A little ancient history here.

[ktffan]

From a UPI news article published on December 1, 1981. Clemson was #2 and going to the Orange Bowl when ABC did a story on their recruiting violations. When Pitt lost in the game they aired it on, Clemson moved to #1 and was going to the Orange Bowl. Orange bowl officials charged that ABC was only airing the report to hurt their ratings because ABC has the Sugar Bowl competing with the Orange. History tells us that Clemson went on to win the National Championship and that the report was accurate, as Clemson went on probation for a few years.

Was ABC trying to bump their ratings, or was this a serious article? Should have it be aired at that time or not?

Clemson, S.C. (UPI) -- ABC-TV has denied charges that it broadcast an unfavorable report about Clemson University football recruiting to promote its coverage of the Sugar Bowl and weaken the Tigers' hopes for a No. 1 national ranking.

ABC's report concerned an NCAA probe of Clemson recruiting practices. It was shown Saturday at the intermission of a game that saw Penn State defeat a previously top-ranked Pittsburgh which will meet Georgia in an ABC-televised Sugar Bowl.

"In no way whatsoever was this story investigated and reported to hurt Clemson in any form, whether in the rankings or in its bowl appearance." said ABC spokesman Donn Bernstein.

He said the network had been looking into the story since early in November.

"We pursued it then, but felt we did not have enough background or information to responsibly air it at that time. We continued to pursue the story and when we had enough information and background we did air it." Bernstein said.

But Orange Bowl officials and Clemson president Bill L. Atchley disagree with airing of the report.

"I thought it was a cheap shot." said Stan Marks, chairman of the Orange Bowl Committee, which chose Clemson to play fifth-ranked Nebraska in the New Year's night game in Miami.

"They (ABC officials) were trying to do that to help the Sugar Bowl and I just can't get over it." Marks said. "I really thought it was cheap. And I think they're going to find that it hurt them."

The ABC report consisted of interviews with two former Knoxville, Tenn. high school football stars, James Cofer and Terry Minor, who alleged that last December they were given money by a Clemson alumnus to attend the school.

[Derek]

I remember that year very well....Georgia was in the Sugar Bowl that year, and they lost to Pitt in a nail biter.

[colorado_loves_football]

I remember that year very well....Georgia was in the Sugar Bowl that year, and they lost to Pitt in a nail biter.

That was the year Clemson won the national championship. It's hard for me to believe that's been over 20 years ago (25).
I think the networks promote those games differently. If it's a 'championship' pairing, more people are likely to tune in.
It's happened before, I was at the 1991 Orange Bowl. That game was touted as the 'national' championship even though Notre Dame had lost, twice, and Colorado still managed to 'tie' Georgia Tech, for the honors.

[mountainman]

In my opinion, of course ABC aired the piece, at least in part, for self serving reasons. The timing of the airing of the piece, in my mind, could have happened at any time. I think, it was done for effect and influence on a particular group they felt would be watching at that time.

"Why would you say that, Mountianman, what is the basis for your opinion?", one might ask.

Mountainman would probably reply, "My basis is the behavior and attempts that television guys, like ABC, have demonstrated while trying to sway public opinion and influence the decision making process that governs college football about how college football will operate. Such as, promoting dismantling the bowl system in favor of a playoff, promoting the plus-1 format, the recently failed blackmail attempt of the BCS, by ABC no less ... Same motive, revenues for the TV guys.

[billybud]

I separate motive from facts...it was factual reporting...and probably good journalism...But, I always suspect motives when there is money or politics involved...

ESPN is notorious for talking up the teams that they are televising in the future while paying short shrift to others...Bowl tie in with conferences and with networks do have some networks "shilling" for conferences and teams.

Notorious Shills...

Recruiting guru Tom Lemming....he has shilled for Notre Dame for years while threatening recruits....http://72.14.207.104/search ... =clnk&cd=1


From the Knoxville Daily Pulse
"Lemming is the king of recruiting. He created his own all-star game (U.S. Army Game), which is televised on NBC. Year after year he makes thousands of dollars on the rubber chicken circuit, speaking before quarterback clubs all over the country with his profit-driven propaganda. Lemming’s detractors in the business have quietly whispered about his zeal for Notre Dame for years. Critics have also whispered about Lemming’s recent use of the all-star game as a platform for the ultimate quid pro quo. It is said that Lemming would jack up a player’s ranking in exchange for a young man staying involved or at least seemingly staying involved with Notre Dame. Quite a coincidence that the All-Star game airs annually on NBC a.k.a. “Notre Dame Broadcasting Company,â€Â

[mountainman]

Who gets to decide what the list of facts are, I hope it's not the journalist. As we say here in the hills and hollers, that would like sending the fox to watch the henhouse. Why would motive be excluded from the list? Do we have too, or are we required to think only in the context that someone else decides upon?

Not around here, and certainly not with me, my friend.

[billybud]

The media influences the public...

Example...how many here heard of FSU's "off season problems" last year? Sounded horrific.

Was the image left in the public's mind accurate?

It might surprise you to find out that the problems were two kids arrested on misdemeanor charges and a QB with lyme disease....

Contrast that with a Univ. of North Carolina who had 11 kids arrested for everything from assaulting a police officer to drug use or Tennessee with 10 kids arrested...

Example...the whole world heard about FSU QB, Chris Rix, parking in a handicap spot two years ago...how many heard about University of Florida players shooting live rounds through folks apartment walls a few months ago?

Take AJ Nicholson, for example,...the whole world believes he was arrested and charged...in fact, he was only questioned, he was never charged and will probably never be charged.

It's a vast media conspiracy against FSU...perpetrated by Gators (the state's school of journalism is at U of Florida and their alumni staff the state's media)....We call it the VGMC (vast gator media conspiracy, etc)...LOL

[mountainman]

I've already mentioned on this forum my favorite so far this off-season .... the news report about an Ohio University football players punching a horse between the eyes .... while a cop was riding it.

Is that news worthy? And I would really like to know the rest of that story.

[Spence]

BillyBud, that was what I was talking about on the other thread when I said ask Fla. State about Lemming.

ABC did air the story for the ratings. It doesn't mean that it wasn't appropriate to air.

The story on Mo Clarrett and Ohio State was an appropriate one to air, but the beating Ohio State took from it was wrong. Ohio State endured 2 1/2 years of prodding by the media and the NCAA. When it was found that only Clarett had done something wrong, Ohio State still had to wear the stink. Espn was relentless in their one sided coverage. Most of there information wasn't even correct.

Mo Clarett said in front of the AD and the NCAA that he could "blow the whole program up" ( which was reported on ESPN) What the didn't report was that Andy Geiger (the AD at the time) said "then blow it up, tell us everything". ESPN did their best to hurt Ohio State because Geiger told them they couldn't bring gameday into Columbus.

You have to take all media reports like this with a grain of salt. Wait for the NCAA report. That goes for what is happening to USC right now. THe media loves to break championship teams.

[Spence]

It isn't just the All Star game. It is all year long. Lemming has done this for years. Rolle was a good example of a kid not buying what Lemming was selling. Notre Dame had no shot at Chris Wells, that was between USC and Ohio State all the way. Not much anyone can do about that, not even Lemming, although I heard he gave it a shot.

This isn't Notre Dames fault and I'm not trying to make it sound that way. This is purely on Lemming. Notre Dame isn't paying him or trying to get him to influence recruits.

What makes this wrong is that Lemming professes to be unbiased. Beano Cook doesn't deny being a ND homer, just like Kirk Herbstreit is a Buckeye homer. Neither denies that fact. Herbie will criticize Ohio State, though, Beano will always go down with the ship.

[billybud]

into it or not...Lemming has been too well documented...he's a tool who has used his position to pressure young athletes..to tout Notre dame while being a recruiting guru who has the power to pick kids for all star games and rank the kids...a complete tool.

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:udz ... =clnk&cd=1


From The OSCEOLA

"James and LaShawn Pouncey committed to FSU last July.

In addition to reaffirming their commitment a half dozen times, the Lakeland Twins have been actively recruiting teammates John Brown, Chris Rainey and Ahmad Black to join them at FSU.

That's why it was a surprise when they were recently quoted saying they were "wide open" in the recruiting process. They did in fact utter those words but from all accounts neither James nor Lashawn have any intention of signing with a school other than Florida State.

"Florida State is still our number one school but we want to go through the recruiting process and go visit other schools," James Pouncey said. "But I know for sure we are going to Florida State. We aren't going to leave our family. We just want to go through the process.

"They (FSU) called (the Lakeland coaches) and asked why we changed our minds and we told them we didn't change our minds about going to that school but just told other people that so we could go through the recruiting process so we could have fun."

Even though James Pouncey maintains he and his twin brother are headed to FSU, opening up the recruiting process to take official visits represents a significant change. Oddly, the desire to take a few official visits isn't so much because either is wavering from their earlier decision, but instead it's to protect their ranking and standing in the recruiting community.

"We didn't want to get put down to a lower status by everybody else," James Pouncey said. "We want to be highly ranked so we have some memories and stuff. If you commit early nobody shows you any more love. Like we talked to Oklahoma and they asked us 'are you committed to Florida State?' We had nothing to say. Tom Lemming told us that if you commit early then your recruiting status goes down. We were like we can't have that... He's the one that told us to do that so it could help our ranking out."

Earlier this week, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote a story from U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio noting how some recruits drop in the recruiting rankings after they make a commitment. One example cited was Myron Rolle, who dropped all the way from No. 3 overall before his commitment to FSU to No. 11 in the most recently released rankings by Rivals.com.

According to James Pouncey, recruiting guru Tom Lemming, who is actively involved in the selection process for the All-American Bowl, advised them their rankings would drop if they stayed committed.

"We told him that Florida State is our number one school and we ain't going anywhere else," James Pouncey said. "We know we are going to Florida State. We want to go through the recruiting process so we can visit places like California, somewhere we aren't going to go... They had us scared and we are like dang. We thought we made a big mistake or something."

Some of the schools that could be in the mix for future visits include USC, Texas, Iowa and Michigan and possibly Florida. "

Lemming is a TOOL

[Spence]

Lemming also favors kids who haven't committed yet. I get that because he gets more play out of his service if he does this. Anyone who commits early drops in all of the ratings services. They do it to hype the uncommitted. It is the things he has done to try and get kids to decommit that have always bugged me. We could actually get a school in trouble, as fans of our teams, by actively seeking to get a kid to commit or trying to get him to decommit. Lemming has done this for years and someone should put the hammer to him. I agree, he is a tool.

[ktffan]

Put me in the "tool" camp.