Chargers Rookie DT Cam Thomas Involved in NCAA Investigation of UNC
by creanium on Aug 12, 2010 12:01 PM PDT
in San Diego Chargers News
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PrintIt appears the NCAA is investigating the University of North Carolina's football program for violating the "preferential treatment" bylaw, and in the middle of the investigation is Charger's fifth-round draft pick, Cam Thomas.
During the 2007 season, Thomas played along the defensive line at UNC along with Kentwan Balmer and Marvin Austin. Balmer entered the NFL draft following that season and was selected in the first round by the San Francisco 49ers.
In the summer prior to the 2009 season, Balmer invited Thomas and Austin out to California to work out with him at the Proactive Sports Performance, near Thousand Oaks. It has recently come out, through comments made by Thomas, that Balmer paid for Thomas and Austin to come out west. So yes, essentially Balmer flew his two former teammates, and presumably friends, out to California to work out with him. This seems innocent enough, right?
Well, things get a little complicated when you start looking at how players and agents are connected. While at UNC, the three players had the same position coach: John Blake. Balmer and Blake both have connections to the same agent: Gary Wichard. This has become the crux of the the NCAA's investigation.
The NCAA is investigating just what happened during the trip to California, focusing on whether or not Austin (and/or Thomas) received improper benefits from an agent. Under the NCAA's "preferential treatment" bylaw, athletes are not to receive "preferential treatment, benefits or services because of the individual's athletics reputation or skill or pay-back potential as a professional athlete, unless such treatment, benefits or services are specifically permitted under NCAA legislation."
There's a lot that isn't clear here just yet. For starters, what would happen if Thomas and Austin were found to have violated the rules? Problem is, there's no set precedence or rule for punishment; it's all based on the crime committed.
Some of the possible punishments range from just a one-game suspension for Austin this season, to vacating all the games in which Thomas or Austin played during the 2009 season, which was just, ummm, all of them. This would erase UNC's 8-5 season record. Or, Austin and Thomas could be cleared of any wrong-doing and nothing happens.
So essentially this could all be forgotten, or it could be yet another NCAA Football scandal involving an NFL player, a la Reggie Bush. Of course, this doesn't quite match the magnitude of what happened in USC, it most certainly could be a huge blow to UNC's football program.
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Meh...
The big question should be, is Cam Thomas’ agent this Gary Wichard guy? And wait and see if Marvin Austin hires Wichard as his agent when he declares for the draft…if so, MAYBE there is something to this. If not, doesn’t seem like any preferential treatment was given, unless I’m misunderstanding something.
Seems like an ex-teammate hit a payday and used the money to fly out his college buddies for a workout.
Cam Thomas’ agent is the fantastically-named Hadley Engelhard, who works for an entirely different sports agency firm altogether.
Bolts from the Blue - Destroying your opinions with facts.
by John Gennaro on Aug 12, 2010 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions
It’s pretty simple. Guy took money when he wasn’t supposed to and his former team/teammates will get in trouble for it. It’s news.
Bolts from the Blue - Destroying your opinions with facts.
by John Gennaro on Aug 12, 2010 12:28 PM PDT up reply actions
just because Cam doesn't have the same agent that's potentially involved
Doesn’t mean he couldn’t have received preferential treatment from a different agent.
"Don’t get nervous. Norv is in charge."
Not really important
Unless we are changing over to a UNC blog.
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
by Wonko on Aug 12, 2010 12:13 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
We're not becoming a UNC blog
But it’s still a story that involves a current Chargers player.
"Don’t get nervous. Norv is in charge."
I didn't say the story shouldn't be posted
I said “Not really important” as in not really important to the outcome of the season. Make sense?
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
Makes sense
But that “to the outcome of the season” kind of changes the tone of your comment. I took it as “the story is not really important to us whatsoever”, heh.
"Don’t get nervous. Norv is in charge."
I'll bet that Austin
is now wishing that he had entered the draft as a junior.
If the thunder don't get ya then the lightning will!!
Robert Hunter
The only potential problem
Is if Thomas is distracted or taken away from his Charger duties by this investigation. Its possible, but I don’t see it being a big deal.
On a side note, the NCAA can go jump in a lake. Vacating wins is just about the dumbest, least meaningful “penalty” imaginable. The games happened. We saw them happen. Tens of thousands of people were there in person. Millions watched on TV. We have box scores and game logs and hours upon hours of video from 50 different angles of the games happening. To try and pretend they didn’t because a could guys worked out with a friend (or even if they received some cash) is the height of delusion. Its a weak and hypocritical attempt for the NCAA to maintain its non-profit status while at the same time reaping in bigger and bigger profits every year.
Rant over.
agree... totally
The peanut gallery has spoken!!!
agreed...question:
When the wins are vacated from a season, do the teams they played against get an additional win to replace a loss if they were beaten by the team that is getting “punished”? Does that win then count towards potential records, like win streaks, winningest coaches/QB’s, etc?
I don't think so
It’s not a forfeit, its vacated. They don’t go down as losses for the team, nor does the opponent get victories. For example, according to the NCAA the 2005 Orange Bowl never happened. Oklahoma doesn’t get the win. The stats for the team being punished are wiped out, or at least for the players who were in violation, but I think the other team gets to keep theirs (though I never really thought about it till now).
I suppose if you lost to a team which then vacated the victory, it wouldn’t count one way or another towards a winning or losing streak. It would just get skipped over, at least in the “official” books.
Vacated wins can also be returned later, as was the case with Oklahoma. They had to vacate a season recently, but then the NCAA changed their minds for some reason. Bob Stoops lost a bunch of victories off his win total, but he didn’t get the losses. His record just went from something like 100-20 to 90-20, then back to 100-20 after the wins were replaced. Bobby Bowden also had his win total hurt when FSU had to vacate some wins, not sure but that might have put him behind Paterno again.
N C Hey Hey!
Based on the minute amount of information available it seems that the NCAA is trying to insert the agent into this situation. What’s the beef if a friend (non agent), who can afford it, buys tickets for his friends to come visit? The friendship is indisputable. They’ve obviously worked out/trained together in the past. Just because one goes pro they have to end their relationship? Don’t think so. All Balmer should have to do is provide a CC or bank statement showing the airline tickets and PSP training session(s) were paid for by himself, case closed!
You'd think it would be that easy
But according to the NCAA, that would likely be an improper benefit. If a student athlete is getting gifts or things paid for by another person, they better be related by blood or marriage or the NCAA is gonna have a hissy fit.
What exactly is right about college football right now (NCAA, BCS, etc)?
"Don’t get nervous. Norv is in charge."
Good question
Aside from the heart that these kids show on the field …. not much. :-(
If the thunder don't get ya then the lightning will!!
Robert Hunter
by Buck Melanoma on Aug 14, 2010 4:38 AM PDT up reply actions
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