New thread because New Bombshell tweets
- Thread starter HRTheCard
- Start date
Relevancy would be my guess (don't think that dude actually gave Zion anything, did he?). Haven't seen a definitive answer anywhere.
This. Had nothing to do with what was brought forward by the prosecution and the related charges.
Zion got paid and nobody will convince me otherwise. A coach is recorded saying that Zion wants all these things and that they’re willing to do anything to get him on campus. You expect anyone to believe that Zion turned down the offer that he asked for? Lol! Duke obviously upped the ante and outbid Kansas. If anyone believes differently they’re in denial and more than likely a duke fan.
Duke fans think it all played out like this:
Zion-“I want a house, car and job for my family”
Kansas Coaches-“We are willing to give you anything you ask for.”
Zion-“never mind I’ll go play for duke for free. I really didn’t want all those things I asked for.”
Zion-“I want a house, car and job for my family”
Kansas Coaches-“We are willing to give you anything you ask for.”
Zion-“never mind I’ll go play for duke for free. I really didn’t want all those things I asked for.”
Who needs any of that when the university and the state will take care of you for the rest of your life?
#brotherhood
#thereissocialismhere
I think what is possible is that Kansas was set to pay for Zion, then the adidas stuff broke, and Zion and his realized it would be unwise to go through with it so they cut ties with Kansas and backed off on their demands. That’s how I could see him ending up at duke for free when he was demanding a job and a house from Kansas.
My guess is either that or duke found some kind of way to get him all of that stuff within the rules similar to Bagley.
If it turns out to be true he has his hand out though then he should be ineligible anyways.
My guess is either that or duke found some kind of way to get him all of that stuff within the rules similar to Bagley.
If it turns out to be true he has his hand out though then he should be ineligible anyways.
Or Kansas was trying to find some kind of way to get him all that stuff within the rules similar to bagley. It almost like Townsend said that very thing.
So Bam got paid to go to Kentucky. All but set to go to NC State and then he surprised everyone and went to UK. Nobody can convince me otherwise.
Full texts between Self and staff and Gassnola.
Aug. 8, 2017
7 p.m.: (Townsend shares Fenny Falmagne’s contact information with Gassnola via text. Falmagne is the legal guardian of recruit Silvio De Sousa.)
Aug. 9
Gassnola, 5:24 p.m.: Hit me when u can
Townsend, 6:08 p.m.: Coach self just talked to fenny let me know how it goes
Gassnola, 6:08 p.m.: I called no answer
Gassnola, 6:08 p.m.: I’ll do it again now
Townsend, 6:08 p.m.: He was on with us
Aug. 9
Gassnola, 10:22 a.m.: Hall of famer. When you have 5 min and your alone. Call me p
(Self and Gassnola had a five-minute, six-second phone conversation at 12:43 p.m., according to phone records presented by the defense. The call was not wiretapped by the FBI nor played in court.)
Gassnola, 9:33 p.m.: I talked with Fennie
Self, 9:34 p.m.: We good?
Gassnola, 9:34 p.m.: Always. That’s was light work.
Ball is in his court now
Self, 9:34 p.m.: Spoke to Sean. All good.
Gassnola, 9:35 p.m.: Will it be done by Tuesday Deadline ?
Self, 9:36 p.m.: From what I was told yes
Gassnola, 9:36 p.m.: Great. Thank u boss
Aug. 19
Gassnola, 2:52 p.m.: Hall of famer. Thank you for the help with Getting this extension done. Thx brotha
Self, 2:53 p.m.: I’m happy with adidas. Just got to get a couple real guys.
Gassnola, 2:58 p.m.: When the time is right. I will need to call on you to back me on some things. Have to make a few changes and keep getting better. Iam tired of fighting internal wars when it comes to the Jayhawks
Self, 3:00 p.m.: Ok. But why would rivers fight. What did we I ever do to him
(Note: It’s not clear whom Self is referring to. There is a Chris Rivers who is an Adidas executive in charge of youth basketball.)
Gassnola, 3:06 p.m.: nothing. He is a great guy. I just think ppl get intimated by me, and are jealous of our relationship. I will fix it TRUST me We can’t be successful with insecure ppl
In my mind it’s KU bill self. Everyone else fall into line , to f---ing bad , that’s what’s right for adidas Basketball
And I know Iam RIGHT. The more you win, have lottery pics. And you happy
That’s how it should work in my mind
Self, 3:12 p.m.: That’s how ur works. At unc and Duke
Gassnola, 3:14 p.m.: Kentucky as well
Gassnola, 3:14 p.m.: I promise you. I got this , I have never let you down Except ( Dyondre) lol
We will get it right
Aug. 26
Townsend, 11:06 p.m.: Coach been on the phone with Angola
We are good to go
We will commit tomorrow
Townsend, 11:07 p.m.: From fenny
Gassnola, 11:07 p.m.: Great
Gassnola, 11:07 p.m.: I’ll follow up tomorrow
Townsend, 11:07 p.m.: Thank you
(De Sousa committed to Kansas on Aug. 30. The next day, Self had a five-minute phone conversation with Gatto from 4:21 to 4:26 p.m. Central time. This was during a time the FBI was wiretapping Gatto, but the conversation was not recorded because of a “technical issue.”)
https://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article220324810.html
There's really nothing in there mentioned at all about payments or much close. Yeah you can read between the lines but without evidence of payments or an idea on the subject they don't really tell you anything. Would love to hear those conversations. But there's is nothing there that can convict Self and Staff.
Aug. 8, 2017
7 p.m.: (Townsend shares Fenny Falmagne’s contact information with Gassnola via text. Falmagne is the legal guardian of recruit Silvio De Sousa.)
Aug. 9
Gassnola, 5:24 p.m.: Hit me when u can
Townsend, 6:08 p.m.: Coach self just talked to fenny let me know how it goes
Gassnola, 6:08 p.m.: I called no answer
Gassnola, 6:08 p.m.: I’ll do it again now
Townsend, 6:08 p.m.: He was on with us
Aug. 9
Gassnola, 10:22 a.m.: Hall of famer. When you have 5 min and your alone. Call me p
(Self and Gassnola had a five-minute, six-second phone conversation at 12:43 p.m., according to phone records presented by the defense. The call was not wiretapped by the FBI nor played in court.)
Gassnola, 9:33 p.m.: I talked with Fennie
Self, 9:34 p.m.: We good?
Gassnola, 9:34 p.m.: Always. That’s was light work.
Ball is in his court now
Self, 9:34 p.m.: Spoke to Sean. All good.
Gassnola, 9:35 p.m.: Will it be done by Tuesday Deadline ?
Self, 9:36 p.m.: From what I was told yes
Gassnola, 9:36 p.m.: Great. Thank u boss
Aug. 19
Gassnola, 2:52 p.m.: Hall of famer. Thank you for the help with Getting this extension done. Thx brotha
Self, 2:53 p.m.: I’m happy with adidas. Just got to get a couple real guys.
Gassnola, 2:58 p.m.: When the time is right. I will need to call on you to back me on some things. Have to make a few changes and keep getting better. Iam tired of fighting internal wars when it comes to the Jayhawks
Self, 3:00 p.m.: Ok. But why would rivers fight. What did we I ever do to him
(Note: It’s not clear whom Self is referring to. There is a Chris Rivers who is an Adidas executive in charge of youth basketball.)
Gassnola, 3:06 p.m.: nothing. He is a great guy. I just think ppl get intimated by me, and are jealous of our relationship. I will fix it TRUST me We can’t be successful with insecure ppl
In my mind it’s KU bill self. Everyone else fall into line , to f---ing bad , that’s what’s right for adidas Basketball
And I know Iam RIGHT. The more you win, have lottery pics. And you happy
That’s how it should work in my mind
Self, 3:12 p.m.: That’s how ur works. At unc and Duke
Gassnola, 3:14 p.m.: Kentucky as well
Gassnola, 3:14 p.m.: I promise you. I got this , I have never let you down Except ( Dyondre) lol
We will get it right
Aug. 26
Townsend, 11:06 p.m.: Coach been on the phone with Angola
We are good to go
We will commit tomorrow
Townsend, 11:07 p.m.: From fenny
Gassnola, 11:07 p.m.: Great
Gassnola, 11:07 p.m.: I’ll follow up tomorrow
Townsend, 11:07 p.m.: Thank you
(De Sousa committed to Kansas on Aug. 30. The next day, Self had a five-minute phone conversation with Gatto from 4:21 to 4:26 p.m. Central time. This was during a time the FBI was wiretapping Gatto, but the conversation was not recorded because of a “technical issue.”)
https://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article220324810.html
There's really nothing in there mentioned at all about payments or much close. Yeah you can read between the lines but without evidence of payments or an idea on the subject they don't really tell you anything. Would love to hear those conversations. But there's is nothing there that can convict Self and Staff.
I'll see your wall of text and raise it by another wall of text;
Staying clean involves some luck, which Kentucky has had
John Calipari and Kentucky run a clean program, but sometimes, others make a mess that programs pay for.
By James Streble@JStreble82 Oct 18, 2018, 7:25am
As the trial on college basketball winds down, the two teams that are seemingly in the most trouble with the NCAA are the Louisville Cardinals and the Kansas Jayhawks.
With texts, wiretaps, and testimony, prosecutors and the FBI were able to show that both UofL and KU had staff members directly work with agents from Adidas to compensate players and their families in order for them to play for their programs.
Brian Bowen Sr. testified that UofL assistant coach Kenny Johnson dropped off a bag of money to help pay for his family’s stay at the Galt House, a swanky hotel in the city of Louisville.
As for Kansas, Adidas bag man T.J. Gassnola gave Billy Preston a car and his family around $90,000. There were multiple texts between Gassnola and Self that suggest the Kansas coach may have known what was going on.
Other big-name programs that were struck by collateral damage from this trial were LSU, North Carolina (while named, the Heels were exonerated), and Duke.
Outside of a random text from Gassnola to Self that insinuates UNC, UK, and Duke pay players without any actual evidence to back it up, John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcatscame out of this trial unscathed.
So that leaves us with the question: Is Kentucky clean or just lucky?
It’s been noted that Calipari’s usual success with the top of the class (top 5 recruits) hasn’t been what it used to be. The last time Cal landed a recruit in the top 5 was in 2015 when Skal Labisierre committed to the Cats as the No. 2 overall player.
Cal’s highest recruit since then was De’Aaron Fox at No. 6 overall.
While Kentucky has been in on the top guys in the country, they’ve all gone to Duke, the Arizona Wildcats, or to Kansas. Kansas and Arizona have been heavily implicated in this pay-for-play scandal while Duke has just been inserted into the melee following the Zion Williamson information.
In a taped conversation that was not allowed into evidence today, Adidas' Merl Code and Kansas asst Kurtis Townsend discuss the recruitment of Zion Williamson, who wound up at Duke. In arguing for admission, a transcript was read by Code defense atty Mark Moore. (thread)
6:22 PM - Oct 16, 2018
If we recall, the commitment to Duke for Zion was out of nowhere. It was seemingly down to UK and the Clemson Tigers, with Clemson making a late surge. Then he put on the Duke hat, and everyone was stunned.
Was Calipari not willing to play the game the other schools were? Had he gotten so much of a lead in recruiting that he didn’t have to resort to offering extra benefits? Was the rest of college basketball just trying to catch up?
When asked about how he reacts if a player asks for extra benefits, Calipari answered the following way at SEC Media Days:
“We walk. We’re not...I’m not going to deal with it,” said Calipari. “If my staff is uncomfortable, there’s other kids.”
As for now we just don’t know. Calipari has done a great job of getting guys of high character to play at Kentucky. Luckily, he hasn’t had to deal with much off the court nonsense.
I would be remiss to neglect to mention that both Bam Adebayo and Kevin Knox were named as players to meet with Christian Dawkins, an agent from Adidas wrapped up in the UofL scandal, but neither player had committed to Kentucky at that point, and Kentucky was never implicated in wrongdoing.
What if it turned out that someone around them — like a parent or guardian — took illegal benefits, then everyone found out after they played at Kentucky? Neither Calipari nor Kentucky would have known, yet they’d still be punished by the NCAA all the same.
That’s why running a clean program involves some luck when you’re recruiting so many elite recruits every year. Thus far, Kentucky has run a clean program and managed to avoid any recruits who would have gotten the program.
Kentucky is one of the few big-time programs that remains unscathed. Calipari has even gone so far to offer fixes to the situation instead of blatantly ignoring, ala Coach K.
The dirty business of college basketball has been laid bare for the entire world to see. Any actions taken by the NCAA will not be sufficient if history can be any indication of things. The questions remain as to what, if any, actions will be taken against those schools that were implicitly involved with paying recruits.
Big Blue Nation doesn’t have anything to worry about for the moment. This trial is almost over, but one there are more on the horizon.
Adam Zagoria
✔@AdamZagoria
https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/1052552205394436096
An Adidas source told me Nike is "much smarter about how they can get shit done."
Dick Vitale
✔@DickieV
Replying to @jbowen176 and 11 others
No way this problem was limited to Adidas schools, they were in competition with someone.... Nike JUSTIN , u r right on the money buddy .
9:29 AM - Oct 17, 2018
Twitter Ads info and privacy
For now, John Calipari appears as if he is one of the few doing things the right way.
I hope that continues.
@Quavarius
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I mean this exchange here certainly smells like players are being funneled to KU (and other schools) and it wouldn't be far fetched to think that money is the funnel bait. How else was Gassnola going to steer star players to KU?
If Gassnola is funneling players with cash, then it certainly looks like KU coaches (Townsend and Self) knew and were partaking.
Gassnola, 3:14 p.m.: I promise you. I got this , I have never let you down Except ( Dyondre) lol
We will get it right
Aug. 26
Townsend, 11:06 p.m.: Coach been on the phone with Angola
We are good to go
We will commit tomorrow
Townsend, 11:07 p.m.: From fenny
Gassnola, 11:07 p.m.: Great
Or just pitching the networking power of adidas and KS after college. Kinda like Nike does.
I'll see your wall of text and raise it by another wall of text;
Staying clean involves some luck, which Kentucky has had
John Calipari and Kentucky run a clean program, but sometimes, others make a mess that programs pay for.
By James Streble@JStreble82 Oct 18, 2018, 7:25am
Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
As the trial on college basketball winds down, the two teams that are seemingly in the most trouble with the NCAA are the Louisville Cardinals and the Kansas Jayhawks.
With texts, wiretaps, and testimony, prosecutors and the FBI were able to show that both UofL and KU had staff members directly work with agents from Adidas to compensate players and their families in order for them to play for their programs.
Brian Bowen Sr. testified that UofL assistant coach Kenny Johnson dropped off a bag of money to help pay for his family’s stay at the Galt House, a swanky hotel in the city of Louisville.
As for Kansas, Adidas bag man T.J. Gassnola gave Billy Preston a car and his family around $90,000. There were multiple texts between Gassnola and Self that suggest the Kansas coach may have known what was going on.
Other big-name programs that were struck by collateral damage from this trial were LSU, North Carolina (while named, the Heels were exonerated), and Duke.
Outside of a random text from Gassnola to Self that insinuates UNC, UK, and Duke pay players without any actual evidence to back it up, John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcatscame out of this trial unscathed.
So that leaves us with the question: Is Kentucky clean or just lucky?
It’s been noted that Calipari’s usual success with the top of the class (top 5 recruits) hasn’t been what it used to be. The last time Cal landed a recruit in the top 5 was in 2015 when Skal Labisierre committed to the Cats as the No. 2 overall player.
Cal’s highest recruit since then was De’Aaron Fox at No. 6 overall.
While Kentucky has been in on the top guys in the country, they’ve all gone to Duke, the Arizona Wildcats, or to Kansas. Kansas and Arizona have been heavily implicated in this pay-for-play scandal while Duke has just been inserted into the melee following the Zion Williamson information.
In a taped conversation that was not allowed into evidence today, Adidas' Merl Code and Kansas asst Kurtis Townsend discuss the recruitment of Zion Williamson, who wound up at Duke. In arguing for admission, a transcript was read by Code defense atty Mark Moore. (thread)
6:22 PM - Oct 16, 2018
If we recall, the commitment to Duke for Zion was out of nowhere. It was seemingly down to UK and the Clemson Tigers, with Clemson making a late surge. Then he put on the Duke hat, and everyone was stunned.
Was Calipari not willing to play the game the other schools were? Had he gotten so much of a lead in recruiting that he didn’t have to resort to offering extra benefits? Was the rest of college basketball just trying to catch up?
When asked about how he reacts if a player asks for extra benefits, Calipari answered the following way at SEC Media Days:
“We walk. We’re not...I’m not going to deal with it,” said Calipari. “If my staff is uncomfortable, there’s other kids.”
As for now we just don’t know. Calipari has done a great job of getting guys of high character to play at Kentucky. Luckily, he hasn’t had to deal with much off the court nonsense.
I would be remiss to neglect to mention that both Bam Adebayo and Kevin Knox were named as players to meet with Christian Dawkins, an agent from Adidas wrapped up in the UofL scandal, but neither player had committed to Kentucky at that point, and Kentucky was never implicated in wrongdoing.
What if it turned out that someone around them — like a parent or guardian — took illegal benefits, then everyone found out after they played at Kentucky? Neither Calipari nor Kentucky would have known, yet they’d still be punished by the NCAA all the same.
That’s why running a clean program involves some luck when you’re recruiting so many elite recruits every year. Thus far, Kentucky has run a clean program and managed to avoid any recruits who would have gotten the program.
Kentucky is one of the few big-time programs that remains unscathed. Calipari has even gone so far to offer fixes to the situation instead of blatantly ignoring, ala Coach K.
The dirty business of college basketball has been laid bare for the entire world to see. Any actions taken by the NCAA will not be sufficient if history can be any indication of things. The questions remain as to what, if any, actions will be taken against those schools that were implicitly involved with paying recruits.
Big Blue Nation doesn’t have anything to worry about for the moment. This trial is almost over, but one there are more on the horizon.
@Quavarius
I don't care?
Never took you for a hater. Com0es in my area. You police is tripping on.
We just wanna party....
Snitch. Q is a snitch.
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No money mentioned. Plus using shoe companirs help with recruits has been going on for years. Especially the last 10 years you've really really heard about recruits "that kid is a NIKE kid" or "that kid is an Adidas kid". Recruiting through AAU organizers is also something that is common and going on through years. We are just seeing more of the actual underbelly of it.
I don't care. I haven't made any mention of UK in this thread so saying you raise my post with a nonsense post about UK makes no sense.
Adam Zagoria
✔@AdamZagoria
An Adidas source told me Nike is "much smarter about how they can get shit done."
Dick Vitale
✔@DickieV
Replying to @jbowen176 and 11 others
No way this problem was limited to Adidas schools, they were in competition with someone.... Nike JUSTIN , u r right on the money buddy .
9:29 AM - Oct 17, 2018
Twitter Ads info and privacy
For now, John Calipari appears as if he is one of the few doing things the right way.
I hope that continues.
@Quavarius
This I agree. NIKE makes the people who run Adidas look like children. NIKE is 10 steps ahead of Adidas. Only Under Armour is close to them and still a big gap.
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