U of South Carolina gets NCAA notice
CLINTON, S.C., Sept. 20 (UPI) -- University of South Carolina athletes and prospects allegedly received $55,000 worth of impermissible benefits and recruiting incentives, the NCAA said.
The (Columbia, S.C.) State reported an NCAA notice sent to the school Monday says 10 football players and two women's track athletes had received reduced rates at the Whitney Hotel worth $47,000 from May 2009 to October 2010.
The hotel charged the athletes a daily rate of $14.95 for two-bedroom suites that the NCAA said should have cost more than $57. One football player paid the reduced rate for 459 days, another, 410 days, the NCAA said.
USC disassociated itself from Jamie Blevins, the hotel's general manager, as a university booster.
The State reported it had obtained documents showing the university had said its compliance director, Jennifer Stiles, knew athletes were living at the hotel and the school said its rental agreements were "flawed."
The NCAA also alleges the Delaware-based Student Athlete Mentoring Foundation and its president, Steve Gordon, and treasurer, Kevin Lahn, had provided $8,000 worth of recruiting incentives and extra benefits to prospective football players, a prospective basketball player and men's and women's track team members.
GMU player charged with fraud, larceny
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A member of the men's basketball team at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., has been charged with credit card fraud and larceny, authorities say.
Andre Cornelius was arrested and later released on $1,500 bond, after which the GMU Patriots suspended him, WBTV, Charlotte, N.C., reported Tuesday.
"We have summarily suspended him from the team as a result of the magnitude of these charges," GMU Sports Information Director Maureen Nasser said.
The alleged credit card incidents took place July 21, records show.
"He made a mistake. He knows he made a mistake," Patriots Coach Paul Hewitt told The Washington Post, "I'm disappointed. It was an error in judgment."
School officials said the suspension would remain in place until Cornelius' legal proceedings conclude.
There would also be an independent investigation by the university before it decides what further actions it might take, they said.
TD celebration takes out Giants intern
NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A touchdown celebration by New York Giants linebacker Michael Boley proved dangerous to a team intern as Boley inadvertently fired the ball at him.
Boley picked up a dropped lateral and ran 65 yards for a touchdown in the Monday night game against the St. Louis Rams, then fired the ball toward the stadium wall in celebration, the New York Daily News reported.
Instead, the ball took out Giants video intern Ryan Brown, hitting him in the face.
"I was just reacting to the moment," Boley said. "I didn't mean to hurt anybody. It was just the emotion of the play."
Brown said after the game he was fine.
"My phone blew up (with texts and calls) from all my friends," the Giants intern said. "They told me the video went viral."
Mistrial in beating death of Phillies fan
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A mistrial has been declared in the trial of three men accused in the beating death of a Philadelphia Phillies fan outside the team's ballpark.
Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Shelley Robins New ruled surprise identification testimony of one defendant by a friend of the victim made it impossible for the trial to continue, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Tuesday.
Ryan Tulino's testimony that defendant Francis Kirchner delivered a fatal kick to the head of the victim David W. Sale Jr. during a brawl violated court rules obligating a prosecutor to reveal any incriminating evidence, including identification testimony, to the defense attorneys, the judge ruled.
After Tulino's surprise identification Monday, defense lawyers moved for a mistrial.
Kirchner, 30, is charged with first-degree murder and two other defendants, Charles Bowers, 37, and James Groves, 48, are charged with third-degree murder in the death of Sale, 22.
Police said a brawl between Kirchner's group and a bachelor party including Sale began in a sports bar near the ballpark and moved to the parking lot after they were ejected.
The judge set a hearing for Wednesday to schedule a retrial.
