Cam Newton punishment

[TripletDaddy]

Not that I care to give them their due, but NCAA investigations do take time. The NCAA has no subpoena power and like you said their evidence is probably wholly dependent on the FBI's investigation. Where the NCAA effed up royally is in releasing any kind of statement at all, declaring Cam ineligible secretly and then rescinding his suspension upon Auburn's appeal the next day. The NCAA should have said nothing pending the outcome of the investigation. They stepped in it and opened a can of worms by acknowledging that Cecil Newton violated their amateurism rules. What's the point in stating that at this point with the addendum that the investigation is ongoing?

Regardless who is going to buy that Cam had no knowledge? And if Cam didn't go to Miss State because they balked at Cecil's $180k demand who's going to believe that he went to Auburn, who has blood all over their hands already, for free? And what about Cam's supposed statement that "the money was too good"? This whole thing is stupid. If I were USC I'd be appealing today. And if you're UNC and Butch Davis you have to be dancing in the street.

SC already filed its appeal and the results are pending. This is unfortunate because at this point, SC should have asked for the entire penalty to be rescinded.

The entire thing has been inconsistent. Even Reggie giving up his Heisman is a joke in light of the actions of guys like Maurice Clarrett and Charles Woodson.

Since the NCAA isnt a state agent, there is no duty to act impartially. They can basically rule whatever they want to rule at the end of each investigation. There is no due process and no rules of evidence.

[TripletDaddy]

Have they started calling him Scam Newton yet?

Yes. Several Scam Newton t shirts on TV this past Friday.

[SipiTau]

That is a very very poor precedent to set. Looks like parents of gifted athletes are going to be setting up information firewalls with their kids in the near future.

I've already got the feelers out for Sipi Jr. SC will be gratis; the bidding will start @ $1M for all other schools.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

This probably ensures that SC will play in a bowl next year and will only lose 5 scholis.

I hope so, 2 SC visits to Autzen next year would be awesome! Unless you and DDD blow me off for both of them.

[Hot Lunch]

I've already got the feelers out for Sipi Jr. SC will be gratis; the bidding will start @ $1M for all other schools.

Get paid Sipi. Make your cheese. Good luck to Sipi Jr. That would be awesome to have a boy play for the Men of Troy.

[Paperback Writer]

Not that I care to give them their due, but NCAA investigations do take time. The NCAA has no subpoena power and like you said their evidence is probably wholly dependent on the FBI's investigation. Where the NCAA effed up royally is in releasing any kind of statement at all, declaring Cam ineligible secretly and then rescinding his suspension upon Auburn's appeal the next day. The NCAA should have said nothing pending the outcome of the investigation. They stepped in it and opened a can of worms by acknowledging that Cecil Newton violated their amateurism rules. What's the point in stating that at this point with the addendum that the investigation is ongoing?

Regardless who is going to buy that Cam had no knowledge? And if Cam didn't go to Miss State because they balked at Cecil's $180k demand who's going to believe that he went to Auburn, who has blood all over their hands already, for free? And what about Cam's supposed statement that "the money was too good"? This whole thing is stupid. If I were USC I'd be appealing today. And if you're UNC and Butch Davis you have to be dancing in the street.

I'm in agreement. A lengthly investigation is needed for Auburn and that will rest on what comes out of the FBI's case. But as you pointed out, there's no need for a lengthly investigation on whether Cam Newton is still am amateur. The NCAA, SEC, and Auburn has all the evidence it needs to declare him ineligible. And yet they choose not to. It shouldn't matter whether Cam knew or not. But on whether Cam should have known.

As others have stated, this is a terrible precedent. Opens the door to blind-trust type selling of amateur players.

[statman]

Didn't Cam call the coach at MSU to whom he'd already verbally committed all choked up and saying something along the lines of "the money at Auburn is just too much to pass up?" That doesn't sound like he was out of the loop...

[TripletDaddy]

Garry P weighing in on Pat Haden's comments and the Orange Bowl win

The NCAA announced on Monday that a “violation of amateur rules” had occurred and shortly after that, Auburn announced that Newton was being suspended for a “violation of amateur rules”. Today, the NCAA reinstated Newton and he will play for Auburn on Saturday.

The Newton case has been well documented with similar ties to the Bush case, a preacher father who tried to use the athletic talents of his son to capitalize and market opportunities. With Newton, the father tried to solicit funds for where his son would go to school. With Reggie Bush, the father tried to set up a marketing agency to represent his son.

“I was always told the parent is the child,” Haden told the LA Times Gary Klein. “That’s what we’ve been telling our kids. If the parent does something inappropriate the child suffers the consequences. In the Reggie Bush case, when the parent [did] something inappropriate the kid and the school suffered.”

With the apparent discrepancy in how the NCAA ruled in the two cases, Haden said the Newton case will be reviewed before the USC officials appear before the NCAA Appeals Committee in January.

“Intuitively, it seems appropriate that we would discuss it,” he told the LA Times.

At the very least, this could make things interesting for the ruling that USC should vacate the Orange Bowl. I've never seen any connection made which said Reggie knew about the original agreement between Lamar and Lake when it was reached in fall of 2004. That is the key to the timeline for the Orange Bowl because the NCAA is saying Reggie was ineligible for that game since the agreement was reached beforehand. If there is no proof that Reggie knew at the time, then he shouldn't be ruled ineligible for that game (according to the ruling handed down today). The NCAA may claim he found out later and went along with it so what happened today may not affect his 2005 eligibility but I think there is an argument here for the Orange Bowl game.

[Coach McGuirk]

Like I said, start shopping your kids,

Huh? Did the NCAA do what I think it did? Did it basically rule that a father and a third party can actively, brazenly and with impunity shop a player around for hundreds of thousands of dollars -- and the worst thing that happens is the father has to lie low and the third party has to disassociate himself from the programs in question?
Did it just get embarrassed by a rules loophole the size of Jordan-Hare Stadium, the gist of it being: Your old man and another guy can put you on the open market, but as long as you don't know about it, you're good to strap it up for the next big game?.............................Amazing. The NCAA just made it possible for anyone with a blue-chip prospect to shop that player without fear of real punishment. Football player … hoops player -- doesn't matter. All you have to do is say the kid didn't have a clue about the sales price and it's like nothing happened. Plausible deniability.

NCAA exposes loophole with Cam Newton eligibility ruling - ESPN

[Hot Lunch]

This isn't close to being over. I will not be surprised if Cam Newton doesn't play on Saturday. I am not saying he won't but I won't be surprised if he doesn't play.

[The_Tick]

This isn't far from being over. I will not be surprised if Cam Newton doesn't play on Saturday. I am not saying he won't but I won't be surprised if he doesn't play.

Agreed. I was telling DT today at work...

Someone from the NCAA is going to sit down and watch ESPN tonight. Someone from ESPN is going to explain "The NCAA has just given everyone a blank check."

Dude from NCAA is going to look at the screen...scratch his head...start slowly connecting the dots...and then....."HOLY SHIT. WHAT HAVE WE DONE."

And by Saturday Cam is going to be a no go.

It has to happen, or they aren't ever going to be able to rule someone ineligible again.

[Hot Lunch]

Agreed. I was telling DT today at work...

Someone from the NCAA is going to sit down and watch ESPN tonight. Someone from ESPN is going to explain "The NCAA has just given everyone a blank check."

Dude from NCAA is going to look at the screen...scratch his head...start slowly connecting the dots...and then....."HOLY SHIT. WHAT HAVE WE DONE."

And by Saturday Cam is going to be a no go.

It has to happen, or they aren't ever going to be able to rule someone ineligible again.

If he plays on Saturday, it will be one of the biggest black eyes the NCAA has ever had.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Agreed. I was telling DT today at work...

Someone from the NCAA is going to sit down and watch ESPN tonight. Someone from ESPN is going to explain "The NCAA has just given everyone a blank check."

Dude from NCAA is going to look at the screen...scratch his head...start slowly connecting the dots...and then....."HOLY SHIT. WHAT HAVE WE DONE."

And by Saturday Cam is going to be a no go.

It has to happen, or they aren't ever going to be able to rule someone ineligible again.

When has the NCAA ever acted logically?

[Flystripper]

When has the NCAA ever acted logically?

winner winner chicken dinner

[cougjunkie]

He will play and Auburn will win. Auburn will then go the NC game and who knows what will happen.

After the NC game the NCAA will miraculously dig up new dirt on the Newton situation and drop the hammer on Auburn. But right now the BCS is telling them that they absolutely better not do anything to Cam Newton because if Auburn loses then TCU makes the title game.