FEB ’10: Black Santa accused by recruit of illegal payments in Chapel Hill

In the wake of major news that the NCAA is currently investigating the University of North Carolina’s football program, we thought it would be an appropriate time to highlight a major thread from our message boards from February of this year. (And, also promote this as a reason why we ask you to bookmark our message forums and make them a major piece component of your daily internet surfing.)

In this thread from February we ran the following —-

“I know this will come as no shocker to anyone who has followed Carolina athletics – particularly the Butch Davis era that has included John Blake’s presence as the Tarheels’ top recruiter – but, yet ANOTHER round of dirty recruiting rumors are making their rounds amongst the high school and college football circuits.

After a very strange incident transpired a couple of weeks ago when four-star defensive lineman Brandon Willis switched his commitment from Tennessee and proceeded to enroll in spring classes at UNC-CH within 8 hours of his de-commitment, we get some interesting juice from a fellow South Carolina HS recruit that makes everyone (except the local media) shake their head in curiosity.

Corey Miller is a four-star defensive end from South Carolina who is a current Tennessee commitment. Miller posted the following (in bold) on the wall of the Volunteers’ FaceBook page (in what apppears to be some smack talking between he and a Carolina fan)

“UNC tried to bribe me”

“and since we on this lets talk about how ya under tha table DL coach wanted to pay me to come to school…..???? No answer??? and how he showed me to diff chicks he put on my homie??? OOhhh UNC is so much better! U a lame yung gunna”

Of course, Miller could be just making this up as a response to a fan that has frustrated him. But, it is particularly interesting that he just happens to mention two of the recruiting ‘tools’ that generate some of the hottest undergrond buzz in Chapel Hill – John Blake (DL coach) and the Carolina hostess program.

This type of scuttlebutt is nothing new in Chapel Hill. It actually began before the Butch Davis era officially began when University of Maryland (and other schools’) representatives claimed similar dealings transpired that moved Carolina from a non-factor in the Marvin Austin sweepstakes to a full commitment in less than three weeks. Some rumors also swirled that Butch Davis had interactions with Austin before he was officially named Head Coach at Carolina.

Of course we all wait with baited breath for David Glenn to blow this story out of the water since this smoke must mean there is fire. And, we expect the main stream media to provide us a crushing investigation just like they’ve done with the shocking Wayne Ellington story that is sitting in their laps.”

In response to the original entry, a poster named Pack05 threw out the following:

He doesn’t just payoff the recruit… he also fills the pockets of influential parent/guardian of said prospect to get the edge he needs. Santa knows no shame.

Unless they start losing, nothing will be said because unless there are multiple first hand accounts it is about impossible to prove, the ones that can “prove it” want to keep getting paid. Santa carries “stacks” not checks.

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11 Responses to FEB ’10: Black Santa accused by recruit of illegal payments in Chapel Hill

  1. Plz2BStateFan 07/15/2010 at 8:53 PM #

    Why does it have to be a color thing?

  2. StateFans 07/15/2010 at 9:07 PM #

    We’ve been over this a million times. It is not a ‘color thing’. If John Blake’s nickname was Pooper McShooper we would have run: “Pooper McShooper accused by recruit of illegal payments in Chapel Hill.’

    But, that isn’t his nickname.

    John Blake is referred to by his own players as ‘Black Santa’. John Blake is known all around college football as ‘Black Santa’. As John Blake why it is a ‘color thing’. Not us. We didn’t give him the name. (Which is truly a classic, funny name)

  3. LKNpackfan 07/15/2010 at 9:36 PM #

    So let me get this straight…

    -BP capped the leak in the Gulf.
    -The SEC to make a significant announcement tomorrow (likely about Goldman Sachs).
    -Financial Reform passes.
    -AND, UNC is under major NCAA investigation.

    Wow, it’s been a good day.

  4. elvislives 07/15/2010 at 9:43 PM #

    I’m confused by the Black Santa name too. I’m used to hearing it as a derogatory term used by State Haters when they describe Sidney wearing his Red Blazer. I say we call this guy Super Cheater John Blake and be done with it.

  5. Sweet jumper 07/15/2010 at 9:52 PM #

    Sounds like more than a pickup bball game with a committed recruit(David Thompson) and more than selling bball shoes and bball tickets(some of Valvano’s players). I will be interested to see how the holes weasel out of this one, especially since Guthridge’s college roommate who investigated DT’s recruitment for the NCAA at the urging of Guthridge and Smith is no longer around to look out for UNX.

  6. Sw0rdf1sh 07/15/2010 at 10:07 PM #

    Jason Williams has now officially claimed racism against the nickname “White Chocolate”.

    Geez, thanks for ruining all good nicknames everywhwere Mr. Pooper.

  7. McCallum 07/15/2010 at 11:03 PM #

    One look down that recruiting commit list will tell you everything.

    I have heard that upon AJ Blue seeing the famous Charlie Scott Mother Goose book (you might not have heard about this one but Charlie Scott did a Mother Goose book report for freshman english) that he wanted to know if it taught you how to poop.

    You must really love that machine in Orange County. Dirty as the day is long and still beating that chest about being a public ivy.

    Greatest farce since the Bigfoot claims in Montgomery County in the late 70s.

    McCallum

  8. El Scrotcho 07/15/2010 at 11:11 PM #

    Fair enough on the nickname thing. Just be aware that the majority of readers probably don’t know the nickname of a single assistant coach anywhere – so it’s a bit of a WTF? when they read it, especially in a thread title that ends up being the URL. Not screaming racism, it just doesn’t make any sense out of context.

    Providing a little constructive feedback, as I know the authors on here strive to be taken seriously.

  9. sbas2 07/16/2010 at 7:08 AM #

    from the news and observer:
    Former Miami athletic director Paul Dee is the chairman of the NCAA’s infractions committee. Dee hired Butch Davis as head football coach at Miami in 1995, and the two worked together for six years before Davis left for the NFL in 2001. Davis is beginning his fourth season at UNC this fall.

    would Paul Dee take down a Butch Davis program? what was their relationship in Miami?

  10. McCallum 07/16/2010 at 7:33 AM #

    Reader ignorance is no vehicle to hush up discussion.

    Not saying that you’ve said that but my experience with message boards and blogs says that people are looking for a reason to be offended. That they have subjective reasons is of no matter but what does become interesting is when the parties pulling the strings start listening to the rabble. Before long you start instituting lines of “reasonable” discussion, which once concerned the profane or the vile, and now begin to address tone, content, intent and all of the most subjective items concerning the discussion. In essence, the fear of open discussion by segments of the group now brings about the deconstruction of the concept of open discussion.

    The above fervor is carried longest and strongest by the social sciences since they deal in the highly subjective. The hard sciences demand inquiry and burden of proof. Prove it, test it, reprove it, replicate it, etc…………run it through the paces and if it stands the test then it stands alone. If it fails then the openness of the scientific process has brought about discovery. Discovery is a beautiful thing about learning, it confronts supposed position or status and drags the reluctant into the sunlight kicking and screaming.

    The context of the name is fine. What is lacking, if there is offense taken or someone screaming WTF, concerns the lack of knowledge of the aforesaid reader.

    McCallum

  11. mafpack 07/17/2010 at 10:45 PM #

    “And since we’re on this subject, lets talk about your ‘under the table’ DL coach who wanted to pay me money to come to school… what, no answer? How about we discuss how he showed me the many young ladies that were offered to my classmate during his recruitment? Always you say, ‘UNC is so much better!’ Young man, you’re incredibly unwise and down right foolish.”

    That help? 😉

    Com’n, you old guys have to keep up on the lingo if this younger generation (well that, and all of the slang that it uses)…

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