Truth & Rumors > NCAAB

NCAA lets SC's Mayo off hook

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USC Coach Tim Floyd's admission of complicity in the acceptance of free Lakers tickets by O.J. Mayo appears to have spared the freshman guard a suspension of at least six games, according to information released by the NCAA on Saturday. Floyd acknowledged clearing Mayo to receive free tickets to a Lakers game from Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, a violation of NCAA preferential-treatment rules. The NCAA considered Floyd's approval a mitigating factor in reinstating Mayo's eligibility and requiring him only to donate the $460 face value of the tickets to charity.

Los Angeles Times

O.J. Mayo, AP O.J. Mayo, AP
January 27, 2008  10:23 AM ET

I wonder if Tim Floyd or Carmelo Anthony will be paying the $460? Never would the NCAA would have acted so quickly if not for a U$C player

January 27, 2008  10:47 AM ET

Will lookie lookie, I told you the only thing that USC has to do is to grease someones palm over at the NCAA, and poof their goes the violation. Just like bush that will go poof up in smoke also. Great job NCAA a very good hoodwink this time. Keep up the great work of pulling the wool over your eyes that USC and the fighting pedophiles of norte dame are will above the rules.

January 27, 2008  10:49 AM ET

Haters, haters, haters.. gotta love em.. there was no violation committed here.. Mayo has been knowing Carmelo since 7th grade.. he probably knows many more NBA players than that. And it has been widely reported that Carmelo routinely gives away tickets to friends and non-athletes. Jealousy is a terrible thing.

January 27, 2008  11:27 AM ET

Well, you cant have him pay more than face value, and uh, there was a precedent to this already, look up Richard Jefferson case. They always pay back the equal amount to their favorite charity.

January 27, 2008  12:31 PM ET

why is he in trouble...... there are too many rules for college players....if john joe (reg college student) takes tickets from Tom Brady because he and Tom been friends for years does he have to pay for it???

January 27, 2008  01:43 PM ET

How many of those haters who are NBA fans would turn down NBA tickets from 'Melo? Exactly none. So spare me the self-righteous BS that boils down to you just don't like USC.

January 27, 2008  02:36 PM ET

I would not waste my time going to Lakers game even if those tickets were free. Why should I go and watch a rapest play.

January 27, 2008  02:48 PM ET

Mr.Mykel...I agree there are too many rules but why have them if violating doesn't matter.

January 27, 2008  05:53 PM ET

i personaly think this is one of the stupidest ncaa basketball rules. I mean what is he doing really wrong? he is just accepting free tickets from a buddy.

January 27, 2008  07:15 PM ET

I think the NCAA needs to look into the case a little more. Did these 2 know each other prior to the recruitment of Mayo to USC? Was Melo in any way associated with USC's program? No.

If they were given to him by a friend, and not by the organization what is the big deal? This wasn't a person associated with the USC program, so it isn't undue influence from the university or a representative of the university.

This is nothing more than a stupid example of the fact the NCAA has their head so far from reality. It is getting tougher and tougher to be a student athlete in the NCAA. You basically can't do anything without clearing it with the compliance director. I'm waiting for the NCAA to pass a rule regarding when a player can go to the bathroom and where.

The scary thing is I was an NCAA Student athlete and I now officiate an NCAA sport.

January 27, 2008  08:12 PM ET

NCAA (No Class At All) organization. I still can't get over how they shafted a young man Skiing for his country in the Olympics.

January 27, 2008  08:23 PM ET

It wasn't for skiing, it was for attempting to make money off his success skiing. I can understand the NCAA's point of view, because he was also recognized as an NCAA football player.

However, the worse one to me was at Northwestern when a former player was given a chance to be in a movie or play and was told by the NCAA he couldn't. It had nothing to do with his athletic ability, only his work as a theater major in school. It was one of the most idiotic of idiotic NCAA rulings.

January 27, 2008  09:10 PM ET

Thunderdragon..."the fighting pedophiles of Notre Dame"..? What kool aid were you drinking before coming up with that gem...? To compare USCs program with Notre Dame's for standards is like comparing OJ (the one still looking for the real killer) to Mother Teresa. Kudos to their recent success on the field but that will come and go. What remains is how institutions are preparing their athletes for life or are they not accountable for that?

January 28, 2008  01:57 AM ET

Watch the NBA.

January 28, 2008  12:52 PM ET

Great games on the road... Fight On Trojans!

January 28, 2008  02:00 PM ET

Next issue.

January 28, 2008  03:39 PM ET

I wonder if anybody at Fannation realizes that it's OK to report college basketball "truth" and "rumors" that deal with subjects other than whether some player or coach has violated some trivial NCAA rule: for instance, "truth" and "rumors" regarding the coaching and playing of the ACTUAL GAME.

January 28, 2008  05:20 PM ET

These U$C issues remind me of the old joke about why the NBA would never allow a team to move to Las Vegas ... because they wouldn't want their franchise to be the second highest paid team in the city ... behind UNLV.

hahaha - are they guilty, heck yeah ... does it happen elsewhere? heck yeah. Just last year some cheesy Div.2 school got busted for paying off a lacrosse player ... LACROSSE !!! oi vey

January 28, 2008  11:24 PM ET

This is just another reason why the NCAA upper echilon needs to all be fired and new blood brought in to put fear in god in all the athletic departments and start laying down the law when rules are broken

 
January 30, 2008  02:43 PM ET

They should make Anthony pay the charity donation, LOL, since he obviously learned little during his year at Cuse...

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