So there’s this law that gives Georgia a potential claim against the dude who supposedly stirred the Todd Gurley pot. I tend to agree with MaconDawg that suing Bryan Allen smacks of your classic throwing good money after bad scenario. On the other hand, I bet this expenditure really chaps Greg McGarity’s tuchis.
Let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised if the athletic association has a forensic accountant or two going medieval on Allen’s financials right now.
Get The Picture 
Can we still go after Donald Trump?
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it was actually an oil dude named J Walter Duncan. Trump didn’t buy the Generals until a couple years after the incident.
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“I tend to agree with MaconDawg that suing Bryan Allen smacks of your classic throwing good money after bad scenario.”
I disagree with this, not because I think there will be a winning claim here, rather this should be used as deterrent opportunity. Trolls like Mr. Allen do not have the financial wherewithal to face off against court cases, even if they turn out to be nuisance claims. This guy was trying to recoup a couple of grand back (or $400) and his business is insolvent. Therefore, I doubt he has a war chest of cash on hand should the University unleash the dogs of war on his petty ass. It is less an opportunity to get a pound of flesh out of Allen (although it is a nice residual benefit) and rather a shot across the bow of other small time peddlers or rival fans looking to stir up trouble in the future.
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Deterring trolls like Allen helps the NCAA more than UGA.
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Be that as it may. If Allen doesn’t attempt his shenanigans, Gurley runs for 185 in Columbia this past Saturday.
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In 3 quarters. Chubb came close to breaking some long runs but doesn’t have TG’s top-end gear. (Not that he’s slow by any means.)
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I’m concerned about the ability of dealers to blackmail players. Once a player signs one item for money, the dealer has leverage and can threaten the player or try to harm his career. Going after Allen will at least make dealers think twice about such behavior.
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The only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. Sue the bastard.
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Better yet, press charges. He broke the laws of our sovereign state.
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Arrest him, give him a fair and just trail, then hang him.
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My feelings exactly. If this fucker wants to call down the thunder. Make this case as public as possible.
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For a man with little financial wherewithal, it appears he hired a pretty high powered attorney… Those guys don’t do pro Bono work.
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He is absolutely doing pro bono here (or at least at a much lower rate) so as to get the initial camera splash, but will run for cover if it gets pro longed. Mr. Allen cannot support several hundred per hour rates (or $2,000 – $2,500/day for example) — especially if they will be paid up front.
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Did SI or someone else pay him anything for the story? Or did he release out of spite after getting shut down on compensation?
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The latter.
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While I understand the deterrence value, what I worry about is what unknowns become known if there is litigation. The NCAA lacks subpoena power and players do not have to give sworn testimony. Sue the bastard and his lawyers can subpoena Gurley to a deposition and Gurley will have to testify truthfully. If there are other players who got a few bucks for their autographs they, too, would be subject to subpoena and sworn testimony.
He is deterred as it is. I’ll bet no college player will take his few coins since he has proven to be a snitch, and he has destroyed any legitimate business opportunities.
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Gurley will be in the NFL long before that would be an issue.
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I am not worried about the effect on Gurley. I am worried that UGA may be sanctioned for playing guys who would not have been eligible.
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Never thought about that. I wonder if any of the other guys currently have the “starpower” to sell autographs.
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That’s a good point. Not always the best idea to open Pandora’s box when you don’t know what’s in it.
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I am wiith you – make an example out of this turkey .. and possibly even something for the recruiting trail
btw – where ya been?
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Thank you sir for asking. I have been saturated with work/travel…. spin-out divestiture and IPO craziness. I was in Europe last week when all of this drama hit the wire — upside was I did manage to get in 18 at Old Head in Ireland. In between work, I have been trying to get to my oldest boy’s golf tournaments this fall, so it has been crazy. I have been able to consume content here, but unable to comment due to time constraints.
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You’re not working on these inversion deals are you?
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Ha! No, I am not. Like most US firms, we are incorporated in the state of Delaware with our Corporate HQ in Chicago and International HQ in the UK.
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“I disagree with this, not because I think there will be a winning claim here, rather this should be used as deterrent opportunity.”
Precisely. Mr. Allen needs to be made into an example. If you engage in this type of behavior toward amateur athletes you’ll be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Hit him hard.
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Throwing good money after bad…
ahem
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Any truth here, Senator?
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I’ve been asked this question more than anything else over the last couple of days. I wish I could tell you something definitive, but I can’t.
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So you’re saying there’s a chance?
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+1000 on the reference.
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I would like that, but who knows? I would like to think that Mr. King will get investigators on it and get the stuff cleared up. I don’t think an NCAA investigation can be done by then, but right now the NCAA hasn’t declared him ineligible. If King says he can beat it, or ‘plead it’ to the one game he already sat out, I say let him play.
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The way this could play out is fascinating. This guy can’t cooperate with the NCAA without de facto admitting he broke this law.
Someone should tell him the best thing he could do would be to “clarify” some details of his story and go away.
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Since Allen has hired Garland methinks he will be advised to clam up for the very reason you suggest, Tri.. Ten there will be no evidence except for the 3rd party innuendo. Case might get dropped against Gurley. The old “no credible evidence” thing of Auburn fame. Remember when 4 ex-Auburn players came forward during the Cam Newton investigation and gave affidavits that said they were paid to go to Auburn and the NCAA said there was “no credible evidence” to support charges being brought against Auburn because they couldn’t prove money changed hands?
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I think we should take him to court just to stop future guys from trying this. A little reminder that you can’t screw with UGA and get away with it.
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Bryan Allen=Harvey Updyke
I would almost say Jan ( the name shall not be spoken) but ….
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That’s a well-Kemp secret.
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Seriously Moe? I don’t see it.
Harvey Updyke is a mentally unstable Alabama fan that sought some ill conceived retribution to Auburn for a perceived slight of Bear Bryant. And there was that ass whipping on the gridiron.
Bryan Allen is apparently an unsuccessful sports memorabilia entrepreneur who may have paid Gurley and perhaps other athletes for signatures/gear. He became discouraged when he learned that he really didn’t have exclusive rights to Gurley Memorabilia and his margins weren’t going to be what he imagined. His retribution against Gurley was also ill conceived.
Finally, Dr. Kemp. 1981 Kemp was one of the teachers who complained claiming that Georgia officials had intervened allowing nine college football players to pass a remedial English course, allowing them to play against Pittsburgh in the Sugar Bowl.
Dr. Gundlanch head of the sociology department probably keeps his job because of the Kemp case.
There is a certain amount of irony in your comparisons. After the trial Kemp spoke to The New York Times, saying, “All over the country, athletes are used to produce revenue. I’ve seen what happens when the lights dim and the crowd fades. They’re left with nothing. I want that stopped.”
Even after the NCAA is punted off the field and athletes receive their rights and proper compensation, the universities are still required to educate and prepare these athletes. In the late 1990’s, a star tailback from two decades earlier, James Brooks, told a judge in a child-support case that he was illiterate and had used his athletic prowess to skate through high school and college. Brooks did not graduate. Scholastically some athletes have no business on a university campus. Per the situation at FSU, some can become a risk to the university and to their fellow students.
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I do apologize. I took no offense at your reply, but realized I might should have explained my comparisons. Here is my comparative reasoning:
Bryan Allen is a synonym of Harvey Updyke. He has shown himself to be unpremeditating in his action. He is as well, but without shouting it aloud on the corner of Broad and College, a Florida fan; from all accounts a very bitter Florida fan. He tried to pimp his story all over the media world from ESPN, TMZ, Reddit, and various other organizations and left not only his name, but his phone number as well, similar to Mr Updykes call to Paul Finebaums radio show. I am not too sure he thought out the full offshoot his actions before he made these contacts. He just, in his own words, “wanting to recoup some losses.” These two actions alone equate him to a homogenous relationship with Mr. Updyke. Harvey did the same basic things when he called “Finebaum” and spilled his beans; he never gave it a second thought as to what karma would bring to his door. His end game was to hurt Auburn, and Mr. Allens end game, veiled as it is, was to harm UGA and Todd Gurley. They both sought to revenge their chosen collective.
If you look closely at my second statement, I stopped short of naming that person and I did so for a reason. She did not wish to harm any individual, or the university as a whole, but no matter how you look at that situation, her actions did in fact harm the athletics and alienate her self from the university. I am not, by any stretch of the imagination attempting to assassinate her character or stomp on her grave. She suffered quite enough at the venom of angry Georgia fans; so much so that if I remember correctly she attempted suicide at least once. I am merely stating a fact that in the eventful years post expose, UGA suffered some athletic damages of that case. My only comparison of the two, is the fact that short term harm came from the actions of both.
Bryan Allen and Harvey Updyke, will historically be linked as people who intentionally attempted to wrong, or adulterate in some form or fashion a rival school; regardless of the reasoning. Miss “K” the other hand, while not in malice of her action, regardless of personal character, will still be a villified name brought up during a conversation of UGA athletics.
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I meant no offense sir. Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough response. I played HS ball at Warner Robins High School. Before James Brooks helped them win a state and national championship. Frank Orgel and Stan Gann coached
me.
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And none taken at all. I know we agree on the primary focus. Go Dawgs!
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I really don’t get where this clown thought this whole thing was going to drive up prices for his crap. Or how he thought he could give out his name and cell # and not think it would come out in this day and age. A lot of me wants revenge but more in the Old Testament sense.
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I hope they go scorched earth on this asshole not because he screwed Gurley over, but because this crap could happen to another player. What’d done is done as far as Gurley’s concerned. It’s simply a matter of what his punishment is at this point. These autograph peddlers are scum and need to be taken care of, and if one way of doing that is to make their lives hell via legal remedies, I’m all for it.
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Would like to see if he can document all the Current (at the time of sale) player’s signatures he has ever sold.
If he can’t then that may be forgery, if he can – it’s a big can of worms for the College President’s representative entity the NCAA and likely an unregistered agent in Alabama jail time offense.
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He obviously doesn’t have much financially. I hope they sue him to the point that he lives under a bridge wearing his ugly ass FU apparel to stay warm.
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Damn if that isn’t a good vision.
But we are Georgia, a sophisticated center of learning, urbane fans who know better than to let the worst of our character show through in a revenge motive…..aw, hell….fry his ass.
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Love it, Cojones – well stated 😉
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He will probably move to Athens. ACC is the dumping grounds for all the surrounding counties as they don’t offer the services that ACC does. And then we will be paying for his subsidized housing, food stamps, and cell phone. Honestly, we have far too many people riding in the wheelbarrow now and not enough pushing it.
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I’m not intentionally posting behind you to contradict you Cojones. You’re just ahead of me this morning.
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It happens to me every day that I do exactly what you did – intentionally go back and screw somebody. 🙂
I’m so naive that I don’t look for times posted. It’s all running dialogue. No harm, no foul here. Your new persona has me trusting everything you say. Did I tell you that I was naive?
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Yikes! Someone must have spiked the cookie jar!!!! 😉
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If Bryan Allen testifies to paying Gurley for his signature, he is incriminating himself under the Georgia law that allows UGA to sue him. That’s why he hired the attorney; though I wouldn’t want to be the attorney to represent this undercover Gator Fan. If he can’t testify then there is no evidence against Gurley so case closed similar to the Johnny Manziel incident. Todd should be back for Arkansas if UGA stands up to the NCAA for once and demands it.
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Why is it all civil with Allen? Could there be the possibility of criminal? Could there be any investigation by the GBI or the Georgia Department of Revenue?
Plus do we even know if this guy took photos without Gurley’s permission, forged a signature on the items, used a questionable video in order to snooker customers to buy them. This is where Johnny football was. That is me, not A&M. Who are you NCAA, ESPN, or University to market me and your advertisers and programming. So who is really profiting here. After all the universities are in essence providing workman’s comp.
If Allen wants a private life in Georgia, he may want to cooperate quickly. Anything criminal might put a hit on getting a business license in Georgia, Carroll County, Villa Rica, or Rome.
But notice how quickly this guy got uncovered. No doubt there is more about him out there other than Gurley.
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He should expect an audit by the IRS and maybe Georgia Dept of Revenue.
They don’t chase after people for minor cash dealings, but if you announce yourself, they’ll gladly oblige your stupidity.
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I’ll be damned — did not know about this piece of legislation. In any event, as much as I’d like Allen to be sued into the stone age, I’m wary of opening any litigation without knowing exactly what happened (or didn’t) with Gurley. Litigation means discovery and depositions…and we don’t know what might be unearthed. I think we just cross our fingers that Gurley is reinstated ASAP and just move on from this. There’s just too much at risk.
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What Law said. Discovery might bring a few new flies on this massive pile of stink. Scrape him off our shoe and go on down the road.
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Yep. That’s the smart thing to do. I personally would like to drag that worthless POS into a courtroom but you had better be careful. When you start kicking over rocks you might find a snake that bites you.
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If Gurley is suspended by the NCAA the game/s already missed under UGA suspension count as time served, correct?
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Yes
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I’m not an attorney, but it seems to me that Allen has provided all the evidence necessary to put him behind bars. He called many media outlets and screwed us intentionally. His e-mails are traceable and his voice has been recorded when he deliberately did this to get the resultant suspension and Heisman damage to Gurley. Exactly how does that involve any statement from Gurley? That would only appear if he says he is innocent and no proofing of the crime is necessary to involve Gurley. What would he testify to that this guy hasn’t already confessed to all the media in the entire country?
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I say invite him to practice and let him participate in the “bull in the ring” drill.
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Going after this scum-sucking pig is pointless. Suing Allen is like suing the company that made the lock on the barn door because I left it open and let the horses out.
The culprit here is the corrupt system that makes Todd Gurley or A.J. Green an offender when the commercial interests who touch college football in any way are making huge amounts of money.
Bryan Allen is small taters, a handy bum to focus fan anger on. Even comparing Allen to Harvey Updike is pointless.
Bryan Allen is clearly a stupid son of a bitch…what better punishment for him can there be?
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+1
Moreover, closure would take a long time to reach – no doubt some time after Gurley is playing on Sundays.
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I don’t wish violence on anyone and I’m leery of opening the can of worms that is the legal process. I’d just like for the scumbag to get the Bartman treatment..ie..has to change his name and go into hiding.
Poor Bartman didn’t deserve the crap he got and still gets from cubs fans. This asshat deserves everything he gets and I hope he remains a pariah.
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here’s the catch
if this law, which I have not read yet, does provide for potential criminal punishment ,Mr Garland will have him shut up tighter than a tick and the civil discovery gets stalled too. If we go for criminal sanctions than than nobody talks ,no investigation get completed and #3 sits UNTIL its straightened out a la A.J Green.. #FREETODDGURLEY, fuck the NCAA
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“Let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised if the athletic association has a forensic accountant or two going medieval on Allen’s financials right now.”
Lets just say we have a considerable body of institutional memory from the situation with Herschel that will give us a range of options, none of which will be pleasant for Mr. Allen.
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This law creates a civil right of action for the university, it is not a criminal statute; that being said, the AJC Politics blog suggested that the state house would consider making this a criminal violation in the next session, as several other states have done.
Senator, not sure if you saw the SI article (which I retweeted) over the weekend, but a great read on why Jameis may decide to drop out of school given the continuing FSU saga. Imagine if he leads FSU to victory over ND in prime time and drops out of school the following week…
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It would serve FSU right. The Criminoles deserve that.
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I would LOVE to see his dumb ass land in jail one day.
It is so clear that he thinks he is bulletproof.
Based on his behavior, it’s just a matter of time.
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The best is all my Nole friends posting stuff on facebook about how this (and the NYT and the FoxSports stories) prove how clean their program is. What other planet do they actually reside on?
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To answer several of MaconDawg’s points and Will Trane’s questions, YES, this could go criminal. OCGA 20-2-317 makes it a high and aggravated misdemeanor to “induce, encourage, or reward the student-athlete’s participation in an intercollegiate sporting event, contest, exhibition, or program.” The civil right of action is found immediately thereafter in OCGA 20-2-318. It might be silly to spend university dollars on a civil suit, that MaconDawg notes would probably be in Carroll County, but venue in criminal cases is where the act occurred. Therefore, Jimmy Williamson or ACCPD could have a warrant issued today for Allen, and the trial would be on Washington Street, a couple blocks from the Arch. Even if the NCAA had subpoena power, which it does not, Allen could still plead the Fifth. He be compelled to testify against himself because it would implicate himself criminally.
BTW, did the university pay for AJ’s counsel? I think we are seeing a very different response because Pres. Morehead, a very savvy lawyer himself, is already at his dream job. He will never leave UGA for somewhere else. His predecessor openly wanted to head the NCAA, so he had a personal conflict of interest against taking a stand on AJ’s behalf. I’m excited to see what we can pull off. King’s results with Manziel and Newton were nothing short of Houdini-like.
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A little off regarding the criminality; the misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature only applies to one subpart of OCGA 20-2-317, subsection b.
Subsection b only applies to inducing a student-athlete to (1) enroll, apply, or attend an institution or (2) to induce, encourage, or reward the student-athlete’s participation in sports.
The criminal statute thus appears applicable to a Cam Newton-type situation, not the instant one. -318’s operative language is markedly different from -317
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Also, the update to AJC’s original post on the subject buttresses that -317 & -318 address different items. No (state) criminal charges on this one… http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2014/10/10/the-state-law-that-offers-legal-revenge-for-the-loss-of-todd-gurley/
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Sure, the Newton bagman situation fits more snugly, but cops and prosecutors routinely cast a wide net to charge crimes that only arguably apply. Allen’s payment (if any) to Gurley could certainly be ruled a “reward” for sports participation. Allen wasn’t lining up to pay UGA’s Rhodes Scholars for their autographs. I read -317 to be specific, and -318 to be general. That is, -318 provides a right of action BOTH for conduct that is criminal under -317 which results in NCAA penalties, AND for other conduct that is not criminal under -317, but which nonetheless results in NCAA penalties, such as writing a student-athlete’s papers for him.
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Couple of thoughts:
MaconDawg’s post, if I recall from reading it over the weekend, hinges on our risk that more embarrassing revelations could be made. This may be gambling, but I presume that Allen led with his strongest hand. If he had anything better, we would have heard about it.
This is purely fantasy, but I think the NCAA ought to take the lead on pursuing this type of litigation. Assuming MaconDawg’s is shared not just by UGA but other institutions as well, then the door remains wide open for trolls like Allen to go about business as usual. By leading the the charge, the NCAA can mitigate this risk. The NCAA, ostensibly, is about protecting the welfare of student-athletes and the interests of its member institutions, at whose pleasure Mark Emmert serves. They can accomplish both by nuking parasites like Allen.
Extortion is a federal crime, and I would imagine there’s a digital trail of texts and emails to Gurley that would paint the picture pretty clearly. Allen’s emails to the news outlets are damning enough.
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Leave it to the lawyers and the bureaucrats, who invariably leave behind a bigger mess than the one they started with. Focus on playing football and getting a decision on Gurley ASAP.
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Sue the bastard. Or at least say that you are going to sue him so that he will clam up, say nothing to NCAA, then the NCAA can’t challenge any suspension that UGA gives/gave to Gurley.
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My first thought was that it made a perfect way to make some serious money Betting on the Game.
If You took Mizzou and the points before Gurley’s dismissal and then dropped the bomb that got Gurley dismissed and not playing in the game,
You had what appeared to be a sure fire winner for yourself and anyone you passed the Info on to (Like people you owed money to)..
Man Would that have backfired on them.
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Yeah. The rest of our team saw to that.
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Unleash the Dogs of War!!!
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I say let the son of a bitch spend the week at the cannibal ward in prison. That’s with all the doors open. He want be looking for anymore signatures then!
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Speculation is fun, but pretty sure the actual attorney’s involved will know the best path. But to add to the speculation for the fun of it…if a lawsuit is pursued against Allen and not resolved until after the season is over, revelations could come out and the NCAA would retroactively vacate wins by UGA involving Gurley (or anyone else dragged into this mess).
I’m betting everyone is trying their hardest to tamp down this fire rather than inflame it.
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Absolutely, Aus…the best lawyering keeps you out of court, not in.
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Ding! We have a winner!
I once complained to my attorney about a development partner. We were in the right and needed to kick some azz. He responded with ” We’re getting what we need. You don’t pay me to kick people’s azz. You pay me to get what we need and keep your azz out of court.”
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Classic Sun Tzu approach: Supreme generalship consists of achieving victory without having to take the field.
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Agree. It appears this dealer has no hard evidence and the NCAA is interested in killing this story before it blows up more.
UGA’s legal efforts should be spent getting a rapid agreement with the NCAA on Todd’s eligibility instead of wasting time with the dealer.
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