The NCAA and Ole Miss (Long)

[Palmettodog]

Since last Thursday we've seen one of the most unbelievable NFL drafts in history. One of the craziest episodes just so happened that it involved Ole Miss, our real rival, and one of its coveted recruits from 2013. Someone hacks Tunsil's instagram and post a short video of him smoking a bong through a gas mask. My immediate reaction was holy crap this is hilarious and text several friends and we all had a good laugh. My second reaction was damn this guy smoked some weed, not unlike most other college kids, sometime during his college years and he's about to lose millions. God forbid my first employer have any knowledge of what I did in college. It was stupid to film it, stupid to still have it saved somewhere; I get all that. He also several questions about his character already which came from his involvement with a supposed agent and the domestic issue with his step-dad. I think if the bong thing came out like it did with no other previous issues he probably still goes in the top 5, but with everything previous it snowballed him down to 13. He's got nobody to blame but himself. I'm sure it's a ton of pressure being a high profile athlete, but when you assume the job you assume the responsibility.

Tunsil is now drafted and headed to the presser and a second screen shot comes out of Tunsil's instagram showing a conversation between him and a coach or AD employee and Tunsil is asking for money, to which the coach obliges. Then when questioned about the money during the presser Tunsil confirms. Holy Crap, my head exploded and I thought this can't be real. I have to admit that I believe Tunsil was awestruck and somewhat confused with the questioning. In the end though, the screen shots are real, there's no denying those.

Now, my point. The NCAA has proven over the last few years that they there are one of the most inept and impotent enforcement organizations in existence. Miami's investigation lasted years and showed severe infractions, but from my opinion there penalty lacked some teeth compared to the crime. North Carolina investigation is still going on as far as I know but not a damn thing has come out of that. Cam Newton situation, it's not worth my time to rehash all that **** but you all know how that turned out.

The only thing I can recall recently where the punishment seemed overboard was Will Redmond, and didn't we recommend our own punishment? It just seems like State gives in and takes our medicine whether we're sick or not. Now we all know Ole Miss will fight this investigation to the very end and most recently when schools have done this they have come out unscathed for the most part. I fully expect this investigation to go the same way. I have no confidence in the NCAA and I'm not sure why anyone else does.

The only thing I take solace in is the grand night that was to be Ole Miss'. Thursday night's draft was to be the big "look at me party" for Freeze. He's parading his 3 5 star recruits around who will all go in the first round. What should have been a big night for his future recruiting efforts turned totally opposite. Instead of saying I took these boys from home and turned them into fine young men, turned into I took these boys from there home and over 3 years one has been accused of beating up a frat boy, smoking spice and jumping out of a hotel window and being suspended for his final bowl game; the other suspended for most of his junior year due to an improper relationship with an adviser and improper benefits, domestic issue with stepdad and now some possible improper benefits from the coaching staff. Who knows if recruits or families even care about that those things, but I would if it was my child.

I think we'll be waiting a while for any closure on this.

 

[57stratdawg]

It's easier to prove academic issues (UNC) then illegal benefits (Miami/Auburn). You know the testing center in question. Now, which kids at the school used a qualifying score from that location? What other resources were used to get that eligible?

Tunsil and stepdad, Tunsil on draft night, maybe something additional comes from it, maybe not. That's really not their biggest issue in all of this.

 

[AssEndDawg]

Tunsil is now drafted and headed to the presser and a second screen shot comes out of Tunsil's instagram showing a conversation between him and a coach or AD employee and Tunsil is asking for money, to which the coach obliges. Then when questioned about the money during the presser Tunsil confirms.

I was told by an Ole Miss buddy that the series of events is what tripped up Tunsil and it actually comes back on Freeze. When the video came out with him smoking weed he talked to Freeze and Hugh told him he should do the press conference and to "be humble and tell the truth". I don't think Tunsil is getting into Mensa anytime soon so he marched on stage with that in his head and it was after the talk with Freeze that the text messages came out. This is why Tunsil told the truth, he was told to.

 

[121Josey]

tl;dr

 

[engie]

A lot of words to not say much. Why do we want there to be any closure on this? There is blood in the water. It's all any national media platform talked about all weekend. They are still talking about it. I got multiple push messages from Yahoo about it all weekend. "NCAA rules expert on Ole Miss - "They're screwed". Etc. It'll now be front page news every time there is a whisper. No one believes anything Freeze or Bjork say with the misinformation put out that has already been disproven. They are exposed. They are alienating their own beat writers and fanboys in the press by giving them misinformation in attempts to control a message that comes back to bite them all. Think Feldman is running any more puff pieces for them after they hung him out to dry on what is in the initial NOA? Doubt it. They are lying to their own employees inside the department attempt to control the message and alienating them as well. They have a noose and are attempting to hang themselves from it. The fallout from current events and this process hanging in limbo and dragging out over time is greater than sanctions will most likely be. There are family members of recruits calling radio stations saying their nephew wants out of his LOI to OM for being lied to. So, what more do you actually want? At the end of this, they are still going to get absolutely hammered.

And talking about the NCAA not doing anything is a skew. They hammered USC over Reggie Bush's family living in a house for free. Hammered Ohio State over a couple of tattoos for memorabilia. Both for pretty minor infractions in comparison to what OM has done. That agent deal that got Tunsil's info leaked -- and his mom's living arrangements in Taylor -- explain to me how that is any different than Reggie Bush at USC? We know OM has academic fraud stacked on top of that. People act like Miami got off easy -- but they self-imposed two postseason bans, one of which cost them an appearance in the ACC title game. UNC is going to get hammered. What about Louisville missing multiple postseasons over hookers and recruits? Where have we heard that rumor before? Hell, ULL just vacated a couple of seasons and are getting hit pretty hard -- for getting a couple of kids in using an OM scheme.

People need to quit making their excuses for them. If people don't believe that they are going to get hammered with the amount of info that's out there now and just the common sense of their approach to everything -- they probably haven't paid close attention along the way.

 

[Drebin]

Yes. The best possible scenario is for this to drag out. They are on virtual probation already. Their recruiting is going to suffer as the cloud hangs over the program. This similarly happened to us during Sherrill's last couple of years.

I hope it takes another year for the NCAA to wrap all of this up. They are going to get hammered, no doubt about it. They won't be pulling in any top 10 classes before then.

 

[HD6]

You say that. Sherrill's last two classes were ranked 9th and 17th.

 

[DerHntr]

It's easier to prove academic issues (UNC) then illegal benefits (Miami/Auburn). You know the testing center in question. Now, which kids at the school used a qualifying score from that location? What other resources were used to get that eligible?

Tunsil and stepdad, Tunsil on draft night, maybe something additional comes from it, maybe not. That's really not their biggest issue in all of this.

I hope the NCAA is thinking about the repercussions of cheating to get in rather than just the act of cheating.

It's not just to "get eligible." It's also to "stay eligible." If you can't pass the ACT to get into a state school in MS, you are likely going to have one hell of a tough time passing classes. Do we have another UNC on our hands? Is the NCAA reviewing the courses taken by those students who cheated to get into college? How many OM athletes of all sports were in those same classes?

Has anyone heard about the investigation looking at those issues yet? I don't remember seeing it anywhere.

 

[Drebin]

Yeah, but I seem to remember alot of juco mistakes and character issues - maybe those are chances he wouldn't have taken in different circumstances?

 

[HD6]

Only 3 JUCOs total in those 2 classes. I don't think anybody was considered a character risk when they signed. Bottom line, we recruited well on paper, they just didn't pan out or weren't developed.

Ole Miss has evidently been under investigation for 3 years, and it hasn't slowed them down a bit. It's going to take sanctions to make it stop.

 

[121Josey]

Only 3 JUCOs total in those 2 classes. I don't think anybody was considered a character risk when they signed. Bottom line, we recruited well on paper, they just didn't pan out or weren't developed.

Ole Miss has evidently been under investigation for 3 years, and it hasn't slowed them down a bit. It's going to take sanctions to make it stop.

Every player from the Sherrill regime was a character risk. Signed, Crxxm.

 

[Drebin]

Only 3 JUCOs total in those 2 classes. I don't think anybody was considered a character risk when they signed. Bottom line, we recruited well on paper, they just didn't pan out or weren't developed.

Ole Miss has evidently been under investigation for 3 years, and it hasn't slowed them down a bit. It's going to take sanctions to make it stop.

I guess I'm misremembering the Arizona Western fiasco and the Tommy Kellys and Nick Turners. 2001-2004 was one big blur.

 

[HD6]

The JUCO heavy class was 01, and that's what really got the NCAA going us with Tommy Kelly and the Ramada Inn. Nick Turner's character issues didn't show up until he was here, he was 4 star Parade All American than anybody would have taken.

 

[Dawg4ever49]

I can see the bears doubling down on their illicit recruitingtactics until the punishment is dealt. They want to stock the cupboard with as much talent as possible to seethem though the probation period. Asthey progress though the probation they will slowly ratchet up the cheatingagain possibility hiding it better. Their cheating goes back three regimes or ever since they ran off David Cutcliff. I think that is a major reason theyjettisoned him. They made a huge mistakewith Oregron hire, he probably is a good coach but in Oxfart at the wrong time. He could recruit and was very good atit. In comes Nutt taking advantage ofthe talent left by Oregron and he does well for a bit but he too fizzled out. Nutt was trapped in older football schemes anddid not evolve with the game. The searchis on for a recruiter similar to Oregron with an updated scheme, enter thereverend Freezer. Blessed by the nearestthing TSUN has to the pope their off and running. Now the veneer is wearing thin showing theugly under side of their tactics are now exposed. They will be slapped with probation, theextent of which is to be determined. Itseems to me that appropriate penalty would be firing some staff, maybe all ofit and a drastic reduction in available scholarships for the duration of theprobation. <o></o>
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[IBleedMaroonDawg]

I hope the NCAA is thinking about the repercussions of cheating to get in rather than just the act of cheating.

It's not just to "get eligible." It's also to "stay eligible." If you can't pass the ACT to get into a state school in MS, you are likely going to have one hell of a tough time passing classes. Do we have another UNC on our hands? Is the NCAA reviewing the courses taken by those students who cheated to get into college? How many OM athletes of all sports were in those same classes?

Has anyone heard about the investigation looking at those issues yet? I don't remember seeing it anywhere.

I admit I had to laugh at the way things went on draft day for Ole Miss and I did feel a bit for Tunsil... but he is still going to be a rich man and no one will care about this from his perspective if he performs on the field.

As far as Ole Miss and the NCAA goes, I admit there is a part of me that remembers the JWS witchhunt they performed and wants some payback. I guess because I live in another state, it really isn't that big a concern to me. I am more concerned with MSU continuing to move forward and build on the success we have had in our sports programs. Ole Miss will get whatever the NCAA decides is appropriate.

I'm not excusing anything they did. Anyone with any sense can see something was shady, I just refuse to get caught up in making myself feel good because our rival may get the cattle prod in the privates.

 

[engie]

You're running a year behind on these thoughts...

 

[Cubswillwinitonedaydawg]

It hasn't slowed them down because it wasn't front page headlines that they were under investigation. That has all changed recently. I'm ready for sanctions too and hope they're heavy enough to stop their shenanigans, but them getting slow cooked in the crock pot is pretty enjoyable too. Plus it appears the temp recently turned from 'keep warm' to 'high'

 

[Palmettodog]

You're right. I started this at work and got tired of typing and had other stuff to do.

I'm not making excuses for them I'm just being a realist. Some of you salivating and hanging on every internet rumor that comes up about the further demise of Ole Miss is just wasted time and childish. My point to the post was it was awesome to watch and it's brought a hell of a lot of negative attention to Ole Miss, which is awesome, but I just don't believe the NCAA has the backbone or teeth to do anything.

We'll see and it's gonna be fun to watch, but don't think because I'm not posting about every possible rumor out there that I'm making excuses for them.

 

[mcdawg22]

Everybody talks about what Tunsil lost. Had he gone to Baltimore he'd pay a 5.75% tax rate, plus he'd work in Baltimore. In Miami he's got no income taxes, and he lives in Miami, his home state.

 

[Lakedawg]

Ole Miss has evidently been under investigation for 3 years, and it hasn't slowed them down a bit. It's going to take sanctions to make it stop.

That may be true but keep in mind the landscape of recruiting has evolved as has the current situation up north. They may have been under investigation for 3 years but until 3 months ago only Rosebowl was reporting that and he alone was easy for them to dismiss to recruits. ESPN lead stories, CNN... hell, probably Fox and Friends and 60 Minutes? That's different altogether. Jimmy Fallon? It just went nuclear in a few days time and unlike before, they are not out in front of it. My point is it's a lot harder to dismiss and refute now that it's more than some "State homer spreading rumors."

Also, regarding the end of the JWS tenure, we might as well have been in the Stone Ages back then. Society is now plugged into a 60 second news cycle with everyone in the world able to communicate instantly via Twitter. In 2001, it was much easier to control information. Back then, the Tunsil fiasco couldn't have happened - releasing something minutes before the Draft would have been pointless. No one would have seen it.

They may keep recruiting like they are getting paid to do it (wait, I said that wrong) but it won't be nearly as easy as the last 3 years and nothing like 2001.

 

[tatedog]

After living with his entire family for 3 years in Oxford MS, I'm sure Miami will be a huge letdown too.

 

[engie]

I'm not making excuses for them I'm just being a realist. Some of you salivating and hanging on every internet rumor that comes up about the further demise of Ole Miss is just wasted time and childish. My point to the post was it was awesome to watch and it's brought a hell of a lot of negative attention to Ole Miss, which is awesome, but I just don't believe the NCAA has the backbone or teeth to do anything.

So you don't believe the rumors -- in which case you can at least tell us a handful that have been incorrect thusfar?

And you don't think the NCAA will do anything because... Why again?

You aren't being realistic, you are being naive and pessimistic. And you thought highly enough of your position and it's validity to start a long OP.
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