Florida State president: NCAA broke deal

2009-09-09T15:44:28-04:00

2009-09-07T20:24:53-04:00

2009-09-09T08:53:34-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/459/466/thumb/OLD_SCHOOL_football-player.jpg 4481 TX

GatorRobster

Houston 459906

And the treatment of the opposing players at the swamp has for many years been over the line into criminal behavior.

40 Care to name even one instance of this criminal treatment of opposing players to back up your claim? And, no, a solid stick by a LB or DE does not qualify... 6791068

2009-09-09T15:44:28-04:00

vabill

Chesapeake 847867

Care to name even one instance of this criminal treatment of opposing players to back up your claim?And, no, a solid stick by a LB or DE does not qualify...

44 I am not talking about on the field, I am talking about on the sideline. When a player is being pelted for over 3 hours with chunks of ice, batteries, coins and other debris, it should be considered assault with intent to cause bodily harm, disorderly conduct and drunk and disorderly behavior just to name three. And while we are at it (talking about Florida) - yeah, I could see living in South Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Fort Walton Beach, Daytona Beach or even Jacksonville but Gainesville? That should be a crime in itself. 6800167

2009-09-09T10:52:55-04:00

977

Kdawg

Mount Vernon 43315

43 Look, he lost nothing for the "Free Shoes University" scandal in 1993 so he should just accept his punishment. That was when the boosters were sending players to some sporting good stores for free shopping sprees. I am surprised no one remembers that one. They won the National Championship that year and got busted and gave back nothing. Considering that Memphis "vacated" its Final Four wins for a similar infraction but for just 1 player, Bowden should just zip it and accept it. 6793629

2009-09-09T09:26:56-04:00

Yawning Aardvark

Toledo 849070

42 For anyone who hasn't graduated in the past 8 years there is one thing that almost every college student does more than once in his/hers college career and that is take an online test with a friend/friends. Both people are in the same class, they meet in the computer lab or at there house and help each other with it. It is a flaw in online courses in general. The only way to stop it is to track the computer IP address but that seems like alot of work to bust two people. My guess is someone told someone who told someone that these kids were getting into big groups to take the tests and they caught them. Yes, I know, shame on them for cheating. But one must also look at the other side of this. Music 101 as an elective is a joke of a class if I've ever taken one. Online courses, for the most part (that being 95%), are a joke and the easiest grade you can get. It is all about participation and homework. Last time I checked that's not hard. Change the system to make it so you can't cheat rather than letting a crap load of people get away with it all across the country and then doing something about it because it will make the headlines. And how was Bobby suppose to prevent, or stop this action?? He definitely shouldn't be punished for some stupid class and some stupid students. (And one aide) 6791655

2009-09-08T20:21:52-04:00

vabill

Chesapeake 847867

They did. That was their opening game opponent last season.

38 Good point but don't be so high and mighty. Obviously, you are too young to remember the Florida Flop. What a class way to get a QB his NCAA record. And the treatment of the opposing players at the swamp has for many years been over the line into criminal behavior. 6788424

2009-09-09T09:08:09-04:00

Ceant

Fort Lauderdale 849057

Good point but don't be so high and mighty. Obviously, you are too young to remember the Florida Flop. What a class way to get a QB his NCAA record. And the treatment of the opposing players at the swamp has for many years been over the line into criminal behavior.

41 With all due respect, I have to disagree with your assessment that CCGATOR made a good point. You can not compare a struggling program comprised of 80% freshman with a preseason ranking hovering around #50 (2008 Hurricanes) scheduling Charleston Southern to the reigning National Champions, and consensus repeaters (2009 Gators), scheduling the same lower tier opponent. It is not just about who you schedule, it's about who you are in comparison. 6791282

2009-09-08T20:21:52-04:00

vabill

Chesapeake 847867

They did. That was their opening game opponent last season.

2009-09-09T08:53:34-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/459/466/thumb/OLD_SCHOOL_football-player.jpg 4481 TX

GatorRobster

Houston 459906

And the treatment of the opposing players at the swamp has for many years been over the line into criminal behavior.

40 Care to name even one instance of this criminal treatment of opposing players to back up your claim? And, no, a solid stick by a LB or DE does not qualify... 6791068

2009-09-08T20:51:02-04:00

jimmy_valdosta

Valdosta 550569

39 as a fsu fan,,,if the coaches knew,,,shame on them,,,as for the NCAA,,,well,,,now that we are in "punishment form",,,exactly when are you going to get back to the USC-reggie bush home ownership and the other cheating going on that was caught???? ohhhh,,,thats right,,,,i forgot,,SSSHHHHhhhhhhhh 6788696

2009-09-08T16:26:44-04:00

CCGATOR

Fort Lauderdale 848436

Maybe Miami should have cheated by scheduling Charleston Southern as their first game.

35 They did. That was their opening game opponent last season. 6785786

2009-09-08T20:21:52-04:00

vabill

Chesapeake 847867

They did. That was their opening game opponent last season.

2009-09-08T19:56:19-04:00

jimmy_valdosta

Valdosta 550569

37 sooooo,,,what has the NCAA done with USC????? 6788211

2009-09-08T16:26:44-04:00

CCGATOR

Fort Lauderdale 848436

Maybe Miami should have cheated by scheduling Charleston Southern as their first game.

35 They did. That was their opening game opponent last season. 6785786

2009-09-08T16:59:01-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/438/997/thumb/kreese.jpg 72 CA

MCTaipan

Carlsbad 439437

They did. That was their opening game opponent last season.

36 Beat me to it. And when they beat the poor guys down, remember how they thumped their chests and said they were back? A quick trip to Gainesville cured that the following weekend. 6786497

2009-09-08T05:43:25-04:00

vabill

Chesapeake 847867

Gatorlonghorn - care to explain why the Canes are "synonymous with cheating"? Sure, there was the Pell grant thing in the 90's - one instance. Hardly meriting your assertion. But I guess a Gator wouldn't really know how to use one of them SAT words like synonymous - it's enough that you even know such a word exists and how to spell it correctly. Did you have to go to UF and UT to learn how to write in complete sentences?And yeah, I guess the Gators don't cheat - they just break the law.http://bleacherreport.com/articles/197441-urban-meyer-and-the-florida-gato rs-arrested-again-fix-this-mess/show_full

19 Maybe Miami should have cheated by scheduling Charleston Southern as their first game. 6779796

2009-09-08T16:26:44-04:00

CCGATOR

Fort Lauderdale 848436

Maybe Miami should have cheated by scheduling Charleston Southern as their first game.

35 They did. That was their opening game opponent last season. 6785786

<div class="photo_container image_right"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2007/writers/stewart_mandel/12/26/cfb.bag.122607/t1_bowden_all.jpg" alt="Double Click to select a Photo" width="300" height="407" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">FSU coach Bobby Bowden:: Marc Serota/Getty Images<br /></div> </div> <p>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State president T.K. Wetherell will leave office at some point in the next few months. Before he leaves, he hopes he can convince the NCAA to restore the 14 wins it took away from Coach Bobby Bowden as part of FSU's punishment for an academic scandal. <br /><br />In an interview with SI.com on Monday before the Seminoles faced Miami, Wetherell said FSU officials worked "arm-in-arm" with NCAA officials to investigate cheating in an online music course from 2006-07. Wetherell said FSU and the NCAA made a deal. FSU officials would convince the 61 athletes involved to give up their right to due process and accept a predetermined penalty, the NCAA would hand down a penalty that would take away scholarships and place the athletic program on probation. The NCAA broke that deal, Wetherell said.<br /><br />"What became unacceptable was when they threw something else in the deal after it was over," Wetherell said. "I don't want to call it a bait-and-switch, but…"<br /><br />That "something else" was the order that the teams in the 10 affected sports would vacate wins dating back to the first instance of cheating - not back to when FSU discovered the cheating and opened an investigation. In the process, Florida State's men's track team was forced to vacate its 2007 national title, and Bowden - who was locked in a race with Penn State's Joe Paterno for the Division I-A all-time wins record - was docked 14 wins.<br /><br />Asked whether he wishes now that the school had handled the situation differently, Wetherell laughed. "When you start looking back," Wetherell said, "would we have been better off letting 61 kids get 61 lawyers? … We would never have an answer today."<br /><br />Complicating matters is a lawsuit filed by several media outlets against the NCAA and Florida State asking the school to produce documents relating to the investigation. Florida State countersued the NCAA, contending that the documents are public records under Florida law. Florida attorney general Bill McCollum has filed an amicus brief supporting the media outlets and Florida State against the NCAA, which contends that making documents available in response to public record request would essentially strip the NCAA of any enforcement power because it could not promise anonymity to anyone who provided information. <br /><br />Last month, a Tallahassee judge ruled the documents are public records. Last week, another judge blocked the release while the NCAA prepares its appeal. The appeal is due Sept. 21. "Ultimately, I think we'll prevail," McCollum said Monday. "The bottom line of the case is that the moment a university receives records from the NCAA and those records are used in defense of a matter before the NCAA, then those records are public records under Florida law - and under the laws of a great many states with universities that the NCAA regulates."<br /><br />Wetherell said he doesn't think the suit - which has caused the NCAA great consternation and cost quite a bit of money - will poison the well as FSU appeals the vacation of wins penalty. FSU officials will orally argue their appeal before the NCAA's committee on infractions on Nov. 15. Wetherell, who will remain in office until a successor is found, said he hopes the committee will honor the deal he believes NCAA officials made with FSU officials during the investigation.<br /><br />"We don't enjoy fighting the NCAA," Wetherell said. "We've got better things to do. I'm spending too much money doing this."<br /></p> http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/245/899/thumb/staples_andy2.jpg 39

Andy Staples

246219 76641 <p>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State president T.K. Wetherell will leave office at some point in the next few months. Before he leaves, he hopes he can convince the NCAA to restore the 14 wins it took away from Coach Bobby Bowden as part of FSU's punishment for an academic scandal. <br /><br />In an interview with SI.com on Monday before the Seminoles faced Miami, Wetherell said FSU officials worked "arm-in-arm" with NCAA officials to investigate cheating in an online music course from 2006-07. Wetherell said FSU and the NCAA made a deal. FSU officials would convince the 61 athletes involved to give up their right to due process and accept a predetermined penalty, the NCAA would hand down a penalty that would take away scholarships and place the athletic program on probation. The NCAA broke that deal, Wetherell said.<br /><br /></p>