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QB Troy Smith (2006 Heisman Trophy Winner)

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Beenthere77 said:
I watched Bounamici(sp) throw a biker through the big glass window of the head shop next to Papa Joes
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I have heard that story a million times from my dad.
I can honestly say, I thought he was kidding about the biker and window.
Was that the same guy who got hit over the head with a chain or tire iron,
just before throwing the dude through the window??
 
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The media is completely taking control of the sports world. I think in some cases they have more control over whether a team/player is sucessful than that team or player does.

But I guess it's like this in every aspect of life, not just sports.
 
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QB Troy Smith

Imagine that, the booster's attorney turned him in.

Newspaper: Company attorney tipped OSU about executive's gifts to Troy Smith
12/28/2004, 2:43 a.m. ET
The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State athletic officials learned about quarterback Troy Smith's relationship with a Columbus businessman from the company's attorney, The Columbus Dispatch reported Tuesday.

That tip in a Dec. 9 phone call led to Smith's suspension from Wednesday's Alamo Bowl game for violating team and NCAA rules by accepting gifts from the booster.

The Dispatch identified the booster as Robert Baker, 46, of Springfield, who watches football games from a 35-yard-line luxury suite in Ohio Stadium.

Geoffrey Webster, 56, an attorney for Poly-Care Services, a provider of health care products with headquarters in Columbus, confirmed for the newspaper on Monday that Baker gave Smith an unspecified amount of cash.

"It certainly had a smell to it," said Webster.

Baker, the former executive director of the Ohio Academy of Nursing Homes, helped found the company.

Baker, who is not an Ohio State graduate, did not return phone messages left by the Dispatch at his home.

Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger declined to comment on the report, saying, "It's an ongoing investigation." Geiger has refused to identify the booster, saying he was following the university's longtime practice of protecting a booster's identity.

Smith has not commented on his suspension as part of an agreement with Ohio State.

As part of his responsibilities for Poly-Care, Webster handles employee code-of-conduct investigations. He was given incident reports from two employees who questioned Baker's relationship with Ohio State football players, the newspaper reported. {This paragraph has me worried}

Baker has since left the company for unrelated reasons.

Webster, who is an Ohio State alumnus, said he hopes the university takes away Baker's suite and football tickets.

The NCAA defers those decisions to individual schools unless there is a major infraction, spokesman Erik Christianson said. Smith's violation is considered minor, Geiger has said.

"This whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth," Webster said. "The university has to do something to get rid of this small group of boosters."

•__

Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com
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Attorney Turns in Booster

Company attorney tipped OSU about executive’s gifts to Troy Smith
Tuesday, December 28, 2004

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State athletic officials learned about quarterback Troy Smith’s relationship with a Columbus businessman from the company’s attorney, The Columbus Dispatch reported Tuesday.

That tip in a Dec. 9 phone call led to Smith’s suspension from Wednesday’s Alamo Bowl game for violating team and NCAA rules by accepting gifts from the booster.

The Dispatch identified the booster as Robert Baker, 46, of Springfield, who watches football games from a 35-yard-line luxury suite in Ohio Stadium.

Geoffrey Webster, 56, an attorney for Poly-Care Services, a provider of health care products with headquarters in Columbus, confirmed for the newspaper on Monday that Baker gave Smith an unspecified amount of cash.

“It certainly had a smell to it,” said Webster.

Baker, the former executive director of the Ohio Academy of Nursing Homes, helped found the company.

Baker, who is not an Ohio State graduate, did not return phone messages left by the Dispatch at his home.

Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger declined to comment on the report, saying, “It’s an ongoing investigation.” Geiger has refused to identify the booster, saying he was following the university’s longtime practice of protecting a booster’s identity.

Smith has not commented on his suspension as part of an agreement with Ohio State.

As part of his responsibilities for Poly-Care, Webster handles employee code-of-conduct investigations. He was given incident reports from two employees who questioned Baker’s relationship with Ohio State football players, the newspaper reported.

Baker has since left the company for unrelated reasons.

Webster, who is an Ohio State alumnus, said he hopes the university takes away Baker’s suite and football tickets.

The NCAA defers those decisions to individual schools unless there is a major infraction, spokesman Erik Christianson said. Smith’s violation is considered minor, Geiger has said.

“This whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth,” Webster said. “The university has to do something to get rid of this small group of boosters.”

———

Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com
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Canton Paper
 
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Dispatch Story:

Booster’s employer tipped off OSU
Springfield man gave QB cash, tried to aid others, lawyer says

Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Jill Riepenhoff
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

A Columbus businessman’s relationship with Buckeye quarterback Troy Smith raised enough eyebrows at his office that the company attorney called Ohio State.

That Dec. 9 phone call eventually led to Smith’s suspension from the team and an investigation involving Robert Q. Baker, a 46-year-old Springfield resident who pays big bucks to watch football games from a 35-yardline luxury suite in Ohio Stadium.

Geoffrey Webster, 56, an attorney for Poly-Care Services, confirmed for The Dispatch yesterday that Baker gave Smith an unspecified amount of cash and tried to arrange jobs for Smith and another player.

"It certainly had a smell to it," said Webster, who represents Poly-Care, a provider of healthcare products with a headquarters on Westbelt Drive, on Columbus’ West Side.

Baker, the former executive director of the Ohio Academy of Nursing Homes, helped found the company.

"I can’t comment on any of it," OSU Athletics Director Andy Geiger said yesterday. "It’s an ongoing investigation."

Baker, who is not an OSU graduate, did not return phone messages left with his wife at their Springfield home.

As part of his responsibilities for Poly-Care, Webster handles employee code-of-conduct investigations. He was given incident reports from two employees who questioned Baker’s relationship with Ohio State football players.

Baker has since left the company for unrelated reasons. But last week, the company bought out his financial interest and fired his personal secretary, Benjamin Dutton, who also is Baker’s nephew, Webster said.

According to the incident reports obtained by The Dispatch, one employee said she overheard a conversation between Baker and Dutton after a man identified only as an "Ohio State player" came into the office one day in the spring and left with an envelope.

Baker called Dutton and asked whether Smith had received the money with assurances that there were no strings attached, the incident report says. Baker responded, "Now I own him," the report says.

Dutton explained to the unidentified employee that Baker had a similar deal with another Buckeye who now plays professional football, the report continues.

The employee, who doesn’t follow college football, thought the incident was odd but not worth reporting until learning weeks later that Baker wanted to hire Ohio State football players.

Another employee, a company officer, said he filed an incident report after Baker approached him about finding jobs for Smith and freshman tailback Antonio Pittman.

"He said, ‘I don’t care what they do; find something,’ " said the officer, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution.

The players, the officer said, never filled out job applications and never showed up for work.

Smith has not commented on his suspension as part of an agreement with OSU. Pittman did not return a phone call yesterday in San Antonio, where he is preparing for Wednesday’s Alamo Bowl game against Oklahoma State.

The company never paid either any money, the officer and Webster said.

Both characterized Baker as an avid football fan who wanted to be as close to the program as possible. He spent thousands of dollars wining and dining friends and clients in the luxury suite at Ohio Stadium, Webster and others said.

The suites themselves cost patrons between $20,000 and $75,000 a year. It’s not known exactly how much Baker paid for his.

In spring 2003, Baker hired Chris Gamble, then an Ohio State junior playing both cornerback and wide receiver, to meet people and sign autographs.

Ohio State looked into the job after a Dayton reporter interviewed Gamble at a nursing home where he was signing autographs. Gamble assured Ohio State officials that he had other job duties as well.

That summer, OSU said it had found that Gamble had not violated any NCAA rules.

The relationship between Baker and Gamble continued and included golf outings at the Springfield Country Club, employees said.

During halftime of last year’s Fiesta Bowl, Gamble called Baker on a cell phone, said a Poly-Care employee who overheard the conversation. {Note to staff - no sideline cell phones permitted!!!}

"He was upset because he had missed a catch," the employee said. "He was looking for some reassurance from Bob."

Attempts to contact Gamble through the Carolina Panthers, for whom he plays pro football, were unsuccessful.

Webster, who is an Ohio State alumnus and a member of the Buckeye Club, said he hopes the university takes away Baker’s suite and football tickets.

The NCAA defers those decisions to individual schools unless there is a major infraction, spokesman Erik Christianson said. Smith’s violation is considered minor, Geiger has said.

"This whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth," Webster said. "The university has to do something to get rid of this small group of boosters."

Dispatch reporter Rob Oller contributed to this story .

[email protected]
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The NCAA infraction in 2003 that resulted in the brief suspension for 10 OSU players involved NCS Healthcare.

Are Poly-Care and NCS Healthcare Related Companies
 
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The NCAA infraction in 2003 that resulted in the brief suspension for 10 OSU players involved NCS Healthcare.
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That's right... I forgot about that little blip... someone should sue the guy... for something... Hey BKB... cook up something frivalous.
 
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I thought exposing this goof would be a good thing . Now I'm not so sure. We've seen the trouble caused when a disgruntled tOSU employee decided to squawk. This could encourage disgruntled employees of Ohio companies run to newspapers with all kind of stories. I suppose the NCAA should rent an office in Columbus. They will have to investigate to decide what is fact and what is fiction. By the way, I would've enjoyed seeing Woody stomp some players cell phone into pieces.Haha!
 
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coastalbuck said:
Am I reading this right? An attorney turned in the founder of the company he works for!? I guess no attorney client privledges were involved but I would think it still took a large set of balls! IMO
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I am willing to bet that attorney will be out of his job before the end of this year.... pretty stupid move by the attorney.
 
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