The Real Truth: What If Miami Party Much Ado About Nothing?

Boy, have they ever weighed in.  Zombies and bad actors are a sample of what people have called the South Beach Party participants.  Some call it the biggest story of the year. How memories fade.

The Real Truth may turn out to be like the Shakespearean play Much Ado About Nothing. Sure there are many twists and turns.  But in the end, there is not much of anything.  Just one big party with a bunch of characters.

I know this is far-fetched to most of you.  A recent story claimed that this investigation began when Marvin Austin, a defensive tackle on the University of North Carolina Tar Heels football team, went to the NCAA and reported a party in South Beach in Miami.  The questions surrounding this point continue, in part because a veil of silence has been imposed on UNC concerning who did what when.

The speculation by The Real Truth has been and continues to be that UNC either was part of a sting operation or reported the South Beach Party to the NCAA.  The second is less speculative than the first.  Almost no one would believe that UNC was a part of a sting operation.  After yesterday's comments by Butch Davis, at least he was almost certainly not in the know if there was a sting.

In fact, we know after yesterday that Butch Davis, UNC football coach, knows little about and was surprised by the investigation.  We know that his response to whether he was blind-sided by the situation was much more "yes" than "no."  

Davis did say that Miami was investigated while he was there because of highly talented players and that many ended up being nothing.  Including this comment seems a bit more than accidental.  Perhaps his assessment is that there is much ado about nothing here.

We also know that agent problems in college sports have a heightened profile after several changes, including the fact that agents are now permitted to meet with players within eighteen months of graduation.  Making the most of the current situation, the NCAA could be making a point and nothing more.  

The facts are still largely unknown.  And they are the only important facts in the South Beach affair that need to be known.

Only time will tell if this is anything that will end up with sanctions against players and colleges.  But one thing is certain.  The power of bloggers is never higher than when an investigation is on-going these days.  Or for that matter when almost anything to do with sports is involved.

Unlike the normal press, which itself is getting more into speculation than in the past due to the huge blogosphere, the sports blogosphere is far more speculative to begin with. There are few trained reporters working in sports, and sports editing is not generally like national news. 

So let's go out on a limb.  

At the end of all this, there will be no sanctions against the Tar Heels. Just like when he was at Miami, there will be no more than the investigation itself.

Second, there will be no sanctions against the huge array currently facing charges. Instead, there will be a statement made by the NCAA about how the process worked well, and the dangers of what could occur if there had been real fire where there was smoke.

Third, the eighteen month period when agent-player contact is allowed will be changed to three months.

Fourth, the end result of all this will be a massive report.

After that, Much Ado About Nothing.