Kentucky Basketball: Eric Bledsoe Under Invesitgation by the NCAA
by Glenn Logan on May 29, 2010 12:49 PM EDT
in Kentucky Wildcats News
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PrintAccording to Andy Katz at ESPN, the circumstances surrounding Eric Bledsoe's recruitment are under investigation by the NCAA.
Katz's report is based on this New York Times article, which contains several allegations from witnesses involved in Bledsoe's time in high school that raise legitimate concerns about Bledsoe's performance, but even more importantly, allegations of impropriety that involve his high school coach paying his mother's rent, which would be an impermissible benefit under the NCAA regulations. Here are a couple of the relevant paragraphs, but be sure to read the whole thing:
¶Brenda Axle, the landlord for the house where Bledsoe and his mother moved for his senior year of high school, said that Bledsoe’s high school coach paid her at least three months’ rent, or $1,200. By moving there, Bledsoe was eligible to play for Parker, which he led to the Alabama Class 5A title game. Maurice Ford, the coach, denied paying the money.
¶A copy of Bledsoe’s high school transcript from his first three years reveals that it would have taken an improbable academic makeover — a jump from about a 1.9 grade point average in core courses to just under a 2.5 during his senior year — for Bledsoe to achieve minimum N.C.A.A. standards to qualify for a scholarship.
There is more. An anonymous NCAA coach claims that Bledsoe's high school coach informed him it would take money to recruit Eric Bledsoe, and a specific amount was named.
So there you see the allegations as The Times reports them. There is a ton of amplifying information in the article, and if the allegations are true, this will mean big trouble for Kentucky, even if UK is entirely innocent in the entire affair. I'll explain all this after the jump.
Before we go on, let's sum up what we know. Right now, what we have are allegations and no facts. We have people claiming several things relevant to Bledsoe:
- His mother's rent was paid at various times by his high school coach during his junior and/or senior year in high school;
- His transcript shows a significant jump in performance after a school change from one public school to another, and the school he wound up attending was not the school he would have been slated to attend after his previous school closed;
- A college coach, hereforeto unnamed, alleges that Bledsoe's high school coach demanded a specific sum of money to recruit Bledsoe. Exactly what this sum was, or how that process was supposed to work, is unknown.
None of these allegations involve Kentucky whatsoever. Eric Bledsoe's transcript and ACT score passed the scrutiny of the NCAA Clearinghouse (does this sound familiar?) and Sandy Bell's peerless review. He was academically eligible after two semesters at UK to return to school, so he paid at least enough attention to his classwork while at UK to remain eligible.
But unfortunately, even if UK's compliance with NCAA rules was beyond any possible reproach, there will be consequences if either the allegation of money paid to his mother in the form of rent or the suspicion of academic fraud vis-a-vis grade inflation turn out to be true.
What are the consequences? Simply this. The NCAA, in the Memphis matter, took a "strict liability" approach to the participation of an ineligible athlete. If Eric Bledsoe is declared ineligible to have participated in athletics at Kentucky by virtue of either academic impropriety or impermissible benefits, they will be required to vacate all of the games that UK won that Eric Bledsoe participated in. As far as I recall, that was all of them save maybe one.
So what does this mean about John Calipari? Well, it would be a tragic blow to his reputation, and a totally unfair one unless he knew something about the matters under investigation. It isn't as though Kentucky and Memphis were the only school to offer Bledsoe a scholarship -- so did the Florida Gators, Cincinnati Bearcats and Alabama Crimson Tide. The Duke Blue Devils also heavily recruited Bledsoe, but did not offer him a scholarship. So lots of compliance officers got a look at his transcript, it would appear. [Update: The part about the compliance officers may not be right. Bledsoe's high school coach said that he did not release Bledsoe's transcript except in the event of an official visit, and his Rivals page does not indicate he took any, so please consider that last sentence speculation.]
Of course, Calipari's actual culpability makes no difference to his detractors, but if we aren't used to that yet, we are truly doomed. I am not vindicating Calipari here, make no mistake -- he may well have known about some of these allegations, and if he did know about them, there should be consequences to his employment. We should not be recruiting players who may wind up found in pre-college violations of NCAA guidelines, and if there were warning signs that Calipari should have heeded, particularly after the Rose affair, that will be a major problem in my eyes, and in the eyes of many UK fans.
Nobody wants Calipari or any other UK coach not to recruit a legitimate college prospect. But these prospects must be carefully vetted for possible NCAA compliance issues before offering them an opportunity to attend UK, not after. After a five-star player accepts an invitation to play, it is bound to be tougher to back off that if something potentially troubling is discovered.
I am certain that Sandy Bell reviewed the facts surrounding Bledsoe's recruitment before allowing the scholarship to be offered or the player to be enrolled. That tells me that either information she received was good enough for her blessing, or she was deceived. If the latter, heads must roll. I am completely confident in Sandy Bell's reputation and thoroughness, and I also believe Coach Calipari was completely honest in this affair, at this point, and there is absolutely no evidence otherwise.
But even if Kentucky and Calipari are completely blameless, if Bledsoe was ineligible to come to Kentucky, there may be consequences to the University, and those consequences may involve having to get to 2000 wins all over again.
Sometimes, life isn't fair. This could well be one of those times. Hang on to your butts.
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And sadly, probably the last fair and balanced one I'll see from either side.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on May 29, 2010 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions
???
You’ll see fair and balanced pieces here, I assure you.
Well, at least not too imbalanced — I am a Wildcat partisan and a Calipari defender. But I am a UK fan first, and if there is wrongdoing, I want the offenders found and punished regardless of my preferences.
I will have no mercy on the wicked.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Let me rephrase that: I trust that I will find fair and balanced views here, as usual.
However, I think that in many other places what I’ll see will either be absolute, blind defense of Calipari on the one hand and similarly absolute condemnation of him on the other. Both of those will miss the mark, at least until we know the facts.
I always expect fairness here. You do a great job. Even if you’re a Wildcats partisan.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on May 29, 2010 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, you're right.
Calipari will be defended blindly in some places. I will defend him as well, but only where it is clear that he did nothing wrong, or is being unfairly accused.
Right now, there is nothing in the facts to support an accusation against Calipari. But some could come out. Culpable negligence will be very tough to prove unless he admits he knew something, because of the presence of Sandy Bell — she is absolutely the finest compliance officer in the game.
But other witnesses will surely appear, and Calipari’s name could wind up on their lips. I hope not, but it could happen.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I think that's right.
The NCAA and media will keep tabs on Calipari because of his history, or at least the history that has seemed to follow him, and that seems fair enough to me. But he’s innocent until proven guilty, and that hasn’t happened yet, simply put.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on May 29, 2010 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Indeed.
Thanks for that. A man after my own heart.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
No problem.
I wish Calipari no ill will, other than the kind that the Gamecocks can inflict fair and square on the court.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on May 29, 2010 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions
2,000 wins....
IF KU has problelms, and UK has problems, you know who is third on the list?
You are right Tru, Eric played in all but one. Thanks for giving us all the facts on what may be. Hanging on to mine, of course. To be continued….
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Heh.
Well, we’ll try to stick with the facts and avoid the hyperbole. No conclusions will be drawn without substantial evidence.
But there will be many, “what if’s.” That’s the nature of what we do here. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
That's right.
KU isn’t really even under NCAA investigation. They are being investigated by the FBI.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Even worse than a few wins going on vacation
Some people may get to go on one. :-)
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Well remember
last year when I said that we have made a deal with the devil? This is what it can bring to us. No, Calipari is not the devil but the whole stinkin process is the devil……..the process of bringing in the best of the best. I am angry right now but not sure if its justifiable. I want to hear more and will wait on judgement of Cal. But Kentucky fans this is what you get! This is what you get when you are begging and celebrating the best class in the history of college basketball! These high school coaches are dirty. AAU coaches are dirty. When all of us last year were getting blasted for having concerned………well this is what we were talking about. Although I suspct that the jump in the GPA will pan out ok. Kids can take summer courses or retake courses to bring up their grades. My baby sister had to do this and she failed two classes and retook them….GPA jumed from a 2.5 to 3.0. I suspect that happened with Bledsoe……sandy bell is not stupid. She would have looked at this suspicious jump and looked at very closely. I trust her….now the high school coach stuff……that is what I am very concerned about! UGGHHH!!!! But again you dance with the devil and you will get burned.
well,
you know what they say, “you go to heaven for the weather, but hell for the company”.
I’m not trying to mock your concern, I do think it’s valid and I really don’t think that UK fans should be all that surprised if something comes of this, but at this point what we think and what we know are two different things.
Let’s just hold on to our hats for now.
The irony is that almost every Cal hater out there
was saying it would be Wall’s recruiting and past that would lead to problems.
Too early to make any judgements or know where this will go but makes you wonder if we’d be hearing about the rent money if Bledsoe had gone to Alabama!!
You can't fix "stupid"!
well
based on what I have read……….those thirty plus wins ARE GONE! I am just sick about this. UGGHH!!! Another black mark on Kentucky.
Based on what I have read.....
UK and coach Cal are not being investigated. This has more to do with what Bledsoe did in High School. He was cleared to play for UK by the NCAA. I know the Rose story so I don’t need reminding. :)
Sorry you have already made the leap to take away all UK’s wins.
Slower Traffic Keep Right!
that's what you get for dancing with the devil, you know, seven ; )
by blue kentucky girl on May 29, 2010 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions
well, I was better before I found out this!
no worries, though…I’m struggling through a few more hours work right now, before pool/drinks/barbeque/sunshine for two days straight. I refuse to get in a tizzy about this right now, with so little info, so early in the game and right at Memorial Day weekend.
And how are YOU sir? ; )
by blue kentucky girl on May 29, 2010 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Cheers....your weekend sounds very similar
having friends over tonight. Grill, adult beverages, games and UFC. Tomorrow a birthday pool party. Dang skippy!
Enjoy!
Slower Traffic Keep Right!
Very serious.
But you are jumping to conclusions. Let’s not do that. It doesn’t do any good, and it does do harm.
We have precious little information at this point, and not everyone involved can be considered reliable.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
well
let me say this…….IF it is true……and lets face it Tru most of the time this stuff does turn out to be true. sigh
No.
It really doesn’t. Sometimes it does. Let’s not let our emotions overwhelm our reason.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Based
on what I have read….multiple sources and stuff…….this is a little different then all the Wall stuff. Yea I am emotional but Tru I don’t have a good feeling about this. Since the whole scandal thing I have never been more concerned about “rumors”.
I understand.
I am concerned as well, but it is too early in the process to lose our sense of perspective.
The reports are out there from credible sources. This investigation has been going on, apparently, since February of this year. UK has not even been informed of it, and if the NCAA had sufficient evidence up until now to disqualify Bledsoe, they would have warned the school. The NCAA would be negligent if they allowed a player whom they had reason to believe was ineligible to play without warning the member institution of his potential eligibility problems.
So relax a little, and let the facts come out.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
HA!
NCAA negligent? HA! much like ROSE! They knew Rose scores were fishy but never informed Memphis!
NCAA does not investigate test scores
ETS, the service which administers the SAT for the College Board investigated Rose’s scores based on handwriting samples. If I remember the case correctly, both Memphis and the NCAA found out about the investigation at the same time in November, and both found out the score had been invalidated at the same time, in late March-April.
If Bledsoe is declared ineligible, it will be for the same reason that Rose was: that he lied to the NCAA or UK. Then the question that would elevate it from a big secondary violation to a major violation is whether UK had reason to the facts Bledsoe might have lied about before putting him on the court.
The Bylaw Blog - The Blog of NCAA Compliance
by Compliance Guy on May 29, 2010 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Thank you.
If I remember the case correctly, both Memphis and the NCAA found out about the investigation at the same time in November, and both found out the score had been invalidated at the same time, in late March-April.
I think that’s right.
If Bledsoe is declared ineligible, it will be for the same reason that Rose was: that he lied to the NCAA or UK. Then the question that would elevate it from a big secondary violation to a major violation is whether UK had reason to the facts Bledsoe might have lied about before putting him on the court.
I don’t think this is right. The NCAA might use it as an excuse, but in the Memphis case, they applied a doctrine of strict liability. They stated that it was irrelevant to Rose’s eligibility if Memphis had any culpability at all, and the fact of his ineligibility made the wins forfeit regardless of whether or not Memphis knew about the potential academic fraud. In fact, they failed to even consider Memphis’ culpability, saying they didn’t need to reach that point.
If Bledsoe is in fact declared to have been ineligible prior to matriculating to UK, it will take a blatant act of hypocrisy (or astonishingly creative reasoning) for the NCAA not to invalidate UK’s wins.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
"... it will take a blatant act of hypocricy
for the NCAA not to unvalidate Uk’s wins."
You mean they same “hypocricy” the NCAA displayed in NOT taking away every win Cory Maggette was a part of during his time at Duke?
The wins would be invalidated in a secondary violation
I’m thinking more about whether Kentucky will be on probation, and what other penalties (lost scholarship) might be imposed.
The Bylaw Blog - The Blog of NCAA Compliance
by Compliance Guy on May 29, 2010 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions
I can't imagine that happening ...
… unless their compliance efforts were inadequate, not performed IAW their procedures, or Calipari knew something and hid it.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
alabama
is quite familiar with the NCAA’s blatant hypocrisy
"You have to create 6 seconds of hell each play..."
Coach Nick Saban
Thanks for that.
An excellent example, indeed.
Every example like that makes this idea sound better and better.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on May 30, 2010 10:17 AM EDT up reply actions
I do not mean to pile on...
but those comments perfectly reflect the sentiment that in sports, poiltics and entertainment you are guilty until proven innocent.
Slower Traffic Keep Right!
I just don't
think NY Times is going to report something like that on just some shlub telling them stories. No guilt in Cal………..but I am afraid some high school coach is going to cause trouble
It can happen.
There is nothing to be done sometimes. The school and Calipari may be completely innocent of wrongdoing, but you cannot completely control other bad actors who can wind up hurting the school in a way beyond your knowledge or control.
It happens all the time. How many people have been hurt by false charges of child abuse, or by the police accidentally breaking into their homes based on an inaccurate report.
It happens more often than most people even realize. It is a part of life. All we can do is watch, wait, and hope.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Seven
I will gladly be wrong. Believe me………….but as I just explained to a friend……if we had found this out before the season started then Bledsoe could have paid back the money and missed a few games and been elig. BUT NOW, he has played……….again though I said based on what I have read
The money ...
… allegedly went to his mother. It is entirely possible Bledsoe did not know about it. If they were knowingly participating in something nefarious, they wouldn’t have wanted Bledsoe to know about it to protect him.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
But once again ...
… we don’t really know what happened.
We know a couple of allegations that could be explained. They may be a problem and they may not. That’s what the investigation is supposed to determine.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Heh.
Well, fortunately, more than just allegations are required, even for the NCAA.
There are any number of circumstances that could explain the stuff we have seen so far, so let’s not kiss them goodbye yet.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
It's fine.
This will be a long process. It has really just begun.
UK has not even officially been notified of an investigation. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, they may not be.
But I wouldn’t bet the farm on that.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Just went to NCAA bylaw blog
He repeats the same story. My question is why and or who from the NCAA released this story? It could be they have reached a dead end and want what little publicity is available.
Happy Days are here again! Wildcat's have #1 recruiting class again!
We do not know if the NCAA released this story.
The Times maybe found someone who leaked it, but the NCAA hasn’t even notified UK about it.
The NCAA bylaw blog is not an official NCAA outlet, and the NCAA did not give them this story.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Slippery Slope
I have never seen an article written by anyone at the NYT that was exactly 100% accurate or the truth.. they make everything work to suit them… if someone calls them and says… or has h,,d,,e for Cal and it will sell a paper or 2 they’ll run it…. secondly, it doesn’t matter the sport, the school or the idividual there are kids that are great athletes, they have single family members that raise them and take care of them because the only way this family will ever make it thru life is if that child plays a professional sport. They get all kinds of social “help” thru whatever means is available paying momma’s rent, welfare, summer jobs, you name it….. NYT has no morals, this is all about someone planting, fishing or trying to hang somebody.
Sorry, I disagree.
I read, in hard copy, four newspapers every day and several others on the web.
The Grey Lady is the Paper of Record for a reason. They have faulted a time or two, but no other media organization on the planet is more diligent than the New York Times.
I hope they are wrong. But my experience tells me that might be wishful thinking.
They are not likely wrong ...
… about what they have reported.
I am confident that people told them what they say they told them, that they found what they say they found.
None of it implicates Kentucky, and the NCAA has carefully examined Beldsoe’s academic record. Absent some connection between UK and the money, I am thinking that there is nothing here to be concerned about. I note, for the record, that the times suggested no such connection, and it has not been alleged anywhere.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on May 29, 2010 11:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe I misunderstand
But if the rent money given is deemed to have been a violation, wouldn’t that make him ineligible? And then given the precedent in Memphis, wouldn’t they have to vacate the wins?
Or is it ineligibility based upon academics?
p.s. How the Times normally works, usually they hold something back until after the story has grown. If past reporting is any experience, usually they come in waves of 3.
I hate these butterflies in my belly.
Does anyone know?
If you remove the issue of the grades and focus entirely on the money, is it still an event that could lead to Bledsoe being deemed ineligible and therefore the wins being vacated?
No, you didn't misunderstand ...
… but I don’t think you are thinking it all the way through.
How is it going to look if the NCAA declares a kid ineligible because his high school coach provided $1,200 in rent money that his single, poverty-stricken mother could not afford to pay?
Yes, it is a violation. Yes, the NCAA could declare him ineligible based on impermissible benefits and void UK’s entire season. Your conclusion that this is what happened at Memphis is wholly correct.
But think about it — the NCAA would become the bad guy and for what? Of course, if they think they can prove some kind of nefarious motive, perhaps it will happen, but my feeling is the NCAA will find any excuse they can to ignore that money. The kid’s mother was poor, and he wasn’t even in college yet. The NCAA would look like a bunch of cold-hearted white men out to stick it to minorities.
I would be surprised if they went down that road.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on May 30, 2010 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions
I posted the same link to the same NYT story
And more likely, the New York Times did the investigating and tipped the NCAA. Look at the initial reporting by Yahoo! Sports on the USC situation six years ago. Or the UConn violations over a year ago. For big programs, there are two big sets of investigators: the NCAA and the media. And the media has more resources and access than the NCAA has.
The Bylaw Blog - The Unofficial Blog of NCAA Compliance
by Compliance Guy on May 29, 2010 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions
We have a real network.
And many, many, many servers. We don’t ever go down because of traffic. Our servers take millions of page views per hour. Matt’s blog has no such infrastructure.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Man. That really sucks.
He was ill for a long time, but I really loved that guy. Great actor.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
No doubt....I went over to CNN website and the breaking news
hit me like a shotgun….was not prepared to see that
Slower Traffic Keep Right!
Oh, and you like whackos?
Rent ‘Blue Velvet’. He’s the sicko with the NO2 tanks.
Also don’t forget he had lead roles with good friend James Dean and in the awesome ‘Easy Rider’.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on May 29, 2010 4:54 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
There have been several.
The Bruce Pearl allegations against Illinois would be one, the Tennessee accusations against the football team another.
There have been many more that nobody pays much attention to.
Where there is smoke, sometimes the fire is too cold to prove who set it.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Here we go through the wormhole again...
Maybe we should just adopt the business model of the 80’s Miami Hurricanes…accept the role as the bad boys and the heck with everyone else…I am weary of thinking I must defend against something every single day..maybe it is the price of greatness??
I thought we already did that.
:-)
What else could “embrace the hate” mean?
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I just simply don't feel the need to defend.
If someone tries to bait me into a discussion or an argument about this stuff, I just shrug, say something enigmatic like “I guess we’ll see,” and smile serenely at them. I mean really, who cares? We hate Pitino or Coach K or Roy Williams or Bruce Pearl or WHOEVER not for rational, well-thought-out reasons, but just because that’s just part of being a fan. I don’t hold it against rival fans if they hate or don’t trust Cal, just don’t expect me as a Kentucky fan to feel the same. I’m like this stuff like I am with politics…I’m not convincable, I’m gonna feel the way I feel whatever you say, but I’m not going to try to convince you to agree with me either. Reasonable people can disagree.
by blue kentucky girl on May 29, 2010 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I'm throwing the BS flag.
I’m thinking you’ve tried plenty to convince other people, especially with politics. Take that as a high compliment.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on May 29, 2010 4:57 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
reasonable people can also disagree then ;)
by blue kentucky girl on May 29, 2010 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Also, disagreeable people can be reasonable. :-)
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on May 29, 2010 9:40 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I'll take your word on that one
You would certainly know ; )
by blue kentucky girl on May 29, 2010 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Now that is unreasonably disagreable.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Just a diversion
from the endless pablum about the Bledsoe situation. Another topic we talk to death without enough facts to justify a conclusion. Just prior to this was the Cal to NBA rumors, prior to that we had the panic of filling all those slots on the roster. Things will work out, hopefully for the best, but I’d just as soon wait until there is a final determination before hand-wringing or jumping for joy.
After this there will be something else. Oh well, I can’t wait for football season.
Boooooo
Within reason, I must disagree with this reasonable reasoning of the reason ASOBers disagree and devote time to discussing reasoned memes; but, concede that it stands to reason that I am just disagreeable.
I am surprised
that the NAACP has not tried to take some action against the NCAA and the strict liability approach because of the potential impact of drying up college opportunities for young poverty stricken athletes. The effect of this policy will be to end recruitment of marginal players because something could be wrong that has not shown up yet. If there are obvious warning signs, that is one thing, but who could know a coach helped with the rent? Since this policy potentially impacts more black athletes than others, I would think they would be questioning it.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
This is something that concerns me as well.
And I do think you will see equal rights groups weighing in if this becomes a trend.
It’s a tough situation. It is a problem. There is no easy solution.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I'm feeling it is already
become a trend.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Not yet.
There is no official NCAA investigation that we know of. We know they asked some questions, but there has been no public notification or acknowledgement.
Let’s wait and see if anything comes of it.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
great point, wineman.
I’m not condoning any wrong doing on Eric’s part here, if there is indeed any, but being at UK (or any of the other schools that were considering him as Tru mentioned above, for that matter), playing ball, and the exposure that that provided him, well, it seems as though that was perhaps his only way out, you know? This was his chance to escape his life of poverty, and what would have happened to him if he hadn’t been given the chance? I shudder to think. : (
Sure.
I am positive the likely payments were altruistic. Oh boy.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on May 29, 2010 5:00 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
There is good reason to be skeptical.
Yet that does not, in and of itself, mean they were not.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
huh?
I’m confused. Are you mocking me with that reply, or did I misunderstand you? : )
What, you think that the rent was paid and then there was some sort of agreement with the payee that Bledsoe and his family would take care of them once he made it to the NBA and not by someone who was genuinely trying to lend a hand to family in need, just trying to help them live?
Either way, does it really matter? My point is that, without the rent money, god knows where he would have ended up and now, with that help, he has a chance to provide for his family himself. A poverty stricken family. Where is the harm? By Bledsoe having his rent paid, who did that hurt, exactly?
Did having his rent paid give him an unfair advantage; is that the question, here? Well, I suppose to some the answer could be “yes”, but to me he is a good basketball player, he made the grades necessary to be in college as far as we know so far, so I just don’t get why we want to try and condemn him for having his rent money being paid. It was a $400.00 a month apartment for goodness sake, not some lavish digs. Housing is a basic necessity in order to live. You do live in a house, right?
The grades. To me the grades is the bigger issue and according to the statement released by UK today (and I’m sure you’ve read it) his academics were looked into and he was found out to be ok. If a kid doesn’t make the grades and is offered an athletic scholarship, accepts it and then plays, well, in that case, I totally get that that would be an unfair advantage, and let the consequences and judgments come as they may as I do know that there are reasons for rules and there must be rules and guidelines for everyone to follow, but just being afforded a roof over ones head is not an unfair advantage, it’s a necessity, IMO.
I think a point has to be made
about who is held accountable. When and if the money was given to Bledsoe’s mother, was he a minor at the time? How can the NCAA assign responsibility for an adult’s actions to a minor child? When these adults start hanging on to a potential basketball prodigy and commit unethical acts, why are a child, and an institution offering that child an opportunity, held as the responsible parties for the wrongdoing? In the case of statutory rape, the minor party is not punished but rather the adult, since the minor is not of legal age to make decisions of consent. How does this differ from adults wheeling and dealing over the talents of an underage boy? The NCAA’s bankrupt policies demand that someone be punished. They can’t go after anyone but member institutions so the guilty parties get away completely. It’s like the collateral damage suffered when a bomb is dropped on a house full of people in order to try and get the one you are after.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The NCAA must be reigned in and held accountable for discriminatory policies and actions regardless of the outcome of this particular case.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Don't mean to personnally mock.
Money would suggest some sort of a quid pro quo.
I agree, as mentioned within these comments, about the grades being the bigger issue. Just like Rose, the possibility of increasing a GPA that amount defies probability.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on May 29, 2010 9:38 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
The alledged payments
were between legal adults. If Bledsoe was a minor at the time, how is he culpable?
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
look on the bright side
IF Calipari is guilty, this will give him the perfect excuse to jump ship, and go coach Lebron.
by Kentucky Humidity-lmao on May 29, 2010 2:42 PM EDT reply actions
I suppose that's true.
But then again, Calipari hasn’t even been alleged to have done anything.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I want to deal with a couple of Matt Jones' comments in here.
Matt wrote a long post about the Bledsoe situation last night, and I wanted to address some of it:
It has been months in the making and if you dont think that is about trying to nail Calipari, you need to get your head out of the sand. That doesnt mean that the final story shouldnt be taken seriously and that the allegations are incorrect, but dont kid yourselves…this is the culmination of a long-running attempt by Pete Thamel and the Times to dig up something on Calipari.
This may seem unfair to you, but trust me when I say that the news outlet that gets to hang "the big one" on Calipari will probably win a Pulitzer for sports reporting. That is a mighty big carrot to put in front of a reporter, so do not expect this to be the last we hear of Calipari from the media trying to get him. They are highly motivated, and that will not change.
However I also know that Bledsoe spent a great deal of time in his Senior year working to get eligible and the UK compliance people (according to a source of mine) “spent more time on double-checking Bledsoe’s record than anyone in recent years.” If that is true, and with my knowledge of the Bulldog in Sandy Bell at the head of the Compliance office at UK, I would need a lot more than unnamed sources and “improbable” beliefs before I convicted Eric on the issue.
This just validates my faith in Sandy Bell. If she has expended major time ensuring that UK is in compliance, you may rest easy in the assurance that Kentucky is very unlikely to be found guilty of any kind or type of violation. So if you were sweating bullets, just stop and take a deep breath. Enjoy the weather. Sandy Bell is peerless, and a better guardian of our school’s compliance does not exist in this world.
If I were Eric Bledsoe, I might sue whoever gave up his transcripts to the media. For months, various media members have claimed to me that they had seen the Bledsoe transcripts. The New York Times admits to having the transcripts in the story. Those are supposed to be private records by law and someone did Bledsoe a disservice and may have broken the law in handing them out to the press.
This is a very troubling statement. If Bledsoe’s personal information were in fact provided to the media, Bledsoe should indeed file a lawsuit against the party who did it. If the New York Times has the transcripts, no matter who gave them to them, they should return all copies of them immediately. It should be a crime for them to possess that information, no matter who gave it to them. It is certainly unethical.
I know that reporters are granted a lot of latitude on this point, but we aren’t talking about a government cover-up or criminal conspiracy here.
Matt goes on to say that he will not be upset if the coach or somebody not related to UK helped Bledsoe’s family with the rent. I find myself in agreement with him here. It may wind up costing UK and its fans a ton in terms of vacated wins, but some things in life are simply more important than NCAA violations. A lot of that statement is contingent upon the motivation of the individual, but if the motivation was simply to give the kid a chance to get out of tragic circumstances, it is impossible for me to condemn them.
Of course, that doesn’t apply if UK is in any way involved, or if there was academic fraud. Universities are not permitted to take such an interest in a player, no matter how pure the intention, and I fully support that. Academic fraud cannot be justified by the tragic circumstance of a player, either.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
C'mon, Tru.
The media is out to get Cal? Specifically this NYT’s writer? I dare say your paranoia is showing here, sir. Let’s not shoot the messenger, shall we?
I think there are two strong facts here. You have some one saying they paid rent when it is obvious the mother couldn’t.
But the most troubling is the GPA deal. I am a supporter of Bell, too, but this is worrisome. You have reporters like Clay admitting he heard of issues surrounding Bledsoe while in high school. I understand there were schools that backed away. Why didn’t UK, just to be safe?
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on May 29, 2010 5:11 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
You don't think so?
The media is out to get Cal? Specifically this NYT’s writer? I dare say your paranoia is showing here, sir. Let’s not shoot the messenger, shall we?
Heh. And you suggest I am naive. Do you not believe they have a strong motivation to do so? If not, please feel free to explain why, just as I have.
I think there are two strong facts here. You have some one saying they paid rent when it is obvious the mother couldn’t.
There are no facts here at all. There are two allegations, and neither one of them are facts. There is a "he said, she said" and there is a question about his grade increase which is certainly justified. So justified, in fact, that according to UK, the NCAA exercised special efforts to ensure they were okay, and cleared him.
If that statement is true, it may well dispose of the suspicion you call a fact.
But the most troubling is the GPA deal. I am a supporter of Bell, too, but this is worrisome. You have reporters like Clay admitting he heard of issues surrounding Bledsoe while in high school. I understand there were schools that backed away. Why didn’t UK, just to be safe?
UK didn’t, because they aren’t supposed to "be safe." It is their responsibility to fairly evaluate every student athlete’s situation vis-a-vis compliance and, if they pass muster, allow the coach to offer a scholarship. That muster was apparently fairly passed.
If we applied the Hoze criterion as I understand it, every good player who has a poor family would be forever barred from recruitment by UK. Poor people are always going to be targets for opportunists, poor minorities especially. It is just plain wrong to suggest that every player who comes from exploitable circumstances should be excluded from scholarship consideration, and that sounds to me like what you are doing.
The NCAA will not do that, because they dare not. My feeling is, they investigated the academic questions closely, and decided that if either Bledsoe or others on his behalf committed academic fraud, it was unprovable. If the story about the coach helping the mother pay rent for a $400 apartment is true, my feeling is they will find an excuse to ignore it for obvious reasons.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Wrong.
I can’t get fancy with my response on this Blackberry however.
I think it’s up to YOU to prove the NYT is out to get Cal. I can’t prove a negative. You are the one throwing out the accusation. Not I.
There is one undeniable fact…the GPA leap. Once again, it doesn’t pass the smell test and I’m not even Sandy.
UK is not obligated to offer any player a scholly. We’ve been over it before. I suggested that UK could have played it safe on the GPA issue. To paint me as some one who would dismiss someone based on economics or race is below contempt. I am highly offended and have never said anything that would suggest that. I deserve an apology.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on May 29, 2010 5:55 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Response:
I think it’s up to YOU to prove the NYT is out to get Cal. I can’t prove a negative. You are the one throwing out the accusation. Not I.
I didn’t ask for proof. I asked for justification of your opinion. Surely you can discern the difference?
There is one undeniable fact…the GPA leap. Once again, it doesn’t pass the smell test and I’m not even Sandy.
Well, at least you finally noted one actual fact. I would point out that it passed the smell test not only for Sandy Bell, but for the NCAA as well. They noted the leap, and investigated it specially, which was indicated in my most recent post. After they investigated it, they cleared him.
Is that good enough for you?
UK is not obligated to offer any player a scholly. We’ve been over it before. I suggested that UK could have played it safe on the GPA issue. To paint me as some one who would dismiss someone based on economics or race is below contempt. I am highly offended and have never said anything that would suggest that. I deserve an apology.
They did play it safe on the GPA issue, as I just discussed, and if you are offended, that’s too bad. You should have made it clear in your initial complaint that only the academic concerns were the subject of that point that UK should have refused to offer him a scholarship. But you not only didn’t do that, but supported your rebuke with the earlier claim of two "facts," one of them being the economics issue.
UK isn’t obligated to offer any scholarship, but Bledsoe was clearly worthy of one athletically. After investigation, he was not disqualified academically. So why would UK refuse to offer him one? What basis justifies that act, especially when it appeared that he had demonstrated his academic prowess in the face of a strong possibility of being a non-qualifier. Keep in mind, the big jump in performance was investigated by UK and the NCAA, and the decision was it was not due to academic fraud.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
You want justification?
Well the NYT’s is certainly the nation’s and likely the world’s leading paper. It’s called a reputation that is built on years and years of hard work and investigative journalism.
Wow….what a surprise to see you can’t apologize. Sad. Really.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on May 29, 2010 6:24 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Exactly my point.
They did not get that reputation by fishing for minnows.
Hello! Hoze! Is anyone home?
And what I am supposed to apologize for? Rebuking you for an obviously wrongheaded argument? You were the one who claimed to have all these fact to support your conclusion, until I exposed your failure.
What’s sad is your inability to get past your own hubris.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
You are out-of-control like I haven't seen before.
I suggest you take a breather.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on May 29, 2010 6:37 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I think you both
should take a breather.
Also, would now be a good time to bring up the fact that we as humans have a tendency to disagree with and have problems with those who are just like us? Or maybe I should wait to mention that thought, or keep it to myself? Oops, too late……. ; )
I have to disagree
about disagreeing with those who are just like us. I never disagree with myself. Yes you do! No I don’t, shut up and go away!!
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
I'd say their reputation has taken a hit in recent years
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel
is just a freight train coming your way.
by btcoop71 on May 29, 2010 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Oh, yea. I, at most times, despise the NYT.
I agree that their rep has taken a hit, but it is usually around political and gender bias. However, I still think you have to respect their investigative efforts and I can’t recall a time where the ‘sports page’ has taken an integrity hit.
Now having written that, I don’t think the accusations or facts can’t be question. In fact, the article doesn’t offer an opinion. It’s just laying out the ‘facts’ as it is now. How can that be condemned?
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on May 29, 2010 8:56 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Accusations are not necessarily facts.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Facts of the investigation.
The entire definition on what a fact is versus the truth has gotten way out of whack.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on May 29, 2010 9:29 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Posted by HozeKing – But the most troubling is the GPA deal. I am a supporter of Bell, too, but this is worrisome. You have reporters like Clay admitting he heard of issues surrounding Bledsoe while in high school. I understand there were schools that backed away. Why didn’t UK, just to be safe?
You should read this ESPN article before you paint yourself too far into the corner on the grades question. (Sorry: I can’t seem to make the link thingy work.)
ESPN.com reviewed copies of Bledsoe’s transcript after his sophomore and junior year, as well as his senior year at Parker High School. Though coaches projected Bledsoe as a non-qualifier entering his final year, he performed markedly better in the classroom as a senior with a college basketball scholarship on the line, taking a heavier workload that included a night school class and an online course to improve an earlier grade.
His grade-point average improved significantly after scoring an A in an online biology course, which replaced a D from his sophomore year. And, after failing to achieve an A in his first three years, Bledsoe scored two others in his senior year at Parker — Algebra 2 and Algebra 3, the latter taken in night classes.
Steve Ward, who coached Bledsoe at Hayes High, acknowledges his former star guard had plenty of academic work to accomplish when the school closed after his junior year.
Asked if he was surprised that Bledsoe qualified, Ward said: “Not really. I knew if he applied himself he would have been able to. So I wasn’t totally surprised.”
In addition, you should recognise that we aren’t talking about having to raise his whole GPA just that on the 16 course core required for NCAA eligibility.
Whatever. I am sure thr transcripts showed that.
From what I understand, it’s not a document question per se, but rather by what MEANS the grades were ‘raised’.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on May 30, 2010 7:02 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I do not agree with what Matt Jones implied here.
Matt Jones wrote – “With all that said, if something is found that UK did wrong or Bledsoe was academically ineligible, then punishment should be given. The precedent was set with Memphis (and I think it is a bad one) that when you take a risky qualifier, you suffer if they are later shown to be ineligible. Everyone knew Bledsoe was a risk, so however it plays out, it plays out.”
To take the attitude that if you take a chance on a hard circumstance recruit you deserve what you get is just plane WRONG. My understanding is that Eric and his mother were living in a car early in his high school years. If there is ever a reason to extend yourself on behalf of another – in this case, offer an athletic scholarship after reasonable due diligence – this was it, a chance I, and I hope my University, would take everytime!
I'll have more on just that subject shortly.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on May 30, 2010 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Bledsoe And Sestak
Not to bring politics into the discussion/speculation but the White House/Joe Sestak brouhaha is the most current example (could have as easily chosen Watergate, Whitewater, etc.) which I propose for consideration. The point is that history is replete with examples of the aftermath of coverups being far more detrimental than the incident itself. Having been on both sides of similar situations as a media owner and an elected official I can vouch for the several advantages of getting everything legally permissible out in the open as soon as practical. Thus my advice for the UK athletic department, in the person of the Barnhart, Bell, Calipari, et al, and appropriate legal counsel, is to be quickly forthcoming with who knew what and when. Far better to do that than having facts exposed by enterprising reporters and official investigators. In addition, such compliancy will stymie, but not eliminate, much conjecture.
In a more trivial (perhaps philosophical) sense: Continuing evidence that with Calipari at the helm there is hardly a dull moment in the BBN, and another opportunity to pose the question — is it worth it?
"There is a rank due to the United States, among nations, which will be withheld, if not absolutely lost, by the reputation of weakness." --George Washington
Cover up?
I am at a loss. Where has there been a cover up?
As far as I can tell, if there was anything wrong, it was a conspiracy on the part of the coach and the player’s family to violate NCAA rules.
If UK did their job on compliance, they will have it fully documented. There is nothing to get out in front of, and no allegations from the NCAA to respond to. In fact, as far as we know, the NCAA is no longer investigating this matter.
UK may want to issue a statement about the NYT article, but I suspect that is the most they will do. There is simply no “there” there as far as UK is concerned. Until there is, there is no point in making a statement that could later be used against you.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
That's A Start
But reads like boilerplate PR work — I once composed quite a bit of it — to me. I would suggest that as time and legalities permit the University release more details on the steps it took to insure Bledsoe’s eligibility.
"There is a rank due to the United States, among nations, which will be withheld, if not absolutely lost, by the reputation of weakness." --George Washington
A Bit More
These latest comments from KSR:
UK releAses (sic) statement that EB was cleared after "extensive prospective review" by NCAA. That means Eric got extra attention and was cleared
Alan Cutler:
unless there is something new that we don’t know, i don’t see how uk can get in trouble with the bledsoe mess.
Plus this comment from Maurice Ford, Bledsoe’s HS coach:
"I’m a poor black man. And when one black man tries to help another black man, there’s always something wrong."
Reminds me of Justice Clarence Thomas’ claim of “high tech lynching” during his confirmation hearings. It stopped Ted Kennedy, et al, in their tracks and assured Thomas’ appointment to the Supreme Court.
"There is a rank due to the United States, among nations, which will be withheld, if not absolutely lost, by the reputation of weakness." --George Washington
WW
Wouldn’t hang my hat on anything Cutler says. He’s obviously wrong here. If Bledsoe is ruled inelibigible, then UK can “get in trouble” in the form of vacating wins, among other possibilities.
Secondly, the coach saying he couldn’t afford to pay Bledsoe’s rent … well, who said it was HIS money. Could have been anyone giving the money to him to deliver to the landlord.
It looks like a fishing expedition!
Much to do about nothing! He said/She said. No facts. Old news dating back to February.
Happy Days are here again! Wildcat's have #1 recruiting class again!
AS I SAID
There are many sources of assistance available to athletes today. To assist them in attending college is nothing new. Coaches that participate in local churches, fund raisers and other community groups know what kids and familites need assistance and if a kids goes to the NFL, NBA or MLB it speaks well of their schools… We should not condemn anyone that is trying to help someone else do better… if they try and line their own pocket… that’s a different story. If they are cleared by the NCAA… then, the NCAA is your daddy and schools, coaches and players should not be held to pay the price..
One allegation that is being
looked over is that Coach Ford allegedly tried to profit from Bledsoe’s recruitment. If so, he had ulterior motives for getting Eric and his mom to move into his district.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Life isn't fair
And all this garbage about Bledsoe is not a bit fair. But however it turns out. We can hold our heads up and just go about our business. The more peole attack us, the worse they feel about themselves. We are the Cats, we win and we do it right!!!
This is amazing!!!!!!!!
- Accusations of implied violations by a reporter
- Allegations of impropriety by a landlord (who says she is owed $3,200 by Eric’s mom)
- A rival coach’s accusation that Eric’s high school coach wanted money for him to “sign”
- This is a kid who has been investigated and cleared twice by the NCAA, once by the UK compliance office, once by the Alabama HS athletics association and once by his high school regarding his academic record (if he actually did cheat and fooled all those folks, he is a lot smarter than most )
- This is a kid who it is said worked hard to bring his grades up so he could get into a college and develop into a potential NBA prospect (and no one thinks that he might have been highly motivated) ………..and by the way some of his poor grades in his early HS years may have been hurt by the fact that he seemingly did not have a very stable home life. And he subsequently did well enough to remain academically eligible to play sports in college. (BTW If his privacy was invaded regarding his transcripts, I truly hope those guilty get to pay a very high price indeed)
And here we are writing and reading hundreds of posts and every scrap of information we can find about this. (I wonder how many hits the NYT site has had over and above a normal saturday?) I guess the NYT got their money’s worth on this story!
I guess we have to resign ourselves to dealing with accusations, innuendo and supposition as long as UK is successful. For I doubt any other college sports program could generate this much attention on so little facts.
Yeah, this doesn't have much to do
about Cal or UK (just that Bledsoe played for them). The NCAA cleared him and then go back and are essentially saying they missed some things. Maybe they should penalize themselves. College sports is all hypocrisy, but that’s what we have to deal with right now. Let these kids skip college. The only connection to UK is that this kid signed with them to play. The big reason he signed there was because of Coach Cal. The big problem I see with Calipari is that he is willing to take chances that other coaches might not or just can’t get. I don’t think he’s done anything illegal at any school, but also risks his and the school(s) reputations by taking chances on guys that most know has some big baggage (academically, socially, emotionally). Do I think that’s a good thing? Not really, but those are ethical and moral questions, not legal ones. So I don’t like his style, but that’s just a personal preference. This story is really about the people around Bledsoe when he was in high school. He was a minor at the time and had limited power.
Maddie in PDX
UK Fans Comments on Calipari When He Was At Memphis
It is interesting to see what UK Fans had to say about Calipari when he was still at Memphis. They pretty much had the same sentiment as the rest of the nation, but ‘ironically’ all that changed when he was hired on to take over at Kentucky.
An overwhelming number of posts from UK Fans seemed to question Calipari’s ethics and recruiting practices. If these charges do hold true, it will be interesting to see if Calipari can escape a 3rd wound from NCAA as he seemed to go unscathed at UMass and Memphis, but leaving the mess to the schools themselves.
So?
What is your point, exactly? That we didn’t bother to do our homework while he was at Memphis?
Guilty as charged. So sue me.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Right Tru!
Guilty as charged! We were all caught up in the media’s desire to condemn Cal. The truth of the matter is that we didn’t take the time to find out what really happened.
The one thing that irks me is that none of the haters mention that after the investigations were well underway at both Umass and Memphis, both scholls tried their darnedest to convince Cal to stay. More than anything that tells you that the schools didn’t feel that Cal was responsible for the “voliations”.
Are You Disparaging
The caprice of sports fans? Surely not. Might as well criticize the honesty of politicians, speaking of which brings to mind the applicable quote attributed to Theodore Roosevelt regarding Nicaragua’s Anastosio Somoza:
He may be a SOB but he’s our SOB.
"There is a rank due to the United States, among nations, which will be withheld, if not absolutely lost, by the reputation of weakness." --George Washington
WOW! I'm waiting for some one to say 'and we'll go down with him, kicking and screaming' (;
I have be correctly accused of having a 'football fetish'. You know, someone who doesn't think football is the warm up sport to basketball season.
If the NCAA tries to use strict liability, then I say we must fight them all the way.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Tru
You are a better man than I am! This said I could not have read the crap that Hoze said about me on my site.
Happy Days are here again! Wildcat's have #1 recruiting class again!
Where is your site? I'd like to read it.
I have be correctly accused of having a 'football fetish'. You know, someone who doesn't think football is the warm up sport to basketball season.
Tru is handling this just fine.
I think we all agree we’’re a little unhappy with this bobbing to the surface. And as several have said, we don’t know all the story at this time.
BUT, attacking others isn’t going to prove anything. You might look at this one way and the problems it could cause while others are more worried about something else.
Loosen, up and discuss. No need to question anyone’s loyality, intelligence or anything else. Don’t belittle yourself by doing so.
I have be correctly accused of having a 'football fetish'. You know, someone who doesn't think football is the warm up sport to basketball season.
Paris
I don’t have a site. Never said so. If I did you wpuld not know it. I’ve not questioned anyones loyalty.intelligence or what not. My statement to Tru was my opionion! Nothing more or less!
Happy Days are here again! Wildcat's have #1 recruiting class again!
Oh, I must have misread you post at 7:35.
I have be correctly accused of having a 'football fetish'. You know, someone who doesn't think football is the warm up sport to basketball season.
More Insight From Matt Jones @ KSR
Nothing appreciably new just different take on known facts and, it would appear, an attempt to allay irrational fears.
"There is a rank due to the United States, among nations, which will be withheld, if not absolutely lost, by the reputation of weakness." --George Washington
Lookee here!
We have already settled this with out the help of the NCAA, University of Kentucky or anyone else. We all agree this is just an irrational fear. Thanks Wineman.
This is going to take a while to filter through whether the ASOB investigation has settle the point or not.
Why don’t we wait and see what’s determined before we take down the New York Times and the NCAA?
Naw, nevermind let’s go after them! All in jest but I don’t think what we decide is going to be a determining factor.
;)
I have be correctly accused of having a 'football fetish'. You know, someone who doesn't think football is the warm up sport to basketball season.
No, but it kills the time until we get the answers.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Some points to make.
I read the article in the LHL today and there were some points I was curious about. It stated “Under NCAA rules, it is not permissable for a high school student’s family to receive rent money from a public school coach. It would be considered an impermissible benefit.” The key word here being PUBLIC. Does the rule hold true for private schools also? Does anyone know?
As for his drastic improvement in grades, It seems plausible to me that it could easily have happened. Here he is going to a school that is in such bad shape that it is being shut down. There was probably $0 to help a student like Bledsoe. Chances are classes were overcrowded, many filled with students without hope for their future. Bledsoe is moving around, living with one friend or relative after another with no real place to even be able to study, probably worrying about his mother the whole time, feeling that, as the son, he should be taking care of her. His coach at Hayes was right. Bledsoe desperately needed Central Park Christian. He would be going into a completely different enviornment than anything he had ever experienced before. One where time wasn’t constantly wasted by misbehaving students, one where there were resources to help a student who needed extra help to understand his schoolwork. He was probably learning how to learn for the first time in his life. I have friends who are college professors who are aghast at how little our high school graduates have learned, with the exception of kids who were lucky enough to go to private schools. There is no comparison. The public schools have to deal with so many problems that are more social in nature than curricular that they have very little time to actually teach subject matter. Eric Bledsoe was probably, for the very first time, put in a position where he had a chance to succeed.
As for the allegation about the coach demanding money before him letting Eric be recruitted, remember, that coach didn’t want Eric to go to UK. Guess he didn’t get that money from UK that he may or may not have wanted.
Anyway, back to that first question I asked, anyone know the answer? Are Public and Private under the same rule regarding the rent money?
by craftyno1catfan on May 30, 2010 2:59 AM EDT reply actions
It is my understanding
that the school he transferred to was a public school, just in a different district, thus necessitating a move to that district. What I would ask is how does anyone other that someone linked with a university recruiting a kid gain an unfair advantage with an humanitarian gesture? This seems like none of the NCAA’s business in this case. To me, the story here is the high school coach and his requests for money from the college coaches.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
He wound up at public school.
We don’t know what happened there, and the article does not explain, but my feeling is that there was no way his mother could afford private school.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on May 30, 2010 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Thanks
I must get more sleep. I just looked back at the LHL article and saw that the name of the headmaster of the Christian school was Parker. Hence my confusion.
Today’s LHL has a great deal to say from Bledsoe’s former coach Maurice Ford. He says they have plenty of proof that Bledsoe earned his grades, that he had tutors, etc. He goes on to say that the only schools that had Bledsoe’s transcripts were UK and Memphis. If that’s so, would Bledsoe have a potential lawsuit against Memphis for disclosing private information that is supposed to be protected. Ford goes on to say that he has hired a lawyer and is considering a lawsuit.
The plot thickens.
by craftyno1catfan on May 30, 2010 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Yes, I saw that.
It is very interesting.
I wonder if this is one of those times when the NY Times stepped on itself. It happens only rarely, but it does happen.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on May 30, 2010 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Ford goes on to say that he has hired a lawyer and is considering a lawsuit.
I will help him pay for that lawyer.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Crafty
Welcome to ASoB. See you just joined. Can’t answer your question,but maybe someone can later today.
Happy Days are here again! Wildcat's have #1 recruiting class again!
Well it seems crafty got the hammer!
Happy Days are here again! Wildcat's have #1 recruiting class again!
The NCAA has to fix “it’s” problems! Allowing a player to play for an entire yr. only to punish the school that he played for months after the season NEEDS to be fixed.
Of course everyone will point the blame at Calipari , even thought this all happened while Bledose was still in HIgh School.
Musn't post when I'm half asleep
My mistake. I had read the article early in the day. When I went to post I didn’t look at the whole article again as I should have and just glanced at the second page for the names. I will be much more careful from now on. My apologies.
It will be very interesting to see how this all folds out. Hopefully the “proof” that Maurice Ford is talking about can stand up to close scrutiny, though, he says the NCAA hasn’t even contacted him.
It is terrible that a kid’s name can be dragged through the mud and his grades that are supposed to be private are broadcast for all the world to see. What a world we “grown-ups” have created. Shame on us.
by craftyno1catfan on May 30, 2010 2:30 PM EDT reply actions
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