NCAA investigation: Internship hours, ties between YMCA and Syracuse athletes part of inquiry

[CuseHulk]

You gotta be kidding me with this. Posted by, in the comments section.

Nate Mink | nmink@syracuse.com9 minutes ago


Hey all, we're still following a lot of leads on this story. If you have any information you wish to share with us, I encourage you to contact John, Chris or I.

Here is our contact info:

John O'Brien: jobrien@syracuse.com ; phone 315-470-2187

Chris Carlson: ccarlson@syracuse.com ; phone: 315-412-1639

Nate Mink: nmink@syracuse.com ; phone: 315-430-8253

 

[jgeorge322]

If he was working a tourney, that would be $100 likely for a full day or possibly multiple days. $10 an hour for 10 hours doesn't really seem like anything but a day of work for an 18 year old.

day wright probably drove a hard bargain. cannot punish syracuse if day was a good negotiator.

 

[Cusefan0307]

The Y would not bring suit, with attendant public disgrace, unless it was dam sure that there was an embezzlement. The out of court settlement could mean that a) the Y got their money back which means that it did not go to Cuse athletes, or 2) they were able to garnish his wages until the money is paid back, which means that there is a question as to where the money went. Even though he was not a Univ. employee, if there was a $350,000 slush fund for athletes it would be lack of institutional control. If it was a slush fund it will eventually be exposed. The Univ needs to find out rather than sit and wait for this to unwind now or in the future. At this point it seems that it could be minor or major. Too early to reach a conclusion one way or the other.

Except the investigation is over. They presented their evidence. We presented ours. The only people who don't know anything is the public.

 

[M2MPrinciples]

Here's the quote:

"Investigators also asked about a former YMCA employee who had exceptional access to Syracuse men's basketball players and was sued for allegedly misappropriating close to $350,000 from the Y. It is unclear if any of those funds were given to athletes."

The "unclear" innuendo here is that the man being sued was giving the money to the basketball students.

Maybe the lyrics from this Don Henley song will help you understand:

We can do "The Innuendo," we can dance and sing
When it's said and done we haven't told you a thing
We all know that crap is king, give us dirty laundry

Of course. We should all be listening to noted ombudsman Don Henley.

 

[hungrychuck]

What do you think the reaction here would be had that sentence not been included?

I don't know what the reaction would have been.

But I do know that "it is unclear if..." is weasel-wording. And I do not feel comfortable with the reporter raising the prospect of an NCAA violation with no substantiation.

How about this? Find a source, preferably a couple of sources, who say that this IS what the NCAA is investigating, and say that? If you can't do that, don't raise it yourself.

 

[Dave85]

I'm glad you like Don Henley, but how does this post support your contention that facts were omitted?

The innuendo is clearly there in the article that the NCAA violation was the students were given some of the $350,000. There's not facts to support that innuendo. If you can't see the innuendo you are blind. There could certainly exist omitted facts that would make the story not so juicy. They mention Fab Melo. Was he even an intern at the YMCA during the years in question?

 

[orangefan13]

SO when does the ncaa investigate every other program that won a championship in the last 15 years back 10 plus years??

Stop showing favortism and get off our backs. Go investigate WHY CALIPARI IN HIS FIRST YEAR AT KENTUCKY COMING OFF A NIT GOT THE TWO BEST BASKETBALL PLAYERS IN TEH COUNTRY IN THE MATTER OF 4 MONTHS INSTEAD WOUDL YOU?

 

[AlaskaSU]

M

Except the investigation is over. They presented their evidence. We presented ours. The only people who don't know anything is the public.

My point is that unless we know that the money did not go to athletes we are possibly vulnerable to lack of insititutional constrol should it eventually leak out that there was a slush fund. look at N Carolina; it takes time for these things to unravel. I am not saying that a slush fund existed. I am saying that we need to do our own documented investigation. A $350,000 embezzelment by a free lance Cuse booster has a rotten smell.

 

[Dave85]

I don't know what the reaction would have been.

But I do know that "it is unclear if..." is weasel-wording. And I do not feel comfortable with the reporter raising the prospect of an NCAA violation with no substantiation.

How about this? Find a source, preferably a couple of sources, who say that this IS what the NCAA is investigating, and say that? If you can't do that, don't raise it yourself.

HC, I totally agree with you. This is just another cheap shot crap story to spark sales. I'm still waiting for Bernie Fine to somehow get mentioned as part of the $350,000. Where else did BF get the money to lend to Lang?

 

[Dave85]

M

My point is that unless we know that the money did not go to athletes we are possibly vulnerable to lack of insititutional constrol should it eventually leak out that there was a slush fund. look at N Carolina; it takes time for these things to unravel. I am not saying that a slush fund existed. I am saying that we need to do our own documented investigation. A $350,000 embezzelment by a free lance Cuse booster has a rotten smell.

Let see, hmmm, he kept it for himself...or...he gave to basketball players for no reason. I'm going to go with choice A.

 

[texascpa]

You gotta be kidding me with this. Posted by, in the comments section.

Nate Mink | nmink@syracuse.com9 minutes ago


Hey all, we're still following a lot of leads on this story. If you have any information you wish to share with us, I encourage you to contact John, Chris or I.

Here is our contact info:

John O'Brien: jobrien@syracuse.com ; phone 315-470-2187

Chris Carlson: ccarlson@syracuse.com ; phone: 315-412-1639

Nate Mink: nmink@syracuse.com ; phone: 315-430-8253

Can't wait for all of the "unnamed source" comments in future articles.

 

[Dave85]

Can't wait for all of the "unnamed source" comments in future articles.

The "unnamed source" is Davis or Lang.

 

[texascpa]

A $350,000 embezzelment by a free lance Cuse booster has a rotten smell.

where does it say he was a booster? The article only says that he was a close to the program. Didn't mention once that he had given money to the university...or did I miss that?

 

[Janner]

Here's the quote:

"Investigators also asked about a former YMCA employee who had exceptional access to Syracuse men's basketball players and was sued for allegedly misappropriating close to $350,000 from the Y. It is unclear if any of those funds were given to athletes."

The "unclear" innuendo here is that the man being sued was giving the money to the basketball students.

Maybe the lyrics from this Don Henley song will help you understand:

We can do "The Innuendo," we can dance and sing
When it's said and done we haven't told you a thing
We all know that crap is king, give us dirty laundry

Did they define "Exceptions Access"? The phrase seems leading to me and very conclusion based. Is "exceptional" a fact... or an opinion. If its the latter then it would seem to me that the writer has an agenda and a motive JMO

 

[triplethrea]

Didn't the NCAA just lose a lawsuit that will soon make it OK for players to get paid (for their likeness, but whatever). Didn't they just lose 90% of their credibility? Aren't bigger lawsuits on the horizon? So why are they still on their witchhunts? Why don't the schools tell them to F off?

 

[MikeSU02]

What would be the distinction here between "unclear" and "no evidence"?

Others have touched on it below (hungrychuck Dave85), but my issue is that the language allows for an even distribution of chance where there should not be.

Think about if you pulled those sentences I quoted out of the article and they were quoted on SportsCenter. When magnified to that extent, it should come into focus just how dangerous that line is.

A second example, think about if this were a murder being covered and there was no evidence of someone's guilt and it was written in that manner.

 

[orangefan13]

Kids go to syracuse to
A) play zone defense which
B) lets them be over athletic,
C) develop more basketball skills outside of their athletism, and
D) Run and gun and get the chance to be the offensive leaders over respected as upperclassmen by jb,
E) while playing unselfish basketball like all of our teams the last 10 plus years for
F) what is considered one of the better academic colleges in america the last 50 years.
Its been that way for the last 10 plus years.

JB doesn't recruit kids who are known trouble makers outside of very rare occasions. It isn't his style.


We get 30,000 fans in that dome the most in the country by 5,000 and did before jb was even a hall of fame coach. Oh thets just go pursue one of the best basketball systems in america for the hell of it.

 

[hungrychuck]

Others have touched on it below (hungrychuck Dave85), but my issue is that the language allows for an even distribution of chance where there should not be.

Think about if you pulled those sentences I quoted out of the article and they were quoted on SportsCenter. When magnified to that extent, it should come into focus just how dangerous that line is.

A second example, think about if this were a murder being covered and there was no evidence of someone's guilt and it was written in that manner.

This is well said.

To be clear, I have no problem with the PS doing stories like this and going after them hard. I think their guys did some good reporting here and we all benefit from knowing a little more about what the NCAA is pursuing.

BUT, you either have the goods or you don't. If the NCAA has asked questions about whether some/any of the $350K went to athletes, that should be something good reporters can learn/confirm, and then report as such. But don't back-door into that suggestion without substantiation.

Looks lazy and reckless.

 

[Cusefan0307]

You gotta be kidding me with this. Posted by, in the comments section.

Nate Mink | nmink@syracuse.com9 minutes ago


Hey all, we're still following a lot of leads on this story. If you have any information you wish to share with us, I encourage you to contact John, Chris or I.

Here is our contact info:

John O'Brien: jobrien@syracuse.com ; phone 315-470-2187

Chris Carlson: ccarlson@syracuse.com ; phone: 315-412-1639

Nate Mink: nmink@syracuse.com ; phone: 315-430-8253

Just call them up and tell them Fab Melo bought you shots 5 days a week in 2012. Someone might think your an alcoholic, but at least you will know you were the source!

 

[CuseHulk]

This is well said.

To be clear, I have no problem with the PS doing stories like this and going after them hard. I think their guys did some good reporting here and we all benefit from knowing a little more about what the NCAA is pursuing.

I disagree, You don't bite the hand that feeds you.

How much of their overall sports coverage is Syracuse University Athletics ? 90 Percent or more.

 

[Toga]

The article's line about "it is unclear" puts the University in the position of then having to prove a negative (at least in the court of public opinion). How does one prove players did not receive embezzled money? It's not like some situation where definitive DNA evidence could turn up. So now that "unclear" line is out there to be picked up nationally and no way to disprove it. I don't have a problem with the rest of the article, but if one feels it is unclear, then go get some evidence. Otherwise .

 

[hungrychuck]

I disagree, You don't bite the hand that feeds you.

How much of their overall sports coverage is Syracuse University Athletics ? 90 Percent or more.

They're journalists. That's their job. It's not their job to support the team. That's for you and me.

 

[CuseHulk]

They're journalists. That's their job. It's not their job to support the team. That's for you and me.

Would the local Journalists and media of Kentucky Athletics. Be doing the same ?

For example, or name another University Athletics.

 

[orangefan13]

while football players R.J. Anderson and Kyle Johnson participated in a reading event at the Oneida YMCA in 2001.

I find this utterly repulsive and disgusting, how could they?

 

[Madbiker]

This whole thing has the smell of an Emmert witch hunt. This jerk (nicest term I can use about him) was once affiliated with SU I think. Does he have an ax to grind? When investigators are going back 10+ years and turning over rocks they are desperate. Total BS. I would love to arrive at the day the P5 leave the NCAA and give it the middle finger.