Bribery Scandal - FBI Probe - Book Richardson Involved

A1RZONA · Post by **A1RZONA** » Thu Feb 06, 2020 11:33 am

https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/the-scheme

Wonder how much we come up in this...

CatFanOneMil · Post by **CatFanOneMil** » Thu Feb 13, 2020 8:38 pm

U of South Carolina gets Level I Notice of Allegations...

"Head coach Frank Martin, who has claimed no knowledge of Evans’ actions and been forthcoming in answering questions about it, isn’t accused of being responsible even though Evans was part of his program, and USC is not accused of failure to monitor or lack of institutional control."

This seems to be very close to what we might expect, although the article does not exactly say what the penalties or actual violations are...

Here

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Fri Feb 14, 2020 5:31 am

Has Miller been arrested yet?

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Fri Feb 14, 2020 12:37 pm

CatFanOneMil wrote:This article lays out a very compelling case why its not wise to dismiss the Avenatti case sitting before SDNY...

I typically think Avenatti is a bit of an attention whore and really think there are some seriously questionable legal history here with him...

However...

If this goes to trial (looks like it will) and Avenatti gets to do his thing...there seems to be some evidence that Nike HAS been involved in paying families of players to get them into schools (including Aytons mom)...

Frankly I don't know...the whole pay to play scandal has been misinterpreted/rehashed and done to death as far as I'm concerned, but it seems clear on some level that the "pre-college" Nike/Adidas basketball train has been paying families and providing rides to and from the Big dog schools and Avenatti might be able to drag it into the light.

I found it interesting that what I originally thought was some extortion scheme by him was actually not exactly as presented by the media, the timelines of his involvement and actually what he has purported barely rise to the level of "extortion" in my opinion and I'm kinda surprised the SDNY pursued the case at all...seems big money somewhere is at play and regardless of the outcome there will be some evidence coming to light that is going to be bad for a lot of schools.

Article

Avenatti was just found guilty on all counts in his federal trial.

Wasn’t there supposed to be some damning “Nike paid players to go to Arizona” evidence that was going to come out during the testimony? I didn’t hear shit...

CatFanOneMil · Post by **CatFanOneMil** » Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:06 pm

Chicat wrote:
CatFanOneMil wrote:This article lays out a very compelling case why its not wise to dismiss the Avenatti case sitting before SDNY...

I typically think Avenatti is a bit of an attention whore and really think there are some seriously questionable legal history here with him...

However...

If this goes to trial (looks like it will) and Avenatti gets to do his thing...there seems to be some evidence that Nike HAS been involved in paying families of players to get them into schools (including Aytons mom)...

Frankly I don't know...the whole pay to play scandal has been misinterpreted/rehashed and done to death as far as I'm concerned, but it seems clear on some level that the "pre-college" Nike/Adidas basketball train has been paying families and providing rides to and from the Big dog schools and Avenatti might be able to drag it into the light.

I found it interesting that what I originally thought was some extortion scheme by him was actually not exactly as presented by the media, the timelines of his involvement and actually what he has purported barely rise to the level of "extortion" in my opinion and I'm kinda surprised the SDNY pursued the case at all...seems big money somewhere is at play and regardless of the outcome there will be some evidence coming to light that is going to be bad for a lot of schools.

Article
Avenatti was just found guilty on all counts in his federal trial.

Wasn’t there supposed to be some damning “Nike paid players to go to Arizona” evidence that was going to come out during the testimony? I didn’t hear shit...

Yeah, I guess it turns out Avenetti was kinda trying to screw with a multi-Billion dollar empire...but honestly I don't know...the timelines of when he was involved and what was said seem to be at play from a media perspective, as to what actually happened and the evidence presented in court, there appears to be enough for a jury to convict him on all accounts of trying to extort Nike...which is really just about as dumb as you can get...threatening the 800.lb Gorilla in the room is never a smart idea...no matter how many notches you have on your lawyer belt...

Of course the LACK of actual evidence that Nike paid players is not going to stop ESPN from spinning this as Millers fault...

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:39 pm

RondaeShimmy · Post by **RondaeShimmy** » Tue Mar 17, 2020 10:52 am

article

features Miller call transcripts with Dawkins, mentions book also

https://sports.yahoo.com/hoops-middlema ... 28153.html" target="_blank

atlantakat · Post by **atlantakat** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:13 am

So HBO has a tapes of FBI wire taps in which Miller: 1. says he is not going to pay a player that was trying to get a higher number from another program by spreading a false rumor that the U of A had put money on the table, and 2. asks for information about which AAU scumbag he may have to deal with in connection with another player and is told that Adidas is likely going to pay that kid to go to another program. I am SHOCKED. Go round up the usual suspects.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:19 am

atlantakat wrote:So HBO has a tapes of FBI wire taps in which Miller: 1. says he is not going to pay a player that was trying to get a higher number from another program by spreading a false rumor that the U of A had put money on the table, and 2. asks for information about which AAU scumbag he may have to deal with in connection with another player and is told that Adidas is likely going to pay that kid to go to another program. I am SHOCKED. Go round up the usual suspects.

Every thing there is infinitely more damaging for Will Wade than Sean Miller. All these wiretaps showed is that Miller was aware of the game behind the game just like all the coaches do. This is so dumb.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 8:04 am

i can’t believe I’m engaging here - there is no crime in knowing or having a conversation with Christian Dawkins, if there is, and that line of thinking is true across the board, than 95% of the coaches across college basketball need to be fired, as there are 100’s of Dawkins, some of which coaches have no idea who they are even speaking to. the underbelly of youth basketball and more elevated AAU is wrought with slime - and that’s being super nice. if all the Dawkins of the AAU and sneaker world were wiretapped 10% of their life as it pertains youth basketball and AAU and to kids and the extortion and bribery and illegal activity initiated and participated and managed and executed there would be a menagerie of hilarious buffoonery of which many coaches, both head and assistant, managers and trainers and faculty and teachers and boosters and etc., and etc., would have to answer for.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 8:18 am

No no no, Sean Miller and Wade are the only coaches who deal with the slimy side of recruiting. Just ask Jay Bilas. He’ll tell you. Then after he’s done telling you that Miller and Wade deserve to burn in hell, he’ll tell you the players should be paid.

Postmaster · Post by **Postmaster** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 12:29 pm

And Pearl is the bees knees

Irish27 · Post by **Irish27** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 12:56 pm

Our buddy Russ Smith chimed in.

"I agree this tape doesn't demand Miller be fired, it's not a receipt of payment. But if you're Arizona it's patently obvious that players get paid and that Miller was aware of and discussing players being paid with a guy who was paying them. They have to decide is this enough to fire him. It was for Louisville but then Pitino had been in big trouble not that long before, his leash was very short. LSU hasnt' fired Wade yet, they clearly should he's discussing paying a transfer in the CBS story, and Smart, and we know that Miller certainly believed Reid was being paid to go to LSU and Dawkins did too. Wade is openly talking about it, if LSU doesn't fire him they have no shame at all.

But arizona can't actually see this stuff and say if anybody got paid, Sean didn't know, he clearly did. They can say Sean didn't pay them, or there's no PROOF of a violation, but in the end they have to decide how far they're willing to go to accept that Miller was playing players he knew were being paid."

https://www.arizonasportsfans.com/forum ... st-4174646" target="_blank

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 1:03 pm

But UCLA players don't get paid, right?

Sounds like fucking enfuego.

zonagrad · Post by **zonagrad** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 1:07 pm

So elite players are getting paid and Sean Miller discusses players being paid. But we’re to believe that elite players at Duke, UK, KU, etc... don’t get paid.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 2:20 pm

screenshot of the Bilas tweet so we never forget

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 2:26 pm

That second thread pretty much confirms that tape doesn’t exist and ESPN put out truly shoddy reporting that they still stand by for some unknown reason.

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 2:41 pm

Fuck Jay Bilas

Postmaster · Post by **Postmaster** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 6:32 pm

What did “Matt” say that the producer guy responded to?

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 6:34 pm

Postmaster wrote:What did “Matt” say that the producer guy responded to?

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 6:35 pm

Postmaster · Post by **Postmaster** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:06 pm

Thanks

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:44 pm

Sorry, why is Schlabach still off the hook again?

midnightx · Post by **midnightx** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 9:28 am

The erroneous Miller/Dawkins $100K FBI Wiretap is one of ESPN's biggest reporting blunders of all-time. And the company continues to still dance around it by mentioning Miller and Arizona any chance it gets, to somehow imply that there was legitimacy to the initial report. If such an incriminating and damaging recording existed, it not only would have been presented in court proceedings, but someone would have leaked it by now in an era where leaks are the norm. Additionally, Dawkins later admitted that there was no such call/tape.

MountainCat · Post by **MountainCat** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 12:09 pm

midnightx wrote:The erroneous Miller/Dawkins $100K FBI Wiretap is one of ESPN's biggest reporting blunders of all-time. And the company continues to still dance around it by mentioning Miller and Arizona any chance it gets, to somehow imply that there was legitimacy to the initial report. If such an incriminating and damaging recording existed, it not only would have been presented in court proceedings, but someone would have leaked it by now in an era where leaks are the norm. Additionally, Dawkins later admitted that there was no such call/tape.

At what point does the UA slap a lawsuit in ESPNs direction for damages of this type of repetitive reporting in supporting their agenda while showing a bias (not Bilas) towards protecting teams that they do business with, let alone including Jay Bilas personally for keep bringing it up.

He is a lawyer your know... ...If you didn't know.

pc in NM · Post by **pc in NM** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 2:04 pm

MountainCat wrote:
midnightx wrote:The erroneous Miller/Dawkins $100K FBI Wiretap is one of ESPN's biggest reporting blunders of all-time. And the company continues to still dance around it by mentioning Miller and Arizona any chance it gets, to somehow imply that there was legitimacy to the initial report. If such an incriminating and damaging recording existed, it not only would have been presented in court proceedings, but someone would have leaked it by now in an era where leaks are the norm. Additionally, Dawkins later admitted that there was no such call/tape.
At what point does the UA slap a lawsuit in ESPNs direction for damages of this type of repetitive reporting in supporting their agenda while showing a bias (not Bilas) towards protecting teams that they do business with, let alone including Jay Bilas personally for keep bringing it up.

He is a lawyer your know... ...If you didn't know.

If the U of A or Miller filed such a lawsuit, CSM would have to be deposed.... That is why it will nevr happen.

RiseAndFire · Post by **RiseAndFire** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 2:22 pm

Wow I sure am glad the UofA sold its soul to hilariously back this fraud coach, the last 6 years of zero results, record breaking ineptitude, unprecedented toxicity and underperforming was totally worth it!

midnightx · Post by **midnightx** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:35 pm

pc in NM wrote:
MountainCat wrote:
midnightx wrote:The erroneous Miller/Dawkins $100K FBI Wiretap is one of ESPN's biggest reporting blunders of all-time. And the company continues to still dance around it by mentioning Miller and Arizona any chance it gets, to somehow imply that there was legitimacy to the initial report. If such an incriminating and damaging recording existed, it not only would have been presented in court proceedings, but someone would have leaked it by now in an era where leaks are the norm. Additionally, Dawkins later admitted that there was no such call/tape.
At what point does the UA slap a lawsuit in ESPNs direction for damages of this type of repetitive reporting in supporting their agenda while showing a bias (not Bilas) towards protecting teams that they do business with, let alone including Jay Bilas personally for keep bringing it up.

He is a lawyer your know... ...If you didn't know.
If the U of A or Miller filed such a lawsuit, CSM would have to be deposed.... That is why it will nevr happen.

Exactly. That is why ESPN can keep borderline defaming Miller and the program. If Miller were to sue ESPN, then ESPN would potentially get access to all sorts of information through discovery (including a deposition of Miller), and that is one reasons why a lawsuit is not going to happen.

TheCat · Post by **TheCat** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:52 pm

It isn't going to happen because Miller is a public figure and proving liability against a public figure is nearly impossible.

TheCat · Post by **TheCat** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 5:02 pm

Irish27 wrote:Our buddy Russ Smith chimed in.

"I agree this tape doesn't demand Miller be fired, it's not a receipt of payment. But if you're Arizona it's patently obvious that players get paid and that Miller was aware of and discussing players being paid with a guy who was paying them. They have to decide is this enough to fire him. It was for Louisville but then Pitino had been in big trouble not that long before, his leash was very short. LSU hasnt' fired Wade yet, they clearly should he's discussing paying a transfer in the CBS story, and Smart, and we know that Miller certainly believed Reid was being paid to go to LSU and Dawkins did too. Wade is openly talking about it, if LSU doesn't fire him they have no shame at all.

But arizona can't actually see this stuff and say if anybody got paid, Sean didn't know, he clearly did. They can say Sean didn't pay them, or there's no PROOF of a violation, but in the end they have to decide how far they're willing to go to accept that Miller was playing players he knew were being paid."

https://www.arizonasportsfans.com/forum ... st-4174646" target="_blank

So I am going to ask this question one more time. Are they saying that Sean Miller paid these players from his OWN money? The only entity that did that was Adidas to get players to a certain school. Book accepted money to steer players after college to certain financial advisers. I don't believe for one minute that any coach would pay a player from their OWN pocket. They have Sean's bank records yet no indictment from the Feds.....That is not possible.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 5:46 pm

TheCat wrote:
Irish27 wrote:Our buddy Russ Smith chimed in.

"I agree this tape doesn't demand Miller be fired, it's not a receipt of payment. But if you're Arizona it's patently obvious that players get paid and that Miller was aware of and discussing players being paid with a guy who was paying them. They have to decide is this enough to fire him. It was for Louisville but then Pitino had been in big trouble not that long before, his leash was very short. LSU hasnt' fired Wade yet, they clearly should he's discussing paying a transfer in the CBS story, and Smart, and we know that Miller certainly believed Reid was being paid to go to LSU and Dawkins did too. Wade is openly talking about it, if LSU doesn't fire him they have no shame at all.

But arizona can't actually see this stuff and say if anybody got paid, Sean didn't know, he clearly did. They can say Sean didn't pay them, or there's no PROOF of a violation, but in the end they have to decide how far they're willing to go to accept that Miller was playing players he knew were being paid."

https://www.arizonasportsfans.com/forum ... st-4174646" target="_blank
So I am going to ask this question one more time. Are they saying that Sean Miller paid these players from his OWN money? The only entity that did that was Adidas to get players to a certain school. Book accepted money to steer players after college to certain financial advisers. I don't believe for one minute that any coach would pay a player from their OWN pocket. They have Sean's bank records yet no indictment from the Feds.....That is not possible.

ESPN never talks about that. The difficulty of secretly funneling $100,000 from his own accounts without the IRS, FBI, or NCAA knowing is never addressed. Because it’s fairly impossible. Whereas it’s much easier for a large corporation like Nike to bury it in AAU sponsorships and community outreach activities.

RiseAndFire · Post by **RiseAndFire** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 9:10 pm

Chicat wrote:
TheCat wrote:
Irish27 wrote:Our buddy Russ Smith chimed in.

"I agree this tape doesn't demand Miller be fired, it's not a receipt of payment. But if you're Arizona it's patently obvious that players get paid and that Miller was aware of and discussing players being paid with a guy who was paying them. They have to decide is this enough to fire him. It was for Louisville but then Pitino had been in big trouble not that long before, his leash was very short. LSU hasnt' fired Wade yet, they clearly should he's discussing paying a transfer in the CBS story, and Smart, and we know that Miller certainly believed Reid was being paid to go to LSU and Dawkins did too. Wade is openly talking about it, if LSU doesn't fire him they have no shame at all.

But arizona can't actually see this stuff and say if anybody got paid, Sean didn't know, he clearly did. They can say Sean didn't pay them, or there's no PROOF of a violation, but in the end they have to decide how far they're willing to go to accept that Miller was playing players he knew were being paid."

https://www.arizonasportsfans.com/forum ... st-4174646" target="_blank
So I am going to ask this question one more time. Are they saying that Sean Miller paid these players from his OWN money? The only entity that did that was Adidas to get players to a certain school. Book accepted money to steer players after college to certain financial advisers. I don't believe for one minute that any coach would pay a player from their OWN pocket. They have Sean's bank records yet no indictment from the Feds.....That is not possible.
ESPN never talks about that. The difficulty of secretly funneling $100,000 from his own accounts without the IRS, FBI, or NCAA knowing is never addressed. Because it’s fairly impossible. Whereas it’s much easier for a large corporation like Nike to bury it in AAU sponsorships and community outreach activities.

Youre missing or ignoring a fundamental aspect of the FBI case.
Book wasnt busted for paying players, he was busted for taking A CUT of someone else’s payment as a fed employee- deemed a bribe. JUST paying players is not a concern of the FBI but only the NCAA,who might as well be the Lollipop Guild as far as they’re concerned.

Miller paying a player from their own funds is not a federal crime which is why the FBI couldn’t and wouldn’t address it.

Timmy1973 · Post by **Timmy1973** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 10:47 pm

Sure, as long as he claimed it on his taxes. Otherwise you can only gift $15K per person a year tax free. Then the FBI would get him with tax evasion. The FBI gets lots of criminals convicted due to missteps in how they handled their taxes.

eoe · Post by **eoe** » Fri Mar 20, 2020 7:17 am

RiseAndFire wrote:
Youre missing or ignoring a fundamental aspect of the FBI case.
Book wasnt busted for paying players, he was busted for taking A CUT of someone else’s payment as a fed employee- deemed a bribe. JUST paying players is not a concern of the FBI but only the NCAA,who might as well be the Lollipop Guild as far as they’re concerned.

Miller paying a player from their own funds is not a federal crime which is why the FBI couldn’t and wouldn’t address it.

Just FYI - you forgot to log out of your sock and into your main account

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 9:50 am

I guess our buddy Jon Wilner tweeted out after seeing in advance the HBO show by Dawkins, "Hard to imagine Miller coaching another game at AZ"

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 10:07 am

azcat49 wrote:I guess our buddy Jon Wilner tweeted out after seeing in advance the HBO show by Dawkins, "Hard to imagine Miller coaching another game at AZ"

Feels like Wilner has been wanting to say that since the day Miller was hired.

MountainCat · Post by **MountainCat** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 10:30 am

azcat49 wrote:I guess our buddy Jon Wilner tweeted out after seeing in advance the HBO show by Dawkins, "Hard to imagine Miller coaching another game at AZ"

Fire him at once. At least once we get ride of him, the NCAA will have shown to do a good job at getting rid of all the bad apples. Can't believe he has knowledge of how one can cheat. No one else does.

...Couldn't even get into the the Tourney this year.

"Sarcasm"

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 11:43 am

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 12:16 pm

so let me get this straight, the inflection in millers voice is grounds for guilt?

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 12:18 pm

fuck wilner

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 12:28 pm

97cats wrote:so let me get this straight, the inflection in millers voice is grounds for guilt?

Jon Wilner is extraordinarily bad at journalism unless he's being fed info from a guy that works in the Pac 12 offices.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 12:31 pm

ChooChooCat wrote:
Jon Wilner is extraordinarily bad at journalism unless he's being fed info from a guy that works in the Pac 12 offices.

hey!! i don’t like the tone in your voice, Mr.!!

guilty!guilty!guilty!

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 1:27 pm

The stupidity some people find time for can only be explained by their malice.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 1:59 pm

Sports news is ridiculously slow, need to create some way to get website clicks, he got the Arizona fans and rival fans to click. Good job Jon, your job is safe.

TheCat · Post by **TheCat** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 3:17 pm

The truth is this doesn't look good for Arizona but it has nothing to do with Miller's guilt or innocence. It adds uncertainty to the program and creates an illusion of instability which neither recruits or their families want. If anyone can work thru this with sheer effort it will be Miller. I have no idea how recruiting is going. I think since none of our guys have declared yet it adds even more doubt. I believe Sean is right for this program. Can he overcome the odds in front of him who knows.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 4:47 pm

TheCat wrote:The truth is this doesn't look good for Arizona but it has nothing to do with Miller's guilt or innocence. It adds uncertainty to the program and creates an illusion of instability which neither recruits or their families want. If anyone can work thru this with sheer effort it will be Miller. I have no idea how recruiting is going. I think since none of our guys have declared yet it adds even more doubt. I believe Sean is right for this program. Can he overcome the odds in front of him who knows.

Miller has made it more than clear to the transfers and remaining HS guys we're recruiting that the 3 freshmen are gone, so there's no doubt there. Miller will field a team with competitive talent next year no question, but it's a matter of how well that talent of all new players minus a select few yet again performs. I don't necessarily believe Sean isn't right for this program, but the issue of non-stop roster fluctuation is not right for this program and it ain't changing any time soon. Leadership change may be required to remedy that issue.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 7:03 pm

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 7:43 pm

Did Wilner go to ASU or something?

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 7:54 pm

Beachcat97 wrote:Did Wilner go to ASU or something?

He used to write for the Daily Star.

dmjcat · Post by **dmjcat** » Thu Mar 26, 2020 7:58 pm

Beachcat97 wrote:Did Wilner go to ASU or something?

He didn't have the grades to get admitted.

Login • Register