Merl Code Peels Back the Curtain on College Basketball’s Bribery Scandal

[Big_Tasty_Muffin]

Not many surprises here but full article link below:

The former Adidas executive sentenced to prison discusses deals with Zion Williamson, Brian Bowen, Anthony Davis and more.


Beyond that particular fundraising effort, some competitors in the college basketball world did not like the way Nike catered to Kentucky. Code wrote that he couldn’t much blame them. He recalled one particularly angry call from then Florida coach Billy Donovan.

Code’s recollection of Donovan’s rant: “I’m sick and tired of this bulls---! You motherf----rs keep helping Kentucky! This shit is ridiculous. I’m gonna call [Nike cofounder] Phil Knight personally to talk about this s--- because it’s getting out of hand.”

Code wrote: “I stayed quiet while Billy vented, because I knew there was some truth in what he was saying. With John Calipari getting an overabundance of the top recruits in the country at the time, Florida and every other program were fighting for scraps. One of the worst-kept secrets in the business was Nike’s emphasis on helping Kentucky and Oregon, Phil Knight’s alma mater, with everyone else falling in line after.”

 

[shadow force]

Just like when Duke investigated themselves and found no wrongdoing and the NCAA was like "oh ok" there is nothing to see here and absolutely nothing will be done to any schools not named UofL.

 

[ShortCreek]

Duke? UK? They roll on while we wallow in sanctions. Ridiculous. Have always heard that David got $250,000 to go to UK. Zion’s family lived in about a $900,000 house while at Duke? Unbelievable

 

[KozmasAgain]

We always knew that sUcK was getting players from Nike through WWW. I always thought that maybe sUcK was also paying off the NCAA. I remember years before Calipari when they were being investigated for violations and nothing was found. Then after the investigation was over they hire the investigator who found no wrong doing Bill Nance as their assistant coach.

 

[indaville]

The just us system if you’re rich and powerful you can do almost anything with no consequences. And if you’re not you serve time.

 

[Thecycle27]

These coaches are unbelievable con men. They can justify the system because they are a making millions. The very system they are protecting hurts players/fans. Players and fans are collateral damage.

Any school that get hit with any penalties with the FBI sting should sue the NCAA. They have fostered this system. It was easy to see what was going on.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

It's that elephant in the room people pretend they don't see.

 

[BPGhost]

If the ncaa had an ounce of credibility or consistency - which of course they don't and have never had - this accounting of previous events should prompt an investigation into the yuts 2012 "title". If they can strip UofL of their title for an assistant coach giving players singles to stuff into strippers' g-strings, the outright paying of the unibrow that shall be named later - should cost the yuts that banner as well.

 

[Morgantown Card]

If Powell can write a book and cause a scandal followed by an investigation, then Code's book can cause a scandal followed by an investigation. If the playing field is leveled, then UK and Duke should immediately address Code's statements with a press conference and self-ban for the NCAAT this year, fire their AD, and fire their coach.

 

[Morgantown Card]

And can someone tell me why people are going to prison over this?

 

[Thecycle27]

If Powell can write a book and cause a scandal followed by an investigation, then Code's book can cause a scandal followed by an investigation. If the playing field is leveled, then UK and Duke should immediately address Code's statements with a press conference and self-ban for the NCAAT this year, fire their AD, and fire their coach.

Everyone knew Nike was funneling players initially to UK and then Coach K. I think it is fascinating college administrators just said ok even though coaches were losing their minds with the imbalance in the system. Without the NCAA tournament UK or Duke would of dominated titles like Alabama has done in football.

 

[BPGhost]

And can someone tell me why people are going to prison over this?

It is as absurd as jailing those idiot parents for faking that their kids were rowers to help get into USC, etc. You would think that the effing FBI / federal government would have a lot bigger things on their plate to investigate than silly bullshit like this. The only reason it gets any play is that it is considered a "non-partisan" issue and it allows dipshits on both sides of the aisle to grandstand and not actually do the important work of running the country.

 

[BPGhost]

If Powell can write a book and cause a scandal followed by an investigation, then Code's book can cause a scandal followed by an investigation. If the playing field is leveled, then UK and Duke should immediately address Code's statements with a press conference and self-ban for the NCAAT this year, fire their AD, and fire their coach.

1,000,000%

 

[Morgantown Card]

It is as absurd as jailing those idiot parents for faking that their kids were rowers to help get into USC, etc. You would think that the effing FBI / federal government would have a lot bigger things on their plate to investigate than silly bullshit like this. The only reason it gets any play is that it is considered a "non-partisan" issue and it allows dipshits on both sides of the aisle to grandstand and not actually do the important work of running the country.

That's my reaction as well. What does paying high school kids or ho's have to do with the Constitution and Federal law? I mean, it may be despicable, but the FBI (I'm LOLing as I type this) shouldn't have any jurisdiction over this unless someone can convince me otherwise.

 

[indaville]

UK fans can’t handle hearing they cheated and their 2012 banner is null and void and should be ripped down. They think all those players want to go there just because it’s UK lol. Louisville needs to sue for long term damages and loss of revenue. I’ve been saying this forever.

 

[bigloucards]

UK fans can’t handle hearing they cheated and their 2012 banner is null and void and should be ripped down. They think all those players want to go there just because it’s UK lol. Louisville needs to sue for long term damages and loss of revenue. I’ve been saying this forever.

And defamation

 

[zipp]

...Louisville needs to sue for long term damages and loss of revenue. I’ve been saying this forever.

...Any school that get hit with any penalties with the FBI sting should sue the NCAA. They have fostered this system. It was easy to see what was going on.

Lawsuits take forever. We need to get past this stuff and act on our own behalf. Tomorrow, we should go get the banner from Tyra's garage and put it back in the rafters. That's a minimum. And we should publicly dare the NCAA to stop or penalize us.

And if we wanna further restore credibility with our fans--which wasn't a priority when we had plenty of money--we should publicly apologize to the former people in charge here who were fired or penalized based on bad info and bad decisions. While those effing jobs are open, I'd even offer them their jobs back.

Yeah, that last paragraph is mostly dreaming. But there's a lotta ground to cover to get things back anywhere close to what we were used to. Gonna take some dramatic action by a U of L management group that has been mostly misguided, gutless, and lacking transparency...

 

[CardsFirst]

Lawsuits take forever. We need to get past this stuff and act on our own behalf. Tomorrow, we should go get the banner from Tyra's garage and put it back in the rafters. That's a minimum. And we should publicly dare the NCAA to stop or penalize us.

And if we wanna further restore credibility with our fans--which wasn't a priority when we had plenty of money--we should publicly apologize to the former people in charge here who were fired or penalized based on bad info and bad decisions. While those effing jobs are open, I'd even offer them their jobs back.

Yeah, that last paragraph is mostly dreaming. But there's a lotta ground to cover to get things back anywhere close to what we were used to. Gonna take some dramatic action by a U of L management group that has been mostly misguided, gutless, and lacking transparency...

I like what the previous administration did, but working with the NCAA was a big misstep, one I bet Jurich would fight tooth and nail if he had a chance again
So, if TJ does get the AD job back he could….should put the banner back up.
So Zipp what happens if he doesn’t do that?

 

[bigloucards]

I know that the courier urinal won’t jeopardize their relationship with uk, but can someone that has a urinal account email the sports editor or the writer of the article in reference to Rick Pitino knowing about the Bowen recruitment that Calipari is also implicated in the article in regards to A.Davis?

 

[bigloucards]

I like what the previous administration did, but working with the NCAA was a big misstep, one I bet Jurich would fight tooth and nail if he had a chance again
So, if TJ does get the AD job back he could….should put the banner back up.
So Zipp what happens if he doesn’t do that?

That’s got to be a rhetorical question. You don’t actually think Jurich will get his job back?

 

[BPGhost]

That’s got to be a rhetorical question. You don’t actually think Jurich will get his job back?

From everything that I've been told by the boosters (serious dollars) that I know and am familiar with - it is still at least a 50-50 proposition. The more duplicitous bullshit that comes out regarding the ncaa and the way that they've looked the other way at the yuts, dookies, etc - the more that firing TJ seems based upon bad intel and, bringing him back seems plausible.

 

[CardsFirst]

That’s got to be a rhetorical question. You don’t actually think Jurich will get his job back?

This is Louisville we’re the unbelievable can be reality and the unexpected becomes the expected.😁

 

[bigloucards]

From everything that I've been told by the boosters (serious dollars) that I know and am familiar with - it is still at least a 50-50 proposition. The more duplicitous bullshit that comes out regarding the ncaa and the way that they've looked the other way at the yuts, dookies, etc - the more that firing TJ seems based upon bad intel and, bringing him back seems plausible.

I would truly be shocked if he returns

 

[bigloucards]

This is Louisville we’re the unbelievable can be reality and the unexpected becomes the expected.😁

Very true statement!

 

[PushupMan]

It is as absurd as jailing those idiot parents for faking that their kids were rowers to help get into USC, etc. You would think that the effing FBI / federal government would have a lot bigger things on their plate to investigate than silly bullshit like this. The only reason it gets any play is that it is considered a "non-partisan" issue and it allows dipshits on both sides of the aisle to grandstand and not actually do the important work of running the country.

Very bad example.

In 2014, my second son graduated as the valedictorian of his high school, with a perfect SAT score, and exemplary extra curricular activities. He was everything just about any school in the country would want to admit. USC was his dream school, because of the amazing opportunities to network with film and entertainment industry people and have your creative talents noticed.

He was accepted to every school to which he applied, except for USC. USC waitlisted him, and it was a wait list for which he never received a call back.

When news of what Huffman, Loughlin and others were doing broke, it became very clear to me why my son was on a wait list that year.

What those people did was definitely not a victimless crime.

 

[BPGhost]

I would truly be shocked if he returns

I would / will be as well. That said, it’s a distinct possibility.

 

[BPGhost]

Very bad example.

In 2014, my second son graduated as the valedictorian of his high school, with a perfect SAT score, and exemplary extra curricular activities. He was everything just about any school in the country would want to admit. USC was his dream school, because of the amazing opportunities to network with film and entertainment industry people and have your creative talents noticed.

He was accepted to every school to which he applied, except for USC. USC waitlisted him, and it was a wait list for which he never received a call back.

When news of what Huffman, Loughlin and others were doing broke, it became very clear to me why my son was on a wait list that year.

What those people did was definitely not a victimless crime.

I understand the frustration you are expressing but, I disagree with your take. First off, excellent candidates get waitlisted to universities every year and getting into one’s dream school is anything but guaranteed regardless of grades, etc.

But more importantly than that, my contention isn’t that their actions should be condoned but, it isn’t something that someone should be incarcerated for. Fined? Ok. But incarcerated? Absurd.

 

[indaville]

And can someone tell me why people are going to prison over this?

It started with a guy in NY who represented pro athletes, he stole 2.5 million from them to make a movie for some odd reason. After he got caught he told the FBI he had information about shoe companies paying high school recruits. So they started snooping around and caught Code and Dawkins and several others. They wanted Code and them to flip on Pitino and Miller and other coaches because they actually wanted to send them to jail. When they refused to cooperate they put them on trial. Code had evidence in the form of text messages and recorded calls to show that every P5 team is doing this. The prosecutor and judge denied him the opportunity to enter the evidence. So the prosecutor used them as the scapegoat, because they had no appetite to put Pitino in prison. And it would have opened the door to a nation wide scandal. Dawkins cell is actually right next to El Chapo’s cell. Same old stuff rich people do not go to prison ever. So the guy who stole money walks free and the dudes who gave money to these kids go to jail.

 

[Morgantown Card]

It started with a guy in NY who represented pro athletes, he stole 2.5 million from them to make a movie for some odd reason. After he got caught he told the FBI he had information about shoe companies paying high school recruits. So they started snooping around and caught Code and Dawkins and several others. They wanted Code and them to flip on Pitino and Miller and other coaches because they actually wanted to send them to jail. When they refused to cooperate they put them on trial. Code had evidence in the form of text messages and recorded calls to show that every P5 team is doing this. The prosecutor and judge denied him the opportunity to enter the evidence. So the prosecutor used them as the scapegoat, because they had no appetite to put Pitino in prison. And it would have opened the door to a nation wide scandal. Dawkins cell is actually right next to El Chapo’s cell. Same old stuff rich people do not go to prison ever. So the guy who stole money walks free and the dudes who gave money to these kids go to jail.

I still don't understand why Code is goin to jail. OK, shoe companies are paying high school kids; where is the federal-level crime for the FBI to investigate?

 

[indaville]

I still don't understand why Code is goin to jail. OK, shoe companies are paying high school kids; where is the federal-level crime for the FBI to investigate?

Their argument was that they defrauded the schools by paying them behind their back. When in fact the schools or coaches were in on it.

 

[bigloucards]

Their argument was that they defrauded the schools by paying them behind their back. When in fact the schools or coaches were in on it.

With the allowance of the NIL rule could or should the charges be appealed to be dropped ?
if it were to put into context then it gives big time programs the advantage of offering more to
the player in regards to the NIL pay and exposure in order to sway a players decision! It’s the same if not more blatant than being swayed by a third party as in shoe companies.

 

[zipp]

I like what the previous administration did, but working with the NCAA was a big misstep, one I bet Jurich would fight tooth and nail if he had a chance again
So, if TJ does get the AD job back he could….should put the banner back up.
So Zipp what happens if he doesn’t do that?

Jurich brought in Smrt for appearances. A beleaguered Doc Ramsey went beyond that and acted on Smrt's advice. Jurich had no intentions of self imposing or rolling over for the NCAA (case in point, Clint Hurtt). When lynch mobs started forming for Ramsey, Pitino and Jurich went to his defense.

Anyone can make a mistake, but I don't worry about Jurich doing something that's not in our best interests...

 

[PushupMan]

I understand the frustration you are expressing but, I disagree with your take. First off, excellent candidates get waitlisted to universities every year and getting into one’s dream school is anything but guaranteed regardless of grades, etc.

But more importantly than that, my contention isn’t that their actions should be condoned but, it isn’t something that someone should be incarcerated for. Fined? Ok. But incarcerated? Absurd.

So it’s okay to fine people for “silly bullshit”, but giving them jail time is inappropriate? Seems to me that “silly bullshit” shouldn’t even be investigated at all - so why are you now okay with fines being assessed?

Just go ahead and admit right now that you decided to express a lazy take about an issue which you were either too lazy or unmotivated to understand the perspective of the victim.

 

[BigBlueTom1]

The just us system if you’re rich and powerful you can do almost anything with no consequences. And if you’re not you serve time.

And to believe Louisville is trying to get Cals main recruiter to come to their school. If he was there helping Cal he must have been involved. Pouring gas on a fire

 

[earsky]

And to believe Louisville is trying to get Cals main recruiter to come to their school. If he was there helping Cal he must have been involved. Pouring gas on a fire

Yeah and that's probably why some of the fan base would prefer not to go back and look at UK's past digressions,which you must believe to be true.

 

[BPGhost]

So it’s okay to fine people for “silly bullshit”, but giving them jail time is inappropriate? Seems to me that “silly bullshit” shouldn’t even be investigated at all - so why are you now okay with fines being assessed?

Just go ahead and admit right now that you decided to express a lazy take about an issue which you were either too lazy or unmotivated to understand the perspective of the victim.

No, using the limited resources of law enforcement (both federal and local) to investigate silly bullshit is something that any rational person should see as a misuse of public funds - particularly when there are so many more pressing law enforcement issues that need to be addressed that are currently not, because of limitations on both financial and human resources.

Secondly, despite this country's (and the private for-profit prison system) penchant for incarcerating its citizens; being removed from society should be used specifically for individuals that are either violent or, are a danger to other citizens. Ergo, locking someone up for weed possession, for example, is counterproductive and frankly stupid. Locking up people for this college scandal is even more stupid. I get that it was your ox that was gored which affects your perspective but, that doesn't make it any less stupid.

Without even going into the years that separate your son's experience and the recent "scandal" or, your lack of stated evidence that your son was in fact criminally wronged, as I said previously - lots of excellent college candidates don't get into their first choice school. As for who is or is not a victim - despite not getting into USC - did your son get to attend college? Based upon your description of his record, I would guess (hope) that he went on to a great university, had a fantastic time, and excelled academically. Our oldest son graduated as the #6 student in his class from what is consistently ranked the top college prep school in KY. His dream school was Yale however they waitlisted him and he did not end up making it in. He ended up going to UPenn and had an excellent experience. I suppose my son and our family could be mad at Harvard and their admissions people and processes but, that would be an unproductive and silly waste of our time.

So rather than me "admit(ting)" that I expressed a "lazy take" - which it most certainly was not - why don't you just go ahead and admit that your take is completely consumed with the personal bias you developed, and not any sort of real common sense.

 

[Big_Tasty_Muffin]

The bad thing what Merl Code was convicted of years ago now is not a crime with the NIL in place.

Also, if UK can not get into trouble for the Anthony Davis stuff now because NIL is now legal (which Matt Jones is boasting about) then how come we can still get into trouble? Shouldn’t the banner go back up?

 

[Thecycle27]

I love the fact there is a statue of limitations on violations but no limit of how long the NCAA can drag something out. If it takes you 5 years to process a violation it probably isn’t a violation.

The Code factor only validates UK, Duke, and Nike played the system better than everyone else. They are still cheaters. The other thing is validates it the NCAA/media didn’t care. The picked who they would penalize and drag through mud. Louisville even though none of their actions produced a single recruiting advantage or player was torn down.

 

[indaville]

And to believe Louisville is trying to get Cals main recruiter to come to their school. If he was there helping Cal he must have been involved. Pouring gas on a fire

Players have been getting paid forever don’t be naive.