Cam Newton (QB New England Patriots)

[jimotis4heisman]

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5904169

click the link for a video interview with fowler.

comments...

 

[LightningRod]

IMO Cecil is praying there will be no NFL work stoppage. With no work stoppage Cam leaves early and the need to cooperate with the NCAA any further ends. It then becomes a matter of what the NCAA can discover on its own with no leverage over the Newtons.

 

[HorticullyBuck]

lots of ways to analyze this interview, the one big thing i did notice is his voice got quiet at certain key points and phrases.

 

[jwinslow]

lots of ways to analyze this interview, the one big thing i did notice is his voice got quiet at certain key points and phrases.

Particularly for such an animated and happy guy.

There are plenty of ways to say you are innocent without talking about the details of an ongoing investigation. He plead the 5th.

 

[jlb1705]

IMO Cecil is praying there will be no NFL work stoppage. With no work stoppage Cam leaves early and the need to cooperate with the NCAA any further ends. It then becomes a matter of what the NCAA can discover on its own with no leverage over the Newtons.

Why does that matter? Exactly what manner of leverage has been exerted on the Newtons so far?

 

[LightningRod]

Why does that matter? The NCAA cannot compel a SA to cooperate in any investigation of the SA once the SA no longer participates in a NCAA sanctioned sport. What manner of leverage has been exerted so far by the NCAA over the Newtons? Supposedly Cecil turned over books and records relating to his church's financial affairs and other matters to the NCAA. Exactly what records were turned over, what records were examined, and what follow up by the NCAA was pursued is anybody's guess. All I know is what I have read, and I read where the NCAA, the Newtons and Auburn agreed to some stipulated facts that have not been made public upon which Cam's eligibility decision was based. I also read press clippings by the new NCAA president going out of his way to try and explain the NCAA's decision and to reiterate that he investigation continues. Well, while the investigation supposedly continues, the Newtons are running out the clock, and once the clock expires at the end of the 4th quarter of the BCS championship game, the NCAA will no longer have any power over the Newtons regarding this entire fiasco.

 

[jlb1705]

Why does that matter? The NCAA cannot compel a SA to cooperate in any investigation of the SA once the SA no longer participates in a NCAA sanctioned sport. What manner of leverage has been exerted so far by the NCAA over the Newtons? Supposedly Cecil turned over books and records relating to his church's financial affairs and other matters to the NCAA. Exactly what records were turned over, what records were examined, and what follow up by the NCAA was pursued is anybody's guess. All I know is what I have read, and I read where the NCAA, the Newtons and Auburn agreed to some stipulated facts that have not been made public upon which Cam's eligibility decision was based. I also read press clippings by the new NCAA president going out of his way to try and explain the NCAA's decision and to reiterate that he investigation continues. Well, while the investigation supposedly continues, the Newtons are running out the clock, and once the clock expires at the end of the 4th quarter of the BCS championship game, the NCAA will no longer have any power over the Newtons regarding this entire fiasco.

I know all of that, but I still don't see the leverage. Everything that has been shared has pretty much been on the Newtons' an Auburn's terms anyway, it has all been taken at face value for now and his eligibility has still never been seriously threatened, despite last week's dog-and-pony show. As far as I can tell, this story has been driven by the admissions of other participants and the FBI, and not from any influence th NCAA has exerted on the process.

 

[LightningRod]

The leverage is the power to declare the SA ineligible to compete. That leverage ends at the conclusion of the BCS NC game. What is so difficult to understand about that? Once that game is over, there will be no further cooperation from the Newtons in this matter.

 

[Taosman]

As long as the Newton's say the right things(truth or not) the NCAA has nothing. Now, the FBI investigation could start the dominos falling but that will take time. The Heisman will be awarded.* The BCS will be won*.

 

[Gatorubet]

"f-b-i f-b-i" tag

 

[jlb1705]

The leverage is the power to declare the SA ineligible to compete. That leverage ends at the conclusion of the BCS NC game. What is so difficult to understand about that? Once that game is over, there will be no further cooperation from the Newtons in this matter.

Do you really think there's any chance Newton gets declared ineligible between now and the NCG? Powers that amount to nothing but idle threats are hardly leverage, especially when Auburn practically dared them to declare him ineligible (or not reinstate him, technically) and the NCAA publicly declined to do so.

I suspect that it was a pretty slick move by Auburn and the Newtons, constructing a narrative that give the appearance of cooperation without actually doing so. They got the NCAA to rule on it, essentially making a declaration of their lack of balls and letting Auburn borrow some credibility for a run at the NC.

I guess you're right in this respect, once Cam goes pro there won't even be enough leverage to bother to construct a plausible lie anymore, he just won't have to talk. I don't dispute that. With respect to the powers of the NCAA, that's quite pathetic. I read your initial comments as thinking the NCAA has the power or will right now to get him to actually tell the whole truth instead just having to be bothered to appear to do so.

The factors that are going to drive this thing toward the truth are the same while he's in school as they'll be when he's out - somebody involved will get screwed over and want retribution, somebody will talk in hopes of brief notoriety and perhaps a book deal, or the feds will start busting some balls.

 

[cincibuck]

Thanks for that. Point remains - Ohio State benched him once it learned of the eligibility issue.

A. Troy admitted to accepting the 'handshake.' Cam has admitted to nothing.

B. Troy sat out a bowl game - not insignificant - but it was a game that had little bearing on the Buckeye's season. He also sat for the season opener against Miami (O) I believe, but he was back on the field for the Texas game.

To be honest about this matter there are few programs that have put compliance completely above Ws.

 

[buckeyesin07]

B. Troy sat out a bowl game - not insignificant - but it was a game that had little bearing on the Buckeye's season. He also sat for the season opener against Miami (O) I believe, but he was back on the field for the Texas game.

To be honest about this matter there are few programs that have put compliance completely above Ws.

Miami (OH), in which Troy sat out, was the only chance for a tune-up against Texas. If you recall, OSU's QB rotation was a cluster[censored] in that Texas game, and there are a lot of people who think OSU still should have won the game (and would have, had Troy had the Miami (OH) tune-up). Now, admittedly, that's a bit of a homer view, but you can't deny the fact that Troy playing in the Miami game would have been helpful for the big Texas game the following weekend and that if OSU were solely interested in putting Ws over compliance, they could have easily suspended him for the bowl game and not at all the following season.

 

[buckeyesin07]

A. Troy admitted to accepting the 'handshake.' Cam has admitted to nothing.

What's your point? Reggie Bush never has (to my knowledge) admitted anything. Now, maybe Cam hasn't done anything wrong. And on the other hand, maybe he's playing the tactic that USC tried--deny everything and hope that the NCAA never can dig up proof.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Miami (OH), in which Troy sat out, was the only chance for a tune-up against Texas. If you recall, OSU's QB rotation was a cluster[censored] in that Texas game, and there are a lot of people who think OSU still should have won the game (and would have, had Troy had the Miami (OH) tune-up). Now, admittedly, that's a bit of a homer view, but you can't deny the fact that Troy playing in the Miami game would have been helpful for the big Texas game the following weekend and that if OSU were solely interested in putting Ws over compliance, they could have easily suspended him for the bowl game and not at all the following season.

Very fair analysis. As it turned out, UT needed late minute heroics from VY to win. Had Troy been able to give the team a bit of a cushion, Radio never would have had the opportunity.