U of Miami Booster

Wow! Any comments about this?

http://sports.yahoo.com/investigations/news?slug=cr-renegade_miami_booster_details_illicit_benefits_081611</a

KEARNY, N.J. &#8211; A University of Miami booster, incarcerated for his role in a $930 million Ponzi scheme, has told Yahoo! Sports he provided thousands of impermissible benefits to at least 72 athletes from 2002 through 2010.

In 100 hours of jailhouse interviews during Yahoo! Sports&#8217; 11-month investigation, Hurricanes booster Nevin Shapiro described a sustained, eight-year run of rampant NCAA rule-breaking, some of it with the knowledge or direct participation of at least seven coaches from the Miami football and basketball programs. At a cost that Shapiro estimates in the millions of dollars, he said his benefits to athletes included but were not limited to cash, prostitutes, entertainment in his multimillion-dollar homes and yacht, paid trips to high-end restaurants and nightclubs, jewelry, bounties for on-field play (including bounties for injuring opposing players), travel and, on one occasion, an abortion.

See the link for the rest of the stroy.

 

I feel badly for the new coach. Shalala should resign.

 

It's a culture of corruption. Welcome to South Florida!

 

Just have to wait to see if true.

 

I would bet most of what he says is true. How hard the NCAA hits us is to be determined. Too bad for our new coach. I hope he stays and gets things going (like Butch Davis did in the mid 90's). Lots of people with money want to feel part of the local team, too bad this jerk messed up so many people's livelihoods with his nonsense. I suspect his tales are true due to the lack of discipline shown by the team starting in 2002 that coincides with his claims of his influence. Guys willing to take this stuff and not work for it off the field also don't work too hard on the field. I will be surprised if it is proven that Shalala did not know anything. At least this might clear up our QB controversy pretty quickly. I think our team will be about a 40-50 rank without the current players mentioned, and about a 20th ranked team with them if everything goes pretty well. In either case we aren't real contenders now so I would just prefer to see the old baggage left behind and start new.


BT

 

The assertions of headhunting, if true, should be enough for the NCAA to take severe action.

 

I'll bet the NCAA has plenty of evidence for very severe sanctions, but they will opt to do something similar to the USC penalties (miss a few bowl games and lose about 10 scholarships per year for three years). The only thing that might push us further is the fact that it is the University of Miami, so the infractions would be attributed to having "Thugs" on the roster...

We are still to be the most hated football program in the country, even with almost ten years of crappy seasons. Most hated teams are very successful.


BT

 

My partners did "The U" on ESPN's 30 for 30. Looks like they have lots of material for a whole new episode.

 

Well, I don't mean to offend, but a lot of that hate has been earned. If this scandal gets much worse than it appears to be now I think the trustees should consider closing the program for a few years. That's what happened to the basketball program at my school and the action had full alumni support. I would be surprised if that happened at UM.

 

I understand the hate being earned in the mid to late 1980's (while I was there), but why does it linger for more than a generation? The alumni will not support anything that limits the football program. I don't think the admins will either. I am good with all the other college football gfans hating on us... I am just surprised that we still have enough mojo to generate strong hate with all our lackluster years recently. The fun part is that the people that hate us are just aggravating themselves. I don't know any UM alum that cares one bit what other fans think about our little school.


BT

 

This story is a bit dfferent than most of the well known NCAA invesigations. In most the NCAA steps in on thier own or is tipped off of violations. The booster(s) will circle the wagons and cover up, burn the reciepts, delete the photos and lie to protect themselves and the program. Not here. This time it is the booster that is singing and has the proof. It is as if a mob boss decided to rat on the family. This guy has nothing to lose or gain.

This is not good for the Canes, at all.

 

Bill,

I think you're missing the point. Nobody that I know of "hates" UM football because of their W/L record. It's that they act like thugs whether they're winning or losing. Frankly, most Americans love a winner, no matter what the team is. What they hate is a bad loser. And what they really hate is a bad winner. I'll tell you in all candor...a lot of alums (excluding yourself, I'm sure), including some who are friends of mine, don't do much to enhance the image.

I feel badly for the new coach. I hope he can find a way out to a better job.

Jack

 

I feel for the new coach as well and wish him success. But I have no sympathy for the players and coaches of those years. They know what they're doing and they know they're putting their teams, schoos, and careers in jeopardy by accepting benefits.

But the thing is, everyone forgets about it when you're winning. Michael Vick, Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriquez, Tiger Woods (if he ever gets back to form), etc. They do something terribly wrong in the publics eyes, then they win and all is back to normal. I suspect that if UM can get an ACC title in the next 2-3 years they'll be those same love-to-hate Hurricanes that everyone remebers.

Only time will tell if those accusations are true and how well the 2011 'Canes respond.

 

Outside of the FIU fight I really don't see any bad sportsmanship from Miami in the past ten years. When we were winning in 2000-2003 the team was pretty clean about it. They were more about having fun than making the other team feel bad. That is the opposite of the 1984-1993 teams. Then we wanted every team to leave feeling like crap, and we usually succeeded in that. If you can point me to things Miami did differently in winning in the past ten years that were different than the average college team then I could buy some of that, but I don't think that is the case.

I also feel bad for the new coach. I hope he sticks around.

The funny thing is that people in the press are comparing what has been reported to the tats for Ohio State players and saying how little the OSU guys did in comparison. This is on the same day that Terrelle Pryor openly admitted he took cash and other illegal benefits similar to what is being charged agains the Miami program. Good timing to let that info fade into the background! Reading comprehension should be a strong suit of any journalist. How people keep harping on the abortion paid for by this booster when the guy making the accusation says the player did not even know about it is pretty salacious.

Edit: I completely agree with you about our alums having one of the worst reputations (and rightfully so) for poor sportsmanship. I don't bring my kids to any major games because of it. I just don't see any behaviour on the field that varies greatly from the collegiate norm.


BT

 

It is my opinion that what is happening at Miami is no different than happens at any other major athletic program. The big difference is the booster is comming out from behind bars for screwing people out of millions of their dollars, and he doesn't seem to be apologetic about it at all. He is telling all the dirty little secrets, and Americans love their scandals. Now that Lindsey and Brittany have been quiet for a couple of weeks, the press needs something to boost ratings, and politics and world event aren't going to do it.

 

That's insulting to every college and university that runs a clean program, and there are hundreds of them. This is truly a failure of UM administration's oversight of its athletic programs. At the very least the AD should be fired and Shalala's job should be in question as well.

I will agree that at many big schools the athletic programs have 'way too much power and 'way too much say on how things are run. That won't change until some of the money comes out of sports and enrollment isn't just prep school for the NFL and NBA.

 

Folks up here in unc land kinda thanking y'all for redirecting the focus(funny you mention ButchDavis)...but I stepped in a big pile a while ago and a guy sez no sweat you'll be yesterday's news by today after tomorrow...he was close.
Cheers,
RE

Ps,what is the NCAA anyway? Are they really serious? As a cartel? As lawyerland? Maybe the S&P will downgrade them....whoa,dirty sox!

 

as a current student, i hope everything turns out okay. This guy is a criminal and is mad at his situation. People will always hate on our university its what makes us who we are and feeds to our fire. the situation will get resolved without serious penalties to our program.

 

Unfortunately, what is usually revealed to the public
about these programs (I'll lump Miami in with USC,
OSU, SMU, LSU) is the violations are just the tip of
the iceberg and reverberate throughout the entire
college sports scene, usually at the cost of the academics.

What is interesting, though, is how the reactions to
the allegations from UM alum and fans is universally
"we're hated" as if playing the victim card is going
to let them off the hook somehow.

BHW

 

I think the previous post proves that. I guess victimhood has replaced "school spirit" as a motivator at UM. Pretty sad. If the allegations are true UM deserves something more than the "death penalty." I would like to see clawbacks similar to what's happening in the Madoff and Rothstein cases.

 

Does the same "death penalty" go for Ohio State in your mind? Terrelle Pryor admitted yesterday to taking cash and other illegal benefits while at that particular university. It is the same kind of allegations being made against Miami. How about USC? Reggie Bush took a free house while there as an illegal benefit. Should USC football be disbanded? How about UNC, Georgia Tech, Auburn? All these places have similar allegations. No more college football there either??? Prove the victomhood claims wrong by wishing for football to be eliminated at all these schools. Keep in mind that all the schools I listed have already been 'proven' to have taken illegal benefits in an ongoing fashion, just like the calims being made against Miami.


BT

 

They should all be punished to the extent that the NCAA rules permit. In fact, I don't think the death penalty (as I understand it, that means no program for one year, but I could be wrong) isn't severe enough. I think the NCAA should put more teeth in its rules, but it won't.

 

Anybody know why Shalala won't have a press conference instead of just releasing canned statements and video tapes?

 

I think UM is trying to get a handle on the NCAA investigation before they schedule a press conference.

Unless the NCAA proves that the administration was complicit (like in the SMU case), take the death penalty off the table.

 

All the reporters that were throwing "death penalty" into every sentence discussing the situation 10 days ago have all gotten very quiet about it. It is mostly wishful thinking for those that still cling to the idea that the NCAA will punish other ACC schools by shutting down TV revenue for any school in the big 6 conferences unless there is another ongoing SMU type problem.

I see something similar to the USC penalties when it is all over (lose some scholarships, no bowls for a few years). Much of this Shapiro guy's claims have already been proven false, and the fact that there is total cooperation from the Miami admins will help our case.

BT