Plenty of Talk, but No Proof on Newton Tapes

Barrett Sallee

Even though the NCAA has ruled on Cam Newton’s eligibility and the NCAA investigation – by all indications – has stalled, some people just won’t let it go away.

The latest jab thrown in Newton’s direction comes from Scott Moore, an admitted Alabama fan and co-host of a weekly radio show on WZZN 97.7 in Huntsville, Ala.  I wrote a piece detailing the ridiculousness of Moore’s allegations for College Football News on Monday evening.  Moore made the radio rounds Tuesday afternoon, appearing on several stations throughout the south including an appearance with Chuck and Chernoff on WCNN 680 The Fan.

During this media blitz, Moore did more harm than good to his already flimsy story.

In his interviews, Moore stated that he heard that the NCAA urged Auburn to sit Newton prior to the Georgia game.  Auburn, of course, didn’t sit Newton and later ruled him ineligible, only to have the NCAA – you know, the organization that Auburn supposedly disobeyed – reinstate him less than 24 hours later.  Moore admitted on Chuck and Chernoff that he not only heard that the NCAA urged Auburn to sit Newton, but that he also heard that the NCAA didn’t urge Auburn to sit him.

Gee, I wonder why Moore – the Alabama fan – would pay more attention to the story that’s incriminating to the Tigers.  That’s a head-scratcher.

In my column for CFN, I address the inconsistencies in Moore’s initial interviews.  In his radio interview on 1^st Call With Matt Wyatt, Moore indicates that Tennessee offered $150,000 for Newton’s services.  In an interview on WNSP 105.5 in Mobile, Ala. the next day, Moore claims that Tennessee offered $200,000.  In an interview on Tuesday afternoon on 3 Hour Lunch on 104.5 in Nashville, Tenn., Moore claims that Tennessee offered both amounts.

Just like John Bond and Kenny Rogers, Moore’s story appears to be changing.  Raise your hand if you're shocked (put your hand down, you shouldn’t be).

Moore has stated that his ultimate goal is for the NCAA to explain its ruling to reinstate Newton (even though it already has … twice).  The insinuation that Moore appears to be making is that the NCAA either ignored or didn’t have some of this evidence when making its ruling on Newton’s eligibility the week of the SEC Championship Game.  If it didn’t have this evidence, John Bond and Bill Bell need explain why before it is given one ounce of validity.  If Moore thinks that the NCAA ignored the evidence, it obviously wreaks of a conspiracy.

But let’s be reasonable here.  At the time of the investigation, Auburn was one of several teams that had a legitimate shot at the national championship – including Moore’s own Alabama Crimson Tide, a much higher profile program and the defending national champion.  Having Newton, the eventual Heisman Trophy winner, in the BCS National Championship Game surely was good for the sport.  But Alabama going for back-to-back titles or TCU/Boise State looking to fit into the glass slipper would have been good stories as well.  Besides, it’s the national championship game, not a random Tuesday night MAC game.  People were going to watch regardless.

When the NCAA was looking into Newton’s eligibility, it was also conducting an official investigation into the University of Tennessee, which Moore has stated made an offer (or offers) for Newton’s services.  If there was any suspicion that Moore’s claims were legitimate, why wasn’t it in the official Notice of Allegations issued to Tennessee last week?  Did the NCAA ignore the urge to hammer Lane Kiffin – who was the head coach of the Vols at the time of the alleged offer – in favor of protecting Auburn?  Come on.  That’s just silly.  And if Tennessee wasn't mentioned during this process, and this is new information to the NCAA, why wasn't it mentioned?  Bell and Bond surely had to know that Tennessee was under official investigation.

If there are tapes that the NCAA hasn’t heard, great.  I surely want to hear them (and find out why they weren’t disclosed sooner…you know…when the investigation was hot and heavy).  But this entire hubbub seems to be an attempt by Moore to publicize his new radio show, not find the truth.

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