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So Miller completely denies the report and is coaching tonight for Arizona. Going to be really interesting to see what the true story is when it comes out.

Split T wrote:So Miller completely denies the report and is coaching tonight for Arizona. Going to be really interesting to see what the true story is when it comes out.

I thought it was an audio recording. Is he saying that isn't him? Or did I misunderstand what came out?

He is saying that the ESPN guy who reported it is lying or has bad information. The FBI has the supposed recording but they haven't said anything.

Apparently, there's a bunch of inconsistencies in ESPN's reporting regarding dates and even the player that was being discussed (i.e., it might not have been Ayton). Pretty crazy stuff.

Honestly, if this reporting by ESPN turns out to be way off base and just poorly reported, that's a bigger scandal to me that players getting paid, at any program.

wpmiller42 wrote:Apparently, there's a bunch of inconsistencies in ESPN's reporting regarding dates and even the player that was being discussed (i.e., it might not have been Ayton). Pretty crazy stuff.

Honestly, if this reporting by ESPN turns out to be way off base and just poorly reported, that's a bigger scandal to me that players getting paid, at any program.

If it is just "poorly reported" there isn't a crime. If players/families were getting paid (without reporting it) that is a federal crime.

https://www.theringer.com/2018/2/27/170 ... ean-miller


Here's a good recap from a few days back

For starters, Schlabach’s story provided zero direct quotes from the wiretap, suggesting that he hasn’t listened to the recording or even seen a transcript of the call. Also, Schlabach said in a televised interview that the wiretapped call took place in the spring of 2017, which would mean that the discussion over payments to guarantee Ayton’s commitment took place after he had signed his national letter of intent in November 2016. ESPN issued a correction to its story and said that the alleged call took place in “spring of 2016,” a timeline that was later corrected yet again to read simply “2016.” But even that doesn’t completely clear up the time-frame issue when you consider that a 247Sports report from Monday includes this passage: “Sources say that the U.S. Attorney’s office notified multiple parties who had conversations with Dawkins that their phone calls had been recorded specifically during the dates of June 19, 2017 and Sept. 25, 2017.”

Thanks guys. Seems not well researched/vetted.

Indy wrote:

wpmiller42 wrote:Apparently, there's a bunch of inconsistencies in ESPN's reporting regarding dates and even the player that was being discussed (i.e., it might not have been Ayton). Pretty crazy stuff.

Honestly, if this reporting by ESPN turns out to be way off base and just poorly reported, that's a bigger scandal to me that players getting paid, at any program.

If it is just "poorly reported" there isn't a crime. If players/families were getting paid (without reporting it) that is a federal crime.

It might not be a crime, but I just personally have more of a problem with shoddy reporting from what is supposed to be a reputable sports news source, and paying college athletes.

wpmiller42 wrote:

Indy wrote:

wpmiller42 wrote:Apparently, there's a bunch of inconsistencies in ESPN's reporting regarding dates and even the player that was being discussed (i.e., it might not have been Ayton). Pretty crazy stuff.

Honestly, if this reporting by ESPN turns out to be way off base and just poorly reported, that's a bigger scandal to me that players getting paid, at any program.

If it is just "poorly reported" there isn't a crime. If players/families were getting paid (without reporting it) that is a federal crime.

It might not be a crime, but I just personally have more of a problem with shoddy reporting from what is supposed to be a reputable sports news source, and paying college athletes.

I agree, but I've also stopped considering ESPN a reputable news source long ago. 90% yellow journalism.

O_Gardino wrote:

wpmiller42 wrote:

Indy wrote:

wpmiller42 wrote:Apparently, there's a bunch of inconsistencies in ESPN's reporting regarding dates and even the player that was being discussed (i.e., it might not have been Ayton). Pretty crazy stuff.

Honestly, if this reporting by ESPN turns out to be way off base and just poorly reported, that's a bigger scandal to me that players getting paid, at any program.

If it is just "poorly reported" there isn't a crime. If players/families were getting paid (without reporting it) that is a federal crime.

It might not be a crime, but I just personally have more of a problem with shoddy reporting from what is supposed to be a reputable sports news source, and paying college athletes.

I agree, but I've also stopped considering ESPN a reputable news source long ago. 90% yellow journalism.

Exactly. I don't think of ESPN as a place for journalism. It is for entertainment almost exclusively.

I don't really know what to make of this. Why would ESPN run with a story like this if it were all BS? Why did Sean Miller wait so long before responding to it?

From reading different articles and from what Sean Miller said, here's my best guess of what happened. Miller did admit to speaking with Dawkins and did admit to once being offered to pay a player to secure a commitment. There probably is a recording of that conversation between Miller and Dawkins but it would have had to happen in 2017 after Ayton already signed a letter of intent. That means the player being paid could not have been Ayton but someone in the upcoming class. Nassir Little is one player that has been linked to both the FBI probe and to Arizona and could be the player mentioned. I believe he was at one time either an Arizona commit or at least possible commit, but he is now committed to UNC.

ESPN may have just incorrectly assumed it was about Ayton, seeing as he was the only 5 star commitment that made sense.

Perhaps Nassir Little was being recruited and Dawkins offered a way for Miller to seal the deal. Little ended up at UNC and I don't remember the details around that, but that would seem to back up Miller's side of the story that he did not accept the opportunity to pay a player to come here.