NCAA, ex-Auburn player to meet

Thursday, April 14, 2011

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Ex-Auburn player Chaz Ramsey, who told HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel that players received cash payments at Auburn, will talk to the NCAA next week, he told the Birmingham News on Thursday.

Ramsey made charges on HBO that he received money handshakes after games and sold complimentary game tickets. Ramsey had been reluctant to speak with the NCAA because Auburn's attorneys requested to be present for the interview.

But Ramsey said Auburn won't be there and the information he provides won't be disclosed to it.

"I wouldn't like Auburn to be there," Ramsey said. "The NCAA wanted to talk to me, so the NCAA is going to talk to me."

When asked if he knows the names of the boosters or coaches who paid Auburn players, Ramsey replied, "I may." He declined to elaborate.

This month, ex-Auburn player Stanley McClover, who also told Real Sports he received money, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he spoke with the NCAA but didn't reveal the names of the boosters.

Former players Troy Reddick and Raven Gray made similar allegations to Real Sports. It's not known if they have talked to the NCAA or plan to do so.

Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said in a statement after the accusations aired that HBO confirmed no proof of the claims being true and Auburn would use outside counsel and "spare no resources to find the truth." Auburn coach Gene Chizik disputed the claims and characterized HBO's handling of the story as "pure garbage."

More football: Arizona legislators who took cross-country trips and accepted free tickets from the Fiesta Bowl soon will be asked to reimburse the gifts, the Arizona Republic reported. Some invoices could be thousands of dollars. Under state law, lawmakers can accept gifts and free travel as long as they are publicly disclosed. Free tickets are restricted in some cases. Recently, a few legislators have reimbursed the bowl.

Baseball: Georgia outfielder paralyzed

ATLANTA — Georgia outfielder Johnathan Taylor, who broke his neck when he collided with a teammate March 6 against Florida State, is paralyzed from the waist down but showing signs of improvement, his doctor said.

Taylor is breathing on his own and has some use of his upper extremities but has no feeling in his legs or fingers. His spinal cord was not severed, so there is reason to believe he could make an improvement.

"He's getting stronger by the day," Dr. Donald Peck Leslie said. "His muscles in his upper extremities are almost full. He's an athlete. He wants to go train. The sky is the limit."

Taylor injured the C-5 and C-6 vertebrae in his neck when he collided with Zach Cone while diving for a line drive. He had neck surgery the next day to stabilize his spine.

Men's basketball: Kansas freshman guard Josh Selby and San Diego State sophomore forward Kawhi Leonard declared for the draft. Leonard said he plans to hire an agent, which means he can't change his mind. Selby did not say if he plans to hire an agent but tweeted, "I will not return to Kansas next year. Making my dream a reality."

Men's Gymnastics: Oklahoma and Stanford won their respective sessions to advance to tonight's final of the national meet in Columbus, Ohio. Also qualifying were Penn State, Illinois, Cal and defending champion Michigan.

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/ncaa-ex-auburn-player-to-meet/1163899

Dmitry Medvedev Twitter Petrofac Robert Schumann Office for National Statistics Qatar