fulmer sucks!!!!!
> *Public Enemy No. 1: Volunteers Fulmer a key cog in upcoming > Tuscaloosa trial* > > By Christopher Walsh > Sports Writer > July 03, 2005 > <JavaScript: newWindow = openWin( > '/apps/pbcs.dll/art_tips? Date=20050703&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=50703001&SiteData=TL&Profile=1011&SectionC at=', > 'SendToFriend', > 'width=400,height=450,toolbar=0,location=0,directories=0,status=0,menuBar= 0,scrollBars=1,resizable=0' > ); newWindow.focus()> > TUSCALOOSA | Its been almost a whole year since University of > Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer chose to accept a $10,000 fine > for >skipping Media Days in Birmingham rather than risk being subpoenaed for >a deposition. > > But soon, one way or another, hes going to cross the state line into > Alabama and almost certainly receive a rude welcoming. > > Between the jury defamation trial scheduled to start July 11, SEC Media > Days at the end of the month or the Alabama-Tennessee football game at > Bryant-Denny Stadium on Oct. 22, Fulmer can no longer avoid a return > to the Heart of Dixie. > > Public Enemy No. 1 for Crimson Tide fans only tightened his grip on the > position with the recent release of all documents in the $60 million > lawsuit by former Alabama coaches Ronnie Cottrell and Ivy Williams > against the National Collegiate Athletic Association and others. > > The records only further confirmed that key sources of information for > both the NCAA and SEC in the Alabama recruiting scandal regarding > Albert Means, came from those with Tennessee ties including Fulmers > > confidential memos and his passing on information from recruiting > analyst Tom Culpepper. > > Also revealed was that the SEC was investigating former Alabama booster > Logan Young in 1998 and knew Means high school football coach, Lynn > Lang, was asking for money long before the defensive lineman signed to > play for the Crimson Tide. > > SEC investigator William Sievers testified that he asked Tennessee > assistant coach Pat Washington to wear a wire to record Lang asking for > money. Washington agreed to do so, but the school nixed the idea. > > Meanwhile, other Tennessee supporters were important cogs in the > investigation, like booster Duke Clement, a drinking associate and > rival of Youngs in Memphis, with their statements taken at face > value. > > In his deposition, Sievers said regarding Clement: A lot of his > information was second-hand, but he also reported things that were said > to him by Logan Young. > > When asked by plaintiff attorney Tommy Gallion if he looked into > Clements credibility, Sievers said: I did not. > > When asked by Gallion if he investigated NCAA secret witness Karl > Schledwitz (a figure in the Butcher Bank scandal and recently named to > the Tennessee Board of Trustees) or Clement, NCAA investigator Richard > Johanningmeier said, The information they provided, I had no questions > about the credibility of the information they provided to us. > > Attorney Joseph Buffington, who represented the University of Alabama, > wrote in a letter to the school dated May 16, 2000, that he believed > former Tennessee booster Roy Adams was feeding Sievers information. > > We are extremely concerned that Mr. Sievers is admittedly receiving > information from Roy Adams and asked questions based on that > information. Mr. Adams likely will draw up additional cloak-and-dagger > theories against Mr. Young. Are we to expect additional document > requests, which really amount to nothing more than allowing someone > like Mr. Adams to pursue a personal vendetta that the national office > and the SEC knew all about Roy Adams where he was recognized as a > troublemaker with no creditability whatsoever. > > Sievers testified that he never interviewed Adams. He also never > interviewed Cottrell during his investigation. > > Gallion: You dont know of anything Ronnie Cottrell did that was > improper? > > Sievers: That is correct. > > In 1999, Sievers was investigating claims the father of football player > Eric Locke made against Tennessee. He reported his concerns to SEC > commissioner Roy Kramer, who informed Tennessee, resulting in a booster > being disassociated. > > My question to you is very simply, why was this not done in the Logan > Young affair at the offset? Gallion asked during the deposition, > echoing a theme of his clients lawsuit. > > In addition to the Tennessee coaching staff and boosters and Culpepper, > Johanningmeier also interviewed former Tennessee assistants David > Cutcliffe and Kurt Roper. > > Of them, Johanningmeier said the only person who could provide any > evidence that Young paid for Means to go to Alabama was Culpepper, who > alleged that Young bragged about it during a car ride they shared. > > Johanningmeier interviewed Tennessee coaches on March 13, 2000, more > than six months before Alabama was notified an investigation was > underway, and well before Means played his first game at Alabama. > > The Volunteers coaches said that they believed the following players > had been paid or influenced, directly or indirectly, by Young: Michael > Myers, Kindal Moorehead, Santonio Beard, Kenny Smith, Locke, Fernando > Bryant, Means, David Paine, Freddie Milons, Travis Carroll and Steven > Harris. > > However, the Tennessee coaches had no hard evidence. In addition to > recommending numerous possible leads, Fulmer suggested that the NCAA > contact Tennessee booster Chuck Cole because he was up-to-date on > recruiting rumors. > > Among the items Fulmer passed on was the rumor that Smiths mother, > Vicki, was having an affair with Alabama football coach Danny Pearman. > The Smith family has since filed a lawsuit in Tennessee. > > Fulmer said he heard former Alabama booster Ray Keller arranged the > financing of a car for Smith. Keller has since filed a lawsuit. > > Former Alabama assistant coach Woody McCorvey described Keller as a > hanger on and a booster who was more talk than money. > > Assistant coach Steve Caldwell, who joined the Tennessee staff before > McCorvey in 1995, testified that Young tried to get him on the Alabama > staff and offered to supplement his salary. > > The Vols coaches also mentioned the names of those they believed were > helping Young Mark Graves, Scott Harrison and Bob McGee. > > In a follow-up interview on May 23, 2000, Fulmer told Johanningmeier > about information he had received from Culpepper through Cole. > > He also forwarded a rumor that Alabama boosters had been assigned > football players to look after specifically citing Dr. Ellis Porch > and former running back Shaun Alexander. > > Meanwhile, Fulmer remains steadfast in his opposition to giving a > deposition. > > Its unbelievable that 11 days from trial, they issue a subpoena, > Fulmers attorney Jeff Hagood told The Knoxville News-Sentinel. They > dont care about the truth. All they care about is harassment and > publicity. Thats what this is. > > Hagood continued: Its covered like the Iraqi war in Alabama. Some of > the talk show radio guys have created a trust fund for themselves > covering this very thing. They like to keep it stirred up, and nothing > suits those lawyers down there more than stirring it up. I guess they > have a lot more time on their hands than we do. > > Reach Christopher Walsh at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or at > (205) 722-0196. > > _______________________________________________ > RTF mailing list > RTF@rolltidefan.net > http://rolltidefan.net/mailman/listinfo/rtf_rolltidefan.net _______________________________________________ RTF mailing list RTF@rolltidefan.net http://rolltidefan.net/mailman/listinfo/rtf_rolltidefan.net
