A sad revelation in sports took another turn for the worst amidst the allegations against Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.
A week after ESPN.com reported last week that a man claiming to represent Newton during the quartberack’s recuitment out of Blinn College in Texas last year supposedly sought payments close to $200,000 dollars to secure Newton’s “John Hancock” on a national letter-of-intent, the story has unraveled further.
According to reports leaked by two sources, Newton was facing possible expulsion from the University of Florida for academic cheating, an incident in which he was caught three times. He eventually transferred from Florida and attended Blinn College for a year before committing to Auburn.
Sure you can argue the allegations came to light in part to his success with the Tigers, a team that is currently No. 2 in the nation and has their quarterback second in the Heisman race.
But the damage has been done. The seal has been broken, and an unidentified source has left a confidential message in a bottle on the steps of Auburn University that has been uncorked for the public to see.
But that doesn’t stop Tigers head coach Gene Chizik from vehemently denying the allegations, calling them “garbage.”
Although the NCAA has not filed a letter of inquiry to Auburn, what Newton told the media about his involvement with academic cheating at the University of Florida has left people to believe that he is associated with the guilty party.
“I’m not going to entertain something that took place not three months, not six months, not a year but two years ago,” Cam Newton said. “I’m not going to sit up here and say anything about it, whether I did or did not do it, because I don’t want to beat a dead horse talking about it. It’s not going to affect me any way, shape or fashion.”
The fact he neither denied nor admitted to the allegations puts himself and the university in a very difficult position. Now that they have supported him, they are in jeopardy of being a responsible party for very serious allegations.
Not only is it alleged that an agent was used to recruit Newton, but that Newton had a price tag for his commitment to a university.
What can unfold for Auburn if this is true? Massive loss of scholarships, years of probation and if the school is responsible, how about the death penalty?
The epidemic has reached an all-time high, and it appears that collegiate sports has found a legality in cheating. Instead of admiring a coach’s success or a team’s storied run, questions are raised and suspicion is drawn.
The last team to receive the death penalty in Division I sports? The 1987 Southern Methodist University (SMU) football program. The power to ban institutions for competing in sports.
This is the worst-case scenario, but it appears Auburn is in a pickle they might not be able to get out of.
There is no legality in cheating, and Newton will pay for his actions. Another sad day in sports where another phenomenal athlete can be discredited.
Neither denying or admitting to something might as well be an admission of guilt. All it does is ponder more speculation.
Sorry Auburn. Death penalty or not, your reputation has been tarnished and Cam Newton is going down. That’s about as far as the cookie crumbles