For those who haven’t heard, the Woodward and Bernstein of College Athletics is at it again. Ladies and Gentleman meet Charles Robinson. YES the same Charles Robinson who cracked the Nevin Shapiro scandal nearly one year ago. YES the same guy that used a convicted felon with an axe to grind as his primary source to break his exclusive.
Charles Robinson implicates Al Golden in his latest “big time” report.
This time he has “proof” (more anonymous sources/phone records) that Al Golden used Sean “Pee Wee” Allen – a then-equipment manager and onetime right-hand man of convicted Ponzi schemer Nevin Shapiro – to circumvent NCAA rules in the recruiting of multiple Miami-area players.
This time there’s no money involved.
This time no word of lavish gifts, or no outlandish fairy tales of yachts and abortions.
Allen allegedly was an off the books recruiter who provided transportation to, and made phone calls to, potential UM recruits. While these are minor NCAA violations if true, this is the hardly the mind-blowing scandal Robinson makes it out to be. In light of all that is going on in Happy Valley, we wonder whether it is even worth mentioning. The most recent reports seem like something that probably occurs at nearly any major campus in the country. Why bother? Certainly the NCAA should take notice, and punish any violation it finds no matter how minor. But Yahoo Sports surely has better exclusives on the table? Robinson definitely has bigger fish to fry, right?
Since it would appear that Yahoo Sports and Robinson SHOULD have better things to look into, we can only conclude that Charles Robinson hates the U. Well if your mission Mr. Robinson, is to bring attention to yourself and rile up the fellow haters, mission accomplished.
Miami will face its punishment and move on.
Our advice? Find something better to do with your time, then pick on the U!! Time for you to move on as well, Charles.
The UM response to the NOA as it pertains to these stories: “Most of the sensationalized media accounts of Shapiro’s claims are found nowhere in the Notice of Allegations. Despite their efforts over two and a half years, the NCAA enforcement staff could not find evidence of prostitution, expensive cars for players, expensive dinners paid for by boosters, player-bounty payments, rampant alcohol and drug use or the alleged hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gifts given to the student athletes, as reported in the media. The fabricated story played well – the facts did not.” Hmmm…Is this a thinly veiled shot at Mr. Robinson?