Three with Eagles ties implicated in Miami probe
If you have not had a chance to read the excellent and thorough investigative reporting done by Charles Robinson and the Yahoo Sports team about the University of Miami football program, you should.
Three with Eagles ties implicated in Miami probe
Daily News staff
If you have not had a chance to read the excellent and thorough investigative reporting done by Charles Robinson and the Yahoo Sports team about the University of Miami football program, you should.
Among those players are current Eagles defensive tackle Antonio Dixon and former Eagles first-round pick Jerome McDougle.
The benefits that Shapiro alleges to have provided Dixon are relatively minor compared to some of his teammates. According to the report, on at least two occasions Shapiro paid for VIP access and drinks at nightclubs for Dixon and Dixon attended a dinner at Miami Beach eatery Grazie prior to the 2006 season. Seven other players attended the dinner, which credit card records show cost $926.50.
Dixon did not respond to phone or Facebook messages left by Yahoo.
McDougle was a star player for the Hurricanes during his two seasons, including 14 sacks in 2002. He was selected in the first round, 15th overall, by the Eagles in 2003. After a star-crossed career with injuries and being shot during a robbery, McDougle is out of football.
According to the report, Shapiro bought a television from BrandsMart USA for an apartment shared by McDougle, Cornelius Green and Andrew Williams at a cost of $700; provided McDougle with drinks and VIP access in nightclubs; some cash; food, drinks and entertainment in the booster's $2.7 million home.
McDougle did not respond to messages left by Yahoo.
UPDATE: We erred earlier in not including rookie free agent running back Craig Cooper, who finished third all-time on Miami's all-purpose yards list.
Shapiro claims that Cooper received lodging on Shapiro’s $1.6 million yacht for four days in January 2007; food, drinks and entertainment at Lucky Strike Lanes in January 2007; and transportation in Shapiro’s car. Cooper did not respond to Yahoo for comment.
A number of other players who briefly were with the Eagles also are included in the report.
Comment removed.
3 or 2?— beerflow- Last time I checked, these kids do get paid: tuition, room & board, books and supplies, tons of free athletic gear, access to areas of campus that no other student can access, free tutors, trips around the country, free swag at bowl games, special accommodations from teachers regarding classes, and on and on and on and on! Also, the last time I checked, no one forced these kids to play college football.— Penfold18
- Awww your just jealous because you took computer classes, and now you can't get as much as a free hot dog from anyone.
- Wow, that's totally irrelevant to athletes who go to school only because the NCAA and NFL have this little agreement where football players have to go to school 3 years before going to the NFL. — cdavis27
- If you want to pay the athletes then set up a FOR-PROFIT minor league system. Right now, they have a quid-pro-quo where they provide a service for a NOT-FOR-PROFIT University in exchange for scholarship. In many ways it is analogous to ROTC and any student that believes they are getting the short-end of the deal can opt-out(as I believe they can for ROTC as well).— eaglesfan
- By the way, what's going through Al Golden's mind right about now? He left for a big time program, and he could be staring at the first death penalty since SMU. I doubt he's their coach for long.— Scorekeeper
- Pay them and then maybe I'll care about NCAA violations. The NCAA makes field slaves of their players and then punishes them for taking an extra sip of water.— bc3030
- @bc3030:
That is just about the worst analogy you could possibly make. It completely trivializes actual slavery and marginalizes the ramifications of a system which utilizes slavery.— Penfold18 - The way McDougle played for the Eagles he should be sharing a cell with the guy.— Dexter
- The Free tuition argument is stupid. 75% of the kids in football and basketball, and probably baseball, wouldn't even go to class if the NCAA wasn't forcing them to go. You can't say they're getting paid with being forced to attend classes... Its like being paid in lottery tickets, that end up being losers.
— phillyinATL - @phillyinATL:
You are right. Free tuition is stupid. They shouldn't have to go to class. And they don't have to play football either. They can get a real job like everyone else.— Penfold18 - I guess all those Free Shoes University jokes made by Duh U fans years ago seem pretty quaint now.— Jerome99RIP
- Comment removed.
- Who cares...they should be paid anyway!— dgabs
