🏈 Who Should be Held Responsible for the NCAA Sanctions?

[CRIMSONTUSKS.COM BLOG]

By Terry Pellman

There are two things to be said about Southeastern Conference sports fans. One, they represent a segment of college sports fans whose passion for their respective teams is arguably unmatched around the nation. Two, depending on the situation, it can also be argued they lose perspective more quickly, ...

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[Alibamoone]

thanks for the read. i learned something i didn't know.

do you really thing the athletic department is good from top to bottom? seriously, do think think its time for a change?

 

[TerryP]

Fair question.

Yes, and no.

I'll repeat the word again, perspective.

I see a lot of the problems we've dealt with the last few years as a by-product of Andrew Sorenson. I'd say Bob Bockrath as well, but that goes back to Sorenson as well.

My view of the athletic department, and honestly this is the easiest way I know how to describe it, is it's a lot like a bureaucracy.

In a bureaucracy, no matter how much and how quickly you want to see changes it's something that takes time.

It's not a fair comparison at face value to compare it to the academic side of the University, but in a manner of speaking it is as well.

On the academic side, you can't just fire a professor because you want him out. His career and tenure come into play.

Over the last ten years we've seen the beginnings of the athletic department being reorganized. We've seen people in positions they weren't qualified to be in, or they didn't have the best of the University in mind, moved out of their jobs.

Johnnie Williams and Marie Robbins are two that come to mind although Marie has been reassigned. Bureauracracy is a great term to describe that move. Look at Chris King's move as well...

Bringing in Mike Ward was a good move. Mike Vollmar was as well.

Finus Gaston is sitting in his chair due to his father's contributions. There's one that would be better off moving on.

The notion that the athletic department is being ran by the "good ol' boy" network isn't as true today as it was. Those people carry very, very little influence on the operations.

But, there still remains people within the UA structure that want more power than they deserve or can handle.

Malcolm Portera is a great example. He's done his job on the academic side of the University. But, when he starts trying to excercise his weight on the athletic side he's entering an arena he has no place in. Shula was his boy. He pushed for RichRod strongly.

I like the idea of stability. So, as these changes are continuing I like the idea of Moore remaining in his position.

Coach Saban respects and enjoys working under Moore. That's very important in my mind. (we dont have to look far to remember Stallings leaving because of the crap Bockrath tried to pull)

The health of the sports programs has improved over the last few years but there are still programs that need more attention. I'm in a wait and see mode with women's basketball - though I have faith in Coach Hudson to build a foundation there and then move on to someone else in a few years.

Baseball? There's an area that deserves attention. But, more on a "arms race" than a "coaching situation" in my opinion.

-----

You can see there are pro's and con's.

But, you can also see how things are progressing, albeit slower than a lot would like. Again, in the bureaucratic system that is an athletic department it takes time.

One thing I am confident in saying.

Dr. Witt gets it. He understands how a strong athletic prescence is a tremendous help to the academic side of the Unversity.

LOL...does that answer your questions? :shock:

 

[BAMANEWSBOT]

Who Should Be Held Responsible for Alabama's NCAA Sanctions?

By Terry Pellman

Read More Here...

 

[Kozlowski]

Mal Moore would have never been hired for AD anywhere in country except for Bama. Moore would have been fired in this position (more than once) anywhere in country except for Bama.

Saying the Albert Means situation was all before Moore is extremely misleading too. Hell, he was mentioned in the findings! (hotel room in Nashville)

Moore deserved to fired many times ago. This clearly shows (IMO) that the good ole boy network is still alive and well.

Moore has been in the position for a decade!! Your trying to paint a picture of him inheriting all these problems is like blaming Sabans 10th year on Mike Shula.

 

[psychojoe]

Terry, I agree that the two athletic department underlings bear the brunt of the resposibility; Dever for either incompetence or indifference to the job he was supposed to be doing, and Almond for being unaware of or indifferent to Dever's performance. As I and others have said, it is disturbing that these two men remain in the same jobs with the same responsibility as before, with, as you said, only a slap on the wrist.

If you look at Mal as a CEO type, he would be held responsible for knowing whether or not his subordinates in the department were doing their jobs. He is in this sense accountable for their misdeeds. IMO the two offenders should have been reassigned, at least, in order to eliminate something in this category from happening again.

 

[Bo]

Mal Moore would have never been hired for AD anywhere in country except for Bama. Moore would have been fired in this position (more than once) anywhere in country except for Bama.

Saying the Albert Means situation was all before Moore is extremely misleading too. Hell, he was mentioned in the findings! (hotel room in Nashville)

Moore deserved to fired many times ago. This clearly shows (IMO) that the good ole boy network is still alive and well.

Moore has been in the position for a decade!! Your trying to paint a picture of him inheriting all these problems is like blaming Sabans 10th year on Mike Shula.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[TerryP]

Mal Moore would have never been hired for AD anywhere in country except for Bama. Moore would have been fired in this position (more than once) anywhere in country except for Bama.

I'm not convinced that's true.

He did have a resume with experience in different facets in the athletic department.

If you had an individual like him, but was a grad of another school, I'd say the chances of him being hired as the AD are as good as they were here.

Now, if you were to put that in the context of his experience at Alabama leading to him being hired at another institution of Alabama's stature I'd agree with you. Most schools like that would look outside of their University if they didn't have a guy like Moore in place.

This very well may be something we disagree on. But, Moore was a good hire for the University when he was hired. Out of the candidates interviewed, it was his goals laid out in the interview that landed him the job.

Saying the Albert Means situation was all before Moore is extremely misleading too. Hell, he was mentioned in the findings! (hotel room in Nashville)

Assuming Culpepper was completely truthful in his testimony...

Just because Moore was in a room with boosters and Logan Young happened to be in the same room at the same time makes Moore culpable is a real stretch in my eyes. A HUGE stretch.

To this day I have real serious doubts Culpepper heard what he claimed.

Never-the-less, the bids for Means were all done during the recruiting season leading up to signing day 2000. Done under the watch of another AD.

Moore deserved to fired many times ago. This clearly shows (IMO) that the good ole boy network is still alive and well.

I don't see any basis for him to be fired. None.

And, the two people who would be the ones responsible for firing him...neither have any ties to the "good ol' boy network."

BUT, if you'll read what I said in that piece I said the activities within the athletic department aren't run by that network like they were 10 years ago.

Moore has been in the position for a decade!! Your trying to paint a picture of him inheriting all these problems is like blaming Sabans 10th year on Mike Shula.

The very problems you've mentioned are from people who were in place before he took over the AD job.

And, if you look at an earlier post you'll see why I don't think all the deadwood is out - YET.

(your analogy... :lol: )

 

[alagator]

Assuming Culpepper was completely truthful in his testimony...

Just because Moore was in a room with boosters and Logan Young happened to be in the same room at the same time makes Moore culpable is a real stretch in my eyes. A HUGE stretch.

To this day I have real serious doubts Culpepper heard what he claimed.

More on this later, but in brief.

One need not concern themselves one iota what Culpepper might or might not have heard or later said on this situation.

Mal Moore was physically present in the Nashville hotel suite of Logan Young on a UA-Vandy football weekend.

Kenny Smith (the recruit from Northeast Alabama) and his family entered the hotel suite and all personally met with Young (no introductions were made so one can - correctly - presume this was not the first meeting between the individuals).

Mal Moore, and scores of others, personally saw the meeting. Moore immediately escorted Smith and his family out of the suite and then told Young not to meet with them again - which displays an understanding of at least part of the recruiting rules regarding booster contact with recruits.

Moore DID NOT ask Young nor anyone in the Smith family how they happened to know each other (Young being from Memphis and the Smiths from NE Alabama - not exactly next-door-neighbors) NOR did Moore report the illegal (by NCAA standards) contact to the UA compliance people.

Each detail above is 100% fact (if you do not trust me, ask Kirk McNair - he one of the scores of people in the suite - another thing you might ask him is why a 'journalist' who witnesses first-hand a recruiting violation determines such unimportant and never writes about it on his website and instead spends much time and energy criticizing the actions and personal and professional integrity of others having to make tough choices dealing with, in part, the consequences of his golfing buddy's failure).

The only conjecture is WHY Moore did not properly report the meeting to UA compliance people. Options include 1) Moore thought he had handled his duties completely - a gross lack of understanding of recruiting rules by a then Assoc. AD who had just recently completed a nearly 32-year uninterrupted period as an assistant football coach with recruiting responsibilities or 2) a willful intent to protect his personal friend from some harsh questions by our compliance people.

You might know of some other options, and I would be all ears. I cannot imagine any option that would cast a favorable light on Moore and his failure to monitor in that particular situation.

Also, on another point. What exactly were the professional qualifications of Moore at the time he was selected to be the UA Athletic Director and assume fiduciary responsibility of a then $50MM-plus annual business unit that would have made him qualified for that role - either at Alabama or Mississippi State or West Alabama? The man had spent roughly his entire professional life as an Assistant Football Coach - and no school had ever made him an offer he could not refuse to be their Head Coach in that sport despite all his years as a coordinator and all the MNC and SEC rings on his fingers. If UA would not hire him to merely coach the football team - despite having about a half dozen opportunities to do so, what in the world made anyone think it would be a good idea to make him the man in charge of hiring the people to run the football program and the basketball program and the baseball program and the track program and the swimming program and ...

At least Moore had some direct and tangible and practical experience in coaching football. Which of those things did he have in running the entire athletic program from a business perspective?

I have not forgotten my response to the blog, might be a few days away still.

 

[Kozlowski]

Moore and Young were close friends. If I remember correctly the University didnt disagree that Moore was in that hotel room. I think Moore actaully said that Young shouldnt be in the room (thus he admitted to being there)


So Mal has been in the office for 10 years and he hasnt gotten rid of (2) incompetent ASST ADs? Who is the one derelict of duties in that regard? (or incompentent or both) Futhermore why arent these two fired right now?



So lets look at just a few things that Moore should be held accountable for and you tell me he would survive in this position ANYWHERE else in the country.


Hired Fran...Ill give the guy a pass on this one (although he let Fran jerk us around the whole 2002 season while he couldnt get him to sign another contract)

Hired Mike Price...THE WORST HIRE IN THE HISTORY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL. Moore clearly didnt do much if any homework before hiring this clown.

Hired Mike Shula....didnt have much time in the off season blah blah. It was his hiring that caused this though too.

Hired Stephnie Smith (I personally dont care about womens BBall but this clearly was a terrible hire)

Allowed Gottfried to remain in his position too long.

Hired Richrod...err just embarrassed the hell out of us yet again.

and then the NCAA trouble(S) which you could go on and on about.:nopity:

 

[psychojoe]

Moore and Young were close friends. If I remember correctly the University didnt disagree that Moore was in that hotel room. I think Moore actaully said that Young shouldnt be in the room (thus he admitted to being there)

Lenny, dredging through some buried memories, Mal was in LY's hotel room in Nashville when Kenny Smith and his dad showed up. Mal told Kenny that he (Kenny) wasn't supposed to be there.

With all that surrounded Logan Young, Mal's friendship pretty much invited the NCAA to target us, IMO. Although Mal has not been personally found culpable in any of the various investigations, that friendship created the impression in NCAA circles of Mal being the crooked AD (again, IMO). We will be tainted to some extent in this regard as long as Mal remains the AD.

 

[Kozlowski]

Lenny, dredging through some buried memories, Mal was in LY's hotel room in Nashville when Kenny Smith and his dad showed up. Mal told Kenny that he (Kenny) wasn't supposed to be there.

With all that surrounded Logan Young, Mal's friendship pretty much invited the NCAA to target us, IMO. Although Mal has not been personally found culpable in any of the various investigations, that friendship created the impression in NCAA circles of Mal being the crooked AD (again, IMO). We will be tainted to some extent in this regard as long as Mal remains the AD.

Im in full agreement. All the more reason he should have been let go years ago

 

[alagator]

With all that surrounded Logan Young, Mal's friendship pretty much invited the NCAA to target us, IMO. Although Mal has not been personally found culpable in any of the various investigations, that friendship created the impression in NCAA circles of Mal being the crooked AD (again, IMO). We will be tainted to some extent in this regard as long as Mal remains the AD.

All the more perplexing to me that in the midst of a very serious and contentious investigative process - where we were already under a cloud, Alabama officials not only do not FIRE a then Assoc. AD they actually PROMOTE him to the top job in all the department right in the middle of said investigation knowing Moore's role in Nashville and his general relationship with Young would be a glowing red flag to the NCAA.

It was the ultimate thumb in the eye to the NCAA by our wise leaders.

We DO NOT deserve any benefit of the doubt from the NCAA for that action and a ten-year history of multiple repeating of violations under Moore's watch.

 

[TerryP]

Moore and Young were close friends. If I remember correctly the University didnt disagree that Moore was in that hotel room. I think Moore actaully said that Young shouldnt be in the room (thus he admitted to being there)


So Mal has been in the office for 10 years and he hasnt gotten rid of (2) incompetent ASST ADs? Who is the one derelict of duties in that regard? (or incompentent or both) Futhermore why arent these two fired right now?

As far as I know, this is the first instance we can look at Dever and say he clearly dropped the ball. There are no if - and's or but's about that.

As I've said all along, this looks clearly like a slap on the wrist to me. I can only assume they are weighing the good they see in Dever vs this one instance.

By all means I think further action is due. Logically, I'd see reassigning Dever and the letter of reprimand falling on Almond. And that's what I would characterize a slap on the wrist.



So lets look at just a few things that Moore should be held accountable for and you tell me he would survive in this position ANYWHERE else in the country.

Hired Fran...Ill give the guy a pass on this one (although he let Fran jerk us around the whole 2002 season while he couldnt get him to sign another contract)

We are in agreement in a sense here. I'd say 99% of the AD's out there would have done the same thing when the coach was saying his focus was on the season and he wanted to wait.

Hired Mike Price...THE WORST HIRE IN THE HISTORY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL. Moore clearly didnt do much if any homework before hiring this clown.

Yes, and no. Given what we had on hand I do believe the combination of Price and fRan could have been successful. I look at it a lot like I do Perkins and Curry. Not great coaches, but good enough with the stable of talent the UA brand can bring in to compete for the SECC.

This is a situation I see Moore dropping the ball. Price should have been vetted to a greater degree. Would it have turned up evidence that he'd end up a bar hopping man like he was?

Hired Mike Shula....didnt have much time in the off season blah blah. It was his hiring that caused this though too.

Wrong. Moore submitted the top three candidates in Croom, Shula and Williamson. His choice was Williamson.

Malcolm Portera pushed Witt hard to hire Shula and Witt settled on Shula over the other two.

Hired Stephnie Smith (I personally dont care about womens BBall but this clearly was a terrible hire)

In retrospect, yes. But, it's always a crap shoot when you hire a coach from a mid-major conference. Her record and resume would lend anyone to think she had the ability to coach a program.

What she lacked was the ability to recruit on the level she needed to. I don't believe you can name one AD out there that hasn't mis-judged the ability of a coach.

Allowed Gottfried to remain in his position too long.

Debatable. I don't disagree there were some that wanted him gone a few years before he was. But, there was ample evidence with the right guys in place he could win.

Hired Richrod...err just embarrassed the hell out of us yet again.

Again, that's Malcolm Portera. He pushed Witt hard for that offer and Witt told Moore to make it.

That said, I know from first hand knowledge Moore was talking with Saban long before that offer. I know as well it was practically a done deal before our football season was over.

Portera, and to a degree Witt, didn't have the patience to wait it out.

and then the NCAA trouble(S) which you could go on and on about.:nopity:

And just as I've stated...

 

[TerryP]

All the more perplexing to me that in the midst of a very serious and contentious investigative process - where we were already under a cloud, Alabama officials not only do not FIRE a then Assoc. AD they actually PROMOTE him to the top job in all the department right in the middle of said investigation knowing Moore's role in Nashville and his general relationship with Young would be a glowing red flag to the NCAA.

It was the ultimate thumb in the eye to the NCAA by our wise leaders.

We DO NOT deserve any benefit of the doubt from the NCAA for that action and a ten-year history of multiple repeating of violations under Moore's watch.

Perplexing how?

Yes, there was an investigation going on.

Yes, the NCAA and the SEC knew Means was being shopped. But, while both had warned other schools about the situation neither mentioned a thing about it to anyone at UA.

There are no "multiple repeating violations" under Moore's watch. This is the first one.

Yes, as I stated, Moore has been the one appearing. But, Beamon happened under Bockrath and so did Means.

 

[alagator]

Perplexing how?

Yes, there was an investigation going on.

Yes, the NCAA and the SEC knew Means was being shopped. But, while both had warned other schools about the situation neither mentioned a thing about it to anyone at UA.

There are no "multiple repeating violations" under Moore's watch. This is the first one.

Yes, as I stated, Moore has been the one appearing. But, Beamon happened under Bockrath and so did Means.

Perplexing in that it had become obvious that Logan Young was the bone of contention with the NCAA and by the time Moore was promoted his participation in the events in Nashville had become known.

Moore is a direct player in one of the most serious and direct allegations proven against Young for goodness sakes.

Why, in the midst of all that was going on we chose to taunt the NCAA by promoting to the top job someone so close to Young is beyond me. And, given the events continue(d) to retain him.

 

[BAMANEWSBOT]

Coming Tuesday: Paul Finebaum considers if it's time for Alabama's Mal Moore to hit the road

On Tuesday, columnist Paul Finebaum of the Press-Register will consider if Alabama AD Mal Moore should exit the scene. In his Tuesday column, the always provocative Paul Finebaum will say consider whether it's time for University of Alabama Athletic Director...

Read More Here...

 

[TerryP]

^^^ How anxious are you to read that? ^^^ :lol:

Perplexing in that it had become obvious that Logan Young was the bone of contention with the NCAA and by the time Moore was promoted his participation in the events in Nashville had become known.

Moore is a direct player in one of the most serious and direct allegations proven against Young for goodness sakes.

Why, in the midst of all that was going on we chose to taunt the NCAA by promoting to the top job someone so close to Young is beyond me. And, given the events continue(d) to retain him.

Your time lime is off here.

The NCAA's investigation into Means recruiting was in full swing in the summer of 2000. At that time, the University of Alabama wasn't aware of what was going on.

Kenny Smith's situation had been investigated, turned into the NCAA, they dismissed it. But, it was brought back up again during the investigation - this time, different investigator.

The preliminary letter of inquiry reached Alabama in Feb. of 2001. If you recall, Means played in every game in 2000. The first word the University received about any involvement with Young, Means, Lang and Memphis came during the season of 2000. And, that word didn't come from the NCAA. It came from people like you and I that passed along, "I've heard this is going on with the NCAA in Memphis..."

IF UA had known of the investigation into Logan Young, Means wouldn't have played a down.

There was a history when Moore took over.

But, from that fall of 1999 - and this lasted a good two years - I personally witnessed what I thought was a compliance department going WAY overboard with their efforts.

-----

One thing I continue to see (and I'm not speaking specifically to you) is people characterizing Moore as someone the NCAA looks down upon.

It flies right in the face of the compliments the University has received on how well they cooperated with the NCAA.

-----

 

[TerryP]

On Tuesday, columnist Paul Finebaum of the Press-Register will consider if Alabama AD Mal Moore should exit the scene. In his Tuesday column, the always provocative Paul Finebaum will say consider whether it's time for University of Alabama Athletic Director...

Read More Here...

The column...

Imagine for a moment you're Mal Moore. You have just stood in front of the bright lights and flashing cameras again -- posing in your best Mount Rushmore gape -- to discuss the University of Alabama's penalties from the NCAA.


As you walk back to your vast corner office, friends and co-workers pat you on the back, telling you to hang in there, to keep on keeping on.


You sit back in your easy chair, kick your feet up on the desk, and somewhere in the back of you mind, that mock-Latin aphorism must be resonating -- Illegitimi non carborundum. Don't let the b*st*rds grind you down.
But can you survive? Is it really worth fighting the good fight?


The answer to the first question is easy. Your best friend is Paul Bryant Jr. Until Nick Saban achieved celestial status, Bryant had the best name in town and was the Crown Prince of Alabama football. He still matters, and he has let it be known Mal Moore will not be pushed out.

University of Alabama Athletic Director Mal Moore was at the helm during Mike DuBose's tenure, the Albert Means NCAA scandal, the hiring and bizarre resignation of Dennis Franchione, the Mike Price/strip club escapades and the badly bungled hiring and mismanagement of Mike Shula. And those are just football issues.


The second question is not so simple. Is there really upside in continuing to do a job in which you have never really been comfortable?


Moore was never supposed to be the athletic director at Alabama. The former Tide quarterback turned top Bear Bryant offensive assistant was supposed to be the head football coach.


Moore thought he had the job, too, when Bryant stepped down in December of 1982. However, Ray Perkins was hired and the first person he fired was Moore.


Moore returned to Alabama seven years later after working at Notre Dame and in the NFL for a last hurrah under Gene Stallings. Eventually, he moved into administration and incredibly, was passed over for AD in favor of Bob Bockrath in 1996 (following another nasty brush with the NCAA).


Finally, after Bockrath crashed and burned in 1999, Moore was brought in and has overseen the fall of Mike DuBose, the Albert Means NCAA scandal, the hiring and bizarre resignation of Dennis Franchione, the Mike Price/strip club escapades and the badly bungled hiring and mismanagement of Mike Shula. And these are just football issues.


It appeared Moore was done on a cold December day in 2006 when Rich Rodriquez shocked Alabama officials by turning down an offer. However, Moore's standing among the faithful quickly rose like the Phoenix from the ashes three weeks later when he brought home Saban from South Florida.


It was the final cherry on Moore's career. The man often referred to as "Malfunction" could do no wrong. Three months later, Moore was honored when the school dedicated the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility.


Instead of being given a ceremonial role and quietly heading off to the wilderness, Moore remained as athletic director (with a new contract and raise to$425,000 annually), doing good work as a fund-raiser and being a beloved figure in Alabama folklore.


Until now.


With another blood red circle on his resume, even longtime Alabama fans are wondering if Moore's time is up. Certainly, Alabama can ill afford more problems with the NCAA. As cataclysmic as it would be, can you imagine how much worse it would be if Moore was still the athletic director?


This November, Moore will celebrate his 10th anniversary as Alabama's athletic director. His work in fund-raising and capital improvement to facilities, such as Bryant-Denny Stadium, is exemplary. On Dec. 19, Moore will celebrate his 70th birthday.

If you're Mal Moore, wouldn't that seem like the right time to exit with your back straight and your head held high?

 

[bamarooski]

Actually It is the faithful fans of the University it seems we are the only one's being punished! and of course an assault on the record book!

Can someone tell me who else has been punished this time?:headscratch: