Match Fixing Investigation In Britain Steps Up...

((HT: SkyNews/The Telegraph))

Match fixing shouldn't be a surprise to any of you...

In relatively impoverished countries with sports as an outlet, it makes sense for athletes who aren't paid well to take steps to feed their check books...

The Telegraph ran an undercover investigation that traced match fixing back to Malaysia and interviewed one of the lower-level players in the process to get most of their background...


And now open for discussing...


Former footballer Delroy Facey, now an agent, was one of six allegedly arrested as a part of the investigation by the National Crime Agency- the British version of the FBI. There is talk that some of the fixing in British circles was in the Football Association and not in the Premier League.

Guess What...??? Texas Regents Talked About Saban To Agent, Dodds Not Retiring

Surprising no one...

Regent Wallace Hall along with one of the Hicks brothers, Steve (yes his brother Tom is the former Liverpool and Texas Rangers owner) talked to Nick Saban's agent, Jimmy Sexton about his client's possible interest in being the head coach at the University of Texas.

Hall and Hicks had a conference call with Sexton a few days after the national title game. Then, Tom Hicks had a meeting with Mack Brown to see if he was still interested in coaching the Longhorns. Brown told Hicks he was not interested in retiring, so the matter wasn't pursued any further.

Mack Brown is set to be paid $5-million a year through 2020...

Saban is getting $5.6-million, but with Brown's buyout at only $3.25-million, this could be a very quick eventuality after the conclusion of the 2013 season.

"Wallace Hall brought this to the chairman and myself. Nothing was authorized by the board and the chairman and myself thought the board should not be involved," Steve Hicks told the Associated Press. "Tom and Mack are friends and talk often. They simply visited and just talked the idea through. It was dropped and nothing happened ... It was a short conversation."

Along that same line, rumors are swirling about AD DeLoss Dodds retiring- which would make another piece of the puzzle for the removal of Mack Brown- forced or otherwise...

Dodds, of course, is denying it...
((HT: Longhorn Network))


Conventional wisdom is saying that a 5-year, $50-million offer is on the table for Saban to succeed Mack Brown- which lends itself to Carousel...

The HQ anticipates three names tied to Alabama: Bob Stoops (whose message has grown stale in Norman), Will Muschamp (whose move from Gainesville might be thought of as "sideways"), and Dabo Swinney- the alum with the hot name after an allegedly successful season-to-be in Clemson.

HQ's coin is on Swinney- who will get destroyed...

Did Ex Ess-E-Cee Players Get Extra Benefits From Agents...??? (UPDATE: Saban Reacts)

((HT: Yahoo!Sports))

The last time Charles Robinson dropped the hammer on someone, the University of Miami was put on "Uncle Nevin" Alert...

Now, he and Rand Getlin have now come forward to disclose that former Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker, Tennessee QB Tyler Bray, Tennessee DE Maurice Couch, Mississippi State University DT Fletcher Cox and Mississippi State WR Chad Bumphis have had alleged contact with intermediaries and, possibly, agents.

Fluker, Bray and Cox are all currently in the pros. Bumphis was released by the Miami Dolphins. Couch is a senior starting for the Volunteers. Robinson and Getlin were contacted by those who felt that former Alabama TE Luther Davis was acting as an intermediary for college football players and agents.

Here's Charles Robinson with Melanie Collins...


If proven true, the NCAA violation for consorting with agents could retroactively blow up any positive stuff from Alabama, Tennessee, and Miss State during the eligibility of the five athletes.

From Getlin and Robinson:

Yahoo Sports was able to authenticate text message records, Western Union fund transfers, banking statements, flight receipts and other financial material linking both Davis and the five college football players. Yahoo Sports also found that three NFL agents and three financial advisers engaged Davis in transactions totaling $45,550. The three agents were Andy Simms, Peter Schaffer and John Phillips. The financial advisers were Jason Jernigan, Mike Rowan and Hodge Brahmbhatt.

Here are all the investigation documents

This has all the appearances of deep doo-doo if all of this checks out...
Which it looks like it does...

The schools involved are investigating and declining comment... as well they should...

Here's early reports from WBRC-TV and MyFoxAL


Wednesday was press conference day for Tide head coach Nick Saban, and he was in no mood to talk about players past...
((HT: Alabama/OKTC))


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