Former Fiesta Bowl director pleads guilty
NCAA Football Betting Lines
02/21/2012 -
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The former longtime executive director of the
Fiesta Bowl has pled guilty to a felony count of solicitation to commit fraud
schemes.
John Junker, who was fired in March 2001 after a probe uncovered a scheme to
reimburse improper political campaign contributions made by Fiesta Bowl
employees, entered the plea in Maricopa County Superior Court on Tuesday.
Sentencing is set for April 26 in front of Judge Douglas Rayes.
Junker was long a prominent figure in college football and oversaw the Fiesta
Bowl while it committed a wide range of infractions, including a scheme to pay
back employees for at least $46,539 in campaign contributions, according to an
investigation that uncovered a list of serious infractions.
Federal law prohibits reimbursement for federal campaign contributions.
The scandal cost Junker his job and prompted the Bowl Championship Series to
fine the Fiesta Bowl $1 million, although it was allowed to remain in the BCS
and keep its NCAA license.
The Fiesta Bowl was initially alerted by an employee who came forward to give
information about the alleged misconduct. Its board of directors then formed
an independent committee to investigate, resulting in a 276-page report with
more than 1,500 footnotes.
In addition to the scheme to reimburse political contributions, the committee
also found an apparent conspiracy to conceal the scheme from the Fiesta Bowl
board of directors and state officials.
The probe also uncovered evidence of unauthorized and excessive compensation
and non-business and inappropriate expenditures and gifts.
The board of directors, after reviewing the results of the five-month probe,
voted unanimously to fire Junker for his role in the infractions uncovered.
Junker was found to have failed to cooperate with the investigation and had
been placed on administrative leave more than a month before he was fired.
Former Fiesta Bowl chief operating officer Natalie Wisneski was indicted in
November for making campaign contributions in someone else's name and filing
false tax returns, among other counts.
She was also indicted by a federal grand jury for causing false statements to
be made to the Federal Elections Commission and for conspiracy. She pled not
guilty.
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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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