Over the past three decades the University of Miami has become very familiar with off the field scandals involving improper benefits. The latest installment focuses on a Hurricane fanatic named Nevin Shapiro. Shapiro is doing 20 years behind bars for an illegal ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of roughly a billion dollars.
Feeling betrayed and left alone by the athletes he so generously gave gifts to Shapiro has decided to roll over on the entire program. In his sworn testimony he confessed to providing players with cars, jewelry, strippers, yacht trips, and even money for an abortion. If the allegations are correct (which they are) the Miami football program will never recover.
It's ironic that the bulk of theses indiscretions took place during a time when the university was supposedly "cleaning up" it's act. The fact of the matter is when you have a university that's predicated on football dominance that concept doesn't exist.
Nevin Shapiro is not the first booster to supply players with improper benefits. In the late 80's and early 90's rap mogul Luther Campbell was considered the Godfather of Miami football. The ESPN documentary entitled The U depicted Campbell as if he were Santa Claus to many players and recruits. The only difference between Campbell and Sahpiro is Campbell kept his mouth shut and refused to name names.
The real victims in this whole thing are the players. Although most people will contend they knowingly broke the rules and got what they deserved it's hard for a young man to turn down free gifts if they are offered to him with no strings attached. it's even harder for young men that come from a disadvantaged background. Now everyone with a scholarship for the next four years will have to pay the price.
It sicken s me that Nevin Shapiro would expose players to all these improprieties then ruin their lives on the back end just because they didn't visit him in prison or sign up with one of his companies.
If you are going to do dirt on that level at least have the decency to remain confidential about it. There's nothing worse than a snitch who rats everyone out over hurt feelings. Because of Nevin Shapiro the Miami Hurricane mystique is gone forever. Florida St. might as well start building a new trophy case. I hate the Seminoles, but the power of Florida recruiting has taken a major shift in their favor. R.I.P. Hurricane football. The memories will last forever.
You should be a defense attorney!!! There's no way Shapiro actions fall under the no snitching code. This is no different than a spurned lover seeking revenge from someone they lavished with gifts. This was conditional, not unconditional. Actually, Billy Joe Hobert is a snitch, not Shapiro.
ReplyDeleteFunny stuff:
ReplyDeleteShapiro dubbed himself "Little Luke" in reference to Luther Campbell -- aka Luke Skyywalker, the rapper who was a constant presence on the Hurricanes' sideline during their 1980s glory days.
Campbell took exception to any comparisons.
"Nevin Shapiro wishes he could wear my shorts for one day," Campbell wrote in a blog post. "That punk could never be me. First of all, I have never been a UM booster. I have never given a dime to the school. I have and always will support the players and the program out of civic pride, but I never violated any NCAA rules when I was the team's biggest fan in the 1980s."