Fresh Look (?) at Secondary Violations & CLK

#1
Tenacious D

Tenacious D

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#1
Much has been made about Tennessee's football program filing some six (6) secondary violations since CLK was named the new head coach.

As a result, many in the local sports media have used this as a means of hinting (or flat-out stating) that this staff's penchant for committing such violations has now somehow poised the entirety of the program on the precipice of some perilous abyss.

In fact, it is their incessant fear-mongering and prophecying of dire consequences which has now become the actual "story", much more so than even the actual occurrence and subsequent reporting of the violations, themselves.

So, I did some homegrown research in order to attempt to dispel some of their more insidious myths, and baseless accusations (either real, imagined, hinted, or stated).

As the NCAA's database of secondary violations is password protected, exact numbers cannot be obtained. However, while this is anecdotal evidence, I will include a link where an item is actually referenced, simply for the sake of transparency:

Myth #1: The number of secondary violations (six) is much larger since CLK took over than that of other similiar programs.

False.
Since 2000, Ohio State's Athletic Department - as a whole - committed nearly 400 "secondary violations".

Here's the kicker: The Buckeyes Associate Athletic Director had this to say about the number of secondary violations, "Repeat violations haven't been a problem."

Really? 400 or so of them, and no repeats. Wow.
The Columbus Dispatch : Oversight vs. privacy at OSU

Myth #2: A "clean" program is one which doesn't commit these type(s) of violations.

False.
Greg Sankey, the SEC's Associate Commissioner for Compliance spoke to that (Emphasis Mine):

"I have a 427-page rule manual with thousands of in­terpretations. The reality of the regulatory culture is you're going to have viola­tions -- circumstances where people go outside the boundaries of the rules.

Myth #3: If you get enough of these secondary violations, it can turn into something major.

False.
"Because rarely, a former NCAA official told me, would the NCAA take occasional sec­ondary violations in the life of an individual coach and turn them into something major."

Melick: Coaches not afraid of NCAA secondary violations - X's and Uh-oh's - al.com

Myth #4: The severity of violations at Tennessee is the cause for some great concern.

False.
Consider a smattering of similiar secondary violations from other institutions:

An Ohio State Football Club was found to have given one recruit money, legal advice, a job for his dad and several other "benefits" amongst others, each of which the NCAA considers illegal.

Here's a link to a good list of a few more:
Alabama’s Secondary Rule Violations The Tide Druid

Myth #5: A rising frequency of secondary violations will get your program noticed by the NCAA very quickly (and calamity will ensue).

False.
Oklahoma, currently on probation by the NCAA until May 2010, defended its secondary violations by saying,
"The report lists 11 total secondary violations for the 2002-03 and 2003-04 school years, but at least 30 for every year since and a high point of 46 in 2005-06."

Six (6) of those were committed by the football team.
http://newsok.com/ou-defends-rules-violations/article/3363471

Myth #6: CLK is going to becoming so widely known as a habitual rule-breaker that he's brining this on himself, and ultimately, this will hurt his recruiting efforts / the program / the team, etc.

False.
Say what you want about CLK - but it's our compliance office that's reporting these violations...not other coaches....as was (is?) the case with Bama's Saban in his first few months on the job.

"Yet this one’s printed in AL.com, and more importantly, it includes this: In his seven months at Alabama, Saban’s name has turned up more than any other coach’s in other schools’ allegations of secondary NCAA rules violations, an official with knowledge of the infractions process says. That doesn’t mean he’s breaking more rules than anyone else – or that he’s breaking any rules at all. It just shows how closely rival coaches are monitoring the Alabama staff."

EDSBS Archive SABAN COLLECTS SECONDARY VIOLATIONS, GREY SUITS

Myth #7: Intentionally thumbing your nose at the NCAA will likley result in them making an example fo you.

False.
New Mexico's first-year HC Locksley took over a Lobos team who was only recently placed on NCAA probation for major infractions had this comment during a meeting....with a CBSSportsline reporter in the room, "It's OK to make a mistake -- secondary violations, We want to lead the conference in them." There was laughter in the room but the point had been made. It's not the number of secondary violations that necessarily matter. It's about being forthcoming with the NCAA."

Myth #8: CLK's screw-ups are just so much more public / egregious / silly / stupid than those committed by others.

False.
OU reported a violation when Stoops mentioned the name of a walk-on player.....at a news conference....before the player had been signed.

Stoops sent a text to a player (violation) when he thought he was actually writing an e-mail, instead.

An OU Assistant took a recruit to a restaraunt that was off-campus (violation), but which he thought was on-campus

Myth #9: Being a first-year HC, CLK should know to keep a low profile and not jump onto the NCAA's radar screen.

You know, like Chizik at Auburn - who videotaped their violations, and had them posted on the internet - and this was after the event being mentioned on several fan-based websites, and after introducing the prospective athletes to the crowd, and right before rolling "Toomer's Corner" (which Auburn does after home wins, you know, on game day):
Watch: Toomer&#39s Corner is rolled during Big Cat Weekend | Opelika-Auburn News

Myth #10: Everybody outside of Knoxville knows how serious and dire these instances really are, and you Tennessee fans had better wake up and realize the tragedy which will befall you if you don't.

False.
From FoxSports: Coaches not afraid of NCAA secondary violations - FOX Sports on MSN-

False.
Per Si.com:
At Auburn, Washinton secondary violations*now key*recruiting tool - Andy Staples - SI.com

Further Questions For Those Smarter Than I:

1. Is our compliance staff more strict than others? What role might that play in this, if any?
2. Other coaches seem to have all secondary violations made public at one set time, but CLK's are made known as they happen - why?
3. If the SEC and NCAA won't give our information on when a secondary violation has been filed or what it pertained to (trust me, they won't).....then who is it that keeps giving it out around here? Hmmm.
4. What are the chances that you'll ever hear another word about those secondary violations which either the SEC or NCAA's issues a final ruling on?

Final Thought:
There appears to be no reason why CLK should be singled out from the rest of the coaches mentioned above other than to simply show a marked and negative bias towards him, and the program.

And no, making an off-the-cuff remark that Meyer was a "cheater" is no more plausible of a reason than had you done the same thing to Spurrier when he first called out Kiffin immediately after his being hired.

Sorry for any typ-o's, and look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts.
 
#9
#9
Reading this, Griff? That's how you do research. Nice post!
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#10
#10
Wait are you really not allowed to take recruits off campus for dinner. If so I know of a Missouri Track Coach who could be in serious trouble then
 
#12
#12
Nice read TD. Freak might have you start writing columns for VN. Well done.
 
#14
#14
Great post, D. You should post more often.

Oh wait, Freak may not have the server space!

JK- you are one of my favorite VN conspiracy theorisits.
 
#16
#16
:good!:


With one additional sentence it would have been Perfect.

Something about the national media's involvement.





SOLID!
 
#18
#18
Kenny powers says....."we are the vol's and the rest are @#($'ing out!"
 
#19
#19
Great job TD. Good read and I applaud your effort to put the spotlight on all these other "lilly white" programs.
 
#20
#20
vol11 said:
Great job TD. Good read and I applaud your effort to put the spotlight on all these other "lilly white" programs.
Click to expand...

At first glance, I was concerned about the secondary violations as many others likely were as well.

However, after taking the time to look at the issue outside of the UT program, and particularly CLK, it was obvious that secondary violations were not only common, but somewhat to be expected.

Think about it like a HC - a lot of other coaches are committing these violations and having success doing it - while beating you in the process.

You cannot / don't want to break the taboo of turning another coach / program in - but even if you did, or they self-reported it - they're not penalised.

What options are left but to do the same thing?

A rule which incurs no penalty for its violation is more aptly described as a "strong suggestion", and little else.

It's neither "good" nor is it "right", per se, but that's the reality of the situation as it now stands.

I don't want the second point of my post, that the local sports media is making far too much of these, to go unnoticed.

Why is it that we heard more about the smoke machine than Janzen Jackson - and more about CLK mentioning Brown on the radio than actually signing him?

Why is CLK being singled out for these seemingly egregious violations - when they are so clearly pervasive in every major program in the country?

If some dude with internet access (me) can so easily illuminate the issue, why couldn't (wouldn't?) others in the local sports media- who do this for a living - long ago done so? Further, even if they chose not to dispel the myth, why the proclivity to perpetuate it to such a cartoonish extent?

I'm thoroughly amazed at how they harp and harp on "journalistic integrity" at every turn, and in taking pride in being "fair" or of the importance of maintaining "objectivity".... without having to muffle a chuckle.

The issue of secondary violations is an interesting one - but its the other questions it begs which are equally curious - and important.

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#21
#21
One thing is for certain, with all of this factual information the trolls and CLK haters won't come within 50ft. of this thread.

Great post.
 
#22
#22
great job! next time i'm arrested i'm calling you to the defense.

>Why is CLK being singled out for these seemingly egregious violations - when they are so clearly pervasive in every major program in the country?<

yes a key question. do you have a theory as to the answer?
 
#23
#23
tm3 said:
great job! next time i'm arrested i'm calling you to the defense.

>Why is CLK being singled out for these seemingly egregious violations - when they are so clearly pervasive in every major program in the country?<

yes a key question. do you have a theory as to the answer?
Click to expand...

You'd fare much better by calling on the services of any number of other more intelligent / articulate posters than I. If it were me, I'd call BPV, UTMBA, Hat, amongst several others.

I have several theories, none of which are proven, of course:

1. They have nothing better to write about in a slow part of the year, so they make the violations larger than they are to, essentially, pass the time.

2. That they don't like CLK and/or his coaches, for any number of reasons, and go out of their way to poke holes in what they think he falsely believes is a suit of impervious armor.

3. That they personally liked and were accustomed to PF, and didn't like that he was forced out, or how it was handled - so they take shots at his replacement (whomever it might have turned out to be) as a passive-aggressive means of noting their displeasure / disagreement.

4. Because they know that PF remains to have a contingency (albeit marginally fractional, at best) of many loyal supporters who are likely still somewhat smarting from his dismissal, and use these secondary violations as a means of inciting their ire toward the new regime (whom they already dislike for taking the throne of their deity, anyway).

5. Because they know that Tennessee fans are hungry to return this program to a point of national prominence, possibly, and that some would have us do so at any cost - and they feel some actual professional sense of duty to interject their opinions as to what that may actually entail / look like.

6. Because they see the assembled staff of hyper-recruiters, and are betting that its just a matter of time until they do something so egregious as to land the program in (truly) hot water - and they'll want to use their telling you of these instances as a means of saying, "We told you so!" on the grandest possible scale.

7. Because they think that they define the conversation, have all of the opinions which can be proven or are worthy to hold, and essentially, can say whatever they want and can get away with it.

8. Because they think that half of us are too stupid to realize what they're doing, and the other half who may realize it are too lazy or apathetic to do anything about it.

9. Because they know that the entire fan base is swept up in the enormous sense of euphoria right now, and they're attempting to show that all is not, in fact, right in Whoville. They're trying to warn us of what they really believe to be impending doom.

10. That they want to somewhat give CLK his comeuppance, so to speak, in order to make a point that they (the local media) will not to be taken lightly, and that he (CLK) will have to reckon with them....just like they trained PF to do.

11. Because they do so to curry favor with PF's disgruntled former players and influential boosters, and who remain to be upset with his ouster. If I were to make my living off of those who gave me "inside information" - these would be two groups of people that I would first seek to appease.

12. Its a combination of one or more reasons, at any given time, with any one of several targetted goals in mind.

Anyone else have one that I missed?

Honestly, I'd appreciate knowing if anyone else believed that this was occurring -or am I just standing here pointing to the grassy knoll, so to speak.

All theories are welcome, as far as I am concerned - even those which may be counter to my own assumptions.
 
#24
#24
I think it's a personality thing. Some of our local media were too close to the former regime, giving it a free pass on the field and off it. Now the new regime rubs them the wrong way, so they consciously or subconsciously look for every little opportunity to snipe at the program. I doubt they have any long term goals.
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#25
#25
Godfatha said:
I think it's a personality thing. Some of our local media were too close to the former regime, giving it a free pass on the field and off it. Now the new regime rubs them the wrong way, so they consciously or subconsciously look for every little opportunity to snipe at the program. I doubt they have any long term goals.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
Click to expand...

I tend to agree with that.

I think that it could likely be the media attempting to insert its own sense of self-importance into the process as a whole. One could see where this makes for a power struggle of sorts:

CLK: They'll (the fans / players / program, etc.) will believe what they see, what we do, and how we handle ourselves - and they won't care what you think or write or will say about it.

The Local Sports Media: Well it's going to be a messy process of re-building the program, and we're going to show every gruesome piece of it - and they'll believe what we tell them to believe, and they'll only know about the bad things you're doing because that's all they'll hear about, or we'll drown out the noise of anything positive.

That's about the best that I can explain what I feel may be going on, and their respective positions - and which only echo your previous and well-reasoned statement.

That sounds as plausible as anything else.

You know, I recall something similiar with PF and the local sports media, too - and which just occurred to me - do any of you remember the almost incessant chattering and snide remarks that were made when PF announced the practice's would no longer be open to the media? Even though I was not a Fulmer supporter, I do remember being taken slightly aback with how much grief they gave him for that decision. It was almost like they were just openly chiding him, and saying that he was afraid for them to see because things were not going well, didn't want anyone to know, etc. etc.? Anyone else remember that?
 
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