Major kudos to Yahoo! Sports on this story. Here’s the latest — an interactive webpage that documents the allegations against each and every player or coach they’ve identified as a potential NCAA violation over the year-long investigation. Click on any name on the right margin to read the summary for that individual. For example, here’s NFL star Jonathan Vilma:
Jonathan Vilma was one of dozens of Hurricanes players named by Nevin Shapiro in recorded interviews with federal agents. During those interviews, the booster admitted supplying countless benefits to an array of Miami players from 2002 to 2010. Shapiro alleges he provided multiple extra benefits to Vilma during the player’s career with the Hurricanes. Among the benefits he claimed to have provided:
• Food, drinks and entertainment in Shapiro’s $2.7 million Miami Beach home.
• Entertainment on Shapiro’s $1.6 million yacht and personal watercraft.
• $2,250 in bounties. Shapiro said the bounties were: $1,000 for a hit and personal foul penalty by Vilma on Florida State quarterback Chris Rix during Miami’s 28-27 win on Oct. 12, 2002; $250 for a sack in a 38-33 win over Florida on Sept. 6, 2003; and $1,000 for a hit on Rix in a 16-14 win over Florida State on Jan. 1, 2004.
• Cash gifts.
• Drinks and VIP access in nightclubs.
• Meals at Miami-area eateries on multiple occasions.
Then Yahoo! goes on to document their evidence. I hate to say it, but I don’t think the proverbial NCAA “death penalty” is out of the question here.