Bribery Scandal - FBI Probe - Book Richardson Involved

[Irish27]

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/ncaa-givin ... 53015.html" target="_blank

[ChooChooCat]

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/ncaa-givin ... 53015.html

JFC I hate the sports media with a passion.

[azpatnca]

>In a third surveillance recording, Dawkins talks about Ayton and says Miller told him, "I'm taking care of everything myself. I want to bring you in. I'll turn everything over to you.”

Dawkins Says Miller Said

On the HBO documentary, “The Scheme,” When asked about the above quote from Miller, Dawkins responded, “Yeah, that wasn’t true.”


Sports Media is being purposely misleading in this case. I guess credit to Pat Forde for at least trying to summarize it, but fuck Pete Thamel for linking that Forde Article and not actually reading it himself.

and Fuck ESPN the most for being wrong and doubling down on it. It's been years, we've had FBI, NCAA, HBO and several others dive into this and no one has produced anything that corroborates the ESPN story on Ayton. They got their stories mixed up. I hope Ayton sues them when this is all said and done if it holds up as it appears to be holding up.

That said, let's get our spanking and move on. If I thought there was an east coast bias against us for beating Dean Smith in 1997, it's nothing compared to the shit we're going to get forever for this. We're good enough to be the scapegoat but not precious like the blue bloods.

The funniest thing is during all of this we've still recruited really well and people are still claiming its $$$. If Miller is paying people while the FBI is wiretapping him and the NCAA is investigating him then that's some next level shit and he should run for congress.

[PHXCATS]

Besides Mark Schlabach being the obvious worst, I cannot tell who is the second worse when it comes to the media and how they have tried to fuck UA through this and give bad infor.

Really close race between Thamel Forde Dickie V and O'Neil

[Chicat]

>In a third surveillance recording, Dawkins talks about Ayton and says Miller told him, "I'm taking care of everything myself. I want to bring you in. I'll turn everything over to you.”

Dawkins Says Miller Said

On the HBO documentary, “The Scheme,” When asked about the above quote from Miller, Dawkins responded, “Yeah, that wasn’t true.”


Sports Media is being purposely misleading in this case. I guess credit to Pat Forde for at least trying to summarize it, but fuck Pete Thamel for linking that Forde Article and not actually reading it himself.

and Fuck ESPN the most for being wrong and doubling down on it. It's been years, we've had FBI, NCAA, HBO and several others dive into this and no one has produced anything that corroborates the ESPN story on Ayton. They got their stories mixed up. I hope Ayton sues them when this is all said and done if it holds up as it appears to be holding up.

That said, let's get our spanking and move on. If I thought there was an east coast bias against us for beating Dean Smith in 1997, it's nothing compared to the shit we're going to get forever for this. We're good enough to be the scapegoat but not precious like the blue bloods.

The funniest thing is during all of this we've still recruited really well and people are still claiming its $$$. If Miller is paying people while the FBI is wiretapping him and the NCAA is investigating him then that's some next level shit and he should run for congress.

Amen

[CalStateTempe]

Personally, professionally, politically, societally, Fandomly

This year has sucked major Tijuana donkey balls.

I’m so over 2020.

[midnightx]

>In a third surveillance recording, Dawkins talks about Ayton and says Miller told him, "I'm taking care of everything myself. I want to bring you in. I'll turn everything over to you.”

Dawkins Says Miller Said

On the HBO documentary, “The Scheme,” When asked about the above quote from Miller, Dawkins responded, “Yeah, that wasn’t true.”


Sports Media is being purposely misleading in this case. I guess credit to Pat Forde for at least trying to summarize it, but fuck Pete Thamel for linking that Forde Article and not actually reading it himself.

and Fuck ESPN the most for being wrong and doubling down on it. It's been years, we've had FBI, NCAA, HBO and several others dive into this and no one has produced anything that corroborates the ESPN story on Ayton. They got their stories mixed up. I hope Ayton sues them when this is all said and done if it holds up as it appears to be holding up.

That said, let's get our spanking and move on. If I thought there was an east coast bias against us for beating Dean Smith in 1997, it's nothing compared to the shit we're going to get forever for this. We're good enough to be the scapegoat but not precious like the blue bloods.

The funniest thing is during all of this we've still recruited really well and people are still claiming its $$$. If Miller is paying people while the FBI is wiretapping him and the NCAA is investigating him then that's some next level shit and he should run for congress.

It is doubtful Ayton will ever sue over this issue. Presuming he or his family received some kind benefit (allegedly, all major recruits receive under the table benefits -- the going rates are well known), he would have to answer questions about it under oath, even though the original ESPN story was bogus. That is why Duke was sweating it for five minutes several months ago when there was the possibility Zion was going to have to answer questions under oath in a deposition about receiving benefits at Duke. That is why Miller couldn't go after ESPN and others for defamation -- he will have to answer questions about improper recruiting benefits under oath, and there is no way he is going there.

[scumdevils86]

Picking up burritos this morning and another customer drove off in a car with a "F ESPN" license plate. Which one of you was that?

[Spaceman Spiff]

Interesting punishment for Alabama given what their coach admitted to.

https://tide1009.com/alabama-basketball ... gaHSU6UQgw

Baker committed NCAA violations when he was paid to set up a meeting between a student athlete's father and financial advisors. The player in question is current NBA player Collin Sexton. Baker was paid at least $3,000 by the financial advisors to arrange a dinner with Sexton's father.

The Alabama Crimson Tide has been informed by the NCAA that it will serve a three year probation period and pay a fine as punishment for its involvement in the FBI investigations that swept through college basketball in the last year. Kobie Baker, an associate athletic director for basketball resigned amid allegations of impropriety in 2017.

The Crimson Tide will not have to serve a postseason ban while under probation and also does not face a loss of scholarships.

[Irish27]

[Beachcat97]

They're cutting their losses and getting a jump on any other punishment. It's a smart move, imo. Auburn is not expected to do much this year. I do feel bad for the players, though.

[midnightx]

They're cutting their losses and getting a jump on any other punishment. It's a smart move, imo. Auburn is not expected to do much this year. I do feel bad for the players, though.

It won't stop the NCAA from still nailing the program. It seems like these proactive measures are resolving issues less and less.

[dmjcat]

They're cutting their losses and getting a jump on any other punishment. It's a smart move, imo. Auburn is not expected to do much this year. I do feel bad for the players, though.

Completely agree.

The UA would be wise to follow suit.

The 20-21 season is largely going to be a "Throw-Away" year anyway due to the pandemic. There is also the distinct possibility that the Cats won't even make the tournament. MidnightX is correct that the NCAA can impose additional penalties, but in general they haven't done that in most cases. If we take the hit now we avoid screwing up another recruiting season.

We should have self-sanctioned back in 18. We would have avoided the embarrassing 1st round loss to Buffalo and would have put the bulk of the NCAA crap squarely in the rear view mirror. Vitale and the other idiots would have been forced to find another whipping boy the last 2 years.

[Beachcat97]

They're cutting their losses and getting a jump on any other punishment. It's a smart move, imo. Auburn is not expected to do much this year. I do feel bad for the players, though.

Completely agree.

The UA would be wise to follow suit.

The 20-21 season is largely going to be a "Throw-Away" year anyway due to the pandemic. There is also the distinct possibility that the Cats won't even make the tournament. MidnightX is correct that the NCAA can impose additional penalties, but in general they haven't done that in most cases. If we take the hit now we avoid screwing up another recruiting season.

We should have self-sanctioned back in 18. We would have avoided the embarrassing 1st round loss to Buffalo and would have put the bulk of the NCAA crap squarely in the rear view mirror. Vitale and the other idiots would have been forced to find another whipping boy the last 2 years.

Yeah. I just feel like if the NCAA ever does drop the hammer on us in a fairly substantial way, we'll have a better case for appeal if we've already self-sanctioned. If we just go about our business, it feels like we're daring the NCAA to hurt us.

[AZCatGirl]

I thought we were appealing to an independent court? Isn't it up to them to decide if the punishment we got will happen?

[Spaceman Spiff]

I thought we were appealing to an independent court? Isn't it up to them to decide if the punishment we got will happen?

We are. The NCAA isn't deciding for us.

The NCAA's issue is lack of consistency in punishment. Alabama got sanctioned for what OSU's Lamont Evans pled to. Bama got probation. OSU got a tourney ban and scholarship restrictions.

The NCAA used cooperation to reduce Bama's punishment, but OSU cooperated and got blasted. It's why virtually all schools are picking the independent route.

Hopefully the independent board will be understanding that the NCAA has not been consistent in assessing cases. Also, FWIW, self sanctioning has made no real difference to the NCAA.

[AzCatFan2]

Auburn's case is different than our case in that there is absolute proof that money flowed into the hands of players. That's why they are self sanctioning. The proof any Arizona player ever received cash is innuendo and hearsay from things like the Schlabach story and the recordings of Book. But without any corroborating evidence, such as bank records or large, cash purchases made by these players and/or their family, this proof is very weak.

I believe the NCAA wants to nail us, but we feel confident that the actual evidence against us doesn't go past Book taking the money and pocketing it for himself. A stain on the program, for sure, and one that deserves punishment, but nothing major like a post-season ban. Dr. Robbins and Heeke must feel confident that the independent review board will only rule on what can be proven, and not just what is alleged, and at worst, we get probation and a loss of a few scholarships. Otherwise, why go to the review board and not self-penalize?

[Spaceman Spiff]

Auburn's case is different than our case in that there is absolute proof that money flowed into the hands of players. That's why they are self sanctioning. The proof any Arizona player ever received cash is innuendo and hearsay from things like the Schlabach story and the recordings of Book. But without any corroborating evidence, such as bank records or large, cash purchases made by these players and/or their family, this proof is very weak.

I believe the NCAA wants to nail us, but we feel confident that the actual evidence against us doesn't go past Book taking the money and pocketing it for himself. A stain on the program, for sure, and one that deserves punishment, but nothing major like a post-season ban. Dr. Robbins and Heeke must feel confident that the independent review board will only rule on what can be proven, and not just what is alleged, and at worst, we get probation and a loss of a few scholarships. Otherwise, why go to the review board and not self-penalize?

I'd see it like this. The NCAA's internal discipline process...it can't be worse than that. The NCAA internal discipline process isn't going to conclude NCAA investigators lacked proof of allegations.

The independent board lets you make that argument. Frankly, maybe I'm a homer, but a ton of stuff has leaked and there seems to be no actual evidence of anything beyond Book taking bribes.

I mean, maybe there's evidence we don't know about, but in a process where virtually everything's been leaked, I find it hard to believe there's this smoking gun that exists but hasn't leaked. Hell, our response to the NCAA from counsel leaked in like 2-3 days, but we should believe the NCAA has airtight evidence that they've had for months, if not years, and it hasn't leaked?

[TheCat]

We know that Kansas received 5 level 1 violations for basketball and I assume Arizona Basketball had less because it included at least one level 1 against swimming. What I am guessing is two against basketball and only one of those against Miller because a head coach has responsibility to monitor staff and one against Book for obvious violation of talking money to steer players to a financial advisor. No proof at all of paying players (unlike Adidas/Kansas). My guess is that the AZ athletic dept has 2 associated with those violation against swimming and bball.

[AzCatFan2]

Auburn's case is different than our case in that there is absolute proof that money flowed into the hands of players. That's why they are self sanctioning. The proof any Arizona player ever received cash is innuendo and hearsay from things like the Schlabach story and the recordings of Book. But without any corroborating evidence, such as bank records or large, cash purchases made by these players and/or their family, this proof is very weak.

I believe the NCAA wants to nail us, but we feel confident that the actual evidence against us doesn't go past Book taking the money and pocketing it for himself. A stain on the program, for sure, and one that deserves punishment, but nothing major like a post-season ban. Dr. Robbins and Heeke must feel confident that the independent review board will only rule on what can be proven, and not just what is alleged, and at worst, we get probation and a loss of a few scholarships. Otherwise, why go to the review board and not self-penalize?

I'd see it like this. The NCAA's internal discipline process...it can't be worse than that. The NCAA internal discipline process isn't going to conclude NCAA investigators lacked proof of allegations.

The independent board lets you make that argument. Frankly, maybe I'm a homer, but a ton of stuff has leaked and there seems to be no actual evidence of anything beyond Book taking bribes.

I mean, maybe there's evidence we don't know about, but in a process where virtually everything's been leaked, I find it hard to believe there's this smoking gun that exists but hasn't leaked. Hell, our response to the NCAA from counsel leaked in like 2-3 days, but we should believe the NCAA has airtight evidence that they've had for months, if not years, and it hasn't leaked?

Remember, the NCAA has no subpoena power. One way a school could cheat and get away with it is simply hide the evidence from plain sight and instruct everyone involved not to talk about it. If this were to happen, the NCAA would be powerless to do anything. However, it's never this easy. The people involved aren't criminal masterminds or part of a mafia family that understands how not to talk. They are the friends and family of athletes, and eventually, if enough pressure is put on them, someone will crack and spill the beans. See Bush, Reggie.

The whole college basketball scandal has a different element, and that's the FBI, which does have subpoena power. Much harder to hide financial dealing from the FBI than it is the NCAA. And while yes, there can be evidence that hasn't been presented yet, the FBI has already played their hand, which means any evidence that someone like Sean Miller was involved in any illegal wrongdoing either doesn't exist, because he was never charged, or is purposely being kept sealed because Miller cooperated and made a deal. Seeing that Miller didn't testify or give any statements, it's highly unlikely he made a deal.

I think the NCAA saw the smoke from the ESPN article and heard Book on tape bragging and figured there was enough smoke that there has to be fire, so they figured either the fire will be revealed by the FBI information, or by somebody cracking under the pressure. While yes, we can't discount this possibility, I have to believe the UA Lawyers and the Law Firm hired to do an internal investigation are confident the NCAA jumped the gun and made some wrong assumptions. And in reality, there is no fire, only the ashes of what Book did, which was take $20k in bribe money. If there was fire, why not try and squelch it a little like Auburn and self penalize?

In the end, the NCAA Arbitration by a third party will likely allow both the NCAA and Arizona to save face by saying there were major infractions and Arizona deserves to be punished by probation and scholarship reductions. Maybe Miller gets suspended for a few games too. But overall, the infractions the NCAA proved weren't bad enough to warrant bigger penalties like a show cause against Miller or post-season bans.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Just ongoing things that make me laugh about the NCAA. From their reply to Louisville:

In its reply, NCAA enforcement staff wrote that it is "unaware of any factual information that warrants a lower penalty range for the institution."

"The institution disputes nearly all allegations detailed in this case and has not promptly acknowledged or accepted responsibility for the violations," the NCAA reply said.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... as-booster

So because Louisville thinks the NCAA is wrong, they should be penalized more? It's the bizarre kangaroo court logic of NCAA punishment. If you confess, they drill you like Ok. St. If you disagree, they use it in aggravation.

The important point is that you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

[Chicat]

It’s important to remember that the NCAA has no vested interest in stopping cheating. In fact, quite the opposite.

Their only real interest is punishing anyone who makes it harder for them to maintain the illusion of fairness that allows them to rake in billions in television money and advertising.

[IndianaZonaFan]

I really don’t understand why the Power 5 schools don’t just break away from NCAA altogether. I’m sure it’s money, but does it have to do with other sports that don’t create revenue? Because I would think football and basketball would be business as usual and the Power 5 could break away and keep the majority of that money for themselves.

[SCCats]

I really don’t understand why the Power 5 schools don’t just break away from NCAA altogether. I’m sure it’s money, but does it have to do with other sports that don’t create revenue? Because I would think football and basketball would be business as usual and the Power 5 could break away and keep the majority of that money for themselves.

I'd be interested in hearing an expert on it, but from my understanding all the schools could just leave the NCAA. If they wanted to, they could create a new overarching regulatory institution (with whatever rules they wanted) called, let's say, NCAA2.

[Irish27]

[Chicat]

See you in three years.

[Beachcat97]

And in the meantime, it's business as usual?

[Alieberman]

And in the meantime, it's business as usual?

If you mean Vitale and the rest of the ESPN talking heads shitting on Miller and the UofA and praising guys like Pitino, Self and K.... then yes!!!!!!

[Irish27]

[azpatnca]

I've spent so much time debunking the Schlaber article I forgot about the Quinerly issue. That has me stressing over the postseason ban. I guess we have about 90 days left of this, right?

How long until our day in (independent review board) court?

[azpatnca]

Okay, I'm going to try to list all the allegations I've heard in the past couple of years, from any source, and then comment on the ones I think have merit

1. Book Richardson accepted bribes to steer UA players to Dawkins as an agent when they turned pro. True. That was his plea deal.

2. ESPN reports Miller paid Ayton 100k of Adidas money. False. Louisville paid some other kid 100k.

3. Book Richardson paid Quinerly to commit to Arizona. Quinerly committed. Then FBI scandal broke, Richardson was arrested and Quinerly decommitted. I think Book admitted to this, so I think it's true.

4. Book Richardson paid Rawle Alkins HS coach (20k or 40k) to fix up his transcript.
I think Book also admitted to this, but I don't know if there are receipts or anything.

5. Book Richardson paid Alkins HS coach 150k. False. I think someone reported somewhere that he asked for "half of 300k" but I don't see any reason he would pay this. You can't be in trouble for someone asking you for money.

6. Book Richardson paid Alkins uncle to get him to go to UA. I don't know. I don't think there is any good evidence here.

7. Book Richardson claimed Miller paid Ayton "10". He's on tape saying this, but no one knows if it's true or just something he said.

8. Phelps fixed up Shareef O'neil's transcript or test score or something. He denies it and is suing UA (did sue?) UA suspended him indefinitely. No idea what the NCAA thinks.

9. Claim: Brian Bowen Sr. testified that Dawkins claimed that Joe Pasternack offered Brian Bowen $50K to go to Arizona. Verdict: he did testify to this, but what does that mean? He said that he said that he said... I don't think there is much here. Dawkins could have been making it up to get something else.

10. Claim: Defense attorneys for Adidas claim that Adidas rep Code claimed to his bosses that Arizona was prepared to offer 150k for Nassir Little. Verdict: there isn't anything to go on here for me. Some guy who works for Adidas claimed that "Arizona" is willing to pay a lot for some kid, in order to get his bosses to open up the wallet to go after that kid. He could be making that up. "Arizona" could mean nike, Dawkins, UA coaches, who knows. Nothing came of this from the FBI perspective so I don't think it counts for much.


----
I think that's it, not counting the shifting goalposts of "book took bribes for pushing players to Dawkins, but the bribe money was intended to pay recruits" which I don't think is worth commenting on. If he used it specifically to pay someone that would have it's own bullet point. The idea that he could use money to do something is weak. He could use it to build a rocketship to steal the moon. You know?

So where does that leave us? 1, 3, 4, 8.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I think that's it, not counting the shifting goalposts of "book took bribes for pushing players to Dawkins, but the bribe money was intended to pay recruits" which I don't think is worth commenting on. If he used it specifically to pay someone that would have it's own bullet point. The idea that he could use money to do something is weak. He could use it to build a rocketship to steal the moon. You know?

So where does that leave us? 1, 3, 4, 8.

3 and 4 are completely based in Book's words on tape and he's denied he actually did what he said he was going to or had done. Which, on 3, I tend to believe, given it was a minimal amount more consistent with him scamming $.

3 and 4 from an NCAA perspective should (I would emphasize should) come down to whether there is any extrinsic proof. Frankly, there doesn't seem to be much.

8, to my understanding, is more about Shareef being routed to an online course that was problematic. I've never seen full on changing transcripts, that it's rooted more in a single course with compliance issues. You're correct in that Phelps contests his role.

I would hope we get very little consideration for 8, given Shareef was fully eligible and did not sign with us. Whatever went down does not seem to have affected him or benefitted us.

[Chicat]

The good news is that I’ve now seen a couple of columnists who have decided to use our latest move as an example of how self-sanctioning is actually a farce and they’ve gone on to suggest that our punishment should be WORSE for pulling such a move.

So that’s wonderful...

[Spaceman Spiff]

The good news is that I’ve now seen a couple of columnists who have decided to use our latest move as an example of how self-sanctioning is actually a farce and they’ve gone on to suggest that our punishment should be WORSE for pulling such a move.

So that’s wonderful...

Welcome to NCAA discipline. Self sanction, it's a farce and you should get more punishment. Don't self sanction, you're being uncooperative and you should get more punishment.

It's funny to watch people decry self sanctioning now. It's gone on for many years, including several teams in the FBI scandal, and no one makes a peep.

[Chicat]

The good news is that I’ve now seen a couple of columnists who have decided to use our latest move as an example of how self-sanctioning is actually a farce and they’ve gone on to suggest that our punishment should be WORSE for pulling such a move.

So that’s wonderful...

Welcome to NCAA discipline. Self sanction, it's a farce and you should get more punishment. Don't self sanction, you're being uncooperative and you should get more punishment.

It's funny to watch people decry self sanctioning now. It's gone on for many years, including several teams in the FBI scandal, and no one makes a peep.

Well, once again, like with the firing of Sumlin and paying of his buyout, we are the poster child for everything that’s wrong with college sports.

I’m not sure what Heeke is doing for his enormous salary, but public relations obviously isn’t part of it.


“Arizona’s self imposed tournament ban is a joke, and the NCAA needs to treat it like one”

https://sports.yahoo.com/arizonas-selfi ... 24316.html



This is what you wanted, right dmjcat?

[Spaceman Spiff]

Articles like that are stupid. He lists off the other instances he says are problematic...did you complain when they happened? We at least had a real shot. We're not a .500 team like Syracuse or 3-5 like LSU football.

Then saying we crafted this to avoid implicating Sean Miller...if we thought Miller was implicated, he wouldn't be coaching here. I don't know what this guy figured we'd do. Let Miller continue coaching but then throw him under the bus at this point?

Low IQ articles.

[YoDeFoe]

That article is lazy and illogical.

Arizona waited until now because we were waiting for 1) the NOA (two months ago) and 2) the IARP decision (two weeks ago).

And which side of the coin is the author choosing? Both it seems. That Arizona's postseason ban is meaningless because we don't have a shoo-in tournament resume, and that Arizona's postseason ban is an egregious abuse of the players because it dashes their postseason dreams.

What would the author choose instead? Any postseason ban is an injury to current/future players who were uninvolved in the scandal. That's as controversial a take as "reffing in CBB sucks." If the author was feeling bold rather than bitchy, he could take a stand on the proper form of punishment. If the author wanted to elucidate rather than denigrate, he could talk about the various allegations and subsequent remedial approaches of the programs that were involved in the scandal. He could mention the IARP.

It's depressing, honestly, that this is the class of sports journalism that we put up with as an audience. Worse than worthless bullshit.

[Spaceman Spiff]

That article is lazy and illogical.

Arizona waited until now because we were waiting for 1) the NOA (two months ago) and 2) the IARP decision (two weeks ago).

I agree with all your points, but especially this one. Arizona has a 90 day timeline to respond to the NOA, meaning we aren't even close to a response deadline.

So...we aren't exactly dragging our feet by any means.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Can I just say this too? People like Parrish, who criticize us for allegedly hosing players by doing this before they can leave...we also did it in the one and only year where seniors get an automatic second senior year and immediate transfer eligibility.

So, by doing it this year, instead of just taking the tourney from seniors, at least Ira and Terrell have an option to try another year here or elsewhere, if they want one more shot at a tourney. Any other year, that option would not exist.

[midnightx]

The good news is that I’ve now seen a couple of columnists who have decided to use our latest move as an example of how self-sanctioning is actually a farce and they’ve gone on to suggest that our punishment should be WORSE for pulling such a move.

So that’s wonderful...

Welcome to NCAA discipline. Self sanction, it's a farce and you should get more punishment. Don't self sanction, you're being uncooperative and you should get more punishment.

It's funny to watch people decry self sanctioning now. It's gone on for many years, including several teams in the FBI scandal, and no one makes a peep.

For whatever reason, there are a lot of people that want to see Arizona get hit with a NCAA death-penalty. When the FBI scandal broke, there were a handful of media reporters that decided Arizona committed the most egregious acts of all the schools involved (which was factually not the case), and then after the erroneous ESPN wiretap story took hold, in the court of public opinion, Arizona was the dirtiest program of the bunch. Few people have bothered to read the facts, to look deeper into the story -- a lot of people are simply following a narrative based on headlines. The obsession with Arizona and Sean Miller is really quite strange if one really looks at what transpired with all of the programs. At the very least, Louisville and Kansas should be more concerned, but a lot of participants in the media rarely mention those two major programs, both which are facing serious allegations.

[aznavcat]

The most outrageous anti-Sean Miller statements came from ESPN's Duke-loving mafia (e.g. Jay Bilas and Dickie V.). Why? If Herb Sendek was still ASU's coach do you think they would have cared so much or was there an ulterior motive to help improve the competitive position of a fellow Dukie in Tempe?

[zonagrad]

Articles like that are stupid. He lists off the other instances he says are problematic...did you complain when they happened? We at least had a real shot. We're not a .500 team like Syracuse or 3-5 like LSU football.

Then saying we crafted this to avoid implicating Sean Miller...if we thought Miller was implicated, he wouldn't be coaching here. I don't know what this guy figured we'd do. Let Miller continue coaching but then throw him under the bus at this point?

Low IQ articles.

The national media will not be satisfied unless Miller is fired and Arizona gets a minimum two year ban. The media isn't interested in the facts. They've made up their minds -- made their minds up two years ago. Miller has kept quiet because the investigation isn't resolved. When this shit is finally settled -- really settled, I hope Miller opens up about the entire thing.

[YoDeFoe]

There's a huge meaty story out there illuminating how and why Arizona/Miller has been targeted while more egregious and habitual offenders have gotten a pat on the back. But the sports media world is seemingly too insular and defensive for any journalist of weight to take it on.

[gronk4heisman]

There's a huge meaty story out there illuminating how and why Arizona/Miller has been targeted while more egregious and habitual offenders have gotten a pat on the back. But the sports media world is seemingly too insular and defensive for any journalist of weight to take it on.

Arizona had the audacity to try and recruit with the good Ole Boys (Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, UNC) while not being buddy buddy with the old guard at ESPN. Therefore they are public enemy number 1 in ESPiN's book and anything that can be done to bring them down is fair game.

[Spaceman Spiff]

There's a huge meaty story out there illuminating how and why Arizona/Miller has been targeted while more egregious and habitual offenders have gotten a pat on the back. But the sports media world is seemingly too insular and defensive for any journalist of weight to take it on.

I see it like this. I don't think there's a conspiracy, so much as the simple fact that scapegoating Arizona serves everyone's interests.

The NCAA has an interest in the guise of amateurism. This gives them a vested interest in making the FBI investigation out to be an aberration, instead of admitting it's the norm. Thus, it is in their interest to drop sanctions on a few programs to make them look like outliers. Enter Arizona.

ESPN was in deep the second Schlabach's article was published and people like Bilas and Vitale jumped on it. A lot of it has been wholly debunked, but it is in ESPN's interests not to confront that. If Arizona winds up being guilty of something, ESPN knows the public will forget the inaccuracies in their story because we were bad guys all along. This, it is in their interests to push the narrative we're dirty.

Other random media members, their interest is in getting clicks. You get that via sensational and controverisal claims, not nuance. For that, you need heroes and villains. Thanks to ESPN, we're an easy target for a villain. Thus, as they create their stories, we become the easiest school to hammer. The most well-known thing about this whole scandal in the general public is the Schlabach article, so they use that. It is in their interest to drive clicks by piggybacking the most well known story.

I don't think it's a conspiracy. I think it's a bunch of entities, all of whom realize scapegoating Arizona serves their own interests.

[UAEebs86]

UofA is the perfect target. Big enough of a hoops program to matter and make it look like you are investigating the issues but stuck in PAC-12 irrelevance that doesn't affect ESPN's bottom line.

[zonagrad]

We've become the Tarkanian-UNLV of college basketball -- UA didn't bow down to Duke and ESPN. It's disgusting the type of treatment Duke receives and the image that is portrayed: clean cut, good kids, all playing for a Hall of Fame coach. More Wall Street money has been funneled through Durham to Duke players than the entire Pac 12 combined.

[YoDeFoe]

Completely agree that its a collection of these things:

1. We're the right size target.
2. We're a big name that gets big recruits but the Pac-12 refused to play ball with ESPN on distribution and Miller isn't cozy with the good old boy media network.
3. ESPN became pot committed and its easier to just play that hand rather than admit they were holding nothing when they thought they had something.
4. It's the path of least resistance for the remainder of the sports media world to go along with the ESPN narrative once ESPN has set it.

All of that is true. I'd just like someone to publish the piece identifying the ways that Arizona has been disproportionately admonished / scapegoated compared to other programs, and to ask the hard questions of why. Are sports media members being journalists or are they simply creating content that goes with the flow and generates dollars.

If I remember correctly there was a journalism major that wrote a piece to that effect (that won an award?) relatively early in this process... of course it escapes me now and clearly didn't have the impact we'd hope for.

[MountainCat]

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/christi ... 14027.html

He's back... Kind of...

[84Cat]

Look at this bs. Fuck Dickie V!