No more! Says Former ND Announcer Haden.
After getting whomped with some serious penalties, USC brought in Haden to take this kind of decisive action:
-No, football players may NOT attend a party in Vegas thrown by an ex-USC player that was arrested TWICE in the past week
-No, football players may NOT attend a party that is almost guaranteed to be attended by agents (at least Griffen’s) and others forbidden contact with the team
-No, football players may NOT attend a party that has at least a chance of being funded/organized by a USC-Student-Turned-Agent that is forbidden to provide extra benefits to players. (Griffen denied that this student is involved, but I’m not sure we should trust a dude that punched a cop this week)
“Because of the NCAA rules concerning gambling, impermissible extra benefits and the conduct of agents, we believe that there is a significant chance that the eligibility of any student-athlete who participates in such a trip would be jeopardized,” Haden and Roberts wrote in the e-mail, which was obtained by ESPNLosAngeles.com. “Therefore, you are not permitted to partake or participate in the Super Bowl Weekend trip that has been arranged and promoted by Mr. Griffen or Mr. Campbell under any circumstances.”
This is ludicrous. I mean, good on Haden for making the statement he’s making, but the fact that this is even being proposed/discussed/considered given their current situation? Insane.
It’s amazing that they had to go out and specifically forbid this – 1) because it means that it WOULD have been allowed in the past and 2) it means the students have no idea about what’s okay and what isn’t and 3) it also shows that former USC players have no qualms about getting their already-crushed program into even more trouble. Bush proved this already, but this seals it: ex-USC players (at least some of them) have almost no respect for their alma mater.
“I’m a businessman,” Griffen wrote in a text message. “I’m trying to start my promoting business”
Yeah, you hear that world? Everson Griffen is just trying to make some money. From USC football players. In Vegas. By leveraging the fact that he’s in the NFL and knows agents and such. RIGHT after his alma mater was absolutely crushed by NCAA Sanctions.
WHAT IS THIS MAN THINKING?
I’m glad that Haden took this step, though it really shouldn’t have been necessary. Griffen should know better, and the student-athletes should already know this simply isn’t okay. Especially while USC is out there trying to appeal.
Wow.
- (Re)Introducing: DANCING LEPRECHAUNS - August 29, 2019
- Ticket Auction: ND vs USC - August 22, 2019
- No Respect! - December 14, 2018
SDI
Haden has his work cut out for him. He wants USC to be like Stanford and ND with real student athletes, like he was when he went there. But the school will always attract the kind of players that want to be stars in the Hollywood sense. And as long as he has a coach like Kiffin, they will continue to recruit and get that type of player. He either needs to exert control over who gets scholarship offers, or get rid of Kiffin, or probably both. I hope he doesn’t, it makes for a better rivalry when the two programs are so different.
The Biscuit
And its fun to mock Kiffin. But at the same time it would make me happy to see Haden boot him to the curb. Would show he’s serious.
SDI
I agree. It would also be good for the sport as a whole. You will never be able to root out all the corruption in NCAA sports only with enforcement action. At some point, the schools need to start cleaning up their acts, and proving that you can still win doing things the right way. Stanford did it this year, ND hopefully next, if USC and Michigan which are generally considered to be quality schools also cleaned up their act and win games you would start to have some real momentum and it would put more pressure on the schools that cut corners–make it harder for them to blend in with the crowd.
The Biscuit
Hold on there…Michigan winning? Nobody wants that.
Mark G
I thought that this was an article from The Onion when I first read it. Zow. You just can’t make this stuff up.