face it…..a lot happens in big-time college athletics………for all we UGA fans know, we will be hit next month……the point is that it goes on EVERYWHERE….just keep that in mind next month when one of our young, college kids gets cited for that horrendous offense of minor in possession of alcohol.
Old Gold
July 14th, 2011
10:39 pm
The pompus Johnson has ruined the Tech Football program! Worst attitude in the college ranks as coach! This losing season should end his terror reign at tech! All you dumb jocks thought he walked on water! He set the program back years!!
Danny O
July 14th, 2011
10:40 pm
Calvin Booker: started one game in his career and almost lost to a Div. I-AA school. Thanks for everything you’ve done for the program, Book.
If there is an ounce of truth to the allegations that Tech knowingly and willfully obstructed, then Radakovich has to go.
BTW, I won’t be renewing my basketball season tix.
SoCalJacket
July 14th, 2011
10:42 pm
Can anyone else see a problem with NCAA logic?? NCAA unforms AD of investigation. AD is not allowed to tell Coach of investigation. Yet Coach is supposed to know to not play player(s) in games due to investigation, the existence of which he is not allowed to know. Hmmm…
Atlien
July 14th, 2011
10:43 pm
Where would you set the over/under on college football players receiving more than $300 of improper benefits? 500? 1000?
GT fans are holier than thou only because for every athlete at tech taking “improper” benefits, there are 10 athletes doing it at the factories. Tech keeps getting in trouble because they think they get a pass because the athletes are in “real” college classes.
WnE
July 14th, 2011
10:46 pm
This is both KARMA and “poetic justice” for the geeky-nerd-loser-douchebag segment of the GT fanbase.
When UNC Chapel lost multiple players for getting some “Food & Drinks” at a party, the smug GT Fanbase wanted Butch Davis FIRED and called the UNC program out of control, now that the GT players are the ones taking small gifts, NONE of those douchebag-weasely fans remember their comments levied at OTHER CFB Programs.
Many GT Fans love to claim how stupid the Mutt Program is, but they were “smart enough” to sit AJ Green for the first 4-games rather than try to get away with it, GT acted WORSE than both ug@ & UNC because they went against NCAA instructions and prepped the SA’s “testimony” in order to INTERRUPT the investigation.
DRad might be the one taking the fall, but I guarantee you that the “PE Major from W. Carolina” was the one that didn’t want to sit Star players going into the ACC-CG, like CMR did with AJ Green for the first 4 games last season.
CMR could have potentially LOST HIS JOB last season, yet he did the right thing and sat Green, while Coach Fish Fry had NOTHING TO LOSE yet he rolled the dice and played Bey-Bey Thomas anyway, that right there tells you a LOT about CPJ.
GT Fans need to ask themselves WHY Coach Kung Fu Panda handled this situation so POORLY?
All he had to do was sit the SAs for the ug@ Game, the ACC-CG and substitute his “Offensive Genius” and simply won BOTH GAMES, and there would have been no big deal.
DRad was grossly unprofessional for telling CPJ about his talks with the NCAA AFTER the NCAA told him not to prep the Athletes in question, but CPJ acted even WORSE than DRad by telling the SAs that they were going to be questioned, not to mention anything ELSE he might have said to OBSTRUCT & MANIPULATE an ongoing NCAA investigation.
CPJ is lucky he is at GT, at other schools HCs have been fired for similar conduct.