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FBI probe indicates NCAA college players are getting paid. No shit.
The FBI probe into the inner-workings of the NCAA has ensnared the sports agency ASM Sports, high profile NBA and NCAA players, players’ families, and universities including Michigan State, Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Texas, USC, and plenty others, according to documents obtained by Yahoo Sports.
ASM Sports, former agent Andy Miller, and his associate Charles Dawkins are the focus of this particular investigation with myriad payments or “loans” to amateur players to get them to sign with the agency.
A brief list of notable players, according to Yahoo:
Dennis Smith, who would go on to play at North Carolina State in 2016-17, received $43,500 according to the documents. Another document headed “Pina,” for ASM agent Stephen Pina, says Smith received a total of $73,500 in loans, and includes notes about “options to recoup the money” when Smith did not sign with ASM.
Isaiah Whitehead, at the time a freshman at Seton Hall, received $26,136 according to the documents. The “Pina” document says Whitehead received $37,657 and was “setting up payment plan.” Whitehead signed with ASM but later left the agency for Roc Nation.
A listing that refers to “BAM” for $12,000 is later identified in the documents as Edrice “Bam” Adebayo, who would go on to play at Kentucky in 2016-17. He did not sign with ASM. There’s a later reference to Adebayo that says he received $36,500. “Bad loan,” reads the document.
Markelle Fultz, who would go on to play at Washington and become the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft, received $10,000 according to the documents. He did not sign with ASM.
Former Utah star Kyle Kuzma received at least $9,500 while in school, according to the documents.
Apples Jones, the mother of former Kansas player Josh Jackson, received $2,700 according to documents.
Current players still in college include Michigan State star Miles Bridges, Duke’s Wendell Carter, and Alabama’s Collin Sexton.
NCAA President Mark Emmert released a statement this morning saying this has “no place in college sports” or whatever,
“These allegations, if true, point to systematic failures that must be fixed and fixed now if we want college sports in America. Simply put, people who engage in this kind of behavior have no place in college sports. They are an affront to all those who play by the rules.”
Sure, Mark.
As for why the hell the FBI is investigating college sports players getting money from agents, that’s all still very unclear. I, for one, am so glad that the FBI is concerning themselves with payments of a couple thousand (hundreds, in some cases) of dollars to high schoolers’ mothers. THIS MUST STOP!!!!
Dawkins’ lawyer Steve Haney spoke to Yahoo Sports about the ridiculousness of the situation, which includes arrests for Dawkins and numerous assistant coaches:
“These are college eligibility issues and agent licensing issues, not matters of national security that deserve this level of FBI involvement and taxpayer resources…..it has reached a degree of being ridiculous.”
Yahoo reported on the arrests so far:
“With an ongoing investigation, the chance looms there could be more charges and arrests. So far, four former assistant college basketball coaches have been arrested: Tony Bland of USC, Chuck Person of Auburn, Emanuel Richardson of Arizona and Lamont Evans of Oklahoma State. Six other assorted participants in the basketball underworld also have been arrested: Dawkins; former sneaker executives James Gatto and Merl Code; financial adviser Munish Sood; clothier and former referee Rashan Michel; and Florida AAU coach Brad Augustine. Charges against Augustine earlier were dismissed without explanation.”
None of this is especially interesting or notable, besides the fact that the FBI cares about this. The NCAA is utter trash, profiting off the labor of young 18-21 year olds and claiming broke when people suggest they should share some of that profit with the ‘student athletes.’
The most confusing part about this entire ordeal is choosing whether the NCAA or the FBI is dumber. It’s a tough call.