A Week We'll Not Soon Forget

when you get sick of screaming "I’m innocent’ as loud as you can.

Partly because of what WEA has stated above and partly because look at what he has said and how it has been taken out of context, misconstrued or just plain ignored—and for what? ESPN is still flinging accusations like pancakes at the IHOP. For all we know, Cecil is acting at the behest of his lawyers, because he does want to do what is best for Cam. In that we can believe.

I hope that the Team can rally and take all aggression out on Georgia! War Eagle! Beat Georgia!!

I would say I am innocent but then again Cecil knows who he is dealing with and probably knows that ANYTHING he has done or said, could be twisted around and used against him.

The best example would be that how the media itself is handling this. Headlines scream: NEWTON ADMITS TO PAY-FOR-PLAY IN TELEPHONE CONVERSATION…..that is an allegation that is being reported as fact.
Also take into account the amount of time and energy being spent on this by the media putting Cam and Cecil under the microscope and utterly NO energy whatsoever into investigating who the sources are and what evidence they have.

I don’t blame them at all, besides they could scream I’m innocent from the top of the mountain until their lungs bled and the only ones who would still believe them would be the Auburn family. The media isn’t concerned with the truth, just the controversy. And they are LOVING this.

I’m afraid to fall asleep tonight because I don’t know what I’ll wake up to. The last few mornings have been rough on Auburn.

What worries me most:

-We’ve heard nothing from Slive or the NCAA commissioner.

-Thayer Evans and a couple of other journalists seem to have pretty solid sources and a steady stream of new info.

-We (Auburn and Newton) seem to be getting slow played intentionally to damage us more. I am almost 100 percent certain we’ll have something waiting for tomorrow morning. Probably footage of Cam Newton shooting the last Tasmanian Tiger or something.

War Eagle! Beat Georgia!

Mississippi State is coming out and saying that they officially gave all of the information they had by July. If that is the case, then the idea that they are slowly presenting things is right on the money. You can bet that tomorrow something else will be all over the news again. Yet, these guys can always just go back and say, “That’s just the investigation we were publishing.” In that way, they are okay yet they can report what they want and that just isn’t right Damnit. Wow, I would love to say one of these guys one on one and ask them what exactly do they know and why are they presenting everything in the manner they are.

Hell hath no fury like a woman (or women?) scorned…

There may be some evidence out there, but where is it? Where are these tapes? Who is accusing? Name the person. Define “Recruiter”? Coach or other and if it is other then that is an NCAA violation in and of itself but not against Auburn. Where are the phone records substantiating that any of these conversations took place? Where is the paper trail of money from Auburn to Cam/Cecil? Where is the money trail from Auburn that was used to repair the church? Where was the evidence from MSU for six months before it arrived at NCAA in July? Is it already at the NCAA office and if so why if it is so damning would the NCAA not go ahead and bench Cam? If it isnt at the NCAA office, who has it and why have they not turned it over?
I know a lot of people are nervous that the FBI is involved but frankly that makes me feel better. I will feel more comfortable if the FBI final report says this or that. I would feel that at least there was evidence behind accusations rather than these mysterious no name people who SAY this and that and supposedly have tapes, records etc etc that have not materialized. And if they materialize then we can take a look at them and see if they are legitamate.

let it go. This stuff came out of Tuscaloosa or bama boosters, no where else.

I wouldn’t put it past Saban himself, Auburn rising is not a good thing for any bama coach wanting to do good. The Bear didn’t like it, and Saban won’t like it now.

Take care of business, and let bama fan do their sleazy thing. It’s poison in their veins, not anyone else’s.

The whole thing is so bizarre. If I’m to assume that this story is not true, where did it come from? My mind immediately wanders to who might benefit from this sort of character assassination? I can’t come up with anything reasonable. My wildest thought was that ESPN had an agenda to get one of the non AQ schools in to the BCS game but that doesn’t really add up, does it? Someone has an agenda with this story and mainly ESPN is being used as their vehicle, that much is clear.

Since nothing adds up, its hard for me not to wonder what really was going on during Cam’s recruiting. Was this story just pulled out of the ether? Regardless, the NCAA will probably take years to complete any investigation. The whole Reggie Bush scandal wasn’t cleared up until just recently and they actually had evidence on that.

If you look at the time line, what has come out, and where it is coming from it all adds up to a 21st Century ploy to do several things.

1. is to get Cam out of the SEC and into the NFL. There is no doubt in my mind at this point that he will forgo his senior season and move on to the next level after this season. What SEC team wouldn’t want to see him go?

1. Auburn has ceased proactive recruiting and is in ‘stand our ground’ mode. We are currently trying to convince and comfort instead of moving forward on the rest of our class. Imagine what would happen in the battle grounds of SEC recruiting with a Nick Saban flagshipped Bama team recruiting harder than ever, and a National Championship Auburn led Gene Chizik squad picking who they choose with a Heisman winner and Crystal Trophy in hand. No one else in the SEC wants to see that.

1. This has got to be some what of a distraction for every member of this year’s Auburn Tiger’s football team. From Head coach to walk on practice squad members, these guys are being berated with comments, questions, and accusations on a monumental level. This could turn out to back fire (and personnel I think it will with the team ‘all in’ attitude and overall togetherness that I have witnessed to this point). If it doesn’t it helps every other team in the SEC, including Miss St. and Florida (see above).

These 3 reasons alone are enough to launch a slanderous campaign on an individual with no prior indiscretions. If you attach it to an individual who happens to be the leading Heisman candidate on the only undefeated SEC team who has a previously admitted case of impropriety, you have all the ammunition that you need to get started.

If you want to start a smear campaign, there is no point in turning over your full hand of dirt at one time either. Especially if you have a plan, from multiple sources, that will convict the target in the easily swayed court of public opinion using a timed release of smut over the course of several days. Couple that with the use of multiple media outlets who are always hungry for a biting story, regardless of credibility. As a new age journalist, you have to love the sanctity of using an unnamed source and being able to allay suspicion using the auspice of the guarantee of a bigger story to follow. Obvously they have eaten it up.

Add to all of this that each story has fallen apart almost as fast as they have come out. Unfortunately, the disputing stories have not carried nearly as much weight as the ‘breaking news’ ones have.

So, I guess I am a homer. I’m an Auburn fan who is only looking at things from my side of the fence, right?

Well does someone have a NAMED source to answer a few of my editorial questions?

1) What happened to John Bond and his story change form talking directly to Kenny Rogers (reportedly) to multiple’ in-between’ guys?? Who are the two intermediaries that spoke with him about the initial offer of pay for play?

2) Speaking of Kenny Rogers, who is investigating his involvement in this? It has come to light that he, and his so called business, are defunct and facing bankruptcy. Has anyone looked into the possibility of him acting alone?

3) I realize that discussing an ongoing NCAA violation is a big no, no as far as they are concerned, so if there is a current investigation going which Mississippi State coaches leaked these allegations to the press? And why? What kind of penalty are they facing for doing so? I would also like to know if they have audio tapes of the ENTIRE conversations that these condemning stories take partial comments from. I can make an infinite amount of full sentences with the excerpts that were used to make what was allegedly said by the Newton’s totally innocent!

4) If the first story was true about Bond and Rogers, why on earth would the Newton’s have any contact with the coaching/recruiting staff of MSU about a pay for play? If they had a paid intermediary, it would make absolutely 0 (ZERO) sense to have any discussions regarding this with MSU coaches. If the first story wasn’t true, isn’t MSU in sever violation of slanderous, if not illegal, activity?

5) All of this has led to innuendos and allegations that Auburn MUST have paid Cam to attend our school. After all of this ‘information’ I have yet to hear that Auburn has ever been reported to have received an official letter of inquiry from the NCAA. Why is that? I get that the Newton’s were asked for banking information month’s ago, but Auburn has been slowly dragged into this by a media staircase of empty accusations in the past week.

6) Mississippi State’s coaches are the ones to have ‘leaked’ the latest info. Mullen was quoted as saying that only coaches are involved in recruiting for MSU, and individuals involved in recruiting for the school have reported the latest BS, yet when asked if Newton had his hand out, Mullen’s response is that ‘they have reported what they have had, to who they needed too.’ He doesn’t seem to want to be involved. Was he the one who leaked? If not, did he direct his staff to do so? If he didn’t who did? One day a leak comes from MSU, the next day it is from UF, yet both head coaches speak highly of Cameron Newton on a daily basis. Talk about lack of institutional control. It is one or the other, guys. Either you are behind him, or you are behind it all. It seems pretty simple now, doesn’t it?

Total outsider, here (Texas Tech guy). But from what I know about recruiting and compliance, Cam/Cecil, whomever, can ask for money all day long from MSU, Auburn, Clemson, et al. But unless money actually changes hands, no foul.

I actually have very little doubt SOMETHING happened along the way at MSU with his recruitment. These stories don’t just come out of thin air and we all know there is almost always some snippet of truth to the crazy recruiting stories that come out..That said, I do have a large doubt Auburn played along. The Newton’s can be accused of saying that AU offered more than MSU so he had to sign there, but if AU didn’t pay them off then no worries.

I honestly don’t think any money actually ever changed hands in this whole thing. But I also can’t totally discount that those conversations, or a version of them, took place at some point between Newton’s dad and MSU. I think it’s fairly common at every D-I school to varying degrees.

The timing of this is truly bizarre and I’m not sure what to make of MSU’s staff at this point. Sour grapes smell bad at any time of the year.