VIEW THE MOBILE ALPHA VERSION OF THIS SITE

News Nuggets, 02.11.04
NOTES FROM ECU AND BEYOND...

Previous Day Nuggets...             Next Day Nuggets...

Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Houston, Rice 'exposed' in burgeoning strippers saga

DENVER — Already mired in a scandal that includes allegations of rape, the University of Colorado suffered another blow Tuesday when an adult entertainment company confirmed football players hired strippers for recruiting parties as recently as two weeks ago.

Steve Lower, president of Hardbodies Entertainment Inc. in Denver, said athletes at Colorado and universities around the country have been paying strippers to entertain recruits for years.

"It's a tradition, like throwing a bachelor party," he said. "It's a tradition handed down from player to player to player."

Hardbodies also has offices in Houston and Las Vegas. Lower said students or football players at the University of Houston, Rice University, University of Northern Colorado, Colorado State University hired his dancers without the knowledge of university officials or coaches.

"Yes, these have been our girls doing it and no, the college has absolutely not paid for it, condoned it or been aware of it," he said.

Officials at most of the Colorado, Texas and Nevada schools did not return calls seeking comment. Houston athletic director Dave Maggard said he and football coach Art Briles were not aware of any strip parties.

Earlier this month, St. John's University suspended five basketball players for breaking curfew to go to a strip club. University of Minnesota officials are also investigating whether high school football recruits visited bars and a strip club during a visit in December.

According to National Collegiate Athletic Association rules, a school "may not arrange or permit excessive entertainment," though it is unclear what constitutes excessive. The NCAA has said it is convening a panel this spring to discuss recruiting problems.

The news couldn't have come at a worse time for Colorado, which was plunged into scandal last week with the disclosure of allegations that it uses sex and women to entice recruits.

The claim was made by Boulder County District Attorney Mary Keenan in one of three federal lawsuits filed by women who say they were raped at an off-campus party in December 2001 attended by players and recruits.

University officials have denied the school uses sex parties as a recruiting tool. Last week, football coach Gary Barnett suspended four players, including one for taking a recruit to a strip club. The Board of Regents has ordered a special commission to investigate and prepare a report by April 30.

News of the strip parties stunned Regents President Peter Steinhauer. "I don't think this should be part of the recruiting atmosphere," he said. "Something pops up every day."

Last week, police said they were also investigating whether Colorado football players hired prostitutes from an escort service. Regent Jim Martin, who has been critical of how university administrators have handled the scandal, said investigators should find out where the money to pay for the strippers came from.

Colorado players testified in the depositions that they get $30 from athletic department officials to host recruits. Lower said it costs $250 for two strippers to dance for an hour.

Florida A&M slams brakes on move to I-A

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida A&M board of trustees voted Tuesday to back the school president's recommendation to delay the football program's move to Division I-A.

The trustees voted 7-5 following an all-day meeting. They asked athletic officials to see whether the Rattlers would instead be permitted to remain in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Fred Gainous, who has been president of the school for 19 months, had urged trustees to put off the move from Division I-AA.

"I'm very disappointed," said trustees chairman James Corbin, who pushed for the move to I-A. "I think it was a huge mistake."

The vote came only four days after J.R.E. Lee III resigned as athletic director under pressure from some trustees dissatisfied with his performance.

Gainous said Tuesday that Joseph Ramsey, a sports management professor at the school, would serve in that role as a special assistant to him until a permanent successor is found.

Florida A&M is without a complete football schedule, but does have contracts with Oklahoma, Illinois, Virginia Tech and Toledo, the board was told.

The school has also signed letters of agreement with Tulane for a game to be played in Tampa and for a game in Miami against Florida International.

A Nov. 6 game against Toledo is the school's lone home game.

Getting MEAC schools back on the schedule for 2004 could be a problem because most have already filled the dates created by FAMU's intended departure to I-A.

Trustee Randy Hanna, who initially supported the move to I-A, was among those who backed Gainous.

"We got the cart before the horse," Hanna said.

Two dead in crash involving basketball team

PARIS, TX — A tractor-trailer rig broadsided a van carrying a junior college basketball team, killing two players and injuring five players and two coaches.

Police said a preliminary investigation showed the drivers of two Navarro College team vans had missed their turns in the journey back to the Corsicana college after a 77-71 victory at Paris Junior College. They were attempting to backtrack when the wreck occurred late Monday night on U.S. 271 in Northeast Texas.

The dead were identified as Pa Sarr, 21, of Gambia, Africa; and Jason Rashard Trier, 18, of Giddings, Paris police spokesman Todd Varner told The Associated Press.

The first van had made a U-turn just inside the city limits and the driver of the second was turning to follow when the eastbound rig struck it, Varner said.

Justice of the Peace Ernie Sparks pronounced one player dead at the scene after the 9:50 p.m. accident and another at Paris Regional Medical Center at 11:50 p.m. Sparks said the van, designed to carry 15 passengers, was "busted to pieces."

"The ones who were in there, I don't know how they survived, but they crawled out," Sparks said. "All the windows were gone. It was lying on its side with the top side up."

Varner said police had not yet been able to interview all the vans' drivers and passengers. Navarro College President Richard Sanchez said the school also plans to investigate the accident.

Chris Gonzalez, a freshman from Chicago, was airlifted to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, where he was in serious condition Tuesday. Elijah Coppock, a sophomore from Columbus, Ga., was flown to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, where he was in serious condition.

Varner identified the second van's driver as Bilal Batley, a 21-year-old graduate assistant coach who was admitted to Paris Regional Medical Center in serious condition. Coach Lewis Orr and player Roberto Flores, of Durango, Mexico, were hospitalized in serious condition, said Derald Bulls, a marketing director.

Charles Dotson of Humboldt, Tenn., was admitted in fair condition. Edward Horton of Shreveport, La., was released from the hospital.

Varner said Orr was initially identified as the wrecked van's driver but later interviews showed that Batley was at the wheel. Varner said the U-turn in combination with failure to yield to oncoming traffic is a potential offense and the case may be reviewed by the county attorney's office.

The driver of the tractor-trailer wasn't injured.

Police Chief Karl Louis said people on the van that was not involved in the wreck were taken to the Paris Junior College student center where they could contact relatives. Counselors were scheduled to be available to students at the Corsicana campus Tuesday.

School officials haven't discussed the future of the team, but San Jacinto College spokesman Roy Waldrep said Wednesday night's game against Navarro in Pasadena has been canceled. "My gut feeling is that they'll have to cancel their season," he said. "It's just a tragic thing."

Paris is about 120 miles northeast of Corsicana and 90 miles northeast of Dallas.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007