Mayo potentially violates NCAA rules; accepts tickets from Carmelo.

16,335
13
Joined
Dec 27, 2002
[h1]Mayo got Lakers tickets from Anthony[/h1]
emplate_bas

It could be considered an NCAA violation, or a gift from a friend.

By Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
January 23, 2008
USC freshman guard O.J. Mayo may have violated NCAA rules by accepting complimentary tickets from Denver Nuggets forward CarmeloAnthony to Monday's Lakers-Nuggets game at Staples Center.

Although USC compliance officials could not be reached for comment, NCAA bylaw 16.11.2.2.3 states that student-athletes may not receive "free orreduced-cost admission to professional athletics contests from professional sports organizations, unless such services also are available to the student bodyin general."



Running afoul

click to enlarge
It was not immediately clear if the NCAA would consider Anthony an agent of the Nuggets or merely an individual who gave tickets to a friend.

The tickets Mayo received were located behind courtside seats near mid-court and had a face value of $230 each.

A compliance director from another West Coast school said that although he did not have all the details, Mayo's actions could constitute a secondaryviolation and that the NCAA could order Mayo to donate the value of the tickets to charity.

Mayo said his seats for his first Lakers game were so good "I could talk to [television analyst] Reggie Miller and tease him aboutUCLA." Mayo and the Trojans defeated Miller's alma mater, 72-63, on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.

Mayo said he didn't know where his seats were located until he took them to an usher, "and he kept walking down farther and farther and farther. Thenext thing you know, we had pretty good seats." Mayo was among the celebrities spotlighted during the national TNT broadcast.

Anthony made the offer of tickets at a party he hosted Sunday night, Mayo said.

"I was talking to him like, 'Man, you're out pretty late. You've got a game tomorrow against Kobe[Bryant],' " Mayo said. "He said, 'Nah it will be all right.' And then he asked, 'You want to come to the game?'And I was like, 'Sure.' "

They just keep trying to bring this dude down.
grin.gif
 
"free or reduced-cost admission to professional athletics contests from professional sports organizations, unless such services also are available to the student body in general."
What I dont understand is that these types of free or reduced cost tickets are available to the student body from pro sports organizations.
 
not a Mayo fan, but that is dumb

although part of me says, this kid should know better and that he's a target now due to past things
 
I think Richard Jefferson got suspended for a game for some tickets Bill Walton got for him and Luke or some garbage like that.
 
I hate NCAA rules sometimes. I understand they have to have em, but a couple tickets to the Lakers game doesnt seem like a big deal to me.
 
When TNT showed Mayo sitting so close, I knew there was something up.
laugh.gif


How you gonna goto a NATIONALLY televised game and think no one is gonna notice?
 
probably some redsox fans in the NCAA offices/UCLA. he was wearing a yankees fitted.
 
who cares? even if he get suspended a game its not like its gonna hurt his draft stock. even if he got kicked out he is still gonna be in the NBA no matterwhat. this is really no big deal at all
 
Ehh he knows the rules, as does Melo. All he had to do was pay for the tickets (not likely) or not go to the game. He also could have allowed Melo to give thetickets to someone not on an NCAA team and let that person take Mayo w/ him to the game. This way there is less cause for concern.

Lets hope Melo isn't considered an "agent" for the nuggets, and OJ doesn't make anymore mistakes like this in the future.

USC's compliance officer should be fired btw.
 
That rule is so dumb it's almost laughable. What did you expect him to do? Turn the offer down like "Na man, NCAA rules prohibit me from receivingfree tickets."
 
The rule is dumb but what is equally dumb are the guys who don't know the drill. I dont expect Melo or even OJ to know every minor NCAA rule but lets thinka little sometimes before we start giving away courtside seats.
 
Yeah, as I was watching the game Monday, I said "Uh Oh" when I saw him sitting courside...

But I agree, it is a stupid rule.
 
Ridiculous.

It's practically impossible for anyone in college athletics to simply get a hook up. Isn't that what life is all about? His buddy got him some niceseats. Has nothing to do with violating rules, and such a gift IS AVAILABLE to any other student of USC's body. In no way should this violate any rules.

And then on the other side...you have schools, TV channels and billion dollar shoe companies taking advantage of these kids and squeezing every last dollar outof what's alleged by the NCAA to be a good 'ol fashioned sport played by "Student-Athletes."
 
indifferent.gif
That's screwed up. If Carmelo wants to let him watch the game for free there shouldn't be a problem at all...and I don't even like OJ Mayo
 
Back
Top Bottom