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Fraggle145

4/5/2007, 12:33 PM

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/oklahoma/stories/040507dnspoousider.2fcad67.html

01:01 AM CDT on Thursday, April 5, 2007

By GARY JACOBSON / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]

Brad McRae, the booster at the center of the excessive-pay scheme that landed Oklahoma a date with the NCAA infractions committee, blamed the problem on OU football players Wednesday and said he had no knowledge of what was happening.

"Did I tell Rhett Bomar that he could come in there and punch in and out anytime he wanted to? I did not," McRae said in a telephone interview with The Dallas Morning News. "I never liked Rhett Bomar, anyway."
Colleges

In its materials sent to the NCAA in preparation for next week's committee hearing in Indianapolis, OU called the scheme a "conspiracy" involving McRae. The university banned McRae from contact with it for five years.

McRae was the face of Big Red Sports/Imports, starring in television ads for the dealership that ended with his catch phrase, "I-35 ... Norman!" He left the dealership about a year ago, after it was acquired by new owners.

Since news of the jobs scheme broke, McRae has rarely talked to investigators or the media. The NCAA interviewed McRae briefly at his home in March 2006 but got limited information from him, according to OU documents.

Asked if he felt persecuted for being blamed, McRae said: "Yes. What are you doing to me right now?" He said reporters were just writing what they wanted about the situation without regard for the truth.

Invited to tell his side of the story, McRae said: "What good would it do me? Everybody will believe just what they want to believe."

He said that he was in charge, so he was responsible: "How am I going to say I'm not responsible?"

At one point, McRae said, he didn't know how many football players worked at Big Red. He said the work environment was loose, and anybody could have clocked in for hours they didn't work if they wanted to.

"I had 18 guys working over there; why weren't all 18 doing it?" McRae said.

He said reports that he threw parties for players and provided them with limousine rides were not true.

"I've been on TV eight years," McRae said. "I'm well known. There's no reason for me to run around with those little kids."

And here comes the ****storm... :(

mxATVracer10

4/5/2007, 12:42 PM

sounds like a major asshat to me....

PAW

4/5/2007, 12:48 PM

IF he's so friggen' innocent, why wouldn't he cooperate in the investigation? It's almost funny . . . I was the GM, but I didn't have a clue what was going on.

Big Red Cop

4/5/2007, 12:53 PM

I was the GM, but I didn't have a clue what was going on.

Can one replace "GM" with coach?? Believe it would fit at many Universities.

Bourbon St Sooner

4/5/2007, 01:01 PM

So he's running a business where nobody knows when their employees come and go and just pay them for it anyway? It sounds like everybody in the company just put down whatever they wanted. :rolleyes:

Pricetag

4/5/2007, 01:02 PM

"I've been on TV eight years," McRae said. "I'm well known. There's no reason for me to run around with those little kids."
This part right here cracks my **** up. The fact that he's trying to claim some kind of celebrity from car dealership commercials makes me even more convinced that the guy is a jock sniffer. He'd do anything to get close to the real thing.

Seamus

4/5/2007, 01:20 PM

Exactly, Price. "Running around with those little kids" gave him an "in" to the program -- allowed him to rub shoulders with some real celebrities.

fwsooner22

4/5/2007, 01:29 PM

He is a USED CAR salesman.........There is no worse character in this life.....why oh why did we allow our athletes to even go in a place like that much less work there. Geez.

It appears Joe C. needs to spend just a little less time trying to get further into my pocket.

sooner518

4/5/2007, 01:48 PM

We didn't have a scheme," Bomar said. "We [Bomar and Quinn] were in class and in practice at the same time. The scheme was basically not to be there. And Big Red knew. Brad McRae knew about it. It was basically, 'Don't worry about coming.'"

Either Bomar or McRae is lying. For some reason I dont believe the used car salesman with the worst haircut in the history of the world.

"I've been on TV eight years," McRae said. "I'm well known. There's no reason for me to run around with those little kids."
I just think its kinda funny/ironic that most of his commercials involved him and a group of high school cheerleaders or 'little kids' yelling "I-35....Norman!" in unison.

"I never really liked Rhett Bomar anyway"
how classy. anyone have any good farkable source pics of this guy? I cant seem to find any. I guess hes not that famous after all

tommieharris91

4/5/2007, 01:56 PM

I shoulda worked there while he was manager. I'm surprised his company didn't go under if all of his employees were allowed to report whatever they wanted to for pay purposes. This must be what happens when you put a few scumbags in the same place.

soonervegas

4/5/2007, 01:59 PM

It appears Joe C. needs to spend just a little less time trying to get further into my pocket.

So sooooo true. The debacle that is our complaince office lies directly at the feet of Joe C. Three programs in trouble within 1 year. The fact that all of this happened "after" these programs had success shows sloppiness on Joe part. Too much time hanging out with Toby Keith and not doing his job.

starclassic tama

4/5/2007, 02:00 PM

i beileve bomar. he has no reason to lie anymore. OU is over as far as his life is concerned. he claims to not run around with kids and be such a bigshot, but what kind of man comes out and says "i never liked rhett bomar anyways", about a 19 year old kid. what a ******.

the dude

4/5/2007, 02:37 PM

What it sounds like to me is he's partially telling the truth. He liked having the players around becuase OU fans liked buying cars from OU players... or at least where they worked. To get the OU players there, he gave them easy jobs and turned his back on anything they did... like he wasn't condoning it if he didn't know it was happening.

A couple people decided to take advantage of the system that was set up to be taken advantage of and they got caught. Now, it's nobody's fault. McRae didn't know and didn't encourage it. Quinn was encouraged to do it by one from the university who encouraged him to go there to McRae who set it up to the other players who were doing it too. Everyone's at fault, but nobody is.

At least bomar is finally standing up for himself and excepting his fate.

Rhino

4/5/2007, 02:42 PM

What it sounds like to me is he's partially telling the truth. He liked having the players around becuase OU fans liked buying cars from OU players... or at least where they worked. I don't believe the players were allowed to sell cars. Most of their job included being runners - moving cars, washing cars, gassing up cars, etc.

the dude

4/5/2007, 03:42 PM

I don't believe the players were allowed to sell cars. Most of their job included being runners - moving cars, washing cars, gassing up cars, etc.
Yeah, i realize that. Tried to say it with the whole "..." thing, guess it didn't come off the way i intended. Point i was trying to make with that, though - it's a predominately used lot as people generally don't like Kias and you go there knowing it's associated with OU football players. You see 'em in the commercials, you see 'em running around the lot, and you know somebody who know's somebody who knows a player that worked there. So why not go support the team and see what kind of cars you can get there?

That was the mentality of a lot of people - myself included. My sister was looking for a car a few years ago and i made her go there to look around mostly becuase they had football players there.

TexasLidig8r

4/5/2007, 03:54 PM

. . . but what kind of man comes out and says "i never liked rhett bomar anyways", about a 19 year old kid. . . .

uh. about 99% of the posters on here last August? ;)

snp

4/5/2007, 05:05 PM

Invited to tell his side of the story, McRae said: "What good would it do me? Everybody will believe just what they want to believe."

Another great life lesson from a used car salesman. Even if you're innocent, don't bother.

TheUnnamedSooner

4/5/2007, 05:34 PM

utex74

4/5/2007, 06:57 PM

sounds like a major asshat to me....

I posted in another forum that OU should have banned him for life instead of five years. If for no other reason than to show the NCAA they're serious and to send a clear message to all boosters. Put the OU program in jeopardy and you are gone forever. Period.

All_Day_28

4/5/2007, 07:03 PM

uh. about 99% of the posters on here last August? ;)
oh so true

King Crimson

4/5/2007, 07:03 PM

BigRedJed

4/5/2007, 07:33 PM

uh. about 99% of the posters on here last August? ;)
Man I hate speking horns. Especially sleazy, bowtie wearing, ambulance chasing ones.

Sooner_Bob

4/5/2007, 07:54 PM

Man I hate speking horns. Especially sleazy, bowtie wearing, ambulance chasing ones.

and you call yourself a mod . . .

TMcGee86

4/5/2007, 08:21 PM

You gotta love DMN stories involving OU.

Here are the only actual quotes the paper gives that directly involve the issue:

"Did I tell Rhett Bomar that he could come in there and punch in and out anytime he wanted to? I did not,"

"How am I going to say I'm not responsible?"

"I had 18 guys working over there; why weren't all 18 doing it?"

That falls pretty damn short of "blaming the problem on OU football players and stating he had no knowledge of what was happening." if you ask me.

Really all he has said is that he never actually told him to do it.

When people are lying they typically answer questions with question.

Notice all his quotes above are questions.

And a really popular way to lie especially when you have to do it in public or under oath is to answer a question with a question, but subtly change the question with your question then answer your own question in the negative, thereby making it appear that you answered their question with a resounding "No."

Bottom line, this guy is a grade A asshat.

opksooner

4/5/2007, 09:24 PM

1st guy: "Why do you always answer a question with another question?"

2nd guy: "Why not?"

goingoneight

4/5/2007, 10:19 PM

3rd guy: Can you just be serious for one minute?

4th guy: Why are y'all yelling at 2nd guy?

:D

insuranceman_22

4/5/2007, 11:04 PM

McRae is a dickweed

SoonerGirl06

4/5/2007, 11:11 PM

I think OU should have banned him for life. No amount of money that he could donate to the school is worth the sanctions and penalties that OU could receive because of his unethical actions.

jrsooner

4/6/2007, 05:14 AM

I think OU should have banned him for life.Which accomplishes nothing. It's unenforceable. Yes, you can keep him from donating directly but you can't ban someone from the University all together. Are all the campus police going to carry around his picture looking for him everyday to make sure he doesn't do anything at OU????

Pricetag

4/6/2007, 12:18 PM

If I was him, I'd be so worried about Stoops catching me anywhere close to campus that I'd make my ban voluntarily lifetime.

SoonerGirl06

4/6/2007, 12:40 PM

SoonerGirl06

4/6/2007, 12:41 PM

If I was him, I'd be so worried about Stoops catching me anywhere close to campus that I'd make my ban voluntarily lifetime.

Forget Stoops... I'd be more afraid of the Sooner fans if I were him.

Pricetag

4/6/2007, 12:56 PM

Forget Stoops... I'd be more afraid of the Sooner fans if I were him.
There he is! Get the mullet!

SoonerGirl06

4/6/2007, 01:01 PM

There he is! Get the mullet!

What does a haircut have to do with any of this?

;) :D

BASSooner

4/6/2007, 01:33 PM

I posted in another forum that OU should have banned him for life instead of five years. If for no other reason than to show the NCAA they're serious and to send a clear message to all boosters. Put the OU program in jeopardy and you are gone forever. Period.
uhhh I'll have to throw the BS card on that one. Not only that, take off your puke orange glasses and think reality. We won't be gone forever. The NCAA will not file anything serious against us. We actually reported to them of what was going on. Look at SUC, they are denying that ANYTHING happend with the stuff that is going on there. You are delusional and need to think reality and maybe just MAYBE we'll listen to you on this board.

Speer

4/6/2007, 01:40 PM

uh. about 99% of the posters on here last August? ;)

uh.....and about 99% of Horn fans after he signed his LOI with OU

Sooner24

4/6/2007, 01:43 PM

Someone mentioned this in the Bomar thread, but it's true and it's surprising to me that Bomar does seem like the one that is most mature about the whole thing. I always thought McRae was an *** and this just solidifies that thought.

Bomar is still hoping to get to the NFL one day. He is just trying to mend fences in hopes this will all be forgotten in a couple of years. Is McRae blameless? Probably not but if you have people with little or no moral compass taking things they know they aren't entitled too then there is where the ultimate blame finally falls.

TheUnnamedSooner

4/6/2007, 02:13 PM

Bomar is still hoping to get to the NFL one day. He is just trying to mend fences in hopes this will all be forgotten in a couple of years.

Hence the "mature" part.

sitzpinkler

4/6/2007, 02:32 PM

Landthief 1972

4/6/2007, 03:48 PM

"I've been on TV eight years," McRae said. "I'm well known. There's no reason for me to run around with those little kids."

This guy, ladies and gentleman, is the same 40+ years old ****** who sadly attempted to dress like he was 19 in his TV commercials with that awful haircut. If I had to make a list of the top ten people most desperately attempting to relive their youth vicariously through others, he'd be #1 on the list. He was like the dad who wore his son's clothes and used to let him have parties at the house so he could crash them and show everybody how cool he was.

utex74

4/7/2007, 01:26 PM

uhhh I'll have to throw the BS card on that one. Not only that, take off your puke orange glasses and think reality. We won't be gone forever. The NCAA will not file anything serious against us. We actually reported to them of what was going on. Look at SUC, they are denying that ANYTHING happend with the stuff that is going on there. You are delusional and need to think reality and maybe just MAYBE we'll listen to you on this board.

You misunderstand me, or at least I think you did. My post has nothing to do with possible sanctions, which I suspect will be rather light, if at all. It has to do with how I think ALL programs should deal with boosters who get out of line and risk the program so they can rub elbows with athletes they never could get near normally. You cannot totally ban them but you can strip them of season tickets, alumni group memberships, donar lists, certainly ever employing an athlete again, etc. Rogue boosters are the biggest threat to any program. Coaches are scared to death of them because they cannot totally control them. I have heard Stoops speak to that, as well as Mack. If they knew they risked losing everything connected with a program I think it could have some deterrent effect. If people want to support a program they need to work through the program, not go behind its back to make themselves feel important.

utex74

4/7/2007, 01:29 PM

Which accomplishes nothing. It's unenforceable. Yes, you can keep him from donating directly but you can't ban someone from the University all together. Are all the campus police going to carry around his picture looking for him everyday to make sure he doesn't do anything at OU????

People like him are in it for the name recognition and the feeling of being important. Take away his association with the University, his season tickets, alumni memberships and make him annonymous. Forever. That is the worst thing that can happen to people like that.