This Gator in hot water?
Everyone who follows college football knows the impact former Utah coach Urban Meyer has made at Florida, turning the Gators into a national caliber, and national championship team, after several years of unsatisfactory results. Now he apparently is making an impact on its gymnastics program too, and apparently some NCAA violations if
the story is correct.
In short, Meyer was recruiting junior college receiver Carl Moore, who attended Sierra Community College in Placerville, Calif., along with his girlfriend, Maranda Smith. Smith had competed for UCLA's gymnastics team in 2006, but quit after an injury.
Once Meyer realized he wasn't going to sign Moore without Smith attending Florida as well, he contacted Florida gymnastics coach Rhonda Faehn for help. She just happened to have a scholarship available. The couple are now Gators, with Smith scoring a 9.775 on the uneven bars in exhibition Friday.
Sounds shady, doesn't it? It might just be.
In the story, Smith relates how she talked to Meyer "every day" in November and how he wanted her to attend Florida and compete in gymnastics.
First of all, as a football coach, Meyer cannot recruit for another sport. By contacting Smith, he broke the rule that all phone calls must be made by a head coach or one or more assistant coaches who count toward the limits of coaches who can recruit in a sport, which is three in gymnastics. Also, since he was effectively acting as a gymnastics coach, he broke the rule that in gymnastics coaches are allowed to contact recruits only once a week.
It'll be interesting to see if this article brings any sort of punishment for Meyer and the Florida program. He has been known to stretch rules and recruiting ethics before, with numerous reports of how he still heavily recruited athletes after they'd given other schools oral commitments. I wonder how this is going to play out with the NCAA?
the story is correct.
In short, Meyer was recruiting junior college receiver Carl Moore, who attended Sierra Community College in Placerville, Calif., along with his girlfriend, Maranda Smith. Smith had competed for UCLA's gymnastics team in 2006, but quit after an injury.
Once Meyer realized he wasn't going to sign Moore without Smith attending Florida as well, he contacted Florida gymnastics coach Rhonda Faehn for help. She just happened to have a scholarship available. The couple are now Gators, with Smith scoring a 9.775 on the uneven bars in exhibition Friday.
Sounds shady, doesn't it? It might just be.
In the story, Smith relates how she talked to Meyer "every day" in November and how he wanted her to attend Florida and compete in gymnastics.
First of all, as a football coach, Meyer cannot recruit for another sport. By contacting Smith, he broke the rule that all phone calls must be made by a head coach or one or more assistant coaches who count toward the limits of coaches who can recruit in a sport, which is three in gymnastics. Also, since he was effectively acting as a gymnastics coach, he broke the rule that in gymnastics coaches are allowed to contact recruits only once a week.
It'll be interesting to see if this article brings any sort of punishment for Meyer and the Florida program. He has been known to stretch rules and recruiting ethics before, with numerous reports of how he still heavily recruited athletes after they'd given other schools oral commitments. I wonder how this is going to play out with the NCAA?
6:20 PM
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30 Comments:
Urban Meyer is a Grade A scumbag with absolutely no morals. He has called his seniors basically "worthless", lied to recruits, promised playing time to get a commitment, ratted Patrick Johnson out to the NCAA because he could not get a commitment. It's truly a shame that he gets away with his antics. But karma is undefeated. Shame on you Urban.
Gator girls are fat and ugly.
Golfman
Apparently, you have never seen Florida girls.
footballfan.....you must be a nole or someone else the Gators routinely beat. Shame on you for being such a crybaby.
The Gators are Shady, Urban Crier needs to get punish by the NCAA. Had this been Florida States or Miami, it would have been all over the news. The scumbag constantly lie to the recruits ( Patrick Johnson, Deonte Thompson) and when they don't chose the gaytors, he does something shady (flag Patrick Johnson scores). Florida need to be put on probation.
wow, just when we thought we had heard every low blow claim, here comes another one. this is the stupidist thing i have ever heard. if you ask me, this sounds like a mad utah utes fan that is still mad at meyer for realizing that there was no future with the utes. do you honestly think that meyer is the only one that recruits players that are commited? get real. the miami guy, i can understand his anger. who wouldn't be mad. his team went 5-7, meyer has gotten buchannon, mccray, frankie hammond, patchen, i'm sure theres another one. even the guys in miamis back yard don't want to play there. it is a sinking ship. miami and fsu, i hope you two continue to suck so that we can put the state of florida on lock. we're almost there. go gators!!
Shame on you for your comments about Coach Meyer....learn the rules. Any coach can recruit for other sports and in multiple sport athletes. Notification is given to the coach responsible for the specific sport and he/she takes it from there. Gator haters don't like winners.....watch the boards as Florida brings in another top recruiting class in football.
Sounds like something he would do. The Urban Legend thinks he is above all rules. It will catch up with him sooner or later.
bDont forget the lies oscar Meyer told Darryl Stonum. He told the Michigan committment that he spoke to the UM coaches and they thought Darryl would do better in Floridas offense. Ofcorse Mayer never spoke to the Michigan coaches he was just grabbing at straws.
Nice attempt at journalism. Try and be honest and tell me that that you don't wish he was still at Utah. This is just someone else hating on another's success. Continue to show your jealousy. It's probably your best attribute.
In regards to Patrick Johnson, he wanted to come to UF but we knew something was fishy with his scores. If we would have let him in this spring he would have committed. We knew it was a timebomb waiting to explode so we said no, just like we said no to Tolliver last year. It's also a reason we stopped recruiting Noel Devine. The way some of these players make it into school is what is sketchy, not a coach that decides not to go down that route.
dddd
You have no idea of the situations of the phones calls, meyer could have called moore and then spoke with his GF. It could have easily been a friendly convo, plus Meyer went staright to the gymnaastics coach and informed her of a recruit. As for PJ, meyer didnt flag him moron, the ncaaclearinghouse did. The kids ACT score jumped higher then vince carter, Plus he went to a weird location to take it. As for Deonte he hasnt earned playing time. Randy Shannon is a proven liar and fits perfect at Thug U. Now thats karma.
Sadly, brandon is just another uninformed Gator fan. With the exception of Hammond (who we didn't really want either), all of the guys you mentioned are in Gator territory.
If guys from our own backyard don't want to play here, then why are give/take 15 of our 26 commitments from South Florida? Enjoy your cute 2 titles.
This is hilarious. Stop hating Utes fans. Your program is in the toilet and you come after a good coach like Meyer. If you want to see a scumbag look at Les Miles and Pete Carroll. How in the world do they get all those All American's to line up behind each other every year. Better yet how does Miles come into FL and get the top CB. Things really smell in recruiting in other schools but not at FL. He has not signed a top RB from FL yet. CJ Spiller, Jamie Harper, Eric Smith, Enrique Davis the list goes on and on. If he was cheating we would have at least 2 of these RB's. Get a life.
Don't get me wrong - if this is a violation then the NCAA needs to do something about it, but the funny thing is how sports fans alternately switch between being a prosecutor and defense attorney - the determining factor being the bias going in. If you like Urban and UF you will probably defend this. If you don't then you will cry foul. Substitute Urban's name for another coach and watch the gears shift. That is just how this game usually works.
JaxBo is KingDouche.
He kneels at Herban's throne and coddles his bone.
Baby, you seem a little bitter. Guess Urban didn't give you enough attention while he was in Salt Lake.
PS LSU rednecks, you better worry about that racist youtube video making rounds all over America more than some baseless rumors about Coach Meyer. I bet all the recruits are getting a good laugh from that video.
Actually if you want to see what's REALLY funny look at the HOMELY blog writer Lya Wodraska. Anytime a coach is successful he will have idiots like the blogger putting out their bs and posting all over the internet in regards to another. If half of you all didn't worry about what's going down at Florida you might have time to compile more kiddie porn like you want! Bunch of FREAKS! Stop scouring the net and GET A FREAKING LIFE! Oh...the blogger name almost says enough so i'll just call her "Liar" Lya Wodraska.
Lya, Lya your pants are on fya!!!
Urban Liar is pure scum. He and the football program should be put on probabtion. God forbid this would have happened at Miami. This would have made national headlines already and they would have been questioning the integrity of the program and the school. They should unleash the violations and sanctions on the Gayturds.
Without knowing the facts and details behind this other than this slanted version from this newspaper, I can think of at least 10 scenarios which if developed properly would innocently explain the circumstances.
We have Percy Harvin who is the best WR in America as a junior and Deonte Thompson who is a red shirt freshman who could have started on any of the top 15 teams the year that he sat out with us.
We do not need to engage in underhanded tactics to lure top talent to our school. We do not have to break the rules. Athletes come to our school like any other school because we are blessed, because of the conference, the academics, the campus and the program.
how can you florida fans possibly take meyer's back on this, and so many other instances of his shady recruiting tactics?!? are you serious?! this man has been doing this for years and should be stopped. this is classless and unprofessional. do you really know the rules? what he did in this case IS illegal! the reporter is correct. i worked in a university's athletics program and know the rules. he broke them!! plain and simple and he should be punished. many of these other posters are correct... it will catch up with him. btw, i'm not a utes fan or a competing sec school fan.
The Scumbag crier is dirty. We're not worrying about Ramon, we asked Mc cray to decommit. Have you looked at our recruiting class? We got South Florida on Lock as we should have. Talking about thugU, man you gators need to look at the record. How many of your guys have been arrested over the past 5 years? Beside the brawl which over overblown because well it's the U. We haven't had any issues down here. Just this year alone 5 of your guys have been arrested, now who's the real thugU? Or should I said thugUF. That is a representation of their scumbag coach. Hurricane Shannon is going to blow through Gainsville this year, it's going to be a cat 5, The U is on its way back. Beside we own you.
So much crap, so little time to respond....for the author, you pretty much suck as a journalist, unless standards have changed and you are allowed to fabricate a situation and then run with it as if it has been verified. Where is it actually said that Meyer called this woman and recruited her? Nowhere, and coaches are allowed to talk to immediate members of a recruits family and entourage, especially WHEN THEY LIVE TOGETHER, a fact you conveniently left out.....Second, what is with the boo-hoo stuff about ethics and recruiting players verbally committed to other schools? Since when is that considered a binding agreement? Do sales managers tell their salespeople not to call any potential clients because they are using a competitor's product? Umm, no. It's called BUSINESS, and I imagine journalists know very little about that world.
And for the fans who like to make up stupid little nicknames and imagine they sound witty....do you really think Meyer, who has never been in trouble with the NCAA is really cheating to some sort of insane and malicious degree? Do you think that Florida is skating by because they are so beloved? Please. Every sports forum in the country will have a thread somewhere complaining about the Gators and hating on the fans. We are hated. We get extra scrutiny. And guess what? You can count on your hands the number of schools that have gone longer without any violations of any kind. UF is squeaky clean, and that's because they have to be......also, do you really think a gymnastics program rated #1 in the country with a clear shot at a national title just hands out schollies to some random girlfriends? Ummm, no, the woman in question is talented and it shows, she has immediately started competing. Something else conveniently left out of this asinine little smear campaign of a blog.
fortunately, Coach Urban Meyer has had this tempest in a teapot reviewed by compliance officials and cleared. This is the problem with blogs, they need not be supported. I guess the Utes have sour grapes that he left and the Gator opponents are mad because they keep losing to them.
"He has been known to stretch rules and recruiting ethics before, with numerous reports of how he still heavily recruited athletes after they'd given other schools oral commitments."
This is a truly ignorant comment - this is the nature of the beast and verbal commitments are completely non-binding until National Signing Day. All's fair in love, war, and recruiting...
According to the Gainesville Sun, in November, Meyer began calling Smith daily. He knew his ability to sign Moore hinged on whether Smith came with him to Florida. Smith, however, didn't really know much about Meyer at the time.
"I used to talk to him every day back in November when he was recruiting Carl," Smith said. "He kept asking how Carl was doing [meaning Carl was not the phoned recruit] and wanted me to come here and do gymnastics.
"It was weird. But I really didn't know anything about college football anyway, so it was like I was talking to any other person. Then I started watching TV and I'd see him and I'd say, 'I just talked to him on the phone an hour ago.’ ’’
Violation #1?
11.7.1.2 Recruiting Coordination Functions.
All recruiting coordination functions (except routine clerical tasks) must be performed by the head coach or one or more of the assistant coaches who count toward the numerical limitations in Bylaw 11.7.4. Such functions include: (Revised: 4/27/06 effective 8/1/06)
(b) Making telephone calls to or receiving telephone calls from prospective student-athletes (or prospective student-athletes’ parents, legal guardians or coaches);
(Revised: 12/12/06)
Violation #2?
13.1.3.1 Time Period for Telephone Calls?General Rule. Telephone calls to a prospective student-athlete [or the prospective student-athlete’s relatives or legal guardian(s)] may not be made before July 1 following the completion of the prospective student-athlete’s junior year in high school (subject to the exceptions below); thereafter, staff members shall not make such telephone calls more than once per week.*
Almost immediately after winning the Heisman Trophy, Tim Tebow, holding firm on the hardware on a New York stage and the sporting world watching his every move, was handed a cell phone.
It wasn't his mother on the other line, or any of his hometown buddies. It was Carl Moore......... Florida coach Urban Meyer placed the call and then placed the device in the hands of Tebow.
Violation #3?
13.02.5.2 Impermissible Recruitment Activities for Enrolled Student-Athletes.
(b)
Telephone calls. Enrolled student-athletes or other enrolled students shall not make or participate in telephone calls to prospective student-athletes at the direction of a coaching staff member or financed by the institution or a representative of its athletics interests.
Moore thanked the quarterback for the chat and urged him to phone his mother before she caught wind of this.
Was this the Moore family's 1st contact with Tebow? From the quote above, it sure does not seem like it.
Violation #4?
13.02.5 Enrolled Student-Athlete
(b) Telephone contact. It is permissible for an enrolled student-athlete to receive [not make] telephone calls made at the expense of a prospective student-athlete after July 1 following the completion of the prospective student-athlete’s junior year in high school. Telephone calls made by enrolled students (excluding student-athletes) pursuant to an institution’s regular admissions program directed at all prospective students shall be permissible.
And further....
13.1.3.4 Permissible Callers.
1. Institutional Coaching Staff Members?General Rule. All telephone calls made to and received from prospective student-athletes (or the prospective student-athletes’ parents, legal guardians or coaches) must be made and received by the head coach or one or more of the assistant coaches who count toward the numerical limitations in Bylaw 11.7.4.
*The numerous phone calls to Smith may have occured during a football contact period, and an unlimited amount of calls may have been placed to a football athlete. However, the fact that Smith was being recruited as a gymnastics athlete means the once per week rule was in effect during Smith's contact with Urban Meyer.
Was this one minor slip up? Or a blatant, repeated abuse and disregard of NCAA bylaws?
Well, well, what do you know....things are being cleared up by journalists actually clarifying some comments before spouting off in an ill-informed blog.....and a reporter for the very heavily-leaning towards the Hurricanes Miami Herlad, no less:.......
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/colleges/uf/story/391061.html
I think that wraps it up. Her quotes were not accurate, she had actually been looking at UF for A YEAR before this nonsense is supposed to have taken place, and committed to Rhonda Faehn (gymnastics coach) BEFORE Carl Moore had firmed up his plans.
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