per AJC: significant announcement for GT football

txsting

Elite level sh*tposting
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
1,305
If you compare what happened here to the Cam Newton situation before the SECCG, it seems that Auburn handled it correctly, and we didn't.

They ruled him ineligible (I believe), they appealed to the NCAA, made their case and got him officially cleared by the NCAA.

We apparently blew the NCAA off, and went forward with our players assuming that we'd be able to address the issue appropriately later.

The reason we have been stripped of our ACCCG title is because we used players that had been ruled ineligible. The dollar value of this or that has nothing to do with it. The DRad communication to CPJ, or the discussions between CPJ and the players have nothing to do with it.

My two cents.

So, no matter how we can appeal and make the case that these players should not have been ruled ineligible in the first place, the fact will remain that we ignored the NCAA decision, did not follow an appropriate process, and didn't make the case before the players played the game. If the NCAA doesn't hold their line on that, then all sorts of teams will have a precedent that they can address issues later as well.
Exceptionally well said.
 

txsting

Elite level sh*tposting
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
1,305
I'm not usually a conspiracy theorist but the timing is ridiculous and the amount of money that attracted this is also ridiculous.

Ridiculous.

Just wanted to say it again.

ridiculous
Could well be, but also realize the agents don't come sniffing around when you're 4-6. With success comes attention. If this is going to happen, it will probably be when you're on the front page of the news. We had just punched our ticket to ACC title game.

Mo money, mo problems. Unfortunately our lack of experience dealing with these problems comes up to bite us.
 

gtcu17

Dodd-Like
Joined
Apr 16, 2009
Messages
4,467
Could well be, but also realize the agents don't come sniffing around when you're 4-6. With success comes attention. If this is going to happen, it will probably be when you're on the front page of the news. We had just punched our ticket to ACC title game.

Mo money, mo problems. Unfortunately our lack of experience dealing with these problems comes up to bite us.
but why Booker? upset that he never got the starting position?
 

jacket67

Dodd-Like
Joined
Aug 25, 2008
Messages
15,392
I don't think our situation can be compared to the Auburn and Cam Newton case. Basically, Auburn was able to put the screws to the NCAA by threatening to hold him out of the game. The consequences of that would be huge, and the NCAA backed down because they knew they didn't have sufficient evidence to jeopardize the championship game. Auburn was able to say, "put up or shut up!" I don't think DR would have had any influence on the NCAA by threatening to do the same with Thomas.
 

cajunjacket

Dodd-Like
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
11,630
Is the NCAA policy "guilty until proven innocent?" In other words, if there are allegations against a player, is the institution expected to sit that player out until they can prove that they aren't guilty of the alleged violation?
 

Vad Lee Wins

Varsity Lurker
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
220
From Phil Smith's twitter page, apologies if a repost.

Phil Smith said:
The NCAA should refund the money for my leg surgery in '09, you know since technically it never happened. Or pay for the metal to be removed
11 hours ago


Guess where my twitter profile pic is from? You can't take away the memory of winning the ACC in my hometown.
11 hours ago
 

alpha

Dodd-Like
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
5,563
I don't think our situation can be compared to the Auburn and Cam Newton case. Basically, Auburn was able to put the screws to the NCAA by threatening to hold him out of the game. The consequences of that would be huge, and the NCAA backed down because they knew they didn't have sufficient evidence to jeopardize the championship game. Auburn was able to say, "put up or shut up!" I don't think DR would have had any influence on the NCAA by threatening to do the same with Thomas.
Shouldn't matter what kind of game the team is playing. That is preferential treatment. The NCAA should be blind of the rankings, records, stats, etc.
 

Allen Koholic

Likes dick drawings.
Joined
Dec 10, 2007
Messages
25,776
Exceptionally well said.
Except that we investigated the eligibility of Thomas, were told by our lawyers and the ACC that he would be OK to play, and we went ahead and played him. Furthermore, the situation with Thomas would have been resolved probably 24 hours later, by simply declaring him ineligible, having him pay $45 to Make-A-Wish, then re-instating his eligibility.

If this was as cut and dry as "we played an ineligible player" than the NCAA would have said nothing about the supposed lack of cooperation. They're out for blood because everyone knows what a joke they are, and they're trying to öööö Tech to show the world that they can still get their dicks up. öööö the NCAA. This is entirely about Auburn and OSU. öööö them too.
 

alpha

Dodd-Like
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
5,563
Is the NCAA policy "guilty until proven innocent?" In other words, if there are allegations against a player, is the institution expected to sit that player out until they can prove that they aren't guilty of the alleged violation?
That is what they are enforcing. Now, I don't know if there are bylaws that specifically state that this is the proper procedure. I actually wouldn't be surprised if the actual words say something like, you have to do everything the NCAA AGA investigator requests.
 

alpha

Dodd-Like
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
5,563
Except that we investigated the eligibility of Thomas, were told by our lawyers and the ACC that he would be OK to play, and we went ahead and played him. Furthermore, the situation with Thomas would have been resolved probably 24 hours later, by simply declaring him ineligible, having him pay $45 to Make-A-Wish, then re-instating his eligibility.
Right on point. By taking the ACC Championship away, the NCAA is punishing the 2009 team for what really turned out to be administrative mistakes. Which does not make sense to me. The slap on the wrist should be on the GTAA (fine + probation) to make sure proper procedures are in place to prevent this kind of mistake from happening again. By forcing us to vacate the ACCCG win WITHOUT evidence that ineligible players played, that is setting an example.
 

stinger78

Jacket by the grace of God.
Joined
Apr 18, 2008
Messages
12,544
I think we need to encourage the NCAA investigation team meet with Phil Smith and Sean Bedford next.
 

jacket67

Dodd-Like
Joined
Aug 25, 2008
Messages
15,392
Shouldn't matter what kind of game the team is playing. That is preferential treatment. The NCAA should be blind of the rankings, records, stats, etc.
They should be. In reality, they are part of a huge entertainment business, and I don't think there is much support within the NCAA to place the business at financial risk by undermining the big games. Tech is a perfect candidate for them to act serious and enforce the law so they appear serious. Meanwhile, there is legitimate suspicion of much larger wrongdoing which they are incapable of responding to. I think they find themselves on some shaky legal ground, and they will continue to step on the less significant programs as a way of scaring the bigger programs into compliance.
 

Allen Koholic

Likes dick drawings.
Joined
Dec 10, 2007
Messages
25,776
Right on point. By taking the ACC Championship away, the NCAA is punishing the 2009 team for what really turned out to be administrative mistakes. Which does not make sense to me. The slap on the wrist should be on the GTAA (fine + probation) to make sure proper procedures are in place to prevent this kind of mistake from happening again. By forcing us to vacate the ACCCG win WITHOUT evidence that ineligible players played, that is setting an example.
Yea, this is a procedural issue, nothing more. Even the report states that Thomas should have probably been declared ineligible, then reinstated. Thomas would have been eligible to play in the game, and the outcomes would have been no different. Further, the infractions that Tech committed after being alerted to the violations are both petty and vague. The committee chose to believe that Tech was covering something up, something that didn't need to be covered up in the first place.

For a while, I've said that vacating wins is dumb, except in cases of gross negligence. It's a slap on the wrist, because it requires no monetary punishment from the school, and it does nothing to impact future prospects. And in this case, it does nothing but attempt to embarrass the Institute, as the other punishments are wholly inconsequential. The NCAA and their compliance committee can öööö themselves gently with a power drill.
 

Vespid

Billy Jacks Illegitimate Son
Joined
Oct 3, 2002
Messages
625
We were made aware of the allegations the TUESDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING, WITH THE GEORGIA GAME COMING UP, and had to make our decision then. Even so, it was an easy decision that the ACC vetted.

Auburn knew they'd have time to get the appeal done / etc. Someone clearly set us up, in my opinion.

After reading GT's March 2011 response, those are my thoughts exactly. (side note to others who have not read it - don't unless you have a strong stomach)

Why has the NCAA not revealed there source supporting the assertion that Booker was a runner for an agent after our repeated request for that info so we could verify the veracity and or credibility of said info?....makes you wonder.
 

AE 87

Dodd-Like
Joined
Apr 25, 2010
Messages
8,368
After reading GT's March 2011 response, those are my thoughts exactly. (side note to others who have not read it - don't unless you have a strong stomach)

Why has the NCAA not revealed there source supporting the assertion that Booker was a runner for an agent after our repeated request for that info so we could verify the veracity said info?....makes you wonder.
Likely because said person is a current member of team and was based on a common speculation (if not common knowledge).
 

hdtvfan

Dodd-Like
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
2,659
They should be. In reality, they are part of a huge entertainment business, and I don't think there is much support within the NCAA to place the business at financial risk by undermining the big games. Tech is a perfect candidate for them to act serious and enforce the law so they appear serious. Meanwhile, there is legitimate suspicion of much larger wrongdoing which they are incapable of responding to. I think they find themselves on some shaky legal ground, and they will continue to step on the less significant programs as a way of scaring the bigger programs into compliance.
If they are on shaky legal ground then we need to call their bluff and expose the stupidity of the dictatorship that is the NCAA. Put those a**holes on the defensive for a change.
 

ramblinzach

Flats Noob
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
571
If they are on shaky legal ground then we need to call their bluff and expose the stupidity of the dictatorship that is the NCAA. Put those a**holes on the defensive for a change.
We don't really have the leverage to the NCAA brand to really put them on the defensive. We might be able to scrap back some of our punishment (which I think we should do).

I do think that UNC and tOSU should be particularly interested in our case. Here is why I think this...

While our issue is primarily an issue of non compliance, I feel we were overly punished, maybe to make an example, but whatever... I digress. If we are able to mount a strong appeal and push back and regain some of what we lost via punishment, it should take away leverage from the NCAA in the cases of UNC or tOSU (even though those allegations are worse, IMO we would soften compliance blows severely).

End game scenario? We get tOSU and UNC to fund our appeal team. We get back our championship and reduce probation and they flip the bill. Dinich dies in a fire. The NCAA eats a sack lunch off of CPJ's taint.

Won't happen sure, but that's what I'd like to see happen.
 

WracerX

Dr. Dunkingstein
Joined
Feb 24, 2004
Messages
24,945
We'll just have to be content with the '09 record as the NCAA left it.

We're Coastal Division champs who defeated the Atlantic division champs.
 

jacket67

Dodd-Like
Joined
Aug 25, 2008
Messages
15,392
The Booker and Bilbo connections are still unclear. They have been banned from the facilities. I'm inclined to think that they were either knowingly or unknowingly brought into this as part of a set up of Thomas and Burnett. One of the problems with the NCAA is that the rules can easily be used by opponents to create an appearance of violations, as well as neglected by agents who have no responsibility to the NCAA. In some cases, agents might be happy to damage a players eligibility. All these nefarious characters are likely to exploit former players who, likewise, have no responsibility to the NCAA. I smell a rat but I don't know what the motivation was. Tech and DR are taking the fall, and someone with really bad motives is walking away.
 
Top