You can’t always believe what you read on the internet, but this scandal story by Selena Roberts
The Auburn Tigers are one of Clemson’s prime competitors on the recruiting trail. I’d go as far as to say they are our biggest competition for top recruits. (What do you think? Post in the comments below. ) I grew up in Atlanta and attended three Clemson vs. Auburn games. I’ve met dozens of Auburn fans over the years, and have the highest opinion possible of that fan base. It almost makes me sympathetic to the plight their university may face. Almost .
Let’s start with this:
So 12 players tested positive for a very dangerous synthetic marijuana colloquially known as “Spice”! One of them, was a star player. Another, tested positive as many as seven times and was never given treatment. He would eventually commit a felony while under the influence of this dangerous drug. I suppose there may not be a specific punishable NCAA violation there, but we’ll get to plenty of those in just a few brief paragraphs.
Just contrast the drug problem at Auburn, swept under the rug by a program with bad priorities to a drug problem at Clemson. Star receiver, Sammy Watkins, was suspended for drug use (missing a game against Auburn among others) and the (speculative) result of the “fatherly love”?
[SAMMY WATKINS VIDEO]
I wrote about the lack of drug testing in college football in regard to performance enhancing steroids you can read here on USA Today
The next smoke cloud hanging over Auburn Alabama, while slightly less morally repugnant, could ruin the program athletically (although UNC seemed to get away with it just fine, wink wink Mr. Swofford ). Although there wasn’t a completely fake “Afro-American Studies” section for athletes (I’m looking at you Tar Heels ), grades were supposedly fixed for nine players, including those of former star running back, Michael Dyer. That’s the same star that also tested positive for drugs. He and the others should have been ineligible for the 2010 National Championship against the Ducks, but played. That alone would be enough to get their National Championship stripped, if proven true. For more on that, you can check this out
Unforunately, there’s more. To top it off, there are more insidious tentacles coming from the pay-for-play scandal regarding “Scam” Newton’s recruitment. Now allegations are that he wasn’t the only athlete paid. They are said to have paid players not to leave early for the NFL Draft. One player said he was slipped $400 by former Defensive Coordinator, now UF Head Coach, Will Muschamp. Additionally, the $50 entertainment allotment Auburn players have taken to Twitter to say they were misquoted and their words were twisted in the report by Selena Roberts The former coaches have also denied the allegations
It probably isn’t ALL true, but ALL of it probably isn’t untrue.
To be fair to Mrs. Roberts, she’s not just some no-name blogger (cough, cough who you looking at?). “Her SI cover story on Lance Armstrong in 2009 was the first in-depth look at his doping use that ultimately led to his downfall. She also broke a story, then wrote a book, about steroid use by Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees.”
As
a co-writer of mine said, where there is smoke there is fire, and there is clouds upon clouds of smoke. While a lot of this is probably faulty, there must be at least some fire. Auburn University, often perceived as the good ol’ family school in the big SEC, seems to be doing things the wrong way. If the NCAA can prove it, and Miami fans will tell you there’s no length they won’t go to do so, Auburn is going to get creamed. If guilty, they deserve whatever they get and more.
For a timeline of the scandals at Auburn, SB Nation puts the story together nicely clearly .
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The players themselves are ultimately responsible for their actions, but the coaching staff and other higher officials at the respective schools can bear some responsibility, too, by looking the other way when they should be getting involved immediately to stop undesirable behavior.
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