An embarrassing day for Tech, which hates embarrassment
"See this? Not any longer." (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
It’s an embarrassing day for Georgia Tech, and Tech alums don’t like being embarrassed.
The Jackets have been forced to vacate the 2009 ACC title, have been placed on NCAA probation through 2015 and have been fined $100,000 — what is this, the NFL? — to boot. We can extrapolate from this that the NCAA likewise doesn’t take kindly to embarrassment.
The NCAA has found that “staff members” not only failed to contribute to an investigation but also sought to cast enough doubt on the allegations that they couldn’t be proved. In plain English, the NCAA believed Tech tried to cover up. And the NCAA hates cover-ups way worse than it hates violations.
Update: In offering Tech’s response to the NCAA’s findings, both president Bud Peterson and AD Dan Radakovich insisted there was no intent to influence anyone’s testimony to the NCAA. Indeed, Radakovich admitted it was he who had spoken to coach Paul Johnson about the NCAA’s interest in a particular student-athlete.
I’ll have more at greater length soon, but for now I leave you with this: Until today, Georgia Tech fans had great confidence their athletic department was under sound management. I’m not sure they still do. The school that prides itself on knowing how to run things managed to take a molehill of a violation and turn it into a mountain range’s worth of sanctions. Yikes.
By Mark Bradley
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474 comments Add your comment
Joycee Banicheck
July 15th, 2011
12:01 pm
NERDS!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3njjD41f48
trash talk
July 15th, 2011
12:02 pm
I’ve never seen that movie, but don’t the nerds win at the end? I think life works that way, too.
GT numba won!
July 15th, 2011
12:03 pm
Hi, I go to GT, I make this video in my dorm room on campus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY5xr8mDBtE
Justafan
July 15th, 2011
12:04 pm
From all the BS from both school’s bloggers..UGA & GT.. To He!! with both. Both act like little kids fighting over a toy. Grow up!
The NCAA and get any school anytime the wish..bet on it.
GT numba won!
July 15th, 2011
12:06 pm
I also post as “trash talk” on these blogs, you like my rap people??
trash talk
July 15th, 2011
12:08 pm
if you go back to page one, the uga fans started it. we’re just letting them know that they’re jerks.
although, you might be right. there’s no point in arguing with idiots. (fans from either school could be the idiots in question, don’t jump down my throat.)
Gator CHOMP Champ
July 15th, 2011
12:09 pm
Crawl under a rock for awhile Jacket Nation.
While we clearly own them, I don’t have a “dog” in this fight, but nerds never win dude. I love kicking UGA because they’re always down to us, but the Little Man Syndrome is really rearing its ugly head for you guys. I’d consider cooling it on the we’re richer than you or we’re your boss yawnfest, because 80%+ of the UGA hillbillies calling you nerds didn’t even go to school there. I notice that it’s always the same mixture clowns that come to Jacksonville for their annual whipping.
This too shall pass. Good luck on beating GA this year-if Zook can do it, I’m sure Muschamp will.
trash talk
July 15th, 2011
12:11 pm
you’re cute. I’m flattered that you called me out among all the others.
lsj
July 15th, 2011
12:13 pm
LOTS of misinformation and ignorance in this posting and thread. Evidently, Mark did not take time to read any of the supporting information before rushing to blog. Because if he knew it and chose to leave it that would be more irresponsible.
I can forgive those making comments because they just want to get in their digs and have no reason to read the full report before jumping to conclusions.
1) The repeated $312 of merchandise was returned, with tags intact.
2) There was an internal investigation and the findings have been published.
3) The vacated wins are for players the NCAA thought MIGHT be ineligible. Since they found no reason afterwards to make them ineligible, it is quite odd to punish for not being conservative at the time.
4) The NCAA is mad because of *perceived* lack of cooperation in an investigation that uncovered no major violations. There have been less penalties imposed on larger programs with more severe violations and loads more evidence.
Maybe someone failed to properly suck up to the NCAA somewhere along the way. and shame on them for not knowing the rules of the NCAA game. But the rules of the NCAA game suck right now.
BTW, why can’t “The NCAA” ever have a face, a commissioner, someone to answer when it screws up? Why can’t they be taken to task for inconsistent penalties and arbitrary findings? Is there no legal recourse to challenge their ultimate authority when it affects the innocent?
Who has the power to hold the NCAA accountable?
Gerald McFry
July 15th, 2011
12:44 pm
Hey RAWDAWG….do you REALLY want to shoot off your mouth about this and risk drawing the NCAA’s attention to your lovely program down there at UGA in Athens? Now, there’s some fertile ground for the NCAA to plow!!! Real smart, buddy! In case you really are not aware of the obvious, we ARE the 2009 ACC Champions, no matter what these clowns want to say. You may not like Tech, but they certainly do not suck!
yellow britches
July 15th, 2011
12:55 pm
Mark, Does this mean GT can “fire” Paul Hewett from his contract “for cause” and save 6 or 7 million on his ridiculous contract? Also, I am no fan of UGA but when A J Green was suspended for four games last year for selling his own bowl shirt at the same time the school, heck any school can sell his jersey and pocket the money, I thought it was a crock. These sanctions on Tech are a joke. The punishment in no way fits the crime. Just stupid and disgusting.
TechGuy
July 15th, 2011
1:08 pm
Hey Mark! Stick it in your ear! It’s not an embarrassing day for Tech or Tech alums. We’re MAD! It just shows the inequities of the likes of Dennis Thomas and the NCAA and THEIR handling of this whole situation and YOUR journalism. Where’s your outrage at what looks like an NCAA organization that impetuously besmirches a fine institution like Georgia Tech over what? Because Dennis Thomas got mad at Tech because he perceived they weren’t cooperating. Last time I checked, you need real evidence of wrongdoing. There was none. Give me a break! Where is YOUR outrage toward the NCAA for doing something like this to Georgia Tech in such an arbitrary fashion, when there are REAL problems that should be investigated and corrected at so many other institutions? You lose your credibility as a journalist when you report a story in this way.
GaDawg
July 15th, 2011
1:38 pm
Hey DC – I realize the meeting was a month ago, but the AJC and other news organizations printed it on 7/13/11. Your point is? Because it was a month ago the NCAA is through with AU? I don’t think so. There will be more on that. Look how long it took the NCAA on Tech over $312.
kingster
July 15th, 2011
1:51 pm
WOW, UGA and now Mark Bradley, is that the way you get your kicks, putting GT down, one day, one day, our tear is going be great and TECH is going to be ranked high in every footabll ranking for a long time, IT WILL HAPPEN !!!
kingster
July 15th, 2011
1:52 pm
Sorry about that I meant “team”
Oledawg
July 15th, 2011
1:56 pm
This must be as much fun for Tech nerds as going to Chuckee Cheese with a migraine and dysentery. BWHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
BillyTeasGhost
July 15th, 2011
2:13 pm
Mark Bradley’s opinion, as usual, matters to who? If it isn’t as clear as a Wyoming sky that Tech has been twisting in the wind waiting for the next shoe to fall with the ncaa after the ncaa’s last farce of charges in 2005 that were way over the top. Tech had self reported what should have been only minor infractions but was slammed with a bounty of lost scholarships. Tech peeod the ncaass’s then by telling them they would never turn themselves in again. The ncaass’s then just sat and waited until something/anything came along that they could use as a “infraction”. Well here it is, a mickey mouse incident that should have gotten a couple of lines on the back page that the ncaass’s trumped up into major charges. If it isn’t obivious by now that they have Tech in their crosshairs, then just sit back and wait until they stumble on another mickey mouse in the next four years and trump it up and lo and behold you have the DEATH PENALTY. Don’t think it can happen? I didn’t think either one of these “infractions”-2005 or this current one, could have happened to the severety that it came down. I realize that these are not criminal charges and are not handled in a court of law, but it looks as though someone in the ncaa heirarchy may have targeted Tech and the only way to stop them is to take them to court for harassment or even more serious charges.
The NCAA would be a complete joke if it were not for cases like this. They allow a pass to most of the big dogs who flaunt everything in their face and come after someone like Tech for table scraps. Most of the “rules” are worse than ridiculous and should be thrown out. Whatever became of the FSU case of a couple of years ago? Swep under the table?
Muschamp Continues the Legacy
July 15th, 2011
3:13 pm
muschamp’s Gators will beat ga again, like meyer, zook and spurrier. He’ll own ga for years—bank on it.
TECHREDNECK
July 15th, 2011
3:31 pm
SUCCESS! SUCCESS! I got a RED & BLACK dufuss’s dander up. O.K. Now I’m gonna make you feel good. UGA is the greatest instition in the country. They won the National Championship over 30 years ago. JAWJA has the greatest athletes, the greatest cheerleaders, the greatest coaches, the greatest facilities, the greatest teachers, grasscutters, toilet cleaners, coeds, bush trimmers, fans, security, mickey mouse club members, communists,fattest rednecks, most popular hoes, tabaco chewers, snuff dippers, in the world. If I left anyone out I sincerly apologize. YOU GO JAWJA!
Arrogance on the Flats
July 15th, 2011
4:16 pm
Cheating on the Flats more like Arrongance on the Flats!
Georgia » Blog Archive » The NCAA Goes Op-Ed On Georgia Tech And Unleashes Harsh Commentary …
July 16th, 2011
11:12 am
[...] Mark Bradley sums it adult best, In plain English, a NCAA believed Tech attempted to cover up. And a NCAA hates cover-ups approach worse than it hates violations. [...]
Stinger2
July 16th, 2011
4:58 pm
Mark: Have you read any responses since you offered kudos for the first one?
I realize its the weekend and you are off but you left us readers with a lot of questions that should be answered.
Minr is why did you say Drad should not have told his head coach about the investigation. If he and Dr. Pedersen had decided that Thomas should not play, would they instead of the player`s Head coach have told them.
Put yourself in CPJ`s place. If your editor did not trust or confide in you about some important issue that affected your articles how would you feel about him?
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An embarrassing day for Tech, which hates embarrassment |
July 19th, 2011
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[...] An embarrassing day for Tech, which hates embarrassment Posted in Panties | Tagged ncaa, student athlete [...]