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Phillip's late blog: A sad state of affairs in my business

  • This is sad. And I mean really, really sad.

    I have been reading the columns thrown up by writers across the country. It makes me wonder what the business that I have loved for more than four decades is coming to.

    A street agent with all sorts of problems of his own, supposedly, tells Mississippi State he can deliver Cam Newton for $180,000. Newton goes to Auburn.

    Presto! Auburn and Newton and his family are guilty. No doubt about it. Never mind that Auburn isn't being investigated by the NCAA. Never mind that no one at Auburn, including Newton, has been accused of wrongdoing. Never mind that he has not been ruled ineligible.

    Why let those little facts get in the way?

    The worst of all was written by Pete Fiutak of Foxsports.com. I don’t make a habit of criticizing other reporters or columnists. They put their names on what they say, and they have to answer for it.

    But Fiutak, who knows nothing about the situation, goes so far over the line he can't even see the line.

    Here's three paragraphs that tell you all you need to know:

    "Auburn, your reputation as an academic institution, which is what you allegedly are, and your credibility as a university is on the line here. On the mere suspicion of impropriety, you have to suspend Newton. Yes, your prize JUCO transfer, who left Florida after getting arrested on three felony counts relating to a stolen laptop computer, can't wear an Auburn uniform until more of the story is uncovered. (And Florida, you had better get working on your story about how you got Newton to come to Gainesville in the first place.)

    "Again, this isn't a court of law. He's guilty until he proves his innocence on this one since this goes beyond a message-board rumor or some rumblings from insiders. Do you really think Mississippi State officials would put their neck on this type of a chopping block on a mere allegation or in an attempt at gamesmanship? Of course not.

    "No, Auburn coach Gene Chizik shouldn't be fired right now without any investigation, and Newton doesn't have to be booted off the team yet, but neither one should be allowed to wear the Auburn colors for the foreseeable future. They can't as long there's any question whatsoever over if they're dirty or not."

    Because a street agent told John Bond he tried to get Mississippi State to pay money to sign Newton, then Newton and Chizik should be suspended at Auburn? I'll have to admit, in 40-plus years of covering sports and reading the best in the business, I've never seen anything like that.

    If anybody ought to be suspended or fired, it is the person who wrote it.

    He was the worst on a bad night, but he wasn';t the only one. Newton and his family have been tried and convicted. Auburn is dirty and doesn't deserve the national championship. Newton is dirty and doesn't deserve the Heisman Trophy. So the story goes.

    Look, I don't know where all this is headed. I know what I believe. Maybe there's real evidence hidden out there somewhere. If there is, I haven't seen it and neither has anyone associated with Auburn. If there was any evidence at all, he would not be playing.

    But what the hell! Why worry about evidence? Why not just trash a kid and his family beyond belief just because you can? When it's over and he has been found guilty of nothing, will these people care what they've done to him and his family? Nope.,

    Is this really what my business has come to?

    This post was edited by PhillipMarshall on 11/4/2010 at 11:58 PM

      PhillipMarshall

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        "In our roots lies our strength"

        TigerzBaby

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      • Cecil Newton knew what his son went through at Florida, and he was very proud of the man his son became through all that and his time at Blinn College. Why on Earth would he risk his son's future? None of this really adds up. I don't know the Newton family personally, but from interviews I've heard they seem like good people. I just don't believe the Newtons did anything that could be considered wrong or against the rules. I hate what these people are saying and doing. They are ruining the name of good people. Thanks for all your hard work and long hours PM. It's not going unnoticed or unappreciated. WAR EAGLE!

          AUWDE5704

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            slalomdrew

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              I belive in Auburn, and love it! War Eagle every day!

              DenverTiger

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                humesnj

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              • I posted this reply on the "facts" article, but wanted it to be seen here as well. Pete Fiutak should be petitioned to be fired.

                Just FYI, my email (copied below) is to the Fox Sports reporter, Pete Fiutak who wrote the article saying Coach Chizik and Cam Newton should be suspended. I would like to suggest that everyone else feel free to email this moron as well.

                Mr. Fiutak,
                Are you actually an employee or do you write your wild and comical fantacies for free? Surely Fox doesn't pay you anything to make yourself and their website look like an absolute joke and discredit all reputations involved to the point of complete idocy. It is painfully obvious for everyone that reads your stupid opinions that you lack any semblance of character or integrity. If you value your reputation at ALL, you will actually do some research and report some facts about the story, specifically that Auburn has already concluded that no violations occurred BEFORE the season started, then offer an immediate apology. Even then, you will still be widely considered a complete JOKE. So congratulations idiot.

                  "Listen, Carnell Williams has been an inspiration to this football program and to this university. We're going to miss him when he's gone."

                  rpp4au

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                • Read this one yet Phillip?

                  Don't vote for Auburn's Cam Newton for Heisman Trophy - CFB News - FOX Sports on MSN

                  Dont vote for Auburns Cam Newton for Heisman Trophy

                  msn.foxsports.com

                    mwdeav

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                      Sactownjoey

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                        PhillipMarshall

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                          Sactownjoey

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                            Wareagle0008

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                              PhillipMarshall

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                                Wareagle0008

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                                  PhillipMarshall

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                                • I have never seen anything like the phenomenon of watching this "story" mushroom over the past few hours. All based on a quote almost a year old from one ex football player relating claims that another ex football player made about recruiting a player to their school. If this person is to be believed, Miss State informed the SEC and NCAA about this supposed inproprietary claim made by the ex player last December. Surely Auburn was informed about this soon after. Published reports have stated that Auburn has known about this at least since July. Does anybody really believe that Auburn officials either were too lazy to investigate the recruiting of Cam Newton by Auburn or knew there might be possible NCAA violations surrounding the recruitment of Cam Newton and decided to ignore the facts and let him play this year? Or that they thought they might get away with the most serious of NCAA violations and let Cam Newton play this year even though the NCAA and SEC had already been notified in December 2009 of possible recruiting violations relating to his recruitment? This is ludicrous!! Nobody could be that stupid!! I refuse to believe that Auburn officials would knowingly be a part of offering any illegal inducements to any player to sign scholarship papers and I refuse to believe that Auburn officials would have allowed any player to compete on the field if there were any doubts as to the eligibility of that player.

                                  The saddest part of all this is that Cam, his family and Auburn have already been judged to be guilty by almost everyone, it seems, and they will never be able to scrub this thing clean no matter what happens.

                                    We've Won 9

                                  • I'm also vetoing Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports for his incendiary remarks: "As recruiting stories go, this is exactly how coaches quietly say it works [the payment-for-play]...", and then suggests Cam goes to Reggie Bush for advice. He suggests not that Cam is guilty, but that he's just getting "played" by a corrupt system and university, complete with corrupt boosters. Come on! How long has it been since the mess with Albert Means? Every big booster now knows to stay away. Doesn't mean they do it, but I refuse to believe this.

                                      aub24-7

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                                    • For all the negative reporters out there this for you. moonmoonmoonmoonmoonmoon

                                        Life Partners Forever.

                                        FreeBird1716

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                                          Wareagle0008

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                                            eglaize23

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                                              General1972

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                                            • HERE IS A ARTICLE THAT SHOWS THE TYPE OF REPORTER FIUTAK IS, THIS IS RUN OF THE MILL REPORTING FOR HIM..

                                              Pete Fiutak Is Incapable of Checking The Most Basic Facts
                                              by CW on Jul 15, 2010 12:03 PM EDT in Notre Dame Football

                                              Her Loyal Sons has more mistakes, but really, this is the worst thing you could possibly write in a Notre Dame preview:

                                              New recuit Matt James might not be an elite prospect, but he was on everyone’s list of the best tackles of this year’s recruiting class with the size and frame to sit at one tackle spot for 4 years. At 6-7 and 291 pounds, the Cincinnati native followed Brian Kelly to South Bend and will get a long look at playing time right away on the outside. Even though he’s tall, he’s physical for the ground game and does a good job of shoving people around.

                                              Matt James tragically died in March while on spring break. That was a national story featured on Good Morning, America, ESPN and many other mainstream outlets. It's now July. By any journalistic standard, this is absolutely inexcusable.

                                              • mwdeavers said...

                                                Read this one yet Phillip?

                                                This guy used to write for the new york times. . . HMMM.

                                                Everything I've seen from fox in this is extremely slanted toward making people believe Cam and Auburn are guilty of something.

                                                Saw myself lat night, that fox 5 in Atlanta is reporting the Cam Newton and Auburn are under NCAA investigation. Ken Rodriquez, their head sports guy, said that quote "Auburn is being asked some tough questions".

                                                This post was edited by WDERay on 11/5/2010 at 8:26 AM

                                                  WDERay

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                                                • Sadly, Phillip, the majority of sportswriters are all about the notoriety, not the facts. I grew up reading your Dad, Furman Bisher, etc. Now, everybody wants to be a Finebaum. Is it just a hunch that Mark Schlabach is a Georgia grad and was a major player at ESPN in this story "breaking" now, just 10 days or so before the Auburn-Georgia game? Hell, no. I remember the "Brent Fullwood isn't going to class" story - just before an Auburn-Alabama game. This "news" has evidently been out there since at least the summer. My guess is, lots of sportswriters had heard about it, but dismissed it because Kenny Rogers was involved. If this is an attempt to damage Cam Newton, maybe everyone should be reminded of the past troubles of Oregon's LaMichael James. I have every confidence in the Auburn football staff, athletic department and Coach Chizik. Ironically, all this could galvanize this team even more. If this turns out to be a vicious, dishonest attempt by some to smear Cam Newton and Auburn, I hope AU and Chizik have a long memory. War Damn Eagle. HEY!soapbox

                                                    JuniorAce

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                                                  • mwdeavers said...

                                                    Read this one yet Phillip?

                                                    Wow! What a hack! This JackWagon takes one alleged accusation by a guy (Rogers) the NFLPA has considered bringing charges against, and starts his own private Anti-Cam Heisman campaign. He even starts a Pro-Kellen Moore campaign, too. I really don't give a crap at this point if Boise State plays Oregon, or TCU, or Hoover High School for the BCS championship. It's all a bunch of dishonest drivel for the main part. Thank goodness for people like Phillip Marshall.

                                                      JuniorAce

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