Quintessential NCAA in Cam Newton Ruling

All a kid has to do to get money is have dad represent him. If dad gets caught, then he just says that he had no idea his dad was doing that. Using a family member or friend is a very easy way to buffer yourself from wrongdoing. Mayo claimed this very same excuse, and he was punished for it. Some have speculated that Bush’s father was going rogue negotiating on behalf of his son without Reggie’s knowledge. Regardless of what the NCAA found, my belief is that they should have to prove their findings.

Now that the NCAA has found Newton to be pure as driven snow it must mean USC is going to lose ANOTHER 10 scholarships and receive an addition year of probation

However, I do have a problem with the NCAA hammering USC for failing to detect almost the exactly same thing. The NCAA’s conclusion that USC did know or should have know about Lloyd Lake boils down to a 2 minute cell phone call, allegedly between Lake and McNair, after Bush’s last game, that the NCAA NEVER EVEN ASKED MCNAIR ABOUT. This slim connection pales in comparison to direct testimoney from an MSU coach that Newton said he was going to Auburn “because the money was too great”. The NCAA determines the credibility of its witnesses depending on what they want to be true. What a fucking joke!

Clearly, the NCAA gives you different justice depending upon whether you a judged by your competitors or your friends. Always has been an good old boy’s club, and still is.

I’m not trying to play devil’s advocate here, but- with regards to Cam and Cecil Newton (Cecil, especially- because it has been verified)- that family fully cooperated with the NCAA and the SEC. I’m not saying because of that, Cam should be exonerated. No, the NCAA will do what it damn well pleases and has no regard for it’s own bylaws, standards or precedents.

With regards to Reggie Bush? He chose his real family over the Trojan family. Pure and simple. Had he talked, had he cooperated in any way, shape or form. . . .we wouldn’t be having to deal with the severity of sanctions that we’re dealing with now. I’m not saying we would have gotten off scott-free, no far from it. But, had Reggie come to his senses and not given terrible advice on the investigation stemming from Lloyd Lake- we wouldn’t have to deal with the draconian measures and conclusions that the COI made in it’s findings.

I’m still too hurt over the vacating of wins, the scholarship reductions, and transfer ruling they handed down to us. Anything much more for me to say on this matter would be pure emotion.

I’m trying to leave that out of this conversation for my own well being.

Lastly, Slive and the SEC had Cam’s back. The Pac 10 having USC’s back? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!

…is that while I think the Bush case was qualitatively different, and probably worse, the bizarre legalism of Auburn making Newton ineligible so that the NCAA would say he didn’t now and reinstate him has triggered people who were cheering SC’s punishment into total scorn for the NCAA – because of the double standard. SC should have known, Auburn took on a high-risk transfer and didn’t have to. SC was punished for not policing Bush signing with outside agents, the Newton case just showed every huckster / would-be agent how to evade NCAA standards. Until the NCAA picks someone else to enforce the rules with.

This isn’t a case of me thinking “oh, poor us,” we are where we are, and the mismanagement of the Bush / Mayo situation had a large part to do with that. But I am struck that the NCAA has some serious balls on them to rule on this particular incident in this particular way.

The prevailing thought is that AU “turned themselves in” unlike ’SC who continued to deny, deny, deny….

go figure…

How about we put in some cash so I can stroll to George Farmer’s house and give the money to his parents so he could go to USC. I’ll make sure George doesn’t know!

that this only will help our appeal, but then I think “Hey its the NCAA. When have they ever been consistent.”
I’m not going to jump on the Cam Newton hating bandwagon. Our problems are USC problems, and Auburn problems are Auburn problems. The investigation into Newton is not closed. The only thing that this ruling does is make Newton eligible to receive the Heisman Trophy. If wrongdoing is found down the line, the same fate will befall Newton as did Reggie.

First, at least as far as anyone is aware, nothing of value ever changed hands in the Newton case.

Second, different bylaws were at issue. In Newton’s case, the bylaw itself actually requires that the student athlete knowingly participate. In other words, ignorance isn’t a “defense” per se, it’s a factual scenario that renders the player not guilty. Most of the NCAA statutes do not require anything near that level of mes rea.

Newton would likely have been ineligible had he chosen to play at MSU or if any money had actually changed hands.

How you can you justify admitting that Cam Newton ineligible for that one day, while stating that he was not ineligible for any previous days? I would understand if Auburn learned about the issue the day before he was declared ineligible, but that’s not the case.

The <24 hr turnaround time to reinstate Newton when it generally takes days/weeks for the NCAA to reinstate a player also smacks of, at the least, favoritism.

With the NCAA’s “double standard” rationale on exhibit for all the world to see… if USC’s appeals are denied and the sanctions not substantially reduced… then I think the time draws near for USC to seek some kind of justice in court.