NCAA investigating Cam Newton

The rush to condemn college athletes and programs is ridiculous. Why are we using, exclusively, unnamed sources? Is it too much to wait for the NCAA to conduct the investigation and rule on it? I know people want to know, but isn't getting it right more important than letting people know for the sake of knowing something?

Maybe I went to the wrong J-school and worked at the wrong places, but I thought anonymous sources were only supposed to be used when you absolutely couldn't get anything on the record and were absolutely sure they were right.

I guess I just don't emphasize sports enough in my life, but I don't see the point to risking credibility on a story about Cam Newton, particularly if I'm the New York Times. Pete Thamel is a great writer, but his so-holy-it-should-have-been-in-the-Bible story on Kentucky's Eric Bledsoe from this summer put a major dent in his credibility in my mind, and I love reading Thamel's college stuff. I don't believe half of what I read on ESPN, and now I'm questioning stuff that's in the New York Times, the national paper of record, for Christ's sake.

Is this really that important? I understand that it's a big money business for the schools, fans, and yes, the media. I understand that a lot of people care. And I understand that it's hard -- if not impossible -- to get people on the record during NCAA investigations. But I'm not sure I'm down with all these "sources say" stories when it's the sports desk. When it's the President of the United States paying people to break into another candidate's headquarters, I get it. When it's a college quarterback and his eligibility (and his academic records)? I'm not so sure.

 

I'm pretty sure the first stories said the SEC turned the info over to the NCAA, and I think the NCAA is investigating it, but I could be wrong. But I'm pretty sure that's why Newton refrained from commenting other than the standard, "I did nothing wrong."

 

There's even inconsistencies about when MSU informed the SEC.

Just wildly unprofessional and irresponsible reporting all the way around. Idiots. They're all idiots.

 

He tore the tag off his mattress when he was 15.

 

Took entirely too many pennies from the "Give a penny, take a penny" dish at 7-Eleven when he was 13.

 

Very rarely does a whistle-blower -- no matter the job or industry -- go on the record the moment a story breaks. But yes, I do think it's really that important.

I mean, college football is a however many multimillion dollar industry, and all that rides on this investigation is possibly a national champion and a Heisman Trophy, not to mention the sidebar of BCS schools try to get a crack to win a championship with Auburn being a key player there.

If Auburn plays for a championship and Newton the Heisman, and after the fact we find out Newton did indeed take money from the highest bidder, then the entire season as we know it was a sham. And schools like TCU and Boise State, who might be on the outside looking in, would've been denied a shot at the championship because of this mess. It's important that the NCAA gets to the bottom of this. Clear Newton's name and get Auburn out from under the cloud, or find the wrongdoing and figure out how to move on from there.

 

I'm not talking about the school's beat writers.

 

Deadspin sorts out the loonytoonacy of the reporting thus far:

http://deadspin.com/5686668/

 

Deadspin should be overjoyed at the media's willy-nilly nature of the reporting on the Newton story.

 

Why? I'll pass out. At the rate the NCAA is going towards joining the 21st Century.

 

The whistleblower *is* on the record. John Bond. We know Mississippi State had a role in this somehow. So, effectively, that's two whistleblowers that we know of.

The NCAA is going to dictate a suspension more than newspapers. It handles the investigation, and if Auburn chooses to suspend Newton because of a pending investigation, it will be because it knows the NCAA has information, not because it knows the Birmingham News has information.

Yes, I know, newspapers have played vital roles in uncovering this kind of stuff before. But the original story is out there. The endless speculation is unnecessary.

As for clearing Newton's name, good luck. His reputation as a quarterback at Auburn is sullied already. Too late to clear his name if this stuff is wrong.