draft - Bad Sporters https://www.badsporters.com News Blogging About Athletes Being Caught Up Mon, 08 Jun 2020 00:44:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 CBT Podcast: Oklahoma State's postseason ban is a joke, the NBA draft withdrawal deadline – CollegeBasketballTalk https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/08/cbt-podcast-oklahoma-states-postseason-ban-is-a-joke-the-nba-draft-withdrawal-deadline-collegebasketballtalk/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/08/cbt-podcast-oklahoma-states-postseason-ban-is-a-joke-the-nba-draft-withdrawal-deadline-collegebasketballtalk/#respond Mon, 08 Jun 2020 00:44:54 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=7029 The NCAA had a chance to do the right thing on Friday and, in a stunning turn of events, completely missed the mark. Who saw that one coming? The punishment that the Committee on Infractions handed down to Oklahoma State on Friday, a one-year postseason ban to go along with scholarship reductions and myriad recruiting […]

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The NCAA had a chance to do the right thing on Friday and, in a stunning turn of events, completely missed the mark.

Who saw that one coming?

The punishment that the Committee on Infractions handed down to Oklahoma State on Friday, a one-year postseason ban to go along with scholarship reductions and myriad recruiting sanctions, was wrong and should be utterly terrifying for the other programs that found themselves caught up in the FBI’s investigation into college basketball corruption.

Oklahoma State faced a single Level I violation. It was an unethical conduct charge levied at former assistant coach Lamont Evans, who accepted at least $18,150 in bribes from financial advisors in exchange for peddling influence over one player from Oklahoma State and one player from South Carolina, where Evans was coaching before accepting a job on Brad Underwood’s staff in the spring of 2016. Evans was also accused of giving Jeffery Carroll $300.

That’s it.

Evans provided no competitive advantage for Oklahoma State, unless you consider the $300 he paid to Carroll — who was already on the roster and suspended for three games as a result — a competitive advantage. Evans was lining his pockets. He was not doing this to benefit the basketball program. Technically speaking, the players Evans claimed to have the power of persuasion over were the victims of the crimes that got him sentenced to three months in prison on federal bribery charges. He steered them to financial advisors that were willing to shell out bribe money. He knew nothing about the people that he was telling these players to invest their money with. One of the men Evans accepted bribes from was Marty Blazer, who sparked this entire investigation to try and avoid prison when he was caught by the SEC embezzling millions of dollars from clients.

That’s where Evans was guiding players who trusted him.

The players were the victims.

Despite that, Oklahoma State was still hit with a one-year postseason ban. Evans has been gone for three years. Carroll has been gone for two. Neither the current head coach — Mike Boynton — or the head coach the violations were committed under — Brad Underwood — were mentioned in the Notice of Allegations.

“There were no recruiting or other major violations on the part of the institution,” Oklahoma State said in a statement in November. “There are no allegations involving current student-athletes or coaching staff.”

None of that mattered to the Committee on Infractions.

They dropped the hammer on Oklahoma State, effectively neutering what was the most anticipated OSU season since Marcus Smart returned for his sophomore year. So much for seeing Cade Cunningham play in the NCAA tournament. Hell, we may not see Cunningham play for Oklahoma State, period. He was offered the chance to join the G League prospect pathway program, reportedly for as much money as Jalen Green. If he’s not going to play meaningful games at Oklahoma State, maybe he reconsiders the offer.

“Whatever the best option is for him we’re going to support 100 percent without any reservations,” Boynton said.

This gets to the core of the problem when it comes to NCAA enforcement: They far too often punish players and coaches for violations that they took no part in. What did Cunningham, or anyone else on Oklahoma State’s roster, have to do with Lamont Evans accepting bribes from a white collar felon that had been flipped by the FBI? How was anyone associated with the Oklahoma State athletic department supposed to prevent one assistant coach from accepting those bribes?

“A postseason ban for a bunch of kids that were 15, 16 years old when a lot of this was going on? It’s completely, completely out of bounds,” Boynton said.

He’s not wrong.

A postseason ban is total overkill.

That is the most infuriating part is that the NCAA was actually able to punish the man responsible. That’s not usually the case. Evans received a 10-year show-cause penalty from the NCAA in addition to a three month jail sentence for pleading guilty. His coaching career is effectively over. He’ll never be a Division I head coach. He’ll never coach at a level where he is able to earn a couple hundred grand as an assistant. The person entirely at fault for this situation had his life blown up.

And Oklahoma State still got a postseason ban despite the fact that, as Larry Parkinson of the Committee on Infractions said, “the institution fully cooperated from the moment they learned about the circumstances.”

That should be a major red flag for everyone else caught up in this investigation.

USC, Arizona and Auburn all had an assistant coach plead guilty to similar charges as Evans. Louisville committed their violations while they were on probation from the last scandal the program was embroiled in. Oklahoma State faced one Level I violation. Kansas faces five, and they’ve made quite clear they aren’t going to be as cooperative.

If the Committee on Infractions has set the bar here, everyone else better be ready to catch the book that gets thrown at them.

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HT: Sometimes the best choices in the draft are the players you don’t take https://www.badsporters.com/2018/04/13/ht-sometimes-the-best-choices-in-the-draft-are-the-players-you-dont-take/ https://www.badsporters.com/2018/04/13/ht-sometimes-the-best-choices-in-the-draft-are-the-players-you-dont-take/#respond Fri, 13 Apr 2018 15:01:54 +0000 http://www.badsporters.com/?p=3573 Let’s turn the clock back to one year ago. The 2017 NFL draft is coming up in a few weeks, and Broncos Country is in the midst of the traditional debate over who the team should take. There’s an obvious hole in the roster at left tackle, and the draft interest tracker is showing visits […]

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Let’s turn the clock back to one year ago. The 2017 NFL draft is coming up in a few weeks, and Broncos Country is in the midst of the traditional debate over who the team should take. There’s an obvious hole in the roster at left tackle, and the draft interest tracker is showing visits with all three potential 1st round OTs. Garett Bolles has made his impression on the coaches & front office, and in a few weeks he’ll be pulling a Rafiki on national television with an orange & blue jersey in hand.


NFL Draft

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

But though Bolles would end up being the Broncos’ choice with the 20th overall pick, there were plenty of Broncos fans who went to bed upset that a different name wasn’t scribbled on that draft card: Reuben Foster.

Foster, then a punishing senior linebacker out of Alabama, was sliding down the draft board in response to several issues. Questions about his durability and prior injuries were compounded by serious character concerns. The most prominent of those was an angry outburst at combine medical personnel after Foster tired of waiting in line.

Foster, now a 2nd year 49ers linebacker endured a rookie season plagued by constant stingers. But it’s not a trip to the medical tent that has put his 2018 season- and perhaps his career- in jeopardy. No, that’s all on him and his own poor choices.

Yesterday, Foster was arraigned on three felony charges stemming from a February fight in which he beat his girlfriend badly. The assault brings to mind the video that broke several years ago of former NFL running back Ray Rice punching out his wife in an elevator. Foster faces severe repercussions, from the NFL and more importantly from the criminal justice system.

It’s safe to say that John Elway and the Denver Broncos dodged a bullet last April 27th. In the span of a year Reuben Foster has gone from talented prospect with significant questions to cautionary tale. But it’s the 49ers, not the Broncos, who will have to deal with the fallout. And while questions remain about whether or not Garett Bolles will develop into a true franchise left tackle, in this case at least it’s safe to say that best decision John Elway made that day was to not call in Foster’s name instead.

Horse Tracks


Most memorable NFL draft moments for all 32 teams
From the Chargers selecting Eli Manning (only to trade him) to Eagles fans booing Donovan McNabb, here’s a look back at top draft-day highlights.

NFL draft prospect Shaquem Griffin has already inspired a legion of young fans
All across the country, kids will watch the NFL draft, waiting to hear the name of the football player who’s shown them they can do anything.

Todd McShay’s NFL draft grades for every first-round QB since 2008, plus 2018’s top QBs
Sam Darnold is Todd McShay’s top-ranked quarterback in this draft class. Here’s where he grades out among the likes of Andrew Luck, Carson Wentz and 27 others.

Against all odds, Michael Crabtree-Aqib Talib III is on – NFL.com
Aqib Talib and Michael Crabtree will ply their trade outside the confines of the AFC West in 2018, but that won’t stop the two men from sharing a field this year.

Gayle Benson: I will own, operate Saints for the rest of my life – NFL.com
The following is a statement written by New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson that was sent to the 31 other clubs, which was obtained by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.

Jarvis Landry, Browns finalizing five-year extension – NFL.com
The Cleveland Browns are finalizing a five-year contract extension with wide receiver Jarvis Landry, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports. The Browns traded for the former Dolphins WR last month.

Bucky Brooks mock draft 4.0: Ravens pick Lamar Jackson – NFL.com
QBs fly off the board in Bucky Brooks’ new mock draft. Six signal-callers go in the first half of Round 1, including Mason Rudolph (Bills at No. 12) and Lamar Jackson (Ravens at No. 16).

NFL Draft 2018: How much does it cost to scout a top QB prospect? – SBNation.com
You want to take a franchise QB? Well it’ll cost you before he even hits the field in training camp.

Bad NFL Scouting Reports Match Game
Connect these terrible player evaluations to their matching quarterbacks.

Vontaze Burfict suspension: Bengals LB to miss 4 games for PEDs – SBNation.com
The Bengals linebacker will be suspended for the beginning of a third consecutive season.

The 2018 NFL Mock Draft Database

49ers LB Reuben Foster charged with felony domestic violence – SBNation.com
Foster was arrested in February.

Seahawks postpone workout with Colin Kaepernick over stance on protests – SBNation.com
It would have been Kaepernick’s first workout since he became a free agent.

5 things we learned from the Golden Knights’ first-ever playoff victory – Knights On Ice
(Yeah, I know. It’s not NFL. But some props are deserved for the most successful expansion team in the history of major professional sports.)

By Ryan Quigley@RP_Quigs Apr 12, 2018, 12:00pm EDT

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