The Gee/Emmert Connection

by Paragon SC on Jun 25, 2011 2:00 PM PDT in General NCAA

I am going to put my tinfoil hat on for a moment...

One of the things that hurt USC when dealing with the NCAA is that there has never been an effort to build a relationship with the NCAA. I can't remember ever hearing of any big time USC administrator leave the school to take a job in Indianapolis. I can't say I would blame anyone in not taking a job at headquarters...why would you leave sunny southern California for plain vanilla Indiana?

But as we all know its who you know....

So, as Ohio State prepares to meet with the COI it should come as no surprise that there could be some back channel dealing going on.

We all know that OSU AD Gene Smith worked at the NCAA in the past and was this past seasons chair of the NCAA Basketball tournament selection committee. Even though Smith will more than likely fall on his sword at the end of this, you see his fingerprints all over the spin with regards to the infractions committed by former head coach Jim Tressell and QB Terrelle Pryor.

That the NOA didn't have an LOIC charge listed should surprise no one.

But the incestuous relationship goes deeper...

But it wasn't long before Emmert caught the eye of the academic leaders at Colorado. His public affairs dean offered him an assistant dean's post and Emmert couldn't turn him down. Here was the nexus between politics, management and public policy he had so often talked about.

Gee was already an academic legend, having been appointed a university president while still in his 30s. After Colorado he would go on to head Ohio State, Brown and Vanderbilt. "We all but lived together, and living with Gordon is an education," Emmert recalls. "He is the most energetic person I've known. In one year, I got five years of experience."

Emmert's star rose under the tutelage Gordon Gee.

Sure, you could make the argument that Emmert probably would have rose to prominence no matter what, but that he has a long deep connection to Gee should not go unnoticed.

Like I said, I would not be surprised if there were some back channel communication going on.

The NCAA is corrupt...that isn't new to any of us, so don't be surprised if the COI downplays the whole mess as a rogue coach protecting a rogue player. Said player and coach are gone so it will be easy to close the chapter.

There are no checks and balances within the NCAA. That the NCAA is judge, jury and executioner without any impartiality shows just how corrupt they are.

Again, not really a surprise to any of us,

Emmert owes Gee a lot for helping him get his start.

Don't be surprised if a lot of that debt is paid back when the final ruling on tOSU comes in...

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tOSU will get half (or less) of the penalties that USC received.

by TrojanJAG on Jun 25, 2011 6:48 PM PDT reply actions

Talk about pedigree?

And in some states of this God blessed Union of ours, the Gee/Emmert connection might be construed as nepotism.

I agree with JAG, especially considering the fact that in USC’s case- the NCAA’s COI was “packed” against us in the last minute with Potuto (the reining uber-bitch, Dee’s dominatrix) getting in on some side action after having been previously “termed-out” and in fact- ineligible to participate on committees. As far as I’m concerned, not only did ex-AD Garrett drop the ball not having influence or influential friends at the NCAA, he blew it administratively by being derelict in imposing due process rights for USC (should have never allowed Potuto/Nebraska nor Conboy/Notre Dame to sit on the COI committee) and he blew it procedurally throughout the entire hearing with the COI.

We didn’t produce an A-Team of legal help, Garrett brought our ex-Coaches thinking a show of force in this regard would have some influence or be of some degree of help. What he needed was Louis B. Freeh in on that hearing. Not some behind the scenes Compliance stiff and practically-exiled ex-Coaches.

As I’ve stated with regards to the way the SEC, Slive, and Auburn handled their bullshit with the NCAA- you’ve got to give tOSU respect with the way they’ve been able to influence the outcome of their own fuck-ups by making the system “work for them”.

USC’s ego and faith in impartiality sealed out fate in our own tale of woe, when a friend in high places would have sufficed instead. In order to maintain your place in the higher echelons of power teams in D-1 athletics, friends and allies can be the difference between staying in power- or losing it.

We lost.

tOSU will come out better than USC, bank on it.

If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold, you gotta know the password, "Roll, tide, roll!"

by BixBeiderbecke on Jun 25, 2011 8:32 PM PDT reply actions

The outcome is predetermined: tOSU has NOT been charged with LOIC

They will only get a slap on the wrist.

This is why USC finally got smart and hired a real AD. For the goons at the NCAA, Mike Garrett was the gift that kept on giving. The COI had the motivation and Garrett provided the means. We knew they wanted our asses, then Garrett dropped the ball by running his department like a clownshow.

No Garrett = No LOIC

The question is: Sample and then Provost Nikias knew that Garret was a moron with a big mouth; why in blazes didn’t they fire him 10 years ago? How many scandals under Garrett was it going to take?

Is USC in this debacle because of POLITICAL CORRECTNESS?

There, I said it.

"The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything." - Joseph Stalin
U feeling Loco?

by M. AGRIPPA on Jun 26, 2011 7:39 AM PDT up reply actions

You said it, alright!

You hit that one right, Professor!

No LOIC, no death penalty- same goes for UNC. Both tOSU and UNC are alleged to have committed major and serious infractions- WAY MORE THAN WHAT USC had ever been alleged to have committed with regards to Bush and Mayo- as well as any other infractions that USC has EVER committed throughout it’s athletic history!!!! And I say that with a straight face.

Seriously, we’ve been hit (historically) with some bullshit, yes- but I am dead serious when I say without hesitation that USC has never been some “rogue” program, with nefarious characters (be it coaches, players, agents, or boosters) running roughshod over issues regarding NCAA compliance type stuff.

And what comes out of the NCAA notice of allegations regarding tOSU and UNC: NOTHING REGARDING LACK OF INSTITUTIONAL CONTROL!!!!!

AND BOTH THESE SCHOOLS ACTUALLY HAD FULLY-STAFFED COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENTS. I mean, how can people be serious in thinking that USC deserved it’s punishment considering the fact that, at it’s worst (and more importantly, because at the time- historically, it wasn’t “warranted”) USC wasn’t so much “lax” in compliance, it was just ill-prepared and understaffed as far as Compliance Departments. We get hammered HARD for not having common sense enough to have a powerhouse-type level Compliance Department. We get hated on because this oversight is perceived as diabolical shenanigans by way of fostering an environment of student/athlete-agent relationships to thrive.

? (I still, don’t get it. And this is saying something because I come from a family that can properly hate on some shit!)

The NCAA Enforcement wing is so full of crap, I’m surprised it hasn’t choked itself from having to swallow so much shit recently. And the NCAA COI? Depending on the day- those bozos fancy themselves geniuses for being able to insulate themselves from any type of public or governmental oversight or they perceive themselves as being impotent asshats that don’t have authority to impose any sort of organizational weight.

NCAA, is both inadequate and irrelevant in this day and age. Sounds like a good time for a revolution. (And I love that Beatles song!)

If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold, you gotta know the password, "Roll, tide, roll!"

by BixBeiderbecke on Jun 26, 2011 8:45 AM PDT up reply actions

We are in complete agreement Bix

This nugget is golden:

USC wasn’t so much "lax" in compliance, it was just ill-prepared and understaffed as far as Compliance Departments

This is the core of our problem. If we knew (and we did know) the NCAA wanted to screw us over, if we were already on probation, why the f*ck didn’t Garrett do the job he was supposed to do? Instead he loses track of who’s parking what car, doesn’t monitor the phone bill and lets known cancers Guillory and Ornstein get close to our athletes. Why? HE IS A MORON.

"The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything." - Joseph Stalin
U feeling Loco?

by M. AGRIPPA on Jun 26, 2011 10:04 AM PDT up reply actions

I find it ironic that. . . . .

. . . . .“Mr. Heisman” himself practically helps the Heisman Trust to strip another (in a long line of) USC Trojan Heisman Trophy winner of such an achievement. Yup Loco, Mike Garrett lets a Heisman get removed from it’s deserved perch from the shelves at Heritage Hall.

Ironic, no?

If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold, you gotta know the password, "Roll, tide, roll!"

by BixBeiderbecke on Jun 26, 2011 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions

[edit]

the above was said, simply in jest. lemme make this clear: REGGIE BUSH, HIMSELF- brought this all on USC and consequently- Reggie lost the Heisman all on his own. that Mike Garrett was at the helm of USC Athletics is just coincidental.

fwiw: to all my Trojan brethren, I apologize to anyone offended at my dig at Garrett. I know he was beloved by some, and to those- I didn’t mean anything mean by it.

If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold, you gotta know the password, "Roll, tide, roll!"

by BixBeiderbecke on Jun 26, 2011 12:47 PM PDT up reply actions

Very true about Reggie. However, the Reggie debacle alone was not enough to bring USC down. The key to USC’s demise wad the LOIC charge, and it never happens if Iron Mike hadn’t run such a lazy and sloppy operation.

Mike Garrett ran USC’s athletic department like Jeff Skilling ran Enron.

"The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything." - Joseph Stalin
U feeling Loco?

by M. AGRIPPA on Jun 26, 2011 10:33 PM PDT up reply actions

I caught some crap from my cousin, Class of 1978 Trojan

We talked, she worked with Garrett some years back. Not directly under him, but “with him” in some admin capacity. She swears by him.

Skilling just recently got out of prison didn’t he? Or was there just some current issue he is dealing with that was in the news lately? The weird part about Enron is . . . . .they had some innovative ways of cooking those books. They took full advantage of deregulation on 2 major fronts and still WHIFFED at succeeding in their schemes. Kay couldn’t hack it, Skilling battled on. . . . .if you ask me- for Enron, it was simply just horrible timing to have to come up looking clean on Federal audits. Otherwise, I think they could have skated if they could have weathered the storm of subpoenas and were able to lay out new tracks for the papertrail they unfortunately couldn’t properly get rid of or discard.

Shit, they almost pulled it out anyway.

If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold, you gotta know the password, "Roll, tide, roll!"

by BixBeiderbecke on Jun 27, 2011 8:05 AM PDT up reply actions

Well said, Volunteer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ljxpyH4dnA

Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
-R. Zimmerman

by gnossos on Jun 26, 2011 12:18 PM PDT up reply actions

THE FREAKING CHILLS!

Okay, this isn’t some sarcasm whatsoever: I’d do Grace Slick, even now! (if I were single?) That’s one freakass-hot Banshee! Not only can she sing with the best of them, she’s got SOUL through and through. A true rock-N-roller is deep set in da blues, and if there’s any other better female singer out there- black, white, or whatever? I’ll have an argument in favor of Grace.

Hella-badass woman.

Great jam, Gnoss! I got a revolution in mind, you can say that!

If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold, you gotta know the password, "Roll, tide, roll!"

by BixBeiderbecke on Jun 26, 2011 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions

You might want to reconsider..........doing her now.....

She’s a great painter but physically she hasn’t aged well, though her mind and sarcasm is still laser sharp! She still sounds like the ‘young’ Grace, I loved what she said about going to the White House, invited by Tricia Nixon.

When WE were all young, I was in love with her, she was smoking hot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPTzwxr-ZqU

Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
-R. Zimmerman

by gnossos on Jun 26, 2011 9:57 PM PDT up reply actions