Franchione to receive 'letter of admonishment'

From the AP:

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione will be admonished for a secretive for-pay newsletter sent to boosters and the school said Thursday it will report possible violations related to the newsletter to the NCAA.

The school ordered the coach to shut down his Web site — CoachFran.com — and will issue a "letter of admonishment."
Athletic director Bill Byrne said he'll consider the newsletter when he evaluates Franchione at the end of the season. Franchione's $2 million per year contract runs through 2012.

"This will be part of his performance review," Byrne said. "The Aggies are embarrassed right now. This has been a very unfortunate incident we do not want to experience again."

Byrne was not aware of the newsletters — which boosters paid $1,200 a year to Franchione — until a reporter inquired about them about a month ago. A&M hired a consulting firm to investigate about two weeks ago, after Franchione admitted he provided the information in a newsletter called the "VIP Connection."

"My guess is there was an attempt to keep it from us," Byrne said. "I think the whole thing started as something well-intended, to keep a number of people who were good donors to the university forever informed about things that were going on. It just got out of control."

Franchione apologized to his team, the school and A&M fans in a statement released after Byrne met with reporters. He also tried to explain himself.

"I was trying to keep some loyal Aggies informed on our program in greater detail throughout the year," he said. "Please do not blame them. They were only trying to support our program."

Franchione said he was turning his attention to Saturday's game at Texas Tech and would not comment further on the newsletter.

David Batson, A&M's compliance officer, said he did not expect the NCAA to penalize the program with sanctions, though he wouldn't rule it out.

"I think the actions taken by the institution will suffice," Batson said. "But ultimately, that's a decision by the NCAA."

The NCAA did not immediately return a phone message.

Among A&M's actions, Franchione was ordered to no longer employ "any staff members that could be construed as representing Texas A&M or providing information or reports relative to his position as head coach at Texas A&M."

Byrne said Franchione's longtime personal assistant, Mike McKenzie, actually wrote the e-mails, and Byrne suggested that Franchione may not have always known about the content. Byrne said McKenzie is no longer an A&M employee, though Byrne was unaware if Franchione was still employing him in some capacity.

The school pointed out three areas where possible violations occurred:

-Franchione did not report to A&M income generated through his Web site or from the VIP Connection. The school said Franchione thought he did not have to report the income until he actually received the proceeds that exceeded expenses incurred for maintaining the Web site.

The school reported that Franchione's Web site and the e-mails generated about $80,000 between June 2005 and June 2007. The school said Franchione's net profit was $37,806.32. A&M said McKenzie was paid by Franchione.


The VIP Connection occasionally contained information about prospective student-athletes. The NCAA prohibits a school from commenting publicly on recruits until they sign letters of intent.

The school suggested that Franchione violated Big 12 Conference standards of sportsmanship.
Batson said neither Franchione nor McKenzie were aware of newsletter recipients using the information for gambling.

The school released a list of 23 recipients of the VIP Connection, including Franchione's wife, Kim, and their oldest daughter, Ashley.

Batson said the school has gathered newsletters from as far back as November 2006. He estimated that the newsletters started in the fall of 2004, the year after Franchione arrived at A&M.

Some of the newsletters contained information about prospective A&M recruits.

One from Aug. 13 read: "TOTAL MUM ON THIS. A certain highly regarded prospect who has committed to Michigan showed up at practice Saturday wearing a USC cap, for which he took a lot of guff. ;)

"As they say in recruiting, it's a long time until February. Same for kids who say they're going to, oh, say, Alabama."

The e-mail continues that Franchione talked to an official whose daughter goes to A&M. From Franchione's view, the newsletter reads, the official was "subconsciously not trying to appear biased about A&M" and making calls against the Aggies. "He said the official didn't like what he said," the e-mail said, "but the plan was counter-subconscious espionage; get the official to think subconsciously about what he might be thinking about subconsciously...well, you get the gist."

Reggie Bush Investigation Still Alive and Seeking Informant

Yahoo! Sports will not let allegations of Reggie Bush's possible NCAA violations die. As near as we can tell, Bush and his family received over $400,000 of improper benefits while he was at USC. Bush and his lawyers are hard at work. They already settled out of court with one of his benefactors Michael Michaels for a sum between $200 and $300 thousand. The settlement purportedly included a gag order against Michaels prohibiting any discussions with NCAA investigators.

Apparently Bush's team and his other former benefactor, Lloyd Lake, are unable to reach a settlement. Now, Yahoo! is reporting that Lake has agreed to meet with NCAA investigators and provide financial records detailing $280,000 in improper gifts to Bush and his family.

What's at stake? Only a National Championship and Heisman Trophy, not to mention the reputation of the NCAA after getting called out by the OU president for failing to make any progress despite a ton of evidence in the headlines.


Who wants to bet that Bush and Lake make a seven figure settlement in the next seven days?

Mike Gundy Unloads on Media

Michigan Dives Out of the Top 25 in the AP Poll

We were all wondering what kind of damage the loss this weekend that Michigan suffered to Appalachian St. would do on their AP position. The polls are in, and Michigan has fallen from number 5 to unranked, a feat that has never happened since the AP exspanded to include 25 teams in 1989.

I personally thought they would drop to around 15. Do you think this was an appropriate adjustment? Meanwhile Texas dropped to number 7. Why were they at 4 in the first place?

Greatest Choke Ever

It was bound to happen sooner or later, no wait, no it wasn't. A number FIVE-ranked Division I NCAA football team is never, ever, ever supposed to lose AT HOME to any team belonging to the no politically correct-named Football Championship Division (who the "F" came up with that brilliant idea).

This upset is seriously up there with the greatest of all time. The US vs. Russia "Miracle on Ice", in my mind, might be the only thing that tops the enormity of the upset. The major, primetime colleges were already loading the schedules with the Division 1-AA Appalachian States of the world in order to avoid potential BCS ranking hiccups. What did Lloyd Carr have to say?

"What we have to do in a short time here is become a more disciplined team, a smarter team and a team that executes better," Carr said. (courtesy ESPN) I suppose now we get to see the Wolverines throw a Division II team on the sched for next year? Carr's understatement of the decade is flabergasting. I suppose he was too stunned to say anything else.

The only thing I have to say is: Jim Mora

NCAA Football is Here.....Thank God

Between Michael Vick and Baseball, I don't know how much more I could take.

The season starts tonight and here is the latest coaches poll on the rankings. Seems like Texas is a little high on the list.

1 USC (45) 1481
2 LSU (4) 1372
3 Florida (9) 1278
4 Texas 1231
5 Michigan (2) 1218
6 West Virginia 1205
7 Wisconsin 1114
8 Oklahoma 1026
9 Virginia Tech 1005
10 Ohio State 919
11 Louisville 836
12 California 763
13 Georgia 604
14 Auburn 595
15 Tennessee 583
16 Rutgers 466
17 UCLA 454
18 Penn State 440
19 Nebraska 388
20 Arkansas 360
21 Florida State 301
22 TCU 233
23 Boise State 222
24 Hawaii 214
25 Texas A&M 209
Complete Coaches poll

CSU Football player accidentally tackles 4 y/o child

Wow, just wow.

Dan Hawkins- Go Play Intramurals!!!!

I have been looking for this sound bite everywhere and finally found a link to it at Lion in Oil.The soundbite I am talking about is Dan Hawkins head coach at Colorado addressing a parents complaint about reduced vacation time for players. Although a very cool soundbite, I think another Buffalo head coach takes top honor.

I'm gonna give this a close second in all-time Colorado football coach sound bites right behind Gary Barnett. In case your memory fails you, Gary was dismissed from Colorado University after reportedly luring players to Colorado's football program with sex and alcohol during recruiting visits. The horrible way he handled the alleged rape of a female placekicker on his team didn't help his case.

Gary answered the allegations by saying that her inability on the field led to lack of respect=rape.

Here's the quote

It was obvious Katie was not very good. She was awful. You know what guys do? They respect your ability. You can be 90 years old, but if you can go out and play, they'll respect you… Katie was not only a girl, she was terrible. OK? There's no other way to say it. She couldn't kick the ball through the uprights.

Hey, Bros before Hoes

NCAA claims third Sooner took excess pay

In yet another obvious example of how the top schools stay on top (don't get me started on Reggie Bush), the NCAA's investigation of Sooner-gate '06 concludes that Oklahma failed to adequately monitor the employment of several of their so-called amateur athletes. While the NCAA investigation implicates a third, unnamed player, Oklahoma is sticking to their guns that only Bomar and Quinn received additional payment.

Here's my bold prediction: Stick this one in the folder conveniently labeled of "inadequately punished violations." The NCAA hates to punish its flagship programs. In '93 the NCAA handed out scholarship limitations, bowl ban, and television ban for almost identical scenarios. Somehow, this time, I don't think they'll go there. All this with the looming catastrophe that USC is facing over the Reggie Bush payouts. Apparently there's more documented proof there than even Orenthal James and Johnny Cochran could overcome.

More Bad News for Reggie Bush -- TAPES!!!

Pete Carroll should just jump back to the NFL now because after all the evidence Yahoo! has piled up on all the gifts agents made to Bush and family, USC won't have any scholarships to give all their prized recruits. We're talking revocation of a national title and possible a Heisman Trophy. Bonus!

More at Deadspin

Raider's Hire 31-year old USC Offensive Coordinator as New Head Coach

Wow, don't think I've ever seen a hire this young in Division I college football much less the NFL. Moreover, I don't think I've seen a successfull move to the NFL by an established Division I head football coach to the NFL since Jimmy Johnson went to the Cowboys way back in the day? Steve Spurrier, Pete Carroll, and Butch Davis all went to the NFL with great resumes. Spurrier and Davis jumped the season following National Titles. Kiffin has never ran a program, ever.

This gentleman, Kiffin, has been the offensive coordinator at USC for two years since the departure of Norm Chow, who is now the offensive coordinator at Tennessee. Now, Norm Chow designed and built Pete Carroll's offense at USC, which as coincidence would have it has the added bonus of displaying the most talented team in all of D1 college ball. Kiffin, hasn't even been around long enough to make any significant changes in Chow's system. As a matter of fact, last I checked, Chow won the National Title at USC with his offense and split. Since Kiffin took over, they have won the conference. And somehow this young man is experienced enough to take over the most unstable team in the NFL???

Again, wow.