Sunday ESPN’s award-winning Outside the Lines franchise aired a piece reported by Joe Schad in which the ESPN reporter employed a “gotcha” moment on a college football prospect and his summer 7 on 7 football coach.
But instead of victimizing his intended targets, Schad unwittingly outed the formal involvement of one of his colleagues in the very activity an NCAA enforcement official frowned upon in the same “OTL” report.
To leadoff his examination of the dubious NCAA nature of 7 on 7 football, Schad cited a photo taken on a 60-foot yacht that included the aforementioned prospect, DeonTay McManus of the “Next Level Nation (NLN)” 7 on 7 summer football team. The ESPN reporter also noted McManus’ coach, Cory Robinson, had knowledge of the photo and the activity that led to the image.
During separate interviews, Schad then confronted McManus and Robinson with the picture.
Though in attempting to shame McManus and Robinson for activity not yet proven to be against NCAA rules, Schad neglected to tell his ESPN audience that on the same webpage where that yacht photo was located was an image of ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr., accompanied by the message: “NLN Supporter Mel Kiper Jr. ESPN Draft Expert.”
The yacht and Kiper photos have since been removed from the webpage, but still show up via this Google cache link. (For now.)
After I watched the ESPN report and discovered Kiper’s photo on the NLN 7 on 7 team website, I quickly located a site called 7on7u.com that featured an entire 7 on 7 summer football concept co-branded with Mel Kiper Jr.’s likeness and active participation in promoting the venture.
(Images taken from front page of 7on7u.com on June 2, 2011)
It was as slick and professional a presentation I’ve seen involving all things 7 on 7 since I started tracking such ventures.
Kiper is seen in videos and promotional materials on the site touting something called, “Mel Kiper, Jr.’s 7 on 7 University” and the “Mel Kiper, Jr. 7 on 7 National Championship Series.”
You can even watch video of Kiper hosting and narrating a 7 on 7-based camp that took place just last week at a high school in Virginia. (May 22, 2011.)
So what was Kiper’s reaction to Schad’s hit piece on the same NCAA-targeted enterprise in which he’s obviously invested a significant amount of time and effort?
At the end of the ESPN.com post detailing Schad’s OTL report, this passage was added after the piece initially aired on ESPN television:
Editor’s note: ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has had involvement with a national 7-on-7 tournament, but he is no longer involved.
I initially did not report on Kiper’s involvement in an activity NCAA Director of Agent, Gambling and Amateurism Rachel Newman-Baker said in Schad’s report could “jeopardize the (NCAA) eligibility” of individuals participating in it.
That changed though when I discovered today, five days later, that Kiper still has a presence on the 7on7u.com website and its accompanying social networking sites - including Facebook. Here’s a screen shot of the official “Mel Kiper Jr. 7on7u National Championship Series” Facebook page on June 2, 2011 at 7:00pm PT:
Perhaps, like so many other NCAA member institutions in the past, “Mel Kiper, Jr. 7 on 7 University” figures the intercollegiate governing body will give him a pass.
Wouldn’t be the first time.
Safe now to assume “Willie Lyles 7 on 7 University” won’t be far behind?
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5:36 am on June 3rd, 2011
Please clarify why Mel Kiper would need “a pass” from the NCAA? Kiper is not an employee of any NCAA member institution is he? The NCAA has no authority over anyone except those affiliated with its member institutions.
8:07 am on June 3rd, 2011
Seriously, why all the hate for Kiper? Hell, even I hate him. For no reason that I can pin down. I’m pretty sure the way he looks as something to do with it.
8:31 am on June 3rd, 2011
I guess I’m just confused? I think I’m missing the point.
Like, so this guy might be involved with college recruits going on a boat and getting things they shouldn’t, etc?
But he doesn’t work for a specific team and isn’t recruiting them, is he? I guess I just don’t get the point——you mention Willie Lyles, but he got paid a bunch as something of an agent to some recruits who ended up going to the schools that gave Lyles all that money. But is someone getting paid here? I don’t get it. I mean, to be honest, it sounds like the same kinds of stuff these kids get when they go to bowl games—–nice, fun trips to new places and some schwag gear.
Can anyone explain what I’m missing? I get the feeling like it’s probably simple but I don’t see it, or the motive if someone is trying to recruit these 7 on 7 kids.
9:05 am on June 3rd, 2011
Zero hate from me. It’s Schad and the NCAA ripping into 7 on 7, which is an activity obviously Kiper is facilitating.
Talk to ESPN and NCAA about it.
Just holding ESPN and the NCAA accountable for their actions.
10:55 am on June 3rd, 2011
Don’t understand this:
“I initially did not report on Kiper’s involvement in an activity NCAA Director of Agent, Gambling and Amateurism Rachel Newman-Baker said in Schad’s report could “jeopardize the (NCAA) eligibility” of individuals participating in it.”
Why not? You don’t hesitate to report on anyone else’s involvement, or use circumstantial evidence to imply that someone is doing something underhanded. So why did you give Kiper a pass when the evidence of his involvement is so overwhelming?
11:30 am on June 3rd, 2011
In the case of Willie Lyles’ “influence” to get Lache Seastrunk to sign with Oregon - Seastrunk ‘almost’ transferred out because of homesickness/lack of playing time (he’s behind LaMichael James and Kenyon Barner and had to redshirt).
Which brings up the case of what if the guy that was supposedly “bought and paid for” decides to transfer - for whatever reason?
Does the institution/football program get their money back? As if. What does it do for the “agent’s” reputation? Loses a client?
Seems to me that this would open up a Jolly Green Giant-sized can o’ worms.
2:14 pm on June 3rd, 2011
So football prospects are not allowed to take boat rides now, the NCAA is absolutly absurd with their rules and they need to learn that they only hurt peoples lives by enforcing stupid s**t