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
JB
July 14th, 2011
4:09 pm
Will Johnson survive this. This was a very controllable situation. The AD got the first contact, so you now know HE knew. Shows you who is really running the show. Johnson’s boss ALLOWED him to play him. Interesting.
PatFordeESPN
July 14th, 2011
4:10 pm
Pat Forde from ESPN just SLAMMED the AJC and Mark Bradley for failing to uncover tech’s cheating:
If you want to know how far the AJC has fallen, lack of reporting on Tech case is a great indicator.
BOOOM!
phil
July 14th, 2011
4:10 pm
KeithB
July 14th, 2011
4:05 pm
“Only UGA could have that much talent and still not win anything.”
Talent? What talent? We don’t have nearly as much as you think. Not on the field and certainly not on the sidelines….
Patrick
July 14th, 2011
4:11 pm
Guys… this is not about the $312 in benefits. The punishment is the result of the cover up.
JB
July 14th, 2011
4:12 pm
Karl, nice thesis……..give it up. It’s your day. Mark Rich SAT AJ under the same situation. He followed the guidelines of the NCAA. Your guy cheated. He played him, knowing the contact from the NCAA had been made. Case closed……
superDawg
July 14th, 2011
4:12 pm
No more free hot dogs and tickets are even cheaper.
slydog
July 14th, 2011
4:13 pm
DOWN with the NCAA!!! how dare those b$#%^rds slam this program wwwwaaayyyyy ahead of that sham in OHIO? What about Oregon? What about Texas? What about LSU? What about Auburn? Don’t give me that crap about the investigation started 20 months ago. I am a UGA fan to my core, but I am a Georgian first. Next they will slam Jarvis Jones and Caldwell-Pope next for something that transpired BEFORE they sign a letter of intent. GA Tech is wrong for what transpired, but they got smashed for a few peanuts while Ohio State gets another year to wash their hands clean.
DawginLex
July 14th, 2011
4:13 pm
A couple of comments
Pat forde is a douchebag
T3-Bringing up Jan Kemp makes you look pathetic
The issue is not the amount of money $312. The issue is GT knew it happened, knew the player was potentially in trouble and let him play anyway.
Accept your punishment and move on. You still get to play in a bowl game.
headley lamar
July 14th, 2011
4:13 pm
“Only UGA could have that much talent and still not win anything.”
We only won 90 games last decade. Second most in the SEC to LSU (91)
But nice try.
GoldenRod
July 14th, 2011
4:14 pm
ESPN makes a good point, the AJC should have uncovered this story from right underneath their own nose. The good thing was Zach Klein was there with the scoop that Mark Bradley never got!
Rimfire
July 14th, 2011
4:14 pm
I am a Certified Dawg fan, but these “violations” seem awfully petty compared to others coming to light.
The NCAA needs to be re-structured to be about real issues…
headley lamar
July 14th, 2011
4:15 pm
Pat Forde from ESPN just SLAMMED the AJC and Mark Bradley for failing to uncover tech’s cheating:
Let a UGA player get a parking ticket this afternoon and they will jump right on that.
JB
July 14th, 2011
4:15 pm
Only Georgia/Richt bashing sells papers.
rduck
July 14th, 2011
4:15 pm
Mark… serious question regarding the BB side of the sanctions. could GT use any of this to get out of having to pay off that crook Paul Hewwitt?
JB
July 14th, 2011
4:16 pm
Good question rduck…you are a Techie.
BH
July 14th, 2011
4:16 pm
This isn’t dirty you idiots. It’s dumb. And just like wren said about the braves..best not to mock your rivals cause karma has a way of knocking sooner than you think. And if you think there isn’t the same crap going on in the cesspool, well then, I wouldn’t be surprised since you are part of the most ignorant fan base on the planet.
MasterBlaster
July 14th, 2011
4:16 pm
NCAA just issued a one-sentence summary page: TECH LIES AND CHEATS!
By the way, Radakovich would fit right in at Tennessee
DawginLex
July 14th, 2011
4:16 pm
I do agree with that RIMFIRE.
The NCAA practices selective enforcement.
If Tech had won the Orange bowl and gone through 2010 undefeated like auburn, all of this would have been swept under the rug.
Big Ten Champs Nebraska
July 14th, 2011
4:18 pm
That’s awesome Heath….
RED PANTIES!!
Football.Fan
July 14th, 2011
4:18 pm
Here’s one guy that believes that ‘police’ are necessary.
And if you can’t follow the rules, this is what happens: Probation and sanctions.
Vick=Dog killing Thug
July 14th, 2011
4:18 pm
Did tech have any decent signed recruits that UGA might be interested in? Can’t remember any true blue chippers? GO DAWGS
CPJ
July 14th, 2011
4:18 pm
I agree headley, just wait until the next UGA athlete scooter violation and the AJC will stop the presses, blare the headlines and e-mail special alerts to the world.
Meanwhile Coach Paul Johnson is involved in a cover-up operation and the AJC can’t get a sniff of it. Also 790 The Zone won’t even acknowledge the sanctions via their tweets. Not one peep.
Chris
July 14th, 2011
4:18 pm
Much ado about nothing. $300. Gimme a break. One visit for one tat to the tatoo parlor costs that much and buckeye players are loaded with them.
JB
July 14th, 2011
4:18 pm
I don’t know Lex……..Like you read today….it ain’t over at Auburn
Susan
July 14th, 2011
4:19 pm
This should be even more embarassing for the AJC sports desk. How could you guys not even know GT was under investigation?
See Damon Evans cry
July 14th, 2011
4:19 pm
Stop making fun of me.
Jingle Dingle
July 14th, 2011
4:19 pm
rawdawg apparently hasn’t been following UGA Athletics over the last few years.
JB
July 14th, 2011
4:20 pm
Win at any cost……..Saban now has a new found respect for Johnson.
david
July 14th, 2011
4:20 pm
A lot of folks keep mentioning Auburn. FYI,they ( AU)were in constant contact from April through the year end with the NCAA about the Miss State situation. They 100 % cooperated. No booster gave him or father anything. Heck….no one knew Cam was going to be this good !So…leave Auburn out of this discussion.
Drew Sharp
July 14th, 2011
4:21 pm
I’m the guy who said J.J. was overrated. I also said that Tech is good at cheating and getting away with it.
slydog
July 14th, 2011
4:21 pm
And to that Nebraska Guy: Where is that receipt for Tommie Frazier, Lawrence Philips, and Taylor Martinez’s Dad? We might have to ask Mr. Martinez that when he comes to the Dome this year. Tom Osbourne clean? PLEASE!!! I bet he got a kickback to switch to the Big Ten. The NCAA ought to pay you boys a visit just to say hey. OH.. lest I forget. You Will NOT BE BIG TEN CHAMPS.WISCONSIN WILL CRUSH YOU on Oct. 1
JB
July 14th, 2011
4:22 pm
david………It’s not us…………The VP of compliance of the NCAA in the New York Times TODAY has said the investigation is not over.
KirkHerbstreit
July 14th, 2011
4:22 pm
Reports are surfacing that Georgia Tech will now be moved to Winnipeg. Coach Paul Johnson and his lying ways will be deported to frozen tundra.
St. Richt
July 14th, 2011
4:24 pm
How does Johnson informing the athlete that the NCAA needs to ask him questions about his dealings with Booker constitute a “cover up?” When I read the report, it looks like the NCAA was unaware until after the fact that Radakovich had informed CPJ of any of this. So if they warned Radakovich against notifying the athletes in question, then how do we know that information filtered down to CPJ.
Regardless, any way you look at this, the original inquiry was over $312 worth of clothing. Seems like the NCAA would have bigger fish to fry here.. Like Oregon, Auburn, UNC, Ohio State, LSU, etc etc.
This just further confirms why I’ve hated Radakovich all along.. Many people close to the program consider him to be nothing but a used car salesman.. And they may be right.
Flatulent Old Dawg
July 14th, 2011
4:24 pm
Whatta Wreck, eh Techies!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jacket Man
July 14th, 2011
4:24 pm
ATLANTA – The National College Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Committee on Infractions has found the Georgia Institute of Technology men’s basketball and football programs have committed violations of NCAA regulations.
The Institute was cited for a lack of cooperation during the investigation, a failure to meet the conditions and obligations of membership and preferential treatment violations. There were additional violations in the men’s basketball program related to rules stemming from a nonscholastic basketball tournament conducted on the Institute’s campus, which the public report further details.
“Georgia Tech is committed to the integrity of its athletics program, including full cooperation and support of the NCAA,” said Georgia Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson. “Given the information we had at the time, I believe we took reasonable and appropriate steps to determine the proper course of action and acted in good faith. Looking back, there are things we could have done differently. Because of our unwavering commitment to NCAA compliance, we have already taken a number of steps to address perceived shortcomings, hopefully ensuring that our programs remain beyond reproach.”
After being notified of the allegations in November 2009, Georgia Tech conducted its own internal investigation, forming a committee made up of faculty, staff and external counsel that made recommendations based on available information and the internal investigation findings.
As a result of this exhaustive review process and because of Georgia Tech’s steadfast commitment to compliance, the Institute completely revamped and enhanced its athletic compliance operation and staffing. Changes include a greater investment in experienced staff, training and awareness among staff and student athletes.
Penalties include:
• Public reprimand and censure.
• Four years of probation from July 14, 2011, through July 13, 2015. The report further details this probation.
• A $100,000 financial penalty.
• A reduction of two men’s basketball recruiting days during the 2011 summer evaluation period (self-imposed by the Institute).
• A limit to 10 official visits for men’s basketball for the 2011-12 and 2012-2013 academic years.
• A vacation of all contests won by the football team during the 2009 season after November 24, which is when the university was alerted to the potential eligibility issues.
The Institute is considering options including whether to appeal the NCAA decision.
“I want to reemphasize Georgia Tech’s unwavering commitment to compliance and our commitment to the conditions and obligations of membership of the NCAA,” said Peterson
gtfanfrom1951
July 14th, 2011
4:24 pm
I read the report ad it is biggest bunch of BULL%^&*. This organization is way out of control. They think their trying someone for murder instead of Jay walking. Its time for the government to step in and do something about the NCAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OSU
July 14th, 2011
4:24 pm
Really Tech fans? Making fun of a dog’s premature death to deflect criticism of cheating in your program? Get some class.
phil
July 14th, 2011
4:25 pm
david
July 14th, 2011
4:20 pm
“A lot of folks keep mentioning Auburn. FYI,they ( AU)were in constant contact from April through the year end with the NCAA about the Miss State situation. They 100 % cooperated. No booster gave him or father anything. Heck….no one knew Cam was going to be this good !So…leave Auburn out of this discussion.”
Sorry, doof, no can do…Fraudburn will get what’s coming to it all in due time…..anytime is a perfect time to keep reminding you pathetic cheaters of this reality….
My dad did it and I didn’t know….of course you didn’t know, Scam….
JB
July 14th, 2011
4:25 pm
What kind of fish being served at the presser today?
NCAA Investigators
July 14th, 2011
4:25 pm
I kept telling them it wasn’t that serious. Just admit it and we’ll move on. They were just screaming that their players take calculus (another coverup) and told me to go back to my trailer and root for UGA.
@gtfanfrom 1951
July 14th, 2011
4:25 pm
“they’re” not “their”
Courtesy UGA English 1101
St. Richt
July 14th, 2011
4:26 pm
Will Radakovich raise ticket prices again to pay the $100k?
phil
July 14th, 2011
4:26 pm
“Georgia Tech is committed to the integrity of its athletics program, including full cooperation and support of the NCAA,” said Georgia Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson.
Apparently the ole pres is delusional and confused as well….go tear down some more stadium seats and plant some trees….
JB
July 14th, 2011
4:26 pm
gtfanfrom51…..IF it was the Dawgs getting hammered today, you would applaud them
ramblingbuzz
July 14th, 2011
4:27 pm
Now UGA will probably have to vacate their SEC Championship in 2009 because AJ sold his jersey. Wait a minute, UGA didn’t have an SEC Championship in 2009!!
Why don’t all you doggies go back to the blawg on Breant Benedict and bust on him some more for transferring to VT.
KirkHerbstreit
July 14th, 2011
4:28 pm
Geraldo could have learned of this investigation, but not the Atlanta media – no sir. They had no clue until WSB’s own Zach Klein broke the news today.
I am shame for the AJC.
Shake Up Time
July 14th, 2011
4:28 pm
Can GT hire ex-Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach and finally get a passing game?
Cohutta Dawgman
July 14th, 2011
4:29 pm
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And Auburn’s next.
Sweet!
Just saying
July 14th, 2011
4:29 pm
@ramblingbuzz
don’t ya’ll have a hard time beating UGA? Not like ya’ll could win an SEC championship if you were still a SEC school….