The Bodda Getta

I'm not sure how such a mild statement could possibly "make everything right," even in the limited sense you are talking about. But I don't think Cam has any obligation to publicly throw his father under the bus. On another thread, I argued against those who said Cecil doesn't owe anyone a public explanation and apology, because he certainly does. But no one should expect Cam to criticize his father in public.

Careful -- that is exactly the kind of thinking that leads a lot of people to say, "Oh, come on, do you really think Cam went to Auburn for free if his dad was shopping him at MSU?"

Bush got his benefits from an agent, and the NCAA found that one of the USC coaches either knew about it or should have known. I would assume that if anyone else was on the take out there, the NCAA would have found out about it during their 4-year investigation. Either way, I'm not willing to assume there was more cheating in the absence of evidence, because I'm sick of everyone doing that to us.

The question has to be asked. The difference being that Kenny Rogers is a MSU alum and he has (thought he had) the connections at MSU to pull it off. There are no connections at any other program and Rogers was not in contact with any other program. Rogers in the link to this.

We know money changed hands at USC. There is no evidence money changed hands with Newton. That is a big difference. There is also the factor that Bush knew about the benefits. There are some huge differences between USC/Bush and the Newton saga, and the NCAA obviously sees those differences.

Bush was a blue-chip player on a team of blue chip players. What are the odds that he was the only one to receive benefits? It is a valid question.
Kenny Rogers would have to have balls of steel to walk-in and ask for $180,000 dollars for a player from MSU boosters....... unless has worked deals in the past and really thought he could make it happen. Speculation? Yes.

Nice name calling, WarEagle! Glad you trust Cam, even though you don't know him. What do you trust? His smile? His throwing ability? His 40 time? His family? Glad you have so much trust in someone who has been on the very verge of zeroing out our season, and discrediting the name of our university...all for one year's playing time. Glad you have so much trust in Cam.

Listen carefully to my point before you blow too hard too much more. I'm thankful we won. I've been waiting for this game a long, long time, just like the rest of us. I personally think (after years and years of scrutiny) that Auburn has a tight, professional, law-abiding program, and I trust Chizik to do the right thing. However, Cam's dad is guilty of soliciting, and if they at any point in time implicate Cam, then Auburn is, too. I like Cam...he says the right things and plays with a good attitude. It would help for him to make a statement that distances himself from his father's motives other than simply saying, "I've done nothing wrong...if God be blessing, the devil be messing."

Mississippi Tiger 67, glad you're so informed of the ins-and-outs of the program in the 80s (and appreciate your little pissing contest there: "I know more about the blue BMW's and what went on then more than you'll even know"). If you're so informed, then you know that the program was in fact dirty, like many during that era.

I don't have a defeatist attitude: I'm just not eager for Auburn to go down because of this, and it'd be nice for Cam (or Chizik for that matter) to say a little more than they have. It wouldn't hurt...they've got a freaking legal team behind them that can craft a statement.

You rah-rah types can jump in the lake for all I care, because it's supporters like you who wind up getting Auburn in trouble in the first place. I love Auburn. I love the football. But I'm not willing for the football to drag the university down, as apparently you are in your blind naivete. Much as I dislike Thayer Evens, Thamel, etc...they didn't just conjure up this story. It originated with Cam's father having an illegal discussion with people associated with a Division I football program...get it? You better hope (as I do) that not one of those discussions ever happened with a rogue Auburn booster, or even that Cam knew about this.

I'm not condemning Auburn. They've gone by the book. I'm questioning it's star player, and wanting a little more feedback/info/comment from him. I want this magnificent season to stick, and not be forever tainted by this mess. Get it?

I'm out. You win. War Eagle anyway.

Wow. You thought clown was name calling..? Thin skin for a glass half-empty kind of guy.

Here's what you've said that I have issue with:
"I don't want to win a championship with an asterisk beside it. Auburn has worked hard for 20 years to clean this act up. Too hard to let a greedy father drag it down. Glad we won. Yippee. But I don't want the asterisk."

My point is that the asterisk is coming from what? Cam Newton is eligible. That was made perfectly clear this week from both the NCAA and SEC. You, and folks like you, are putting the asterisk. There is no asterisk unless you put it there. You are complicit in the smear campaign against Cam (not his father) with your attitude, a defeatist attitude. I don't have a defeatist attitude. I trust our coaching staff. I trust that the NCAA has more information than you or I and they made it clear, to me at least, that they have heard Nothing throughout all of this that indicates that either Auburn or Cam did anything wrong. I trust our compliance department, and yes, I trust Cam. No, I don't know him. But I choose to believe him. I have seen nothing in this episode that makes me not trust him. His father, well, different story..

You also said: "Listen, you may accept that "everyone else does it, so why don't we" mentality, but, as an Auburn Alumnus, I do not. I don't want the crap going on."

What? Seriously? Where did anyone on here say that everyone does it, so why don't we??? No true Auburn fan believes that. And when you say "I don't want this crap going on" I would agree with you if you're talking about Cecil and various people associated with the MSU program. But it seems like you're actually assuming that Cam or Auburn has done something wrong. Am I right? If not, then why do you say "I don't want this crap going on?" Because, based on the facts as they are known now, NOTHING has gone on at Auburn or with Cam. So this is where you lose me. You seem to be assuming that something did, but that it hasn't been brought to light yet. I do not believe that. If you think that, I can see why you are in your 'asterisk' mode. The NCAA investigation, so far, has exonerated both Auburn and Cam. So as an Auburn family we have two options: Wait for the other shoe to drop (on Cam, and then Auburn), or, have faith in our staff and Cam and enjoy the heck out of a great team and great season. To do the latter does not, by the way, somehow equate to accepting a "if everyone else does it, so why don't we" mentality. I don't believe we (Auburn or Cam) has done anything wrong. If that makes me naive, as you indicated above, so be it. I would rather be naive than defeated. If the facts change later, I'll deal with them later. Right now, Cam Newton is an eligible student-athlete and Auburn is going to be playing for a national championship. Neither you or some yet-to-be-revealed facts you seem sure are going to doom us, are going to stop me from enjoying this season. Hope you are able to enjoy the game in Glendale. If you're going, let me know. I'll buy you a beer, coke, or whatever you'd like :)

And you are making my point. Just because it's the conventional wisdom, why do we have to go along with this crap? According to the facts that are currently known, neither Auburn nor Cam has done anything wrong. The NCAA has come out and stated such. Cam is eligible. So, while you are correct that the major media and a ton of fans (unfortunately some Auburn fans included..) all "refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of [y]our [potential] championship", that doesn't mean that we have to go along with this 'asterisk' idea and take up this type of defeatist attitude. I will battle the notion that we have to somehow apologize for our season. Unless facts come out vastly different that what is currently known, I will battle the notion that we have done anything wrong. And I will battle the attempts at stealing my joy regarding this season and this football team. War Eagle folks!

I will battle it, too, and am doing so daily (can't tell you how many comments I've posted on other sites and e-mails I've sent to sportswriters).

That said, my point still stands. O.J. Simpson, you will recall, was found not guilty in a court of law. Yet the public rightly refused to accept the legitimacy of that outcome. So even though he prevailed in court, the public has treated him like a double-murderer ever since.

Now the obvious difference is that O.J. actually did it, and Auburn is innocent in this situation. But the point is that if the public refuses to accept the "official" ruling, you can't just wish away the tarnish with denial and happy talk.

Well, I thought I was pretty clear that I was not comparing the two situations from a guilt standpoint. My point, as I said, was that the public is not required to accept the "official" ruling and often doesn't. If, as seems to be the case, the public and the media thinks Auburn's season merits an asterisk, it will have one no matter what the NCAA says.

.....and yet you STILL pretend that you know my opinion and attitude by grouping me in with a "type" and putting words in my mouth?

Yeah, you're out.....and can stay there.

I'll tell all of you this: I'm not going to sit around wringing my hands for the next 36 days being jerked around by rumor after ridiculous rumor or listen to other, well intentioned Auburn people squabble back and forth. I'm proud to be an Auburn Tiger, I'm very proud of this coaching staff and football team and I enjoyed the game Saturday immensely as much as I have enjoyed all of this season and their incredible accomplishments. I'm going to go to Glendale with other family members where we will have a great time and fully support our team in the BCS Championship game. As I've said previously, I have followed and supported Auburn football for fifty years and I'm not about to let a bunch of faceless internet cowards with myriad agendas ruin it. Win or lose this is the most exciting, courageous Auburn football team I've ever seen that plays, as Coach Dye used to say, "with one heartbeat" If we win, I'll proclaim to my dying day that we won the National Championship on the field for the 2010 football season on January 10, 2011. And, unless some legitimate news regarding Cam surfaces between now and then, I'm finished reading all of this crap.

Oh, and by the way, Delta Tiger, I agree with you. From now on I will challenge anyone who voices or pens a rumor, no matter how logical it sounds, about any team unless it's a proven fact. War Eagle and Happy Holidays!!

One more thing, we all need to get used to the idea that this controversy will never end. People will believe what they want to believe and some petty, small minded, jealous folks will use this to tweak the noses of AU fans for as long as they can get a reaction. That's just the way it is.

Amen. Now you're talking! Wish you were able to go though..