NY - Bernie Fine Accused of Molestation, Syracuse, 2011

ynotdivein said:

From the above link:

"Outside the Lines investigated Davis's story in 2003 but decided not to run the story because there were no other victims who would talk, and no independent evidence to corroborate the boy's story. In recent days, a second man contacted Outside the Lines with information alleging that Fine had also molested him. That man said he was inspired to finally talk after seeing news coverage of the Sandusky case."

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ESPN reported the accusations were made by two former ball boys.
Syracuse Chancellor Nancy Cantor said in a statement Friday morning that the school will not turn a blind eye to the allegations.
"We hold everyone in our community to high standards and we don't tolerate illegal, abusive or unethical behavior - no matter who you are,'' Cantor said in an email Friday morning to students, faculty and staff.
Bobby Davis, now 39, told ESPN that Fine allegedly molested him beginning in 1984 and that the sexual contact continued until he was around 27. A ball boy for six years, Davis told ESPN the alleged abuse occurred at Fine's home, at Syracuse basketball facilities and on team road trips, including the 1987 Final Four.
Davis' stepbrother, Mike Lang, 45, who also was a ball boy, told ESPN that Fine molested him starting while he was in fifth or sixth grade.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...th.ld.writethru.1180/index.html#ixzz1e4aA82ed

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Former Syracuse center Rony Seikaly, who worked closely with Fine throughout his college career and exchanged text messages with him just Wednesday, told the AP he refuses to believe the allegations.
"Bernie would never do such a thing,'' Seikaly said in a telephone interview in Miami. "I vouch for Bernie. There is no way something like this could ever happen in my eyes. No way.''
Seikaly said he questions why the ball boy would come forward again now, adding that he believes the headlines generated by the scandal at Penn State may have been a motivating factor.
"Completely ridiculous,'' Seikaly said. "Do people want a quick buck or something? I spent four years with Bernie, every single day. I know what kind of guy he is. He's just a very helpful guy. He was the glue to Syracuse basketball. He's still the glue 20 years later when you're already gone. He keeps in touch with every single player. He's that kind of guy.''
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Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...th.ld.writethru.1180/index.html#ixzz1e4aR8RLK

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This time, we still have some distance to travel before we discover what’s patently true and false.

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This column is not meant to exonerate Bernie Fine, whom Syracuse put on administrative leave pending an ESPN-driven police investigation into whether he sexually molested step brothers and former SU ball boys Bobby Davis and Mike Lang in the 1970s, '80s and ‘90s. I do not know Bernie Fine. I do not have any insight into what did or did not transpire between Fine and his two accusers.

What I do know, based on Schwarz’s juvenile “reporting,” is the Worldwide Leader didn’t have nearly enough evidence to air such a reputation-damaging story. Schwarz acquired just enough information — two vague, mumbling on-camera interviews from Fine’s accusers — to protect ESPN from a lawsuit. Schwarz did the legal minimum.

Was his story sound journalism? Was his story remotely fair? No, and hell no.
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In a tape-recorded 2002 telephone conversation, the wife of Syracuse associate head coach Bernie Fine admitted she had concerns that her husband had sexually molested a team ball boy in their home, but said she felt powerless to stop the alleged abuse.

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woodlawn said:

Wow. This story, which I think a lot of people were justifiably skeptical about, just acquired a lot more credibility.



http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/7286347/otl-audio-tape-bernie-fine-wife-admits-worries-abuse

Much, much more at link.

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