Musings on the Eligibility of Jones and Ingram

I knew Alabama had nothing to worry about. Folks getting all up in arms about this (cough Auburn fans cough) need to get a grip for real.

If any AU fan wants to bet cash and put their money where their mouth is, I’ll put down $150 that both players start on Saturday.

We can set it up via Paypal.

But i took sabans words like this..

We did our part and if the NCAA can’t give us an answer by Saturday then we will play them..

Thats just me but thats what i felt he meant.

was on F-Bomb today and said he thought Bama could win even without Julio and Ingram. Of course, I’d feel a whole hell of a lot better if they did.

I have question: Could the Athletic Dept. keep the NCAA’s verdict on the matter under wraps? Or will it be released publicly by the NCAA?

article was written by Holly Anderson…a UT alum..go figure.

I do know for a fact that our AD is fit to be tied over this. I am not insider but I have a close friend whose dad talks directly with our AD. According to him, we don’t know what to do. In fact the decision has been left up to Saban as to whther they play or not. Everyone is gun shuy after the textbook deal.

more reason, more understanding and wisdom on this little old website than all the regular media combined?

and thanks for the link, Pete.

Until such time, however, continue to repeat this mantra: Julio and Ingram will play. The fishing trip is a non-issue.

However, I do think you owe Cousin Eddie an apology.

Watch your mouth, fella. I haven’t been to tet.

by CousinEddie

while there are various outlets reporting this they are all quoting verbatim the same comment by saban. it’s only when you see the version posted my gentry estes over at al.com do you get the inkling that this is a response to a query in some type of press conference. this is a classic media trick.

it’s an on-the-record comment that, by leaving the setting vague, i can make look like it’s exclusive. usually you do this for those random comments made before a bevy of microphones as the subject enters the stadium/courtroom/government office.

the downside is that now the comment looks like saban is going out of his way to specifically address this… when he was likely just giving a pat answer to a spur of the moment question. saban is too good a coach to say something dumb in this situation so he offers the most conservative take on the situation as a precaution.

so it’s less an “inability to parse words” as pete puts it, than over scrutinizing a comment never intended to be put under a microscope.

now is it a case of seeking “a ton of hits from SEC fans by spinning the story”? well, no… and yes.

any reporter covering this team knows that these are two fantastically popular players and fans want to know what is going on with them. so they have a responsibility to cover everything that seems important to them. the Associated Press didn’t pick this up for circulation because it has no news value.

yet, the flip side of that coin, is that if you want to appeal to your readers (seek out that avalanche of hits) then you post whatever you got no matter how tenuous. in fact, the more tenuous the better. because they will seek you out for information. and this is a brush we can be tarred with as well now this post is up.

They technically could be declared ineligible if the NCAA believes they both received an extra benefit due to the fact they were football players. This is part of the NCAA rules stating that no player can receive an extra benefit that a student would not be able to get. The person who gave the extra benefit does not need to be a booster or an alumni.

Also, Julio and Ingram could not play if the NCAA does not make a ruling. Assuming the bureaucracy at the NCAA drags its feet and does not make a ruling before Saturday. If this were to happen I do not believe Alabama would run the risk of violating another rule while on suspension.

Of course, it would seem that there would be no way the NCAA could take that long to make a decision. I tend to agree that both players will play (FWIW Vegas still sees it that way as well). I will admit that I get a little more nervous the later it gets to game time.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/247102-update-on-julio-jones-and-mark-ingram-ncaa-says-no-foul

It’s a site called bleacher report (never heard of them and won’t vouch for their acuracy) and they are saying that Jones and Ingram have been cleared. Does anyone know anything about this site?

that the NCAA had cleared them completely? Pretty sure I saw that on the ticker at the bottom. Alabama had its own tab and everything.

is reporting they are cleared.

here is the NCAA’s statement…

The NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff has reinstated the eligibility of University of Alabama football student-athletes Julio Jones and Mark Ingram based on a condition of repayment.

According to the facts of the case submitted by Alabama, the student-athletes received impermissible food, lodging, transportation and entertainment from an individual with whom one of the student-athletes had become acquainted prior to enrolling in college.

Consistent with NCAA membership requirements, the institution reported the violation and declared the student-athletes ineligible. As part of the reinstatement request, the institution required the student-athletes to make repayment of the value of the impermissible benefits to charity.

During the reinstatement process, the NCAA staff considers a number of factors including guidelines established by the NCAA Division I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, relevant case precedent, the student-athlete’s responsibility for the violation, as well as any mitigating factors presented by the institution.

exhale!

you’d like to share with us Pete? Must be tough to be so prescient. I’m glad you were right about this one…now will you please pick my lotto numbers?

now come on….six numbers between 1 and 50…I’ll split it with you

and thank you, the Texas lotto is now up to 45 million and the drawing is on Saturday (GAMEDAY!!!!!) I’ll keep you posted