"If Sampson ain't coaching, we ain't playing"

[Braves4Life]

I will reiterate that fact that if he cheated he should be fired but it isn't right for IU to make him and most of the coaching staff a sacrifice so they don't have any further sanctions handed down to them. Let it run its course and if he's wrong...fire him.

This is exactly how the American legal system works JMoney. If IU had the evidence that he cheated, and/or the NCAA either came to them with this evidence or confirmed it, then how is this any different than a plea bargain.

I'm willing to guess the NCAA either said "here's the evidence IU, what are you going to do about it?", or IU went to the NCAA and said "we're prepared to impose our own sanctions for a more lenient NCAA sentence".

If this is how things are going down (and it sure seems that way to me), then I applaud IU for trying to save their reputation, program and @ss.

[J Money]

The difference between this and a failed drug test is that a failed drug test is immediately evident and the rules call for immediate suspension. A case like this sets up a hearing in an NCAA court 90 days after it is discovered. I'm just saying that processes like this are set up for a reason and why not let Sampson come before the committee and tell his side of the story (he still denies knowledge). I don't think he's right but give the guy his due process. Suspend him for the remainer of the season and then fire him if need be.

P.S. The basketball program has always had integrity at IU....Sampson is the exception not the rule. This is the first time IU has been investigated in any sport by the NCAA since the '60's.

[Braves4Life]

"Greenspan asked if he should just cancel the whole season," one source said. "And the player told him 'We don't care what you do. But if Sampson ain't coaching, we ain't playing.' And then they just walked out."

[/COLOR][/B][/I]http://www.sportsline.com/collegebas...story/10659277

The players have no dog in this hunt. The only players with any degree of leverage are the seniors..............and if they're close to graduating then they also have no leverage.

[Gwright]

IU officials are calling bull on this story. That doesn't mean anything of course, but for the record...

"No decision was made until this morning, I cannot stress that enough," the official said in reference to various reports Thursday that claimed a decision to fire Sampson already had been made. "All those reports about it being made yesterday and of the players being told and of the team threatening not to play were not true. It's pure science fiction.

Story from ESPN

[J Money]

I guess the main issue I have with this is that it is being blown way out of proportion. It is completely wrong that he made those phone calls and I have no doubt he is guilty. Everyone is looking at this like this team somehow has an unfair advantage now. Look at the list of players the illegal phone calls were made too....all are playing for other schools now. Lets talk about Calipari and all the legal troubles on that team with no suspensions....this just isn't as mortally wrong as some other issues that are down-played. IU should fire him but the whole one-week thing was a dog and pony show...they had already decided to fire him last Friday before McRobbie's press conference.

[real fan]

The due process has already played out as both the NCAA and Indiana have found evidence that Sampson has lied about the phone calls ; Indiana is trying now to cover their butts about the sanctions they are now facing as by firing Sampson their penalties will not be as bad; as far as what their incoming recruits decide it may also matter if the NCAA decides to take away the number of scholarships they may give next season and Indiana still has to release them so it could mean more is yet to happen.

[tornado]

...directly penalize Indiana... I know it "hurts the kids," .....

All the Michigan kids suffered the same punishment as Chris Webber when it was found that Webber broke the rules
All the Villanova kids suffered the same penalty when it was discovered that Howard Porter broke the rules (all he did was hire an agent before the NCAA Finals)
All the kids in the Bradley program were penalized when the BU players
Many, many examples exist where the program has to forfeit wins because players broke rules and made themselves ineligible, and many cases exist where a coach was cheating and the entire program was penalized.
It even happened to the high school kids at Hales Francisdcan over a clerical error that had nothing to do with the kids.

[thefish7]

Yeah, I agree, T, that's why I went on to say you have to penalize Indiana.

[J Money]

Inside source: The seniors all had individual meetings with Sampson by themselves yesterday; Lance and DJ (captains) met with Sampson together yesterday; the 5 players reported in this thread had a meeting with Greenspan yesterday; and the whole team met with Greenspan last night. Apparently it's a complete circus in Bloomington right now.

[Lakeview Brave]

I just want to make one point. None of the things Sampson did were illegal. They may have violated NCAA rules but no one is going to jail over some phone calls.

[Murph]

I just want to make one point. None of the things Sampson did were illegal. They may have violated NCAA rules but no one is going to jail over some phone calls.

Thanks for clearing that up.

[Dallas Brave]

It's too bad that a program of IU's stature has gotten themselves into this. It's a great school and I hope that they can get beyond this situation without it becoming any messier than it already is. As for Sampson, the guy could probably sell ice to an eskimo ... I wouldn't believe a word out of his mouth from here-on-out. His every move will be dictated by lawyers who will try to maximize the amount of money he gets on his way out the door. Now that he has been caught cheating again by the NCAA, I hope he isn't so low that he tries to manipulate the players to meet his own gain.

[mike radigan]

IU to announce findings at 1pm CST.

[Murph]

The Kelvin Sampson watch ...


Update, 12:26 p.m. ET: Seeing reports that Indiana will hold a 2 p.m. ET news conference regarding the situation, but that's just over an hour and a half from now, meaning they'll have to move fast.
***
In today's USA TODAY, Marlen Garcia writes that Kelvin Sampson is still in place as coach of the Indiana Hoosiers, but athletic director Rick Greenspan should have more news today on the situation.
We'll keep you up to date with all the Sampson news as things happen in Bloomington ... but for now, read up on these updates from this morning -- then stay tuned for more throughout the day:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sportsscope/2008/02/the-kelvin-samp.html

[ph]

All the Michigan kids suffered the same punishment as Chris Webber when it was found that Webber broke the rules
All the Villanova kids suffered the same penalty when it was discovered that Howard Porter broke the rules (all he did was hire an agent before the NCAA Finals)
All the kids in the Bradley program were penalized when the BU players
Many, many examples exist where the program has to forfeit wins because players broke rules and made themselves ineligible, and many cases exist where a coach was cheating and the entire program was penalized.
It even happened to the high school kids at Hales Francisdcan over a clerical error that had nothing to do with the kids.

It sorta' makes sense. Teammates are most likely to know if another is guilty of violations. So group punishment a form of positive peer pressure to keep violations from occuring..