Quote :

"Mr. Bennet: "For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?""

Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"

7/21/2010 9:28:06 PM

bro. you don't quote no jane austen in sports talk.

7/21/2010 9:55:25 PM

7/21/2010 9:59:57 PM

LOL that shit just gets funnier and funnier everytime i see it

7/21/2010 10:03:01 PM

They are required by law to tell the truth. It almost guarantees that everything that could come out will.




[Edited on July 21, 2010 at 10:19 PM. Reason : hjk]

7/21/2010 10:18:08 PM

I fully expect Butch Davis to spout off some bullshit tomorrow.

7/21/2010 10:25:06 PM

I haven't read any of this.

but unless i've missed something, punishing agents makes ABSOLUTELY no sense.

they are not affiliated with the NCAA.

that is like high schools punishing john calipari.

accountability has to be with the schools, coaches, and players.

7/21/2010 11:02:15 PM

I hope Don Shea grills butch tomorrow but I know he wont.

7/21/2010 11:04:47 PM

N&O's Joe (J.P.) Giglio went to NC State as well... I remember him from when I started out at Technician round 1995.

I think he's been one of the guys on the forefront of covering this in the print media. I know he was on Packman on Tuesday talking about it.

7/21/2010 11:50:41 PM

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/07/source_friend_and_false_preten.html
was this posted?

[Edited on July 22, 2010 at 12:45 AM. Reason : ?]

7/22/2010 12:44:46 AM

dude, dareus is steeped in bullshit right about now, he's lying through his teeth to keep his eligibility

OMG AGENTS ARE HERE TAKE ME HOME PLZ

7/22/2010 12:50:59 AM

even if that's the case I''m glad he picked Austin to be his scapegoat

7/22/2010 12:53:47 AM

haha hell yes, under the bus with him

7/22/2010 1:01:44 AM

Quote :

"bro. you don't quote no jane austen in sports talk."

I think it adds some much needed class to this thread. God knows every time someone posts a picture of Marvin Austin we all lose class, dignity, and intelligence just from looking at it.

[Edited on July 22, 2010 at 1:38 AM. Reason : i'm new and don't know how to use the quote box]

[Edited on July 22, 2010 at 2:02 AM. Reason : ]

7/22/2010 1:37:11 AM

click edit post on your post again to see how it should be. welcome to TWW.

7/22/2010 2:02:26 AM

Are you ready for a real bombshell? Austin possibly working for an agent in connection with mid-May party!

http://www.statefansnation.com/index.php/archives/2010/07/22/fun-time-is-over-are-you-ready-for-a-real-bombshell/

By: Old MacDonald Jul 22, 2010 Featured, General
Late Wednesday evening this story broke from Birmingham, Alabama:
This article explains how Tide player Marcell Dareus was lured to an agent’s party in Miami in “the middle of May.” Given what we have learned over the past few days about the travel and party attendance of some UNC-CH players, this is now getting really ”interesting.”
Who lured him to this party? I will let portions of the excellent Birmingham News article written by Don Kausler, Jr. speak for itself:
As his mother lay dying in her Birmingham home, Marcell Dareus couldn’t cope. He had to get away.
It was the middle of May. Spring classes at the University of Alabama were over. Summer classes and football conditioning didn’t start until early June.
Along came an invitation from a friend to fly to Miami. The chance to hang out in South Beach sounded good, so off Dareus went to chill in the sun, sand and warm water.
…
Dareus attended the party but claims he was lured to Miami under a false pretense, a source close to the family said. When Dareus discovered there were agents at the party, he asked to leave. Then he received grim news that his mother, Michelle Luckey, had died, and he abruptly returned to Birmingham.
The friend who arranged the trip was Marvin Austin, a star defensive lineman at North Carolina, a source close to the Dareus family said. Austin appears to be a central figure in a growing NCAA investigation into possible improper dealings between agents and college football players.
When Dareus made a recruiting visit to North Carolina during his senior year at Huffman High School, his host was Austin, then a freshman. The two players bonded.
As Alabama rolled last fall toward an undefeated season, Austin said if the Crimson Tide won the national championship, he would pay for a trip for Dareus anywhere, a source close to the Dareus family said.
The plane fare to Miami was paid for by Austin, but when Dareus arrived in Miami, he paid Austin for the ticket and received a receipt, the source said. Austin also arranged for a hotel room, but the source said Dareus did not use the room.
Wow! I really don’t know where to start here, but some of that sounded vaguely important so I guess we should talk about it.
I have to say that what started (for me anyway) as a light-hearted romp centering around funny pictures is morphing into something else. What exactly the something else is I don’t know.
Assuming that article is accurate, and given that that article raises a lot of potential issues, I am going to throw some questions out there for discussion.
*) Where did Austin get the money to pay for his friend’s plane fare?
*) How did Austin “arrange” for hotel rooms? Who paid for the rooms?
*) What is Austin’s relationship to this agent?
*) Who is this agent?
*) Is this agent connected to other figures in this story? How? Is this agent connected to any UNC-CH coaches?
*) Why are these guys giving each other receipts?
*) Did I leave the iron on?
That last one was a joke by the way. (It is my goal to include an “Airplane!” reference once every few entries).
I should mention that, from what I can gather, the timeframe of the party mentioned in the above article overlaps with the mid-May festivities we have written about (remember the pictures of Greg Little in Miami on May 15th), not Memorial Day weekend. Dareus’ mom sadly passed away May 18th.
Now, dovetailing here is a comment made by Nick Saban as quoted by asthevalleyshook.com, an LSU fan site. This site quotes Saban as saying:
“In this case, the agent used a player to get other players to come somewhere where the agents could meet them.”
You can read more about this at:
http://www.andthevalleyshook.com/2010/7/21/1581131/in-this-case-the-agent-used-a
Now, read the Birmingham article quoted above in concert with that Saban comment. Is Austin is the “one player” Saban is talking about?
If Austin was working for an agent facilitating plane flights and hotel accomodations to bring other players from around the country to that agent (while Twittering about half of it), what does that tell us about the “institutional control” UNC-CH has over its football program?
We will work to keep on top of this story as it develops.
Are UNC-CH people still confident that this will blow over?

7/22/2010 7:16:47 AM

Let me spell that out.

Quote :

"AUSTIN WORKING FOR AGENT..."

7/22/2010 7:26:32 AM

Quote :

"The plane fare to Miami was paid for by Austin, but when Dareus arrived in Miami, he paid Austin for the ticket and received a receipt, the source said. Austin also arranged for a hotel room, but the source said Dareus did not use the room."

Yeah, I can really see this going down:

[Dareus arrives in Miami]

Austin: What up playboy? Welcome to Miami dawg! We gon' get this shit poppin'!

Dareus: Marvin, I did some thinking during the plane ride, and I must insist on reimbursing you for the transportation you provided. I would hate to run afoul of NCAA regulations during this fabulous vacation. Let me write up a receipt stating that I have reimbursed you and we can get it notarized ASAP.

Austin: No doubt dawg! We be keepin' it above the level here, nah'mean? But yo, you gots ta stay in my room, shit is crazy son! We got hoes and the Moet is flowin' like water!

Dareus: As intriguing as that sounds, I will be staying at the Motel 6 so as to avoid any suspicion of impropriety.

7/22/2010 7:38:19 AM

I understand Austin "may" have been the ring leader here but why did he stay another year a UNC? If he had all these hookups with agents, i would have gone pro and not risked it. Something definitely is going on.




:nuclearbombgif:

[Edited on July 22, 2010 at 8:17 AM. Reason : s]

7/22/2010 8:10:05 AM

while im unhappy to hear of possible bad news for alabama, i cannot stop laughing at the news i keep hearing coming from the carolina direction...anyone reading their boards? and/or how much are they flippin their shit right now?

7/22/2010 8:25:20 AM

They're not flipping their shit actually, due to a combination of things:

- They're UNC, and assume that means they're better than everyone and didn't do anything wrong.
- The more schools that get implicated, they believe will water down what happens to them/their players.
- Believe that with the SoS coming into play, there will only be repercussions for the agents involved.

7/22/2010 8:29:08 AM

They are rationalizing like crazy over there. They are innocent or just didn't know any better. Some are even blaming us for "reporting" them. I want to know all the facts of this before I judge them though. In before "Well if we had Little and Austin we wouldn't have lost so many games this year, they were jealous and trying to hold us back!"

7/22/2010 8:44:15 AM

AND AND AND all the sudden now, student athletes really should be getting paid to play, its only fair (ive probably read that 50x times now from various UNCCHomers

7/22/2010 9:35:54 AM

AND AND AND we heard that the mascot will continue to be present at every football game. He has had no contact with an agent. Football program is cleared! yay!

7/22/2010 9:54:54 AM

Quote :

"I understand Austin "may" have been the ring leader here but why did he stay another year a UNC? If he had all these hookups with agents, i would have gone pro and not risked it. Something definitely is going on."

Just a SWAG on my part here, but if he goes in with an agent, stays in school, recruits other guys to sign with said agent, then presumably the agent would give him some money. And not just dumb long.

7/22/2010 10:03:33 AM

7/22/2010 10:09:19 AM

^^ but you have to think he would have made a lot more money with a contract from the NFL than from a damn agent?

7/22/2010 10:10:24 AM

agreed, but what round was he projected to go? I don't remember, but if he wasn't a first rounder then there's some additional incentive to stay another year.

7/22/2010 10:23:38 AM

2nd if I recall

Signing bonus of 750 - a million

Not chump change, but he could definitely boost his stock with a dominant senior year

7/22/2010 10:25:30 AM

Yeah, but MA was probably thinking money now+more money later> More money now.



Also, he ain't smart.

7/22/2010 10:26:27 AM

http://www.nfldraftbible.com/NFL-Insider-Insider-info/2011-nfl-draft-watch-18-marvin-austin.html

possible first round and "surely wouldn't have slipped further than second round".

Quote :

"However, if the defensive lineman’s play slips or even levels off, he could face a drop on 2011 draft boards."

So many ifs just be to guaranteed first round.

7/22/2010 10:27:18 AM

RB is the only position where you really have to go as soon as you can, since you're dead by 30

It makes sense for most other players to stay if they have a chance to go higher next year

7/22/2010 10:28:37 AM

It almost feels like he didn't have a choice. Sure we could say he is "dumb" for not going but look who has daily contact with: John Blake and the UNC coaching staff. The coaching staff of course just wanting a stellar football year.

John Blake in your face + little pressure from the staff + an agent throwing bills in your face + trips to miami + prospect of first round bonuses + a little money on the side for inviting friends = staying

I could see it now.

[Edited on July 22, 2010 at 10:38 AM. Reason : s]

7/22/2010 10:37:17 AM

7/22/2010 10:48:25 AM

http://www.statefansnation.com/index.php/archives/2010/07/22/more-from-national-football-post-austin-expected-to-be-suspended-2-current-heels-and-1-former-part-of-investgation/

Quote :

" We’re told that Austin has been accepting money and other extra benefits, including trips to Miami and his hometown to Washington, D.C., for quite some time and has been in cahoots with South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders, his good friend, as far as comparing notes on what inducements can be gained from agent and financial advisor interaction. As we’ve reported previously, sources close to the UNC athletic department expect Austin to ultimately be suspended for the entire season. We’ve also been told that Austin has been laying low since the investigation began and hasn’t been attending workouts. An Alabama newspaper is reporting that Austin paid for Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus to attend the South Beach party. Alabama has suspended Dareus pending an NCAA investigation. We’ve also been told that Saunders is extremely concerned about being implicated by the NCAA if they see his text messages. According to sources with knowledge of the situation, Tar Heels cornerback Charles Brown has asked more than one agent for money directly. According to the agent who said he was solicited, the request was flatly denied. We’ve also been told that Tar Heels cornerback Kendric Burney was flown to Atlanta recently to meet with two agents. Burney and Brown are both advised by former Tar Heels cornerback Chris Hawkins, who has emerged as a central figure in the investigation."

[Edited on July 22, 2010 at 11:13 AM. Reason : add two more players]

7/22/2010 11:09:32 AM

is what they all have done "illegal" to governmental laws? i.e. does the NCAA have the authority to obtain his text messages if they want them?

7/22/2010 11:15:47 AM

doubtful

7/22/2010 11:20:11 AM

^^^

7/22/2010 11:25:04 AM

I believe what the agents have done is illegal and if the law wants to intervene, they could subpoena the players and then get text messages, right?

7/22/2010 11:40:12 AM

what did agents do that was illegal (trying to understand them thurr laws n such)

7/22/2010 11:42:19 AM

Nothing is illegal from a criminal standpoint

Just from an NCAA standpoint

Similar to how its illegal for NFL players to take certain supplements that are sold over the counter

7/22/2010 11:46:49 AM

im just tryin to figure out how the NCAA will be able to finagle a way to get his text messages

7/22/2010 11:49:15 AM

Class I Felony in NC for an agent to give gifts, etc. to a player before they are under contract with said agent.

7/22/2010 11:49:24 AM

Omitted from part pasted into the SFN post, but from the national Football post article:

Quote :

" We've been told that Little has been cleared of any wrongdoing by NCAA investigators after a thorough examination of his bank and phone records. One agent that met with Little described him as a mature, responsible young man who asked good questions during the meeting and didn't ask for or receive any illegal benefits."

c'mon

7/22/2010 11:49:46 AM

c'mooooooon man

7/22/2010 11:51:58 AM

Thought he meant illegal from the players perspective

For the agents, yes, its a crime

7/22/2010 11:52:12 AM

a mature, responsible young man, who punts footballs into the stands at the Tire Bowl

also i've been trolling one site for the last day or two under the guise that i'm a proud UNC alum, but that i'm objective and I'm essentially calling out "other UNC fans" who are in denial about the whole thing

[Edited on July 22, 2010 at 12:06 PM. Reason : lol]

also i wonder if this is the agent http://www.sportsagentblog.com/2010/01/11/gary-wichard-is-on-freaking-fire/

[Edited on July 22, 2010 at 12:15 PM. Reason : .]

7/22/2010 11:54:54 AM

^well are you gonna link the site? i wanna read.

7/22/2010 12:54:44 PM

well Elaine Marshall said the state was launching its own investigation into what the agents were up to and their part in this.

so this will drag this shit out for months possibly. this investigation could very well make things even worse for UNC if agents start flipping

http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/8841522/article-Marshall-launches-investigation-into-agents--relationships-with-N-C--athletes?instance=homefourthleft

Lets compile a list of who has been investigated:
UNC - Marvin Austin, Charles,Brown, Kendric Burney, Greg Little (seems cleared), Quan Sturdivant, Bruce Carter, Deunta Williams and Robert Quinn.
USC - weslye saunders
UGA - A.J. Green
FL - maurkice pouncey
UA - Marcell Dareus

[Edited on July 22, 2010 at 1:08 PM. Reason : sdf]

7/22/2010 12:57:19 PM

Butch live: http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/livenow?id=7122856

[Edited on July 22, 2010 at 1:25 PM. Reason : coming up i guess]

[Edited on July 22, 2010 at 1:27 PM. Reason : did i just hear an agent joke]

7/22/2010 1:23:52 PM