Eddie Sutton

[tcomnt2]

I am a younger fan, my first memories came during the Pitino era, and have always known that (dare I say his name ) Eddie Sutton got our program into NCAA sanctions. Though I have always known he did, I have never heard anyone speak of what excatly transpired to warrant them. Maybe I haven't heard, because the true BLUE don't want to let Sutton's memory sully their image of the Wildcats. But I gotta know. What happened?

[tcomnt2]

Does anyone know?

[LAcat]

I don't remember Sutton being directly involved, but an assistant. As I recall, a fedex package being sent to a HS coach came open en route and $10,000 cash fell out that was somehow linked to UK or a booster. UK was recruiting a player at that school. Thus, a bribe to influence the coach to direct the recruit to UK. Anyone know more details. I would like to know as well.:question

[BlueBalls]

Just a brief overview. First, an Emery overnight package addressed to Chris Mills, from UK assistant coach Dwayne Casey, "pops open" at an Emery warehouse. The guy at Emery states that the package contains $1000.00 cash. This starts an NCAA investigation AND a Lexington Herald-Leader investigation. When the smoke clears, the NCAA alledges that other people took entrance exams for some UK basketball players, that others had accepted cash and other gifts from boosters. That basically, the UK basketball program was out of control and the boosters were WAAAAY too friendly with the players. Anyway, it cost Cliff Hagan his job as AD. It cost Eddie Sutton his job as coach. LeRon Ellis and Chris Mills transfer. Eric Manual is barred from palying for any other NCAA school. UK is put on probation, it was close to the death penalty. Eddie Sutton had problems of his own to deal with and the pressure of the UK job just made matters worse. UK was close to the program being shut down.

UK made the cover of Sports Illustrated, with the simple headline of "SHAME". This was definitely one of the VERY low times in UK history. C.M. Newton is hired as AD. He hired Pitino and the rest, as they say, is history.

The thing that bothered me the most about the scandel was Eric Manual. This kid wound up playing at an NAIA school. Mills, Ellis transfer to other NCAA schools, continue playing. Sutton goes on to coach again. Manual is barred for life. That just didn't seem right.

Sutton never took responsiblity for the mess created while he was here.

VERY bad time.

But, NOW...."I am ready to ride with Billy Clyde"

[LAcat]

From Wkipedia entry on Eddie Sutton:



Sutton's tenure at Kentucky ended with a scandal that badly damaged the school's basketball program. It broke out when a Emery Worldwide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emery_Worldwide) package sent to high school prospect Chris Mills (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Mills) from a Kentucky booster popped open and several large-denomination bills popped out. Another player, Eric Manuel, was found to have received improper assistance on his college entrance exams and was ultimately banned from NCAA competition. The scandal roiled the Wildcats to the point that they suffered their first losing season in 63 years.

Kentucky was already on probation stemming from an extensive scheme of payments to recruits, and the NCAA seriously considered hitting the Wildcats with the "death penalty" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_penalty_%28NCAA%29), which would have shut down the entire basketball program (as opposed to simply being banned from postseason play) for up to two years. However, school president David Roselle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Roselle) forced Sutton and athletic director Cliff Hagan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Hagan) to resign. Sutton later admitted that he didn't have enough control over the program, although he personally committed no wrongdoing.

[CATHEAD]

BlueBalls wrote: Just a brief overview. First, an Emery overnight package addressed to Chris Mills, from UK assistant coach Dwayne Casey, "pops open" at an Emery warehouse. The guy at Emery states that the package contains $1000.00 cash. This starts an NCAA investigation AND a Lexington Herald-Leader investigation. When the smoke clears, the NCAA alledges that other people took entrance exams for some UK basketball players, that others had accepted cash and other gifts from boosters. That basically, the UK basketball program was out of control and the boosters were WAAAAY too friendly with the players. Anyway, it cost Cliff Hagan his job as AD. It cost Eddie Sutton his job as coach. LeRon Ellis and Chris Mills transfer. Eric Manual is barred from palying for any other NCAA school. UK is put on probation, it was close to the death penalty. Eddie Sutton had problems of his own to deal with and the pressure of the UK job just made matters worse. UK was close to the program being shut down.

UK made the cover of Sports Illustrated, with the simple headline of "SHAME". This was definitely one of the VERY low times in UK history. C.M. Newton is hired as AD. He hired Pitino and the rest, as they say, is history.

The thing that bothered me the most about the scandel was Eric Manual. This kid wound up playing at an NAIA school. Mills, Ellis transfer to other NCAA schools, continue playing. Sutton goes on to coach again. Manual is barred for life. That just didn't seem right.

Sutton never took responsiblity for the mess created while he was here.

VERY bad time.

But, NOW...."I am ready to ride with Billy Clyde"

I wonder whatever happened to Manuel. He had such a bright future. It really was a shame how it all turned out,except forMills and Ellis, who bolted for the bright lights of Arizona and Syracuse, respectively.

[Terry L. Wildcat]

BlueBalls wrote: Just a brief overview. First, an Emery overnight package addressed to Chris Mills, from UK assistant coach Dwayne Casey, "pops open" at an Emery warehouse. The guy at Emery states that the package contains $1000.00 cash. This starts an NCAA investigation AND a Lexington Herald-Leader investigation. When the smoke clears, the NCAA alledges that other people took entrance exams for some UK basketball players, that others had accepted cash and other gifts from boosters. That basically, the UK basketball program was out of control and the boosters were WAAAAY too friendly with the players. Anyway, it cost Cliff Hagan his job as AD. It cost Eddie Sutton his job as coach. LeRon Ellis and Chris Mills transfer. Eric Manual is barred from palying for any other NCAA school. UK is put on probation, it was close to the death penalty. Eddie Sutton had problems of his own to deal with and the pressure of the UK job just made matters worse. UK was close to the program being shut down.

UK made the cover of Sports Illustrated, with the simple headline of "SHAME". This was definitely one of the VERY low times in UK history. C.M. Newton is hired as AD. He hired Pitino and the rest, as they say, is history.

The thing that bothered me the most about the scandel was Eric Manual. This kid would up playing at an NAIA school. Mills, Ellis transfer to other NCAA schools, continue playing. Sutton goes on to coach again. Manual is barred for life. That just didn't seem right.

Surron never took responsiblity for the mess created while he was here.

VERY bad time.

But, NOW...."I am ready to ride with Billy Clyde"

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:As a retired letter carrier from USPS I can tell you one thing...packages/envelopes either arrive undamaged/damaged at the various places involved in their delivery...they do not "pop" open unless there is something to make them "pop" open...money would not do that unless the physics department at UK lied to me ;)...I wish David Roselle would have talked to me before he jumped in bed with the NCAA but I doubt facts would have stood in his way.

[lilproUK98]

Terry L. Wildcat wrote: BlueBalls wrote: Just a brief overview. First, an Emery overnight package addressed to Chris Mills, from UK assistant coach Dwayne Casey, "pops open" at an Emery warehouse. The guy at Emery states that the package contains $1000.00 cash. This starts an NCAA investigation AND a Lexington Herald-Leader investigation. When the smoke clears, the NCAA alledges that other people took entrance exams for some UK basketball players, that others had accepted cash and other gifts from boosters. That basically, the UK basketball program was out of control and the boosters were WAAAAY too friendly with the players. Anyway, it cost Cliff Hagan his job as AD. It cost Eddie Sutton his job as coach. LeRon Ellis and Chris Mills transfer. Eric Manual is barred from palying for any other NCAA school. UK is put on probation, it was close to the death penalty. Eddie Sutton had problems of his own to deal with and the pressure of the UK job just made matters worse. UK was close to the program being shut down.

UK made the cover of Sports Illustrated, with the simple headline of "SHAME". This was definitely one of the VERY low times in UK history. C.M. Newton is hired as AD. He hired Pitino and the rest, as they say, is history.

The thing that bothered me the most about the scandel was Eric Manual. This kid would up playing at an NAIA school. Mills, Ellis transfer to other NCAA schools, continue playing. Sutton goes on to coach again. Manual is barred for life. That just didn't seem right.

Surron never took responsiblity for the mess created while he was here.

VERY bad time.

But, NOW...."I am ready to ride with Billy Clyde"

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:As a retired letter carrier from USPS I can tell you one thing...packages/envelopes either arrive undamaged/damaged at the various places involved in their delivery...they do not "pop" open unless there is something to make them "pop" open...money would not do that unless the physics department at UK lied to me ;)...I wish David Roselle would have talked to me before he jumped in bed with the NCAA but I doubt facts would have stood in his way.

Where would UK Basketball be today if that envelope had not "popped open"????

Wow, chew on that one for a while....

[colonelcatfan]

CATHEAD wrote: BlueBalls wrote: Just a brief overview. First, an Emery overnight package addressed to Chris Mills, from UK assistant coach Dwayne Casey, "pops open" at an Emery warehouse. The guy at Emery states that the package contains $1000.00 cash. This starts an NCAA investigation AND a Lexington Herald-Leader investigation. When the smoke clears, the NCAA alledges that other people took entrance exams for some UK basketball players, that others had accepted cash and other gifts from boosters. That basically, the UK basketball program was out of control and the boosters were WAAAAY too friendly with the players. Anyway, it cost Cliff Hagan his job as AD. It cost Eddie Sutton his job as coach. LeRon Ellis and Chris Mills transfer. Eric Manual is barred from palying for any other NCAA school. UK is put on probation, it was close to the death penalty. Eddie Sutton had problems of his own to deal with and the pressure of the UK job just made matters worse. UK was close to the program being shut down.

UK made the cover of Sports Illustrated, with the simple headline of "SHAME". This was definitely one of the VERY low times in UK history. C.M. Newton is hired as AD. He hired Pitino and the rest, as they say, is history.

The thing that bothered me the most about the scandel was Eric Manual. This kid wound up playing at an NAIA school. Mills, Ellis transfer to other NCAA schools, continue playing. Sutton goes on to coach again. Manual is barred for life. That just didn't seem right.

Sutton never took responsiblity for the mess created while he was here.

VERY bad time.

But, NOW...."I am ready to ride with Billy Clyde"

I wonder whatever happened to Manuel. He had such a bright future. It really was a shame how it all turned out,except forMills and Ellis, who bolted for the bright lights of Arizona and Syracuse, respectively.
Manuel played for Oklahoma City University. They won back to back NAIA national titles, in 91 and 92, beating Central Arkansas both times.He was drafted into the CBA but I dont think he ever made it into the NBA. He gained a lot of weight when he left here. I saw on of the NC games on ESPN and he didn't look like the same person. As of May, 2002 he was working for an auto dealer in OK City. Anyone else know more?

[RP_McMurphy]

I still maintain that Probation was the best thing ever for Kentucky. It made us all realize how and how not to do business. I didn't like Probation and never want to go back there.

[Terry L. Wildcat]

lilproUK98 wrote: Terry L. Wildcat wrote: BlueBalls wrote: Just a brief overview. First, an Emery overnight package addressed to Chris Mills, from UK assistant coach Dwayne Casey, "pops open" at an Emery warehouse. The guy at Emery states that the package contains $1000.00 cash. This starts an NCAA investigation AND a Lexington Herald-Leader investigation. When the smoke clears, the NCAA alledges that other people took entrance exams for some UK basketball players, that others had accepted cash and other gifts from boosters. That basically, the UK basketball program was out of control and the boosters were WAAAAY too friendly with the players. Anyway, it cost Cliff Hagan his job as AD. It cost Eddie Sutton his job as coach. LeRon Ellis and Chris Mills transfer. Eric Manual is barred from palying for any other NCAA school. UK is put on probation, it was close to the death penalty. Eddie Sutton had problems of his own to deal with and the pressure of the UK job just made matters worse. UK was close to the program being shut down.

UK made the cover of Sports Illustrated, with the simple headline of "SHAME". This was definitely one of the VERY low times in UK history. C.M. Newton is hired as AD. He hired Pitino and the rest, as they say, is history.

The thing that bothered me the most about the scandel was Eric Manual. This kid would up playing at an NAIA school. Mills, Ellis transfer to other NCAA schools, continue playing. Sutton goes on to coach again. Manual is barred for life. That just didn't seem right.

Surron never took responsiblity for the mess created while he was here.

VERY bad time.

But, NOW...."I am ready to ride with Billy Clyde"

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:As a retired letter carrier from USPS I can tell you one thing...packages/envelopes either arrive undamaged/damaged at the various places involved in their delivery...they do not "pop" open unless there is something to make them "pop" open...money would not do that unless the physics department at UK lied to me ;)...I wish David Roselle would have talked to me before he jumped in bed with the NCAA but I doubt facts would have stood in his way.

Where would UK Basketball be today if that envelope had not "popped open"????

Wow, chew on that one for a while....

:question

[BlueBalls]

RP_McMurphy wrote: I still maintain that Probation was the best thing ever for Kentucky. It made us all realize how and how not to do business. I didn't like Probation and never want to go back there.
RP, you are exactly right. It cleaned up a program in need of cleaning up. If it had continued, we likely would have received the death penalty somewhere down the line....

[lilproUK98]

Terry L. Wildcat wrote: lilproUK98 wrote: Terry L. Wildcat wrote: BlueBalls wrote: Just a brief overview. First, an Emery overnight package addressed to Chris Mills, from UK assistant coach Dwayne Casey, "pops open" at an Emery warehouse. The guy at Emery states that the package contains $1000.00 cash. This starts an NCAA investigation AND a Lexington Herald-Leader investigation. When the smoke clears, the NCAA alledges that other people took entrance exams for some UK basketball players, that others had accepted cash and other gifts from boosters. That basically, the UK basketball program was out of control and the boosters were WAAAAY too friendly with the players. Anyway, it cost Cliff Hagan his job as AD. It cost Eddie Sutton his job as coach. LeRon Ellis and Chris Mills transfer. Eric Manual is barred from palying for any other NCAA school. UK is put on probation, it was close to the death penalty. Eddie Sutton had problems of his own to deal with and the pressure of the UK job just made matters worse. UK was close to the program being shut down.

UK made the cover of Sports Illustrated, with the simple headline of "SHAME". This was definitely one of the VERY low times in UK history. C.M. Newton is hired as AD. He hired Pitino and the rest, as they say, is history.

The thing that bothered me the most about the scandel was Eric Manual. This kid would up playing at an NAIA school. Mills, Ellis transfer to other NCAA schools, continue playing. Sutton goes on to coach again. Manual is barred for life. That just didn't seem right.

Surron never took responsiblity for the mess created while he was here.

VERY bad time.

But, NOW...."I am ready to ride with Billy Clyde"

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:As a retired letter carrier from USPS I can tell you one thing...packages/envelopes either arrive undamaged/damaged at the various places involved in their delivery...they do not "pop" open unless there is something to make them "pop" open...money would not do that unless the physics department at UK lied to me ;)...I wish David Roselle would have talked to me before he jumped in bed with the NCAA but I doubt facts would have stood in his way.

Where would UK Basketball be today if that envelope had not "popped open"????

Wow, chew on that one for a while....

:question
It was definitely a "blessing in disguise".

[Mountain Cat]

Terry L. Wildcat wrote: BlueBalls wrote: Just a brief overview. First, an Emery overnight package addressed to Chris Mills, from UK assistant coach Dwayne Casey, "pops open" at an Emery warehouse. The guy at Emery states that the package contains $1000.00 cash. This starts an NCAA investigation AND a Lexington Herald-Leader investigation. When the smoke clears, the NCAA alledges that other people took entrance exams for some UK basketball players, that others had accepted cash and other gifts from boosters. That basically, the UK basketball program was out of control and the boosters were WAAAAY too friendly with the players. Anyway, it cost Cliff Hagan his job as AD. It cost Eddie Sutton his job as coach. LeRon Ellis and Chris Mills transfer. Eric Manual is barred from palying for any other NCAA school. UK is put on probation, it was close to the death penalty. Eddie Sutton had problems of his own to deal with and the pressure of the UK job just made matters worse. UK was close to the program being shut down.

UK made the cover of Sports Illustrated, with the simple headline of "SHAME". This was definitely one of the VERY low times in UK history. C.M. Newton is hired as AD. He hired Pitino and the rest, as they say, is history.

The thing that bothered me the most about the scandel was Eric Manual. This kid would up playing at an NAIA school. Mills, Ellis transfer to other NCAA schools, continue playing. Sutton goes on to coach again. Manual is barred for life. That just didn't seem right.

Surron never took responsiblity for the mess created while he was here.

VERY bad time.

But, NOW...."I am ready to ride with Billy Clyde"

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:As a retired letter carrier from USPS I can tell you one thing...packages/envelopes either arrive undamaged/damaged at the various places involved in their delivery...they do not "pop" open unless there is something to make them "pop" open...money would not do that unless the physics department at UK lied to me ;)...I wish David Roselle would have talked to me before he jumped in bed with the NCAA but I doubt facts would have stood in his way.

I still have hard feelings toward Roselle over the way he botched that job. No way we would have had more than a slap on the wrist if not for that bozo.

[hoosierhateruklover]

Chris Mills had a fairly decent career with the New York Knicks before being traded to the Golden State Warriors along with John Starks for Latrell Sprewell. I don't know what Emery freight turned this in? This was not a gov't crime and doesn't it violate privacy laws as well? Dewayne Casey, the assistant who mailed it, did fairly well as an asst with the Sonics before becoming the TWolves coach a yr ago. Unfortunately, he was let go this yr. I don't see how Sutton is looked upon as a great coach once he arrived at Oklahoma State and if Cliff Hagan was the AD during this scandal why was his name put on the baseball park? This mess was bad enough but to have the football team placed on probation only a few yrs ago stings as well. I will say this though. I don't believe the NCAA has been consistent in their rulings, it seems the Big Ten teams have gotten slaps on the wrist while SEC teams have gotten hit harder. Anytime you make hand over fist dollars and only paying the athletes who make you all that money with nothing more than a scholarship, what can you expect?

[Blue Heaven]

I still say someone had an axe to grind. And it hasn't changed!

[Blue Heaven]

Man Kentucky would have been DOMINANT during that time! Manuel, Kemp, Mills, Ziegler (just kidding):lol:No telling how many titles the Cats could have won!

[twincat]

BlueBalls wrote: Just a brief overview. First, an Emery overnight package addressed to Chris Mills, from UK assistant coach Dwayne Casey, "pops open" at an Emery warehouse. The guy at Emery states that the package contains $1000.00 cash. This starts an NCAA investigation AND a Lexington Herald-Leader investigation. When the smoke clears, the NCAA alledges that other people took entrance exams for some UK basketball players, that others had accepted cash and other gifts from boosters. That basically, the UK basketball program was out of control and the boosters were WAAAAY too friendly with the players. Anyway, it cost Cliff Hagan his job as AD. It cost Eddie Sutton his job as coach. LeRon Ellis and Chris Mills transfer. Eric Manual is barred from palying for any other NCAA school. UK is put on probation, it was close to the death penalty. Eddie Sutton had problems of his own to deal with and the pressure of the UK job just made matters worse. UK was close to the program being shut down.

UK made the cover of Sports Illustrated, with the simple headline of "SHAME". This was definitely one of the VERY low times in UK history. C.M. Newton is hired as AD. He hired Pitino and the rest, as they say, is history.

The thing that bothered me the most about the scandel was Eric Manual. This kid wound up playing at an NAIA school. Mills, Ellis transfer to other NCAA schools, continue playing. Sutton goes on to coach again. Manual is barred for life. That just didn't seem right.

Sutton never took responsiblity for the mess created while he was here.

VERY bad time.

But, NOW...."I am ready to ride with Billy Clyde"
May I make a respectful addition to this post as well as a small correction to the information contained in the post quoting Wikpedia? In a subsequent lawsuit against Emery, Dwayne Casey was awarded a settlement reported to be in the $7M range. It appears the Emery employee was a UCLA fan and he just happened to have a reporter (or perhaps an employee) from an LA daily newspaper on hand to "witness" the $1,000. At the time we were recruiting a highly ranked HS prospect out of California who ended up going to UCLA. Reportedly, the Emery employee called Chris Mills uncle, Claude Mills. to whom the package was addressed, and told him there was $1,000 in an envelope addressed to him. The envelope also included a video of Chris Mills from his high school playing days. At that time, Chris Mills was a Freshman at UK, not a prospect and Dwayne Casey testified he sent the package to Claude Mills without the money. The interesting thing is that as I recall, noone ever saw the money except the Emery employee, who later resigned, and the LA newspaper employee. Claude Mills swore he never saw the money and again, as I remember, the Emery employee refused to take a lie detector test. I also think there was/is a regulation that when something unusual like this happens to a package being sent via mail that the recipient is to be called and requested to come to the delivery facility to personally pick up the said package. Maybe our retired letter carrier can shed more light on that part of it. That's the way I recall it and if someone can tweak it, please do so.

[TransientAlum]

Kentucky's investigation caused a lot of changes in how the NCAA did their investigation. Most specifically towards Manuel. Casey won a nice lawsuit against Emery and Emery actually had to shut down its Lexington operations for a long, long time. As well, anyone who was a student or older learned the name David Berst. He was pure evil in our eyes.

In the end, the NCAA pretty much relied on rumor and the Herald Leader to convict us. The writer for the HL, I believe, won some pulitzers for their reporting and suffered really hard for the subject of their reports. It was just sickening.

[mdluk1]

Mountain Cat wrote: Terry L. Wildcat wrote: BlueBalls wrote: Just a brief overview. First, an Emery overnight package addressed to Chris Mills, from UK assistant coach Dwayne Casey, "pops open" at an Emery warehouse. The guy at Emery states that the package contains $1000.00 cash. This starts an NCAA investigation AND a Lexington Herald-Leader investigation. When the smoke clears, the NCAA alledges that other people took entrance exams for some UK basketball players, that others had accepted cash and other gifts from boosters. That basically, the UK basketball program was out of control and the boosters were WAAAAY too friendly with the players. Anyway, it cost Cliff Hagan his job as AD. It cost Eddie Sutton his job as coach. LeRon Ellis and Chris Mills transfer. Eric Manual is barred from palying for any other NCAA school. UK is put on probation, it was close to the death penalty. Eddie Sutton had problems of his own to deal with and the pressure of the UK job just made matters worse. UK was close to the program being shut down.

UK made the cover of Sports Illustrated, with the simple headline of "SHAME". This was definitely one of the VERY low times in UK history. C.M. Newton is hired as AD. He hired Pitino and the rest, as they say, is history.

The thing that bothered me the most about the scandel was Eric Manual. This kid would up playing at an NAIA school. Mills, Ellis transfer to other NCAA schools, continue playing. Sutton goes on to coach again. Manual is barred for life. That just didn't seem right.

Surron never took responsiblity for the mess created while he was here.

VERY bad time.

But, NOW...."I am ready to ride with Billy Clyde"

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:As a retired letter carrier from USPS I can tell you one thing...packages/envelopes either arrive undamaged/damaged at the various places involved in their delivery...they do not "pop" open unless there is something to make them "pop" open...money would not do that unless the physics department at UK lied to me ;)...I wish David Roselle would have talked to me before he jumped in bed with the NCAA but I doubt facts would have stood in his way.

I still have hard feelings toward Roselle over the way he botched that job. No way we would have had more than a slap on the wrist if not for that bozo.


I agree and what really burned my butt is how he treated UK fans. We had NOTHING to do with the infractions.

And when a UK fan would ask roselle if we were going to defend ourselves, the first thing out of his mouth was,"Well, if by "defend ourselves" you mean "cover up", the answer is no". :X

Now, I know a lot of UK fans and NONE of them wanted anything covered up. We did want the truth! And we wanted the NCAA to treat us fairly. For roselle to insinutate that we wanted a cover up was an INSULT and slap in the face to all UK fans!:dmad:

I feel roselle threw us to the wolves and then skipped town. It worked out ok for us in the end but I still hate roselle and how he handled the situation.

[NonCardFan]

tcomnt2 wrote: I am a younger fan, my first memories came during the Pitino era, and have always known that (dare I say his name ) Eddie Sutton got our program into NCAA sanctions. Though I have always known he did, I have never heard anyone speak of what excatly transpired to warrant them. Maybe I haven't heard, because the true BLUE don't want to let Sutton's memory sully their image of the Wildcats. But I gotta know. What happened?




The KY Kernel reportsa chronology of events surrounding the UK basketball program and the NCAA investigation that occurred in 1988-89 @ http://www.kernel.uky.edu/sportsdaily/hoops98/page02b.html

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APRIL 14, 1988: The Los Angeles Daily News reports that a package sent to the father of UK recruit Chris Mills was found unsealed at an Emery Worldwide Air Freight terminal in Los Angeles on March 31, and that workers said $1,000 was discovered inside.
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The package, which was being sent to Claud Mills, lists UK assistant coach Dwane Casey as the sender. All parties say they have no knowledge of the money. Later that day, UK President David Roselle says UK has retained an outside attorney.
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APRIL 17: Casey's attorney, Joe Bill Campbell, says he might sue UK if it does not deal fairly with Casey.
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APRIL 28: The NCAA officially notifies UK that it is investigating the Emery package.
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JULY 8: Casey sues Emery, five employees, Emery's security company and the head of the security company for $6.9 million.
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JULY 25: UK is informed it has been formally charged with violating NCAA rules in the Emery incident.
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JULY 27: A Lafayette High School counselor says an NCAA investigator has been asking about a college entrance exam that UK player Eric Manuel took at the school in June of 1987.
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AUG. 1: The father of California high school star Sean Higgins says his son has told the NCAA that UK offered him improper inducement to enroll.
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AUG. 2: The Herald-Leader reports that the NCAA has been looking into a trip to Lexington that a Columbus, Ohio, talent scout took with a highly regarded UK prospect.
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SEPT. 8: Manuel denies cheating.
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SEPT. 30: Eddie Sutton accepts "a big part" of the responsibility for whatever the investigation uncovers.
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OCT. 5: The Herald-Leader reports that Manuel scored a 23 on the ACT. The score represents the equivalent of at least a nine-point increase for Manuel.
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OCT. 9: UK trustees receive an update on the internal investigation, then vote unanimously to support Roselle's handling of it.
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OCT. 11: Manuel volunteers to sit out UK practices and games until questions about his ACT score are answered.
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OCT. 15: UK announces the NCAA has filed additional allegations against it.
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OCT. 20: Sports Illustrated quotes Sutton as saying he thinks another school plotted to tamper with the Emery package. Sutton later says he was misquoted.
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NOV. 15: Hagan resigns as UK athletics director.
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DEC. 12: Forced by a court order, UK releases the full text of 13 NCAA allegations, but the University declines to make four others public.
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DEC. 22: UK releases the full text of three more allegations.
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DEC. 23: UK releases parts of the remaining allegation. It says that ACT answer sheets showed Manuel and another student had identical answers on 211 of 219 responses.
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JAN. 24, 1989: UK trustees overrule Roselle and insist he brief them before filing UK's response to the NCAA charges. Vanderbilt basketball coach C.M. Newton is named UK athletics director.
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JAN. 26: Manuel sues UK, seeking to block release of his academic record without his consent.
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JAN. 28: State Supreme Court rules that UK trustees can meet in secret to discuss UK's response to the NCAA. The trustees decide later in the day not to discuss the response.
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FEB. 5: The trustees meet and say they are satisfied with UK's response.
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MARCH 2: Gov. Wallace Wilkinson urges that the text of the response be made public. The trustees later decide not to make it public.
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MARCH 18: Sutton says on national television that he will not resign.
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MARCH 19: Sutton resigns.
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MARCH 20: Assistant coach Dwane Casey resigns from his job at UK.
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MARCH 30: Assistant coach James Dickey resigns, completing the removal of Sutton's coaching staff.
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APRIL 22: NCAA Committee on Infractions hears evidence against UK.
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MAY 19: UK announces the findings of the NCAA investigation.

"The best timescan be of origin from the worst of days."

[TrueblueCATfan]

RP_McMurphy wrote: I still maintain that Probation was the best thing ever for Kentucky. It made us all realize how and how not to do business. I didn't like Probation and never want to go back there.
agree:thumbup..we had a great coach come in and clean it up and another great coach keep it that way

[sardiscat]

Emery envelopes will pop open if they have been opened and resealed. A UK booster reportedly went into Casey's office after Casey had passed along the envelop to be picked up. Casey sued Emery for both slander and invasion of privacy. I personally would have been much more behind him if he had only sued for slander, because he could have won a judgment for invasion of privacy even if everything the Emery employee said was true. Even if Casey had put $1000 in an envelope to Claude Mills and it had popped open, that didn'tgive an Emery employee the right to publicize the fact. To win a slander suit, Casey would have had to prove what the Emery employee said was not true, which is what I wanted to see Casey do. Both Sean Kemp and Chris Mills purchased sports cars after signing with UK, something else that bothered me greatly because neither of their parents had any resources at all. Claude Mills was on disability and Kemp lived in a project with a single motheron welfare. After supposedly telling the Emery employee he didn't know anything about any money when he was first called, Mills reportedly called the Emery employee back and said he wanted his money.

[TransientAlum]

For all the CM bashers, he quit the head coaching job at Vandy and came to UK. He didnt have to and I am sure it wasnt the same money, but he did. Thats loyalty toyour Alma Mater.

[Scratch]

Did this package have some sort of UK markings on it? Otherwise how would anyone have known who Dwayne Casey was at that time?

[LAcat]

Scratch wrote: Did this package have some sort of UK markings on it? Otherwise how would anyone have known who Dwayne Casey was at that time?
Wasn't it UK's account number

[Terry L. Wildcat]

twincat wrote: BlueBalls wrote: Just a brief overview. First, an Emery overnight package addressed to Chris Mills, from UK assistant coach Dwayne Casey, "pops open" at an Emery warehouse. The guy at Emery states that the package contains $1000.00 cash. This starts an NCAA investigation AND a Lexington Herald-Leader investigation. When the smoke clears, the NCAA alledges that other people took entrance exams for some UK basketball players, that others had accepted cash and other gifts from boosters. That basically, the UK basketball program was out of control and the boosters were WAAAAY too friendly with the players. Anyway, it cost Cliff Hagan his job as AD. It cost Eddie Sutton his job as coach. LeRon Ellis and Chris Mills transfer. Eric Manual is barred from palying for any other NCAA school. UK is put on probation, it was close to the death penalty. Eddie Sutton had problems of his own to deal with and the pressure of the UK job just made matters worse. UK was close to the program being shut down.

UK made the cover of Sports Illustrated, with the simple headline of "SHAME". This was definitely one of the VERY low times in UK history. C.M. Newton is hired as AD. He hired Pitino and the rest, as they say, is history.

The thing that bothered me the most about the scandel was Eric Manual. This kid wound up playing at an NAIA school. Mills, Ellis transfer to other NCAA schools, continue playing. Sutton goes on to coach again. Manual is barred for life. That just didn't seem right.

Sutton never took responsiblity for the mess created while he was here.

VERY bad time.

But, NOW...."I am ready to ride with Billy Clyde"
May I make a respectful addition to this post as well as a small correction to the information contained in the post quoting Wikpedia? In a subsequent lawsuit against Emery, Dwayne Casey was awarded a settlement reported to be in the $7M range. It appears the Emery employee was a UCLA fan and he just happened to have a reporter (or perhaps an employee) from an LA daily newspaper on hand to "witness" the $1,000. At the time we were recruiting a highly ranked HS prospect out of California who ended up going to UCLA. Reportedly, the Emery employee called Chris Mills uncle, Claude Mills. to whom the package was addressed, and told him there was $1,000 in an envelope addressed to him. The envelope also included a video of Chris Mills from his high school playing days. At that time, Chris Mills was a Freshman at UK, not a prospect and Dwayne Casey testified he sent the package to Claude Mills without the money. The interesting thing is that as I recall, noone ever saw the money except the Emery employee, who later resigned, and the LA newspaper employee. Claude Mills swore he never saw the money and again, as I remember, the Emery employee refused to take a lie detector test. I also think there was/is a regulation that when something unusual like this happens to a package being sent via mail that the recipient is to be called and requested to come to the delivery facility to personally pick up the said package. Maybe our retired letter carrier can shed more light on that part of it. That's the way I recall it and if someone can tweak it, please do so.



If we would have sent the parcel via the Postal Service I don't think any of this happens...USPS probably has different regulations than Emery...first off, USPS would not allow us to call a reporter (or one to enter the office without the Postmaster allowing it)to come to the post office and we would have no reason to do so...parcels do get damaged in transit and anytime I had a damaged parcel for a customer I applied first aid and delivered it...in the rare occasion money appeared you would show your supervisor so they could witness the money and the fact it was left in the parcel...the thing that burns my *** about the whole thing is the NCAA never saw the money...from the start (whether money was in the parcel or not) the whole thing sounded like a setup to me...so to Emery :tongue

[TransientAlum]

Emery has policies and procedures, USPS has law and regulations.

US Code gives authority to (speculation) the Postmaster General, or the President to the Postmaster, or some derivative, to create regulations. They have the backing of law (US Code).They can be enforced in that manner.

Emery has corporate policies. An example would be Enron insisting on transparency and full disclosure (worked for them too huh). Open a box, divulge its contents, you can be reprimanded or fired.

Oh, and because of all the innuendo used to convict Kentucky, the NCAA had to revamp how it pursued investigations.

[sardiscat]

"the thing that burns my *** about the whole thing is the NCAA never saw the money"

That was Eddie Sutton's (first) defense. After calling in the press, Emery then sealed the envelope with duct tape and delivered it to Claude Mills. How in the world could the NCAA then have ever seen the money? Whatever Mills did with it, once he received it, it was indistinguishable from any other money. ("fungible" is the legal term for it). And, the NCAA does not have subpoena power to force Mills to produce it even were that money somehow distinguishable from other money Mills may have had.

[UKWildFox]

I always believed a "big name" school from the West Coasthad something to do with this. To me this was a set up. Yet it wasa blessing, but you gotta think we were getting all the top recruits at that time from California and I'm sure that didn't sit with some colleges out there in that general area.

I agree with UKBob...packages just don't "pop" open and money sure isn't going to do that either. Someone knew it was happening or set it up...IMO

Seemed like someone was out to get UK at that time...

[POEKLM]

When Joe Hall retired the Herald started their pieces on the "$50 hand shakes" and such. So Sutton came into some of it when he got here....and then it just hit the fan.

If I may add a couple more gripes I will. As for the UK acted toward the NCAA. We literally crawled into bed with them. Opened all the records, gave them access to all the players and so on....and what did we get.
That is the one and only thing I admire about UL...they fight them. Denny would play dumb...just say it was impossible to know all the rules and that was that.

And another thing, when you get hired to work for the USPS you are sworn to uphold the sanctity of the mail among other things ( I thougt I was going to war ). Which means you don't go blabbing. Things can pop open when someone has put too much in an envelope but you don't call the news. Believe me I have seen some not too pleasant things. And the Louisville plant was shut down for bit when someone decided to send their sister a bear's penis as a joke. oops....did I just tell that? Well, it made the news.

[mdluk1]

Scratch wrote: Did this package have some sort of UK markings on it? Otherwise how would anyone have known who Dwayne Casey was at that time?That was one of my main issues at the time. I always heard that the envelope was addressed to C. Mills, from D. Casey. It seems pretty convenient to me, that the person that found the envelope would know that D. Casey was a UK assistant coach. And that C. Mills was a highly ranked BB prospect.

It was also pretty convenient that the person that found the envelope, had a relative in the sports department of the LA Times.

[Brian McCat]

TransientAlum wrote: For all the CM bashers, he quit the head coaching job at Vandy and came to UK. He didnt have to and I am sure it wasnt the same money, but he did. Thats loyalty toyour Alma Mater.

TransientAlum,*GIVE* *IT* *UP*!

Nobody's bashing CM here.

[uk_student06]

tcomnt2 wrote: I am a younger fan, my first memories came during the Pitino era, and have always known that (dare I say his name ) Eddie Sutton got our program into NCAA sanctions. Though I have always known he did, I have never heard anyone speak of what excatly transpired to warrant them. Maybe I haven't heard, because the true BLUE don't want to let Sutton's memory sully their image of the Wildcats. But I gotta know. What happened?


Like you, I'm of the younger generation. I've always bled blue, but sutton was before my time.

It's always been one of those don't ask/don't tell type of things for me.

This is why the Tubby/Gillespie era's are so exciting for me. Years from now, my kids will be in the same situation as myself and won't really remember the era that has currently started. It's an exciting time to be a UK fan. I'm hoping this turns out like the Pitino era, but with BCG staying for awhile :)

[Stretch]

In those days, the big-money boosters were much too cozy with the program and the players. They were in the locker room, at practice and all over the basketball office. With that kind of unrestrained access, improrieties will probably occur but the appearance of impropriety was pervasive.

The explanation of the Emery envelope that had the most credibility for me was the following: after Chris Mills signed his LOI, Casey had a VHS tape of Mills in a high school game that he wanted to return to Chris's father. The tape was placed in the envelope and it lay on a secretary's desk in the basketball office where it was seen by a prominent booster who was hanging around. The booster added the $1K. I doubt Casey knew anything about it.

With all those boosters so intimately involved, the program was a train wreck waiting to happen.

[poodoo]

Stretch wrote: In those days, the big-money boosters were much too cozy with the program and the players. They were in the locker room, at practice and all over the basketball office. With that kind of unrestrained access, improrieties will probably occur but the appearance of impropriety was pervasive.

The explanation of the Emery envelope that had the most credibility for me was the following: after Chris Mills signed his LOI, Casey had a VHS tape of Mills in a high school game that he wanted to return to Chris's father. The tape was placed in the envelope and it lay on a secretary's desk in the basketball office where it was seen by a prominent booster who was hanging around. The booster added the $1K. I doubt Casey knew anything about it.

With all those boosters so intimately involved, the program was a train wreck waiting to happen.



Good post, as usual. Too, Stretch, to this day Coach Casey contends that he did not put any money into that envelope. While I cannot vouch forANYONE's honesty, as we only know for certain about ourselves, I do know that Dwane is a fine manwhom I admire and respect (and we personally know him from our days in Union County and actually got to talk with him last year at a Pacers/Timberwolves game--he was the same polite, humble Dwane Casey I had known when he was only in his teens).

The point about the boosters' havingbeen "too cozy withthe program," though,is why I posted in response. Yes, in my opinion, Mitch Barnhart's getting some of those boosters farther away from the program has been a HUGE positive for UK athletics, in my opinion.Some have not liked him for it. Some in the media have been hard on Barnhart and Kentucky because some of those lost connections, from what I've heard. Regardless, staying away from PROBATION is most important of all, and, thus, I think it's been a good thing.

Too, FWIW, your post brings back Cameron Mills' recent comments on WLAP (before the new coach was hired). Mills expressed the concern that we get a coach who WILL NOT CHEAT. Mills praised how both Pitino and Coach Smith had kept them away from boosters. Mills also that he feels that cheating goes on, to a degree, at over half of the universities (only his opinion, of course). He said that some of it is outright cheating, and a lot of it is merely choosing to "turn the eye away" from some of the stuff that goes on. Mills said that neither Pitino nor Coach Smith ever turned an eye away from anything, saying that both of them were TOTALLY CLEAN to his knowledge.