The old expression goes, "Where there's smoke, there's fire." The smoke can clearly be seen on the plains. And this time, it isn't because a barn is burning. In the case of Reggie Bush, the fire wasn't found until years after the alleged wrongdoing took place. In that instance, USC was punished well after Bush had left for the NFL. This begs the question of how soon the NCAA will discover what Auburn's role was, if any, in its own scandal.
Indeed, Auburn itself is no stranger to NCAA scandals. In 1991, it was revealed that Auburn had given payments to some of its players. By 1993, the NCAA penalized Auburn with a two-year bowl ban, a one-year television ban, and the loss of 13 scholarships over the course of four years. This also resulted in the departure of head coach Pat Dye in 1992, although Dye is still closely associated with the Auburn football program.
In the south, football is like a religion. The taste of success can easily cloud the better judgment of its practitioners. But if Cam Newton were an investment, Auburn should ask itself: Were the risks worth the rewards, or was going "all in" on a junk bond the biggest mistake of its program?
Article comments
1 - MaxShelby
"And although the context is different, someone should remind Auburn that going "all in" can be very dangerous."
Truer words were never spoken, but they like to live dangerously it seems.
Great article!