Picking An Old Scab: A Rant About Cam Newton's Legacy

[AUChizad]

I just saw a tweet about Urban Meyer's lack of discipline in light of some allegations about him covering up a lot of Aaron Hernandez's transgressions while he was a Gator. The tweet said something along the lines of it being unbelievable that he kicked Cam off the team.

That's just not true, isn't it? I know that Cam had some disciplinary issues while at UF. The laptop thing, and allegedly some academic cheating scandals. Although, the cheating scandals, by Federal law, are supposed to be sealed. All of that is based on super duper secret anonymous sources. Just like the $180,000, which we all know turned out to be fabricated, as we all here expected.

Anyway, I couldn't find anything that explicitly stated that he was kicked out. If I remember correctly, he voluntarily transferred partly because he saw the writing on the wall being behind Tebow, and partly to escape his demons, so to speak. Was I applying an orange and blue filter to that? When trying to google it, I had to sift through about 50 articles that, while never explicitly siting any reason, mention him transferring "amidst academic scandals, and an arrest involving a laptop", etc., heavily implying that he was forced out. By the way, he wasn't charged of any crime for the laptop (he purchased it from another student for cheap), and he later referred to it as the biggest mistake of his life.

Those, of course coming between the litany of others quoting Joe Schad's report that a "source" at MSU told him that Cecil picked Auburn for Cam because "The money was too much". This quote, that no one has ever heard, was of course taken as pure fact through the telephone game from the MSU boosters who did try to pay him to Schad, and even given without any context whatsoever. But it was treated like a smoking gun.

Also the phrase "shopped around" appeared a billion times, although zero came from even one of Schad's "unnamed sources".

This is the only thing Cecil has said on the record regarding payment discussions. This is what everyone points to as him ADMITTING that he "shopped around", and are in complete disbelief that the NCAA didn't punish Auburn because of this clear admission of guilt. This is the genesis of the sarcastic comments of "Oh, yeah RIGHT he didn't know! And even if he didn't, what does that matter? I guess it's ok by the NCAA rules to ask for a million dollars as long as you don't tell the kid about it!"

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/sports/exclusive-cam-newtons-dad-admits-money-talks-says-/nD9hG/

Exclusive: Cam Newton's Dad Admits Money Talks, Says Source

A source close to the situation exclusively told Channel 2 Action News investigative reporter Mark Winne that the player's father, Cecil Newton, has admitted having conversations with an ex-Mississippi State University player about the possibility of under-the-table money if Cam Newton signed to play football at Mississippi State, though he's steadfastly maintained that no money ever changed hands and said no official at Mississippi State ever made such an offer.

According to Winne’s source, Cecil Newton said his son’s hands are clean, and has made it clear that Cam Newton himself and his mother knew nothing about the money discussions, nor did Auburn University, with whom the Westlake High School grad from College Park eventually signed with out of junior college.

Winne’s source, who acknowledged sympathies on the Newton side of things, said the player and both parents have demonstrated a willingness to cooperate with the NCAA, beyond even the financial records turned over by the family, and from churches Cecil Newton oversees.

It just pissed me off all over again, knowing what we know now. How can any rational person read that and conclude that Auburn (not MSU) is guilty of anything here? How does discussing money with MSU boosters automatically translated to "shopping around"? It truly is insane, and yet, still 99.9% of the college football world thinks there's no doubt that Auburn got away with murder here.

 

[AUChizad]

Oh yeah, this one's my favorite.

Read through this. Does this make him sound like a monster? Then read the last paragraph that comes out of left field.

http://kruisports.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/can-cam-newton-be-trusted/

Can Cam Newton Be Trusted?

By Kyle Hughes

Cameron Newton has been the brightest star in college football this season. He is second in the nation in passer rating, has over 3000 total yards, has 35 total touchdowns, and has led Auburn to an undefeated record so far this season. He is the favorite to win the Heisman, but accusations about his past have been rampant this past week. Is it possible that the biggest superstar in college football is ineligible? After an investigation by the NCAA could we see Newton giving back a Heisman and Auburn handing back a BCS Championship trophy? I’m all for innocent until proven guilty, but things look bad for Newton.

Cam Newton leads Auburn to a 24-17 win over LSU (Getty Images)

The Computer Scandal
In 2008, while he was at Florida, Cam Newton was charged with felony counts of burglary, larceny, and obstructing justice. Newton was suspected of stealing a computer from another student and when the police went to question him he threw the computer out of his dorm window. However, Newton was never convicted of a crime and some reports said that he just purchased the computer from someone for a good price. Newton later called it the stupidest decision he’d ever made.

The Recruiting Scandal
Last week ESPN reported that a representative of Cam Newton asked for $180,000 in compensation from Mississippi State if they wanted Newton to commit to them. The representative was Kenny Rogers, a “matchmaker” for athletes and college programs. The school then reported the incident to the SEC. The NCAA had investigated the claim and was waiting for more substantial evidence. Cam Newton’s father, Cecil Newton, denied any wrongdoing by him or his son. Cecil Newton turned over phone records, bank records, and emails to the NCAA voluntarily. Coach Gene Chizik responded by emphasizing that Newton was eligible to play at Auburn. Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops said he didn’t experience anything irregular in Oklahoma’s attempted recruitment of Cam Newton.

The Cheating Scandal
According to FoxSports.com, an anonymous source told them that Newton had three different instances of academic cheating while at the University of Florida. Newton transferred to Blinn College instead of appearing in front of Florida’s Student Conduct Committee. Newton had previously told Sports Illustrated that he transferred because of Tim Tebow’s announcement to return for his senior season. Gene Chizik has declared that these revelations are “garbage” and Cecil Newton called the report a character assassination attempt on his son.

The NCAA is sure to now to bring a lot of heat in their investigation of Newton and already Heisman voters are suggesting they will second guess a vote for Cam Newton. Should Newton be given the benefit of the doubt? Normally I would say yes, but in his case I say no. This all comes in the same year that Reggie Bush handed back a Heisman and USC was put on probation for illegal recruitment. In an era when athletes are willing to lie about cheating even in the face of possible jail time, it is hard for me to believe that Newton is an innocent victim. Lets not forget how unsavory a character Gene Chizik was during his time at Iowa State and how he abandoned the Cyclones the first chance he got. Lets also not forget Auburn has been involved in this type of scandal before. In 1993 the program was put on two-year probation by the NCAA for a pay-for-play scandal brought to light by former player Eric Ramsey. You can stand up for Newton if you want, you can give him the Heisman, and you can marvel at his outstanding statistics. Just don’t be shocked when they’re wiped from the record books in a few years.

[The Prowler]

Oh yeah, this one's my favorite.

Read through this. Does this make him sound like a monster? Then read the last paragraph that comes out of left field.

http://kruisports.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/can-cam-newton-be-trusted/

Good God, that was hard to read through all of his stomping, pounding the table and yelling...but it was quite entertaining. Funny I've literally never heard of that journalist before, must be another uat journalist that got pushed out of the nest to cut their teeth on the Cam Newton story. I liked the part about the journalist questioning Coach Chizik's character because of the way he left Iowa State.

[AUChizad]

Good God, that was hard to read through all of his stomping, pounding the table and yelling...but it was quite entertaining. Funny I've literally never heard of that journalist before, must be another uat journalist that got pushed out of the nest to cut their teeth on the Cam Newton story. I liked the part about the journalist questioning Coach Chizik's character because of the way he left Iowa State.

The thing is, all the article did was refute every bullshit allegation that was being portrayed as solid proof. It played like a Never To Yield Foundation article all the way through. Until the last paragraph, where he concluded that Auburn & Cam are guilty to the core.

[Snaggletiger]

Was listening this morning about some of the stuff coming out about Hernandez' time at UF.  One incident was reported as Hernandez getting into it with a restaurant employee and eventually assaulting the employee.  Don't know if it was taking a swing at him, pushing him or what.  Of note, they also said Tebow was trying to play peace maker and get Hernandez out of there. 

The radio host was reading from some article that said no charges were filed but someone "settled" with the restaurant employee.  They questioned what settled meant in that case.  May go back to your original point about Burbin Creyer covering stuff up.   

[AUChizad]

Tangentially Related:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/cam-newton-greatness-being-overshadowed-lot-needless-criticism-170905278.html

Cam Newton’s greatness is being overshadowed by a lot of needless criticism

By Frank Schwab

Pick up a football preview magazine, or click on a Carolina Panthers team preview online, you're likely to see some variation of the same report on Cam Newton.

Immature. Disappointing second season. Didn't develop as hoped. Needs to turn his career back around this season.

Newton is one of the best players in the NFL, and could be on the verge of a special career. It's just a bit strange that the narrative surrounding him has gone in an entirely different direction.

Was Newton, who had arguably the best rookie season of all time in 2011, bad in 2012? Well, let's compare him to a couple of the NFL's brightest stars and find out:

Player A: 3,869 yards, 19 TD, 12 INT, 57.7 completion percentage, 8.0 yards per attempt, 86.2 rating
Player B: 4,374 yards, 23 TD, 18 INT, 54.1 completion percentage, 7.0 yards per attempt, 76.5 rating

Player A is obviously Newton. Player B is Andrew Luck, who has gotten a lot more pats on the back this offseason than Newton. Luck (who is great is his own right) had 142 more passing attempts, but Newton was much more efficient throwing the ball.

Newton is more than just a passer. So let's take a look at this rushing comparison:

Player A: 127 attempts, 741 yards, eight touchdowns
Player B: 120 attempts, 815 yards, seven touchdowns

Player B might have been a touch better, but it's pretty close. Player A is Cam Newton, Player B is Robert Griffin III. And we all know which of those two is getting more praise this offseason.

So last season Newton threw it better than Luck, was almost as productive running it as Griffin, and we're supposed to believe he took a major step back. Luck and Griffin took their teams to the playoffs, but as we already know, it's foolish to judge a quarterback simply on his record (and, the Panthers weren't that far off anyway, going a terribly unlucky 1-7 in games decided by less than a touchdown).

Does Newton need more work on his accuracy, and overall game? Sure. Here's the list of quarterbacks who needed a good amount of work after two NFL seasons: Every quarterback who has ever played. Newton is 24. He'll get better.

Newton did struggle for a bit last season, but if you think he had a bad 2012 you tuned out after seven Panthers games. Here's what he did his last nine games, and how that prorates out to a 16-game season:

Last nine games: 2,168 yards, 14 TD, 4 INT, 159-for-273 (58.2 percent), 94.7 rating, 76 rushes, 431 rushing yards, 5 rushing TD
Prorated for a full season: 3.854.2 yards, 24.9 TD, 7.1 INT, 135.1 rushes, 766.2 rushing yards, 8.9 rushing TD

That would be a heck of a season, especially for a 23-year-old second-year quarterback. The Panthers were 6-3 in those final nine games, for those interested in such things.

So Newton had what amounts to a seven-game sophomore slump. In the last nine games he had a better quarterback rating than players like Matt Schaub, Tony Romo, Philip Rivers, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning and Matthew Stafford had in 2012. Newton was a better passer over his last nine games than Flacco was last season, and Flacco just got a $120 million extension. And over the season Newton rushed for more touchdowns than Jamaal Charles, C.J. Spiller, Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, LeSean McCoy and many, many others.

So, so disappointing.

Instead of the talk focusing on Newton's phenomenal first two seasons, we hear about how he's not a captain yet and how he needs better body language. He seems to rub people the wrong way, going all the way back to the NCAA investigation into his recruitment at Auburn. It's overshadowing his greatness.

The way people view Newton will change, and very soon. He's way too good for everyone to continue to nitpick on things like him smiling too much before games and his touchdowns celebrations. Don't miss out.

And another even less related article:

http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2013/07/as_cam_newtons_teammate_with_p.html

As Cam Newton's teammate with Panthers, Robert Lester says he feels like he's playing for Auburn
By Don Kausler Jr. | dkausler@al.com

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – Based on one very unpleasant experience, Robert Lester had a preconceived notion about Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

The experience was Alabama’s bitter 28-27 loss to visiting Auburn in 2010.

“When you play against a guy, especially in the SEC, you get a feel,” Lester said Tuesday. “You think they’re one way, and when you finally meet them and hang around them a little, you finally see what they’re like.”

Then: Lester was a sophomore safety for the Crimson Tide. Newton was a junior quarterback on his way to leading Auburn to the national championship.

“He was very serious on the field,” Lester said. “When you’ve got a guy who’s very serious, demanding what he wants on the field, you can’t really get a feel for who this guy is and what he’s about. I just knew he was a great football player.”

Now: Lester and Newton are new teammates with the Panthers. Newton was the first player picked in the 2011 NFL Draft. Lester signed this spring with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent.

“He mingles with everybody in the locker room,” Lester said. “He’s just overall a great guy. He’s funny. He’s a guy that messes with me every day. Whenever I see him, he says, ‘War Eagle!’”

Does Lester respond with a “Roll Tide”?

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “I’ve got to. It’s all in fun. …

“I feel like I’m playing for Auburn right now. I definitely enjoy being around him. I’m glad he’s our quarterback. I’m confident in his ability.”

Lester has been through a rookie camp and a minicamp with the Panthers and is eager for preseason camp to start on July 21 in Spartanburg. In the minicamp, he spent some time on the field with the first-team defense.

He has shaken off the disappointment of not getting drafted. Nine of his Alabama teammates were selected. A total of 21 safeties were drafted. But not the three-year starter from Foley.

“It was pretty difficult,” Lester said. “Going seven rounds and not hearing your name called is stressful. I thought for sure I would get drafted. It turned out I didn’t. A lot of people would think the dream ends there. I kept hopes alive.

“I knew I was a good ballplayer. I knew I could compete in the NFL. I knew that if there was at least one team that wanted to give me a chance, they wouldn’t regret it.”

Immediately after the draft, Lester said his agent, Pat Dye Jr., heard from 11 or 12 teams. Four teams spoke directly to Lester.

“I went with Carolina,” Lester said. “It looked like the best possibility to actually get some playing time.”

Lester was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, but his 40-yard dash time of 4.66 seconds turned off most teams. Only one team conducted a formal interview with Lester. That was the Panthers.

“I felt real comfortable about the Panthers,” Lester said. “They were the first team to call me. They definitely knew that I could come in and help them out. I felt the same way about them. If I’m not mistaken, I think they had a corner step in and play some safety last year.”

Lester scoffs at his critics.

“I’ve always had people tell me that I wasn’t good enough,” he said. “When I was in high school and I was committed to Alabama, there were people who told me I wasn’t good enough to go to Alabama. When I got to Alabama, some people told me I wasn’t good enough to play. I’ve always struggled with that my entire career, at every level. My goal is to prove them otherwise. I’ve always had to face adversity. That’s nothing new to me. People can say what they want.

“Everybody wants to talk about my speed, but I played in one of the fastest conferences there is. There’s guys slower than I am who have had long careers in the NFL.”
Lester-after-practice-Panthers.jpgRobert Lester has been through a rookie camp and a minicamp with the Carolina Panthers and is looking forward to preseason camp starting on July 21 in Spartanburg, S.C. (Kent Smith/Carolina Panthers photo)

But Lester has other qualities that teams like. He’s 6-foot-1 and weighs 215 pounds.

“Teams like my size,” he said. “I’m a bigger safety. I have a great knack for the ball. I don’t always know where it came from, but I’m always around the ball. My football knowledge for the game … I didn’t always know football the way I do now, but playing for Coach (Nick) Saban prepares you. You’ve got to have play recognition. You’ve got to know what kind of formations will lead to certain plays. Little things like that give you the edge on the field.”

As a sophomore, Lester intercepted eight passes. That led the Southeastern Conference and ranked second nationally. It is tied for second in school history. Lester finished his college career with 14 interceptions in 40 starts.

He believes in studying film. He also has starred in film.

“I’m not one of the fastest guys,” he said, “but if you turn on the film and you see guys making plays … I had 14 interceptions in one of the toughest conferences there is, against some of the best players. How can you not notice that? I won three national championships. How is that going unnoticed?”

So far, Lester is comfortable with his transition to pro football.

“Coach Saban’s system prepared me for it. The practice schedule, everything I was used to. They want everybody to be on time. I don’t believe in missing meetings or being late to practice, anything like that. That comes from the discipline Coach Saban instills in you. …

“It’s still a learning process. The more I learn, the more comfortable I get.”

The first thing Lester learned isn’t surprising.

“At this level, the talent is amazing,” he said. “You’re not going to run across a guy that is not giving 100 percent effort. You’re not going to run across a guy that isn’t talented. You can’t take any plays off. I’ve learned that as long as you hold yourself accountable, you can get the job done. Don’t ever get complacent.

“At the end of the day, it’s all football. Maybe a little different ins and outs with different coaches, but it’s still about tackling the guy with the ball and keeping him from scoring.”

[Snaggletiger]

Here's the thing about Cam's "bad" sophomore NFL season.  He plays for a team that SUCKS.  Carolina got to draft Cam because they were the worst suckage of the NFL's most suck.  It looks like they're slowly trying to add some players around him and they're getting a little better, but...they still suck.

[Snaggletiger]

Mr. Hernandez appears to be a real sweetheart.  The following from foxnews.kum is just more proof of Auburn's thug environment.  Hey...Cam went to Florida.  Hernandez went to Florida.  Connect the dots.

Patriots quarterback Tim Tebow tried to prevent former New England tight end Aaron Hernandez from getting into a fight at a Florida bar in 2007, according to police reports.

A sworn court complaint from Florida's Eighth Judicial Circuit details Hernandez's apparent involvement in the fight at a restaurant called The Swamp in Gainesville, Fla., that left a restaurant worker with a burst ear drum.

The partially redacted document says the restaurant worker told police that Hernandez, who was then 17, punched him in the head while he was escorting the subject out of the business after a dispute about an alleged non-payment of a bill.

Tebow, at the time University of Florida's star quarterback, is listed as a witness. The report said Hernandez asked him to intervene in the verbal dispute before the assault.

According to police records obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, Tebow told an officer he attempted to resolve the dispute and urged Hernandez to leave peacefully.

The complaint classifies the offense as "felony battery." It wasn't clear Tuesday how the case was resolved.

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty in the shooting death of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd, whose body was found June 17 not far from Hernandez's North Attleborough, Mass. mansion. His defense team has called the case circumstantial and has said Hernandez looks forward to clearing his name.

But even before the 23-year-old's recent arrest, public records and interviews show he had been involved in police inquires in the past, first in Florida and then in the Boston area.

Also in 2007, Hernandez was among three Florida football players and another who had gone on to the NFL questioned by Gainesville police after a double shooting that happened after a Florida loss. Police said the players provided the information investigators wanted. No charges were ever filed.

A request for comment left with a spokesman for Hernandez's legal team Tuesday evening was not immediately returned.

Although Hernandez is facing a murder charge, his current legal troubles may not end there.

Police in Hernandez's hometown of Bristol, Conn., said Tuesday that Boston police asked for their help with a double homicide investigation linked to the former NFL star.

Bristol Police Lt. Kevin Morrell said the request was based on evidence developed through the investigation of Lloyd's slaying. He said police were asked to search the same home in Bristol for both investigations, and they seized a vehicle at the address Friday.

Two men died in the shooting in Boston's South End on July 15, 2012 and another was wounded. Witnesses reported seeing gunfire coming from a gray SUV with Rhode Island plates. Authorities said 29-year-old Daniel Jorge Correia de Abreu and 28-year-old Safiro Teixeira Furtado were killed, the third man was not identified.

Boston police have declined to comment on whether Hernandez is being looked as a possible suspect in that case from last summer.

The Hartford Courant reported Tuesday that a Connecticut man killed in a car crash early Sunday was possibly set to be interviewed by investigators in connection with Lloyd's death.

Sources told the newspaper that Thaddeus Singleton III, who was killed when the car he was driving slammed into the Farmington Country Club, was of interest to investigators.

The newspaper reported that the car Singleton was driving during the crash was registered to Hernandez's uncle, who is Singleton's father-in-law.

Hernandez has been connected to still more incidents involving guns, although none have resulted in criminal charges against him.

A man who claims Hernandez shot him in the face in February after an argument at a Florida strip club filed a civil lawsuit days before police arrested Hernandez.

Plaintiff Alexander Bradley claims in the civil action that Hernandez shot him with a handgun, causing him to lose his right eye. But after someone found the Connecticut man bleeding in an alley behind a Palm Beach County store after hearing a gunshot, he told police he didn't know who shot him and gave only a vague description of possible assailants.

Bradley's lawyer David Jaroslawicz wouldn't comment on Tuesday about the nature of the alleged dispute between his client and Hernandez. He said the two flew to South Florida together before getting into a dispute at a Miami club.

The attorney said Bradley, who worked for Stanley Steamer before the shooting, had done some work for Hernandez and that the two also hung out socially a few times and had known each other for several years.

"The last thing we expected was a few days after we filed the lawsuit police would find a dead body a few miles from his house," the attorney said in a phone interview.

Authorities have also linked Hernandez to a May 18 fight outside a bar in Providence, R.I., that involved a gun.

A prosecutor with the Bristol County district attorney's office has said that a man who matched the description of a man seen on video with Hernandez on the night of Lloyd's slaying was seen putting a gun under a car during the Rhode Island incident.

Authorities traced that gun to a Florida gun shop.

Then following Lloyd's death, police said they recovered a .22 caliber gun about a quarter-mile from the defendant's home -- a weapon authorities said was traced to the same store.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/07/03/before-arrest-hernandez-had-brushes-with-violence/?test=latestnews#ixzz2Y08LBj00

[ssgaufan]

tl;dr

[Snaggletiger]

tl;dr

yyd

[ssgaufan]

yyd

dygm

[The Prowler]

That's what happens when things continue to be left unpunished...Hernandez should've been kicked off that UF back in '07 along with the other players involved and if found guilty, sent to Prison...or taken out back and shot in the head.

[Kaos]

More passing yards than any quarterback in his first two seasons ever.
More rushing yards than any quarterback in his first two seasons ever. 

Too bad he doesn't play defense or the Panthers would have already won two Super Bowls. 

I love Cam Newton. 

[The Prowler]

So, UF players get their meals for free at restaurants...Hmm, I'm sure that isn't a illegal benefit.

[Buzz Killington]

So, UF players get their meals for free at restaurants...Hmm, I'm sure that isn't a illegal benefit.

I seriously doubt that is illegal.


Signed,

Tom Albetar