More columnists unload on Kelvin Sampson

[Da Coach]

Reports are beginning to emerge that the number of illegal phone calls made by Kelvin Sampson and his staff at Indiana may be much higher than previously reported.

Now, after virtually ignoring the story for a couple days, some national reporters and sites are starting to come online with strong opinions about this.

ESPN now has the Sampson-gate story as their lead story--

http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/ncb/index

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/insider/columns/story?columnist=fraschilla
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3063434 (their initial report Sunday)


Gregg Doyel os CBSSportsline.com--

http://cbs.sportsline.com/columns/story/10411974

Chicago Sun Times--

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/couch/606271,CST-SPT-greg17.article

New reports place the number of potentailly illegal calls at more than 100--

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071017/SPORTS0601/310170009

Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News posted this column yesterday (already posted in a thread yesterday)-

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=290191

[tornado]

New reports place the number of potentailly illegal calls at more than 100--

But KS is a smart cookie, and he probably bought one or more of those prepaid cell phones and made enormous numbers of calls on those,
as they are completely untraceable, as are any calls going out on borrowed phones, pay phones, and interent linked phone lines.


and I find it funny that if you call a recruit illegally, and if the call doesn't connect, then no violation occurred.
So these Indiana guys are trying to defend themselves, saying....
"yea, I know we dialed the kid, and it was completely illegal to call him, but the call didn't connect,
and we simply spent a couple minutes online listening to his phone ring.
But since he never picked it up, then we never violated the rule."

What a really weak excuse.............kinda like saying
"I know I robbed the bank at gunpoint, but the gun didn't have any bullets, so I should be let off scot-free!"

[Saginaw Brave]

I dont like seeing any program have problems, ultimately its the kids that suffer.
But Sampson has proven and admitted that rules don't limit him and he feels comfortable breaking them when it suits his purpose, and that it happens often and frequently, and will continue to happen often and frequently.
He has an egotistical and sociopathic attitude, and he will only become more diligent in looking for new ways to skirt the rules and not be caught.
He is not the right man for such an important position, and if Indiana continues to employ him, it will demonstrate loudly that they have more interest in generating money and wins than in following rules or being honest.

[tornado]

Amen and amen, Sag
anyone else agree?
Certainly some of the fine IU alums are agreeing loudly.

[Da Coach]

The Indiana administration and trustees are spinning the story. Now a high ranking offical at IU is calling all the illegal phone calls by Kelvin Sampson "ugly coincidences".

From a new article on CBSSportsline.com--
There are certainly some fans who believe the coach should have been fired," said Patrick Shoulders, vice president of the university's board of trustees. "But I don't think it should hurt the school's image, and I don't think it will in the long term."
"It's not the end of the world or the end of the program. I think it's one of those ugly coincidences," he said. "These were not violations of any kind of moral turpitude and I think we should put it behind us because we're going to have a good season."

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10412376/1

And check out Gary Parrish's take on Kelvin Sampson's excuses why he made the illegal calls. Scroll down to the Oct. 16, 2:21 pm Blog entry titled "Sampson's excuse just doesn't ring true". He is basically calling Sampson a liar--

http://www.sportsline.com/columns/weblogs/entry/10310/102007

I agree with this. His excuses are so lame, they aren't believeable. He also has claimed that he gets such poor reception on his cell phone at his house that he had to have his assistant make the call and then connect by 3-way call to his cell phone. But then wouldn't that 3-way call have the same poor reception? The guy seems to me to be a sociopathic liar.

[tornado]

Every day, there are new revelations coming out.
Now there are reports of possibly at least a HUNDRED more of the impermissable phone calls..

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071016/NLETTER03/710160452/1196/LOCAL

I wouldn't be surprised that there are even more, the rule to this point is just keep looking....

[Dallas Brave]

"These were not violations of any kind of moral turpitude

That's probably right .. Kelvin's and Indiana's violations are due more to a dearth of ethics than some sort of moral turpitude

[Dallas Brave]

From a new article on CBSSportsline.com--
There are certainly some fans who believe the coach should have been fired," said Patrick Shoulders, vice president of the university's board of trustees. "But I don't think it should hurt the school's image, and I don't think it will in the long term."
"It's not the end of the world or the end of the program. I think it's one of those ugly coincidences," he said. "These were not violations of any kind of moral turpitude and I think we should put it behind us because we're going to have a good season."

Plus ... what the heck are "ugly coincidences" ...

is the ugly coincidence that (a) kelvin Sampson has been caught repeatedly cheating and (b) Kelvin Sampson is the head basketball coach at IU

That would certainly qualify as an ugly coincidence

[tornado]

Given the atmosphere of rules breaking......the head coach at Oklahoma State,
Sean Sutton, has an announcement to make.............


"Oklahoma State will have character"

http://www.edmondsun.com/sports/cnhisnscolsports_story_291015824.html

[DoubleJayAlum]

From a new article on CBSSportsline.com--
There are certainly some fans who believe the coach should have been fired," said Patrick Shoulders, vice president of the university's board of trustees. "But I don't think it should hurt the school's image, and I don't think it will in the long term."
"It's not the end of the world or the end of the program. I think it's one of those ugly coincidences," he said. "These were not violations of any kind of moral turpitude and I think we should put it behind us because we're going to have a good season."

Well, so long as they'll have a good season, I guess anything is allowed.

Unbelievable!