Show Me The Money

A Weekly Online Publication of the Anonymous Anything Society — February 28, 2018

JERRY MAGUIRE—SHOW ME THE MONEY

The above is the title of an award-winning film in 2007, costarring Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Renée Zellweger. The motion picture was a mission statement about dishonesty in sports management. It was the first thing that came to my mind when I heard the bombshell charges made by sports reporters for internet services who undoubtedly were leaked information regarding University of Arizona Basketball Coach Sean Miller allegedly being party to a conversation that involved a "Sports Agent," and a former U of A Assistant Basketball Coach Emmanuel Richardson, who is charged with conspiring to commit bribery, wire fraud and other misdeeds.

As I understand the revelation, the FBI recorded a telephone conversation wherein it was discussed that an exceedingly promising freshman player could be recruited to play for the Wildcats by promising to give him $100,000. The recruit, Deandre Ayton is playing for the U of A and he is everything he was represented to be. However, Ayton said he has been interviewed by the FBI, and denies accepting any payment for being a student-athlete here. This truth of the matter will be a long time in resolving, and no matter what the resolution may require, the attendant turmoil will injure numerous persons and institutions, some disastrously.

Accompanying sidebar stories strengthen the apparent intention of the U.S. Justice Department to prosecute cases of corruption and wrongdoing in collegiate sports.

I may be mistaken, but the way I figure it, at an estimated $4.95-million, counting bonuses for reaching the Final Four, Sean Miller could be Arizona's highest paid employee. I've a hard time believing he would jeopardize this by even considering colluding with the two agents named in an earlier indictment, along with Richardson.

-Phil Richardson, Observer of the Human Condition and Storyteller. "He goes doddering on into his old age, making a public nuisance of himself."—Joseph Menchen

Our unending thanks to Jim Bromley, who programs our Archive of Prior Commentaries

Respond to: k7os@comcast.net