5 PLAYERS SUSPENDED FOR BAMA TODAY

[autiger6 0]

So how will this affect the game today? The lineman loss will be key.

This is according to al.com

http://blog.al.com/chatter/2007/10/tide_su..._5_players.html

Tide suspends 5 players

Posted by Paul Gattis -- The Huntsville Times October 20, 2007 10:59 AM

TUSCALOOSA -- Five Alabama football players, including two starting offensive linemen and the Tide's second-leading rusher, have been suspended for today's game against Tennessee.

The suspended players are center Antoine Caldwell, tailback Glen Coffee, guard Marlon Davis, cornerback Marquis Johnson and special teams player Chris Rogers.

The group was suspended for a violation of institutional policy involving impermissable receipt of textbooks, according to a UA press release.

The infraction was discovered Thursday and the school immediately initiated an inquiry that is ongoing. The players were informed of the suspensions Friday.

[WarTiger 3,914]

What?? No Ice Cream?? must have run out giving out so much lately.

That's hilarious and couldn't happen to a better bunch.

GO VOLS!!!!!

[80Tiger 899]

So how will this affect the game today? The lineman loss will be key.

This is according to al.com

http://blog.al.com/chatter/2007/10/tide_su..._5_players.html

Tide suspends 5 players

Posted by Paul Gattis -- The Huntsville Times October 20, 2007 10:59 AM

TUSCALOOSA -- Five Alabama football players, including two starting offensive linemen and the Tide's second-leading rusher, have been suspended for today's game against Tennessee.

The suspended players are center Antoine Caldwell, tailback Glen Coffee, guard Marlon Davis, cornerback Marquis Johnson and special teams player Chris Rogers.

The group was suspended for a violation of institutional policy involving impermissable receipt of textbooks, according to a UA press release.

The infraction was discovered Thursday and the school immediately initiated an inquiry that is ongoing. The players were informed of the suspensions Friday.

Impersmissable receipt of textbooks?? Sounds like an easier word to use would have been "stealing".

[Grider 1]

Those guys are all on scholarships right? Why would they need to steal books?

That is very odd.

[WAR EAGLE!!! 0]

Stealing hell...someone gave those books to them. I am not sure if it is someone inside the program or a booster...but someone gave them those books. The athletic department has their own book room with all of the books players need so they keep tabs on who needs exactly what...something fishy is going on and it doesn't smell good for the Bama program...IMO...

[AUdad4kicks 0]

I agree. It makes no sense. They get books for free. There has to be somethig else.

[Tiger in Spain 0]

Wow, who would've thunk it! Headbutt a cop - no punishment. Start a drunken ruckus on the strip and threaten passersby - no punishment. Get caught speeding down the interstate with some jailbait, a handgun with questionable registeration, and pot in the seat next to you - no punishment. Steal a textbook - get hammered.

Unbelievable.

[WAR EAGLE!!! 0]

Once again guys...I REALLY don't think this is "stealing" textbooks...there are going to be HUGE questions for the Bama program on this...mark my words!

[quietfan 233]

Guess we won't know the specifics for a while, but I also don't think this means stealing. Sounds to me more like someone gave them books in violation of NCAA regs somehow. But it does seem peculiar- I thought athletic departments always provided textbooks for scholarship players, with NCAA approval.

Purely conjecture on my part, so I'm not accusing anyone of anything, but:

Might this have been part of some sort of scheme to launder cash payments--i.e., players are given books by parties unknown (boosters?) which they can turn around and sell for cash? [Of course, that wouldn't be a very efficient conversion of cash, since bookstores typically only give you around half of the purchase price when buying books back.] Just speculating...

Another question: IF these players were receiving improper benefits, can the NCAA force Bama to forfeit games in which these players have already played? Or is a school's liability limited to only games in which the school was aware of a player's ineligibility? (I.e., is ignorance an excuse in such cases?)

[Grider 1]

Purely conjecture on my part, so I'm not accusing anyone of anything, but:

Might this have been part of some sort of scheme to launder cash payments--i.e., players are given books by parties unknown (boosters?) which they can turn around and sell for cash? [Of course, that wouldn't be a very efficient conversion of cash, since bookstores typically only give you around half of the purchase price when buying books back.] Just speculating...

Unless you return them within a couple of days of classes starting. Or you have someone working in the bookstore as well.

Not saying that is what happening, just throwing out some ideas.

[WarTim 3,456]

Dogs bark. Cats meow. CHEATERS cheat. Same old same old.

Where is bg to explain to us how it is REALLY UT's fault?

[CarolinaTiger 0]

Where is bg to explain to us how it is REALLY UT's fault?

my thoughts exactly.

i'll reserve judgment until BS comes and tells us what to think.

[AUesquire 1]

Where is bg to explain to us how it is REALLY UT's fault?

my thoughts exactly.

i'll reserve judgment until BS comes and tells us what to think.

Let me save you the time.

Ahem...

I've talked to DOZENS of people and I dated 3 girls, all of whom work in bookstores around campus and all of whom were Ms. Universe finalists and I also had lunch with a friend of 15 students who distribute old textbooks to underprivileged children and I did all this within the last 6 hours, so I know for a FACT that there's nothing to this and in fact these players will all be recognized for their great work in the classroom and will be given certificates of appreciation, medals and the key to the city at the Thanksgiving parade this year.

Oh yeah, and everybody does it.

[otterinbham 0]

Is Rush Propst involved?

[autiger4life 3]

Probably means that they got re-imbursed for a textbook that they never bought.

[Rocket City Tiger 4]

Nothing to see here...move along. Just a couple of kids returning text-books .

I don't know about other people's experiences, but it was tough as crap to return textbooks. You'd be lucky to be able to return it even if you hadn't cracked the book.

[BamaFanOnBeach 4]

from what i am hearing it has to with the scholarship money alloted for books not being used properly. A UTEP player let a non scholarship player buy books with his scholarship allotment a few years ago and was suspended by the NCAA for one game - i'm guessing it is something along these lines because I don't believe they are ever actually handed the money - they fill out the paperwork when buying the books and the bookstore gets reimbursed. I don't expect there to be any real severe punishment.....

I'm sure more will come out in the next week once the NCAA has officially ruled on the matter....

[Argo 8]

There is a rumor on a premium site that all players involved have been suspended for the rest of the regular season. Not sure if it is true but it wouldn't suprise me.

[BamaGrad03 0]

My thoughts, and what I'm hearing, is that they used their vouchers to buy books for other people.

Which is a big no-no.

[johnwegl 11]

That's not good if you are a bama fan. They looked good today against a so-so defense, but non-the-less they looked good.

The only glearing thing I saw was that they throw it A LOT. Get a team in there that can pass rush, then Bama could be in trouble.

[BamaGrad03 0]

I know we threw it a good bit today, but we still had 150 yards on the ground, including a 104 yard day from Grant.

[johnwegl 11]

True, but I would bet most of that came on the second half. I could be wrong, but I know the 1st half I thought Bama was trying to put in the air a lot.

[BamaGrad03 0]

pretty balanced actually. First half we had 82 yards rushing and grant had 53 yards on 11 carries.

And it seems like we only throw this much when the game dictates it. Arkansas and UT both have bad secondaries. Gameplan made sense against both of them.

I've never seen a team give DJ a 20+ yard cushion. It was awful.

[johnwegl 11]

It made no sense. They gave DJ every chance to be open to bail out JPW on blitzs......and he always was.

[runswithscissors 33]

pretty balanced actually. First half we had 82 yards rushing and grant had 53 yards on 11 carries.

And it seems like we only throw this much when the game dictates it. Arkansas and UT both have bad secondaries. Gameplan made sense against both of them.

I've never seen a team give DJ a 20+ yard cushion. It was awful.

yeah it seemed like we ran alot more of a true spread today than what we have had. hey, if thats what gets it done i'm all about it.