So what realy happened in Memphis?

In a Recent Article in the MCA(Memphis Commercial Appeal) Lynn Lang seemed to come clean to a point about some of the stuff that happened in Memphis regarding the recruitment of Albert Means. I have been thinking about this for some time and thought I would come clean and tell everything that I have heard, and been told.

After the 99 Season where Alabama was somewhat successful on the football field a couple of things took place.

1) In the 99 off season we had the much ballyhooed class of 2000. In reality, it was made up of marginal academic cases, recruits no one else really thought could play football that had been sold to the recruiting gurus as 5 star prospects, and a few legit big timers. What it was short on was qualifiers and great FOOTBALL players. There were warning signs about a couple of players for months before signing day. – especially Albert Means and Harold James. Tennstud internet material was out there for months about Means. My alarm bell went off when I heard that Lynn Lang wouldn’t let Albert go to the Hula Bowl with the Rivals 100 b/c they wouldn’t pay him a 5K stipend. Why we went there, right or wrong, I’ll never know.

2) Now throw in the “Juicy”. Juicy Locke had had his hand out ever since he got to Tuscaloosa. Eric signing with Alabama was a huge embarrassment to Fulmer and one that set him off for good (along with the Melrose stuff) on Logan. With juicy, nothing was free and his sorry self quickly washed out of his job in Tuscaloosa and he went to shakedowns to make a living. When he was turned down enough, he put out feelers up North and was assured that he would be taken care of if Eric transferred to UT. He did.
What Juicy says now is largely true. It is apparent that Fulmer really wanted Eric and Juicy to drop a dime on Alabama. Furthermore, Juicy had written an embittered letter to numerous people about his alleged shabby treatment by Alabama – even going so far as to mention Fernando Bryant and stripper parties. What is amazing is that none of those letters ever became public until 2002 when Tennessee was feeling the heat. But I am convinced the letter about Fernando Bryant and stripper parties ended up at NCAA HQ and that is what pushed the final rock downhill.

3) A Tennessee professor, Linda Bensyl-Meyers came forward in the early spring of 2000 with serious allegations of academic fraud at Tennessee. Bensyl-Meyers insinuated that the athletic department under Fulmer and UT athletic director, Doug Dickey had become a sham for the sole purpose of manufacturing winning football teams. Athletes weren't required to attend class or even do their own work, as a fleet of athletic department managed tutors did all of the athletes' class work. The allegations were serious enough to land UT in an "Outside the Lines" expose on ESPN, who was beginning to investigate the story with vigor.
Fulmer turned to Doug Dickey for help, who in turn went to his benefactor in the SEC Office, Roy Kramer. Kramer suggested that he could suggest to his friends at the NCAA that coach Fulmer was ready to come forward with what he knew about the allegations swirling around Alabama's recruiting practices in Memphis and elsewhere. Kramer knew that his reputation with his fiends at the NCAA was sound and that if he personally vouched for the seriousness of what coach Fulmer knew, the NCAA would be willing to listen. With an interview secured, Kramer would suggest that he and Dickey use this as a bargaining chip with his friends at the NCAA to secure immunity for UT against Bensyl-Meyer's charges, and any other allegations that might later surface.

4) Meanwhile, Dubose had made the Strength & Conditioning program voluntary when some upper classmen started complaining. The lunatics were taking over the asylum. Coaches were at each others throats – enjoying the spoils of success and biting each others backs at the same time. Little thought was being given to the upcoming season. Mike was back on top again and sowing his oats as well.
During an intensely hot August it was apparent to many that the players were out of shape, the tempo of the practices were lethargic and everyone was going through the motions. Mike demanded nothing, had no authority to enforce anything anyway, commanded no respect from his players or coaches and was nothing more than a figurehead. Players routinely sassed their position coaches and disobeyed them during practice. When this happened, Mike undermined his assistants and let the players mouth off to their position players coach.
Then the trip to Pasadena exposed the fraud once and for all. We saw it all. An Alabama team get physically whipped by a mediocre UCLA team. An out of shape Shaun Bohannon who made it to practice only a few weeks before who was visibly out of shape and not ready to play. Etc. Etc.

5) According to an NCAA report summarizing a conversation between Hill and investigator Richard Johanningmeier, Hill admitted telling Lang that Arkansas "did not have a problem" with paying up to 200K for Means. The report said Hill told Lang that "like in the movies, the money would be placed in a location, for instance under a bridge." Arkansas even offered Lang a job on the coaching staff with a salary of 80K per year.

6) UT offered 50K, and then 75K for Means. At this time their Academic case with the NCAA got dropped the same day Fulmer met with Rich johanigmaier and they went cold as far as their recruitment of Means and withdrew their offer of 75K.

7) Ole Miss went as far as having a "hostess" start going up to Trezvant high school to be-friend A Means.

8) Michigan State offered 100K plus enough cash to pay back Young a House and 2 cars.

9) Georgia was trying to get the money together until the minute Means signed. Lang asked Georgia for 200K for Means.

10) Kentucky gave Lang $7,000 for work at a camp and to persuade Means to visit Lexington. UK self-reported those violations and was placed on probation because of them.

So where does all of this leave us?
The NCAA knows that there is a certain level of corruption in College Athletics. For the most part it is policed among the coaches themselves. Most staffs in the SEC have young coaches who run the roads and find the recruits. Then they have older, experienced members of the staff who have contacts and know everybody. They take over the recruiting when it is time for the young man to sign. They, in many cases know the HS coach. Who in turn puts the deal in front of the parent or parents and the preacher.

Boosters don't even know or wouldn't recognize a player if he walked by them for the most part. The coach then goes to his booster or boosters (an example would be UGA trying to "get up the money" at the end of Means recruitiment.) The NCAA knows that at any time they can investigate any school and find some rules being broke. The Alabama Rules Enforcement staff turned in close to 200 violations a year under the Dubose tenure. The NCAA steps in when you have someone like LY with direct involvement to the degree it was. When other coaches in the SEC felt out of control of the situation and became frustrated was when the NCAA stepped in.

The NCAA knows all about the cheating, the methodology and the whys and wherefores. Their inaction toward others is an admission of two things.
(A) They can't control it.
(B) Their wish to contain it.

The truth is this. The NCAA is trying to protect their product. They know all about the payola thing.Have none of you wondered as to why UA got into trouble and others didn't?

Who was dealingfor Means? About eight coaches and one big time booster. Who went down? Alabama did. Why? LY had gotten too big with his perceived hiring and control of RC. And all the dominoes that were supposedly falling UA's way.

When you hear rumblings from other coaching staffs about one school that is when the NCAA comes in. Truth is the NCAA stays out of the way until the rumblings get so loud they feel they have to do something. Like Tennessee now. In 2005 there were people from Florida, FSU, Miami, UGA, NC State, Alabama, Auburn and Louisville complaining about how fed up they were getting with UT recruiting tactics.

Wonder why Donnan got fired? UGA did a preemptive strike. Same goes with Cutcliff at Ole Miss. Saban left LSU before it got to hot. You don't turn around a 50 year natural order of things over night. LSU did it, Auburn, Tennessee and people were scared that Alabama was fixing to go on another run under Dubose. I hate it that we went through what we did. Truth be told - we should have cut it off with the DEBBIE GATE saga but we did not.

How sure am I about all of this? I don't know more than 10% but less than 90% percent. I know that UT had the Academic thing, More felons than you can count, rape, dope etc. , the Tee Martin thing, Eric Locke, Kenny Smith etc etc. Michigan had the fab 5, Notre Dame there problems, Ohio State had Maurice Clarett, etc etc. The list goes on and on. Everyday I am more convinced that Alabama got nailed because LY rubbed people the wrong way. Maybe it was because when he drank he liked to rub other people's nose in it. I don't know. LY did nothing more than any other booster. But when there is a perceived advantage being had real or imagined by the other teams that is when you get into trouble.

The thing that has hurt Alabama fans the most is the double standard. It is very evident that it exist. Alabama made a lot of enemies in the 60's and 70's and most schools do not want that to happen again. I think we are clean right now. We seem to be competing with DUKE, VANDY, Notre DAME and other high moral schools for the top recruits with just the right mix of borderline all world athletes we could win. We will have to see.

In closing I would like to say To all of the SEC, MEDIA, and NCAA. We took your best shot. You hit MY Football Team with a blow cheaper and harder than any Iron Mike ever swung. Guess what, were still standing, Not only that, We have the CLEANEST PROGRAM IN THE SEC and possibly the nation. We are stronger, Have new Facilities, and are a lot WISER. There will be a reckoning for the havoc that has been internationally brought upon the Crimson Tide. We will have to be dealt with in the near future - where it counts - on the Football Field. I promise you we will not go quietly into the night. We will not quit, We will not Waiver. The Alabama nation has been united as one and we will show the world the injustices that have been levied upon us.

In the words of Joe Namath: "I guarantee it".

Roll TIDE

Michael Clay