If you think the sordid scandal centering Cam Newton is the ugliest, full-blown cataclysm, just as it reflects on his days when he wasn’t perceived as a contemptible jock or even in conversations to feasibly win the most prestigious award, you haven’t realized that he’s imperfect just like the rest of us. Otherwise, we can make excuses or underplay his poor judgment in the past, but now he is facing heavy consequences ever since his latest sins came within view, putting his Heisman status in tremendous jeopardy.
Earlier in the week, he was publicly exposed to horrendous storms off the field when allegations came to light in the recent bombshell that he and his father had a discussion about money. How utterly disgusting to uncover that Newton, considered the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy is absolutely the most scrutinized candidate in the nation. He’s obviously the epicenter in college football, already drawing negative publicity for an endless saga involving his shocking allegations.
Mind you, if nothing else, he’s the epitome of a spotless athlete who suddenly turns into a sullied individual. For all we know, though, he might not be such a huge burden at Auburn. Most of his tumult dated back to his days at Florida, in which a university source confirmed on Tuesday that Newton opted in leaving the university because of his academic and unlawful troubles. In prior history, he was arrested for purchasing a stolen laptop from a student’s dorm room in November 2008. And reportedly, he recklessly infringed the university’s honor code by writing his name on another student’s paper and turning it in.
What’s more, he was caught after the instructor questioned the writer of the paper, pondering why he had not turned in his paper. That said, after the student lied and informed the instructor that he turned in his paper, he and the instructor searched through all the submissions and noticed Newton had wrote his name on the paper. Not surprisingly, he turned in a second paper, but again he had violated the rules for plagiarizing someone else’s work after he foolishly purchased the paper off the Internet.
As a way to resolve his wrongdoings, he was to appear for a hearing before the Florida Student’s Conduct Committee in the spring semester of 2009 but rapidly ran from his transgressions and transferred to Blinn College. This is exactly what transpires in collegiate sports these days, mainly if the committee or trustees aren’t proactive in putting a halt to all the infractions. This is exactly why the gist of academia is ruptured because of the disingenuous and misleading allegations.
Instead of the committee enforcing a punishment against Newton, he was permitted to hurdle over the yellow tape of a repugnant crime scene. On Tuesday morning, Steve McClain, Florida’s Associate Athletics Director for Communications, declined to address the matter. “We can’t comment on federally protected records,” McClain said.
The mysterious case is spinning us around. The accusations of Newton academically cheating eased its way into the headlines less than a week following reports that former player Kenny Rogers claimed to represent Newton and allegedly sought $180,000 for the stud quarterback to enroll into Mississippi State. So in the meantime, it’s not telling whether Newton cheated at Auburn or anywhere else amongst a dumbfounded saga.
But it seems more than one person is guilty here as bits and pieces of the story still unleashes staggering eye-openers, unfortunately adding to the horror. All of this could lead to distractions and affect the way Auburn performs in the upcoming weeks as the regular-season trickles down. If Newton received money to play for Auburn or anywhere else, he’ll be viewed differently and probably would have to pay for his immutable crimes, even if he’s still beheld as the popular kid on campus after reviving a storied program in the South.
Gazing over the mess at Auburn, earlier in the week, the mirror reflected on Newton. There he is, the star quarterback, denying that he ever had three different instances of academic cheating while enrolled at the University of Florida and faced possible expulsion from the university. For a very long time, the NCAA has constituted rules and demands that prohibit college stars from being lavished with money, but a number of student-athletes are still outsmarting the unsound system by accepting money from slimy agents or cheating on exams, just so they can seek eligibility. Seldom have we gone a season without publicly hearing about illicit payments granted for college athletes, it seems, when it only continues to become worse as the years progress.
“I’m not going to entertain something that took place not three months, not six months, not a year but two years ago,” Newton said. “I’m not going to sit up here and say anything about it, whether I did or did not do it, because I don’t want to beat the dead horse talking about it. It’s not going to affect me any way, shape or fashion.”
Well, guess what? Sometimes you have to beat the dead horse as a way to come clean.
The anonymity of everlasting allegations has expanded into a heinous holocaust and has invited the FBI during a puzzling NCAA investigation with Heisman hopes muddled. All the university needed was the feds to take interest in this dreadful incident. But for now, reportedly, the FBI has asked to meet with John Bonds, a former Mississippi State football player who originally claimed that Rogers, a former football star as well, contacted him to inform him money would influence Newton to sign on a letter of intent.
These days, Auburn coach Gene Chizik, has shown much emotion, but he hasn’t been reserved about the ongoing reports.
“Cam Newton is one of the guys on our football team that has not only excelled as a tremendous athlete…I’m wasting my time addressing allegations that blow my mind that they’re even out there, because there’s federal privacy laws that dictate that these things don’t get out in public.
“I’m standing up here on a very important week trying to defend something that’s garbage.”
Even if we are clueless as of what exactly happened, it remains to be seen whether he’s guilty or immaculate of escaping the torture from the media and pending allegations. But we know that the duplicity of college football has tarnished possibly the meaningful season of Auburn, if not all of college football. Because all of this is staying within the SEC, commissioner Mike Slive has a severe misfortune to be reckoned with. Eight years ago, when he stepped in as the overseer, his intent was to ensure that every school rids probation, but as it turns out, it only has gotten worse. Once again, the SEC is turning into the conference of cheaters, sleazes and dumbasses.
Who is at fault?
Who really knows?
There are allegations all the time in the SEC.
“It’s unfortunate and sad because they seem intent on tearing down the reputation of a young man,” Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said Tuesday morning.
Ahem, excuse me, there are no enforcers in this, but enablers.
Apparently, Auburn doesn’t care nor does the SEC. It wasn’t long ago that Slive allowed Lane Kiffin to commit his violations at Tennessee before he fled the university and accepted the coaching job at Southern California. Remember that? This scandal leaves a mark on the conference and the frontrunner for the Heisman, not only bruising his chances to win the award, but also delaying what could be a potential fifth consecutive national championship within the conference.
As for Newton, he is guilty in the public view and has already been paralleled to Reggie Bush, the infamous former USC star. So now, all we want is the truth to avoid another misleading saga, which is why we hear Newton’s name in the media periodically. The sad thing is, his father, Ceil, is a preacher and has been the focal point of the investigation.
Come on, Newton. Deliver the truth.
