College football isn't about football right now Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News 08/14/2012 6:50 AMBIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Let me see if anyone's got this straight.Auburn commit Reuben FosÂter and his mother have discussed his transfer from Troup County High School in Georgia to Auburn High School, as well as his commitÂment switch from Alabama to AuÂburn, with representatives of the NCAA. Or was it the AHSAA? Or could it have been the APTA, the AsÂsociation of Professional Tattoo ArtÂists?Representatives of the NCAA have traveled to Memphis or dialed Memphis-area phone numbers or both to look into the transcript of Auburn freshman running back JoÂvon Robinson and other curiosities, which may or may not include reÂcruiting in Memphis in general as well as the death of Elvis.NCAA representatives also have been made aware of the transfer of Alabama commit Darius Page from Washington High School in PensaÂcola to Foley High School, and the Florida department of education may or may not have expressed an interest in hiring Alabama assistant Jeremy Pruitt as a high school guidance counselor.LSU star Tyrann Mathieu has been permanently dismissed from the LSU football team but not from the university itself, which means he can stay in school but never play football for the Tigers again, deÂpending on which media outlet is speaking to which university official at what time of day.Some of the above has been reÂported, and some of what's been reÂported may actually be true, but one thing is beyond dispute. We're barely two weeks away from opening weekend, and already I'm sick and tired of college football.At the moment, it's not about colÂlege. Or football. If it ever was. It's about one fan base pointing the finÂger at another, and the second fan base pointing back. It's the Iron Bowl rivalry, not of Bo Jackson and Cornelius Bennett, but of Eric Ramsey and Gene Jelks.It's not a game of offense, defense and special teams. It's a game of gotcha.Didn't we just spend the last nine months immersed in the worst scandal in the history of college sports at Penn State? Do we really have this big an appetite for self-destruction?The SEC hasn't been able to match Jerry Sandusky for depravity or his superiors for blind and possibly criminal loyalty -- at least not yet -- but the league seems determined to make up for it in the sheer volume of rumor, innuendo and conspiracy theory.Forget a vigorous discussion about the relative strengths and weaknesses of Alabama and LSU and the possibility of a championship rematch of the championship rematch. We'd rather debate whether Mark Emmert or Steve Savarese sends Nick Saban the bigger Christmas card.Never mind any real analysis of Robinson's chances to pick up (the football) where Mike Dyer left off. We're left to contemplate the very real and very disturbing news that a guidance counselor at Robinson's high school in Memphis has admitted to falsifying his transcript and has resigned.How was the transcript altered? When? Why? At someone's suggestion? Whose?It would be helpful to know the answers to those unanswered questions and others about what may be the legitimate transfers of Foster and Page before rushing to judgment, but why wait for facts when you're convinced you know the truth?The truth is, it feels like some people in this state don't believe in the old Cold War doctrine of mutually assured destruction.Emmert wasn't talking about this state last month when he condemned "an athletic culture that went horribly awry." He was talking about Penn State. Penn State may have been the worst of it, but misplaced priorities on behalf of a scoreboard didn't start or end there.They never seem to end here. Even before the season begins.
AJC College Sports RecruitingReuben Foster: Auburn 5-star LB being investigated (UPDATED)1:37 pm August 13, 2012, by Michael CarvellReuben Foster’s change of high schools and college commitment led to a meeting with investigators on Monday afternoon, his mother, Anita Paige, told the AJC. While at first, she said that it was NCAA representatives holding the meeting, there were multiple reports in Alabama that the interview was held instead by the state of Alabama high school association.Given a chance to clarify Monday night, she said she could not comment and it’s unclear what the next step is and whether she misspoke when she first identified the meeting as being with the NCAA.Foster, who is ranked as the nation’s No. 2 overall college football prospect, transferred from Troup High School to Alabama’s Auburn High School 40 miles away in mid-April.Last month, the 5-star linebacker who is entering his senior season also announced his new college destination would be Auburn after being committed to rival Alabama for 12 months.When contacted around 1 p.m. Monday, Paige was asked directly if she was meeting later in the day with the NCAA and she replied, “Yes, how did you know?†The reports later in the afternoon, including by AuburnUndercover.com’s Bryan Matthews, were that the early evening meeting would be with Alabama high school officials.When reached at 9 p.m. Monday and asked to clarify whether the meeting was held with the NCAA or Alabama high school officials, Paige responded, “I can’t say. I’m not allowed to comment on that.â€Earlier in the day, Paige told the AJC, “They are talking with Reuben and me. They want to make sure there was nothing illegal done to get us down here, or anything like that. They want to make sure there wasn’t a college booster involved.“No, there was not a booster involved or anybody from the college involved. There was nothing illegal.â€Foster has said the reason he left Troup was because his coach, Charles Flowers, was fired after last season. His mother reiterated that on Monday, while also adding, “I picked Auburn High School for us because it’s a better school system for academics. Reuben only has one more year of high school, but it was my baby girl [Kayla, 12 years old] who I was more worried about. I want them to get a good education.â€Since Foster flipped from Alabama to Auburn on July 12, there has been a ton of backlash, according to Paige. “Yes, the Alabama people have said all kinds of awful things, saying he is a traitor, and that ‘You can go play with the pigs if you want.’ They told him you won’t be playing for any championships at Auburn the next four years … just a lot of mean stuff.â€Why did Foster switch to Auburn? When Foster went public with the decision, he only read a short statement and did not take any questions from reporters. Paige provided some insight:One day after flipping from Alabama, Reuben Foster got a gigantic Auburn tattoo on his forearm. His mother said the entire family intends to get Auburn tattoos“Reuben said I won’t have to travel so far for his games since we live in Auburn now. Plus it had to do with those shootings at Auburn. Ladarious Phillips was his cousin who played football at Auburn and was one of those who got killed. That played a big role in Reuben’s decision. He wants to carry on Ladarious’ legacy at Auburn.â€One day after flipping to Auburn, Foster cemented the decision by getting a gigantic Auburn tattoo on his forearm. His mother said the commitment remains so strong that the entire family intends to get Auburn tattoos, also.RELATED: Two of Auburn’s current freshmen recruits are also dealing with the NCAA, including one player facing allegations that his high school transcript was falsified (click here for more)
Georgia’s No. 1 WR signee waiting on NCAA approval to report to Auburn12:20 am August 13, 2012, by Michael CarvellJaQuay Williams signed with Auburn after last-minute flirtations with UGA (AJC)JaQuay Williams signed with Auburn after last-minute flirtations with UGA (AJC)Georgia’s No. 1 college football prospect at wide receiver will likely report to Auburn “in the next week or so,†according to his high school coach.The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder from Sandy Creek High School has been held up by the NCAA’s Clearinghouse from reporting to Auburn with the rest of the freshmen class.“JaQuay is just working out at the school,†Sandy Creek coach Chip Walker told the AJC on Sunday. “We’re about to get him taken care of. He will hopefully be at Auburn in the next week or so.â€What’s the holdup? Williams is finishing up one online class of summer school.Originally, Williams thought he would be approved to report to Auburn in June until the NCAA ruled that classes he took at Faith Academy last summer would not count toward admission.“It’s rough on JaQuay not being at Auburn, but I think he’s handling it really, really well under the circumstances, you know what I mean?†Walker said. “He understands that he had a lot of ground to make up when he came to us [transferring from Heard County to Sandy Creek at the end of his junior year].“He made up all that ground and he is just waiting on one class. He has done really, really good for himself.â€What will happen if JaQuay doesn’t make it through the Clearinghouse? “The backup plan is probably for JaQuay to enroll at Auburn in January. He’s got his test scores and everything else is good. He’s just waiting on this one class.â€Auburn coach Gene Chizik and the rest of the staff have high hopes that Williams will join the team within a couple of weeks. “It’s my understanding, unless plans change, he’s not going to redshirt. He’s going to play for Auburn this season. I hope it works out for him to get down there. JaQuay is such a good kid, and he’s in great shape. I mean, he’s really looking good.â€RELATED: Another Auburn freshman, RB Jovon Robinson, did report to school but is being held out of practice while the NCAA investigates allegations that his transcript was falsified, according to the Memphis Commercial-Appeal.
I love the "Related" footnote at the bottom of each piece.
NCAA investigates Reuben Foster for Auburn switch while his mom plans to get the whole family Auburn tattoosBy Cameron Smith | Prep Rally – 1 hour 35 minutes agoReuben Foster, a senior linebacker at Auburn (Ala.) High, is one of the top two football recruits in the country. When he recently shifted his verbal commitment from Alabama to archrival Auburn, it was considered as much a fair accompli as it was a shocking coup for the Tigers, a move that seemed in the works ever since Foster left his LaGrange (Ga.) Troup High home for Auburn in the first place.Now the NCAA seems to have developed a similar level of skepticism, leading to a formal interview with Foster and his mother, Anita Paige. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which first confirmed the NCAA meeting, the collegiate sports body is concerned about the possible involvement of a booster in Foster's collegiate switch.Meanwhile, Paige is so adamant that nothing improper begat her sons change of heart that she has said the entire family -- primarily herself and Foster's younger sister, with other extended relatives possible -- are planning to get Auburn tattoos to match the wild ink Foster had put on his own arm after his commitment to the Tigers.For her part, Paige said there was much more to Foster's decision to change his future destination than simple cultural and competitive matters. Strikingly, the shocking loss of a cousin who played at Auburn may have helped push the senior toward the Tigers."Reuben said I won't have to travel so far for his games since we live in Auburn now," Paige told the Journal-Constitution. "Plus it had to do with those shootings at Auburn. Ladarious Phillips was his cousin who played football at Auburn and was one of those who got killed. That played a big role in Reuben's decision. He wants to carry on Ladarious' legacy at Auburn."Whether or not Foster gets to carry out that legacy may be affected by what the NCAA learns on Monday. If there is significant concern that anything improper occurred to get Foster to switch to Auburn, he may soon find himself sporting one of the most inappropriately presumptive tattoos in America.
Michael Carvell, Reuben Foster and the NCAA/ASHAAAugust 14, 2012 | 6:46 AMComments: 0By John CarvalhoTwitter | Contact John Carvalho | RSSIn reporting on the Watergate Scandal, for one story Carl Bernstein was trying to get a source to confirm a hot news tip over the phone, but the source was hedging. So finally, Bernstein told him that he would count to 10, and if there were any reason to hold off the story, the source should hang up. If the source was still on the line, he would assume the story was solid.You can imagine what happened. The source got confused and did not hang up, and Woodward and Bernstein went ahead with a story that turned out to be inaccurate.While it's not a scandal that will reach the White House -- at least not at this point -- what transpired between Michael Carvell, recruiting reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Anita Paige, mother of Auburn commit Reuben Foster, at least belongs in the same filing cabinet.Carvell reported, with Paige as his named source, that NCAA investigators had talked to her and her family about her son's recruitment. But it turned out the Paige and the family had talked to investigators from the Alabama High School Athletic Association, not the NCAA.If you look at the article, you will notice that in her quote, she does not specifically use the term "NCAA." She says "they" and Carvell inserts the clarifying term in parentheses. This shows both her confusion and his confidence that he had his story right. If he knew he was trying to hide something, he could be expected to misquote her to hide his mistake, but he didn't.That mistake was unfortunate enough and caused Carvell some embarrassment. But Carvell made another mistake, in my opinion. Rather than admit the error, apologize and move on, he put the blame on Paige. In the update linked above, he claimed that he specifically mentioned the NCAA to Paige and that she confirmed it. Maybe she did and maybe she was as confused as the attorney in the Woodward and Bernstein snippet.Then, later, he added, "When reached at 9 p.m. Monday and asked to clarify whether Monday’s meeting was with the NCAA or Alabama high school officials, Paige responded, 'I can’t say. I’m not allowed to comment on that.' He also tweeted, "Reuben Foster's mother declines to CLARIFY if she met with NCAA or AHSAA" (emphasis his).Perhaps she was embarrassed by her mistake. Maybe AHSAA instructors told her not to talk about it at all. In any case, she deserves better treatment than being thrown under the bus by Carvell.Carvell is the professional journalist in this transaction. Paige is not as experienced with the media, though you could argue the recruitment of her son is providing a degree from the school of hard knocks.If Carvell were to simply apologize and move on, most of us are perceptive enough to see what happened, and we would appreciate his graciousness to his less-experienced source. Instead, the perception is that he is undercutting a source who was kind enough to talk to him with probably no warning.One reason we teach journalists to respond in this way is from a long-term perspective. If future sources knew that Carvell would treat them that way, they would be less likely to pick up the phone when he called.This is one rationale for protecting anonymous sources. To be forced to reveal a source would jeopardize a reporter's future investigative efforts. But the reporter needs to be just as careful in preserving his/her integrity toward sources.I have emailed Carvell to get his side of the story. Again, I have no doubt that there was genuine confusion on Paige's part, causing Carvell to move ahead with a story that he thought was solid. Carvell has a reputation for being a top-notch professional reporter. But when something like this crops up, he needs to be careful, even as he seeks to protect his reputation.A reputation for accurate reporting is precious. So is a reputation for treating people the right way.DISCLOSURE: I do teach journalism at Auburn University, whose reputation would be expected to suffer from such reporting. However, that is only what brought this to my attention. The affiliation does not affect the principles by which I teach -- whether in the classroom or on this blog.
http://dev.chuckoliver.net/2012/08/michael-carvell-reuben-foster-and-the-ncaaashaa/
Where do you find some of these blog sources, Chizad?
I can guarantee you that Tony Barhart would've never done this. Even if he had, he would be apologizing and it wouldn't have been malicious. The rest of the UGay Dawgs at the AJC can choke on a bag o' dicks.
Josh Moon has made clear on Twitter that Auburn fans are whiny bitches and Carvell did absolutely nothing wrong.
My problem is that it isn't Mrs. Paige's job to know the difference between the NCAA and the AHSAA. It is a sports reporter's job. He should man up and apologize to her and for doing a shoddy job on this one.
Before this was corrected, it was all over talk radio yesterday. "Normal" for this to happen under these circumstances. It was talked about, and talked about. P. Marshall got it exactly right too. What interest would the NCAA have in a kid that hasn't even signed a letter of intent yet? But guess what folks, the bammer media and blog-o-sphere have us under NCAA investigation, and you know what happens if you repeat a lie loud enough and long enough? It becomes true.
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