Gary Parrish: Live-for-today Attitude at UNC Belies Inevitable Reality

UNC Scandal20

I explained earlier in the week — in a column about Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl — how there are really only three types of NCAA violations that can’t be absorbed by a program (paying prospects, committing academic fraud, and dealing improperly with agents), and somehow Davis’ program is facing allegations about two of the three (academic fraud and improper dealings with agents). That’s not good. A coach (John Blake) has already resigned, 12 players were held out against the Yellow Jackets, and the star defensive lineman (Marvin Austin) spent Friday meeting with the North Carolina Secretary of State’s office, which is investigating whether any laws that restrict how agents can operate have been broken.

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UNC Scandal

20 Responses to Gary Parrish: Live-for-today Attitude at UNC Belies Inevitable Reality

  1. MrPlywood 09/19/2010 at 1:58 PM #

    I would not put it past them to have won the trifecta. Somebody was getting paid…

  2. Clarksa 09/19/2010 at 1:58 PM #

    From the story comments: “Hypothetical Situation: I know pretty much every UNC fan was hoping to have all this cleared up before the season, but we are where we are. Say that at the end of all of this, the NCAA finds nothing and gives the green light to all players. How much money in ticket sales, loss of a chance to go to a bowl game, etc… will have been lost because of this season. I think its reasonable to assume we could have won both of our games if we had been at full strength.”

    They just don’t understand how much trouble they are in, do they?

  3. tuckerdorm1983 09/19/2010 at 2:20 PM #

    they live on a river that flows through eqypt, that river is “da nile”.

  4. bradleyb123 09/19/2010 at 3:02 PM #

    I would not put it past them to have won the trifecta. Somebody was getting paid…

    Agreed. If the coach arranged the improper dealings with agents that resulted in monetary gains, could that not be considered a form of payment? I mean, can someone really arrange for a player to be paid by a third party, and really be allowed to say players weren’t paid?

  5. Hungwolf 09/19/2010 at 3:31 PM #

    Tudor keeps writing articles on Davis, but he seems to keep pointing out more that UNC is not getting two million dollars worth a year in wins from Davis. Doesn’t seem interested in addressing the real issues it seems.

  6. Wufpacker 09/19/2010 at 4:23 PM #

    ^^ I’ll go you one better. How far-fetched is it to think that Blake, who was a coach until recently and by all accounts has a very close relationship and might possibly be employed in one form or another by Wichard, who is an agent….how far-fetched would it be to think it possible that money going FROM Wichard to a player might have gone through Blake?

    What I mean here is that Blake would be the one to physically deliver the money to the player.

    How far-fetched would that be considering everything we DO know?

    And how much trouble would THAT be for UNC? I think quite a bit despite the fact they have cut him loose. Seems like the type of thing that Butch SHOULD have known, IF something like that was going on that is (ie, the issue of institutional control).

    And the quote in Clarksa’s post just goes to show how much they really do believe they are above everyone else, and above the law. They’re actually still seeing this as the NCAA picking on THEM causing THEM problems (eg, “if it weren’t for the NCAA picking on us we’d be 2-0 and we wouldn’t have lost out on potential income”).

    I wonder how long before one of them comes up with the idea to sue the NCAA for lost income and even pain and suffering?

  7. Clarksa 09/19/2010 at 4:26 PM #

    The old well is really starting to crack: http://northcarolina.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1128016

  8. JeremyH 09/19/2010 at 4:28 PM #

    that article by Tudor is absolutely delusional.
    (http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/09/19/690269/uncs-investment-in-davis-in-the.html)

    investment? How can Caulton even talk about whether Coach Davis is delivering on the field when he is failing to deliver an NCAA compliant program? …Or is he trying to build a case for the argument that Davis should be fired and it is not that much in the way of football success that they would be giving up anyway?

  9. MrPlywood 09/19/2010 at 4:52 PM #

    “What I mean here is that Blake would be the one to physically deliver the money to the player.”

    I think that is highly probable.

  10. burnbarn 09/19/2010 at 5:09 PM #

    ^Or perhaps it was Hawkins…

    Wasn’t Blake the Associate Head Coach?

    At what shcool could the Associate Head Coach resign mid season with no explaination and it not be big news every day trying to uncover why. This just does not happen everyplace.

  11. Sweet jumper 09/19/2010 at 5:21 PM #

    A UNX fan told me yesterday that they would be 2-0 and top 10 if the 12 guys had played the first two games. I had the joy of responding, “So you mean, if the 12 guys who reportedly committed academic fraud and/or accepted ‘benefits’ from agents had played, you would have won both games and felt good about it?” He said nothing. I finished by saying, “I have been preached to about the Carolina way and the higher moral and ethical standards to which Carolina’s athletic programs hold themselves for most of my 50 years. The Carolina way is and always has been a bunch of self-serving bs, and by the way, karma is a bitch. Your guys have done so much worse things than anything that happened under Valvano’s watch, and the NCAA is going to find a lot more at UNC than selling tickets and shoes when the final report is released.” His face turned red, and he just walked away.

  12. Wufpacker 09/19/2010 at 6:04 PM #

    From the comments on the Tudor article, tjfoose1, you are my hero:
    (First paragraph is quoted by tj from an earlier comment)

    ” ‘It would be interesting to see how your squad would have fared against UNC’s schedule missing your best player, 7 starters and several key reserves.’

    What is your point? That academic fraud and illegal contacts with agents doesn’t pay? Ok. I agree. It’s gonna get worse, btw.

    I hope you seriously aren’t expecting any sympathy, or even empathy, for “missing your best player, 7 starters and several key reserves”. That’s like feeling sorry for the Menendez brothers for being orphans.

    And as far as losing key players… Um, maybe you haven’t noticed, but NC State fans do understand that. We just can’t relate to the fermenting cesspool source of your issues.

    TOB has kicked off from his team numerous would be starters since he’s been here, including several in the secondary where we were in dire need of help. Then there’s the well documented injury issues suffered by the gridiron Wolfpack over the last several seasons.

    Lament all you want. But the ‘Heels are simply lying in the bed the made.”

    Well done, my good man. The Menendez brothers analogy was especially inspired, I thought.

  13. IamGumbyDammit 09/19/2010 at 6:04 PM #

    Sweet Jumper – good on’ya, mate! You should have told him his face was almost NC State red.

    Clarksa – can you give us a synopsisi of the article you gave a link to, since it is available to CarolinaBlue (rivals) members only?

  14. IamGumbyDammit 09/19/2010 at 6:08 PM #

    “That’s like feeling sorry for the Menendez brothers for being orphans.” <<< Best quote of the day IMO LOL

  15. choppack1 09/19/2010 at 7:04 PM #

    OK – I think the “live for today attitude” isn’t really that at all.

    Here’s what I think the deal is:
    *A lot of their fans have no clue what is going on.
    *Those that have an idea what is happening are getting there info from local press and IC – which have given them little to worry about.
    *Others think they are UNC and nothing will come of it -they are entitled.

    Finally, fans support is a lagging indicator in many cases.

  16. rtpack24 09/19/2010 at 8:15 PM #

    If Marvin Austin is not getting paid then maybe he will share with the public about his trust fund or winning the lottery since he arrived at college. Chris Hawkins involvement may have more light shed as his trial date of Oct 9th nears. This “review” has really gone further and in directions that are extremely interesting.

  17. graywolf 09/19/2010 at 8:37 PM #

    I wonder how long it takes for the information that was transferred from Marvin to the attorney generals office to hit the press……I would have loved to be the fly on the wall to hear that conversation.
    Did he tell the truth or lie and run……….Under oath and lying can get you some serious legal trouble which he already has since he lawyered up. The longer this plays out the worse it gets for the UNC-Cheaters.

  18. Clarksa 09/19/2010 at 9:11 PM #

    “Clarksa – can you give us a synopsisi of the article you gave a link to, since it is available to CarolinaBlue (rivals) members only?”

    Oops…

    Long time UNC-CHeat columnist Eddy Landreth is basically calling out the administration for trying to destroy the football program to save the sacred cow (basketball). I think it is the second time he has written about the rumored clash between the academic side and jock side of the university.

    Here is the final sentence: But, hey, basketball will soon be starting, and as we know, the hypocrites who voice their disgust for athletics when the sport is football will then turn to complaining that their basketball tickets are not in as prime a spot as they believe they deserve.

  19. tractor57 09/20/2010 at 11:35 AM #

    Assuming the allegations of misconduct (hell outright CHEATING) are true and there is plenty of evidence to support that thought maybe a SMU type death penalty is warranted.

    At least the end of this “we’re too good for that crap” – that is obviously NOT true.

    In my day to day I see few Carolina alumns but I do see a few, one a former scholarship athlete and I can tell you they are all bothered greatly by the turn of events.

  20. bradleyb123 09/20/2010 at 12:27 PM #

    No death penalty. They’re not eligible for it. To be eligible for that, they would have to be investigated, warned of transgressions, and then, within the next five years, be found to have committed the same infractions AGAIN.

    Since this is their first go-round of investigations, they aren’t eligible for the death penalty.

    But maybe in the next five years. One can always dream! 😉

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