The groundbreaking Sports Illustrated series “The Dirty Game” detailing alleged improprieties within the Oklahoma State football program may not be so groundbreaking after all, ESPN alleges.
Parts of the story involving former Oklahoma State safety Fath’ Carter, quoted frequently in the five-part series, doesn’t match information ESPN reported it obtained from the school. Sports Illustrated quoted Carter claiming other players were paid by coaches and boosters, and had their work done by an academic coordinator.
The series, written by Thayer Evans and George Dorhmann, included a 10-month investigation and interviews with 64 former players from 1999-2011.
ESPN reported that Carter never graduated Oklahoma State, though in the SI story he said he has a degree in education from the school. He did take classes there from 2000-2005, according to the registrar’s office, but didn’t graduate.
Furthermore, Carter told SI that he and former NFL running back and Oklahoma State teammate Tatum Bell took the same class and received A’s when they were on the team, but in 2004, when not playing, received F’s from the same instructor. However, Bell wasn’t at Oklahoma State in 2004, according to a transcript he submitted to ESPN. He left the school after the fall semester of 2003.
Bell told ESPN the allegations made by Carter, which included “$500 handshakes” from boosters, are untrue.
“Not only did he lie about me attending those classes, he’s trying to degrade everybody,” Bell told ESPN. “I never received a dime from anybody.
“All these cats say they got stuff. How were they getting stuff? I wasn’t getting stuff. I worked for everything I got. Nobody handed me nothing — none of that $500 handshake stuff. Nothing like that was going on.”
All told, 12 players either admitted guilt to Sports Illustrated or alleged wrongdoing of others, and nine were either kicked out of school for failed drug tests, kicked out of the program, transferred or quit, ESPN reported. The Daily O’Collegian and Tulsa World reported many of them have criminal records. Sports Illustrated didn’t mention the arrests or dismissals.
Former Oklahoma State quarterback Josh Fields is among several former players quoted in the story that have spoken out against it, and the reporting practices of Evans. Fields, who played for the program from 2001 through 2003, questioned the credibility of the story and its sources.
“I’m in disbelief,” Fields told ESPN. “I never had anyone attempt to give me any type of payments or do my schoolwork and never saw my teammates accept money. I never accepted anything. Seeing my name in there was a shock.”
LSU coach Les Miles, the coach of Oklahoma State during the supposed free-for-all at the school, has denied the allegations, as well.