you've got to consider that Alabama's football team has been the most severely penalized program in the FBS over the past 25 years, and they are currently serving what is the current longest running period of sanctions (3 years -- until 2012). just in the last 10 years their football team has been on probation from 2002 to 2012, except for in 2006 and 2007 (although their basketball team was on also on probation in 2007 -- 2003-2007) and regarding this whole fiasco with TTown Menswear, they didn't tell the NCAA about it, and you know that's a huge no-no with the NCAA Alabama Crimson Tide eyes store over possible infractions - ESPN
But we also know that ESPN sensationalizes the smallest things. Like the Shepard situation, we need to let this play out and see what the deal is.
yes, but you could say the same thing about the Ohio State players exchanging memorabilia in exchange for tattoos at the tattoo parlor. Tressel thought that was a minor issue as well
sure, .... much like the Ohio State transgressions. I find it particularly interesting that alabama issued their Cease & Desist letter to T-Town Menswear on the very same day that the Ohio State scandal was released as Breaking News (December 22nd, 2010)
the first big issue is whether Bama played ineligible players: there have been tons of pics circulating the internet of Bama players in the TTown store signing shoes, jerseys, hats, helmets, etc. for example, there are multiple picks of RB Trent Richardson signing jerseys, and then look at this pic of the front of the store, showing off a signed jersey by Trent Richardson. look inside the number #3 on the jersey, and you can clearly see Richardson's signature, his name being used to advertise. you can also see Julio Jone's signature inside the #8 on his jersey. the time stamp says 10/19/2010, was right after Bama's 7th game of last season, meaning Richardson and Jones would have been ineligible for the last 6 games of last season: link to full-sized pic: http://media.al.com/sports_impact/photo/t-town-menswear-07222011jpg-c8f188f84ff401c1.jpg
Ingram as well. His is signed at the top of the first "2". BTW, that's the second pic I've seen of that chick wearing a modified Roman Harper Saints jersey (two different jerseys, I mean). Big fan, I guess.
I wonder if it matters if the jerseys were actual or replicas ? Anyone know where I can get an autographed Russell Shepard one? He's kinda small so I think a real game jersey should fit me.
yep, i saw that too, but wasn't 100% sure. then of, course, the 2nd big issue is whether they were not only ineligible for allowing their names to be used to advertise the store, but were they also ineligible for getting impermissible benefits in return. i'd have to be naive to think they're aren't any "special deals" occuring in the store, whether it be a discount going on when the trade is taking place, or whether it be promised future discounts after the players get out of school check out this article, that points out that the store brags about outfitting bama players on their facebook page: Alabama Players' Relationship with T-Town Menswear Store Could be Problematic | Larry Brown Sports also check out the this link, which has pics and says: Crimson Pages Directory | TheCrimsonPages.com | sure, that's all legit as long as the players paid for it themselves. but that still doesn't explain why active players were at the store signing memorabilia and allowing it to be used to advertise the store also: check out this outfit at the TTown store, and compare it to the one Ingram wore to the Heisman ceremony:
and the 3rd big issue is whether bama tried to sweep all this under the rug, which is especially bad since they are currently on probation, have been on probation most of the last ten years, and have been the most heavily penalized program in the FBS over the past 25 years if they played ineligilble players during the 2010 season, then they should have been proactive about it and informed the NCAA right away. also, when you have an issue like this, you tell the NCAA and it let them investigate, the NCAA just doesn't want schools doing their own investigations, the NCAA wants to be able to double-check with their own investigators but instead they quietly issued that cease and desist letter after the 2010 regular season was over, and kept it quiet from the NCAA and the media. this whole story just blew up recently as the pics began to spread across to more and more message boards across the internet here's an article from an Alabama newspaper, saying that bama never told the NCAA: Alabama releases cease-and-desist letter sent to T-Town Menswear | al.com
