Day 30 - THE 3 D's / INCOMING!!!

“How can it be? Not at my school. We are so above that. It’s just the Bammers trying to ruin us. Those players have an axe to grind. Those players got paid by HBO to smear us. I don’t understand why Brooks (www.sportsbybrooks.com) is after us. Didn’t an Alabama fan try to kill our trees? Everyone does it. Nothing to see here, just more Bama wishful thinking. There is no proof. The statute of limitations has run out. Hey look, its Superman. “ Ok, Ok… I just made the last one up, but can anyone tell me where all of the above statements came from? Yep…AUBURN UNIVERSITY FANS. Remember from a few posts back the Three D’s, “Deflect, Deny & Deter?” Well, if you have checked the comment section of most any media site since Sports by Brooks posted his transcripts from tonight’s HBO Real Sports Special on his web site; you can plainly see that my Three D’s are in overdrive.

This is not the end of all of it by any means. As a matter of fact, I suspect this to really just be the beginning. With the allegations made by Stanley McClover, Troy Reddick, Raven Gray and Chaz Ramsey, the Au faithful have had to kick it up notch. I must admit, they have stayed true to the cause with their chants of “We are innocent, but Alabama is up to something” for a long time. Sadly (for them) it just wasn’t enough deflection to keep the truth under wraps. It’s out now and the smoke we have seen billowing from the plains is now accompanied by the tips of flames starting to flicker above the roof line of the Beard–Eaves–Memorial Coliseum. I would love to be a fly on the wall in those athletic offices this morning. Don’t you know that there are very few normal day to day duties being performed in the football offices today? 

I’ve read the transcripts of Andrea Kremer’s interview with the Au players and no matter what kind of spin one might try to put on this, there is no doubt that the interviews demand action from the NCAA. If the NCAA does not follow through on this, I suspect the backlash from fans nationwide to be painful. There is no way that this does not open up a side to the Au saga that has only been touched on to this point. I have been following the whole thing since a day or two after www.tigerdroppings.com ‘s Blue Tuna Tiger started his epic “As the Plains Burn” thread. In all honesty, knowing what I have heard from a few of my friends who are closely connected to the Alabama program and what I have learned from exchanges on Blue Tuna Tiger’s thread, nothing said in these interviews really surprised me. I have been hearing of pay for play being rampant at Au since Pat Dye strolled the sidelines as head coach of the Auburn Tigers. Those claims have never subsided and never subdued. Those claims have always been something I hear from one year to the next regarding certain recruits. I guess if I find anything surprising about the transcripts it is the fact that the players claimed a systematic way of earning more money based on their play on the field (IE: $1000.00 per sack against Alabama). When Brooks made his post yesterday, he opened up much more than a can of worms, he put a bull’s-eye on the back of everyone associated with Auburn University’s athletic program. His willingness to stay after the topic will surely force more mainstream media to stay the course as well. The final result? I suspect we will hear screams of “INCOMING!” from those on the plains week in and week out until the most hefty penalties given to an institution since SMU are handed down. 

I’m hearing that there is more and more coming out Arkansas relating to the recruitment of a certain blue chipper from that neck of the woods. His association with a 7 on 7 camp and that camp’s street agent ties are another missile I expect to be barreling in on Au in the near future. Add to that the scuttlebutt floating around concerning the former Au player turned getaway driver from that neck of woods and how he may be willing to talk about a lot of different things to save his own skin and we could have two separate projectiles being fired from Arkansas at the plains. 

Speaking of getaway drivers, a couple of the other three felons have seemingly been tied to an Atlanta, GA based gang. Was the hit on the trailer in Auburn a gang related task? Who knows, but it’s a valid question that bears investigating. Were the two players not linked to the Atlanta area being actively recruited for the gang? Who knows, but it’s a valid question that bears investigating. Are there other players on the Auburn football team that are associated with this Atlanta area gang? Who knows, but it’s a valid question that bears investigating. Have there been other incidents involving Au football players that have not made the mainstream media? I’ve heard that there are. Just another of many questions that bears investigating.  

Since I seem to be in question mode…let’s continue with the questions I think need to be answered. Feel free to add to my list via the comments section and we will see if we can make any headway towards resolve.

1.)  Is Bobby LOUDER going to have his spot on the Au Board of Trustees reappointed quickly after his time is up next month?

BamaSon25's Speculative Answer: I do not think it will happen quickly. If it does, then that means that there is someone in a higher administrative position who is actually making moves to right the sinking ship that is Auburn University. I’m not ready to concede that such a person exists at that institution.

2.)  Will Bobby LOUDER ever be indicted? 

 Bamason25's Speculative Answer: Yes, he will be indicted, but not before the Department of Justice has everything they need to insure the outcome they are after. I expect Mr. LOUDER to serve major time when this is all said and done. I do not expect this to happen quickly, but rather a few years from now.

3.)  Will the wiretap tapes made by the FBI during the “BingoGate” investigation be admissible in court?

Bamason25's Speculative Answer: Yes, I think the wiretaps will be deemed admissible. The FBI wrote the book on these types of investigations. While the defense attorneys are doing their best to keep them out of court, in the end I think their efforts will be futile.

4.)  Will the NCAA be allowed access to the Federal Government’s evidence gathered during their investigation(s)?

BamaSon25's Speculative Answer: Yes, the NCAA will be allowed to know of the indiscretions that pertain to infringement of NCAA bylaws. The FEDS have worked with the NCAA on numerous occasions before, why would this case be any different?

5.)  Will the NCAA act on the mountains of evidence they have had thrown in their lap pertaining to improprieties committed by Auburn University?

BamaSon25's Speculative Answer: I think so. A few months ago, I think we might have seen this all go quietly into the night, but not now. With people like Blue Tuna Tiger making sure that all of the allegations stay at the forefront of the average fan’s thoughts, I do not see how they cannot address the Au situations. I think that the penalties that will be handed down to the University of Tennessee may be a good indicator of what the NCAA’s intent is with Au. Most think UT will be hammered, but I think they end up with less than thought. Why? I’ve been told that UT has given the NCAA a lot of information pertaining to Au’s recruiting habits in effort to lessen their own penalties. If what I was told holds true, UT has given them some very strong evidence. Add to that the fact that LSU, Alabama, Mississippi State, Georgia, Florida and Florida State have all directly voiced their unhappiness with Au’s recruiting habits to the NCAA and there is just too much to ignore. As a bonus, you have prominent boosters from many colleges that may have information that they will go public with if the NCAA drops the ball on this. The NCAA already takes a daily beating from the general public; I just don’t think they can afford to take a lackadaisical stance in this regard.

6.)   Is SACS going to get involved?

BamaSon25's Speculative Answer: I don’t see how they cannot. With statements being made that players were asked to change their major because it was “infringing on football”; SACS has to be perking up. Add to that the fact that the same player said he never went to class after changing his major and SACS definitely has to jump on board. I’ve said all along that I suspect SACS may be the downfall of Au long before the NCAA has to do anything. They seem to work at a much faster pace than does the NCAA. I still hold true to that belief.

7.)  What was the biggest bombshell in the HBO transcripts?

BamaSon25's Speculative Answer: I really wasn’t floored by any of it, but I think there were several things said that will ultimately force the NCAA’s hand. Probably the biggest thing to come out of that is the “You’ve got mail” being given to a player by a coach. That is much different than an anonymous booster giving a $100.00 handshake. If true, that proves complacency by the Au administration in the whole pay for play scenario. It proves that Au coaches were not only aware of it, but were involved (thus condoning) in it.

I don’t think that Au will get hit with the dreaded “Lack of Institutional Control” by the NCAA. I think the NCAA will have to come up with a new catch phrase when this one is said and done. Something along the lines of “Perpetuation of Illegal Practices by the Institution” perhaps? It can’t be “Lack of Institutional Control” if the Institution itself is controlling it all now can it?

RTR

BamaSon25

Day #23 - Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

The University of Alabama Head Coach has a lot of decisions to make. Nick Saban has to determine all kinds of things this spring. He needs to try to figure out who his starting QB will be, who will supplement Trent Richardson in the running game, what he needs to do to a couple of misbehaving players, who will wear a redshirt and who will not, and how much leeway to give the new assistants on the Crimson Tide Staff. Given the talent on this year's squad Coach Saban has decisions, decisions, and more decisions to make.

The Crimson Tide kicked off its spring practice sessions and there were a few notable things going on. First and foremost, Mark Barron was in attendance sporting his black “no contact” jersey. Coming on the heels of his arrest this past weekend, I and the rest of the Bama nation wondered if he would be allowed to practice this spring. Saban basically told the media after the practice session that Barron did something stupid and was only trying to cover up for his cousin. He went on to say that the matter would be handled internally and there would be no other information forthcoming from the Tide program on the subject (Sound familiar? Read my post regarding Barron published a couple of days ago). I agree it was stupid, but the crime did not hurt anyone and I’m glad that Mark will get a chance to finish out his senior year in a Crimson jersey. 

The other decision relating to off field troubles is in regard to Robbie Green. Green, a safety on last year’s squad was suspended for the season for the ever so evasive “breaking team rules” violation. Then we hear that Saban has once again suspended him citing the same reason. Last year there were many rumors surrounding the reason Green was suspended, but I heard that it was for failure to pass a drug screening. If that’s true and it is a similar situation this time, I don’t expect to see Green ever return to the field at Alabama. Even if last year’s rumor wasn’t true, I still think Green’s days playing for the Tide may be over. Saban’s doghouse is most definitely somewhere you don’t want to be. To go back for a second time means you are either an idiot or just don’t give a darned. Either way, don’t be surprised to see Green anywhere other than Bryant Denny. I hope I’m wrong because Green is a talent, but behavior that repetitively lands you in trouble is not needed on this football team. It can work like a cancer and grow from within. So Mr. Green, if you get another chance, GROW UP!

The QB battle is the main topic for Bama fans going into the spring practice sessions. The battle between AJ McCarron (anointed successor to McElroy) and Phillip Sims (young buck superstar) is going to be one worth watching. I wouldn’t expect a starter to be named this spring as I think the off season / summer workouts will allow both guys to grow considerably at the position. In all honesty, I think the winner will be the guy who plays using his brain. Look at Saban’s last two QB’s and note what they have in common. Both John Parker Wilson and Greg McElroy were game managers. While they had adequate athletic ability, it was their intelligence in game situations that kept them in their starting positions. From an athletic standpoint, both Star Jackson and McCarron were more athletic than the previous two starters, but I would take GMAC’s tenacity, smarts and general management skills every time over both of them (I think we will miss GMAC probably more than anyone suspects at this point).  Sims is definitely more athletic than McCarron but will he make smart decisions on the field? He’s young and aggressive, two great qualities to have in a football player but not necessarily the qualities that Saban seems to look for. McCarron has more time in the system as well as “real” game experience.  It is these two factors that I think will ultimately make McCarron our starter for the fall. This is my opinion and I could be totally wrong, but it is at least an educated guess.

McCarron made a statement last year that seemed to indicate that the loser of this QB battle may end up transferring. If McCarron loses this battle, he may do just that. I’m not so sure Sims would jump ship so quickly. He still has some learning to do and has the time to make a push for the starting job. That part of this battle will be interesting to watch.

Who will supplement Trent Richardson in the running game with the premature exit of Mark Ingram? In all honesty, there is a stable full of studs at the RB position in Tuscaloosa. I offer that any one of the guys behind Richardson could and probably would start at any school in the SEC save maybe South Carolina. I personally think Eddie Lacey is the guy to watch. While he got a lot of bad press for what was misdiagnosed as a case of fumblitus last season, the kid is a beast. He is surprisingly quick and agile for his size, not to mention he does have breakaway speed. He is a threat to run over a defender or break his ankles with a nice juke move. His fumble issues came from trying to make too much happen when he had the chance. It was a non-problem, I’m almost sure of it. Don’t  forget incoming freshman, Dee Hart. He is a little smallish compared to prototypical Saban RB, but he wouldn’t be there if Saban didn’t think he could carry the load for him. He will get his looks this spring and again in the fall. Running Back is the easiest position on offense for a guy to start at as a freshman (not that I think he will start), so I think he very well may have an opportunity to avoid a redshirt next season. If Saban thinks he can help the Tide, he will play. Goode seems to improve every game, so don’t count him out by any means. He runs hard and secures the ball well. Those are two things that will not go unnoticed by Saban. While the other backups are all “playable”, I think the three I have mentioned here will be the ones to watch this spring, summer and in fall camp. One of them will emerge as the sure fire bet to supplement Richardson.

MICHAEL BOWMAN – What the heck is this guy? Is he a TE? Is he a WR? I’m not really sure myself, but what I am sure of is that he is the guy I expect to really step up this year. With the exit of Julio, Bowman is by far the biggest receiver on the squad. He can run, jump, block and catch. I think we will see him lineup in multiple sets at different positions. One thing that Bama has done on a limited basis is move the WR’s around to get matchups that they like against an opposing secondary. We may see this more often this season with Bowman. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him line up as a fullback, a TE or a WR. A Bowman verses a LB matchup would be something I would love to see. I don’t think there is a LB in the country that can run with him. I fully expect him to be more than a possession type receiver.

The WR position as a whole is very deep. This could be Hank’s year. He’s shown flashes of greatness, but was often overshadowed by Julio. Darius will make a splash this season, bank it. Marquis Maze will also take on a much larger role this season. I expect us to see our top WR as Hanks, Maze and Bowman. The thing I like most about the Tide receivers this year is the depth. I think we will see a ton of WR’s play this season… it’s the fresh leg theory. From a depth perspective, I don’t see any defense having enough capable DB’s to run with us. I expect huge numbers in the passing game this season (which also bodes well for Richardson making the Heisman ballot). If you can pass, you can run and vice versa.

ED STINSON – The former RB, turned TE, turned LB is now a DE. If the kid keeps growing, he may replace the entire defensive line. I’m not 100% sure that he will play at DE, but he sure did work with that group in the practice session. Stinson is a bull, has speed and a fantastic work ethic. I’ve been told he pushes himself in the weight room in the same vein that Trent Richardson does. It’s that kind of thing that gets a guy noticed and Stinson has obviously gotten on Saban’s radar. Saban is the best at getting the right players on the field regardless of what position they have played previously. If Stinson needs to be on the field at DE, that’s where he will be. Congrats to you Big Ed….keep up the hard work.

ZEUS!!!! – Hightower’s knee injury season before last bothered him all last season. While he played the best he could, he simply didn’t have the range he had prior to the injury….until… the last game of the season. Ask any number of Michigan State players if they thought Hightower had regained his pre-injury form. I’ll bet that it would be a resounding “YES” from all of them. I think Saban kept Hightower in the position last season because he knew that he had speed around him and he needed Hightower’s leadership abilities and “defensive QB” skills on the field to compensate for the loss of Rolando McClain. Hightower was fine against the runs between the tackles, it was the sideline to sideline requirements he was hurting in last season. Against MSU (the Yankee one) he seemed to be back to his old self. I look for him to be a terror this season. This is the final year for him to show what he can do. My money is on him making believers out of NFL scouts left and right. Welcome back Mr. Hightower.

Overall, I have really high expectations this year even though we lost some major contributors from last year’s squad. The depth that this Crimson Tide team has is simply unbelievable. Think about all of the guys I haven’t even mentioned in this article. You have the likes of Lester, Nico, J. Harris, Kirkpatick, P. Jones, Milliner, Lowery, Upshaw and Menzie to name a few on defense. Then offensively there are guys like Bell, Fluker, Fowler, Gibson, Norwood, Blake Sims, and Smelley plus a ton of others. Then add to that all of the young bucks that have the potential to contribute such as: Carswell, Depriest, Hart, Grant, Orr, Smith, White and several others. The Tide is rising, no doubt in my mind about that.

THE BAMSON25 WAAAAY TOO EARLY PREDICTION: We win the West and make a run for the big dance again this year. The play of our new QB will have a lot to do with making this prediction come true, but keep in mind that Trent Richardson is going to take a lot off of our new starter at the QB position. I’m excited… when is kickoff again?

RTR

BamaSon25

Day #21.... Tis Only Fair

If one decides to look over all of the posts made since the inception of this blog, there is one glaring, recurring theme that I seem to point out. Auburn University. Even though I have repeatedly stated that my intent is not to slam Au, I must admit it has been my #1 topic. Mainly because they seem to have put themselves at the very forefront of my thought process by having so many people that are integral parts of that university allegedly involved in so many different aspects of corruption in both the criminal and collegiate arenas. Well, guess what Au fan? Today, you will get to hear me turn my ire towards my own beloved Capstone. 

As so many Au fans have pointed out to me since the story broke regarding Alabama’s Senior safety (Mark Barron) and his arrest for obstructing / hindering justice, now is a chance for me to prove that I am not just targeting Au. In my last post, I mentioned how I thought Alabama was having fewer and fewer incidents that made the crime blotters across the state. Of course typing such words most likely greatly increased the odds of something happening this quickly. Murphy’s Law is no joke. That said, I still contend that the incidents involving Alabama’s athletes is on the decline as opposed to past years under a wide variety of coaches. Furthermore, I contend that the severity of Barron’s crime is no comparison to those of Auburn’s most recent student athlete crime blotter listings. It still doesn’t make it right and it still reflects poorly on both Barron and the University of Alabama. 

According to initial reports, Barron’s automobile was involved in a one car accident on an interstate in the Mobile area (Barron’s home town). While the reports I have read were not very clear, it seemed as if Barron was in the automobile, but was not the driver. I saw no mention of Barron being intoxicated, but one would assume that would be the most likely reason that he was not driving his own car. Barron told police that the driver of his vehicle was an acquaintance that he knew only as “Bull.” After a short investigation, it appears that the Mobile police found out that the driver was one of Barron’s cousins who had left the scene of the accident. After giving Barron multiple opportunities to change his story, Barron opted to stick with his original one. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!!! I understand Barron not wanting to be labeled as a snitch, especially by naming a family member, but it was obvious that the Police already knew the real story. Sticking to his lie served no purpose at this point, yet Barron refused to roll over on his cousin. So now, Barron has given a black eye to another State of Alabama institution and made my post from the other day look silly. Thanks a lot Mark.

Saban gave his usual, “I’ll have to wait until the facts are in before making a comment” statement which is exactly what I expected him to do. From there, I expect the next comment to be, “We will handle this internally and no further discussion will be forthcoming on this subject” or some variation thereof. While I really do expect Barron to pay a hefty price of some sort for his actions, it drives me insane that the general public rarely finds out what type of punishment is leveled on athletes who violate both team rules and state laws. I think making this information public would go a long way towards deterring the next kid from possibly making a bad choice. I know that if I knew my name was going to be all over the news for months and months to come for something this stupid, I might think twice before doing it in the first place. Saban has his way of doing things and nothing I will say on a web blog that he doesn’t know even exists is going to change that. 

A poster on another board (sorry, I can’t remember which one I read it on) thought that Barron should have to sit out the first 3 games of the season and have his leadership role as the 2010 team captain revoked. If what has been released so far is all that there is to this story, I concur with this guy’s idea of punishment. Not allowing Mark Barron to join the other team captains at the yearly tradition of putting their hand prints and cleats impressions into the concrete surrounding Denny Chimes would be a long standing punishment for what he has done. Making him sit for 3 games in his senior year could also affect his draft status next year with the pros (if there is a draft next year, but that’s a story for a different day). I would not be surprised for the punishment Saban levels on Barron to be exactly this and then some, but that is purely speculation. I also expect, since Barron is going to be limited in spring practice (He’s still rehabilitating from his surgery) that he will be given some less than glamorous exercises to perform while his team mates are preparing for the upcoming season. RUN MARK RUN!!!!!

I have said all along that I just want all of college football cleaned up; this includes the University of Alabama. While Mark Barron’s actions are less severe than those of his counterparts down on the plains, they still look bad on both the University of Alabama and the state as a whole. I would hate to see the kid kicked off the team for being stupid, but I would think that is a very real possibility in light of all the other problems going on with student athletes in this state at the current time. People are demanding that issues be addressed and sadly for Mark, he very well could be used as an example. If that happens, then so be it. Kicking Barron of the team for this infraction may be a bit severe in my eyes, but if it aids in cleaning up the sport as a whole, I can completely understand it. 

On other fronts, more and more information is coming out that seems to link Atlanta area based gangs to athletes, not just at Au, but all over the southeast. Pictures upon pictures of these kids flashing guns, cash and gang signs are starting to be seen all over the place. The funny thing (or not so funny in reality), most of these pictures are being taken right off of the player’s personal Facebook pages….. AND I’M CALLING OUT MARK BARRON FOR BEING STUPID? Come on guys, even if you are involved in a gang that is selling drugs, committing robberies, killing people and a plethora of other things, don’t you think that it is a bit stupid to plaster your association with these gangs all over the internet? It’s kind of like robbing a bank with a banana. There’s a good chance that you are going to get caught before you get to spend a dime of your take. Is this a matter of the kids today being so brazen about their illegal activities that they fear no consequence or is it stupidity on a scale much larger than the one I’m using for Mark Barron? Either way, I sure hope to see some examples made out of them and I hope these examples are made by the legal system as opposed to the school they are representing. While these types of actions reflect poorly on the Alabama and Auburns of the world, I think they reflect even more poorly on the legal system as a whole. Brazen criminal activity plastered all over the internet with no action is more than thumbing a nose at us all; it’s giving us the middle finger.

RTR

BamaSon25

Day 16 - Well, Well, Well ....

Let’s start today’s thoughts off with Mr. Scott Moore. Moore, a man who has had his career, his personal life and his spirit trampled on by his previous employer, his friends, the Auburn University fan base and yes, sadly even parts of the Alabama fan base has finally given everyone a double dose of  SHUT THE HELL UP! Congratulations Mr. Moore. 

Mr. Scott Moore produced a verified “pdf” file from a law firm representing Mr. John Bond (Mississippi State University booster) that proves he was not blowing smoke. While I must admit I had my questions at times, I did attempt to give Mr. Moore the benefit of the doubt in regards to what he had said on air prior to “parting ways” with the radio station he worked for. As said on previous post(s) here, I simply could not understand why Mr. Moore would make the claims he made without having something to back them up. I also stated that I leaned towards Moore being accurate because of a friend of mine that had heard some similar tapes. So now, here we are. Mr. Moore has produced proof that backs up his claims regarding Cam Newton with a verified “pdf” file that can be viewed on a number of web sites (www.auburngate.com is where I first saw it). Who verified it? Well, it really doesn’t matter as one of the more skeptical posters at www.auburngate.com took it upon himself to email the attorney referenced on Mr. Moore’s screenshot of the actual email to ask if it was a valid email. The poster stated that he received a response to his inquiry from the attorney within 30 minutes that simply stated, “It is my letter.” 

The email from Bond’s attorney is carefully worded and never mentions Auburn University. It does, however; provide the most concrete evidence to date that all of the speculation concerning a multi-tiered investigation of Cam Newton’s recruitment is ongoing and being conducted by the NCAA, the FBI and state regulators is true. We now know for sure that the investigations are ongoing. What we don’t know for sure is that these investigations include Auburn University. That said, it is beyond feasible that Au would be included in the investigation as would the University of Tennessee as both schools were in on Cam Newton’s recruitment. Furthermore, I think it is safe to say that Au will be looked at under even a more powerful microscope than UT simply because they were the team that ended up with Cam on their roster. The variable here is Mississippi State University. Bond has publicly stated (as has Scott Moore) that the tapes in Bond’s possession will exonerate MSU. If that is true, I would suspect any such investigation into that institution has already, for the most part, been conducted.

The letter to Mr. Moore (Dated March 14, 2011) basically explains that Mr. Bond has been advised to “NOT” divulge the content of the tapes at this time due to the possibilities of obstructing or hindering the investigations by the NCAA, the FBI and state regulators. This gives Mr. Moore his credibility back. This also answers a few more questions that have surfaced in the Moore saga. I had wondered why Bond (Moore’s friend) had not come to his defense in all of this. This letter is a very legal way of doing just that. I had also wondered why Bond himself had not stepped forward after publicly stating that (paraphrased), “The NCAA better do the right thing or I will release the tapes.” This letter explains precisely why, that being the potential to harm the aforementioned entities’ investigations. Lastly, Mr. Moore now has all that he needs to pursue a “Defamation of Character” suit against the “foundation” that publicly called him a liar, produced false information concerning his personal life and ultimately cost him his job. The one iron clad defense to a suit of this type is if the plaintiff was proven to be a liar. In this case, the contrary has now been proven. Mr. Moore was telling the truth. Certain mitigating circumstances caused Mr. Moore’s time line for playing the Bond tapes on air to be canceled or delayed because of the ongoing investigations by the three aforementioned entities. Kudos to Mr. Moore, Mr Bond and Mr. Bond’s attorney for staying the course and allowing the truth to come out (at least as much as possible at this juncture). 

Moving forward…. Has anyone listened to the audio tape of Paul Finebaum at his lecture to a group of Birmingham Southern business students? Surprisingly enough, the first place to link the audio is located at Warblogle . That is a “pro Auburn” oriented web blog and I must give that site’s administrator props for allowing the information to be heard regardless of the opinions that will be formed from the audio. The audio clip itself is about 40 minutes long and was obviously recorded with a hand held device that makes hearing it a challenge. Grab your head phones, make a bologna sandwich and give it a listen (a direct link to the audio can be found here: Finebaum Lecture). As should be expected, two completely different views of what the Finebaum audio is are being depicted by the Alabama and Auburn fan bases. The Au supporters seem to think it is Finebaum’s hatred for all things Au and his man crush on Nick Saban that caused him to speak so ill of Auburn University. The Alabama fan base seems to think he has got it all exactly right. Listen for yourself and feel free to let me know what you think. I would be interested to hear it.

Personally, I think Paul Finebaum is the consummate pot stirrer in all things sports related. I listen to his show but often with same outlook I would afford the Jerry Springer Show. The show is about ratings and controversy as opposed to actual sports. His regular callers make the schools they support look horrible and I most definitely include Alabama’s call in regulars in this group. The show is what it is and I guess there is a place for that for a great many people; otherwise it would not have gone national. That said, I think the Finebaum persona we hear on the radio has nothing to do with the guy’s abilities, connections and intelligence as it relates to being a sports reporter. Love him or hate him, the man is not an idiot. The aforementioned audio is very telling in many ways, but you have to keep in mind that this is a business related lecture. Finebaum never comes right out and says anything devastating, but rather allows his listeners to make their own decisions based on the information he lets them have. At the very least, the clip lets me know that Finebaum knows a lot more about what is going on with Auburn University than he lets on via his radio show. Many of the Au supporters feel like he will turn the big guns on them when he has a chance to do so and I 100% agree. The thing most of them don’t understand is he will do the same thing to Alabama if given a chance. People say he has no loyalty and that is simply incorrect. He has plenty of it…. It just lies with the PAUL FINEBAUM RADIO NETWORK. 

The arrests of the Au football players…. There have been 5 players with legal troubles over the last couple of weeks. All were immediately removed from the team by Head Coach Gene Chizik. Given the severity of the crimes alleged to have been committed by these athletes, I do not see where Chizik had any other choice…. UNLESS…he shouldn’t have recruited the guys in the first place. There is a lot of talk regarding these players’ ties to a gang based out of Atlanta. Is it true? I have no idea, but there are definitely those that believe it is. There are a couple of supporters of this line of thinking that have been vocal about it on the “As the Plains Burn” thread (link located in the window to the right). One in particular has done a very good job of following this particular gang’s influence in the Atlanta area high schools it seems to be so deeply rooted in. Prior to the arrests of the Au football players for 1^st degree robbery and several other charges, this “poster” had documented court cases, newspaper articles and a plethora of other interesting facts regarding the gang and their ties to high school athletes from certain schools in Georgia. After reading his reports for months, I suddenly see that one of the Au players arrested in the robbery case is directly linked to one of the high schools he has constantly named as being involved. Coincidence? Possibly, but it is definitely something to keep an eye on. With the federal investigations going on concerning pay for play schemes and the use of street agents swirling around Au and the ongoing criminal cases going on surrounding the gang activity in Georgia High Schools, it would not surprise me in the least to see them overlap and become fully entwined. If Mark Richt is pulling scholarship offers from some of these same kids because of questionable character, why isn’t Gene Chizik?

Now, when I started this blog, I stated that I would try to remain objective in spite of my loyalty to the University of Alabama. After looking back over the posts on this site, it does appear that I am out to hammer Auburn University. That simply is not the case. In all fairness, I must mention that Alabama has had its own issues with players reflecting poorly on the University. Jimmy Johns selling cocaine on several occasions on campus, domestic incidents between players and their girlfriends and the robbery of a student by a student athlete on campus are all examples of how poor judgment in the character of the athlete being recruited can reflect poorly on the University as a whole. I am proud to say that since the Dubose troubles, The F-Ran debacle and the Shula sadness, I have seen a big turnaround in the types of kids Alabama is bringing on campus. It is ridiculous to expect Coach Saban (or Gene Chizik for that matter) to be able to baby sit these kids 24/7. I remember the same smoke coming out of Tuscaloosa during the Shula years about gang infiltration into the football program. In all honesty, I believe it WAS an issue and part of the reason that Shula was not successful in turning things around in the way that all Bama fans had hoped he would. I’m not saying that we will never see any of Saban’s recruits garner headline attention, but I am saying we are seeing fewer and fewer incidents since he has come to the Capstone. I fear that Au cannot make the same claim.

In Chizik’s defense, I must say that the pressure put on him to be successful at Au is probably unbelievable. His whole livelihood rests on what his football team does. Does that give him the right to cut corners, break rules and play dirty? No it does not. With such a national spotlight being placed on Coach Chizik and Au, he had better hope that he hasn’t knowingly been involved in shady shenanigans down on the plains; otherwise his fate may already be sealed. Win at all costs will generally end up at causing a major loss at some point…sooner or later.

RTR

BamaSon25

Day 11 - State of War.....

I haven't gone away, nor have I been under a rock (too many snakes under all of them in Alabama). I have just been sitting back and watching as things start to unfold across the state of Alabama, the Big 10, the Pac 10 and college sports in general. I've watched a local Alabama radio host lose his job, a vest wearing college coach sweat, an incompetent collegiate sports governing body once again prove why people from every conference constantly scream for change and an all-out war be declared on people who exercise their 1st Amendment rights. Not to mention ever increasing gas prices due to unrest in the Middle East, massive earthquakes in Japan and the wrong kid getting voted off of American Idol (yes I watch it, it's one of the few shows that my whole family can watch together). I'm no religious zealot, but gosh... today's calendar looks like a photocopy of a page or two from the Book of Revelations. Let’s hit a couple of things and see how long it takes for my personal life to be invaded because I chose to state my opinion.

1.) Gas Prices - I've been hearing reports of $5.00 per gallon by the end of June. It looks like the Muslim Brotherhood is about to attempt to do the same thing in Saudi Arabia as they have done in Egypt. WAKE UP WORLD....they are about to control OPEC. A price of $5.00 per gallon will look fantastic if they succeed. It really is a good thing that I am not President because I would make some very "politically incorrect" moves to stop this crap.

 The first thing I would do is make the cost of a bushel of grain directly correspond to the cost of a barrel of oil. The oil misers live in a desert for crying out loud. WE feed them. I would just tell them that if they want to charge $150.00 per barrel that is fine by me, but a bushel of grain would cost them $151.00 each. If they all starve to death, we can just go get whatever oil we need. Which brings me to point number two....

  We don't need their oil. We have plenty within an arm's length of our borders (or within them). We just can't use it because of the mounds of red tape covering it up. We might disrupt the natural habitat of a moose in Alaska. Give me a break. The Alaskan pipeline is something that is used daily by many different species of wildlife in that region. Google it, there are pictures upon pictures of birds, moose (meece [take note Webster’s people]) and other wildlife congregating near the pipeline to steal a bit of the heat generated by it. The moose love the pipeline. We should too.

 The extremist Muslim Brotherhood places no value on American lives, so why should we put so much value on theirs? If we, as a country, know this and choose not to make an aggressive move to stop them, we will eventually get what we deserve. The loss of American soldier’s lives in Iraq and Afghanistan has been totally unnecessary and uncalled for. We could handle these pockets of resistance without ever putting an American soldier at risk. 9/11 was an opening act for them. I honestly am surprised something much worse has not happened already.

2.) The major earthquake in Japan – This is a developing story, but the footage I have seen on television so far indicates there is going to be a major loss of life with this catastrophic event. I urge all of you to keep these people in your prayers as it appears they are going to need it.

3.) The NCAA – I understand that tOSU is the party that has sanctioned itself and that the NCAA has not handed down any type of penalty. This doesn’t change the fact that tOSU was allowed to play the new and improved version of Michigan’s Fab-5 in their bowl game. UGA was forced to sit A.J. Green for committing the exact same crime on a much smaller and less frequent scale. As a matter of fact, A.J. Green sold one jersey on one occasion. tOSU players did this time and time again and were allowed to play. It doesn’t matter that they will most likely have to vacate their 2010 season down the road. Arkansas will still have a loss on their record. How can that be justified? I do not think for a second tOSU would have beaten them if the “Tattooed Fab-5” had been forced to sit. Of course that is speculation, but Arkansas and their fans have been royally screwed over because of it. There is nothing anyone can say or do that can change my view on this. Had the shoe been on the other foot, I suspect Arkansas would not have been given the luxury of playing their 5 ineligible players. Why? Arkansas is not the media darling nor the cash cow that tOSU is. It’s all about the Benjamins, it always is. It’s a double standard that the NCAA uses over and over again. Did the Big 10 need a win over the SEC so badly that the rules were bent to accommodate not one but at least 5 players who were cold busted breaking the NCAA rules?

The fact that tOSU’s head coach was aware of the problem(s) long before the football team ever took the field will most likely result in some severe penalties being handed down by the NCAA. This does nothing to address the damage done to other schools throughout the 2010 season. That season is gone and cannot be brought back. The whole system is backwards and the simplest solution in the world has not even been entertained. In real life, if the police suspect someone of committing a felony, what do they do? THEY ARREST THEM and throw them in a cell. Of course the NCAA cannot lock anyone up, but they could use the same basic philosophy. Instead of using the current system of allowing the school under scrutiny to provide evidence from that school’s own internal investigation to decide whether an athlete is eligible or not, then waiting on the NCAA’s enforcement division to complete a slow, lazy investigation; JUST SIT THE ATHLETE, THE COACH or THE WHOLE DAMNED TEAM until it is sorted out. It wouldn’t take but about one, maybe two schools having to go through this and this crap would stop. If a school is found innocent, offer a letter of apology and give the kid another year of eligibility. IF that isn’t good enough, they can always opt for NAIA play. Another thing that would stop it is if a school is found to be guilty of a major violation, take that school’s non-profit status away from them. Everything these days revolves around money. If you hit them in their wallet, trust me, the school will do whatever it takes to get the situation rectified.

4.) Personal Attacks – If you have been following the Scott Moore saga, you know that a certain group of individual Auburn supporters put together a “foundation” aimed at discrediting Mr. Moore. They personally attacked him; they scrutinized his personal life and COST HIM HIS JOB. They even publicly broadcast false information regarding his personal life (IE: that he was arrested for embezzlement; he never was). I hope Mr. Moore takes advantage of the 100’s of Alabama attorneys who would gladly take his case pro bono and sues these people until the cows come home (note that I suspect the aforementioned cows will not have a home to return to). Why would they do this? Does Mr. Moore not have the right to do his job, which in this case was to report on what he thinks is a valid investigation regarding a university being accused from so many different directions that a compass is needed to know which way is up? It doesn’t matter that Mr. Moore is an Alabama fan; although that was one the ways they attacked him. The simple fact is that Mr. Moore’s claims were not based on a single thing that he acquired from anything to do with his relationship to the University of Alabama, its fans or administration. It was his relationship with John Bond (a MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY BOOSTER) that afforded him the information he used to make the claims against Au. Of course we hear from the Au fan base that it is sour grapes because Alabama lost the Iron Bowl. How can that be proven and how can that justify trying to ruin a man’s career? Mr. Moore has not reported a single thing that has not been crawling around the internet for months on message boards from coast to coast. He has not reported a single thing that has not been speculated over the airwaves all across the southeast. The difference? Mr. Moore very possibly has the proof he needs to cause that speculation to end and become fact.

To this point, I have been willing to give Mr. Moore some leeway in what he claims to have. There are a couple of reasons for this, but the main one being that I have a friend that I know on a personal level that claims to have heard “some” tapes relating to Newtons as well. Add to that the possibility of certain mitigating circumstances that could have caused Mr. Moore’s initial intentions to have been derailed or delayed. I have mentioned on the “As the Plains Burn” thread that Mr. Moore’s actions do not make any sense if he did not have what he claims to have. That post regarding my questioning of Mr. Moore’s line of thinking is below in bold:

Well, it looks like Mr. Moore either is holding his tapes for bigger and better things or he was full of it all along. I wonder if he will go silently into the night or if he will make a statement of some sort. Like someone else said earlier, if he never had anything; he better go into hiding. He will have both Bama and Au fans looking for him. What I don't understand is why if he didn't have Bond/Bell's blessing, why did they not say anything? It will be interesting to watch over the next few days. It also doesn't make sense for Moore to commit career suicide like that. One other puzzling thing, there were reports by other radio hosts that said they had heard the tapes. Where did those guys go?

Since making the above post, Mr. Moore has in fact surfaced and is defending himself via such websites as www.auburngate.com and on the “Megathread” at www.tidefans.com . I am glad to see the guy surface and I am glad that he is sticking to his original story. If Mr. Moore, by chance, happens across this blog; I implore him to answer a few questions by me. Just in case:

1.)    Were you asked by either the Bond/Bell camp or the NCAA to cool on what the tapes contained or even delay your initial time line for playing them on air?

2.)    Why has your friend, John Bond, not come to your defense in all of this?
.

3.)    You have said that the tapes will exonerate MSU, but do they implicate Au further?

4.)    You have said that the tapes will indicate that Cam Newton was aware of his father shopping him. Can you expand on that? Is he in the room? Does Cecil make a statement that indicates Cam wants a certain amount of money? 

5.)    Have you been asked by any Federal entity to remain quiet until a specific time has passed? If so, when is that time and what reason were you given?

6.)    You have stated that you have a letter from the NCAA dated March, 2^nd, 2011. Is this letter addressed to you? If so, why can’t you divulge the general content of the letter? If the letter was addressed to someone else, can you expand on the letter’s subject matter?

7.)    If you will notice below, my blog contains a post titled “Tapes, Tapes, Tapes,” have you heard (or heard of) any of the other tapes that my friend seems to think exist?

As I have said on numerous occasions, I think Mr. Moore should be given the opportunity to explain himself before everyone sides with the very people who want us all to think he has nothing. There may be a lot of behind the scenes activity that Mr. Moore cannot control. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, are you?

There is no reason for any person to personally attack someone for stating what they believe in. It’s one thing to get angry and spout of some unflattering remark to an adversary on any general matter of dispute, but it is entirely different to try to ruin someone’s personal life over it. I understand that the rivalry between Alabama and Auburn produces some very spirited discussions, but what is going on is utterly embarrassing. Blue Tuna Tiger has a right that was given to him by the founding Fathers of this country to express his opinion, yet he too has been a target of personal attacks. Scott Moore has the same rights and the whole world can see what has been done to him. All for what? The very reasons these guys have been attacked are also the very reasons their attackers should want to get to the bottom of it all. If you love Au so much, defend her with honor and not by means of the very same underhanded tactics the University itself is being accused of using. Prove the accusations wrong with retorts based in fact. Don’t use black tactics to achieve your goal.

RTR

BamaSon25

Day #5-3/4 - Clarifications

My "Glass House Theory" post earlier today was done just after having an exchange with an Au fan. I was somewhat angry and need to make some clarifications regarding that post. While everything I said in the post is what I believe to be true, I did not make one thing abundantly clear that I should have.

When Alabama got in trouble during the Dubose years, I viewed everything much like Au supporters are viewing the stuff I talked about in "Glass House" post. I felt like Au, Ut and a couple of other schools were out for blood and only wanted to shut Bama's football program down. These days, I am of a different mind set. Maybe it is my age, maybe it is the fact that I am about to have a daughter leaving home for college (and yes, it appears that Au is high on her list...so my money very well could be heading to the plains as well. This also weighs heavily on why I want things straightened out). The one thing both Alabama and Auburn supporters have in common is that both sides have lost sight of what is supposed to be happening at each school. When I said I didn't care if it meant every school in the NCAA getting in trouble, I meant it. Right now, the corruption going on with the state of Alabama "Bingogate" and   "Colonial Bank" investigations has caused Au to be brought into the limelight. Not once have I said that Alabama, LSU, UGA or anyone else is squeaky clean, but I do think those schools are making an attempt to move in that direction. If they are not, we may see a thread start up on any one of them similar to "As the Plains Burn." I think the reason for all of the accusations being leveled at Au are justified because of the school's association with so many of the players in "Bingogate" and the Alabama corruption trials. I think Au will continue to be scrutinized until they sever ties with all of these people. It's a classic guilt by association type of thing. In one's personal life, if they chose to hang out with a bunch of convicted felons, even if they are lily white and squeaky clean; they can expect to be considered a felon as well by society at large. It's human nature.

We all need to remember that both Alabama and Auburn are institutions of higher learning FIRST. Their prowess on the football field should be a distant second. I know, that's hard to embrace, but it is why these kids are supposed to be getting their free rides to school. If the allegations I pointed out yesterday do prove to be true, I think many Au supporters will have an Epiphany much like I did after the Dubose tenure. If they are found innocent of any wrong doing, I will dedicate an entire post to nothing but apologizing for being so wrong. At this time, I think I am correct though and I have a right to say it.

Some people have questioned my information. On the very first thread of this blog I plainly stated that I was not 100% accurate. Like everyone else, I get some things wrong. One thing I saw was someone questioning the whole Saban to Bama time frame. I stated that my friend had put Saban coming to Bama about 9 days before it hit the media. I still stand by that as can about 10 other people that were involved in those discussions back then. It makes for a great story and I'll tell you what I remember of it as accurately as possible.

 When Shula was let go, Mal Moore put together teams of former Alabama players and boosters to go after certain targets in the coaching search. At that time there were two factions involved and for the purposes of this article, we will call them the Old Guard and the New Guard. The old guard consisted of people like Billy Neighbors, Joe Namath and Lee Roy Jordan (who were actually the team that was sent after Saban). The new guard had some people like John Hannah involved. I do not know very much about the new guard as for who all was on what "team" but it was obvious that Rich Rodrigeuz was their target. The new guard wanted Richrod, the old guard wanted Saban. Saban was in the middle of attempting to make the playoffs for the Dolphins. There were some discussions with Saban, but he basically told Bama that he wasn't interested and needed to do his job. The old guard team stayed after him, but were basically brushed away. The new guard got Richrod's interest and he came to Tuscaloosa for a visit. If you will remember, it was widely speculated that a deal had been struck paying Richrod in the neighborhood of $2 mil per year. It was at this time that a member of the old guard team was contacted by the Saban camp. Again, Saban was in the middle of trying to get Miami to the playoffs (or could have actually already been a lock for them when this happened. I'm not 100% sure if it was locked in at this time or not). The Saban camp basically relayed that Saban would come, but would not discuss it until after the Dolphin's season had ended. This is where Mal Moore probably made the biggest gamble of his career and it obviously paid off. What I was told is that Saban and Moore spoke with the blessing of the Dolphin's owner (Huzienga I think was his name). Saban had already heard the $ amounts being offered through the old guard team so, he knew what was on the table. I was told that Saban's conversation with Moore was very short and basically consisted of (paraphrased), "I will come, but it will have to be after the Dolphins season is over.You have to trust me." Moore chose to trust him. Okay back to Richrod and his Tuscaloosa visit. As already mentioned, for all practical purposes a deal had been struck with Richrod. Then suddenly Richrod backs out. Message boards went wild with the reason the deal fell through but it seems like the one that got the most attention was that Richrod's wife didn't like Tuscaloosa. That may have been true, but I think Mal Moore made a play that caused him to back out. Ok...from this point out, I am speculating on what Moore did. It was discussed with the same group of ten I mentioned earlier and this was the general consensus. It does not mean this is what happened. I think Moore leaked to Richrod the amount they had offered to Saban in hopes of making him mad and as a result, back out of the job. It worked, Richrod left, the Dolphins lost and Saban came to Bama. Had it not worked, I think Richrod would have come to Tuscaloosa. So technically, the deal to bring Saban was struck right around the time Richrod came to visit Tuscaloosa with his wife. It just wasn't discussed, even behind closed doors until the Dolphins season ended. Anyway, my friend who told me about 9 days before the media hit had been telling me all along that it was going to be Saban. He sounded pretty sure, but didn't tell me to bank it until about that time. That's where my "9 days" statement comes from. There was a lot more to it and I remember thinking at the time that it would make one helluva book.

Ok that's what I was told on the Saban hiring. Was I in the room for any of these discussions? No, but I do believe I am pretty spot on about what happened. If someone knows of something different, feel free to comment this post. I would like to hear it. As I have said all along, if I am wrong on something, I don't have a problem admitting it.

RTR
BamaSon25 

Day #5 - The Glass House Theory

IT has come to my attention via several emails that I have offended many, many Auburn University fans by posting information I believe could be potentially devastating to their Championship season. They also seem to have issue with my opinion. It appears that everyone cheats, therefore; Auburn must cheat too. So, I have a news flash for you all..... FORGET WHAT YOUR MAMA TOLD YOU.... TWO WRONGS DO MAKE A RIGHT!!!

Plain and simple, I 1000% believe Au is guilty of much more than $100.00 handshakes. The Cam Newton tapes and their relevance are just the tip of the iceberg. It is what is hidden under the water that is going to do the real damage. While I am interested to see if the Scott Moore tapes produce anything concrete, I really think they are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Am I happy about it all? Not really. Do I want it stopped? Most definitely. If it means every team in the SEC, no wait... If it means every team in college football ends up in trouble; then so be it. Au fan, I am well aware that Alabama has been in trouble. I also know that Au had a hand in putting us there. Why? It's really simple. We outbid you for a player or two that never amounted to anything on the football field. The difference in what you guys are going through (or are about to go through) and what Alabama, LSU, UGA, Florida, USCe, and every other school in the SEC (except for Vandy) have paid penalties for is gargantuan. None of the aforementioned schools have been so arrogant in their shady dealings so as to rip off the general public. In all actuality, Alabama and the rest of the schools were often penalized for booster meddling that was initially done without the knowledge of the school's administration or by the actions of a kid that could not see past the dollars being waived in his face. Where most of these schools messed up, was either by lying to the NCAA or by being uncooperative with them. Auburn has Board of Trustees members, boosters, coaches and former coaches actively breaking all of the rules. Another big difference as it relates to Alabama... Alabama removed their "Good Ole Boy" network from power in attempt to clean things up while Au found a way to keep the head of theirs on the Board of Trustees. So, what is it exactly that I think some members of Au's Board of Trustees (both current and former members) is up to? Let's take a look.... I'll start by giving you a little on Robert (Bobby) E. Lowder as he is the puppet master of all things Orange & Blue in these parts.


Robert (Bobby) E. Lowder - Founder and Grand PooPa of the now defunct Colonial Bank. A man who conveniently "retired" from Colonial about 32 seconds before it became the 3rd largest bank in history to fail. A man who owes the US Government roughly $29 billion (which basically means he owes all of us, even Au grads $29 billion). A man who is at the center of a Federal Investigation being conducted by almost every acronym in the United States Government. A man who is on the Au Board of Trustees. A man who has been cited by SACS as a "micro-manager" that was much too involved in the day to day operations of the university. A man who is known to pull underhanded stunts (sic: Jetgate, Ousting of William Muse) with his own employees (I call them his employees as he is the one that decides who is hired and who is fired). A man who is known to look for loopholes to help him achieve his desires (watch out former Colonial Bank executives, you better take that plea deal while you can. He's banking [pun intended] on the fact that you didn't know what you signed when he created millions of dollars worth of fraudulent records.) A man who is most definitely looking over his shoulder 24/7 these days.

From the mouth of a family member that holds a Chemical Engineering degree from Au: "I think it is complete and total crap for these guys (sic: student athletes) to be given a degree just for playing football. Most of them didn't even make enough on their ACT test to go to school at Auburn, I know what some of them really scored and I couldn't believe they let them in anyway. I had to work my way through school, go to class everyday and watch the football players have every thing handed to them on a silver platter. Sure he (Lowder) has given a lot of money to the school, but so have I. If you put an income / expense ratio  on it, he hasn't given any more to the school than I have." 

One of the "love letters" I received from an AU fan accused me of throwing stones while living in a glass house. Personally, I see it the other way around. I think Au has been throwing stones at Alabama for at least my 40 plus years on this planet. When you look at some of the things they have done to get Alabama in trouble, it's no wonder some of us Alabama fans have taken it personally. When you have guys like Curtis Anderson who was employed for no other reason than to ruin several Alabama student athlete's career (sic: life) just to bring Alabama down, you have thrown a stone. When you try to organize a group of people (sic: Operation Red Dog) to stalk 17 year old kids and their mothers in an attempt to catch them doing something wrong, you have a thrown a stone. When you don't find anything concrete on the aforementioned 17 year old kids, you fabricate it...once again, you have thrown a stone. When you take advantage of a 17 year old kid's immaturity, lack of experience and testosterone levels.... you have thrown a stone. I could go on and on about this for days, but suffice it to say.... Au drew first blood, not me. The thing is, I don't want Au to get in trouble, I just think it needs to happen so that people like my family member quoted above do not have to worry about their future livelihood. It is a very real concern for any Au graduate to entertain in this day and time.

After watching this saga unfold for years, I have decided to take a vocal stand against what is happening at Au. You would think that those people who claim to love that university would have already done this. Instead, they continue to deflect, deny and deter. Remember those three "D's" as they are important in proving my point. I will admit that (on a much smaller scale than what is currently happening at Au) Alabama had a similar group pulling the strings at the Capstone for many, many years and we weren't exactly setting the trail on fire to stop it either. The key word in the previous sentence is "HAD".

I believe that when everything comes out about the shenanigans of AU's puppet master and his posse, it will make the SMU fiasco from the 80's look like a grain of sand on Orange Beach. Just look at some of the accusations being leveled at AU. I'll list some for you:

* Use of some of Colonial Bank's missing monies to pay for student athletes.
* Grade changing to insure student athlete's eligibility.
* Payment of cash, gifts and other extra benefits to entice new recruits to attend Au.
* Blackmailing potential recruits to attend Au (after giving them the illegal benefits in the first place)
* Administering illegal, controlled substances to current and potential student athletes.
* Use of prostitution to entice potential recruits.
* Misappropriation of funds via non profit organizations (TUF, FCA). (money laundering)
* Use of illegal street agents.
* Ousting of Au employees that did not want to play dirty.
* Bribery (many different types)
* Illegal recruiting contact on a recurring basis
* Racism
* Fraud

Believe me there are many more accusations out there as well. The thing is, each one of the ones I noted above are said to run very deep into the heart of the University. Even if Au is exonerated on one point, I feel sure they will be found guilty on countless others. The same people who are looking at spending some time with Bubba the meth dealer courtesy of the prison system are using Au as a catalyst to achieve their criminal goals.

Now, I must clarify that nothing I mentioned in this post (or on this blog) as it relates to Robert E. Lowder or Auburn University has been proven in a court of law. Au and Lowder will be given the opportunity to prove their innocence in due time and should be considered innocent until proven guilty. My goal is to make sure that everything I have been told, read and seen is addressed. Everything I have mentioned on this blog is a matter of public record in some shape or form. In other words, don't shoot the messenger and stop throwing rocks. The whole Glass House Theory will not continue to hold water. Why? Because some of us have decided to throw some rocks back at the glass house they came from.

Auburngate


Tigerdroppings / As the Plains Burn


Blue Tuna Tiger Interview
(Blue Tuna Tiger has been instrumental in bringing the allegations against Au to the public. Learn a little about him.)

RTR
BamaSon25

Day #3 – Tapes, Tapes, Tapes…..

              

Hey everyone, I’m back for Day 3 and the water cooler topic of the day seems to be Scott Moore’s tapes and their authenticity. On my “Introduction” post, I stated that I believed the tapes do exist as statements made by Mr. Moore collaborated statements made to me by a friend who had also heard some tapes. My friend spoke to me about these tapes at least a week prior to Mr. Moore’s statewide media tour touting the Bond/ Bell tapes and what they contain.  The friend of mine that I am talking about has a very strong track record with me in regards to information he has passed on relating to the University of Alabama. The information he is talking with me about now is uncharted territory, but based on our previous conversations, I still put a lot of stock in what he says. Not to mention that he has a career that keeps him close to sports in general, which would allow such information to be garnered. 

Below is a “copy and paste” (in bold) of a post I made on Blue Tuna Tiger’s “As the Plains Burn” thread located at www.tigerdroppings.com . Blue Tuna Tiger’s thread has grown to epic proportions and contains tons and tons of information relating to “The Bingo 11,” Colonial Bank and Auburn University. There are posters there who know a lot of what is going on, you just have to be able to weed through some of the people there who only want to deflect, deny and deter. There are attorneys, real estate gurus, law enforcement personnel and many others from all walks of life that have all assembled on that thread to lend their expertise and collections of evidence in a concerted effort to do the job that the media does not want to do. The idea of Blue Tuna Tiger’s thread is to clean up the corrupt areas of college sports, but it has mushroomed into cleaning many different corrupt arenas all across the south. I have to give mucho kudos to the people there that have worked so hard. I also have to give mucho kudos to www.tigerdroppings.com for providing the thread and those of us who care to congregate there a home. Tigerdroppings is a LSU oriented fan site and for them to allow all of us “Bammers” along with people from all over the country to invade their board speaks volumes of those guys. I might also add that all of those “corndogs” that I’ve heard so many bad things about have treated us “Bammers” very well. I’ve met some great new friends through the thread and reconnected with some old ones. Here is the post I made earlier:

As I have said, I have a friend who has heard "SOME" tapes. I said this before Mr. Moore started his media campaign. The stuff my friend heard collaborated everything Mr. Moore has said on his media tour. Now, my friend would be the first to tell you that he wouldn't know Cecil (Or Cam's for that matter) voice from anyone else, but he did say if the tapes were authentic, they would be very damaging to the "I didn't know" defense. Since I have said all of that there seems to be some speculation by some (as I view them) credible journalists that the tapes Moore has are not authentic. So, in light of their new reports, I called my friend and sent him to a link to one of the audio files that were posted here. He said, "The quality is so bad I can't really tell, but that does not sound like anything I have heard." As has been speculated all along, there are several tapes reported to be in the possession of Bond & Bell. So it could be that what my friend has heard is a different tape from the same Bond & Bell tapes or it could be that he heard a better version (or different altogether) of the tapes that Scott Moore has been talking about. It also could be that Scott Moore does have authentic tapes and just released the poorest one as a teaser. I must admit, however; it is entirely possible that Moore's tapes are a farce. This is one we will just have to wait and see what he produces.

Since we are talking about tapes.... this is what I have been told about tapes as they relate to the Newton's and AU. I will not name another school at this juncture, but I was also told that there was a similar tape between Cecil and another SEC school (Not MSU). As I have been told....

1.) The Bond / Bell tapes do exist. The question is what do they actually contain and do they further implicate the Newton's?

2.) The Scott Moore tapes do exist. The question is…are they authentic versions of the Bond / Bell tapes mentioned above? If so, then we have partially answered the question in #1 as being a resounding "Yes."

3.) The Mullen Tapes. These have not been talked about very much at all since the beginning of all of this and I'm not sure if I ever read anywhere that there was a recording. I do know that I was told that there is a recording of Dan Mullen's wife and Cam Newton. I was told that it is an actual recording of the now well known, "The money is just too great" comment reported to have been said by Newton early on in this ever evolving soap opera. I have not heard this tape and neither has my friend. He just told me that he has heard it existed.

4.)The Federal tapes. The same friend has also told me he that there were tapes that implicated 3 Au coaches and Cecil Newton that were in possession of the Feds. I asked him who made the tapes and he said that he "assumed" the Feds did. Again, he has not heard them but seems to think there is a reasonable reason to believe they exist.

5.)The "other" School Federal tapes. The same friend (when telling me about the tapes mentioned in #3) told me that there existed a similar set of tapes that contained Cecil and an unspecified number of this other school's coaches.

Ok...those are all of the tapes I have heard of. Is my friend correct? Generally speaking he has a phenomenal track record. He had Shula out 2 weeks prior to his actual termination and had Saban in about 9 days before it broke in the media. BUT....I must say that all of that information was directly related to Alabama. How will his track record hold up when it is related to Au? I can't say as this is uncharted territory in our relationship. Time will tell, that is one thing I am sure of.

Since writing the article early this morning, I have heard it mentioned that Scott Moore was on the radio this morning saying that the tapes he has are NOT the ones that have gone viral on the internet. The audio clip I linked to my friend who has heard SOME tapes was in fact the one that went viral. This obviously explains why the link and what he heard were nowhere near the same things. If Bond (Who Moore claims as a personal friend) thought Moore was using his name to promote something that was not authentic, I would think bond would be very vocal that Moore was acting on his OWN without Bond's blessing. Since I have not heard anything from Bond to this effect, I am willing to give Moore the benefit of the doubt. I really am interested in seeing what Scott Moore produces.

RTR

BamaSon25