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ST. Chicago Bears Jersey . LOUIS -- Missouri coach Frank Haith has been suspended for five games by the NCAA, which found he inadequately monitored his former assistants interactions with a disgraced Miami booster and then tried to cover up a five-figure hush money payment to keep potential violations hidden. The NCAA released the findings of its two-year investigation into convicted felon Nevin Shapiros relationship with Miami athletics on Tuesday and said that Haith, the former Hurricanes basketball coach, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance with its rules. The investigation found that Haith and Miami assistant coach Jake Morton provided Shapiro $10,000 after he threatened to expose previous improper contact with high school recruits and amateur coaches, as well as other unflattering details involving a booster now serving a 20-year prison term for masterminding a $930 million Ponzi scheme. Shapiro, who had basketball season tickets with a courtside seat, initially demanded a large loan from Haith after he experienced financial trouble or the return a $50,000 donation from a benefit bowling tournament he had hosted. The coach refused. Morton, who joined Western Kentucky as an assistant coach in 2011 but resigned in April as its director of basketball operations, then loaned Shapiro at least $6,000, which he later repaid. The NCAA also said that Haith helped Morton and two other assistants pay $10,000 to Shapiros mother and "attempted to cover up the boosters threats to disclose incriminating information." Missouri plays four of its first give games this season at Mizzou Arena, starting with Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 8. Haith will also miss home games against Southern Illinois, Gardner-Webb and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, as well as a Nov. 16 game against Hawaii at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. He also must attend an NCAA rules seminar next summer. Haith has 15 days to appeal the Committee on Infractions penalties, which dont affect Missouri as an institution. School officials did not respond to several requests for comment, though Haith, who came to Columbia in 2011 after seven years at Miami, was scheduled to meet with reporters later Tuesday. His Florida-based attorney did not immediately respond to an interview request. While much of the 102-page report focuses on the far more successful Miami football program, the NCAA inquiry also opens a rare public window into the seamier side of cultivating big-money boosters -- even those, like Shapiro, with substantial baggage. Shapiro told Yahoo! Sports that he steered a $10,000 payment to secure recruit DeQuan Jones commitment to Miami in 2008 with Haiths knowledge. The NCAA said it found no evidence to support that claim. The report also said an associate athletics director in charge of fundraising guided Shapiro toward the Miami mens basketball program after the booster became disenchanted with the football teams losing 2007 season under first-year coach Randy Shannon. Haith and Morton told NCAA investigators they shared several meals with Shapiro, attended a concert together and visited a strip club "to create donor relationships." The report found that Haith provided inconsistent answers during multiple interviews with NCAA investigators, including conflicting accounts of when he reported Shapiros shakedown attempt to athletic director Paul Dee. "Because of the many inconsistencies the former head mens basketball coach reported during his interviews with the enforcement staff and the institutions, the committee does not find his version of events to be credible," the report concludes. Infractions Committee Chairman Britton Banowsky, who is also Conference USA commissioner, reiterated those concerns. "It was difficult for the committee, and maybe even the members of the enforcement staff, to know precisely what really was going on in the program, given all the conflicting information," he said. In Haiths three interviews with NCAA investigators between October 2011 and September 2012, he provided three different explanations as to why he paid his assistants $3,200 advances that they normally would have had to wait to receive from summer basketball camps. Haith requested the third interview soon after his second sit-down, citing concerns that he had given "inaccurate" information and was "confused about the timing of what (he) knew and when (he) knew it." Beyond Haiths penalties, Miamis football team will lose a total of nine scholarships and the Hurricanes mens basketball team will lose three over a three-year period starting in 2014. The school will also serve three years of probation. Two former Miami football assistants and one ex-basketball assistant received two-year show-cause bans, which effectively keep the penalized parties out of the college coaching ranks. Matt Forte . The Maple Leafs are three points behind Columbus for the last playoff spot in the East with only three games left on their schedule. You can listen to the game live on TSN 1050 starting at 7:30pm et/4:30 pm pt. Robbie Gould . Spieth again showed game well beyond his 20 years with a 9-under 63 on the North Course, giving him a one-shot lead over Stewart Cink going into the weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open.ARLINGTON, Texas – By the time the Blue Jays leave town after Sundays game, the Rangers will have seen enough of Anthony Gose. His speed has created runs for Toronto and prevented runs for Texas in this series. "Hes really good," said outfield coach Tim Leiper. "He just covers a lot of ground. Hes into the game. You watch him, too, hes hungry. Hes come up here with something to prove." In Friday nights 2-0 win, the Blue Jays were stifled by Rangers ace Yu Darvish for seven innings. In the eighth, Erik Kratz surprised third baseman Adrian Beltre by laying down a leadoff bunt single. Gose followed with a drag bunt down the first base line, beating out a bang-bang play at the bag. One out later, Gose scored from first on a Melky Cabrera double, tearing around the bases. In Saturday nights 4-2 win, with the game tied 1-1 in the seventh, Gose led off with an opposite field double. He stole third and with one out, scored on a Cabrera chopper to Beltre. Gose was going the moment he saw Cabreras ball wasnt hit hard and Beltre, one of the games best defensive third baseman, didnt attempt a play at the plate. Mark Buehrle was the beneficiary of the run on Saturday but when asked about Goses offence, he quickly changed the subject. "I dont even want to talk about the scoring runs, I want to talk about the defence," said Buehrle. "Hes been out there the last couple of days, balls have been hit and this isnt a knock against Colby (Rasmus) because hes pretty fast but there were some balls hit in the gap and youre like, Damn, thats a double and then all of sudden, here comes Gose catching the ball." Gose has made two standout catches this series, both on Friday night. He robbed Mitch Moreland of extra bases in the left-centerfield gap, crashing into the wall on the run as he hauled in the ball. He went into right-centerfield to take away at least a double, likely a triple, from speedster Leonys Martin. "He made those look somewhat easy but off the bat, you dont think theyre going to get caught," said Leiper. Goses speed is one reason hes an elite defender. "Theres plenty of guys with speed and obviously hes got above average speed for anybody," said Leiper. "It comes down to he gets the jumps. For guys who are slower and they definitely need the foootwork to make up for their lack of speed, hes got both. Tim Jennings. quot; Theres another reason, one his coach appreciates just as much: Gose has impressed Leiper with his interest in pre-game preparation. Its not always noticeable, unseen on TV and likely not a fans focus while watching a game live, but Leiper notices the results pitch by pitch. "Its subtle but, for me, Im so one-dimensional now, Im just focused on what hes doing and how hes moving and where these guys are," said Leiper. "To watch him take charge with the other two outfielders, too, its impressive to watch. Hes got a good feel for the position." Pillar is Goses Platoon Partner Right-handed hitting Kevin Pillar will start in centrefield against left-handed pitchers during Colby Rasmus absence with a hamstring injury. Anthony Gose, a left-handed bat, will start against right-handers. Pillars first big league experience, late last season, was a struggle. He feels better now, knowing his role is defined. "I definitely think, knowing what your role is, whether its platooning or playing everyday, but having some sort of conversation with the manager, and knowing what your role is going to be is comforting," said Pillar. Pillar picked up his first two big league hits of 2014 in Saturday nights victory. Hes 2-for-11 during his brief stint with Toronto. He was off to a great start at Triple-A Buffalo, hitting .305/.344/.461, which included an 18-game hitting streak. The book on Pillar is off-speed, typically breaking sliders, down and away. Hell continue to be pitched that way, especially with two strikes, until he shows he can lay off. "I think its more mental than anything," said Pillar. "Mechanically, its trying to simplify a little bit, letting the ball travel a little deeper before I make a decision to swing. My second at-bat last night, I fouled off a lot of pitches, letting the ball get deep and thats a testament to staying with my approach, letting the ball get a little deeper, allowing myself to see the pitch before I swing. I think last year, part of it was trying to do too much, trying to get hits, not really seeing the ball out of the hand and this year I promised myself I wouldnt try to get hits, I would try to get good pitches to hit, and thats allowed me to lay off pitches down and away." wholesale nfl jerseys ' ' ' |
