Second "Death Penalty"?

The Miami football program is sitting helpless as the NCAA investigates their program after a former booster, Nevin Shapiro, confessed about his gift giving to Miami players. Shapiro is currently incarcerated for 20 years because his role in a 930 million dollar Ponzi scheme. Shapiro said that he had given benefits to at least 72 players from 2002-2010 and at least seven Miami coaches and three staff members had knowledge that these events were going on and some even received benefits as well. This doesn't look good for a program that was rocked back in the 90's with a similar problem about paying players and benefits.

Former Miami All American and current Tampa Bay
Tight End Kellen Winslow II with Shapiro

The 42 year old Shapiro gave out gifts and benefits ranging from cash, entertainment in his houses and on his yacht, paid trips to high class restaurants and strip clubs, prostitutes, jewelry, travel, and even bounties(that included injuring other players.) Some of the elite players included in the scandal: Vince Wilfork, Jon Beason, Kellen Winslow II, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Antrel Rolle, Jonathan Vilma, Willis McGahee, D.J. Williams and many other current NFL players. The list also includes 12 members on the current Miami roster.

Why is Shapiro spilling the beans now? Shapiro, now in jail, feels as though he is being betrayed and forgotten about after giving so much to these players. "Some of those players--a lot of those players--we used to say we were a family" Shapiro said "Well, who do you go to for help when you need it? You go to your family. Why the hell wouldn't I go to them?" 


With these recent revelations the Miami program will likely join SMU and be the second team College Football team to be given the "Death Penalty" by the NCAA, the "Death Penalty" is the harshest punishment given out by the NCAA and bans the school from participating in the sport for a year. After all that happened with "The U" back in the 80's and 90's and now that the NCAA knows that again the program broke major rules we will likely see huge consequences for Miami and a major crackdown in the rest of College Football.


If the Hurricanes get the dreaded "Death Penalty" from the NCAA then it could be a long time till the program gets back to notoriety. Keep in mind that this is a team that has won 5 national championships! It took SMU 20 years to get back to a bowl game in the football rich state of Texas after their "Death Penalty" and if the Hurricanes get the same sentence they hope to bounce back quicker but don't expect it to be less then a decade.