((HT: savannahnow.com))
Looks like Damon Evans new gig is consulting for Division II Savannah State...
Noell Barnidge is reporting that he has two sources saying Evans will be looking at the Athletic Department that has had 7 AD's and four school presidents since 2004.
Marilynn Suggs was fired Wednesday after less than seven months on the job. State's interim president Cheryl Dozier announced her decision to make a “change in leadership in the athletics department” and appointed men’s basketball head coach Horace Broadnax as interim AD.
From Barnidge, who reached Suggs by phone:
“It was a surprise,” Suggs said. “After being told that I didn’t do anything wrong, I’m extremely disappointed. The momentum for the athletic program was forward, the trajectory is up. I competed for the position based on a stability thing and building relationships, and so there is now no stability, from my perspective. Stability was the number one thing I brought to the athletic department.”
When asked about her future plans, Suggs said, “At this point, I’m not willing to go into that. It’s still very new and, like I’ve told people, it’s like an out of body experience for me. I’ve never experienced this before. Since this is so very new, I have a lot to think about. I can’t answer that.”
Here's coverage from FOSG "The Big Guy" Frank Sulkowski on all of this...
((HT: The Coastal Source))
Sidebar: Since Easter Sunday, two football players and a women's basketball player have been arrested- the football players for differing drug charges, and the basketball player for fighting in public.
Showing posts with label Damon Evans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Damon Evans. Show all posts
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
DEVELOPING: Former UGA AD Evans Gets 12 Months Probation
An attorney for former UGA athletic director Damon Evans says that he has pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and was sentenced to a year of probation, a $750 fine and community service.
Evans resigned last July four days after he was pulled over by a Georgia state trooper in Atlanta, literally minutes before his new contract was to kick in that would have paid him over half-a-million dollars a year. Evans' attorney, Steve Weiner, said his client appeared in Atlanta Municipal Court back on January 19th, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to what we talked about in Paragraph 1.
Weiner says Evans was ordered to undergo an alcohol and drug evaluation and participate in a panel for MADD- Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Here's your refresher of the resignation, thanks to our friends at MyFoxAtlanta...
FOSG Buck Lanford was in Athens...
Read the arrest report if you choose...
Evans resigned last July four days after he was pulled over by a Georgia state trooper in Atlanta, literally minutes before his new contract was to kick in that would have paid him over half-a-million dollars a year. Evans' attorney, Steve Weiner, said his client appeared in Atlanta Municipal Court back on January 19th, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to what we talked about in Paragraph 1.
Weiner says Evans was ordered to undergo an alcohol and drug evaluation and participate in a panel for MADD- Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Here's your refresher of the resignation, thanks to our friends at MyFoxAtlanta...
FOSG Buck Lanford was in Athens...
Damon Evans Resigns As UGA Athletic Director: MyFoxATLANTA.com
Read the arrest report if you choose...
Saturday, July 17, 2010
More Fun With Fuhrmann, More Texts and Calls With Evans
((HT: AJC-Tucker))
When the HQ first filed our Damon Evans-Courtney Fuhrmann story, the University of Georgia only had the first of two cell phone record documents available for any media outlet that wanted to file a public records request.
Now the other one is out and the number of texts and phone calls that were shared between the two have gone up exponentially.
In Tim Tucker's update in the AJC, he now has the numbers of texts in the neighborhhod of 250 and the idea that two phone calls and a handful of texts were exchanged between the two on July 1- after their arrest in Buckhead.
Ruh ro...
Oh, by the way, if you'd like to purchase Evans' house in the Athens-area town of Bogart, it's running for $850,000. It's a five-bedroom home that sits on a little over an acre-and-a-half.
Here's the listing from Realtor.com
Enjoy...
When the HQ first filed our Damon Evans-Courtney Fuhrmann story, the University of Georgia only had the first of two cell phone record documents available for any media outlet that wanted to file a public records request.
Now the other one is out and the number of texts and phone calls that were shared between the two have gone up exponentially.
In Tim Tucker's update in the AJC, he now has the numbers of texts in the neighborhhod of 250 and the idea that two phone calls and a handful of texts were exchanged between the two on July 1- after their arrest in Buckhead.
Ruh ro...
Oh, by the way, if you'd like to purchase Evans' house in the Athens-area town of Bogart, it's running for $850,000. It's a five-bedroom home that sits on a little over an acre-and-a-half.
Here's the listing from Realtor.com
Enjoy...
Friday, July 16, 2010
UGA Media Guide Recalled Due To Damon Evans; Buy Our Book, Too...
((HT: AJC-Tucker))
Some periodicals get caught in time... some don't... and some get caught some of the time...
For that, the HQ introduces you to the 2010 UGA football media guide...
And for the low, low cost of $50,000 the University is going to reprint the guide after getting around to omitting a section having to do with a certain ex-athletic director...
From Tucker:
"The timing made it a very unusual circumstance,” Georgia associate athletics director Claude Felton told the AJC. “After discussions among Alan Thomas in the development office, [interim AD] Frank Crumley and myself, we felt like the best thing under the circumstances would be to do a partial reprint.”
14,000 copies will go under the knife. 21,000 were in the original printing and most of them are in boxes...
The HQ told you that other publications weren't necessarily so lucky..?
Like this one... ((pictured, thanks Triumph Books))
Just so you know the book, "100 Things Bulldogs Fans Should Know And Do Before They Die" is available on pre-order through Amazon.com and other such outlets.
It's due for a release next month...
There is a section in the book on Damon Evans, and we couldn't get an addendum in there in time for it to hit the presses as a corrected work. That's fine with Brother Phil, Brother Wilkie, and myself. You just won't get the paragraph on his demise since it happened right at the time it went to the printers.
He's still important in UGA folklore... just for two entirely different reasons...
Some periodicals get caught in time... some don't... and some get caught some of the time...
For that, the HQ introduces you to the 2010 UGA football media guide...
And for the low, low cost of $50,000 the University is going to reprint the guide after getting around to omitting a section having to do with a certain ex-athletic director...
From Tucker:
"The timing made it a very unusual circumstance,” Georgia associate athletics director Claude Felton told the AJC. “After discussions among Alan Thomas in the development office, [interim AD] Frank Crumley and myself, we felt like the best thing under the circumstances would be to do a partial reprint.”
14,000 copies will go under the knife. 21,000 were in the original printing and most of them are in boxes...
The HQ told you that other publications weren't necessarily so lucky..?
Like this one... ((pictured, thanks Triumph Books))
Just so you know the book, "100 Things Bulldogs Fans Should Know And Do Before They Die" is available on pre-order through Amazon.com and other such outlets.
It's due for a release next month...
There is a section in the book on Damon Evans, and we couldn't get an addendum in there in time for it to hit the presses as a corrected work. That's fine with Brother Phil, Brother Wilkie, and myself. You just won't get the paragraph on his demise since it happened right at the time it went to the printers.
He's still important in UGA folklore... just for two entirely different reasons...
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
UGA Releases Damon Evans Documents
((HT: AJC-Tucker/MyFoxAtlanta))
As part of an open records request that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution had against the University of Georgia in the Damon Evans proceedings, about 500 pages were handed over and Tim Tucker got to wade through them for most of Tuesday afternoon.
The only goofy stuff in the documents is an e-mail from Courtney Fuhrmann, the 28-year-old not Evans' wife, who was in the passenger seat when Evans was pulled over on June 30.
Dated May 21, in part:
"Wanted to thank you all again for last night. We had a great time and it is always refreshing meeting what is the phrase of the night - good people. Hope everyone made it home safe. Look us up next time you are in town if you like."
Fuhrmann, when questioned by police, said she had known Evans for about a week or so... apparently, she bet the under...
According to Tucker, Evans and Fuhrmann exchanged two other text messages on May 21 and 15 more in the next two weeks. Make of that what you want...
After Evans arrest, he received a fair amount of suportive e-mails from other Athletic Directors, and even some finger-wagging from fans- "Tony In Georgia" writing Evans "You brought shame to UGA."
His personnel file was also a part of the documents released by the school- nothing bad in it, just mostly documentation of his salary structure, raises, and stuff like that.
As a flashback, here's Mark Richt on Evans downfall...
((HT: WAGA-TV))
As part of an open records request that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution had against the University of Georgia in the Damon Evans proceedings, about 500 pages were handed over and Tim Tucker got to wade through them for most of Tuesday afternoon.
The only goofy stuff in the documents is an e-mail from Courtney Fuhrmann, the 28-year-old not Evans' wife, who was in the passenger seat when Evans was pulled over on June 30.
Dated May 21, in part:
"Wanted to thank you all again for last night. We had a great time and it is always refreshing meeting what is the phrase of the night - good people. Hope everyone made it home safe. Look us up next time you are in town if you like."
Fuhrmann, when questioned by police, said she had known Evans for about a week or so... apparently, she bet the under...
According to Tucker, Evans and Fuhrmann exchanged two other text messages on May 21 and 15 more in the next two weeks. Make of that what you want...
After Evans arrest, he received a fair amount of suportive e-mails from other Athletic Directors, and even some finger-wagging from fans- "Tony In Georgia" writing Evans "You brought shame to UGA."
His personnel file was also a part of the documents released by the school- nothing bad in it, just mostly documentation of his salary structure, raises, and stuff like that.
As a flashback, here's Mark Richt on Evans downfall...
((HT: WAGA-TV))
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
BREAKING: Georgia Has A Temporary AD Now...
Well, the University of Georgia has now achieved Step number 2 for returning to normalcy in athletics. A little over a day after former Athletic Director Damon Evans stepped down/lost his job/got fired...for, shall we say indiscretions, there is a new/sort of new sheriff in town. At least for now.In his afternoon press conference, UGA President Michael Adams announced that Associate Executive AD Frank Crumley will take over...as the interim AD. He also announced the formation of a committee of 6, who will lead the schools version of a search for a successor.
Adams spoke about "Looking outside the school 1st" which means UGA Grad and current Sr. Associate AD Greg McGarity of the University of Florida will need to check his caller ID real soon, if he hasn't already.
((UGA Logo/Courtesy: UGA.edu))
It's a very sad turn of events at Georgia. Having dealt with Damon Evans quite frequently during my time covering Georgia sports, I found him to be very forthright and honest. Though, from a distance, it did seem like he was beginning to enjoy his celebrity status as well.
Anyway, off the soapbox, take this story for what it is worth and carry on.
Here are the sections of the press conference for your viewing pleasure, thanks to our friends at WAGA-TV and MyFoxAtlanta.com
Part One:
And Part Two, which has some more questions and answers...
Monday, July 5, 2010
DEVELOPING STORY: Damon Evans Statement From UGA, Family Splitting...?
From the University of Georgia their own selves...
Here is the final apology from Damon Evans over the events of the last week as his resignation was accepted and addressed by the University this morning...
“I would like to once again offer my sincerest apology to the University of Georgia people—the president and administration, athletic staff and coaches, fans and supporters, and especially the student-athletes. It had been my hope since taking the job in 2004 that I would have a long career at UGA. But because of a serious mistake in judgment, that won’t be the case and I understand that I have a long road to rebuilding my reputation and career. I do want to thank all those who have supported me and the Athletic Association over the past six years and would encourage all those in our Association to remember that they are there for the student-athletes. Keep them first and foremost in everything you do. God bless and ‘Go Dawgs.’”
PM UPDATE: OSG Sources close to the situation in Athens have told us the following: Damon Evans and his family have moved to Boston permanently. They are in the process of putting their home in suburban Athens up for sale.
The HQ is also not to be surprised if Damon's wife, Kerri, is in the process of filing for separation.
More when we know more...
Here is the final apology from Damon Evans over the events of the last week as his resignation was accepted and addressed by the University this morning...
“I would like to once again offer my sincerest apology to the University of Georgia people—the president and administration, athletic staff and coaches, fans and supporters, and especially the student-athletes. It had been my hope since taking the job in 2004 that I would have a long career at UGA. But because of a serious mistake in judgment, that won’t be the case and I understand that I have a long road to rebuilding my reputation and career. I do want to thank all those who have supported me and the Athletic Association over the past six years and would encourage all those in our Association to remember that they are there for the student-athletes. Keep them first and foremost in everything you do. God bless and ‘Go Dawgs.’”
PM UPDATE: OSG Sources close to the situation in Athens have told us the following: Damon Evans and his family have moved to Boston permanently. They are in the process of putting their home in suburban Athens up for sale.
The HQ is also not to be surprised if Damon's wife, Kerri, is in the process of filing for separation.
More when we know more...
DEVELOPING STORY: Damon Evans Resignation Official, Search Begins For Replacement
((HT: WAGA-TV))
The meetings are over, and all that's left is a soon-to-be-empty office and national search for the next big thing in Athletic Directors.
The UGAA executive committee accepted Damon Evans' resignation this morning via conference call. As part of his settlement with the University, Evans will receive a $100,000 "longevity bonus" and three months salary- roughly $137,500.
Here's the early returns from Athens from FOSG Buck Lanford
((HT: Myfoxatlanta.com))
Here is President Michael Adams addressing the situation from the morning meeting...
Two names have surfaced as early contenders to take over Evans' spot in the Butts-Mehre building- both are tied to Georgia's past...
The AJC's Mark Bradley has pegged Greg McGarity and Carla Williams as two to keep an eye on...
McGarity is, presently, Jeremy Foley's chief aide at the University of Florida. He played tennis at UGA under Coach McGill and is from Athens. The only thing holding him back is President Adams' perception that McGarity is a Dooley man. That held him back in 2004 when Evans was eventually named Athletic Director.
Carla Williams is inside the athletic department already as an assistant AD. She's from LaGrange and played basketball under Coach Andy Landers.
Bradley is under the impression that since Adams had no qualm pulling the trigger on Evans in 2004, that having the first female athletic director in the SEC would be a no-brainer for him as well.
The meetings are over, and all that's left is a soon-to-be-empty office and national search for the next big thing in Athletic Directors.
The UGAA executive committee accepted Damon Evans' resignation this morning via conference call. As part of his settlement with the University, Evans will receive a $100,000 "longevity bonus" and three months salary- roughly $137,500.
Here's the early returns from Athens from FOSG Buck Lanford
((HT: Myfoxatlanta.com))
Here is President Michael Adams addressing the situation from the morning meeting...
Two names have surfaced as early contenders to take over Evans' spot in the Butts-Mehre building- both are tied to Georgia's past...
The AJC's Mark Bradley has pegged Greg McGarity and Carla Williams as two to keep an eye on...
McGarity is, presently, Jeremy Foley's chief aide at the University of Florida. He played tennis at UGA under Coach McGill and is from Athens. The only thing holding him back is President Adams' perception that McGarity is a Dooley man. That held him back in 2004 when Evans was eventually named Athletic Director.
Carla Williams is inside the athletic department already as an assistant AD. She's from LaGrange and played basketball under Coach Andy Landers.
Bradley is under the impression that since Adams had no qualm pulling the trigger on Evans in 2004, that having the first female athletic director in the SEC would be a no-brainer for him as well.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Damon Evans On The Way Out As Georgia Athletic Director, Announcement Monday
[HT: WSB-TV]
This 4th of July weekend has been full of fireworks at the University of Georgia and there is a report that athletic director Damon Evans' career has blown up.
WSB-TV sports director Zach Klein is citing a source within the UGA athletic department that Evans is out as athletic director.
According to the source, University of Georgia president Michael Adams has asked for and received Evans' resignation.
PM UPDATE: This will go down Monday according to the report from Tim Tucker and Chip Towers from the AJC. A teleconference is set for 11AM with the UGA Athletic Association's executive committee.
Evans was in meetings earlier Sunday with Edward Tolley, the attorney of the UGAA, and someone who identified himself as Damon's father, Sam, to determine an appropriate settlement under the terms of Evans' new contract that had kicked in on July 1.
After those meetings, Damon Evans was said to be with family in Boston.
FOSG Randy Waters tracked down the story in Athens...
((HT: WXIA-TV))
More info here...
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/24137668/detail.html
http://www.ajc.com/sports/report-evans-out-as-563982.html
This 4th of July weekend has been full of fireworks at the University of Georgia and there is a report that athletic director Damon Evans' career has blown up.
WSB-TV sports director Zach Klein is citing a source within the UGA athletic department that Evans is out as athletic director.
According to the source, University of Georgia president Michael Adams has asked for and received Evans' resignation.
PM UPDATE: This will go down Monday according to the report from Tim Tucker and Chip Towers from the AJC. A teleconference is set for 11AM with the UGA Athletic Association's executive committee.
Evans was in meetings earlier Sunday with Edward Tolley, the attorney of the UGAA, and someone who identified himself as Damon's father, Sam, to determine an appropriate settlement under the terms of Evans' new contract that had kicked in on July 1.
After those meetings, Damon Evans was said to be with family in Boston.
FOSG Randy Waters tracked down the story in Athens...
((HT: WXIA-TV))
More info here...
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/24137668/detail.html
http://www.ajc.com/sports/report-evans-out-as-563982.html
Friday, July 2, 2010
Fuhrmann: Charges Are a "Misunderstanding," Evans Arrest Report Released...
Courtney Fuhrmann, the 28-year-old passenger in the car when Georgia AD Damon Evans was pulled over for DUI calls the charges against her a "misunderstanding," but declined to elaborate on her assertion...
Here's continuing coverage from our friends at WAGA-TV
Looks like Chris Shaw got the morning shift on this one...
((HT: myfoxatlanta.com))
Evans is set to appear in court on July 12...
The AJC's Rhonda Shaw says in her Friday article that Evans has consulted with attorneys in both Athens and Atlanta, and that he cannot simply pay a fine and move on from the charges levelled on him- the charges are not traffic offenses.
From Cook's piece:
The athletic director refused to submit to a test which means he will lose his license to drive within 30 days unless he can persuade an administrative law judge to reinstate it. Evans has 10 days to ask The Georgia Department of Driver Services for a hearing and as of Friday no such request had been made.
All three charges against Evans are misdemeanors, which allows for a maximum punishment of a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. State law also mandates 40 hours of community service and a drug and alcohol assessment, and possibly treatment of some kind for a DUI conviction. Georgia law considers a person intoxicated if their blood alcohol content registers at least .08.
The HQ believes that three words a married man doesn't need to be saying with a younger woman in the car...???
"Just a friend..."
PM UPDATE: The arrest report is out on the Evans DUI, and it's not pretty...
Evans admitted to the officer that he had a total of three martinis on the evening in two separate locations in Buckhead.
According to the arrest report, the arresting officer noticed that the subject (Evans) had “a red pair of lady’s panties between his legs.” Later in the report, the officer writes that he asked Evans “what her panties were doing in the seat and he stated, “she took them off and I held them because I was just trying to get her home.”
The officer reported that Evans also said, “I have a young lady and she is intoxicated and I am just trying to get her home.“ He also said, “I apologize and don’t want to use my influence but she is trying to protect me,” according to the report.
After being placed under arrest and refusing a preliminary breath test, the report says Evans told the officer, “I am not trying to bribe you, but I am the athletic director of the University of Georgia.” Evans reportedly then admitted he had been drinking and started crying, saying “I didn’t think I was drunk.”
Evans, apparently, also asked that he just be taken to a motel.
The report also states that Evans asked the officer, “I am not trying to bribe you, but is there anything you can do without arresting me?”
At the jail, Fuhrmann said the two had been seeing each other only a week or so, and then she said, “that I promise you one thing, he will get off... Just to let you know, it will be erased because he is the Athletic Director of UGA and he has that power.”
Boy, does this REALLY not look good...
In checking with our law enforcement sources, it is the opinion of one of them in particular that the arresting officer seemed to go out of his way to ask questions not germane to the situation. We'll see just how much of this information contained in the police report is directly related to the alleged misdemeanors and how much of it is just chest-thumping at a traffic stop.
More when we know more... and, yes, we have the copy of the arrest report but we're not going to post it online...
Here's continuing coverage from our friends at WAGA-TV
Looks like Chris Shaw got the morning shift on this one...
((HT: myfoxatlanta.com))
Evans is set to appear in court on July 12...
The AJC's Rhonda Shaw says in her Friday article that Evans has consulted with attorneys in both Athens and Atlanta, and that he cannot simply pay a fine and move on from the charges levelled on him- the charges are not traffic offenses.
From Cook's piece:
The athletic director refused to submit to a test which means he will lose his license to drive within 30 days unless he can persuade an administrative law judge to reinstate it. Evans has 10 days to ask The Georgia Department of Driver Services for a hearing and as of Friday no such request had been made.
All three charges against Evans are misdemeanors, which allows for a maximum punishment of a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. State law also mandates 40 hours of community service and a drug and alcohol assessment, and possibly treatment of some kind for a DUI conviction. Georgia law considers a person intoxicated if their blood alcohol content registers at least .08.
The HQ believes that three words a married man doesn't need to be saying with a younger woman in the car...???
"Just a friend..."
PM UPDATE: The arrest report is out on the Evans DUI, and it's not pretty...
Evans admitted to the officer that he had a total of three martinis on the evening in two separate locations in Buckhead.
According to the arrest report, the arresting officer noticed that the subject (Evans) had “a red pair of lady’s panties between his legs.” Later in the report, the officer writes that he asked Evans “what her panties were doing in the seat and he stated, “she took them off and I held them because I was just trying to get her home.”
The officer reported that Evans also said, “I have a young lady and she is intoxicated and I am just trying to get her home.“ He also said, “I apologize and don’t want to use my influence but she is trying to protect me,” according to the report.
After being placed under arrest and refusing a preliminary breath test, the report says Evans told the officer, “I am not trying to bribe you, but I am the athletic director of the University of Georgia.” Evans reportedly then admitted he had been drinking and started crying, saying “I didn’t think I was drunk.”
Evans, apparently, also asked that he just be taken to a motel.
The report also states that Evans asked the officer, “I am not trying to bribe you, but is there anything you can do without arresting me?”
At the jail, Fuhrmann said the two had been seeing each other only a week or so, and then she said, “that I promise you one thing, he will get off... Just to let you know, it will be erased because he is the Athletic Director of UGA and he has that power.”
Boy, does this REALLY not look good...
In checking with our law enforcement sources, it is the opinion of one of them in particular that the arresting officer seemed to go out of his way to ask questions not germane to the situation. We'll see just how much of this information contained in the police report is directly related to the alleged misdemeanors and how much of it is just chest-thumping at a traffic stop.
More when we know more... and, yes, we have the copy of the arrest report but we're not going to post it online...
Thursday, July 1, 2010
UGA AD Arrested For DUI, 28 YO Passenger Also Arrested
It was not a good day for University of Georgia Athletic Director Damon Evans...
Even if it was the first day for his new five-year contract...
In Buckhead, the northern Atlanta bar district, close to midnight last night, Evans was pulled over after being seen driving erratically. A field sobriety test was administered, and the officer giving the test determined that Evans was not able to drive a car safely enough.
He was arrested and declined a breathalyzer exam. Evans was charged with DUI and failure to maintain a lane.
Evans held a press conference late Thursday explaining himself
Here's coverage from our friends at WAGA-TV...
((HT: Myfoxatlanta.com))
And the team coverage from FOSG Ken Rodriguez and Justin Gray is below...
Even if it was the first day for his new five-year contract...
In Buckhead, the northern Atlanta bar district, close to midnight last night, Evans was pulled over after being seen driving erratically. A field sobriety test was administered, and the officer giving the test determined that Evans was not able to drive a car safely enough.
He was arrested and declined a breathalyzer exam. Evans was charged with DUI and failure to maintain a lane.
Evans held a press conference late Thursday explaining himself
Here's coverage from our friends at WAGA-TV...
((HT: Myfoxatlanta.com))
And the team coverage from FOSG Ken Rodriguez and Justin Gray is below...
Friday, July 10, 2009
Cutler Completion To Stafford= NCAA Violation
((HT: Athens Banner-Herald/Marc Weiszer))
Georgia self-reported eight NCAA secondary violations - four involving the football program - during the first six months of 2009, including one that came after a tip from the NFL Players Association led the school to discover that four players got complimentary tickets to an Atlanta Falcons game.
The NFLPA had concerns that agents had been inappropriately contacting a Georgia draft prospect, according to a copy of a letter sent by Georgia to Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive and obtained through an open records request.
The Georgia's player's name was redacted by the school, which cited a federal student privacy law, but fullback Shaun Chapas said Wednesday that quarterback Matthew Stafford got complimentary tickets.
The player told Georgia officials he got four tickets from NFL quarterback Jay Cutler ((pictured, thanks NashvilleScene.com)) for a November game. Cutler was playing for the Denver Broncos at the time and is now with the Chicago Bears.
The Georgia player told athletic department officials that he had known Cutler since his junior year of high school and had maintained a relationship by phone and text messages. The player said he texted Cutler for tickets for the Broncos' Nov. 16 game at the Georgia Dome.
Stafford was the top overall pick in April's NFL draft by the Detroit Lions and signed for an NFL-record $41.7 million in guarantees.
The players that got tickets, valued at $40 each, donated that amount to the Boys and Girls Club of Athens.
"We had to pay the money back for the tickets, which is fine," Chapas said.
The NCAA defines a secondary violation as "isolated or inadvertent in nature," and providing only a "minimal" recruiting or competitive advantage.
Georgia listed the violation as being reported on Jan. 9, two days after Stafford and tailback Knowshon Moreno held a news conference to announce their entry into the draft. The letter to Slive was dated Dec. 10.
This spring, Georgia pushed for an NCAA rule change that would allow players to get tickets from NFL players instead of getting them under the table, but it was shot down by SEC schools. Georgia athletic director Damon Evans wanted current college players to be permitted to get tickets from friends that were former teammates.
"It failed mightily," Evans said at the SEC spring meetings in Destin, Fla. "I think they were looking at all of the unintended consequences that may come out of it."
The other football violations were for a non-coaching staff member attending a coaching clinic, a UGA booster phoning a recruit after signing day and a coach leaving a message for a recruit after another coach spoke with the recruit the previous day.
Among the violations in other sports:
► The softball team exceeded the NCAA maximum equivalency limit by distributing 12.45 scholarships.
The NCAA permits 12.0. The case was reported in June and is not yet resolved. Georgia's scholarship aid could be reduced to 11.1 as a penalty for a year.
► The women's basketball coaching staff provided an additional hotel room for a recruit's mother while the recruit and mother were on their way to campus for an official visit.
► A women's tennis player received a grant-in-aid for less than a one-year period against NCAA rules and a track and field recruit took an official visit without being added to the NCAA's eligibility center's Web site.
All have been resolved by the NCAA and SEC except for two that were reported in June.
Georgia's eight violations were down from 15 in the second half of 2008 and 14 in the first half.
"I think based on our coaches, how they're acting, our monitoring, that's a relatively low number, which is indicative of our coaches doing the right thing," said assistant athletic director for compliance Eric Baumgartner.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The General went down to Georgia
Knight Moves...
Okay, can someone please explain something to us? Why would Bobby Knight, legendary but crazy College Basketball Coach and now analyst for the 4-Letter Word (ESPN) want to be the Head Basketball Coach at the University of Georgia?
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution's legendary Columnist Furman Bisher, Knight has let it be known that he'd like the gig. Check out Furman's story here
Now, knowing Furman, who has been at this much longer than I've been alive, there is definitely a nugget of truth to this. He wouldn't have reported it if there wasn't. Again the question is why?
Yes, Georgia is desperate to find a way to create some buzz with its Basketball team. They are, for lack of a better phrase, "The Red-Headed Stepchild" of the UGA Athletic Program. Not counting last March's miracle tournament run, they've had no measurable success since the '80's.
It's not to say that they can't. The school just built a $30 million dollar practice facility for its Basketball and Gymanstics teams and it is very, very impressive. There is plenty of Basketball talent inside the state to draw from and the fans are looking for a reason to support them. It will be interesting to hear if UGA President Michael Adams or Atheltic Director Damon Evans contact Knight. Knight apparently wants to be called. Why not? It can't hurt. I'm not saying he'd be the perfect choice, but it does open one's imagination as to the possibilities.
((photo courtesy of Ronald Martinez/Getty Images))
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