TigerDroppings News

The Big O refutes TigerDroppings post on Cam

If I were you, I wouldn't risk even sending the link to Tigerdroppings' latest trash ("garbage" is to high minded a term to describe Blue Tuna's rantings) since its a walking invitation for a lawsuit IF (and that's a big "if") the writer has anyting worth suing over. Here's a good crytic description and analysis of today's mutterings on ESPN (remember, the "E" stands for entertainment") as well as your Tiger Droppings rehash of mostly blogger claims of another day from boards made up mostly of bammers:
(1) If things were as bad as some think, you would expect the NCAA investigators to be crawling around Montgomery and Auburn rather than spending their time with yahoos in Mississippi and Chicago. Wouldn't one be wiser to believe that if either the FBI or the NCAA were interested in the Victoryland connection as surmised, they wouldn't be interviewing Rogers, Bond and Bell (what a trifecta of liars based solely on their shifting claims and finger pointing so far -- if you can believe any of the sports media muckrakers).
(2) The claimed Bell revelations can be summerized as follows:
(a) He doesn't have Cecil on tape.
(b) Cecil never asked him for anything.
(c) Rogers did all the talking.

(d) Bell claims he has never, ever been involved in anything like this before (wonder how or why Rogers would call then?) and he has no idea why Rogers called him in the first place.
(e) He once received a text message from Rogers outlining a payment plan, but his dog ate it (this is the equivalent of the phone being damaged by water, isn't it?).
(3) The Victoryland indictee (not for money laundering as Blue Tuna suggests but rather for bribing Alabama legislators for gambling purposes) was only wire tapped by the FBI (per the court filed allegations published at the time) months after Cam had already signed with Auburn. Just this evening, in response to ESPN's so-called reporting, two of McGregor's lawyers released a specific and detailed set of denials to these claims about Cam and AU which never, let me repeat based upon my 43 years experience as a lawyer, NEVER have been released unless the denials were totally accurate and unrelated to the standing charges, including any tapes related to the indictment. And by the way, the lawyer spokesman in that release is a big time Alabama man.
(4) The Atlanta station just released an update on Cecil's churches repair problems based upon a statement from a representative of the city to the effect that only minimal (low cost) repairs have been done to date -- just enough to put off the city's threatened abandonment procedures, but not enough to permit the building's usage. Bottom line: Cecil has received no money through the church.
(5) Perhaps most important to AU's and Cam's defense is the acknowledgement, I think today, by the NCAA that if their investigation had revealed support, let alone evidence, of the alleged infraction, their procedures would have included at the least a recommendation to AU to hold Cam out of the game last Saturday and/or future games which no credible person could suggest wouldn't have be adopted. Cam is eligible, both before and after the Georgia game, and he played.
(6) One generally overlooked provision of the NCAA rules applicable at the time the Rogers claims ocurred (they were changed effective perhaps a month after the Ole Miss/Miss State egg bowl game in late November 2009) states clearly that loss of eligibility under the alleged circumstances would only apply to the school involved, not any other school. Granted, the provision has been changed for infractions in 2010, muddying the waters but still not mandating ineligibilty. Those changes are not retroactive.

Just a little daylight that needs to be cast upon the drival most are putting out as if anyone knows what the NCAA and/or the FBI is in fact doing or thinking. In my somewhat experienced knowledge about investigations and credibility analysis (43+ years working as a lawyer for both the government and in private practice some what qualifies as my bona fides), I am rather certain that the real target, at least todate, in the FBI's and NCAA's investigations is MSU, with perhaps some tie to bammer due to the interview with their GA. At worst, Cam's dad participated in some sort of discussion with the stellar ex-MSU player Rogers before concluding that the best school for spotlighting Cam's QB skills was AU and their recruitment of Cam offered Cam a chance to not be a "rented mule". As with AU, recruitment by Oklahoma and Tennessee was above board. I do know this: AU's compliance official's strictness for following the rules would never permit AU to go into August practices AFTER the NCAA admittedly was investigating Cam and had communicated this to Auburn if ours hands weren't clean. Furtherfmore, common sense tells us that an unproven junior college player with at most 2 years eligibility would not have justified any serious cash payment discussions pre-signing date involving an AU official or a booster...no one even drempt that Cam would prove to be the player he has, and I'm speaking here from watching him in the A Day game last April, especially since no QB contact was even permitted throughout Spring practice.

Bottom line, a young man who has cleaned up his act after Florida under coach Mullins is in the process of being smeared grossly unfairly, possibly out of jealousy by some other institute's backers. As asked a few decades ago, where does he go to get back his reputation once the NCAA shifts its focus somewhere else? I hope the Newton's sue the hell out of a bunch of jerks and make a pot full of money. Regardless, Cam is possibly the best college player I've ever seen and I've seen a bunch of really good ones. It's a pleasure to watch him play.

Life In The Red

Les Miles told reporters on Monday he will talk to Michigan about its coaching vacancy, while also reiterating that he's "extremely happy at LSU."

The LSU coach made his statement to the press without taking any questions.

"I'm told that we will speak, that time and place has not been identified," Miles said of talks with Michigan. "It's hard for me to speculate to the substance of the meeting."

It's thought the meeting could take place Tuesday in Dallas, where Miles is speaking at the American Football Coaches Association convention.

Miles, a former Michigan player and assistant, was quick to point out that "there's a real comfort with my family in Baton Rouge."

"I spent my day today with a number of underclassmen that I want to return right here (at LSU)," Miles said.

If Miles were to leave, some media members close to LSU's program believe Bo Pelini would be one of the top targets of the Tigers.