More On How And Why Cam Newton's Dad Ended Up At The BCS Title Game

Yesterday, Christine Brennan, who writes for USA Today, was on Paul Finebaum's radio show, which is based out of Montgomery, Alabama.

I didn't hear the actual interview, but Finebaum tweeted a few quotes from what Brennan said on the air.  One of the tweets is pictured, obviously, and makes a great point.  Brennan also writes in her article:

Minutes after the game ended Monday night, Cecil, the man who engineered one of the more sordid episodes in recent NCAA cheating history, was photographed by the Opelika-Auburn News in a bear hug with his son, who had climbed a few rows into the stands to celebrate with his father/agent.

The scene was surprising to many people, not the least of whom must have been Jay Jacobs, Auburn's athletics director, who had said confidently before the game that Cecil Newton was not going to be in attendance. That decision, Jacobs told the Associated Press, "was mutually agreed upon. Out of the highest respect that Cecil has for Cameron, he won't be here today."

At the end of the regular season, the NCAA presented a kind of status report on what it knew about the case at the time, exonerating Cam but coming down hard on Cecil. It announced that Auburn had "limited the access Newton's father has to the athletics program." No one knew what that meant, exactly, although not showing up at games was certainly a logical guess.

Now we know what it means, exactly: No hugging within sight of photographers until at least two minutes after the BCS game has ended.

This whole Newton Family saga still really bugs me.  It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, as a college football fan.  Cecil Newton was only given a slap on the wrist by the NCAA and the SEC, and he still didn't stay away from the football team, as he was instructed to do. 

These pictures were taken of Cecil Newton before the title game, outside the stadium.  As Brooks, over at SportsByBrooks notes, there is no way Cecil Newton was only the stadium for the post-game celebration, as the Newton's lawyer claims.

"Having attended a BCS Championship Game myself, in 2006 at the Rose Bowl, I can tell you that there was more security before, during and after that game than any event I’ve ever intended - including the Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four. It took over an hour just to get out of the stadium. I can’t fathom being able to go in the stadium at that time.

So how did Cecil Newton get past what was undoubtedly extremely tight security at University of Phoenix Stadium to reach his son after the game?

Hard to believe he could without some manner of formal and/or dubious escort.

And, knowing Auburn’s stance on the matter, why would Cecil do that in the first place - especially if he wasn’t already in the stadium?"

Even though Cam Newton is up and gone to the NFL, this investigation is still ongoing.  I'm telling you, they're going to find out that either Cam knew all along about what his dad was doing, or he ended up getting money from Auburn, or both and it's going to be real bad for the Auburn Tigers.

[ USA Today ]