We now take you to USC, UA, Okie Lite, Auburn, Da U, KANSAS, & NC State

[azbuff]

Most believe Nike actually created this dirty shoe company involvement with recruitment. Altman is dirty, even if not involved. So I want them to go down if they are guilty.

But mostly I'm pointing out to the early posts in this thread that Nike is not named at all in these allegations. The only association (so far) is that a guy worked there four years ago, and apparently, not for very long.

Thanks. Certainly get the distaste for Altman. Nike and questionable business practices go hand-in-hand, like most Fortune 500 companies.

 

[buffaholic]

They thought no one would find out because it had been going on for decades and getting progressively more entrenched. A big and open secret that no one had incentive to snitch on. Most even had a dis-incentive: if you snitched, you killed the golden goose that was paying you while killing any future you had in the industry. And the NCAA didn't want to investigate because they know how bad it is and how deep it goes. They knew that it was a situation where they would have to either destroy an entire sport or single out a program (unfairly) and do an SMU death penalty in order to send a broader message. How does the NCAA or its member institutions benefit from that?

akin to the NFL actually testing for steroids.... Baseball wasn't as well informed.

 

[buffaholic]

They've got the perfect target---Louisville.

Pitino is like a mobster figure, NYC accent, Italian surname, designer clothes, flashy jewelry.... Such a surprise!

 

[buffaholic]

Will this spell the end of individual school contracts with Nike, UA, and addias and the conferences take over those things? Imagine Nike with the Pac-12 for instance and the Big Ten with UnderArmour.

Do not see how that changes much. The shoe companies will simply be propping up the best "national brands" within their conference and start having to pay off conference employees in addition to today's "handlers".

 

[PAC MAN]

Do not see how that changes much. The shoe companies will simply be propping up the best "national brands" within their conference and start having to pay off conference employees in addition to today's "handlers".

Which would eventually lead to an apparel contract for the NCAA only.

 

[Buffnik]

Which would eventually lead to an apparel contract for the NCAA only.

Maybe they start rolling apparel deals into conferences like they've done tv rights?

 

[Jens1893]

 

[Goose]

Do not see how that changes much. The shoe companies will simply be propping up the best "national brands" within their conference and start having to pay off conference employees in addition to today's "handlers".

This. I'm not sure how this solves the problem.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Maybe they start rolling apparel deals into conferences like they've done tv rights?

Makes sense. Then the next step in the process of the NFLification of college athletics is to just have the NCAA sign an endorsement deal with one of them to provide all collegiate apparel.

 

[Buffnik]

Makes sense. Then the next step in the process of the NFLification of college athletics is to just have the NCAA sign an endorsement deal with one of them to provide all collegiate apparel.

I don't think the NCAA is structured in a way that allows that. It was a federal ruling that took media rights away from the NCAA except for specific tournaments it conducts and moved those rights to the schools (which pooled them into conferences). Apparel is at the schools and could move to the conferences but I don't think those rights could move to the NCAA for the same reason that tv rights can't be there.

 

[Jello Bear]

A guy over at Bear Down brings a good, honest synopsis of what's happening at the elite schools.

every top 50 program for the last 25 years has paid for the vast majority of their top players.

the top, top programs pay for a much higher percentage due to the fact that they get a higher percentage of top players -- its been a know practice and somewhat accepted for as long as i can remember, and yes, Arizona is right there with the best of them.

the programs with the pedigree, resources, and willingness to "do what it takes" have had the clear advantage in landing the top stars.

where this falls on Adidas is that they have long been cornered with direct benefits to the teams they sponsor, whereas other programs like Arizona have had a deft process and tight secrecy.

Book exposed Arizona thru a channel it has never used, Adidas, for his own personal greed and gain -- not to mention 5k...and therein lies where all Arizona fans should be infuriated, ****ing Book Richardson did this for 5k, 5 ****ing k, and did so by going outside of the model that was so effective and un-penetrable up to this point.

so, its not about if the teams cheat, its how they cheat, and Arizona did it as good or better than anyone.

and one last thing, how do you guys think i know all the inside information i know? is it because you think i talk to Sean Miller everyday? or that Greg Byrne and Jim Livengood used to call me and tell me that Stanley Johnson was going to commit, or Aaron Gordon was coming to Arizona or that Chase Budinger was going to stay for his Jr year or that Sean Miller met with our main booster in Santa Fe or that John Calipari convinced Miller to come to AZ?

no, its because the web of involvement of people not directly affiliated with the program are intertwined in the mix, they are the ones who pull the strings and cover the man holes, and its like that at every school that handles their business effectively at this level.

its the darkest kept secret of of a 1000 or so people around the country at various universities who are not employees or staff members who are vital to the culture of college basketball today, and that culture is a culture of greed and billions and billions of dollars on the line.... from CBS and FOX to ESPN and Adidas and NIKE and Under Armor and Foot Locker and McDonalds and on and on and on.....

They're a funny bunch. They've generally moved through almost ever stage of grief in just a matter of a day; to acceptance. Almost refreshing.

So much more entertaining than the Nub boards - I can't even enjoy their pain; they're so dumb & delusional, it hurts my brain.

 

[Jello Bear]

The first decommit drops; from Auburn:
http://www.espn.com/college-sports/...auburn-tigers-recruit-ej-montgomery-decommits
So that begs the question: if most or all the top programs are dirty, does this give clean* programs like Tad's a temporary advantage while the next wave of recruits (call it 2-3 years) try to stay clear of NCAA and FBI scrutiny? Do some of currently committed prospects bail on targeted programs and retreat to the relative safety of a "second tier" P5 program? Could be a pretty interesting time to be Tad Boyle.

 

[Scotch]

The first decommit drops; from Auburn:
http://www.espn.com/college-sports/...auburn-tigers-recruit-ej-montgomery-decommits
So that begs the question: if most or all the top programs are dirty, does this give clean* programs like Tad's a temporary advantage while the next wave of recruits (call it 2-3 years) try to stay clear of NCAA and FBI scrutiny? Do some of currently committed prospects bail on targeted programs and retreat to the relative safety of a "second tier" P5 program? Could be a pretty interesting time to be Tad Boyle.

Well we are in the market for a big man soooooo....

 

[leftybuff]

SIAP, but ESPiN reporting Jurich and Pitino placed on leave.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...-rick-pitino-athletic-director-tom-jurich-out

 

[BuffPride88]

This is only the beginning. No Duke, UNC, KU, and Kentucky? I always thought of KU as the flagship school for Adidas basketball. Why did Coach K suddenly change his stance on one-and-done players? Is it a coincidence then that Kyrie and Jabari Parker are signed Nike athletes? Why did Derrick Rose choose Adidas? Ohh yeah, those Memphis Calipari teams were Adidas. What wouldn't Roy Williams do for a recruit? I remember when his KU team lost and he cried about how much he loved them blah, blah,blah. A week later he's the Tarheel coach. Is Izzo the last "clean" guy?

"If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying"

Is football recruiting any cleaner than the basketball side? I know the AAU has probably made basketball worse but I really don't know

 

[Jello Bear]

 

[PAC MAN]

Maybe they start rolling apparel deals into conferences like they've done tv rights?

That is what I am thinking.

 

[PAC MAN]

http://tucson.com/sports/arizonawil...cle_0ac3d4ae-a2c3-11e7-8234-472ac626eb67.html

60 years max in prison for UA assistant Richardson.

 

[SewallBeach]

The first decommit drops; from Auburn:
http://www.espn.com/college-sports/...auburn-tigers-recruit-ej-montgomery-decommits
So that begs the question: if most or all the top programs are dirty, does this give clean* programs like Tad's a temporary advantage while the next wave of recruits (call it 2-3 years) try to stay clear of NCAA and FBI scrutiny? Do some of currently committed prospects bail on targeted programs and retreat to the relative safety of a "second tier" P5 program? Could be a pretty interesting time to be Tad Boyle.

 

[Fight CU]

Wonder if they spent their cash yet?

 

[BuffsNYC]

Wonder if they spent their cash yet?

Hopefully they invested it, as they should with the new cash they are about to receive. That's what I don't get about this, what's the motivation to stick with a program once you've been paid for your commitment? Seems wiser to move on to greener pastures.

 

[Highlander]

http://usctrojans.com/staff.aspx?staff=230

Associate HC for USC.

http://www.abc2news.com/news/nation...ketball-coaches-arrested-in-corruption-scheme


Is the dirtiness of club BBall teams about to come to a screeching halt?

People were asking about the Nike connection. None currently. Merl Code, referenced above as a Nike employee, was a FORMER Nike employee. He was most recently working for Adidas in an undefined role (bribing players, apparently).
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/sto...rl-code-ncaa-scandal-released-bond/708951001/

However, I love that he used to work for Nike. He is facing significant prison time for what he did at Adidas after working for Nike. He had to acquire those bribing skills somewhere, right?

 

[J.R. Ewing]

 

[leftybuff]

I hear he just hired an intern....

 

[buffaholic]

Hopefully they invested it, as they should with the new cash they are about to receive. That's what I don't get about this, what's the motivation to stick with a program once you've been paid for your commitment? Seems wiser to move on to greener pastures.

Broken knees. Just like any other criminal activity, you take the money. Nobody can sue you for breach of contract but if you steal our money.....

 

[Goose]

Hopefully they invested it, as they should with the new cash they are about to receive. That's what I don't get about this, what's the motivation to stick with a program once you've been paid for your commitment? Seems wiser to move on to greener pastures.

Quite a few do. But, you also have to be careful. You don't want to burn the hand that feeds you too many times.

 

[Fight CU]

Broken knees. Just like any other criminal activity, you take the money. Nobody can sue you for breach of contract but if you steal our money.....

 

[buffaholic]

The guy on the right is Rick Pitino!

 

[L Buff]

The guy on the right is Rick Pitino!

Is he going home now to get his shine box?

 

[MtnBuff]

Most believe Nike actually created this dirty shoe company involvement with recruitment. Altman is dirty, even if not involved. So I want them to go down if they are guilty.

But mostly I'm pointing out to the early posts in this thread that Nike is not named at all in these allegations. The only association (so far) is that a guy worked there four years ago, and apparently, not for very long.

Nike didn't create the concept of shoe companies using athlete association to sell shoes, Converse was paying NBA players to wear their shoes long before Nike existed and were paying college coaches to put their teams in Converse shoes. The money involved though was miniscule by today's standards.

Nike was the one who caused the whole thing to blow up, to go from lunch money to NBA guys who make more on a shoe contract than their playing contract. Nike was the one that moved the sponsorships in a big way into the AAU programs.

I have zero knowledge of anything regarding this topic other than what has already been reported but my gut feeling is that this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are coaches, assistant coaches, athletic directors, and higher university administrators all over the country who will not be sleeping well tonight. The potential is there for this to get very ugly.

@BuffsNYC My impression is that the charges discussed so far are very fluid. These coaches are looking at felonies that could result is real time behind bars, a new and scary experience for guys who have lived a completely different lifestyle so far. With the investigators/prosecutors be getting a lot of these guys to flip other coaches with the clear option of jail or no jail riding on it. My guess is that a lot of these guys are going to sing like they joined the choir to stay out of prison.

One other thing that I haven't seen associated with this. So far the focus has been on current coaches and players as well as the shoe company reps and the "street agents." What we are hearing though is exchanges of tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars. How long till the IRS decides to get involved and if they do does it reach into former NCAA players and their families including current NBA players?