I've blogged before about the story of the Alabama booster who allegedly funneled money to a HS football coach to have his player steered to the Crimson Tide. This wasn't a $20 "plumber's tip" either (non-native Philadelphians might not get the reference, but the Justice Dept. prosecuted plumbing inspectors in Philadelphia for decades' and decades' worth of taking cash "tips" from builders as a means to getting plumbing plans approved), but a six-figure payoff. The booster was convicted in federal court, a place where allegedly can turn into reality.
Lots of Alabama fans are angry at Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer for creating this situation, when, in reality, all he (and others, as it appears from the article I link to below) told the NCAA of alleged funny business going on at Alabama. To see how ugly this whole affair has really gotten, read not only the linked post under Fulmer's name but an article in yesterday's USA Today on the dismissal of a lawsuit by two former Alabama assistants implicated in the scandal (who sued the NCAA on grounds of defamation). I don't know Fulmer and am not that familiar with the Tennessee program, but a) anyone has the right to report a recruiting violation and b) the booster who was convicted at trial was convicted without the testimony of Fulmer. Seems like someone isn't being totally honest here, and it may be that 'bama fans aren't being totally honest with themselves (if, in fact, they are still seething about this whole affair). Seems pretty convincing to me that their guy, as it were, did something wrong.
Well, now the booster has spoken. He didn't say much, and he didn't say anything you didn't think he would say, either. He's not a happy guy for sure, and deep down it may be the case he's the guy who hoped the "everyone does it defense" would have worked or is puzzled when told that an old way of doing business wasn't legitimate in the first place. Still, you should read the post and decide what to make of it. Maybe there's a whole way of doing business in the SEC that us northerners in college football-challenged blue states just don't understand.
The whole affair is very sad and shows that corruption can exist around any situation where large sums of money are in play, in this case BCS, bowl and advertising dollars, not to mention ticket sales. It does appear that one of the victors here is integrity, and it remains to be seen whether this was an isolated case or whether there are others out there that are under investigation but have yet to surface. It's hard to believe that this is the only case like it -- paying for players.
What I am curious about is that other schools were mentioned as suitors in the sweepstakes for the recruit in question, Albert Means. Did any of those other schools get investigated? Did any of their boosters offer improper inducements? Perhaps there is another series of investigations going on that have yet to surface.
Grand game, college football.
Too bad that on occasion, stuff that goes on outside the lines has to interfere with, or tarnish, the good stuff that goes on between them.
Football is for the players, coaches and students. At times, it can be a very humbling game.
If only the boosters would realize that and act accordingly.
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1 comment:
Wow, Jonathan. It seems that you have plenty of topics for your blog. I think we blue staters understand the SEC just fine, though, through two basic premises: 1) football is bigger in the SEC than it is up north and 2) just because everyone does something questionable doesn't make it right.
That the SEC perennially has 5 teams in the Top 25 doesn't tell me a whole lot, as there are 6 major conferences (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC), as well as the WAC and the MAC, who sometimes sneak in a team or two at the lower end of the ratings. So, excluding the other conferences, each of the six major conferences should have at least 4 teams in the Top 25 each year.
Can't say why football isn't of as much interest in the northeast, which exports a lot of players to other spots. My primary guess is that Penn State and Syracuse have fallen off the table, so to speak, but even so, there just aren't as many DI schools from Pennsylvania north as there are in many other places.
I will check out those other names in Google to see what I come up with. You raised and interesting point about Slive's wanting to address feuds in-house. Ultimately, that approach might foreshadow the exodus of BCS schools from the NCAA.
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