I'm reading Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel, and he writes that SportsByBrooks is reporting that the NCAA has found dozens of checks confirming Pryor received illegal payments. On those checks, apparently the name of the owner of local memorabilia dealer, Dennis Talbott.
Wetzel points out that, while USC was informed of Bush's payments after he went pro, Ohio State was actively trying to keep Pryor and his teammates available for the Sugar Bowl, and could have easily pursued Pryor's bank account statements. The theory thus, is that the NCAA will come down hard on Ohio State, more than it did on USC, given the severity and breadth of the violations and the complete breakdown of OSU employees from coaches to athletic director and the compliance office.
But I don't believe it. As previously expressed, the NCAA pushed to isolate new cases from past precedence; if OSU and the NCAA COI have an informal, close relationship, the personal bias could easily affect the outcome of punishment. After all, those 400+ violations in the past decade did not even warrant a closer review from the COI.
Separately but adding to the problems, a new photo shows that despite the whole tattoo-gate, at least one other player recently visited the tattoo shop. (via SportsByBrooks)
Apparently the Ohio State football story has unleashed a defense by proxy. Former OSU running back Maurice Clarett suggested that players should be played; former Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight insisting trading memorabilia for cash/tattoos is a minor issue that the NCAA should ignore, and Forbes insisting that the NCAA is exploiting kids.
Wow, these voices never popped up when USC was being punished. Apparently Ohio State is America's Team, huh?
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