ESPN's Alabama Comparison Makes Southern Cal Look Worse
by gbruin on Jun 3, 2010 10:46 AM PDT
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PrintESPN's Ted Miller continues the propaganda campaign to minimize punishment of *$c by the NCAA over alleged violations by using the always mature "What I did isn't as bad as what he did" argument. He then lists Alabama's major violations and comes to the conclusion that *$c's transgressions are far less offensive.
More than a few fans and, unfortunately, a few journalist [sic] have written or talked about this case being a litmus test for NCAA enforcement equity: USC must get hit as hard as Alabama in 2002.
Utter rubbish.
Utter rubbish is right.
If by that Miller meant that *$c's violations are actually worse than those of Alabama, he'd be credible. But it’s clear his premise is that *$c doesn’t merit the same punishment that Alabama received. Miller makes his point by comparing Alabama’s violations to those alleged of *$c. Ok, let's see how *$c compares to the Crimson Tide.
1. An Alabama recruits’ parents received payments and lodging. Reggie Bush. Check.
2. A recruit received a car. Joe McKnight. Check.
3. Cash was paid to a high school coach to secure a recruit. Tim Floyd was caught funneling money to an agent in return for getting O.J. Mayo. Check
4. An assistant coach received illegal loans. *$c had ineligible coaches "consulting" at practice. No word on whether they were compensated in any way. Maybe check.
Well, there are 4 of 5 major findings that *$c has matched. Bama's 5th, sighting suspected boosters in a team hotel on the road is circumstantial. And besides, presumably someone paid for those flat screens, cars, apartments, and the rest of the bennies for the trogans. I'd almost rather it were boosters paying for this than *$c making those payments itself.
But either way, Miller has it all wrong. Side by side with Alabama, *$c’s not only matches Bama's violations, they go flying right past them. *$c’s violations involve two programs, football and basketball. And, of course, Miller totally neglects to address the additional issues that have been well documented including the litany of issues regarding player behavior, allegations of steroid use, academic fraud, racism, or any of the previous violations and unethical actions of the new coaching staff. If the NCAA is looking for the definition of lack of institutional control, they can find it here plain as day.
Using my 8 year old's tactic of "What I did wasn't as bad as what my sister did" is unprofessional, illogical, and immature. And it doesn't work.
Yep. No comparison by any objective measure.
No comparison is right. Miller's attempt to minimize the trogies' errors by highlighting Alabama's actually makes *$c look far worse in comparison. And their punishment should reflect that.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.
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Absurd
It is like those parents whose kids can do no wrong, but when someone else kids do the same thing then it is a problem. In this case Miller is the parent and is blinded by his $uc pride
The way Miller
worked so hard to not look at the totality of circumstances is just … well … tragicomic. Good stuff gb.
We can't judge all of bspn by Miller
They are a totally credible, incorruptable bunch. And if you don’t think so, go over to the Texas Tech site and ask them for their opinion on Craig James.
this guy ever work for la times? just wondering...
him not seeing any correlation between bama and *$¢ is “utter rubbish”
and why is he assuming we WANT them to get hammered? i just want the playing field even and i’m sure CRN will take care of the rest…
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are." --John Wooden
I don’t think the tactic of claiming one school’s violations are less severe and thus the penalties should not be as harsh is inherently “unprofessional, illogical, and immature”. It’s valid if one were to assume to that prior cases set the precedent for how sanctions should handed out for given cases. It doesn’t work in this particular case because as you, and many others, have pointed out, sc’s alleged violations go far beyond the severity and scope of Alabama’s violations. The sc sanctions should be more harsh than the ones given to Alabama but sc is very important to the wallets of the people making these decisions and, unfortunately, that will go a long way in determining what actually happens.
Only 1 question.
Did I miss when Floyd’s payment to whatshisname was proven?
by impaulv on Jun 3, 2010 11:22 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
"Proven" is tricky
If memory serves, the guy made his statement to a US Attorney, under penalty of perjury. While it is an allegation, there does not seem to be much benefit to the allegation to have been a lie. USC’s self-sanctions on the Basketball program due to Floyd/Mayo also lend credence to the payment having happened. I do imagine the NCAA report will have plenty to say on this.
formerly bruinhoo
Disagree, Pat
“Proven” isn’t tricky. It’s right in the Evidence Code. Evidence Code section 190 says “‘Proof’ is the establishment by evidence of a requisite degree of belief concerning a fact in the mind of the trier of fact or the court.”
The trier of fact here is public opinion. We should probably exclude Bruins and trogans from the equation because of bias. Let’s take Yahoo, for example, as a trier of fact whose agenda is to gain journalistic credibility (among other things, I suppose.) Yahoo saw the evidence and found the fact of the payoff to be established.
I also say another Timmeh story somewhere. He still has not denied taking the money. All he says is that the truth is going to come out some day. Everything old is new again, goes the song. Timmeh, and trogans everywhere, that is what’s called a “non-denial denial,” made famous in the Watergate years. There is nothing that prevents Timmeh from going on national TV and getting the truth out. Why doesn’t Timmeh file suit for libel against the many folks who have published the payoff story?
One other factor. If someone were to accuse Mike Montgomery or Tony Bennett ot Mark Few or any of a hundred other coaches, for example, of a $1000 payoff, no one would believe it because those guys have a reputation as being stand up guys. Timmeh, on the other hand, is sticking by his story of how OJ2 ended up at just$c". Timmeh recruits Little Percy – oh, yeah,, and incidentally that other kid. Derozean, yeah. Timmeh leaves an oil slick behind him that has only recently been beaten out. So with Timmeh, the basic concepts, that he would blatantly cheat, and that he is both stupid enough and arrogant enough to think he wouldn’t get caught, are very easy to accept. In that context, it’s pretty easy to accept the Yahoo story as proof.
I think the $1,000 payoff is proved. It’s not tricky. It’s not close to tricky.
Excellent thoughts
Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing a receipt, Floyd’s admission or something a little more solid than my personal bias to say that Floyd was “caught”.
by impaulv on Jun 3, 2010 2:14 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
There are very few admissions in the courtroom
OJ1 admitted nothing, and he still got nailed two out of three times.
Thinks about it: None of the trOJies admit anything. Does that mean it didn’t happen?
No, never said it doesn't happen
or that I don’t think Floyd was dirty… I just don’t know if the $1000 ever happened. A $1k payment in the middle of the afternoon, on an LA street sounds a little weird to me but then again, weirder things have happened!
I hope $C gets nailed tomorrow. But I get the feeling they skate to some extent :-/
Nope
A court found him liable. That’s good enough for me. As soon as the NCAA or an overwhelming preponderance of evidence points to Floyd having given the money, I’ll be able to wholeheartedly believe it. Sorry if I don’t think the testimony of 1 person is enough to convict a person… given under oath or not (because we all know how people never lie under oath…)
You are ever criminal defense lawyer's dream juror, impaul
And every plaintiff’s lawyer’s nightmare. During the presidential election campaign, I asked my first time voter niece if there was anything Obama could do or say, or if there was anything that she could learn about him, that would keep him from voting for him. She thought (and we were being serious, so she was really honestly evaluating) and she said No. The issue for her was that he was so much younger than McCain. And when that’s the issue, then nothing that anyone can say will change that core thing.
So what is it with you and Timmeh? I wasn’t there, but I believe to the core of my being that he did it. Of course, I want to believe it, but I am a born skeptic. You weren’t there either. But we both see the same evidence. What is it that you don’t find persuasive? Do you really need photographic evidence of him handing over a wad of bills?
One final comment. I don’t believe he has ever denied any of the details of that guy’s story (and it’s been so long that I can’t even remember his name. He keeps saying the usual cliches: “I can’t wait for the truth to come out,” “The facts will make everything clear,” and that kind of thing. He has yet to say, “I didn’t do it.”
Don't need a picture :-)
A simple receipt would do :-P
But seriously, I didn’t see it.. The only evidence is the testimony of one person. If Floyd had a documented trail of violations or even allegations of violations, I’d be more inclined to believe it. But like Nestor, said we can believe what we want to. I think he’s dirty because my gut tells me so, but this money thing still hasn’t clicked to me. I can’t be the only one here who thinks the same, I’m sure….
Very few cheaters voluntarily leave a receipt
Of course, these are trOJies, who aren’t generally very smart, and who are so arrogant they assume they will never be caught.
As the old saying goes...
“You don’t justify bad behavior by pointing to other bad behavior.”
Each investigation needs to stand on its own merits, and you look at prior cases, as well as the need to encourage future good behavior, when handing down sanctions.
Bob O. (Signholder #3)
The lynchpin in this whole thing is Coach Dogfighter McNair
If the NCAA has proof that Coach Dogfighter was hanging with Bush and partying in SD rolling in limos and staying at posh hotels, they’ve got the connection they need for a LOIC finding. From all reports, the Dogfighter was a big part of the NCAA hearings.
We Should
Play like the MLB and “Get off the Juice”. He’s a dangerous loser. But according to the law all you law-dogs respect, he’s no killer.
ESPN is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Disney Company who owns ABC who owns USC’s $20M+ Television Rights…. rights that put real dollars in not only Disney’s pocket, but the legalized non-profit slavery sham that is today’s NCAA….
NOTHING TRUMPS THAT.
- Not Reggie’s signed comp slips in Vegas
- Not the cash in Tim Floyd’s breast pocket,
- Not the free tract home in San Diego
NOTHING. And everyone knows if you want to bury a story without throwing dirt on it — Release it at 5PM on Friday.
$C Skates because Cash is King.
Done Deal.
GO BRUIN BLUE
He's no killer in the downtown criminal court (courtesy of the stupidest decision ever by Ira Reiner to move it out of Santa Monica)
but he’s a killer according to a civil jury in Santa Monica.
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