Posts Tagged ‘NCAA’
Max Kellerman Speaks Truth About Joe Paterno Statue (TMZ)
The Joe Paterno statue is coming down, and Max Kellerman tells TMZ that it’s “about time.” It’s always nice to hear someone speak the truth, especially when it’s so obvious and so few people are saying it.
The whole culture of JoePa worship has baffled me since I became aware of it. I’ve been saying for years that I believe college football is inherently corrupt. Read more »
Cam Newton’s Father coming to BCS championship game
Presumed first-round NFL draft pick Cam Newton has some daddy issues. But that doesn’t mean pops is going to miss the big game.
According to the AP, Cam’s dad Cecil Newton will be attending the BCS Championship Game on Monday January 10, despite the fact that he “was involved in a pay-for-play attempt during his son’s recruitment by Mississippi State that resulted in limited access to Auburn’s athletics program.” But Cam Newton told reporters that his dad and other family members “are going to be loud and proud” at the big game. Here is a more specific exchange from the Orlando Sentinel:
Q. Is your dad coming?
A: Yes, he’s coming.
So there.
It probably doesn’t matter, but I wonder if maybe dad should sit this one out. Assuming the allegations are true (and from what I can tell they are), that means Cecil Newton asked for a lot of money in exchange for telling his son to play at Auburn. That’s not good. By going to the game, he becomes a target for reporters.
Then again, if he didn’t go, that would allow the billions of BCS blowhards to bloviate about that. So maybe he should go ahead and enjoy the game.
I’m not likely to ever be the father of a star athlete (sorry kids, just a feeling — but feel free to prove me wrong!) so I don’t know what it feels like to watch your child play in a big game like this one. I do know that I feel proud when one of my kids does anything cool, and if I did have a big time quarterback for a son, I know I would want to be there cheering him on.
Then again, I would never ask a school for a bribe in order to convince my son to play for a school, or do anything else for that matter. So there’s that.
Another question that came up when all of this stuff happened is whether or not Cam Newton knew what his dad was allegedly doing. It seems unlikely that he didn’t, but it’s not impossible. Fathers can be shitheads, and sons can be clueless. The NCAA didn’t punish Cam Newton, and if he’s a good QB, he’ll get drafted in the NFL and make a boatload of money. (Bleacher Report has a lengthy article about why Cam Newton wasn’t punished by the NCAA; I skimmed it but maybe you want to read the whole thing.) But if he didn’t know what his dad was doing, he might want to consider taking advice from someone else.
Outside links:
The Associated Press: Newton: Father coming to BCS game.
Newton: Like father, like son? – Arizona Daily Wildcat – Perspectives.
