FB: Liberty League

[Jonny Utah]

So let me get this straight. A state government agency (SUNY) spent ~$1 million to investigate Binghamton basketball? Seems like money well spent.

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Last year the Binghamton Bearcats celebrated their first trip to the NCAA tournament, a landmark achievement for a program that moved to Division I in 2001.

But at what price glory?

On Thursday the Chancellor's office of the State University of New York system released the findings of a 99-page report -- the results of a four-month, $913,381 investigation of Binghamton athletics led by retired New York chief judge Judith Kaye.

The report documents how Binghamton officials compromised academic standards in order to build a winning men's basketball team, details how coaches and athletic officials at Binghamton pressured admissions staffers to admit questionable recruits and chronicles previously-unreported allegations of criminal behavior on the part of several former basketball players.

The report recommends hiring an "athletic oversight officer" for the entire State University of New York system, reporting to the chancellor and Board of Trustees on admissions, the academic progress and behavior of student-athletes, and rules compliance.

Ha....this is ALWAYS the result of every damn govt investigation.....create more beauracracy at heavy taxpayer expense.  The investigation and many like it are frauds on the taxpayer in and of themselves.  What PRIVATE business would spend $1million to investigate what anyone with a brain that follows college athletics already knows?  That these recruits are treated differently and that academic standards are compromised???

The real questions to be asked are where did the money for the investigation go?  and who got it?  Guarantee some law firm and/or PI firm got a fat pay day AND that said firm or individuals have ties, (ie: campaign finance) to those in power who directed the investigation.

Im pretty sure most d1 scholarship programs have like 5 of these 'compliance officers'.

fair enough....BUT this is the State of New York (SUNY) athletic system, not a private institution.  Why should the NY taxpayer pay 1mil to investigate 'crimes' that actually brought money into the system.  All the while the 'crimes' were occurring, the same 'police' who were called in to 'investigate' were chauffered to the games in state paid for vehicles....and they cheered for these athletes.

Maybe because if they go on probation by the NCAA, they won't get this money?

[SJFF82]

So let me get this straight. A state government agency (SUNY) spent ~$1 million to investigate Binghamton basketball? Seems like money well spent.

Sorry, cant get off of this one (somebody cracks..."that's what she said")...

anyway...in other words....SUNY spent $1million to investigate itself and declare itself in the wrong.  On what planet does someone spend money, let alone a million to bust itself?   Were there not enough public officials, police, etc....ALREADY on the dole that could have done the job?  How bout the freakin president of the school, the janitor.....somebody?  But no, Judith Kaye retires as judge and because het Tier 1 luxurious pension plan isnt enough flesh off my body, she has to get this gig of 'investigating' SUNY Binghamton.

I 'll tell ya what....enough is enough.....I am done bitching.  I ma going to start doing something.  I am going to start with letters and see where it leads me....probable to a tax audit or the like...ha....**** em all.

New York/Albany....can you hear me....here comes 82!

[SJFF82]

So let me get this straight. A state government agency (SUNY) spent ~$1 million to investigate Binghamton basketball? Seems like money well spent.

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Last year the Binghamton Bearcats celebrated their first trip to the NCAA tournament, a landmark achievement for a program that moved to Division I in 2001.

But at what price glory?

On Thursday the Chancellor's office of the State University of New York system released the findings of a 99-page report -- the results of a four-month, $913,381 investigation of Binghamton athletics led by retired New York chief judge Judith Kaye.

The report documents how Binghamton officials compromised academic standards in order to build a winning men's basketball team, details how coaches and athletic officials at Binghamton pressured admissions staffers to admit questionable recruits and chronicles previously-unreported allegations of criminal behavior on the part of several former basketball players.

The report recommends hiring an "athletic oversight officer" for the entire State University of New York system, reporting to the chancellor and Board of Trustees on admissions, the academic progress and behavior of student-athletes, and rules compliance.

Ha....this is ALWAYS the result of every damn govt investigation.....create more beauracracy at heavy taxpayer expense.  The investigation and many like it are frauds on the taxpayer in and of themselves.  What PRIVATE business would spend $1million to investigate what anyone with a brain that follows college athletics already knows?  That these recruits are treated differently and that academic standards are compromised???

The real questions to be asked are where did the money for the investigation go?  and who got it?  Guarantee some law firm and/or PI firm got a fat pay day AND that said firm or individuals have ties, (ie: campaign finance) to those in power who directed the investigation.

Im pretty sure most d1 scholarship programs have like 5 of these 'compliance officers'.

fair enough....BUT this is the State of New York (SUNY) athletic system, not a private institution.  Why should the NY taxpayer pay 1mil to investigate 'crimes' that actually brought money into the system.  All the while the 'crimes' were occurring, the same 'police' who were called in to 'investigate' were chauffered to the games in state paid for vehicles....and they cheered for these athletes.

Maybe because if they go on probation by the NCAA, they won't get this money?

ooooh...would that be double-secret probation?  OK, so they go on probation, the money stops going in, and I get a rebate check right?

[Jonny Utah]

Take the AD to civil court and let me know what happens.

[SJFF82]

Take the AD to civil court and let me know what happens.

why the AD....from the article posted on here, looks like the Chancellor and Judith Kaye have some explaining.

[Jonny Utah]

Joking aside you are 100% right.  Doesn't Broome County have a DAs office that can investigate these things themselves?

[SJFF82]

No....No DA's.....they work for the govt who got us in this mess in the first place.  I dont see some DA prosecuting the Chancellor of SUNY Bing or Judith Kaye.....honestly....this needs a large volume of public backlash....that is all that will work anymore.  That is what stopped the 'health care' bill(s).

[SJFF82]

Joking aside you are 100% right.  Doesn't Broome County have a DAs office that can investigate these things themselves?

oh...i think i misunderstood ya...you meant have the DA investigate the basketball program in the first place?  Yea ok i guess.  I am not as much concerned about the BB program though as I am about pissing away 1million on a phony investigation.  I really dont want the DA wasting his resources either.

Its like this.....you dont hire a plumber five minutes after taking a **** to figure out what that big brown thing is floating in the bowl do ya?

[Doid23]

Basically $1M to figure out what everyone already new (to 82's point). I didn't think much of this when I saw the article I posted yesterday, but I read up on it last night and it just gets worse. $33M to build the arena, who knows what in salaries, recruiting budget, etc , and the program just a long list of scandals. You know who really should be fired? The person who thought up this program without putting these precautions (NCAA compliance coordinator, etc.) in place.  To bad there weren't other cautionary tales out there of programs gone bad, so they could have learned about the dangers of DI athletics. They got the publicity and school recognition they were looking for, I just don't think this is the kind they wanted

Binghamton AD resigns after six players kicked off basketball team
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Wednesday, September 30th 2009, 5:40 PM
N.Y. - Binghamton's athletic director Joel Thirer resigned Wednesday following the dismissal of six basketball players last week.

Star player Emanuel "Tiki" Mayben was arraigned last Thursday on cocaine distribution charges and kicked off the team. Players D.J. Rivera, Malik Alvin, Corey Chandler, Paul Crosby and David Fine were also released last week. School officials wouldn't discuss the reasons behind the releases.

Thirer said he'll remain a tenured professor, but Jim Norris, an associate athletic director, will take over as interim athletic director.

College president Lois DeFleur said last week she stressed to Thirer and basketball coach Kevin Broadus that misconduct would not be tolerated among student athletes.

In a statement announcing Thirer's resignation, DeFleur said she has directed Broadus to provide her with a recruitment and supervision plan for the basketball team. She said an external consultant also will audit the athletic program to make sure it complies with America East and NCAA policies and procedures.

Broadus signed a contract extension in June through the 2013-2014 season, following the team's first conference championship and NCAA tournament berth. The Bearcats went 23-9 last season and won both the America East regular season and tournament titles. They were 13-3 in league play and won a school-record 11 straight games before losing to Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Mayben's arrest was the third legal problem for a player since Broadus became coach in 2007. Mayben has pleaded not guilty to selling cocaine twice on June 29 and to possessing 3.4 grams of the drug when he was arrested on a sealed indictment last week.

Former player Miladin Kovacevic, who wasn't recruited by Broadus, faces prosecution in his native Serbia on charges he beat a classmate into a coma during a May 2008 barroom brawl. He fled New York for home, creating tensions between the U.S. and Serbia that
were resolved when Serbia agreed to pay $900,000 to the victim's family and prosecute Kovacevic.

Alvin, one of the players released last week, was a transfer student brought in by Broadus. He was charged with stealing condoms from a Wal-Mart in November.

Binghamton is part of the State University of New York system, which is led by chancellor Nancy Zimpher, who is known to take a hard line on problems within athletic programs. Zimpher was the president of the University of Cincinnati when men's basketball coach Bob Huggins was pressured to resign in 2005 following the program's history of low graduation rates, suspensions and arrests of Huggins' players. Huggins was also convicted of drunk driving in 2004.

[Jonny Utah]

Joking aside you are 100% right.  Doesn't Broome County have a DAs office that can investigate these things themselves?

oh...i think i misunderstood ya...you meant have the DA investigate the basketball program in the first place?  Yea ok i guess.  I am not as much concerned about the BB program though as I am about pissing away 1million on a phony investigation.  I really dont want the DA wasting his resources either.

Its like this.....you dont hire a plumber five minutes after taking a **** to figure out what that big brown thing is floating in the bowl do ya?

Well that was kind of my point.  There are probably already people on the payroll who can investigate this stuff on straight time.

[SJFF82]

see....this article proves my point.  Let the college use its resources ALREADY budgeted for to sort through the mess.  I mean, players are going to be 'players' and condom stealers and so and so forth.  Guys get arrested, coaches boff prostitutes....great.....such is life.  What we dont need on top of all that immorality is the govt to swoop in with its team of 'investigators' ready to doll out more of our tax money to simply publish a 900 page report of the proverbial 'writing on the wall'.


I guarantee NOBODY even read the report accept the writer herself....and she is the state's highest judge (retired) so she likes to write and read her own ish anyway.


My first letter is going to be to the Chancellor asking her to explain the need to hire the 'judge' to write a 900 page report.  I will post it on here for comment/review.


....geez, now I sound like Frank  

[SJFF82]

Gosh I love the LLPP off-season style...oh wait, these topics are the norm even during 'Shoes week'

+k around the horn

[TheGrove]

Cupid's arrow has struck... nah, just me giving some Valentine's Day love in the form of +k.

[SJFF82]

Cupid's arrow has struck... nah, just me giving some Valentine's Day love in the form of +k.

'Da Grove's Karma total speaks the language of Valentine's Day love....

[TheGrove]

Cupid's arrow has struck... nah, just me giving some Valentine's Day love in the form of +k.

'Da Grove's Karma total speaks the language of Valentine's Day love....

I thought it was rather fitting, myself.