AgentGate follows Georgia, others around SEC Media Days
HOOVER, Ala. –- Georgia coach Mark Richt and star wide receiver A.J. Green showed up at SEC Media Days Thursday morning, less than 18 hours after UGA received word of an impending NCAA investigation.
If Richt or Green is worried about what’s ahead, they weren’t showing it to the hundreds of reporters here.
Richt said he doesn’t believe the NCAA investigation will necessarily bring bad news for the Georgia program, and Green said he has “never even been” to Miami, scene of a sports agent’s party that has drawn much scrutiny from the NCAA.
Georgia officials were informed by the NCAA late Wednesday afternoon that investigators will come to the UGA campus to conduct an “inquiry” –- the latest in a series of investigations of possible improper benefits received by players from agents. Investigations also are underway at North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Alabama.
“I don’t know if it is [bad news] or not, quite frankly,” Richt said of the NCAA inquiry at Georgia. “I don’t necessarily think it is bad news.
“I’m sure they’re gathering information,” he added, “but we’ll see what they gather.”
Green, the Bulldogs’ top pro prospect, has acknowledged that he was asked by a UGA official on Tuesday whether he was at the agent’s South Beach party, which reportedly was attended by players from North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama. Green gave reporters the same answer Thursday that he provided UGA on Tuesday: He was not in Miami for that party or any other time, he said.
“I’m not even focused on that,” Green said of the NCAA probe. “I’m just focused on getting ready for the season.”
He added that high-profile athletes know “you have to keep your nose clean” because people “are just looking for something to get you on.”
Asked if he is worried about the investigation, Green answered simply: “No.” He said Internet rumors linking him to the probe are “just random stuff, but it’s not a hassle.”
Indeed, Green and Richt seemed to enjoy themselves at Media Days. On his way to the plane that would carry him, Richt and two other Georgia players back to Athens, Green posted on Twitter: “Media day went pretty good…. I had lil fun while I was there.” And on his way out of the Hotel Wynfrey, a relaxed Richt stopped in the lobby to sign autographs and pose for photos for Bulldogs fans.
Green and Richt declined to answer most questions regarding the impending investigation. UGA associate athletic director Claude Felton said Georgia was asked by the NCAA not to comment on the matter until the inquiry is completed.
Asked if that restriction is difficult, if there is more he would like to say, Green replied: “It’s not my place to comment on that. I don’t feel like I need to.”
Richt did say that he doesn’t believe the investigation will be a distraction for the Bulldogs, who begin preseason practice Aug. 2. Richt said “I don’t know at all” when asked how many UGA players the NCAA plans to interview.
If a player is found to have received money or other benefits, such as transportation or lodging, from an agent, he could lose his college eligibility.
Asked if Georgia is concerned about having players declared ineligible at this point, Richt would not answer, saying: “I’m not going to make any comment about anything having to do with an investigation.”
Georgia is in a similar situation as at least four other college football programs that are waiting to see what comes of inquiries into current or former players’ dealings with agents.
The NCAA is investigating whether current players at North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama violated rules by attending the Miami party. In addition, the NCAA is looking into an allegation that former Florida offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey accepted $100,000 from an agent’s representative between last season’s SEC Championship Game and the Sugar Bowl –- an allegation that Pouncey has denied and called “absolutely ridiculous.”
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Thursday that the Gamecocks player under NCAA scrutiny, tight end Weslye Saunders, “went with several players” on a trip to Miami.
“I guess the question is, who paid for it?” Spurrier said. “Who paid for what they did while they were there? When the investigation is finished, I guess we’ll find out about all the guys.
“I’ve talked to [Saunders] briefly. He told me he’s done nothing wrong. So we’ll see how it plays out.”
Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, also appearing at Media Days on Thursday, said his program has not had any inquiries from the NCAA about agent issues.
“Knock on wood,” he added.
But Petrino said the relationship between players and agents “is a concern you have every single day as a coach.”
Said Spurrier: “Sometimes you just got to, you know, trust your players know the rules and can wait till after their final [college] game before they take the money. If you can get through your senior year . . . you can accept all the dough they want to give you.”
On Wednesday, Alabama coach Nick Saban lashed out at agents who jeopardize players’ college eligibility by offering inducements, asking: “How are they any better than a pimp?”
Richt, characteristically, was much more measured in his comments about the agent issue.
“If there was an easy answer,” he said, “we already would have found what it is.”
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112 comments Add your comment
Lou Holtz aka the Spitting Cobra
July 22nd, 2010
7:05 pm
70 Dawg- your information has to be wrong. Why would an agent want to have anything to do with him? The closest that QB is getting to the NFL is playing Madden on his XBox.
CourtneyF
July 22nd, 2010
7:33 pm
someone ask AJ to return my panties……..they r red
college is forever
July 22nd, 2010
7:41 pm
http://www.collegelunchboxes.com I believe AJ, Dawgs fans have nothing to worry about regarding this we need to worry about beating UF in Jax. this year. Enough is Enough. Your niece will think you are the coolest Uncle ever if you get her a UGA classic tin lunchbox for back to school, what the heck get your self one your fellow employees will be red and black with envy.Go Dawgs!!!
Shine on shameless thUGs
July 22nd, 2010
7:44 pm
What’ll we have? How about more income at graduation and even more 10, 20 years out, we win.
Your male mascot cannot naturally fertilize an egg – perfect mascot – useless dawg.
Not a SEC championship in sight for you thUGs, laughing stock of the SEC with all that talent. CMR needs to lighten up on decipline like his daddy b bowden.
Jesus was no football coach. Never made millions.
Enjoy Sanford and sons stadium, it holds enough rednecks to thoroughly trash the classic city like their single wide.
PS your construction job is not coming back because your thUG banking grads ruined the state’s economy. learn to wipe butts while you sniff them for a living
He who ends the recession with the most toys wins- still have all mine and they are paid for.
THWG
Vince Lombardi
July 22nd, 2010
8:17 pm
Why are there so many Green Bay Packers fans in Georgia? I see the Green Bay “G” everywhere. Go Packers!!!
Vince Dooley
July 22nd, 2010
8:23 pm
Vince L , We had the “G” style at Georgia, wayyyy before you did. But it looks good – even in green and yellow.
Vince Dooley
July 22nd, 2010
8:27 pm
Shine, I assure you, we UGA grads make a hell of a lot more money than you engineers that don’t have a creative bone in you bodies…In fact, many of you work for us. Thanks, keep punching that clock…..and don’t be late.
Ghost of Jan Kemp
July 22nd, 2010
8:35 pm
I wonder if AJ got a shiny new Trans-am like Herschel did?
Hey Vince, you were one of the biggest cheats in the history of CFB. Bringing in barely literate football players, using them, then discarding them without a real education.
Buzz Me
July 22nd, 2010
8:45 pm
AJ’s probably on the take, but uga will cover it up to protect their star player.
Ghost of Jan Kemp
July 22nd, 2010
8:48 pm
Everytime a Gagger mentions Reuban, I will point to this:
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/archives/182670.asp
You guys had a murderer playing for the beloved dogs. UGA= Murderer U
70 Dawg
July 22nd, 2010
8:50 pm
Shine On…You are sorry excuse for a human being. To boast about your good fortune and taunt those many who have suffered during this recession is totally classless. I’d be careful about bringing the holy name of Jesus into your ranting, all those things that you boast about can be taken from you in an instant.
Ummmmmmmmmm
July 22nd, 2010
9:06 pm
NCAA knows something, if they didn’t they wouldn’t be sniffing around Athens. Someone at the party confirmed who was there with either pics or video (damn camera phones will do you in every time). It’s had for me to believe they are acting on word of mouth alone.
Ummmmmmmmmm
July 22nd, 2010
9:08 pm
No pun intended there dawg fans!
Damon Evans
July 22nd, 2010
9:20 pm
Hey “Good People” I was there and I was feeling pretty good…. laughing
Greensboro, GA
July 22nd, 2010
9:30 pm
————————–
Nesbitt for Heisman
————————–
Pulpwood
July 22nd, 2010
9:36 pm
I cain’t read…..
kb
July 22nd, 2010
9:44 pm
Was it not Georgia Tech that was put on probation in 2005 for academic fraud , loss of scholarships etc..
Was it just coincidence that flunkgate coincided with Morris Browns loss of accreditation?
fayncdawg
July 22nd, 2010
9:46 pm
I don’t think AJ is the player involved. I think itsSomebody else on offense. I mean there are for sure two other first round caliber players on offense (provided they make First Team SEC at the end of the season).
Ghost of Jan Kemp
July 22nd, 2010
9:48 pm
Never mind. I am a complete idiot. I forgot Rueban was arrested while he was a student athlete (not years after he left the university).
You will have to forgive me. I was watching a re-run of our one victory in the past decade over UGA and was distracted.
It sure sucks being a tech fan.
Zach muttenberger
July 22nd, 2010
9:56 pm
Well kb, nothing gets past you. Except it wasn’t 2005, it was 2002. And it wasn’t fraud, it was playing athletes that were thought to be in the clear, but had credits counted towards eligibility that weren’t allowed.
Of course, leave it up to a mutt to compare a credit accounting error to UGA’s blatant use of athletes that couldn’t spell cat without spotting them the c and the t. None of which would have been uncovered without a brave soul named Jan Kemp.
Vince Dooley is a scum bag.
fayncdawg
July 22nd, 2010
9:58 pm
Any player involved in this is unfortunate for the Dawgs, esp if it costs them their eligibility. Hope when all is said and done tha allegations are unfounded. There might be opponents telling lies/half-truths at the Dawgs expense!
Zach muttenberger
July 22nd, 2010
9:58 pm
So it’s cool to murder people if you arent in college anymore?
Vince Lombardi
July 22nd, 2010
10:37 pm
Not true Vince Dooley. UGA had a block “G” until 1963 when the real Vince asked the Packers if UGA could copy it. Go Packers!!! Green Bay had it wayyyyyy longer before UGA. Copycats.
How bout them hedges of Chinese privet?? Non-native, exotic, invasive weed. Walter Reeves even said so.
col fot
July 23rd, 2010
12:47 am
Techie Tucker is on the prowl again, trying to dig up sh!t on UGA. It’s a obsession with him, what a damn joke o of journalist.
dagnabit
July 23rd, 2010
3:40 am
UGA hiccup? The folks who were rear ended by a hit-and-run bulldawg football player may not call this a hiccup. The injured persons may use other words.
WILLIEGHATES AGENTS
July 23rd, 2010
6:49 am
JUST PLAY SOME DAMN FOOTBALL LETS GET IT ON ALABAMA AND FLORIDA ,WE HAVE A NEW DEFENSIVE COACH AND WE WILL SEE FLORIDA IN NOVEMBER SEE ALABAMA IN DECEMBER BANK ON IT , GEORGIA WILL BE BETTER THAN LAST YEAR IGUARANTEE IT ,IF NOT IM MOVING TO NEBRASKA THEY ARE GETTING THERE MOJO BACK.
Dawgbreath
July 23rd, 2010
7:05 am
So AJ denies he went to Miami but the NCAA is still on him. Very possible he did something else that came out in this investigation of the other schools. Some other kid may have exposed him.
Nub
July 23rd, 2010
7:13 am
Ours is bigger bugs….. Accept it ….. Move on….. And remember “We Run this State”……. WooF!
Bamafan
July 23rd, 2010
7:55 am
The NCAA must have a Phil Fulmer type of person giving them the goods on every body?
FORTY ONE POINTS to your seventeen points
July 23rd, 2010
8:00 am
by the way,
((((((((((((((((((((41-17)))))))))))))
Bob Sacamano
July 23rd, 2010
8:09 am
Miami and Miami Beach (where the party was) are two different cities. Anybody thought about that???
BG
July 23rd, 2010
8:27 am
The AJC and TMZ are no different!!!!!
BG
July 23rd, 2010
8:28 am
By the way 8 out of 9!!!!!!!
jbeggs
July 23rd, 2010
8:45 am
Hey -Dawgtards ruin this state- How does 110 lbs of pot in your trunk and your coach still lets you play sound? You talk about scum!!
hotdawg
July 23rd, 2010
9:03 am
call the NERD HERD hotline 478-228-0677
FORTY ONE POINTS to your seventeen points
July 23rd, 2010
9:07 am
by the way
7 out of 9
17 out of 20
mike mooney,joe hamilton,reuben houston,robert hall,8outof9,nerdsnerdsnerds
July 23rd, 2010
9:14 am
Punching coeds in the face, DUI, selling drugs and smacking girlfriends around
A GT TRADITION
muttthugs
July 23rd, 2010
9:17 am
A GA tradition
Michael Lemon (aggravated battery)
Justin Anderson (simple battery)
Trinton Sturvidant (simple battery)
Blake Barnes (furnishing alcohol to a minor)
Tripp Chandler (minor in possession of alcohol)
Brandon Wood (DUI)
Kelvin Perez (DUI)
Vince Vance (knowingly driving with a suspended license)
Donovan Baldwin (DUI, reckless driving)
Fred Munzenmaier (underage possession of alcohol)
Jeff Henson (public urination)
Clint Boling (DUI)
Jeremy Lomax (reckless driving, possession of a concealed weapon without a license)
Matthew Prick (underage alcohol possession)
Tanner Strickland (fake identification)
Paul Taylor (battery)
Shane McCleskey (battery)
Akeem Hebron (underage possession of alcohol)
Antonio Sims (DUI)
Ian Smith (public intoxication)
Marquis Elmore (driving with a suspended license)
Dannell Ellerbe (DUI)
Kedrick Golston (disorderly conduct, bar fight)
Derrick White (disorderly conduct, bar fight)
Tavares Kearney (simple battery)
Derrick White (DUI)
Zeb McKinzey (underage possession of alcohol)
Darrius Swain (driving with a suspended license)
Michael Turner (possession of less than an ounce of marijuana)
Rennie Curran (theft, taking a parking boot worth $350)
oh yeah…7 arrests this year, + 1 AD
Paddy
July 23rd, 2010
9:20 am
Vince Dooley…..believe you have dementia. Didn’t you have to ask Lombardi for permission to use their “G” back in the early ’60’s?
Dan
July 23rd, 2010
9:24 am
For a coach to drop a name of a player at another school to get the NCAA off their backs is nothing new. Phil Fulmer did it all the time. Does not matter if there’s any truth to it It’s a big distraction.
M Robinson
July 23rd, 2010
9:30 am
Dec 3, 2009 … For assault on a female student and property damage. (Both felonies – he caused $500’s of damage to her car)
remember me?
Nub
July 23rd, 2010
9:42 am
Hey 41…….. We still own the gaytors 46-39-2 so go crawl back into the swamp u call gainsville ….. What a dump!! Hahahaahaaaaaa
FORTY ONE POINTS to your seventeen points
July 23rd, 2010
9:50 am
Hey Nub…it’s not 1980 anymore, Herschel’s still gone…speaking of “dumps”, how much trash do you morons leave on your crappy little campus? 4 tons? But then again, it’s hard to tell the difference.
by the way, 7 out of 9, 17 out of 20.
DawgsBetterThanBugs
July 23rd, 2010
9:54 am
Hey Tech guys. Sorry we have so much more fun than you Nerds. Getting in trouble is part of growing up if you have a life. Simply put we are are better than you and you know it and that is why you hate us so much. So transfer to UGA and be happy.
I-DOG
July 23rd, 2010
9:59 am
Mutthugs
What I like about your post is that the vast majority of the crimes you list are fluff stuff. Underage possession of alc? Peeing in public? possession of a fake id? I committed all three crimes in college as have about 90%+ of college students. Many of the others aren’t exactly capitol offenses either.
The ones that were serious… DUI or battery, the players were given REAL penalties. Zach M… kicked off the team, Dontavius suspended half the season then leaves the team to go play at a school that doesn’t penalize players like this.
Mutthugs: Can you find any UGA player guilty of anything as serious as the following in the last 20 years? Florida player fires a machine gun into a crowd… played for Florida again after this act was committed. tech player caught with over 100 pounds of pot, played for tech that same season.
Look at your list and how light the majority of these infractions are. Didn’t you feel silly typing them in while you were making this list? I think you left off Caleb Kings moped moving violation that should really have carried a 20 year prison sentence and surprised you left it off.
muttthug
July 23rd, 2010
10:23 am
IDOG
Hey! Look on the bright side—that’s only a partial listing! There are more…Suuuree, like “everyone” in college gets arrested, it’s just college life! At THUG-U, we are proud of our arrests!
I will not be the next head coach at Alabama. I am the head coach of the Miami Dolphins
July 23rd, 2010
10:51 am
I can somewhat see Saban’s point, an agent tempting someone to break a committment for money. What does that make his agent? What does that make him?
pcb mike
July 23rd, 2010
11:35 am
Does the NCAA get frequent flyer miles from its trips to Athens. If might be easier to open a branch office there. I’m sure they would get a good deal in one of the trailer parks.
Nub
July 23rd, 2010
11:47 am
Message to 41…… We own the gaytors, mullets, and cut off Jean wearing belly sliders ……
*********46 – 39****** now go find mommy and get a hug!
FORTY ONE POINTS to your seventeen points
July 23rd, 2010
11:53 am
Message to Nub… it’s 2010, for 20 years owned your little team. When the world needs an enema, they’ll connect the hose in Athens.
(((((((((((((((((((((41-17))))))))))))))))
7 out of 9
17 out of 20
3 NC’s
PS. The whole Gator team knows your mommy.