“Loaner car” charade at OSU; Parking “issues” extend to UNC basketball? UNC athletes keep on Tweeting(updated)

General UNC Scandal53

I thought Yahoo’s Dan Wentzel wrote an excellent column today on the shenanigans at Ohio State:

Link to full article.

Just as things were quieting down, the Dispatch reported on Jan. 2 that Pryor had been pulled over by police three times in the last three years driving “loaner” cars from a local used car dealer, Auto Direct. Pryor told the paper he only borrowed the cars when his own car (currently a Dodge Charger) was in the shop with repairs.

Ohio State said it was aware of two of the incidents and would look into the third. If we’re led to believe the borrowing of cars were again isolated incidents, then Pryor has some bad luck with local cops. He seemingly gets pulled over every time he receives a nice loaner. Either that or he drives them all the time, of course.

The car dealer did tell the newspaper that he also allowed Pryor, in 2008, to drive a Dodge SUV back to Pryor’s home in Pennsylvania. “I wanted advice from some of my family and friends I trusted to see if it would be a good vehicle for me to maybe buy,” Pryor said.

Unsupervised, out-of-state test drivers of used cars are common practice, correct?

Oops.

Pryor didn’t buy the car, of course. Ohio State, quite naturally, declared everything on the up and up. How? Well, they just did. This wasn’t a violation of NCAA rules.

The issue of student-athletes receiving tickets has been brought up in the current scandal in Chapel Hill as there is currently a law suit brought by different media organizations to force UNC to release parking ticket information on several UNC football players. The reason the tickets are an important piece of the puzzle is that the makes, models, license plates, etc…would all be on those tickets which would then allow those in the media to determine if the vehicles were in fact being driven in compliance with NCAA rules (At least that is how I see it.) UNC has already said they investigated the parking issues and found no violations. Nothing to see here. Move Along. You know…the Carolina Way?

Interestingly enough, parking ticket issues may not be limited to only football players. This picture was posted recently on Twitter by Dexter Strickland:

That appears to be UNC basketball player John Henson with what looks like a parking ticket/official document in hand at the front of a a minivan/SUV/truck looking vehicle with a boot on the front left tire.

Can anyone figure out the make of that car from the picture? Alert Statefansnation poster Alex_01 has already come up with a great guess to the make and model of this car. He determined this as a 2009 or 2010 Infinity QX56 and not an Armada made by Nissan based on:

7 spoke chrome wheels, different headlight assembly, and the running board shape.

Look at the 2010 Infinity QX56 pictured below — it sure looks like the same model as the one the UNC basketball player is posing beside with what looks like a parking ticket in his hand. (But with different spokes?)

Here is another with the correct spoke situation:

If you go here, you can get a more in-depth look at this make and model.  There you will see that the MSRP of this vehicle is $56,700-$59,800.  Maybe this was a more affordable option like:

Per edmunds:
2009 QX56
Used TMV from $37,815

2010 QX56
Used TMV from $45,480

2010 New QX56
MSRP from $56,050

I don’t know about you, but the car I drove as an undergraduate was worth far less than that.  These UNC-CH athletes sure do seem to have very high standards of living.  Good for them.

Likely, this is no big deal. This may not even be Henson’s vehicle or a vehicle he was driving. Maybe he just saw the booted car and wanted to get a quick Polaroid of himself to throw Statefansnation for a loop?

However, one would have to wonder how Roy Williams would feel about one of his players posting this picture considering all of the issues on Twitter for UNC over the last 9 months. If you want a refresher on social networking websites and UNC, then go here and read about how the “experts” in Chapel Hill were hosting a symposium on social networking websites vs. institutional control while the NCAA was breathing down their neck:

A symposium in April of 2010 on the exact problem that eventually led to Agentgate and Nannygate? The trips and tweets that led to the NCAA investigation occurred in March, April, and May of 2010, yet right in the middle of these shenanigans UNC’s Associate Athletic Director Steve Kirschner is hosting a panel discussion on the exact topic that was about to start this mess? You can’t be serious? Instead of participating on this panel, Kirschner should have been hunkered down in his office scouring Twitter to fend off the NCAA.

Regardless, I sure do appreciate the stupidity of Dexter Strickland giving us some new material to start the year. Thanks Dexter!!!

_______________________________________________________________________________

9:51 am update

Thanks to Packman97 for doing some additional research on this story:

I tried to folowup on the post on the home page but I think I put in too many links and my message got blocked as spam and I tried a few times, so I think my account got blocked or something…

John’s parents can legitimately afford this type of ride. I think trying to bark up the tree of is John Henson’s ride legit is a dead end.

John Henson’s Dad played at Norfolk State
http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/henson_john00.html

Norfolk State’s listing of prominent alumni, listing Matt Henson.
http://alumni.nsu.edu/?page=ProminentAlumni

Article mentioning Henson’s parents moving to Round Rock (as listed in NSU’s alumni page)
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/basketball/preps/article988187.ece

Link to his employer, OSI (owners of
http://www.osirestaurantpartners.com/insidethecompany.asp
Today, our portfolio of brands consists of Outback Steakhouse units throughout the U.S., as well as Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine. We are now one of the largest casual dining restaurant companies in the world. We operate in all 50 states and our Outback Steakhouse restaurants are also open in 21 countries around the world.

So Henson actually owning/driving this vehicle seems perfectly legitimate. Like we said, this was most likely no big deal. We still wonder how Roy Williams feels about Dexter posting this picture considering he has attempted to control his players participation on social networking sites. Additionally, we wonder why can’t someone who obviously has the means to pay measly fines like parking tickets can’t also be responsible enough to actually do so and avoid getting a fine vehicle like the one in the picture booted?

General UNC Scandal

53 Responses to “Loaner car” charade at OSU; Parking “issues” extend to UNC basketball? UNC athletes keep on Tweeting(updated)

  1. Hans03 01/04/2011 at 3:46 PM #

    Three words….”Michael Jordan Nissan”

  2. Clarksa 01/04/2011 at 4:43 PM #

    Philip Rivers – Ford Taurus

  3. rtpack24 01/04/2011 at 4:51 PM #

    Clyde’s caddy was brown.

  4. Icabod61 01/04/2011 at 5:16 PM #

    i just had a flashback of cozell mcqueen (i’m pretty sure it was him) on a moped cruising the brickyard. that was quite a sight in the early 80’s. i still chuckle thinking about it.

  5. otisthetowndrunk 01/04/2011 at 5:47 PM #

    I lived or worked in Scrapple Hill for a number of years, I was pretty common to see MJ Nissian decals on the nice rides the players drove. I always thought it was because the sales team were allowed to give them awesome deals on the cars. It never occurred to me that these were probably loaner cars.

    Except for Handibro, his big ass truck was paid for by daddy.

  6. packfan03 01/04/2011 at 7:29 PM #

    If there’s one thing I can guarantee, it’s that the N&O will not investigate this at all. Keep fighting the good fight StateFans!

    Can someone finish this sentence for me?

    Where there’s smoke…

  7. Wolf74 01/04/2011 at 7:42 PM #

    “Where there’s smoke…”,there’s liars and cheats!

  8. packfan03 01/04/2011 at 7:43 PM #

    ^hahaha

  9. leroy corso 01/04/2011 at 8:00 PM #

    If Wayne Ellington can live in a $400K house during his time in chapel hill, Henson can drive a QX56.
    Move along.

  10. smile102 01/04/2011 at 9:24 PM #

    I can’t help but wonder why we don’t see more like this from our local media

    Bradley, from a pic of a guy beside a car you typed your way to a media conspiracy! You are imaginative…. but not logical.

  11. db321 01/04/2011 at 10:12 PM #

    Can some techy zoom in on that picture and get any info off of that ticket he is holding? Normally there is a license plate number. If not, then someone needs to do some PI work in Chapel Hill. Dealer tags always begin with FD or ID…a few pictures showing other players driving “loaner” cars or really nice cars could raise more serious questions.

  12. packalum44 01/04/2011 at 11:01 PM #

    Mario Williams used to drive around an scooter moped thing. If we cheated we did it on the cheap, especially since he’s the ACC’s only #1 overall pick EVER.

    He upgraded after moving to Houston…

  13. graywolf 01/04/2011 at 11:12 PM #

    Chuck Nevitt had a VW bug with the front seat taken out so he could change gears and drive without his knees at his chin.

  14. Wolfy__79 01/04/2011 at 11:58 PM #

    the two parts to the carolina fan base are alumni/students then of course the majority being walmart doityourselfer’s. i have a few friends from both parts of the dark side.

    those that have actual ties to the school are very up front about football but don’t recognize any wrongdoing ever with the “carolina way” with the basketball program. i’ve never been able or cared enough to look too far b/t the lines with the bball but there’s so much we know right now about the all the happenings with unc-ch football in the information age.

    those that have no ties to the school other than the apparel purchased are so blindly ignorant to all things the “carolina way” it is ridiculous. don’t get me wrong, both parts are meant for one another but it is down right disgusting…

    all the things that have been uncovered this year with athletics alone is just crazy. i fear that when late march rolls around and we start hearing what/if any sanctions unc-ch football will be handed, that the “carolina way” will have gotten away with another one.

    fear only for one reason, because its wrong! NC State Football is trending nicely for the new decade and handed four straight L’s to the tarholes. I see the PACK adding two more wins in as many years with the series and unc’ch’s best chance of competing with us being 2013 (excluding any penalty from big brother).

    HAS THE CAROLINA WAY GOTTEN AWAY WITH THIS ALREADY?

  15. Wolfy__79 01/05/2011 at 12:01 AM #

    …and, does anyone know of any defensive coaching changes/upgrades? mainly, is tenuta taking over?

  16. novawolf 01/05/2011 at 12:47 AM #

    From Tim Peeler’s book, When March Went Mad on the 1983 Championship team, it seems none of the players had cars, but many including Cozell McQueen, Dinky Proctor, Lorenzo Charles had mopeds. When I was at State, I don’t know of any athletes with cars; not to say there were none, just that I didn’t know of any.

    Agree with Wolfy_79 on the two fan bases…the unx grads are much more balanced than those who never attended the school. Those who didn’t attend are so stupid/ignorant that it borders on ridiculous.

    I don’t think Carolina escapes without serious sanctions though and neither do most of the unx grads that I know. I think the NCAA has already sent a message, when the guys that unx punished got a few games and those that NCAA sanctioned on the same offense got permanent suspensions.

  17. PackerInRussia 01/05/2011 at 7:53 AM #

    “Can someone finish this sentence for me?

    Where there’s smoke…”

    …there’s a NC State football player smoking pot.

    -N&O Writing Staff

  18. ncsuinpa 01/05/2011 at 8:55 AM #

    I remember Thurl Bailey driving a mid-70’s Thunderbird (Long hood version). Not bad, but definitely not a new loaner version. Also, I remember Tab Thacker, Cozelle, and co with their Mopeds….

    Of course, one of the biggest otrocities was Dominique Wilkins all set to go to State, but all of a sudden he’s at Georgia with a new car and his mom a new home. How interesting…. Just a coincidence, I’m sure.

  19. Mike 01/05/2011 at 10:21 AM #

    Have been away for a bit, but bradleyb, I was in no way accusing Avie of anything. I know I was in school then and the UNX jerks were accusing us of dirty play with the Trans Am. This was the reason I brought it up to begin with – if THAT is the example they give, they are really pressing.

    On another note, I thought Jordan sold the Nissan dealership. Still, if UNX guys are driving cars from there it is awfully suspicious.

  20. bradleyb123 01/05/2011 at 10:41 AM #

    Bradley, from a pic of a guy beside a car you typed your way to a media conspiracy! You are imaginative… but not logical.

    Yes, because I never once thought there was a media conspiracy until I saw THIS picture. I think you know quite a bit about not being logical if that’s what you thought.

    The phrase “drop in a bucket” comes to mind.

  21. Wolfy__79 01/05/2011 at 11:27 AM #

    looking back, my dad often refers back to how players were given things on a regular basis… this was back in the sixties, seventies and most likely in the eighties. some of the chatter i hear from unc-ch fans are that “everybody” does it. which i think “everybody” used to do it to some degree. but not now.

    it makes my skin crawl when i hear this. i think included in their “everybody” they should really point the finger at an ohio state and the like. to me, there is such a huge disconnect with some of these major money programs and those who live/play by the rules. i’m ready for a win for the good guys and hopefully big brother doesn’t let me down this year with unc’ch’s sanctions.

    regardless of what the ncaa says or does, it will not be able to address the desparity in the unc system budget that annually leaves the largest portion of expenditures in chapel hill while other schools in the “system” get fractions of the budget expenditures? this is coming from listening to foreskin boles say earlier that he thinks cuts alone will straighten the state economy up a bit but its still going to be a tough reality… immediately i remember hearing his boohooing in earlier press releases about the “carolina way” football program and … capped off this morning in the N&O quoting unc-ch is #1 in best educational values?

    i’m baffled, and seen my share of unc-ch graduates represent the secret society for stumbling idiots of the world!

  22. TheAliasTroll 01/05/2011 at 11:44 AM #

    I will never forget seeing Jawad Williams driving around in a brand new shiny Cadillac Escalade with big shiny rims in Chapel Hill when I was a student visiting friends at the hole.

  23. TheAliasTroll 01/05/2011 at 11:46 AM #

    I also remember Evtimov drove a real P.O.S. It was so funny seeing him driving around in that tiny thing.

  24. FredandDwight82 01/05/2011 at 12:20 PM #

    “Also, I remember Tab Thacker, Cozelle, and co with their Mopeds….”

    I can’t believe one moped would have held Tab Thacker… Only one NCAA title, but 4 ACC titles. I heard he was one of the reasons NCAA did away with the unlimited Weight class in wrestling.

    I do remember Chuck Nevitt driving from the backseat, but I thought it was a Ford Maverick. A 2 door, as I recall. I remember seeing him cross Hillsborough Street and looking straight in the eye of the bus driver. (Were they CATS buses back then?)

  25. 85Designo 01/06/2011 at 1:37 PM #

    When I was a Grad Student I remember Cozell’s Moped and the very day someone stole it on campus. The jerks at UNX thought it was funny, Cozell didn’t think so. Not a single booster or dealer bought him another, don’t know if anyone offered but I am sure V made sure it didn’t happen. He just walked after that. A sad story really. I don’t remember if it was ever recovered. I guess Cozell did’t have enough shoes or tickets to sell to afford another used Moped.

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