Nevin Shapiro with defensive tackle Vince Wilfork at Miami’s team awards banquet following the 2002 season.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Death of a Dynasty, The University of Miami Scandal
On August 16th yahoo sports reported a story that former University of Miami booster Nevin Shapiro, funded players and coaches with money that violated the NCAA bylaws. It was reported that he funded money to players and coaches in the program from 2002 through 2010. Shapiro who is now incarcerated for a 930 million dollar ponzi scheme, confessed to government officials about spending millions of dollars on entertainment for players on his yachts and large houses, jewelry, paid expensive to high cost restaurants, and in the words of Randy Moss, "straight cash homie". Shapiro also gave money to players for trips and even gave extra money to players who achieved bounties like, hurting a player from the opposing team.
Shapiro was also a co-owner of a sports agency, "Axcess Sports and Entertainment" where he used his money to recruit players to sign with his company. It was reported that he gave Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork 50,000$ to sign with his agency. Along with Wilfork (a former University of Miami player) Shapiro's company also recruited other Hurricane players like Jon Beason, with cash and other benefits.
The NCAA is investigating the allegations of Shapiro and if these stories are true Miami could face the death penalty from the NCAA. There has only been one other school to face the death penalty from the NCAA and that was SMU in 1987. This violation allows the NCAA to eliminate the involved sport for at least one year, the elimination of athletics aid in that sport for two years and the school relinquishing its Association voting privileges for a four-year period. This type of punishment can destroy a program and with the Hurricanes being a popular football school it may hurt the NCAA to have a program like Miami fall apart. The investigations have just started and only time will tell.
Shapiro was also a co-owner of a sports agency, "Axcess Sports and Entertainment" where he used his money to recruit players to sign with his company. It was reported that he gave Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork 50,000$ to sign with his agency. Along with Wilfork (a former University of Miami player) Shapiro's company also recruited other Hurricane players like Jon Beason, with cash and other benefits.
The NCAA is investigating the allegations of Shapiro and if these stories are true Miami could face the death penalty from the NCAA. There has only been one other school to face the death penalty from the NCAA and that was SMU in 1987. This violation allows the NCAA to eliminate the involved sport for at least one year, the elimination of athletics aid in that sport for two years and the school relinquishing its Association voting privileges for a four-year period. This type of punishment can destroy a program and with the Hurricanes being a popular football school it may hurt the NCAA to have a program like Miami fall apart. The investigations have just started and only time will tell.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Heat is on
In last night's basketball game that involved the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls a few things happen that prevented the Bulls from winning. One, the league's MVP had a bad shooting night and he turned the ball over too many times. Derrick Rose had 7 turnovers and shot 8-27 from the field, including 1-9 from the three point line. Along with the bad shooting, he committed too many turnovers. None more crucial than the one he committed at the end of the game when they were down four looking to cut the lead to 2 and he just lost the ball, giving Dwayne Wade an easy lay-up and instead of cutting the lead to two, they went down by six basically ending the game.
Two, the Miami Heat continued to play great defense, stopping one of the best penetrating guards in the league from scoring two consecutive times in a row with the game on the line. Lebron James stepped up to the calling last night as he helped his team win by playing tremendous defense. With the game on the line twice under a minute, James recieved the assignment of guarding Derrick Rose and both times he stopped Rose, forcing him into a difficult jump shot. James who is known for doing just about everything on the court showed why he's a two time MVP as he filled the stat sheet up with 35pts, 6rebs, 6ass, 3blcks, 2stls, and two crucial stops on the opposing team's best player. As a coach what more can you ask for from a player.
The third and final reason why the Heat won this game over the Bulls was the free throw differential. The Bulls played good, they beat the Heat on the boards 42-41, they won the assist battle 20-12, they dominated points in the paint 44-24, and they had more fast break points than the heat 26-15. If you didn't know the Heat won and you looked at those stats you would think the Bulls won, but along with those stats are the difference in free throw attempts and free throws made by each team. The heat went 32-38 from the free throw line, including a controversial flagrant foul called for Chris Bosh that Carlos Boozer committed with 4:40 left in the game. This chain of events cut Chicago's lead from three to down one point. The Bulls shot 17-22 from the free throw line as Derrick Rose continued to go to the rim and try to draw fouls he only went to the line 7 times as the Heat's Bosh and James combined for more free throw attepmts than the whole Bulls team with 24, making 23 of them. This could be the reason why they lost but Boozer refused to think so by saying, "We've never been an excuse team. We're not going to start being an excuse team now. They got fouled, I guess we didn't." The Bulls didn't get the whistle last night but they did get a charge call on Lebron James with seconds left in regulation, giving the Bulls a perfect chance to win the game.
Two, the Miami Heat continued to play great defense, stopping one of the best penetrating guards in the league from scoring two consecutive times in a row with the game on the line. Lebron James stepped up to the calling last night as he helped his team win by playing tremendous defense. With the game on the line twice under a minute, James recieved the assignment of guarding Derrick Rose and both times he stopped Rose, forcing him into a difficult jump shot. James who is known for doing just about everything on the court showed why he's a two time MVP as he filled the stat sheet up with 35pts, 6rebs, 6ass, 3blcks, 2stls, and two crucial stops on the opposing team's best player. As a coach what more can you ask for from a player.
The third and final reason why the Heat won this game over the Bulls was the free throw differential. The Bulls played good, they beat the Heat on the boards 42-41, they won the assist battle 20-12, they dominated points in the paint 44-24, and they had more fast break points than the heat 26-15. If you didn't know the Heat won and you looked at those stats you would think the Bulls won, but along with those stats are the difference in free throw attempts and free throws made by each team. The heat went 32-38 from the free throw line, including a controversial flagrant foul called for Chris Bosh that Carlos Boozer committed with 4:40 left in the game. This chain of events cut Chicago's lead from three to down one point. The Bulls shot 17-22 from the free throw line as Derrick Rose continued to go to the rim and try to draw fouls he only went to the line 7 times as the Heat's Bosh and James combined for more free throw attepmts than the whole Bulls team with 24, making 23 of them. This could be the reason why they lost but Boozer refused to think so by saying, "We've never been an excuse team. We're not going to start being an excuse team now. They got fouled, I guess we didn't." The Bulls didn't get the whistle last night but they did get a charge call on Lebron James with seconds left in regulation, giving the Bulls a perfect chance to win the game.
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