Former Auburn Players Claim Pay-To-Play on Real Sports

[BaltimoreTerp]

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/ex-auburn-players-claim-systematic-pay-to-play-29592

[ccbird]

It's only a matter of time before Auburn gets nailed but obviously, as mentioned in the transcript, this is happening everywhere. If the truth were known, I think people would be blown away by how many college athletes are getting paid to play. It's happening at all levels and in more sports than just football and basketball.

[CrimsonTribe]

Thinking of having a barn burning party tonight. Everyone's invited.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Thinking of having a barn burning party tonight. Everyone's invited.

If I were you I wouldn't get too high-and-mighty about this. I mean, anything that Auburn/Alabama does, Alabama/Auburn does better

[waroriole]

Two sides to most stories, and this is pretty damning for HBO:

http://auburn.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1196941

[JDubs]

If I were you I wouldn't get too high-and-mighty about this. I mean, anything that Auburn/Alabama does, Alabama/Auburn does better

:rofl: Well said.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Two sides to most stories, and this is pretty damning for HBO:

http://auburn.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1196941

Everything that has been said so far has been damning for someone.

We just need to see how things go over the next few days. At the moment I'm more likely to trust HBO than Auburn or those who have their own interest in Auburn's side, but that could easily change.

[waroriole]

Everything that has been said so far has been damning for someone.

We just need to see how things go over the next few days. At the moment I'm more likely to trust HBO than Auburn or those who have their own interest in Auburn's side, but that could easily change.

That's understandable, and I'm assuming most people would trust HBO more. However, let's not forget that HBO also would have something to gain by painting a negative picture of Auburn and NCAA recruiting practices. As the article I cited referenced, they talked to a number of people who didn't tell them what they wanted to hear so they moved on to find someone who would.

All that said, I'm not going to pretend that Auburn boosters don't pay their players something. It happens everywhere. What is sad to me is the way that the sports media has been demonizing programs like Auburn and Ohio State lately while ignoring the bigger issue, which is that it happens everywhere.

[McNulty]

OK, so they tried to discredit one person. There were others that came forward.

[waroriole]

OK, so they tried to discredit one person. There were others that came forward.

Ramsey tried to sue Auburn last year, but it was thrown out.

[CrimsonTribe]

Ramsey tried to sue Auburn last year, but it was thrown out.

How does that discredit him exactly?

[waroriole]

How does that discredit him exactly?

You don't think that shows he has an axe to grind?

[CrimsonTribe]

Maybe a small one, but not one that would cause him to attempt to nuke the program.

[CrimsonTribe]

Here's a nice, seemingly impartial, breakdown of the claims.

http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2011/3/30/2080810/hbo-auburn-real-sports-cam-newton-stanley-mcclover-troy-reddick

Some snippets:

What's the worst claim against Auburn?

It depends on your definition of "worst." From an NCAA standpoint, the honor goes to Troy Reddick's story of an assistant coach giving him hundreds of dollars in an envelope nearly a dozen times across two years. Most of everything else involved boosters, who a school can throw under the bus by dissociating, calling them "rogue boosters," and so forth. Having a coach in on the money scheme is how things go nuclear with the NCAA.

After all the stories about Cam Newton being highlighted in this special back in February, why wasn't he included?

Andrea Kremer appeared on Dan Patrick's radio show today, and she explained why. She says she had some "inroads" on the story, but HBO "pulled the plug" because someone she was going to interview asked for money for the interview. HBO has a policy against paying for interviews, so that was that. She stressed that the money request was "an issue, not the only issue," but she didn't say what the other issues were and didn't identify who asked to be paid.

This refutes the Auburn claims that McClover was paid for his interview.

Why did these guys speak up now?

My best guess: because someone asked them to. Ramsey sued the school over his career-ending injury, saying they pushed him to do too much too soon, but none of the other former players have a real ax to grind.

Re: waroriole's axe to grind comment.

[waroriole]

Here's a nice, seemingly impartial, breakdown of the claims.

http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2011/3/30/2080810/hbo-auburn-real-sports-cam-newton-stanley-mcclover-troy-reddick

Some snippets:

This refutes the Auburn claims that McClover was paid for his interview.

Re: waroriole's axe to grind comment.

These are quotes from the people at HBO. How is this impartial if some are claiming that HBO isn't impartial? They're impartial because they say so?