NCAA Football Ncaa Basketball Police Blotter

Oklahoma State linebacker Alex Odiari Odiari was cited for being in a bar underage, possessing a fake ID and most disturbing violating a protective order obtained by his ex-girlfriend.

Odiari's ex-girlfriend obtained an emergency protection order on July 5 to protect her from Odiari after she claimed Odiari had shown violent tendencies during a previous "dating relationship."

To obtain the EPO, the woman claimed Odiari in the past had thrown her against a wall and repeatedly grabbed and shoved her.

The woman also stated during the relationship he made several threats and said he would kill her and the next guy she dated if they broke up.

Odiari showed up at the same bar she was and appeared to have initiated some contact with her while there. That led to a call to the police.

This is part of a bad summer for Oklahoma State athletics,alcohol, and local bars. This is, though, the first football player to get in trouble. Perhaps Odiari thought he was part of the basketball team:

• Senior Guard, and co-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Dove charged with a DUI, reportedly blows a 0.23 on the breathalyzer when pulled over and suspended indefinitely on July 17.
• Guard Obi Muonelo arrested for underage drinking in a local bar on June 23.
• Yet another guard, Terrel Harris was arrested for having a fake ID while trying to enter a bar in April.

It's not like things don't get dull enough for players in the offseason stuck just taking summer classes in Stillwater. Now they have to do it sober.

Florida football returnman Brandon James and Gator basketball player Brandon Powell were arrested recently after reportedly buying marijuana from an undercover police officer. The players bought 0.8 grams for $20 and were then nabbed after the transaction was recorded on audio and video.

Florida has suspended both indefinitely. This isn't the first off-season incident for the Gators after the Gators won the BCS national championship in January.

No fewer than seven Florida football players have dealt with significant legal issues since Feb. 1 and erased some of the good vibes from last season's national championship team.

This offseason of tumult and arrest is entirely predictable. There's simply a pattern here that's impossible to ignore: championship football teams get in trouble. Lots of it. I don't know if it's because of the high profile or arrogance or what, but it's there. Almost every recent college football champion this decade has had a slew of off-field issues following it from Oklahoma to Ohio State to USC to Texas to now Florida.

This is the new reality. Of course people will forever try to pin these situations on the schools because they're delinquent or evil or whatever other term satisfies their angst. Perhaps this is all simply the cost of being at the top. It's nice if some schools do their best to prevent these things, but as we can see those efforts don't always work out so well.

I keep going back and forth as to whether point shaving schemes at smaller schools make more or less sense. On the one hand, the programs and the players draw a lot less scrutiny as to the actions. Making it easier for things to come in under the radar.

The counter-argument is that these smaller programs hardly see the heavier gambling action. So if there is any significant betting one way or the other, it can catch everyone's attention when there is sudden swing.

The Toledo Athletic Department is finding itself rocked with a scandal that definitely involves the football team and quite possibly involves the basketball team as well.

As the 2005 GMAC Bowl drew closer, a Michigan gambler assured other bettors that University of Toledo football player Harvey "Scooter" McDougle offered bribes to teammates so the point spread would be covered, according to a federal criminal complaint.

Mr. McDougle, 22, who was charged Thursday in U.S. District Court in Detroit with conspiring with others in a points-shaving scheme, sat out the game because of injuries.

So far no other players have been named.

McDougle was charged in Federal Court with "conspiring to bribe to affect the outcome of a sporting event." This carries a maximum sentence of 5 years and a $250,000 fine.

The guy arranging everything so far has only been identified as "Gary." He would place the wagers in casinos in Canada. At least one other player was offered around $10,000 to sit out a game. McDougle received cars, cash and other gifts from "Gary."

The filings indicate that the basketball team may have been involved in point shaving as well. "Gary" apparently bet on both sports and McDougle may have helped him in contacting basketball players.

This will be a huge blow to Toledo Football Coach Tom Amstutz. He's considered one of the better coaches in the MAC and often mentioned as a potential target for the bigger name schools. Few coaches, though, survive point shaving scandals.