Why Auburn can’t allow Cam to play against UGA (Updated)
On Tuesday Gene Chizik defended Cam Newton against allegations the coach called “pure garbage” by saying the quarterback had done everything asked of him since arriving at Auburn. But now Auburn needs to ask — nay, to demand — that Newton do something difficult for all involved.
Auburn needs to tell Newton to sit out the Georgia game.
The dynamics have changed since Chizik offered his ringing defense. On Wednesday ESPN reported that two unnamed Mississippi State “recruiters” had heard both Newton and his father Cecil mention money in separate phone conversations. On Thursday Kenny Rogers told ESPN 103.3 in Dallas that the elder Newton was seeking between $100,000 and $180,000 for his son to enroll at Mississippi State.
In nine days we’d gone from two reports that referenced the former Mississippi State quarterback John Bond as a rather distant accuser to stronger allegations that Cecil Newton himself asked for money. And late Friday Mark Winne of Channel 2 Action News reported that Cecil Newton has admitted discussing the possibility of getting money from MSU. (Though the elder Newton claimed no money changed hands and that both Cam Newton and Auburn are clean.)
Rogers has offered names, dates, details and demands. Rogers, who has worked for an agent who is apparently being investigated by the NFL Players Association, might not be the perfect witness, but the murky depths of NCAA violations tend not to be the realm of saints.
As yet, nothing has surfaced to tie Auburn to any player payola, but that’s no longer the issue. It can be an NCAA violation for anyone to seek money or benefits on behalf of a prospect, and now Cecil Newton has apparently admitted as much. Which means Cam Newton could be ineligible. More to the point, it means Auburn has reason to suspect he could be ineligible.
Auburn faces Georgia tomorrow. The Tigers can clinch the SEC West if they win, but there’s more at stake that a berth in the SEC championship game and the clear possibility of playing for the BCS title: There’s the reputation of a university on the line, and it’s a reputation Auburn hasn’t always gone to the wall to protect.
In 1957 Auburn went undefeated and finished No. 1 in the Associated Press poll but couldn’t grace a bowl because it was on probation. In 1993 Auburn went undefeated but was barred from a bowl appearance — and even from appearing on live TV — because it was on probation. In 2003 Auburn’s president and athletic director flew to Sellersburg, Ind., on a private jet owned by the toxic booster Bobby Lowder to meet with Louisville coach Bobby Petrino even though Auburn still had a coach in Tommy Tuberville.
According to the NCAA’s database, Auburn football has been penalized five times for major violations. (This doesn’t count JetGate, which was merely an affront to human decency.) The most recent sanctions were levied in 1993, which suggests the school has become more scrupulous in recent years. Here’s the chance for Auburn University to prove it’s more than a football program with a few classrooms as window dressing. Here’s the chance for Auburn to prove it cares more about being an institution of higher learning than it does the outcome of a given game.
Auburn has cause to doubt that Cam Newton’s recruitment was pristine. It plays Georgia on Saturday but doesn’t play again until it meets Alabama the day after Thanksgiving. That’s nearly two weeks to conduct a thorough in-house investigation, as opposed to relying on the kneejerk “Cam Newton is eligible to play at Auburn” defense. That’s enough time to get some grasp on what’s really what.
The worst thing a school can do is to allow a player of questionable eligibility to represent it. For Auburn to let Newton play against Georgia simply on faith would be to ignore the revelations of the past nine days. It doesn’t much matter if Mississippi State or Florida or the CIA or the KGB was behind these allegations; what matters is that the burden of proof — and proving that something didn’t happen is a massive burden — has fallen on Auburn.
If Newton doesn’t play against Georgia and the Bulldogs win, Auburn will have lost a football game. If Newton plays and is later found to have been ineligible, Auburn will lose much more. For the sake of his latest school, Cam Newton cannot take the field tomorrow.
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1,576 comments Add your comment
AU FAN
November 12th, 2010
11:37 am
Press Conference YES or NO @ 3:00 EASTERN?
Bulldog Drummond
November 12th, 2010
11:38 am
The SEC, the NCAA, and the IRS should follow the money trail.
Cam’s dad had code violations with his church and apparently they did not have the funds to correct the code violations and then mysteriously the church had the funds necessary to come to code. Did the church raise the money for the fixes, did some unknown benefactor of the church make a huge donation, did some local bank make the loan? These are questions that will have to be answered at some point in time as I am sure the IRS will want to know where the big deposit came from in the church’s bank account or at least they should ask where it came from, what source. Let the kid play and if they are found to be guilty then vacate all the wins for AU but until then go with the kid.
are you kidding me?
November 12th, 2010
11:38 am
446 comments and counting- We are just too easy Mark
Frank Drackman
November 12th, 2010
11:39 am
I heard someone who knows someone who thinks they saw Mark Richt and Mark Bradely having Gay Anal Sex on Martin Luther Kings Grave, with “Dixie” playing for background music..Probably totallly unfounded, but UGA CANNOT LET MARK RICHT COACH ON SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
let Mark Bradley coach, probably do a better job.
BMDPD
November 12th, 2010
11:39 am
Win or lose, as a dawg fan I want Cam to pay…….Uh I mean play.
SuperB
November 12th, 2010
11:40 am
The smoke/fire analogy is old news: This is a blaze. This is arson. There are too many people confirming the ‘payola’ story for it to be false. And if Newton’s father offered his $ervice$ to Auburn, Gene Chizik had to know about it! If Auburn runs the table and is later punished, these games cannot be replayed. It will cost it’s opponents bowl bids, etc. So it is not fair to them. The NCAA needs to resolve this immediately and not drag it out (ie. Reggie Bush and Dez Bryant.) Pending the NCAA’s decision– Newton needs to take a break.
Pay to Play
November 12th, 2010
11:40 am
Alabama and Auburn have a history of paying players to play.
BMDPD
November 12th, 2010
11:40 am
Frank, I have a laptop I will sell you. I just need money to pay for my speeding tickets and term papers.
Danielle Haven
November 12th, 2010
11:40 am
what we are being told …
Cecil Newton: “It’ll take a lot more than a scholarship to get Cam.”
the rest of the story …
Cecil Newton: “It’ll take a lot more than a scholarship to get Cam. I want assurances that he’ll be able to help out in the community and attend daily bible study. I just can’t believe that MSU doesn’t have a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes …”
what we are being told …
Cam Newton: “The money’s just too much.”
the rest of the story …
Cam Newton: “The money’s just too much. I was going to sign with MSU until you started trying to offer me money if I promised to sign with your buddies after college. That’s just not right and my dad said we need to stay away from programs that try to pay their players like that.”
goallinestalker
November 12th, 2010
11:40 am
Dawg fan here. Cam should play…period.
Bill
November 12th, 2010
11:40 am
The sad part of this is how long the investigation takes. By the time all the facts are in and it is determined Cam Newton is ineligible; He will be in the NFL making millions. The kids at Auburn will then suffer because of what he or his father did {case in point look at USC& Reggie Bush}. It’s never the one doing the cheating that suffers but those who come after them. Auburn, try to save face and sit him for the rest of the season, he’s gone after this year anyway, and try to bring some respect to your program for doing the right thing.
maybe he did maybe he didn't
November 12th, 2010
11:41 am
Round and Round Cam goes . . . Where he stops, nobody knows.
captguitarman
November 12th, 2010
11:41 am
Well, Bradley finally put all of his cards on the table the day before the Georgia game. If you have been paying attention, you have seen this coming from the start. It was just too big of a temptation for a writer like Bradley to resist. For a much better column about how absurd all this unsubstantiated hoo-haw really is, read Schultz in the AJC morning edition. The timing of all of this as Auburn drives toward a possible SEC championship and BSC championship game berth smells bad enough as it is. But predictably, the SEC hen house and its hysterical gossips (and writers like Bradley) have already created way more than enough fresh chicken doo-doo to drown out that smell. I just love it when all of these vicious and malicious rumor mongerers (schilling for their own favorite teams) spread unfounded, unproven, unsubstantiated, gossip and rumors generated by highly questionable characters, or even better, the “un-named sources” suddenly get pious and self-righteous and start talking about education and the sanctity of the game, and thereal mission of the univeristy, and what’s really at stake here, and blah, blah, blah. What a bunch of complete hypocrites, with Bradley leading the charge. Here’s a flash for you. One of the biggest and most lucrative businesses in the southeast is SEC college football. And if you, as a university decide that it will not be big business at your school, then be prepared to bond with Vandy and take comfort that you are creating fine young men and women real student athletes. But please do not be a big enough hypocrite to love the businees when your school is on top, and then become all pious and sanctimonious and self-righteous full of concern and crocodile tears about the real mission of the university when you are getting your ass kicked every weekend – like old Brad here. Love it for what it is or hate it, but pick a side and stay there. As for Bradley’s dumb advice (actually wishful thinking much like Dawg fans who don’t want to see Newton preside over another ass whuppin this weekend), Auburn and Newton are all in now. There is no going back. If this stuff turns out to be true after an investigation then Auburn will go down (it’s a business risk that big time teams have to suffer from time to time), and Newton will go into to the NFL and become a gazillionaire. Why is that? Because the SEC (like other big time national college leagues where football is also big busines) serves as the minor leagues for professional football – like duh – another fact the suddenly self righteous won’t or can’t seem to grasp. By the way, for those in the SEC hen house challenged by the word, “investigation” — that is when someone checks the facts in order to see if all the gossip and innuendo and stuff from the always reliable “un-named sources” is actually true and can actually be proven. As far as I know, that has not happened yet, except in old Brad’s column.
Chris
November 12th, 2010
11:41 am
So we should sit every player that someone writes a news story about. As Gene said, Garbage. If he did it the NCAA is not going to know until Feb or March. So let it play out and see what happens, get off your high horse about a institution of higher learning. I am sure Georgia new about AJ green selling the jersey before NCAA made him sit, should they have made him sit in the stands before the NCAA made his ruling? Com on man. Leave Cam alone let it play out
I'm just sayin'
November 12th, 2010
11:41 am
As a big Dawg fan I WANT Newton to play. If we beat them without him you KNOW what everyone will say and how meaningless the win will be. And even worse, what if we lose to them without him? Bring ‘em(and him)on!
DominationPlantation
November 12th, 2010
11:42 am
Cam playing against Georgia wont matter if hes been ineligible the whole season. I say play him and give Georgia a beatdown. A loss to Auburn already hurts but a loss to a team with a quarterback who shouldnt have been playing is even more devestating.
riGDdiculous
November 12th, 2010
11:42 am
Ok…Mark Bradley…you’re a GIGANTIC DUMB @$$ and oh so obviously biased (as expected with the Auburn-GEORGIA game on the horizon)…RME. And I quote, “what matters is that the burden of proof — and proving that something didn’t happen is a massive burden — has fallen on Auburn.” The burden of proof is NOT on Auburn genius, it’s on the ONE(s) making the accusations. You know, innocent until PROVEN guilty…are you even American?? What a chicken s#!T douche!!!!!! You are NO better than any of them…gossipin @$$ trouble maker. Have NO idea what you are reporting about, unless of course YOU were somehow involved?? If not, and I’m assuming NOT then you don’t KNOW S#!T so STFU!!!!!!!!!!!! Pathetic
Delbert D.
November 12th, 2010
11:42 am
Meet the Newtons: Did anybody mention in any stories that Bishop Cecil Newton and older brother Cecil BOTH have played in the NFL? I don’t think so.
————————————————————————————————–
The oldest Newton son, Cecil of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tenn. St.:
Source:
“NFL Draft Bible Q&A with NFL Draft Prospect center Cecil Newton from Tennessee St.”
“Interview was conducted on 3.16.09 by Small School Insider Josh Buchanan. Newton currently ranks as the 41st player on Buchanan’s latest Small School Top 50.”
“Newton: I live with both of my parents–we are vey close. I have two younger brothers–Cameron, 19, who is in college, and Caylin, 10. My dad is a bishop with an independent church organization. He is also the owner of a construction company. My motivation and initiative comes from the fact that as the oldest son I was always called upon to get things done. A lot of my traits, such as my strong work ethic and good character, come from my father.”
“Newton: My agent is Tony Paige with Perennial Sports and Entertainment. My father did a lot of background on potentially 10-15 other agencies that were recruiting me. Tony was a great selection because of his knowledge and experience in the industry. ”
————————————————————————————–
From the Wikipedia on Cecil Newton:
“His father, Cecil Newton, Sr. played college football for Savannah State and later for the Dallas Cowboys.”
BMDPD
November 12th, 2010
11:42 am
Danielle, yes that is a perfectly reasonable explanation. Cam has never done anything to get into trouble before.
AU FAN
November 12th, 2010
11:42 am
Are my posts here? Has Bradley gotten offended and blocked my posts? Again, PRESS CONFERENCE @ 3:00 Truth or fiction???
Skyfire
November 12th, 2010
11:43 am
FACTS not rumors. CBS not ESPN. Auburn not Georgia. Anybody to read but Mark Bradley. There are choices in life and I always go for quality. For a sportswriter at this late date to suggest that Auburn sit Cam Newton is laughable. Is this the only way the lame Dawgs can stay on the field with the high flying Tigers? Mark Bradley needs to sit out and not write until he gets some real facts on his desk about Cam Newton before his suggests anything to the people of WAR EAGLE NATION.
Headley Lamar
November 12th, 2010
11:43 am
Im sure he will play.
After all thats what Auburn is paying him to do.
jbbabymama
November 12th, 2010
11:43 am
This writer is obviously a GA fan. Cam Newton is innocent until proven guilty. The timing is all a little too coincidental. Let’s talk about the game instead of this bs.
jbbabymama
November 12th, 2010
11:44 am
WAR DAMNCAM EAGLE.
AU
November 12th, 2010
11:44 am
AU met with the NCAA yesterday. He’s playing, and will continue to crush.
Maybe he should suit up for the Dawgs…that seems fair. Can I have back the 30 seconds of my life it took to read this “article.”
bama/ga boy
November 12th, 2010
11:44 am
why is this just coming up. he has played in all these games but now it comes up.
Just read it on twitter
November 12th, 2010
11:44 am
Press conference @ 3:00pm today… uh oh
the dude
November 12th, 2010
11:44 am
Thanks for your biased opinion, now f#ck off
Ur a bum
November 12th, 2010
11:44 am
Do you really think Cam taking money to play will really hurt Auburn? Look at USC and Reggie bush as an example. Bush didn’t hurt USC in any shape or form. Even with Pete Carroll gone Kiffin was able to pull in a great recruiting class with a current post season ban in place. You’re just a bum of a writer and a UGA homer. Try to write something objective and don’t get your panties in a bunch because your team is terrible this year!
BigFan
November 12th, 2010
11:46 am
Mark,
I thought I was on the AJC website. Turns out I must be on the National Inquirer or Star or are they all the same? Sounds like rumor lazy reporting to me. Show me the “facts”!
the teacher
November 12th, 2010
11:46 am
So if we look at who has the most to gain here as a reason to suppose who put out the info on Cam newton’s records from Florida, it seems that UGA AD Greg McGarity might be a good suspect. McGarity was at UF when Newton got into trouble there and had knowledge of that whole situation and the Florida press contacts to leak the info. UGA needs to beat Auburn or Tech to be bowl eligible and that means major $$$ and a bowl streak is in jeopardy. If UGA beats both Auburn and Tech they wiil go to a better bowl, so that also is a reason to leak the story.
BHAMMIKE
November 12th, 2010
11:46 am
Hey nitwit, read your own story. I would presume “on my behalf” to mean you have my proxy, I know what you’re doing and I accept it. Otherwise what’s the point of that language. You’ve got a former NCAA Official acting as a compliance officer at AU. Do you honestly think Auburn would keep playing the kid if they had any doubts? Bet the Dawgs, buddy.
Typical
November 12th, 2010
11:47 am
How many points are you getting Bradley? Did you put your whole check on this one? You flip your high-horse stance so much. Pathetic. Makes me long for the days of Terrence Moore.
Frank Drackman
November 12th, 2010
11:48 am
WHAT IS THIS RUSSIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!(THIS ISN”T RUSSIA IS IT??)
Big whoop, so College Football Players make a little scratch, how many y’all work FOR FREE!!?!?!?!?!?! and Cam’s “Cheating”????? PUH-LA-EEZE…………I cheated all through grade school, junior high, high school, College, Med School, and I cheat on my Taxes now!!!!!!!!!!!!
and I drive a little fast now and then, what REAL MAN doesn’t…
Y’all Jaw-Jaw Fans r just pissed y’all totally wasted AJ Green/Matt Stafford, with NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shee-Ot, Bear Bryants ashes could coach better than Mark Richt…
Can’t wait to see Cam carve y’all up like OJ did with Ron Goldberg…
WAR CAMN EAGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tommy Tubberville
November 12th, 2010
11:48 am
War Eagle- You have been awfully quiet since I told you last week to fear the thumb as well as Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Cam’s Diddy is going to end up ruining his son’s great college career, Heisman Trophy and Auburn’s chance at a National Championship. You guys might end up beating UGA with him or without him though.
“When God be blessin’, the Devil be messin”…Cam’s Diddy
UGA
November 12th, 2010
11:48 am
AU, Dont sit him, because when UGA beats AU this weekend that will be there excuse!
Josh
November 12th, 2010
11:48 am
This article sounds more like a prayer that Cam will not play, Time to put the Pups to sleep
Bo Knows...
November 12th, 2010
11:49 am
If Cam had blown his knee out in the spring you wouldnt hear all this crap
Somebody at Miss St is mad because he didnt go there and now Auburn is 10-0
and as far as the game goes Cam plays=Dawgs lose
Frank Drackman
November 12th, 2010
11:50 am
and whens the last time you heard about an Auburn Professor pullin a Charles Whitman at a Fancy-Smanzy Theater??? We don’t even have Theaters in Auburn!!!!!!!!!!
Not the kind with live actors anyway…
drsoul
November 12th, 2010
11:50 am
Looks like a lot of people on here need to go and get an education to legitimately support a school….certainly shades the rep of any school to have some of these turkeys talking support of one… sorry to say, but this story will not have a happy ending…!!!
footballfan
November 12th, 2010
11:50 am
What if Rogers acted alone, or in conjunction with MSU boosters or coaches to ask for money and now they realize they are caught? And as a knee jerk reaction they are now trying to pin the blame on Cecil Newton. You make it sound as if Rogers’ accusations are absolutely true….when in reality Rogers accusations are being called into question repeatedly. Rogers seems to contradict himself every time he opens his mouth. At one point Rogers said that MSU reported these money conversations to the NCAA. Now it turns out they did NOT (see report by SEC spokesperson Charles Bloom). Why did it take so long for MSU to respond back to the NCAA? (chirp….chirp…). Did Rogers ask for money for Cecil Newton? (chirp….chirp…). The story just simply does not add up. Seems to me that Rogers (and maybe others) is trying to cover up something and pin the blame on somebody else. There is absolutely no clarity to this story. Only time will tell what really has happened. And for Auburn to pull Newton when the story is so riddled with inconsistency seems premature.
savannahdawg
November 12th, 2010
11:50 am
I love my dawgs but you need to get real here. Whether he did or did not, all you have up to this point is he said/she said. Where is the proof? If Cam didn’t know his dad was trying to make some money on the side, then he is not guilty here.
It is starting to look like some MSU players didn’t have the career they thought they would have and are now pumping gas somewhere or working at BK! Cam and his dad and these MSU boys are all punks. They are pissed about Cam making it and they didn’t!
I don’t care if Cams plays or not! Screw em all!
How Bout Dem Dawgs!!!
Delbert D.
November 12th, 2010
11:50 am
You might have missed these statement by Cam’s brother if you didn’t closely read the previous post:
“My dad is a bishop with an independent church organization. He is also the owner of a construction company.”
“My father did a lot of background on potentially 10-15 other agencies that were recruiting me.”
AU FAN
November 12th, 2010
11:51 am
I GIVE UP- Does ANYONE KNOW of any word on a PRESS CONFERENCE and can you provide a source for it?
John
November 12th, 2010
11:51 am
Before you crucify Newton, show some HARD EVIDENCE. Don’t just run off the claims of shady individuals that Cecil and Cameron Newton asked for money. If he was paid then he should be punished, but until he is PROVEN to have done something wrong, QUIT dragging his name through the mud
SEC Haters
November 12th, 2010
11:51 am
I hope whether or not Newton plays that Auburn destroys UGA by 3 scores, because this lovefest you are displaying for the Dawgs in the article is sickening. Whatever happened to a little journalistic integrity. Slive needs to get off his butt before the SEC is the laughing stock of college football. Wake up Slive !!!!!!!!!
UGA
November 12th, 2010
11:51 am
BO Dont know $H!T. War Eagle, Tigers whatever your called will lose this weekend!
Krypto
November 12th, 2010
11:51 am
What alot of you fail to understand is that if Auburn sits him now, they save face and could possibly even keep their 10 wins. By continuing to play him after his eligibilty is 100% in question, they open themselves up to very harsh penalties. With their past history, the NCAA could come down VERY VERY hard!
uga2002
November 12th, 2010
11:52 am
where there is smoke there is fire, right? Cowherd says in 22 years its always true
I guess Cowherd missed the Duke Lacrosse case huh?
i guess nobody is talking about the smoke at State, just Newton?
Grow up Mark and fellow dawg fans, you want to beat Auburn beat them with Cam, stop being such p******. Seriously, please sit your QB because boosters say so???
sad the ajc was covering this so well… til now.
@jbbabbymama
November 12th, 2010
11:52 am
Bradley, a GEORGIA fan? UGA fans have bashed him for years because he destroys UGA. You newbies need to do some research. Auburn fans need to get their heads out of the SAND. They are playing an ineligible player even if they didn’t pay him. He is INELIGIBLE. What did you expect from a cheating, stealing, and greedy kid? Cecil’s daddy owns a construction company but he has a church that is about to be condemned. Suddenly, an infusion of money allows for it to remarkably be brought to code! “Its gonna cost money for my boy this time”