Helpful hints for Elaine Marshall [Update @ 2pm EST]

Big Four Rivals UNC Scandal50

As it becomes more evident that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s athletics department is in a huge pile of stink, more and more agents are being blamed and scapegoated by UNC-CH partisans who truly believe that God created the sky after he created the color ‘Carolina Blue’. 

In today’s News and Observer, North Carolina Secretary of State, Elaine Marshall is touted her office’s “expertise” and ability to investigate agents.  Boy, we hope she is right. 

Just this morning, USA Today had a short piece with a quote from agent Ralph Cindrich responding to Nick Saban’s recent comments comparing agents to “pimps.”

“In terms of him throwing that out there, most agents know what goes on in college programs and what programs are clean or not. You want to find out who has the dirty programs, give immunity and go off the record with agents, and it would be like a cockfight, the last one standing wins. There are ways to determine the truth of allegations out there.”

That is a super idea!! Can Marshall and the State of North Carolina give this immunity and go off the record with agents as part of her investigation?

One would think that this idea would serve to benefit a process that is committed to finding the truth…if finding the whole truth was genuinely the goal of the investigation. Unfortunately, Elaine Marshall’s own words indicate that she is not interested in allowing the evidence to guide her to the truth; unfortunately, she has already tainted the sanctity of this investigation before it has gotten started.

In the last two days, Marshall commented

“We’ll be investigating the agents,” Marshall said said. “We will not be investigating the school.”

Gee. How re-assuring is that! Marshall has pre-ordained where the investigation will go, regardless of where the evidence may or may not lead. That has got to make you feel good!

How can any investigation be designed to genuinely seek the comprehensive truth about an issue if potential parties to the investigation are deemed off limits before the first piece of evidence is collected? How can Marshall or her investigation have one ounce of credibility if it is rigged before it begins that potential parties to the problem won’t be investigated? And we thought the US Congress was bad? At least they are actually going to try Charlie Rangel.

The Greensboro News and Record recently explained that the ongoing NCAA investigation into UNC-CH’s football program was “focused on improper contact between sports agents and members of the Tar Heels’ football team, according to a report from ESPN.com.”  Later in that article the News and Record touched on the relationship between Kentwan Balmer, Marvin Austin, and sports agent Gary Wichard:

ESPN.com reported that Austin was asked about having been seen driving the car of former Tar Heels defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer, a first-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft. Balmer was a senior at North Carolina when Austin was a freshman.

[snip]

Balmer’s agent, Gary Wichard of California-based Pro Tect Management, told The Charlotte Observer by phone Friday that he has never met with Austin.

[snip]

“I’ve never talked to him about representing him,” Wichard said. “I’ve never gone down there, and I never will.”

It is interesting that Gary Wichard and UNC-CH coach John Blake reportedly have (or have had) some kind of relationship.  In talking about the Austin/Balmer car episode, the National Football Post explains:  

“Balmer is represented by Gary Wichard, a longtime friend of Carolina defensive line coach John Blake.”

In what looks like a repost of this same article, Yahoo Sports had this line slightly different:

“Balmer is represented by Gary Wichard, who also represents North Carolina defensive line coach John Blake.”

What does that mean?  Is any of that even true?  We don’t know!  What is the actual relationship between Wichard and Blake, if there is one?  We have no idea!  But these might be excellent things for Marshall to look into given everything that is out there. 

Others across the country have commented on what appears to be a long standing relationship between Wichard and Blake and how it may fit in the context of the current UNC-CH scandal. This article from earlier in the week is must read, and isn’t complimentary to either party.

Wichard is with “Pro Tect Management.”  His website is here if you want to check it out.  Check out the name — nothingbutfreaks.com.  How cool! 

Big Four Rivals UNC Scandal

50 Responses to Helpful hints for Elaine Marshall [Update @ 2pm EST]

  1. wbnation 07/23/2010 at 11:30 AM #

    You think maybe the NCAA and the SOS are unofficially coordinating the investigation in order to pinch both sides…ie Austin and the Agents. Since the SOS office has the ability to bring criminal charges there is a good chance that they are squeezing either or in order to get them to sing like a canary. If Austin has a chance to see jail time and miss the NFL next year I think he may just be singing..same goes for the Agent or Agents involved…..this is getting very interesting.

  2. 61Packer 07/23/2010 at 11:51 AM #

    Repeat: This is grandstanding by a politician who happens to be the trailing candidate for US Senator in North Carolina.

  3. ppack3 07/23/2010 at 11:55 AM #

    ^ Interesting is putting it mildly. This link between Blake and Wichard could explain a lot about how this recruiting pipeline runs through UNC. If the ‘Black Santa’ is lining recruits pockets and getting them to come to Chapel Hill rather than going to SEC schools, and he’s possibly getting that money from agents, this would explain a lot. These recruits would then be courted by said agent(s) and everyone ‘wins’ (i.e. gets paid). No reports, yet, as to which agent is involved with all of this hoopla. No word about whose party all of these players (allegedly) attended. No names…yet.

    All I no is that Marvin, or his stupidity, has implicated a whole bunch of other kids who have all come out and said that they had done nothing wrong. Yet, we’ve heard no denials from Marvin.

    Good luck, SOS Marshall. I hope that an entire can of worms is opened and that all of the blue skies open up over Chapel Hill.

  4. triadwolf 07/23/2010 at 12:04 PM #

    As much joy has I have watching UNC squirm a bit and get exposed, I don’t know if I’m all that exicted about the State of NC investigating any part of this whole mess. To avoid any risk of bias they will probably have to investigate all NC schools (including us). I imagine that the scope will be expanded to include basketball and possibly other sports.

    I have no reason to believe that TOB or Lowe are doing anything improper, but the jaded side of me doesn’t want the words investigate and NC State anywhere near each other. I’ve been a State fan too long to think anything good could come out of such a thing. Of course we have the fact that we’ve sucked for so long on our side and that most agents probably don’t even know our school exists.

    Let the NCAA do their thing with UNC, Alabama & Florida and let it end at that; unless there’s probable cause to go after someone else. Maybe the NFL should also penalize the agent(s) involved in this incident.

  5. NCMike 07/23/2010 at 12:12 PM #

    61Packer Says:
    July 23rd, 2010 at 11:51 am
    Repeat: This is grandstanding by a politician who happens to be the trailing candidate for US Senator in North Carolina.

    You’re right 61Packer. That’s it in a nutshell. If you read any of her earlier comments, it’s clear she has no clue about sports agents.

  6. Par Shooter 07/23/2010 at 12:19 PM #

    Other than the obvious political grandstanding, why would the SOS be conducting this investigation rather than teh AG’s office or SBI? Does the SBI fall under SOS?

  7. sbas2 07/23/2010 at 12:35 PM #

    i expect nothing more than a “slap on the wrist” to anyone and everyone associated with UNC football and this scandal. my gosh, its UNC. i just hope all players at State are clean. because if they are not, N.C. State is the school which will be “busted”-not UNC.

  8. wbnation 07/23/2010 at 1:04 PM #

    “Other than the obvious political grandstanding, why would the SOS be conducting this investigation rather than teh AG’s office or SBI? Does the SBI fall under SOS?”

    I would assume that agents have to get licenses through the SOS office to be allowed to do business in NC. So her office would be the first to look into this from the agents side of things….then if laws have been broken I would imagine the AG’s office would be called in.

    Like I mentioned before. I think this isn’t about anyone digging for the sake of digging. I think its to squeeze info out of both sides. The NCAA can’t really squeeze a kid who has nothing to lose since he will make millions in a year anyway whether he is deemed ineligible. Also the Agent has nothing to lose from the NCAA since they aren’t controlled by them. So if the NCAA can get the SOS’s office “unofficially” involved for them then they can try and deem info from both the agent and the athlete with some real sanctions on both. If Marvin thinks theres a chance he could go to jail (act as an agent while not licensed) and the Agent involve can lose his License indefinitely then they may be able to get one side or the other to start singing.

    61packer, not everything in life is always seen through a political kaleidoscope. It may just be the best way to get info out of criminal elements.

    and don’t forget USC wouldn’t be on probation if info hadn’t been gathered during a court battle which had subpoena power. The NCAA wouldn’t have gotten any info from Reggie.

  9. Gowolves 07/23/2010 at 1:04 PM #

    Secretary of State regulates the industries that want to do business in NC. For example you started a company and you want to incorporate in NC instead of say Deleware then you would file the necessary paperwork with the SOS. If these agents are doing business in NC without registering in NC they could be liable. Florida has an “agent” law on it’s books. That is how the agent from a few years ago went to jail for 5 years. I beleive his name was Tank something.

  10. newt 07/23/2010 at 1:08 PM #

    Interesting that Wichard nor anyone from Pro Tect is registered as an agent in the State of North Carolina according to Elaine’s list on the NC SOS athletic agents webpage (look on left of page for link):

    http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/athlete/ThePage.aspx

    p.s. Drew Rosenhaus is.

    p.s.s. Ndiaye, Makhtar is!

  11. Prowling Woofie 07/23/2010 at 2:20 PM #

    Wonder how many clients ol’ Makhtar represents ? What a class act – I’d really want that slimebag handling my negotiations for me…

  12. wbnation 07/23/2010 at 2:31 PM #

    “One would think that this idea would serve to benefit a process that is committed to finding the truth…if finding the whole truth was genuinely the goal of the investigation. Unfortunately, Elaine Marshall’s own words indicate that she is not interested in allowing the evidence to guide her to the truth; unfortunately, she has already tainted the sanctity of this investigation before it has gotten started.

    In the last two days, Marshall commented

    “We’ll be investigating the agents,” Marshall said said. “We will not be investigating the school.”

    Gee. How re-assuring is that! Marshall has pre-ordained where the investigation will go, regardless of where the evidence may or may not lead. That has got to make you feel good!”

    her office only has jurisdiction over the Agents not the school. Its the NCAA’s jusridiction to look at school. Notice she didn’t say anything about going after individuals. You can look into Marvin Austins actions without investigating the school. Its not the business of the SOS to look into college infractions or players eligibility.

  13. pack1910 07/23/2010 at 2:32 PM #

    This post is a good one, but naive. The reason for her focus on the agents is simple. If you think Elaine Marshall is going to investigate Chapel Hill’s athletic program and risk angering alumni, fans and potential donors to her campaign in an election year, you’re crazy.

    By “focusing” on the agents, it looks like she is trying to “do something,” but the blame is placed on a much more politically convenient scapegoat.

    If you think any of this is about getting to the truth, I’m afraid NC State failed you in your education.

  14. old13 07/23/2010 at 2:38 PM #

    ^ I disagree somewhat. While her motives may have political ovetones, investigating student-athletes for having contact with sports agents is not within the realm of the authority of the State of N.C. as they have broken no state law in doing so. On the other hand, the State of N.C. does regulate sports agents with a body of law with which to base enforcement. It is, therefore, within her realm of duty to pursue possible violation(s) of N.C. law by sports agents.

  15. StateFans 07/23/2010 at 2:41 PM #

    That presumes that there would be no overlap between the agents and the institutional control of the school. I certainly HOPE that employees of the university were not supporting that behavior…but, how do you know if you don’t genuinely investigate wherever the evidence leads you?

    She just shouldn’t have said anything other than “we are going to investigate the agents”. End.

  16. packof81 07/23/2010 at 2:44 PM #

    I’m glad they got a pucker factor over there in Chapel Hill but I’ll be surprised if any UNC player is suspended.

  17. Red Rider 07/23/2010 at 2:45 PM #

    ^^^^^With HBO’s long running Arli$$ now off the air, I can only imagine a series based on Makhtar Ndiaye Superagent is in the works somewhere.

    Seeing his name on the list definitely gave me a laugh!

  18. pack1910 07/23/2010 at 2:49 PM #

    ^^^ UNC is a state-supported institution. If the UNC athletic department violated NCAA regulations, the appropriate state agency would have the right to investigate–if it wanted to know the truth.

    I don’t dispute what you are saying about the Secretary of State’s jurisdiction. But investigations don’t fit into…dare I say it…”day-tight compartments.” In investigating the agents, what if Marshall stumbles across evidence that the UNC athletic department was potentially involved? The political motives not to act on that evidence–by turning it over to whomever the appropriate authorities are–will be very strong for her.

    My point is that this post is written from the honorable but naive perspective that we should expect elected officials to be motivated solely by the search for truth. I am arguing that, as unfortunate as it may be, we cannot expect that. I hope the truth comes out eventually, but if it does, it won’t be the direct result of the acts of politicians.

  19. wbnation 07/23/2010 at 2:50 PM #

    “and the institutional control of the school”

    Thats not her job. That falls under NCAA.

    “By “focusing” on the agents, it looks like she is trying to “do something,” but the blame is placed on a much more politically convenient scapegoat.

    If you think any of this is about getting to the truth, I’m afraid NC State failed you in your education.”

    I also think that as NC State fans we like to think everything is always done in favor of UNC. Our first reaction shouldn’t always be to dismiss everything as being pro Carolina. it may turn out to be so, but to always fall back on conspiracy theories just seems lame.

  20. pack1910 07/23/2010 at 2:54 PM #

    ^ wbnation, I agree with you that too many State fans are quick to jump to Carolina conspiracy theories. In this particular case, though, I would believe the same thing if it were State’s athletic department that were under investigation. There are too many voters and donors in North Carolina affiliated with both schools to make investigating them politically viable for a candidate for statewide office.

  21. Wufpacker 07/23/2010 at 2:59 PM #

    “One would think that this idea would serve to benefit a process that is committed to finding the truth…if finding the whole truth was genuinely the goal of the investigation. Unfortunately, Elaine Marshall’s own words indicate that she is not interested in allowing the evidence to guide her to the truth; unfortunately, she has already tainted the sanctity of this investigation before it has gotten started.”

    I’m glad at least some folks are finally seeing the light. Frankly, I don’t give a crap about anyone’s motives, political or otherwise. All I care about is that there is crap on the doorstep of the “flagship university” (co-flagship university, for those of you who really believe THAT) of our state, the same state that saw fit to release the hounds on our university twice in the past. It might have been warranted the first time. It was NOT warranted, in any way, shape or form the second time.

    The first time, there was evidence of actual crime. For that reason, I give them a pass on that one to a certain extent. Despite that, however, they still saw fit to bring our school, and our basketball program to its knees, despite the fact that organized crime figures induced vulnerable young men to throw games.

    I see no significant difference here. It is only semantics. Many of these agents are obviously just this side of organized crime. Some of you probably don’t believe that. Wake up. They should most certainly be dealt with. I think they will be.

    But my biggest issue here is that I can already see, have seen for days, maybe weeks actually, that none of the crap currently on the doorstep is going to stick to the flagship university of our state. There will be minor things that can be explained away, of course. They have to give the public something afterall.

    But if they receive even moderately bad press, or any significant sanctions, I personally will drop dead of a coronary I’ll be so surprised.

    It stinks, but you can’t fight city hall, right?

  22. wbnation 07/23/2010 at 3:08 PM #

    pack1910
    “There are too many voters and donors in North Carolina affiliated with both schools to make investigating them politically viable for a candidate for statewide office”

    her office won’t be investigating the “school”…now people within the university might be fair game….ie Marvin Austin. Plus once we get to the point where anything of substance comes out of her office it will probably already have been kicked to the AG’s office. Her office won’t be trying this case…the AG’s office will. So political motives at that point will be put on the AG’s office not hers. She is just the investigative body, and mostly her jusrisdiction is “only” Agent laws and business laws being broken not University rules and NCAA rules.

  23. islandbreeze 07/23/2010 at 3:11 PM #

    The FBI should be involved because these “agent parties” occurred in several states, namely Florida, Nevada, New York and District of Columbia.

  24. pack1910 07/23/2010 at 3:20 PM #

    ^^wbnation, the point I am trying to make is that we can’t expect to find out the whole truth from Marshall’s investigation for political reasons, and that to expect differently is naive. In fact, there is nobody involved in this process–except perhaps the NCAA, and that is arguable–whose clear motive is to find out the whole truth.

  25. Wufpacker 07/23/2010 at 3:25 PM #

    ^^ I’m not sure the FBI would have any jurisdiction here. I guess it depends on how they define this whole mess. One big operation that crossed state lines, or several different messes that were contained within several different states. If possible, though, I’d sure love to see the feds kick in their investigative resources, if nothing else.

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