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Meet the Bag Man: How to Buy Players, in the Words of a Man Who Delivers the Money

tidefanbeezer

tidefanbeezer

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Sep 25, 2006
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I have no doubt that there are shady individuals that try to influence recruits and want to give players money under the table. But I have a hard time believing that it happens on the scale at which this article implies.

I would think that by now, some player who was not happy with playing time or some recruit (or handler) who didn't get what was promised (Albert Means anyone) would have become bitter and gladly exposed the program that wronged him out of spite. There are just too many players coming in and out of college football each year for me to believe that something on the scale implied in the article hasn't been exposed on a much more frequent basis.
 
twofbyc

twofbyc

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Oct 14, 2009
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RTR91 said:
Why is that difficult to believe?
Click to expand...
For me? Because more than one or two of those 5 stars end up being busts, or even in some cases malcontents. They aren't given 5 stars because of their character. More than a few would have set somebody up by now, the barners on ESPN notwithstanding. Somebody would have gotten bent, and played that grudge into a setup. It just defies the odds that it would not have happened by now if, in fact, every single 5 star out there is getting cash like he says. I just don't buy it.
Again, like I have already stated, I am sure that some, maybe even many, do - I think this guy is exaggerating. People like him like to feel important and he cannot get those props from his school, so...here's his chance. He doesn't care if no one knows his name, he has been a "source" and he's a "star". JMO
 
C

CrimsonProf

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Dec 30, 2006
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twofbyc said:
For me? Because more than one or two of those 5 stars end up being busts, or even in some cases malcontents. They aren't given 5 stars because of their character. More than a few would have set somebody up by now, the barners on ESPN notwithstanding. Somebody would have gotten bent, and played that grudge into a setup. It just defies the odds that it would not have happened by now if, in fact, every single 5 star out there is getting cash like he says. I just don't buy it.
Again, like I have already stated, I am sure that some, maybe even many, do - I think this guy is exaggerating. People like him like to feel important and he cannot get those props from his school, so...here's his chance. He doesn't care if no one knows his name, he has been a "source" and he's a "star". JMO
Click to expand...

There is no "he" in the article. It's a composite of several different people.
 
KrAzY3

KrAzY3

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Jan 18, 2006
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I do tend to take issue to the notion of giving someone $100,000 to steer a recruit or that sort of thing. It's really depraved when a kid is manipulated so someone else can buy a new house, or church or something.

But... a lot of what's described here is hard to get upset about. Fixing a tractor? Fixing a sunroof? I'm not terrible upset by most of what was said, although of course you want your program to be completely clean.
 
selmaborntidefan

selmaborntidefan

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KrAzY3 said:
I do tend to take issue to the notion of giving someone $100,000 to steer a recruit or that sort of thing. It's really depraved when a kid is manipulated so someone else can buy a new house, or church or something.

But... a lot of what's described here is hard to get upset about. Fixing a tractor? Fixing a sunroof? I'm not terrible upset by most of what was said, although of course you want your program to be completely clean.
Click to expand...
That's kind of the point with the whole thing. It's what is absolutely nuts about the NCAA rules. I can fix anybody else's tractor for free and it's a kind gesture; if I do it for a farm kid who just happens to be eligible to play college ball, it's an NCAA violation. There ought to be some common sense in the whole thing, but the NCAA has none. Not to get grotesque, but a girl can have sex with a guy for the favor of homework - but the moment that guy is a recruit, it becomes a violation.

If the NCAA simply made OBVIOUS distinctions then none of this would be necessary. It wouldn't be so secretive. Let's be blunt - there's a HUGE difference in giving a guy $200,000 to come play at your school and changing a guy's oil. I mean come on.
 
Al A Bama

Al A Bama

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Jun 24, 2011
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If these guys are getting ALL this and MORE, why is there a need for a Union? Is it because of the walk-ons, 2 and 3 stars getting little or nothing and they want some of the pie/action? Looks like some people want their cake and to be able to eat it too.

If I knew for a FACT that Bama players were being paid like this, I would never watch another college football game.

I like character and integrity. I don't like a bunch of CHARACTERS! Included in those CHARACTERS are players, Bag men, donors, coaches, A.D.'s., college presidents, et al who have no integrity and are involved in this. I'd like to think that our head coach has character and integrity. I'd like to remember Coach Mal Moore as a Man of Honesty and Integrity, not a person who is hiring someone to pay players to play for Alabama so that we can win a National Championship.

Is this article from SBNation FACT or FICTION? I'd be naive to think this does NOT happen at some places, but I just don't think we should do it at Alabama. As I have said previously, I would have crawled to Tuscaloosa and begged Coach Bryant to let me be on the team. You mean we don't have that kind of thinking anymore? How about the descendant of Charley Pell, who will be a walk-on at Bama?
 
Al A Bama

Al A Bama

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Oh! And since the guy stated that ALL 5 stars are getting something, how many 5 stars do we have on our team? So, does this CONVICT us because of our #1 Recruiting ranking the past few years?

And if a person taking the money is disciplined or kicked off the team, do you still have to pay them to keep their trap shut?

Keep it CLEAN, Bama!
 
T

TouchThatThang

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Feb 8, 2014
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There's a difference between buying players and slipping them money under the table. If all SEC schools were equal in that respect, all of these recruits that spurned top SEC schools to play at Ole Miss wouldn't have done so. I know all schools are a little dirty, but IMO some are worse than others. And some schools have coaches that are in on it.
 
CrimsonPride25

CrimsonPride25

1st Team
Jul 25, 2012
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Guys it goes on everywhere. I feel like it has been a part of college football for a long time now. Think about how poor some of these kids and their families are. No way they wouldn't take free money to help their parents.
 
M

Methylred

BamaNation Citizen
Nov 29, 2006
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This kind of thing goes on at every school that's relevant or has aspirations to be. I'm dumbfounded that there are so many who think otherwise. Frankly, if a sport doesn't have high enough stakes to warrant rampant cheating, then it probably doesn't have enough entertainment value to warrant my interest. YMMV.
 
C

CrimsonProf

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Dec 30, 2006
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A little disappointed that this hasn't generated better conversation - there is a tremendous post and comment thread on this over at Roll Bama Roll. I won't link to it due to TF policy, but do a google search. Really, really insightful stuff.
 
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