What is interesting about this story, is it is almost exactly like the Cam tape, which I did actually hear. I don't mind telling the story now, because enough time has passed.
I was up for a game shortly after John Bond had been interviewed by the FBI. He was a partner in some spec homes built in Starkville, and was letting us stay in one that had only fake furniture because we couldn't get a room. Bond had had plenty to drink and was feeling quite boisterous telling the story of his interview with the FBI. I should note that he is actually a funny storyteller, or maybe I just liked the story.
He explained how he told the interviewers how Kenny Rogers had called and said that so and so school was going to pay x amount, and that State was going to have to come up with $80K, and that he (Kenny) explained that Cam was going to take other visits in the coming weeks and State needed to act quickly. As Bond told it, the FBI then asked him if State ever considered paying the money. He said his reply to them was "Have you seen him play?.........You are God damned right we considered it!!" Everyone was dying laughing with him at this point, and he assures us he then told them "But we (State) didn't."
He then throws his phone on the center of the table and says, "Y'all want to hear it?" I honestly did not know whether he was referrring to the FBI interview, or the Kenny Rogers tape. We said yes, and he pulls it up and hits play.
It was the Kenny Rogers voice mail. On the recording was Kenny Rogers explaining exactly what I stated above, talking about where Cam was visiting, and that we needed to get the money in a hurry. He actually said that he knows Mullen doesn't get involved in this stuff, but that Bond needed to get with Coach Mullen quick and let him know what was going on, and tell him to raise the money or we were going to lose Cam. The recording was very real, and definitely not a fake.
Problem of course, is that it was Kenny Rogers asking for the money, and accusing other schools of being willing to pay. We all know what happened with that case. I have no idea whether any of the other schools were really willing to pay, but I do know that State was absolutely solicited for the money, and there absolutely was a recording of it. And, He actually left it on Bond's voicemail. And Bond couldn't have been prouder to play it for our small group that night after a lot of drinking.
So I just don't see the big deal about a tape of someone claiming that other schools are offering money. It proves nothing other than that the caller is trying to get some money.
I was up for a game shortly after John Bond had been interviewed by the FBI. He was a partner in some spec homes built in Starkville, and was letting us stay in one that had only fake furniture because we couldn't get a room. Bond had had plenty to drink and was feeling quite boisterous telling the story of his interview with the FBI. I should note that he is actually a funny storyteller, or maybe I just liked the story.
He explained how he told the interviewers how Kenny Rogers had called and said that so and so school was going to pay x amount, and that State was going to have to come up with $80K, and that he (Kenny) explained that Cam was going to take other visits in the coming weeks and State needed to act quickly. As Bond told it, the FBI then asked him if State ever considered paying the money. He said his reply to them was "Have you seen him play?.........You are God damned right we considered it!!" Everyone was dying laughing with him at this point, and he assures us he then told them "But we (State) didn't."
He then throws his phone on the center of the table and says, "Y'all want to hear it?" I honestly did not know whether he was referrring to the FBI interview, or the Kenny Rogers tape. We said yes, and he pulls it up and hits play.
It was the Kenny Rogers voice mail. On the recording was Kenny Rogers explaining exactly what I stated above, talking about where Cam was visiting, and that we needed to get the money in a hurry. He actually said that he knows Mullen doesn't get involved in this stuff, but that Bond needed to get with Coach Mullen quick and let him know what was going on, and tell him to raise the money or we were going to lose Cam. The recording was very real, and definitely not a fake.
Problem of course, is that it was Kenny Rogers asking for the money, and accusing other schools of being willing to pay. We all know what happened with that case. I have no idea whether any of the other schools were really willing to pay, but I do know that State was absolutely solicited for the money, and there absolutely was a recording of it. And, He actually left it on Bond's voicemail. And Bond couldn't have been prouder to play it for our small group that night after a lot of drinking.
So I just don't see the big deal about a tape of someone claiming that other schools are offering money. It proves nothing other than that the caller is trying to get some money.
