Hi, I'm a Douche, By Gene Wojciechowski

[AWK]

Glory at Oregon, but at what price?

It began with a billboard.

And not just any billboard, but an audacious, first-of-its-kind, quarter-million dollar piece of advertising placed in the middle of Times Square. It was an image-changer, a Hail Mary pass that the Oregon football program completed for a publicity touchdown. Suddenly, everyone knew about the Ducks.

Now, 10 years after the 100-foot-high Joey "Heisman" Harrington billboard made its debut in faraway NYC, Oregon football has everything it craved: a national brand, the patronage of Nike chairman and UO alum Phil Knight, state of the art facilities and rosters capable of national title runs.

It also has something it never wanted.

An NCAA investigation.

Perhaps it is a coincidence that the two teams that played for the BCS championship seven months ago -- Oregon and Auburn -- have been submerged chin strap-deep in allegations of NCAA wrongdoing.    I forgot we were knee deep even though the NCAA President said it was over. Just like it's a coincidence that Ohio State, which played for the BCS championship in 2006 and 2007 (and against Oregon in the 2009 Rose Bowl), forgot how to read and enforce the NCAA rules book.

I don't believe in football coincidences. Not anymore. Not after Coach Sweater Vest, Jim Tressel, with his American flag lapel pin and his laughable book on "life promises," lied through his molars about his starring role in a clumsy cover-up.

Not after Cecil Newton went underground when his pay-for-play scheme involving his son Cam was exposed. 

Not after the murky, something-doesn't-feel-right-here circumstances involving Oregon coach Chip Kelly and scouting service owner Will Lyles.

Be careful what you wish for, right?

Tennessee wanted a Red Bull coach full of recruiting energy, so it hired Lane Kiffin. He stayed for exactly one forgettable season, just long enough for he and his staff to commit enough alleged violations to attract NCAA investigators. He's part of the reason Mike Hamilton lost, deservedly so, his job as UT's athletic director.

North Carolina didn't want to be known as just a basketball school anymore, so it handed the football keys to Butch Davis. Davis hired John Blake, who, according to the NCAA's Notice of Allegations, was a full-service associate head coach. He recruited, he coached the Carolina defensive line and, claims the NCAA, he funneled Tar Heels players to an agent, who then greased their palms with NCAA no-nos.

It is getting harder and harder to stay in love with college football. That's because more corners are being cut, more lines in the sand are being moved -- all in the name of becoming a brand, of aspiring to something maybe beyond most programs' reach.

Meanwhile, the ill-equipped NCAA can only skim off the top layer of the cheating oil spills. Its net isn't big enough or sophisticated enough to clean up all the messes.

It scooped up Ohio State, but only because the FBI and the media did most of the leg work. The Buckeyes' free-fall is stunning not because of the NCAA crimes committed, but because of the myth that was Tressel The Father Figure.

The Auburn situation is more complicated and nuanced. Auburn would never admit it, but it always wanted to be Alabama when it grew up. Or if not be Bama, at least beat Bama. It got its wish -- and a national title -- last season, but did so with a one-and-done player whose reasons for leaving the University of Florida were never fully disclosed and whose actual knowledge of his father's pay-for-play attempt remains a mystery today.  First off, Fuck you, you dick licking shit stain.  We never want to be Alabama, we have to deal with them everyday, they are called employees and we are called boss.  The Florida shit has proved to be absolute bullshit.  I hope you get fucked with a sword.

And then there is Oregon, the little Duck that could. Ten years ago, it was an emerging program in the Pac-10, a fix-me-upper with potential. Now it's the nicest house on the conference's block.

But how much of its soul did it have to sell to get there? A billboard publicity stunt is one thing, but the questions raised by the relationship between Lyles and Kelly's program makes you wonder if Oregon has outkicked its coverage.

It isn't just that the school took nearly four months to respond to an open records request by Oregon media. Or that there was a strong connection between Lyles and Lache Seastrunk, a Texas high school running back who signed with Oregon in 2010 -- less than two months before a $25,000 check was cut to Lyles' scouting service.

Instead, this is the allegation that gives you the most pause: Lyles, in an interview with Yahoo! Sports, says Oregon asked him to send retroactive player scouting reports so it would have paperwork to match that $25,000 check.

Hmmm.

The NCAA, which reportedly has already conducted extensive interviews with Lyles, will have to decide if Oregon violated the rules or simply mocked them. Did it commit an actual violation or cut one of those corners to its closest edge?

Lyles might have his own skeletons to account for, but Oregon also has a few scattered bones that require an explanation. One guy has gone public, the other guy -- Oregon -- has hired a lawyer. Doesn't mean the Ducks are guilty, but it does mean Lyles' story is plausible.

Whatever happens, Oregon is no longer that feel-good success story of seasons past. It is like everyone else now, only with louder uniforms.

Oregon got what it wanted. But was what they wanted worth it?

Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at gene.wojciechowski@espn.com. Hear Gene's podcasts and ESPN Radio appearances by clicking here. And don't forget to follow him on Twitter @GenoEspn.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&page=wojciechowski-110707&sportCat=ncf

[AUsweetheart]

Well there goes the rest of the afternoon.


You got an addy for this douchebag?

[AWK]

Well there goes the rest of the afternoon.


You got an addy for this douchebag?

Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at gene.wojciechowski@espn.com. Hear Gene's podcasts and ESPN Radio appearances by clicking here. And don't forget to follow him on Twitter @GenoEspn.

[AUChizad]

Alternate Title: ESPN Can Never Admit They Were Wrong And Must Throw A Name-Calling Tantrum When Against A Wall

[Townhallsavoy]

The entire media has become Paul Finebaum. 

Seriously.  You think Gene W really cares about Auburn and Alabama and exposing the cheating going on? 

He knows he's about to get a lot of hate mail. Hate mail means people are reading.  People are talking. 

Hate mail means more money. 

Fuck him.  Fuck emailing him.  Someone should take pictures of him soliciting sex from an underage male prostitute. 

[Snaggletiger]

Let me start by saying, I have no fears of any "Looming" or "Ongoing" investigation of Auburn.  The last the NCAA even spoke of this case was back in November of 2010 when they said AU did nothing wrong.  However, blogs, message boards and lunatic fringe call in shows continue to harp on the "fact" that the NCAA continues to investigate Auburn.  When you look at it logically and realistically, how in the hell would anyone on a message board know what the NCAA is doing?  They don't.  But again, it's one of those situations where if you scream it long enough and loud enough, people take it as fact.

Now, Chizik has been hot and heavy on ESPN the past couple of days and the questions about said investigation continue to come as if the interviewer knows that in fact something is going on.  My first instinct is to wish with every fiber of my body for him to say, "What investigation?  Can you please tell me what investigation you're talking about?"  But, Chiz has handled it just as the entire Auburn administration has handled it since day one.  He just smiles every time and says the NCAA said we did nothing wrong and I go to bed every night with a clean conscience.  And being that the NCAA was aware of all this way back in ealry 2010, I think logic also dictates that they've had more than ample time to "investigate" anything they needed to.  And in fact, wasn't the FBI involved as well? 

Somehow, I think by now we'd all know if some investigation were happening.  But, I realize that since Paul Fineslut makes vague references and some fat ass redneck who calls himself Woolyshit or something says the hammer's about to drop...I must be wrong.

Here's the thing.  Since ESPN is asking multiple questions as if it's fact, and it's own beat writers like Wocjkiskyz.....buy a vowel for christ sake...are spouting crap like this.....doesn't the NCAA have a duty to come out and make a statement either way?  Yes, I know it's a pipe dream but why would they allow this to go on?  They've had almost a year and a half to do whatever it is they do and since the statement from the President himself in November...nothing.  If there's something going on, send the damn letter and get on with it.  If there's not, then Gene Chizik or Jay Jacobs needs to get on the horn to the NCAA President and say, "Time to step up to the mic and end this shit".     

[wesfau2]

Let me start by saying, I have no fears of any "Looming" or "Ongoing" investigation of Auburn.  The last the NCAA even spoke of this case was back in November of 2010 when they said AU did nothing wrong.  However, blogs, message boards and lunatic fringe call in shows continue to harp on the "fact" that the NCAA continues to investigate Auburn.  When you look at it logically and realistically, how in the hell would anyone on a message board know what the NCAA is doing?  They don't.  But again, it's one of those situations where if you scream it long enough and loud enough, people take it as fact.

Now, Chizik has been hot and heavy on ESPN the past couple of days and the questions about said investigation continue to come as if the interviewer knows that in fact something is going on.  My first instinct is to wish with every fiber of my body for him to say, "What investigation?  Can you please tell me what investigation you're talking about?"  But, Chiz has handled it just as the entire Auburn administration has handled it since day one.  He just smiles every time and says the NCAA said we did nothing wrong and I go to bed every night with a clean conscience.  And being that the NCAA was aware of all this way back in ealry 2010, I think logic also dictates that they've had more than ample time to "investigate" anything they needed to.  And in fact, wasn't the FBI involved as well? 

Somehow, I think by now we'd all know if some investigation were happening.  But, I realize that since Paul Fineslut makes vague references and some fat ass redneck who calls himself Woolyshit or something says the hammer's about to drop...I must be wrong.

Here's the thing.  Since ESPN is asking multiple questions as if it's fact, and it's own beat writers like Wocjkiskyz.....buy a vowel for christ sake...are spouting crap like this.....doesn't the NCAA have a duty to come out and make a statement either way?  Yes, I know it's a pipe dream but why would they allow this to go on?  They've had almost a year and a half to do whatever it is they do and since the statement from the President himself in November...nothing.  If there's something going on, send the damn letter and get on with it.  If there's not, then Gene Chizik or Jay Jacobs needs to get on the horn to the NCAA President and say, "Time to step up to the mic and end this shit".     

The NCAA won't ever issue any statement stronger than the one previously released.  They'll always leave the door open so that additional evidence could always be considered if it surfaces later.

[GH2001]

The NCAA won't ever issue any statement stronger than the one previously released.  They'll always leave the door open so that additional evidence could always be considered if it surfaces later.

Further proof the hammer is coming.

[The Six]

Further proof the hammer is coming.

Mike Hammer has a crimson background in his photo. Yet EVEN MORE proof.