McDonald Cleared to Play

[Duvall]

McDonald cleared to play. (http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2013/december/north+carolinas+mcdonald+cleared+to+play)


On Dec. 17, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill men’s basketball student-athlete Leslie McDonald was cleared to compete in the school’s next competition. McDonald sat nine games and must repay $1,783 to a charity of his choice for receiving numerous impermissible extra benefits.

North Carolina discovered the rule violations on Oct. 24 and then submitted a reinstatement request to the NCAA for McDonald on Dec. 11. The NCAA then worked with North Carolina to finalize the facts before the university submitted its complete request for McDonald's reinstatement on Dec. 17.

...

At this time, McDonald’s reinstatement request is the only one the NCAA has received from North Carolina.

[Newton_14]

McDonald cleared to play. (http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2013/december/north+carolinas+mcdonald+cleared+to+play)
Thanks for starting the new thread. I closed the old one.

Interesting that McDonald had issues well beyond the mouthguards, including free use of luxury cars, free cellphone, parking tickets paid, and free lodging.. Odd that the final total was $1783. Would love to know how they calculated that final number.

[BD80]

Thanks for starting the new thread. I closed the old one.

Interesting that McDonald had issues well beyond the mouthguards, including free use of luxury cars, free cellphone, parking tickets paid, and free lodging.. Odd that the final total was $1783. Would love to know how they calculated that final number.

Sounds like Leslie was one of Fats' boys. Perhaps Leslie fessed up when asked, but PJ didn't.

"McDonald ... must repay $1,783 to a charity of his choice for receiving numerous impermissible extra benefits."

Would that include the "Free PJ Foundation?"

[GGLC]

Interesting that McDonald had issues well beyond the mouthguards, including free use of luxury cars, free cellphone, parking tickets paid, and free lodging.. Odd that the final total was $1783. Would love to know how they calculated that final number.

Pretty incredible that this level of impermissible benefits merited "only" a ten-game suspension and repayment of that total. Seems like free luxury cars, free cellphone, free lodging etc. should be a MUCH bigger deal to the NCAA.

[BigWayne]

Thanks for starting the new thread. I closed the old one.

Interesting that McDonald had issues well beyond the mouthguards, including free use of luxury cars, free cellphone, parking tickets paid, and free lodging.. Odd that the final total was $1783. Would love to know how they calculated that final number.

I assume Dan Kane is filing his FOIA by the end of the week to get the list of what McDonald got.

Interesting that the article does not mention the mouthguards at all or the issue of using his likeness in the promotion of same.

[freedevil]

Wondering how the conspiratorial UNC faithful will react to the revelation that no reinstatement request has been submitted with respect to Mr. Hairston?

[alteran]

Wondering how the conspiratorial UNC faithful will react to the revelation that no reinstatement request has been submitted with respect to Mr. Hairston?

Doubly interesting since Roy's been referring to both players when saying he was frustrated about the pace of things with the NCAA. If there was no appeal, then there was nothing to wait on.

[MChambers]

Wondering how the conspiratorial UNC faithful will react to the revelation that no reinstatement request has been submitted with respect to Mr. Hairston?

Maybe UNC is negotiating the terms of such a request, but nothing has been submitted formally?

[Duvall]

Pretty incredible that this level of impermissible benefits merited "only" a ten-game suspension and repayment of that total. Seems like free luxury cars, free cellphone, free lodging etc. should be a MUCH bigger deal to the NCAA.

That's the standard rate for this amount of benefits - 30% of the season.

[BD80]

That's the standard rate for this amount of benefits - 30% of the season.

Miykael Faulcon, PJ's 2 time passenger (at least) got the same length suspension as Leslie. Coincidence?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2013/12/18/north-carolina-elizabeth-city-state-basketball-miykael-faulcon-pj-hairston-camaro/4110567/

Faulcon's mom told the NCAA she had seen PJ driving the rental Camaro on other occasions. May not have matched PJ's story.

[GGLC]

That's the standard rate for this amount of benefits - 30% of the season.

Are there comparable past instances of players receiving this level (not amount, but level) of impermissible benefits and getting this sort of penalty? Based on your response, I assume there are, but that seems pretty surprising to me when we're talking about an organization that's threatened players' college eligibility for much more minor things.

[grad_devil]

North Carolina discovered the rule violations on Oct. 24 and then submitted a reinstatement request to the NCAA for McDonald on Dec. 11.

Hmm...so the NCAA was "dragging it's feet" a whopping 7 days.

Sounds like the narrative portrayed by UNC-CH (that the NCAA was the bottleneck) doesn't hold water.

[GGLC]

Hmm...so the NCAA was "dragging it's feet" a whopping 7 days.

Sounds like the narrative portrayed by UNC-CH (that the NCAA was the bottleneck) doesn't hold water.

Presumably there was plenty of unofficial dialogue between UNC and the NCAA between October and December. I expect that UNC only filed its reinstatement request when it had a reasonable expectation, based on discussions with the NCAA, that it would be granted.

[Duvall]

Presumably there was plenty of unofficial dialogue between UNC and the NCAA between October and December. I expect that UNC only filed its reinstatement request when it had a reasonable expectation, based on discussions with the NCAA, that it would be granted.

Sure, but "we're waiting for the NCAA to give us an answer" is a much more self-serving narrative than "we're negotiating with the NCAA over the penalty and hope to have a deal soon."

[Duvall]

Are there comparable past instances of players receiving this level (not amount, but level) of impermissible benefits and getting this sort of penalty? Based on your response, I assume there are, but that seems pretty surprising to me when we're talking about an organization that's threatened players' college eligibility for much more minor things.

Oregon players docked nine games (30%) for selling $1800 in shoes. (http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/pac12/2013/11/07/oregon-ducks-dominic-artis-ben-carter-suspension/3470943/)

[GGLC]

Oregon players docked nine games (30%) for selling $1800 in shoes. (http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/pac12/2013/11/07/oregon-ducks-dominic-artis-ben-carter-suspension/3470943/)

I think "selling team-issued shoes" is a qualitatively different level of offense than free use of luxury cars, free payment of parking tickets, a free cell phone, and free lodging.

Like, extremely different.

[OldPhiKap]

Wondering how the conspiratorial UNC faithful will react to the revelation that no reinstatement request has been submitted with respect to Mr. Hairston?

As they say over in the prosecutor's office -- "the first to squeal gets the deal"

[Newton_14]

Pretty incredible that this level of impermissible benefits merited "only" a ten-game suspension and repayment of that total. Seems like free luxury cars, free cellphone, free lodging etc. should be a MUCH bigger deal to the NCAA.

The extremely low dollar amount is more puzzling to me than the low number of games missed, admitting that the 30%/9 or 10 game penalty seem to align with the $1700/$1800 dollar amount across comparable cases.

The question is, how is the dollar amount so low? It would almost have to be a one time/one day thing which each of the offenses listed, and not involve the mouthguard at all (which was $1500 on its own).

Very weird.

I also agree with Duvall in how UNC has spun this given they have not even filed a reinstatement request for PJ.

[Duvall]

I think "selling team-issued shoes" is a qualitatively different level of offense than free use of luxury cars, free payment of parking tickets, a free cell phone, and free lodging.

Like, extremely different.

Sure, but it's the same rule about extra benefits, By-Law 16.11.2.1. It doesn't look like the NCAA draws a distinction between types of extra benefits, but just sets the penalty based on the value of the benefits received.

[GGLC]

Sure, but it's the same rule about extra benefits, By-Law 16.11.2.1. It doesn't look like the NCAA draws a distinction between types of extra benefits, but just sets the penalty based on the value of the benefits received.

In that case, yeah, I join with everyone wondering how the kind of benefits that are being described here add up to only ~$1700. I mean, as we've all learned from the PJ mess, the rental of luxury cars alone is apparently EXPENSIVE.

[GGLC]

The extremely low dollar amount is more puzzling to me than the low number of games missed, admitting that the 30%/9 or 10 game penalty seem to align with the $1700/$1800 dollar amount across comparable cases.

The question is, how is the dollar amount so low? It would almost have to be a one time/one day thing which each of the offenses listed, and not involve the mouthguard at all (which was $1500 on its own).

Very weird.

I also agree with Duvall in how UNC has spun this given they have not even filed a reinstatement request for PJ.

Wait, the mouthguard was $1500 on its own? How does that work?

[OldPhiKap]

Wait, the mouthguard was $1500 on its own? How does that work?

It's no ordinary mouthguard. It massages your gums, and picks up Sirius/XM satellite radio. It is bluetooth-enabled. It performs calculus.

It's the bomb. No, literally -- it can be used as an explosive device.


(Either that, or it's the craziest flush of money I can imagine)

[Duvall]

Wait, the mouthguard was $1500 on its own? How does that work?

That's the rate for a custom mouthguard from McDonald's favorite purveyor of fine dental appliances. (http://www.icebergguards.com/products/champion)

Other mouthguards cost less, and it's possible McDonald paid for the mouthguard he endorsed.

[GGLC]

What a crazy world.

[TruBlu]

The extremely low dollar amount is more puzzling to me than the low number of games missed, admitting that the 30%/9 or 10 game penalty seem to align with the $1700/$1800 dollar amount across comparable cases.

The question is, how is the dollar amount so low? It would almost have to be a one time/one day thing which each of the offenses listed, and not involve the mouthguard at all (which was $1500 on its own).

Very weird.

I also agree with Duvall in how UNC has spun this given they have not even filed a reinstatement request for PJ.

They only caught him wearing it once. If the mouthguard is rented for a year at full retail price of $1,500, the daily rental fee would only be $4.10. (Computed much the same way as PJ and his rental cars.)

[roywhite]

It's no ordinary mouthguard. It massages your gums, and picks up Sirius/XM satellite radio. It is bluetooth-enabled. It performs calculus.

It's the bomb. No, literally -- it can be used as an explosive device.


(Either that, or it's the craziest flush of money I can imagine)

LOL.

Further, it's voice-activated and responds to commands made in both English and Swahili.

[ncexnyc]

What's funny is they say that the violations weren't discovered until 24 October. They need to read Pack Pride more often for the latest news.

[timmy c]

Wait, the mouthguard was $1500 on its own? How does that work?

Based on OPK's rental formula for Roy Williams house rental ($1,500/ 84 months = $17.44 per month) this works out to be a little over $200 per year. :rolleyes:

[BD80]

If PJ is done, and his semester (and college) over, does he move into ol' roy's flop house with Graves? A sitcom in the making:

Will and Grass

Big Bong Theory

PJ and the Bandit

Mayberry ReeFerD

2 Broke Heels

Leave it to Reefer

The Oddest Couple

Everybody Loves Roy

H*A*S*H

Get Smart (please)

Saved By the Smell

Full flop House

The Moneyspooners

The Munchsters

[OldPhiKap]

"Sitting here in limbo waiting for the tide to flow
Sitting here in limbo knowing that I have to go
Well they're putting up resistance
But I know that my faith will lead me on"

-- Jimmy Cliff

[Indoor66]

It's no ordinary mouthguard. It massages your gums, and picks up Sirius/XM satellite radio. It is bluetooth-enabled. It performs calculus.

It's the bomb. No, literally -- it can be used as an explosive device.


(Either that, or it's the craziest flush of money I can imagine)

It also translates Swahili into something else.

[Troublemaker]

Statement from UNC AD Bubba Cunningham

"The University of North Carolina is working with P.J. Hairston and his family to settle a few unresolved issues that remain. We expect to have this matter resolved at the end of this week."

Sounds like PJ may be coming back, probably with a long suspension. Myck Kabongo-esque 23 games? We'll see.

[MCFinARL]

"Sitting here in limbo waiting for the tide to flow
Sitting here in limbo knowing that I have to go
Well they're putting up resistance
But I know that my faith will lead me on"

-- Jimmy Cliff

Can't spork you but have to give props to any post including lyrics from The Harder They Come.

[ncexnyc]

Pack Pride has posted the LMac report, all 108 pages of it. An interesting read and shows how the NCAA arrived at the dollar value they assigned to the benifits.

After reading all of this I can't see how PJ laces them up for the heels this year. If the redacted name in LMac's report is PJ, then he's getting stuck with the majority of time for the cars and the NCAA isn't buying the, "He only had the car on the day he was ticketed" line.

[BigWayne]

Pack Pride has posted the LMac report, all 108 pages of it. An interesting read and shows how the NCAA arrived at the dollar value they assigned to the benifits.

After reading all of this I can't see how PJ laces them up for the heels this year. If the redacted name in LMac's report is PJ, then he's getting stuck with the majority of time for the cars and the NCAA isn't buying the, "He only had the car on the day he was ticketed" line.

Here's the link. It's buried pretty deep in that thread by now.

http://www.goheels.com/fls/3350/pdf/McDonaldAttachments.pdf

[BigWayne]

After a quick look at the pdf, there is evidence in there that shows some of what is coming for PJ (his name is redacted but it's obviously him).
They do a bunch of calculations to assign % of the rental car benefit to McDonald and Faulcon, presumably to reduce PJ's liability in an effort to save some of his season. The amount of "benefits" assigned to McDonald for the cars is $1157.50. PJ is set to get tagged for that same amount X3, or $3472.50. I'm assuming that gets him at least twice the suspension. If Faulcon and McDonald didn't lighten the load for PJ on the car rentals, he would definitely be gone for the season.

It's very interesting to see the hoops they go through to reduce the calculation of the benefit. One of the things McDonald gets dinged for is 3 nights lodging in the Outer Banks on the peak July 4th weekend. They did a search on Craigslist for rooms for rent in the fall to come up with the pro rated value.

[jv001]

After a quick look at the pdf, there is evidence in there that shows some of what is coming for PJ (his name is redacted but it's obviously him).
They do a bunch of calculations to assign % of the rental car benefit to McDonald and Faulcon, presumably to reduce PJ's liability in an effort to save some of his season. The amount of "benefits" assigned to McDonald for the cars is $1157.50. PJ is set to get tagged for that same amount X3, or $3472.50. I'm assuming that gets him at least twice the suspension. If Faulcon and McDonald didn't lighten the load for PJ on the car rentals, he would definitely be gone for the season.

It's very interesting to see the hoops they go through to reduce the calculation of the benefit. One of the things McDonald gets dinged for is 3 nights lodging in the Outer Banks on the peak July 4th weekend. They did a search on Craigslist for rooms for rent in the fall to come up with the pro rated value.

My how things have changed. If memory serves me correctly, Duke suffered a stiffer penalty because a booster bought David Thompson a sport jacket while he was a high school senior. I could be wrong about this and I'm sure someone closer to the situation will tell me if I am indeed wrong. GoDuke!

[77devil]

My how things have changed. If memory serves me correctly, Duke suffered a stiffer penalty because a booster bought David Thompson a sport jacket while he was a high school senior. I could be wrong about this and I'm sure someone closer to the situation will tell me if I am indeed wrong. GoDuke!

State, as well, was ineligible for the 1973 post season for a similar level of benefit IIRC.

[jv001]

State, as well, was ineligible for the 1973 post season for a similar level of benefit IIRC.

Thanks 77devil. I was hoping I had some more memory left up there. I guess the NCAA has lightened up on the penalties over the years. GoDuke!

[oldnavy]

How can you "rent" a custom mouth guard?? Who would wear it after you returned it?? YUK! :(

[PackMan97]

Please don't say he was "cleared to play". He wasn't cleared to play. He served a 9 game suspension which is now over.

Some funny math going into that report, I especially like the outright error in the total drops $100 from the value of the phone which reduces the benefit amount by $100.

I'm curious, isn't this the same type of stuff football got dinged with and isn't the UNC athletic department still on probation?

[jv001]

How can you "rent" a custom mouth guard?? Who would wear it after you returned it?? YUK! :(

Maybe he and pj share the rented mouth guard,lol. GoDuke!

[sagegrouse]

So, UNC will announce the PJ outcome this week. Hmmm.... I expect he's done. UNC would not promise an announcement unless it had some control over the situation. "Control" would be "to give up the ghost of PJ's season."

I also expect PJ to announce he will not come back for another season. Although he is stewing in his own juices, I can certainly understand if he is fed up with college ball and its, uh, restraints.

And leaving school also relieves him of the obligation to repay all the impermissible benefits of the past year.

sage

[FerryFor50]

So, UNC will announce the PJ outcome this week. Hmmm.... I expect he's done. UNC would not promise an announcement unless it had some control over the situation. "Control" would be "to give up the ghost of PJ's season."

I also expect PJ to announce he will not come back for another season. Although he is stewing in his own juices, I can certainly understand if he is fed up with college ball and its, uh, restraints.

And leaving school also relieves him of the obligation to repay all the impermissible benefits of the past year.

sage

He could always go play in the D league like Glen Rice Jr...

[FerryFor50]

It's very interesting to see the hoops they go through to reduce the calculation of the benefit. One of the things McDonald gets dinged for is 3 nights lodging in the Outer Banks on the peak July 4th weekend. They did a search on Craigslist for rooms for rent in the fall to come up with the pro rated value.

Heh. Gotta admire their, uh, creativity...

[JasonEvans]

He could always go play in the D league like Glen Rice Jr...

I am not certain he is eligible for that. Rice was dismissed from Ga Tech during the tail end of the 2011-12 season. Most folks thought he would transfer and he never declared for the draft. But, over the summer he decided not to transfer (or he could not find a school that wanted him) so he made himself eligible for the NBADL draft. He then had a great NBADL season and was taken in the 2013 NBA draft.

I don't think PJ would be in the same circumstance, though I cannot say for sure. He could certainly go play in Europe or some other international league but I think his window to enter the NBADL may have passed. I could be wrong. I merely know it is not the same case as Rice, who made his intentions known before the D-League season began and the D-League had their draft.

-Jason "as long as he doesn't don Carolina Blue again, I'll be happy -- his outside shooting would be really valuable to this Carolina team" Evans

[Newton_14]

Please don't say he was "cleared to play". He wasn't cleared to play. He served a 9 game suspension which is now over.

Some funny math going into that report, I especially like the outright error in the total drops $100 from the value of the phone which reduces the benefit amount by $100.

I'm curious, isn't this the same type of stuff football got dinged with and isn't the UNC athletic department still on probation?

You know Packman, shame on all of us. You are 100% correct! I and many others have pointed out how UNC has spun this with the media for months now, but I totally missed the part you note above. They have not used the words "Suspended/Suspension" at all with either PJ or McDonald. Instead it has been "PLayer X is being held out of Game X, while pending word from the NCAA on possible compliance issues". Well, going all the way back to May, UNC new for sure that NCAA rules had been violated, there were compliance issues, and there was in fact a 9 game suspension, but like you point out, no one has written that McDonald served a 9 games suspension. Some might say it doesn't matter what you call it as he missed the games anyway, but it is just one more ruse from the Carolina Way rulebook.

I thought it interesting too, that they came up with $100 roughly, per day for the rentals (A porsche, a camaro, really?). They had to have eliminated all of the fees which do in fact have to be paid when one rents a vehicle.

[Duvall]

Please don't say he was "cleared to play". He wasn't cleared to play. He served a 9 game suspension which is now over.

Take it up with the NCAA, those are their words.

[FerryFor50]

I thought it interesting too, that they came up with $100 roughly, per day for the rentals (A porsche, a camaro, really?). They had to have eliminated all of the math on the planet.

Fixed it for you...

Or maybe they just forgot to carry the one?

[Newton_14]

Fixed it for you...

Or maybe they just forgot to carry the one?

I guess administrators calculating these things only took no show classes in math during their time as unc students...

[FerryFor50]

I guess administrators calculating these things only took no show classes in math during their time as unc students...

They just converted it into Swahili units, which has the same conversion rate as the Ugandan shilling to the US dollar:

https://www.google.com/search?q=uganda+dollars

[OldPhiKap]

They just converted it into Swahili units, which has the same conversion rate as the Ugandan shilling to the US dollar:

https://www.google.com/search?q=uganda+dollars

I blame Bitcoins.

[Olympic Fan]

the nine-game suspension for $1,700 or so in illegal benefits is clearly in line with NCAA penalties for other players with like infranctions.

But .. (and it's a huge but)

I have major problems with the way UNC calculated the $1,700:

-- They did not include the $1,500 custom made mouth guard (that McDonald advertised on the dentist's web site)

-- The low daily rental figures for luxury cars is eyebrow-raising to say the least

-- And one of the UNC compliance officers on Packpride noted that McDonald had a free weekend rental at Nag's Head over the Fourth of July weekend. UNC looked up the rates for a SEPTEMBER rental and applied that figure to his penalty -- of course, anyone who's vacationed at the shore knows a 4th of July holiday rental is much, MUCH more expensive than the off-season rate.

Looking at the list, I think the value of McDonald's benefits is between $4-5,000 ... which would have required a longer suspension.

[MChambers]

the nine-game suspension for $1,700 or so in illegal benefits is clearly in line with NCAA penalties for other players with like infranctions.

But .. (and it's a huge but)

I have major problems with the way UNC calculated the $1,700:

-- They did not include the $1,500 custom made mouth guard (that McDonald advertised on the dentist's web site)

-- The low daily rental figures for luxury cars is eyebrow-raising to say the least

-- And one of the UNC compliance officers on Packpride noted that McDonald had a free weekend rental at Nag's Head over the Fourth of July weekend. UNC looked up the rates for a SEPTEMBER rental and applied that figure to his penalty -- of course, anyone who's vacationed at the shore knows a 4th of July holiday rental is much, MUCH more expensive than the off-season rate.

Looking at the list, I think the value of McDonald's benefits is between $4-5,000 ... which would have required a longer suspension.

You should file an appeal! Take it all the way to the Supreme Court!

[oldnavy]

After his first game back, McDonald was asked Wednesday night what he learned throughout his ordeal.

“Just got to be careful, you know,” he said. “That’s the thing, you can’t take things for granted.”

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/12/19/3473571/uncs-mcdonalds-relationship-with.html#storylink=cpy

I guess one could assume that LM means that you have to be careful to NOT BREAK THE RULES, but to me this sounds a lot like, you have to be careful to NOT GET CAUGHT.

Anyone else think that they just don't get it over there on the hill?

Are we really to assume that LM didn't realize that what he was doing was wrong, and that he took it for granted that people COULD provide him with nice cars??

Unbelievable.