An in-depth read about the infamous, invisible "bag-men"

[jakldawg]

By board favorite Godfrey.

go read it.

And here, summed up nicely is why MSU is so horrible at cheating:

if you're successful in landing a player who is in turn successful on the field, and you can't abide people not knowing you had a hand in the process, you're in the wrong field of athletic support.

I enjoyed it. Your mileage may vary.

 

[thatsbaseball]

I can tell you for a fact that we used to have and I would bet still do have a bunch of folks more than willing to "abide". This stuff is all dependent on the head coach`s choice of recruiting methods.

 

[aTotal360]

IF A MAJORITY OF BAG MEN WANT A PARTICULAR COACH OUT AND AN A.D. OR PRESIDENT WON'T MAKE A MOVE, THEY'LL JUST DRY UP FUNDS.

Signed,
Rick Ray

 

[Rog.sixpack]

Every SEC has a shadow network. Some are just better organized than others.

 

[jakldawg]

I'll be honest: when I read about the tractor repairs, I thought "please tell me we closed the deal on that guy."

(oh, who am I kidding. We all know the tractor repair racket is an Auburn thing.)

And who else is convinced the head coach who cussed too much was Kiffin? Maybe Zook?

 

[cowbellringer.sixpack]

I'll be honest: when I read about the tractor repairs, I thought "please tell me we closed the deal on that guy."

(oh, who am I kidding. We all know the tractor repair racket is an Auburn thing.)

And who else is convinced the head coach who cussed too much was Kiffin? Maybe Zook?

Orgeron

 

[thatsbaseball]

The "better' ones are the ones that are all-in. The ones that get in trouble

are usually the ones with individual groups operating on their own.

 

[patdog]

Doubt it's Orgeron or Kiffin. Neither one of them left because the recruiting budget dried up.

 

[dorndawg]

Correct, not Orgeron. A) he recruited lights out, no way he did it alone B) I'd doubt any of this is ole miss info - everyone knows Godfrey went there, he wouldn't risk people he's potentially friends or friendly with.

 

[johnson86-1]

I'll be honest: when I read about the tractor repairs, I thought "please tell me we closed the deal on that guy."

(oh, who am I kidding. We all know the tractor repair racket is an Auburn thing.)

And who else is convinced the head coach who cussed too much was Kiffin? Maybe Zook?

I'm guessing none of our bag men talked to a reporter that graduated from Ole Miss, but otherwise we would have been a good bet. Lots of dealer/repair shops owned by UM people in Mississippi.

 

[johnson86-1]

Correct, not Orgeron. A) he recruited lights out, no way he did it alone B) I'd doubt any of this is ole miss info - everyone knows Godfrey went there, he wouldn't risk people he's potentially friends or friendly with.

I doubt it's anybody from State or Ole Miss. State b/c who would talk to him, and Ole Miss b/c why give info that people will assume came from your school. But if he had enough specific stuff from other schools' bagmen, maybe some additional general info came from an Ole Miss person.

 

[drt7891]

My guess is either Mike Shula or Tubs.

 

[Lawdawg.sixpack]

They obviously weren't talking to OUR bagmen:

"If we're after a guy, what are the chances four more schools in the SEC aren't after him too?"

 

[Seinfeld]

Frankly, I can't figure out why anyone would sit down and divulge this, but here's my argument for why at least some of them are OM boosters

1) In order to even get an interview, a writer is going to have to have some serious connections to make it happen. I don't know Godfrey's background nor do I really care, but if the man has connections, it would make sense for them to be tied to OM

2) The only way in my mind that a booster would ever agree to this would be to have 100% assurance that the writer is going to keep names and specifics out of the story. How else would you receive this assurance other than knowing that the writer is never going to implicate his own school?

Is the above scenario a stretch? Sure, but it's much less of one than boosters from another school sitting down with him. I've yet to hear a single hypothesis in terms of why in the world another school's booster would do that, and I think the reason for that is that it wouldn't make sense on any level

 

[Gus Fring.sixpack]

Frankly, I can't figure out why anyone would sit down and divulge this, but here's my argument for why at least some of them are OM boosters

1) In order to even get an interview, a writer is going to have to have some serious connections to make it happen. I don't know Godfrey's background nor do I really care, but if the man has connections, it would make sense for them to be tied to OM

2) The only way in my mind that a booster would ever agree to this would be to have 100% assurance that the writer is going to keep names and specifics out of the story. How else would you receive this assurance other than knowing that the writer is never going to implicate his own school?

Is the above scenario a stretch? Sure, but it's much less of one than boosters from another school sitting down with him. I've yet to hear a single hypothesis in terms of why in the world another school's booster would do that, and I think the reason for that is that it wouldn't make sense on any level

1) Godfrey lives in Nashville. He wrote for SBAtlanta. I believe he's from Atlanta, too. He has connections all around, including in the two major cities in the Southeast.

2) Knowing that you could sue the ever living #&&* out of the writer or simply deny it and say that he made it up or took liberties with your quotes (see Auburn story from last year that completely disappeared). Most of these sources were probably lawyers anyway.

As the boosters repeatedly say throughout the article, there is NO evidence left behind. Unless the NCAA gets their hands on a paper trail or a video/taped recording, there's no way that they can get caught. There's never a paper trail (#1 rule in this article)....not that that the NCAA has subpoena power, anyway. And they are typically wise enough not to get caught on a recording.

Why would the sources sit down with Godfrey? Who knows why inside sources do things like that? Guilty conscience? Arrogance? Pride? Revenge? There's no telling. But it happens all the time.

 

[Philly Dawg]

Or it could all be made up.

 

[kired]

Seems to me these bagmen are forgetting step #1 --- keep your mouth shut. I would guess they are about to get shunned by their fellow bagman buddies.

 

[rabiddawg]

He's "from" Flowood, Mississippi. He attended HS at NWR. Our PharmD was a classmate of his at NWR.

 

[rabiddawg]

Rule #1 of Bagmaning. Don't hide the process. Hide the paper trial. They bag man(men) states several times it's not about hiding the gifts/money/cars. It's about making sure no one will ever connect them to a booster.

 

[RebelAlumnus]

He's "from" Atlanta, GA. His family moved to Flowood when he was in high school.

 

[Godfrey]

Where is "Flowood?" I lived in The Rez, y'all. Two years of high school at NWR after my family moved from DC.

 

[Godfrey]

I was born in Georgia, in a town called Macon. My parents, one from the Atlanta burbs and one from Macon, went to Georgia Southern, where a young Ron Polk was baseball coach.

I've lived in Georgia, West Virginia, DC, Virginia, NYC, Mississippi and Tennessee. I currently live in Nashville. My wife is from Louisiana. I took a scholarship at Ole Miss when I was 18 because UGA wouldn't let me in because of the Hope Scholarship (and my ****** grades in high school), so that's how long I've been a "diehard Rebel."

My blood type is O positive.

I had a Chipotle salad for lunch today.

I am currently wearing an Atlanta Falcons sweatshirt because it's 45 degrees in April (WTF?)

My dog's name is Matilda.

I like Mexican food.

 

[Godfrey]

This is correct.

 

[Godfrey]

First off, thanks for reading (I guess?) and hey, great avatar. Roll Tide on that.

As for why these people spoke to me - a lot of them were interested in confiding as a means of clearing some misconceptions. None of the people I spoke with, especially the individuals I quoted, act or think or carry themselves like a Nevin Shapiro. They aren't buying people luxury cars. It's just not that concept.

After talking with HD6 (SPOILER: WE ARE FRIENDS, LIKE IN REAL LIFE, IT'S CRAZY Y'ALL - BULLFRAUDS AND WEBELS) curiosity got the best of me and I read through these comments.

I'll say the following, although it's worthless coming from an Ole Miss grad on a MSU board: The purpose of this story was not to create a "whodunit?" mystery about the bag men, the players and the schools. The purpose is to advance the conversation about the treatment of college football players and student athletes at large by billion-with-a-b dollar organizations like the NCAA, SEC and ESPN.

That being said, I've enjoyed the hell out of the tinfoil stuff I've read. Some of you guys are natural crime fiction writers.

My question to Seinfeld would be the following, and it's as close to talk about schools as I've come since this story was published, and it's the last thing I'll say: Do you think the sun rises and sets in Mississippi? I graduated J-School at Ole Miss in 2004. That's 10 years ago. I live in Nashville. I cover multiple sports.

When I am asked to cover my alma mater (which isn't too often, because Ole Miss, like State, isn't really in the national CFB conversation that often) I do so with a critical eye. It certainly doesn't fit your neat "REBEL MEDIA CONSPIRACY," but was I cussed (some might say... dog-cussed) by various people at Ole Miss after I wrote a rather lengthy story regarding the '12 election night fallout and its direct impact on black football recruits.

Also...

The only way in my mind that a booster would ever agree to this would be to have 100% assurance that the writer is going to keep names and specifics out of the story. How else would you receive this assurance other than knowing that the writer is never going to implicate his own school?

Well, duh.

To any of you who did, thanks for reading. God Bless and Smoot For Heisman.

(Seriously if someone has a Smoot For Heisman sticker or shirt I will pay for it)

 

[rabiddawg]

Lol. The "Rez" is Flowood. Tripp says hello.

 

[dawgstudent]

We can make one.

https://www.google.com/search?q=smo...3A%2F%2Fsmootsmack.freeservers.com%2F;461;240

 

[aTotal360]

What did you think of Wrestlemania XXX? Was there any reason for the Undertaker to lose (especially to Lesnar)?

 

[HD6]

Friends is kind of stretching it, don't you think? I mean, not DS in a 2XL shirt stretched, but still.

 

[RocketDawg]

I was born in Georgia, in a town called Macon. My parents, one from the Atlanta burbs and one from Macon, went to Georgia Southern, where a young Ron Polk was baseball coach.

I've lived in Georgia, West Virginia, DC, Virginia, NYC, Mississippi and Tennessee. I currently live in Nashville. My wife is from Louisiana. I took a scholarship at Ole Miss when I was 18 because UGA wouldn't let me in because of the Hope Scholarship (and my ****** grades in high school), so that's how long I've been a "diehard Rebel."

My blood type is O positive.

I had a Chipotle salad for lunch today.

I am currently wearing an Atlanta Falcons sweatshirt because it's 45 degrees in April (WTF?)

My dog's name is Matilda.

I like Mexican food.

Geez, is Ole Miss THAT easy to get into? You couldn't get into UGA, but you got an out of state scholarship to Ole Miss? Wow. Kidding, mostly ....

I thought the article was pretty good. You write very coherently compared to most these days.

 

[Godfrey]

WE'RE BESTIES. Don't act all cool in front of your MSU friends.

 

[Godfrey]

I got into everywhere I applied except UGA. Vandy loved my essay (humblebrag). Damn Hope Scholarship. Also UGA didn't really look at the ACT at the time. They were more of a SAT school.

 

[Rebels7]

I knew it...

My blood type is O positive.

nm

 

[esplanade91]

1) Godfrey lives in Nashville. He wrote for SBAtlanta. I believe he's from Atlanta, too. He has connections all around, including in the two major cities in the Southeast.

2) Knowing that you could sue the ever living #&&* out of the writer or simply deny it and say that he made it up or took liberties with your quotes (see Auburn story from last year that completely disappeared). Most of these sources were probably lawyers anyway.

As the boosters repeatedly say throughout the article, there is NO evidence left behind. Unless the NCAA gets their hands on a paper trail or a video/taped recording, there's no way that they can get caught. There's never a paper trail (#1 rule in this article)....not that that the NCAA has subpoena power, anyway. And they are typically wise enough not to get caught on a recording.

Why would the sources sit down with Godfrey? Who knows why inside sources do things like that? Guilty conscience? Arrogance? Pride? Revenge? There's no telling. But it happens all the time.

Would be funny as hell if one of those crazy *** members from Congress from Texas or somewhere in the Wild West were to subpoena him to appear in front of one of those bull **** committees on college athletics.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

You definitely have one real truth in that article.

Rural Southerners make a habit of knowing each other's business.

And thanks for confirming the 'hunting camp' mythos.

 

[Wooly17er]

"My question to Seinfeld would be the following, and it's as close to talk about schools as I've come since this story was published, and it's the last thing I'll say: Do you think the sun rises and sets in Mississippi? I graduated J-School at Ole Miss in 2004. That's 10 years ago. I live in Nashville. I cover multiple sports."

If I can assist here, I would answer as follows: If you're successful in spinning stories and working the propaganda machine to make your alma mater's athletics department look like a Boy Scout Camp while sweeping whistle-blower stories ratting out your alma mater under the rug, and your moral compass tends to lead you to want to do what's right and out those evil M17ers, then you're in the wrong line of business (and you graduated from the wrong journalism school).

Seriously though - I'd tell you what a great article you wrote, but I didn't read it. Tell Matilda I say "wuzzup girl!"