The Cam Newton Saga: Even by SEC standards, it’s bizarre
There’s no tempest like an SEC tempest, the scope of which can be breathtaking. Only in this conference could Alabama’s signing of a lineman from Memphis lead to Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer being served with a subpoena at the league’s Media Days. Only here could a night out in Pensacola, Fla., lead to Mike Price being fired by Alabama before coaching a game. Only the SEC could spawn the feel-good-gone-bad tale of Cameron Jerrell Newton.
He’s a quarterback from College Park who played at Westlake High. He signed with Florida, where he served as understudy for the sainted Tim Tebow. Newton left to attend a junior college in Texas, where he played for Brad Franchione, whose father Dennis used to coach Alabama and whose abrupt departure for Texas A&M led the Tide to hire, albeit briefly, Mike Price. (Nobody does connections like the SEC.)
Newton wound up enrolling at Auburn, where he’s considered the leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy. His team ranks second in both the Associated Press poll and the BCS standings and can clinch the SEC West by beating Georgia on Saturday. All of this is, however, subject to change.
Last week ESPN and the New York Times reported that former Mississippi State quarterback John Bond had been informed it would cost $180,000 for Newton to commit to MSU. (This John Bond, not to be confused with Georgia State offensive coordinator John Bond, was the quarterback at Valdosta High after Buck Belue and John Lastinger, both of whom went on to greater glory at Georgia. At MSU, the Valdosta product was known as “One-Hop Bond” for his aerial accuracy.)
Bond has dropped from sight — the celebrity Web site TMZ reports that the FBI wishes to speak with him — but not before granting an on-air audience to Belue, his fellow Valdosta alum, on 680 The Fan in which he undercut his own story by suggesting he hadn’t spoken with the intermediary named in the initial reports. (To which we say: Huh?)
Auburn was quick to assert that Newton was fully eligible to play for the Tigers, whom he led to a 62-24 victory over Chattanooga last weekend. Afterward he told reporters: “When God be blessin’, the devil be messin’.” (Newton’s father Cecil is the pastor of the Holy Zion Center of Deliverance in Newnan, which, as the New York Times helpfully informed us, has only recently been restored to city building codes.)
We pause here for breath, for our tangled tale has only begun. This week FoxSports.com reported Newton had been accused of cheating while at Florida. (While a student in Gainesville, Newton was also charged with three felony counts involving a stolen laptop that was subsequently tossed out a window. The charges were dropped after he underwent pretrial diversion.)
This cheating revelation, attributed to an unnamed source, immediately led Florida coach Urban Meyer to issue a statement saying nobody connected with the Gators had done the leaking. On cue, Auburn coach Gene Chizik dismissed all allegations as “pure garbage” and wondered, in what seemed a clear reference to Meyer and Dan Mullen, the former Florida assistant who’s now head coach at Mississippi State: “Is there a wizard behind the curtain? Is there one? Is there two?”
In all of this, the overarching question has been: If it was going to take $180,000 for Newton to play for Mississippi State, did he really enroll at Auburn for free? On Tuesday ESPN became the first outlet to address that issue, reporting that two unnamed Mississippi State recruiters were informed in separate phone conversations with Cam and Cecil Newton that the player’s services were indeed for sale.
One recruiter, according to ESPN, maintained the elder Newton said it would take “more than a scholarship” to land his son. Another source said Cam Newton expressed regret after his father chose Auburn for him, saying, “The money was too much.”
And that’s where we are, our story nowhere near its conclusion. If Auburn has reason to believe there’s a chance Newton’s recruitment wasn’t aboveboard, will it bench him for the Georgia game and risk losing the division title it’s so close to winning? (Chizik asserted on a teleconference Wednesday that Newton would start against the Bulldogs.) Does the SEC, shuddering over the possibility of its championship game matching Auburn and Chizik against Florida and Meyer, intercede? Does the NCAA? The FBI?
And what of Georgia, which needs one victory in its final two games to become bowl-eligible? Could the underwhelming Bulldogs face Georgia Tech without quarterback Joshua Nesbitt, who broke his arm against Virginia Tech, and Auburn without Newton? If so, wouldn’t that make Mark Richt the luckiest man alive?
And what of us? What does it say when we pay so much attention to games purportedly played by amateurs after being reminded so often that college football is as pure as the driven sludge? Does that make us hypocrites? Or merely fools?
Feel free to answer, but I’m not sure I want to know.
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519 comments Add your comment
bp
November 10th, 2010
5:55 pm
This is SEC football baby.They make so much money that anything goes.
StopBigGovt
November 10th, 2010
5:56 pm
There is a rat in Starkville.
But it doesn’t matter. Auburn is going to be fine.
LSU has given up about 1200 yards rushing. Auburn got 400 of those.
Dawg defense line better be ready. Better tackle good at the second level.
Murray should be aware that Fairley is coming
AU 52 GA 28
My name is Cameron Newton
November 10th, 2010
5:56 pm
Can’t nobody prove a thing until my find my daddy’s secret stash or unwraps my transcripts at Florida…Daddy would you please move the “package” to location No. 9 on our list.
M
November 10th, 2010
5:56 pm
Must be nice working in a local newspaper without much chance at a breaking story. Mark at ESPN owns you and your bulldog homer self. Freshman article at best.
sccatfan1
November 10th, 2010
5:57 pm
Facts, not second hand hearsay from Mr. Bond is required in this case. Cam Newton is innocent until proven guilty…same goes for Auburn University.
My name is Cameron Newton
November 10th, 2010
5:58 pm
stop big govt….get your facts right….
Auburn did not get 400 on LSU….I got 365 on LSU and Auburn got 35….I am going to run all over UGA this weekend like I am running with a stolen laptop from the Campus POLICE in GAINESVILLE.
Trip
November 10th, 2010
5:58 pm
I read most everything you right, and that was a really good article.
TNGentleman
November 10th, 2010
5:59 pm
I am curious about the price he was paid to attend Florida?? Lets be real here… what UGA player has not recieved a check from a booster on the plan ride home… what Tennessee player did not have a envelope in his locker sunday morning…. what Alabama player did not get the team sport coat with cash in the left front pocket……. seriously, when will the NCAA and College football begin to offer moneys legitamely to players who attend and graduate school within 5 years a small token of money to help begin there lives after football….. yes it is a honor to play, yet it is disgusting to see what these young men and their parents are doing to them…… How did Mr. Newton repair his church? from a small donation of 200,000 from Auburn???
5150 P.O.A.D
November 10th, 2010
5:59 pm
atl
That Eagle is a hell of a lot better looking than your fat inbred mutt. I have not heard anybody threaten to kill your mascot. I wouldn’t be suprised that you would poop on the football field. Hell we all know what UGA fans do to their own campus and St Simons Island.
phil
November 10th, 2010
6:00 pm
They found the money outside his dorm room window.
My name is Cameron Newton
November 10th, 2010
6:01 pm
GOTS to go now…the investigator from the NCAA is knocking on my door…..yalls have a glorified week and as my daddy says….pass the offering plate and your prayers will come true….
Bobby Cox, Mark Richt, Paul Hewitt, Cam Newton's Agent
November 10th, 2010
6:03 pm
We are all hypocrites
Boca Baby
November 10th, 2010
6:03 pm
Ignorance is Bliss: Good one! I do not know which church ordained Newton’s father. It is obvious that you are right in that some organizations play fast and loose with ordination, at least they do not scrutinize the candidates.
GADawg
November 10th, 2010
6:04 pm
The real question is why the NCAA is looking at the church checkbooks, yes plural, because the Bishop Cecil Newton, I love all these Bishops, has about 5 churches. They want to see where the money for the repairs to the church to bring it up to code came from. This church was about to close because it was so cash strapped. Then all the sudden “donations”, plural, came from Auburn. Remember, the NCAA caught A.J. by looking at his checkbook. This does not look good for Cam, Cecil, nor Auburn. If I was Cheesenik, I would sit Cam for this game to see where this plays out over the next week.
I, State Your Name
November 10th, 2010
6:04 pm
259th!
atl
November 10th, 2010
6:05 pm
I am going to take a poop on the 35 yrd line and then write my name in the endzone wit it.
Sue Henson
November 10th, 2010
6:08 pm
Mark, how could you ask, “Are we merely tools…excuse me….fools?” We know the media is both tools and fools. Enough said!
RED
November 10th, 2010
6:09 pm
I hope both Cam Newton and Josh Nesbitt play against Georgia. That way if (and that’s a big if) Georgia wins, there won’t be people making excuses as to whey Auburn and Tech got beat by lowly Georgia.
Damon
November 10th, 2010
6:09 pm
Really Buckeye ok here is a stat for you 67-48-2. Know what that is, its the record the SEC holds over the Big 10 conference. The Big 10 does have more BCS bowl appearances but they also have a losing record in BCS bowl games (10-11). The SEC has 2 less BCS Bowl appearances but the SEC does hold a 14-5 record in BCS bowl games. Oh and here is the interesting stat of the 6 appearances the SEC has made in the national championship game, they are 6-0 with 2 of those wins coming over your beloved Buckeyes. Once by Florida and once by LSU, so all you Buckeye fans can just go back to Ohio with who is a better team and who is a better conference, cause the Big 10 as a whole does not hold a candle to the SEC, thank you and good night!
heydawgs
November 10th, 2010
6:11 pm
watch out for those water hoses if you pull an upset…LOL! When was that 85/86?
Delbert D.
November 10th, 2010
6:13 pm
So when do the Fox and ESPN reporters get waterboarded in order to get them to give up their sources? If Mystery Booster is smart, he’ll call Jiggy down in Miami and have them taken care of.
Jolene
November 10th, 2010
6:14 pm
Newton’s character is in question and if he’s awarded the Heisman he tarnishes that award. Look at the character of past Heisman winners. Newton isn’t even in their ballpark. If he gets the Heisman, the Heisman is no longer all that.
South GA Dawg
November 10th, 2010
6:15 pm
What does UGA and CMR have to do with this? You can not write anything without taking a cheap shot at UGA. Next you will be saying UGA was behind the whole damn thing. I hope one day someone wakes the hell up at that paper and fires you.I am yet to read an article from you that is worthy of being in the AJC.
Marvin
November 10th, 2010
6:16 pm
It makes us fools; not for being fans or for loving the game, but by enduring all this poorly written hate-mongering drivel propagated by ignorant journalists like yourself.
Let's Go Dawgs
November 10th, 2010
6:16 pm
Water hoses – lol!! Was dancing on your 50 yard line after the game and after numerous shots of Southern Comfort in the stands during the game. Those were the days…
Regarding War Cam Eagle, where there’s smoke there’s fire.
He Hate Gator
November 10th, 2010
6:16 pm
Can we check into the recruiting of all the teams Georgia lost to so Richt can end up with an undefeated season?
Jolene
November 10th, 2010
6:17 pm
And who’s kidding who? Nobody leaves a school like Florida to play at a junior college unless they were forced out. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Newton’s a loser; nothing to me whether he plays or not, but a Heisman candidate? Get real.
Berlaw
November 10th, 2010
6:20 pm
I think every team in the SEC , with the exception of Vandy cheats in Football. I have been close to the situation for over 30 years. The NCAA rules are so hard they force you to cheat to get great players. Once one School starts the others have no choice.
NOBODY LIKE THE SEC
November 10th, 2010
6:20 pm
Are you kidding? Your arrogance is ridiculous. Try covering another league and you will see stories. But no, you only watch and follow the SEC so you just assume the rest of the nation is playin Pee Wee football in between watching the SEC. Take your head out of your rear because I assure you it doesn’t smell like roses.
heeldawg
November 10th, 2010
6:31 pm
Where there is smoke, there’s fire. Lots of smoke here. LOTS of it.
I suspect that there is something to this story.
That being said, Auburn’s history is not fraught with cleanliness and honesty in dealing with its players (remember Jeff Burger being kicked out of school for cheating and having the university president override the Honor Council? And his one-series “suspension” against Florida as punishment for the infraction? This is just e pluribus unum).
I suspect they will play him and simply put an asterisk next to the season if he is retroactively ruled ineligible. That’s my bet.
Bulldog Joe
November 10th, 2010
6:36 pm
Nothing will come from the SEC until after it cashes its two BCS bowl checks.
destin dawg
November 10th, 2010
6:38 pm
Newton”s a felon.. cheating in school .. a preachers son.. whose dad wants $$$$$$.. multiple traffic tickets .. would have been arrested in Athens.. kicked OUT of UGA.. watch his interviews.. would he submit to a polygragh ??? Liar liar pants on fire !! I would if I was innocent.. all these preachers never worked a day in their lives.. if your giving cash at church.. I hope your family is financial secure….
Just saying...
November 10th, 2010
6:39 pm
Bull,
Thanks for trying to correct some of the mistakes and keep it reasonable.
Sure doesn’t look good for Cam and AU. Some in denial, but even Cam and his father, Cecil, won’t discuss the allegations of cheating at UF and his scheduled appearance before a Student Judiciary which DOES reflect on his integrity AND is a part of the Heisman selection process.
My major question is if the SEC and NCAA knew of these allegations from MSU recruiters since January, why have they not moved on them? They “heard a rumor” that A J Green was at a party in Miami and they jumped on that like white on rice. There you have a kid who is genuine, didn’t seek publicity with signing (named one university and never wavered), kept his name out of the spotlight, didn’t go to Miami as he said he didn’t, but did sell a meaningless jersey to someone connected to an agent (unknown to him), and he immediately gets busted for 4 games which turned out to be important. The NCAA had no idea about the jersey but found it in a witch hunt when they were embarassed they couldn’t pin the Miami gig on him. Now, what the hell was the SEC and NCAA doing with this story for the past 10 months?
AU has no chioce but to play him. If they have to forfeit the first 10 games what difference does one more make?
And yes GT fans, I do think it makes a difference whether you are arrested for a suspended license versus a felony, selling dope, terroristic threats, abusing women, firing an AK47 in a bar, or beating an off duty policeman nearly to death and fighting the police that answer the call!
Vin Tanner
November 10th, 2010
6:46 pm
$200 Grand for a QB is far too cheap. At least an Escalade and a Destin condo could have been thrown in to sweeten the deal.
Pale Horse
November 10th, 2010
6:46 pm
ALLEGATIONS AND UNKNOWN SOURCES = NO EVIDENCE, NO FACTS AND NO NAMES!!! ESPN WILL RUN THE STORY ANYWAY.
THEIR IS NO PROOF NOR PERSON THAT SAYS THEY PAYED NEWTON. (It is just a Mississippi State booster that said that he tried to pay him. The rest are pure allegation and speculation) Punish Mississippi Stata again!!
ANYBODY COULD COME FORWARD AND SAY SOMEBODY TOLD ME SOMETHING. I GUESS THAT MAKES IT A FACT AT ESPN!!! NO RECORDED TAPE OR ANYTHING. JUST HE SAY SHE SAY.
The story is about a Mississippi State booster admitting that he helps to try and pay players to come to Mississippi State.
The booster is snitching on Mississippi State because the student went to Auburn.The story isn’t about the kid that didn’t go to Mississippi State. The story is probable in the kids that went to Mississippi State. I hate to snitch but that is the truth.
HOW CAN A TV NEWS STATION AIR ALLEGATIONS AGAINST A COLLEGE KID WITHOUT ANY PROOF??
ESPN IS THE TABLOID LEADER IN SPORTS!!!!! I hate watching games on ESPN because they run their tabloid news on the bottom of the screen. Their source aren’t as reliable as mediatakeout or TMZ.
So What?
November 10th, 2010
6:50 pm
So what if Cam is guilty? Why all the outcries?
As UGA fans, you should all hope that Cam does play so that you can go in and try to knock off Auburn at its best. It seems like a lot of UGA fans are somehow hoping the story is true so that maybe, just maybe, he Newton won’t be able to play on Saturday. Have pride UGA fans…your porgram is rich in history…going on and on about this story makes you look scared. You guys are better than that.
Cheating Again
November 10th, 2010
6:50 pm
Alabama and Auburn have been cheating for years–buying players, paying people to keep things quiet, etc. This is nothing new. They’ll do anything in that backward, redneck state to win games. At tennessee, derek dooley wouldn’t consider any of this—he runs a clean program.
Delbert D.
November 10th, 2010
6:52 pm
The frustrating thing about this is there is no DNA evidence, no secretly-taped conversations, no cordite on shirt sleeves, no photographs, no money with fingerprints on it, no paper ashes in a trash can retaining ink, no nothing.
Roger
November 10th, 2010
6:52 pm
I agree 100% with StraightJacket at 2:16 PM. Very well written.
For what its worth
November 10th, 2010
6:53 pm
Mr. Bradley, You said that you would vote for Cam Newton for Heisman if you had a vote, well I do not know if the Newton’s are guilty of the allegations, or not, but he was in possession of a stolen lab top, and from what I have read about the Heisman, it is to be given to the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Cam Newton as a football player is one of the most outstanding players in collegiate football, but his Integrity has been called into question, does a Heisman voter, vote for him on his accomplishments along, or do they look at his dealings that have called into question his integrity, and consider voting for one of the other Heisman candidates that have had no controversies?
Smoke
November 10th, 2010
6:53 pm
Enough with “Where there’s smoke there’s fire…”
With a fired AD, a DC that gives a choke sign, and 13 arrests, some could same thing about the UGA program…it’s out of control…Where there’s smoke there’s fire.
Rise up UGA fans and don’t throw stones. If he’s guilty he’s guilty…if not, then not. Just go take care of your business and let the rest take care of itself.
Delbert D.
November 10th, 2010
6:54 pm
Pale Horse – I hate watching games on ESPN because of Bob Davie.
Michael
November 10th, 2010
6:54 pm
How come Ga Tech players about NEVER get arrested? Unlike Athens, they must have an agreement with the local police. If you Google “college football player arrested” you will see it’s hardly an SEC issue.
My name is Cameron Newton
November 10th, 2010
6:59 pm
PALE HORSE…
Thank you brotha for having my back….yeah can’t nobody prove a thing. Prove being the operative word. We made sure nobody was in on our secret…oops did not mean to say that. What I meant was there is no evidence to prove anything, I learned at Gainesville to not leave a trail.
Now when I was at Gainesville, I did do some things I am not proud of…I got caught and I skipped out as quick as I could. I have learned to : 1) hide everything 2) always deal in small demoninations
smile for the coeds 9) make sure all “packages” are delivered to the church in the form of an offering
3) use an alias name 4) get the money before you even get in the huddle 5) never trust a man who says who are worth this much, you can always get more 6) Play one year a JC and Play one year at BCS level and go to the NFL before you get caught 7) smile for the camera
10) never admit anything.
Dave
November 10th, 2010
6:59 pm
Auburn grad here. I’ll be the first to tell you that if Auburn was dumb enough to pay this kid we deserve anything the NCAA would throw at us. No player is above Auburn. Until something concrete comes out I have to defend my team. I do feel most of this is a witch hunt as his academic records and traffic violations have nothing to do with his eligibility at Auburn. Anyone arguing those points immediately loses all credibility. The only question Auburn fans need to ask themselves is “can it be proven we paid this guy” All these SEC fans from other schools piling on Auburn right now…better enjoy it…because we all do it. Don’t be so naive to think Cam is the first player to receive money. It’s unfortunate the timing of all this coming out in week 9 of a potential SEC championship season for Auburn, thus making the assumption someone is out to get us (if we were 5-5 right now my guess is it wouldn’t have leaked)…but the bottom line is fans need to caution what they say and how they comment because they could find their team in a similar position in the future. Does it appear Auburn may have paid him? Yes. Can they prove it? Yet to be determined.
And the only other thing I would like to say is lay off the Auburn probation comments and do a little research. Auburn has been on probation many times but the most recent one people refer to the most with Pat Dye is just wrong. Do a little research before you talk trash about that. Eric Ramsey, an AU football player, went into Pat Dye’s office with a tape recorder in his pocket and told him he needed money for groceries because he didn’t have any food for his kid. Pat Dye gave him 200 dollars and Auburn basically went on probation for that. If you think that is bad you are a sad person. Why in the world would an AU football player walk into his head coaches office with a tape recorder if he wasn’t paid by someone to do it? Oh and I forgot to mention that Eric Ramsey’s wife eventually sued Auburn. The Ramseys are traitors paid by someone. Yeah, Pat Dye was an awful man.
Chinese Drywall
November 10th, 2010
7:00 pm
Quit hating
My name is Cameron Newton
November 10th, 2010
7:02 pm
I KEPT LOOKING AROUND TO FIND THE SOURCE OF ALL THAT SMOKE….AND AFTER SEARCHING AND SEARCHING I found out it is coming out of my backside….
My name is Cameron Newton
November 10th, 2010
7:03 pm
Dave….we are all getting grocery money now…..we also get Victory Land Money, Laundry money,
Thursday night out money, touchdown money, tackling money…it is all good on the plains..thanks for having my back..
DrDawg
November 10th, 2010
7:05 pm
This is all Bush’s fault.
My name is Cameron Newton
November 10th, 2010
7:05 pm
Dave…
We are all getting grocery money down here at Auburn now…we also get laundry money, food money, and Victory Land Money. We are also getting bonuses for touchdowns, and wins….thanks
for having our backs..and you are right there ain’t no proof,,,yet…