Cam Newton and Auburn in the clear? Not so fast, my friend
Just because Auburn chose to play Cam Newton against Georgia doesn’t mean Auburn or Newton is safe. The NCAA doesn’t work that way. The NCAA gears, such as they are, grind slowly. The NCAA has only begun to sniff around.
Phillip Marshall of Auburn Undercover reported Saturday that the Newtons and Auburn administrators met with NCAA representatives last Thursday. (Link requires registration.) That the school chose to play Newton has been taken by some as an indication that the NCAA has nothing on Auburn. That’s not necessarily true. The NCAA might have nothing on Auburn yet. But by now its investigators have, or should have, a growing indication that this player was put up for sale at least once.
ESPN.com reported yesterday that another Mississippi State former player, the Florida businessman Bob Bell, essentially confirmed the story Kenny Rogers told on ESPN 103.3 Dallas last week and even added a detail: There was a payment schedule for Newton – $80,000 on his commitment to State, $50,000 one month later and $50,000 more a month after that.
From ESPN’s latest report: “Bell said Cecil Newton [Cam's father] never specifically asked him for money, but that Newton was present during three-way calls in which Rogers discussed a pay-for-play scheme.”
Again, none of the former Mississippi State players — Bell, Rogers or John Bond, who was the first to go public — has implicated Auburn. But here again we ask the only logical question: If Cecil Newton wanted $180,000 from Mississippi State, did he really turn around and send his son to another SEC school for free?
And the NCAA isn’t the only investigative body at work. From a TMZ report yesterday:
According to sources connected to the probe … FBI agents looking into the Newton recruiting controversy are also asking about Milton McGregor — a dog track owner arrested last month for allegedly bribing Alabama politicians to vote pro gambling.
We’re told agents asked someone connected to the Newton case if he was familiar with McGregor or the bribery scandal.
McGregor is an Auburn booster and an associate of the infamous former banker Bobby Lowder. McGregor owns VictoryLand, a dog track located just down I-85 from Auburn. Message boards have been buzzing about a possible Newton/McGregor link for the past week, but this is the first real report of any possible connection.
It’s unclear why the FBI would care about Cam Newton, but anytime the Feds get involved, however tangentially, the pace of an investigation accelerates. (Reportedly the McGregor case involves a wiretap.) The FBI, unlike the NCAA, has subpoena power. The FBI, unlike the NCAA, has the means to put somebody in jail for something.
Last week was a wild week regarding Newton. This week has been quieter, which is understandable. Auburn doesn’t play again until the day after Thanksgiving. Then it faces Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and that is, as you might have heard, a fairly big game. Then it comes here to play South Carolina for the SEC title. We are, you can be assured, going to hear much, much more about this surpassingly strange saga.
(Oh, and speaking of Cam Newton … a talented artist named MoonPie has re-imagined “Son of a Preacher Man” to fit these latest happenings. Take a look/listen. You’ll be glad you did.)
– Mark Bradley
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526 comments Add your comment
Headley Lamar
November 18th, 2010
5:27 pm
There is a joke in Alabama that if a road is messed up or something is obviously very very wrong that it must have been an Auburn engineer on the job.
pecan log
November 18th, 2010
5:27 pm
I heard MSU thought they had Cam in the bag because of Mullen but during the recruiting process Cam said that he was still looking at schools, so MSU offered the big bucks to get him to commit and he didn’t. After the Newtons picked Auburn, MSU thought they might report the play-for-pay offer and decided the best defense would be to get it out to the NCAA first which would put the Newtons and AU on the defense and the media just rolled with it. Things to consider…all the coaches at the other recruiting schools said nothing went down like that with them…NCAA and FBI is at MSU not Auburn and Auburn hasn’t benched him or suspended him and he sure doesn’t act like it bothers him. Rogers did mention he called Bill Bell for money which is kind of looking like that was normal to look for money…Schools typically get in trouble for benefits not players….Looks fishy to me…just doesn’t add up…There’s not one person from the school that has said they were there for the offer. I would think if the coaches were there they would be screaming about it…but they aren’t and the rest of the stories are from unknown sources or sources close to the situation and John Bond (booster) Kenny Rogers (being investigated by NFL for misrepresenting himself) and Bill Bell (booster)…all money people…just saying…looks suspicious on MSU not Cam or Auburn.
Thugadumb
November 18th, 2010
5:28 pm
Disgustedfan, weak rebuttal. California and Illinois sat scores well ahead of Ga.
Auburnfan
November 18th, 2010
5:29 pm
@dawghuff.. I am applying to colleges right now. Georgia is only hard to go to because of the hope. UGA used to be really easy to get into until the hope made Georgia students want to go in-state because of financial reasons. I am not applying to Georgia but I have a lot of friends that say that they would rather go to Auburn. And actually they were ranked in the top 50. So yes, Auburn is ranked. UGA might be considered more academic but dont kid yourselves. You are not Harvard.
Thugadumb
November 18th, 2010
5:29 pm
Tech is a great school with many out of staters, foreigners and the best of GA. Unlike thuga.
disGustedfAn
November 18th, 2010
5:41 pm
very true Thugadumb.. but alabama is also near the bottom of the chart… so ur at the bottom comparing who’s higher from the bottom lol.. now that seems pretty thugaDUMB rite?
btw.. wasn’t there a topic at one time? lol
Thugadumb
November 18th, 2010
5:49 pm
Okay uga fans. I choose to end on a high note. I am from Atl, love the state and uga/tech when they are not playing AU. Just playing devils advocate. I really love AU and hope we stay out of trouble. Would be bad for the SEC. Sorry about the Fairly late hit. It was dirty. Too much of that last sat. Best of luck to Tech and the dogs. Richt is a good coach. Careful what you wish for. Keep it classy and keep it real!
Mike Barber
November 18th, 2010
5:54 pm
This Isue (Garbage) Says coach Chizik well put it…”GARBAGE” say leave it alone Period exactly this is geeting old and no concrete evidence only circumstantional does not prove anything (He said she said BS) and the Fine Boosters at Msu is where I smell a rat) Cam. Is The Best QB/overall best Football Playerin the country and when he goe pro(which He Will) allegations what is up I blame some on the media running a smear campain.
unaffiliated
November 18th, 2010
5:54 pm
I can’t believe I read this. The source was TMZ… I feel like I just read an alabama fan’s myspace page. Yes.. not even facebook worthy.
Mike Barber
November 18th, 2010
5:56 pm
TMZ yea intresting not
disGustedfAn
November 18th, 2010
6:08 pm
when it comes to academics.. neither georgia nor alabama have anything to be proud of..
i don’t go to uga, i go to the fastest growing, 3rd highest populated university in the state, called kennesaw state university.. took ksu less than 20yrs to become & surpass universities that have been around for over 100yrs.. we’ve got some of the highest accredited degrees in business & nursing.. we have the largest nursing program in the state, & the 2nd largest in education teachers, & both are ranked at the top.. In 2010, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni listed KSU among only 16 universities in the country that scored an A in the group’s “What Will They Learn?” guide.
athletics have won several titles, & our basketball team was only 2 games from going to national tournament last year.. maybe u heard of em, they beat GT last week by 17.. we’ll compete in football starting 2014..
say what ya want bout uga.. be specific is all i’m sayin. we’re tryin at ksu to change the standard, so don’t insult all of us.. shouldn’t insult an entire state that has twice as many military (not not mention the most sophisticated military base in america) than alabama.. not cool..
all i’m sayin dude.. instult with aim.. lol
Thugadumb
November 18th, 2010
6:13 pm
KSU rocks! Lots of ATL strippers go there. Sorry, could not resist. KSU has come a long way.
disGustedfAn
November 18th, 2010
6:15 pm
& for tha record.. i would love for auburn to run tha table & win tha national title.. keep the sec record goin.. i just hope if they do, then all of this about newton is bs.. & i just hope they play a clean game, & not like they did last week.. that was blatant & if it was an nfl game, there would be bout $200,000 in fines handed out.. should never play dirty, but especially when ur risking a kid’s future..
sec is, & always will be the BEST conference in the country.. more national titles, more bowl wins, more draft picks, etc.. can’t argue with stats..
disGustedfAn
November 18th, 2010
6:20 pm
u’ll see ksu in national tournament this year.. may not make it far in tourney, but we’ll be there! not bad for only bein division 1 since 2006! Tony Ingle coaches hell of a team.. can’t wait for football in 2014.. vince dooley spearheaded our football committee..
they sell shirts, say “KSU Football…. Still Undefeated!” haha.. guess they’ll hafta change that in 2014 lol..
dawghuff
November 18th, 2010
6:29 pm
I stand corrected, AU is in fact ranked #38… 20 schools lower then UGA.
Old Tackle
November 18th, 2010
6:32 pm
Bottom line AU Dye hards, MSU didn’t pay the Newtons. AU might have.
Auburnfan
November 18th, 2010
7:02 pm
dawghuff. shut up. UGA is over-rated. Plus this is supposed to be about football not academics. Go argue your point on an article about the best public schools in the USA. You will fit in there much better.
uga2002
November 18th, 2010
7:03 pm
pecan log said it very well. It was an msu booster seeking money for newton, not a newton runner but an msu runner. next, msu waits til January to report it, am I to believe may wouldve reported it if he had signed with them? then the sec asks for more and msu admittedly stonewalls? and now you’ve got boosters from msu pointing fingers at newtons with no evidence while claiming msu is innocent. how is msu innocent if they’ve got boosters admitting to this stuff?
by the way, that bell guy, why wasn’t his text from Rogers handed over immediately?
what’s this about Kincaid saying espn came down on him for questioning Joe schad about his investigation and for not being on the same page? WTh is up with espn? I’ve always thought the gameday crew was compromised but between the timeout debacle on mnf to what Kincaid is saying makes me seriously question the integrity of that network.
not to mention their NFL countdown blows.
Screw It
November 18th, 2010
10:35 pm
If AU has done this just like in the ol’ Pat Dye day’s will AU get the Death pently like SMU did ??
uga2002
November 18th, 2010
11:40 pm
Mark Schlabach says this won’t be resolved prior to the Iron Bowl, SEC Championship, Heisman or the National Title.
So therefore… Mark… what do you want to have happen?
Mark Bradley Has No Talent
November 19th, 2010
8:35 am
First off, there is NO indication that Newton recieved money from anyone. Second, his academic record is completely unsubstantiated. Third – Why isn’t MSU facing sanctions? If a booster has contacts with a recruit or his family, MSU is guilty. MSU is the team that should be recieving the death penalty should any of this can be proved. Why wont’ the press cover that end of the story?
fair and Balanced
November 19th, 2010
3:01 pm
Money! It ALL about money. The delays in this – all about money. Auburn plays in Atlanta – money. Auburn goes to NC game – money. SEC slow to react – money. Its ALL about money from start to finish.
Funny..
November 20th, 2010
10:39 pm
…how this story is about Cam/Auburn and all the Barners start raging at UGA. Never seen such an insecurity/inferiority complex.
Tommytime
November 21st, 2010
11:54 am
Did you really quote TMZ?
dawg
November 21st, 2010
3:14 pm
Matanzas Gator ….. You are right on it. I have wanted this for years.
Lily
November 22nd, 2010
4:45 am
Thus far, not a single fact has been discovered which would implicate Cam Newton or Auburn. This “story” that the press (and I use that term lightly, since only a handful have demonstrated the slightest bit of objective or professional journalism) is foaming at the mouth over is based solely on unsubstantiated allegations and wildly out of control speculation. And you Bamers are desperately lapping it up like mangy dogs at their filthy feet because you cannot stand the fact that Auburn has a great team and a great quarterback? It just kills you to see Auburn having a better year, especially when you were supposed to be #1! How many of you, who cavalierly sling these accusations as if they were facts, will apologize if you’re wrong? Whatever happened to human decency?how many of you will apologize to Cam, should he lose the Heisman because of your lies and gossip-mongering, and is found, after the fact, to be cleared? I would throw in a “shame on you”, but it’s wasted on liars, gossips and haters who don’t care who they hurt in the process. What a pathetic bunch!