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New Allegations in Baylor University Investigation

Aired August 18, 2003 - 11:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A lot of people are disappointed but incredibly surprised by all of these details that are coming out.
Let's get some more now on these explosive new allegations. We're joined by Jeff Miller of "The Dallas Morning News," who has been doing quite a bit of reporting on this.

Good morning, Jeff.

JEFF MILLER, "THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS": Hi, Leon.

HARRIS: This story just keeps -- it seems like it just keeps getting worse and worse and worse every day you pick up the newspaper.

I've got to talk to you about one of the quotes -- another quote here that we've gotten from these tapes here. I'll just read this one excerpt for you real quickly here. This is Coach Dave Bliss now on this videotape that was -- audiotape, rather, that was made by the assistant coach saying that: "If there is a way we can create the perception that Pat may have been a dealer, even if we had to kind of make some things look a little better than they are, that can save us."

I'm amazed that this coach could say something like this and not have this come out by anyone or any other source.

MILLER: Well, there had been stories circulated from the time that Patrick disappeared in mid-June and further when his body was found in late July that there was drug use involved in some way, shape or form. So, with those stories out there, you can only assume that Coach Bliss, in looking for some sort of way to deflect the situation, which was that he had been at least involved in making the tuition payments for Patrick, that that was a plausible story that could be floated out there and would be accepted, Leon.

HARRIS: And it turns out that also in these conversations that the coach had with the assistant coaches and the other players, did he ever come out and admit that he was the one who had been paying the scholarship? Because, as I understand it, that's what basically was at the root of this entire thing was that he had been paying the scholarship and that the investigation by the university into that was about to uncover him.

MILLER: I'm not sure if that's in the tapes. Now, I know that after the original allegation of the tuition payments came out in late July, he followed that with a news conference in saying that there were plausible explanations for how Patrick's scholarship was paid through all sorts of financial aid that could be available to any student. But then when the investigating committee determined that he was involved and most likely making the payments himself, he was confronted with that information on Friday morning, August 8, and he admitted his involvement. And, of course, that afternoon the announcements were made by Dr. Sloan, the president of the school, that both Coach Bliss had resigned and also the athletic director, Tom Stanton, would resign as well.

HARRIS: Do you think this whole thing stops there with those two resignations?

MILLER: It's hard to say. The people connected with the investigation have been adamant to say that the wrongdoing is contained in the basketball office in the athletic department. I know when I spoke briefly last Friday night with Dave Bliss, he said, "Baylor has no booster problem."

Now, in situations like this at major colleges, that is the standard, where boosters are involved in some fashion. But, Leon, frankly with today's high salaries for coaches, it's possible that this was all coming from his own personal funds.

HARRIS: Yes.

MILLER: But I don't think it's -- I think it's too early to say that there couldn't have been outside financial involvement.

HARRIS: Yes, yet at the same time, it seems, again, you keep digging, and this thing gets worse. As I understand it now, these tapes were made before Dennehy's funeral. So, here is a case where the coach was plotting pretty much to ruin this man's reputation, and then go to the funeral and spend time with his family. Do you believe that?

MILLER: Well, Leon, in many of these NCAA investigations, coaches, programs are found to be guilty of major violations, and there is only a limited really stigma in that. And, in fact, sometimes pushing the rules is seen to be a positive. It's seen to be reassurance that you are willing to do whatever it is to win.

But in this situation, with what Abar Rouse has turned over, and that the tapes indicate that Dave Bliss was willing to try to implicate somebody specifically because he could not speak for himself -- in this case, Patrick Dennehy -- has turned this in an entirely different direction.

HARRIS: Well, you know, if people are going to cheat to win, they ought to at least win. The team wasn't even that good to go through all of that. Boy, that's amazing.

Jeff Miller, thanks a lot. We appreciate your time this morning, and we'll continue to follow your work as you continue to follow this story. Boy!

MILLER: OK, thanks, Leon.

HARRIS: Good luck to you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.







Aired August 18, 2003 - 11:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A lot of people are disappointed but incredibly surprised by all of these details that are coming out.
Let's get some more now on these explosive new allegations. We're joined by Jeff Miller of "The Dallas Morning News," who has been doing quite a bit of reporting on this.

Good morning, Jeff.

JEFF MILLER, "THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS": Hi, Leon.

HARRIS: This story just keeps -- it seems like it just keeps getting worse and worse and worse every day you pick up the newspaper.

I've got to talk to you about one of the quotes -- another quote here that we've gotten from these tapes here. I'll just read this one excerpt for you real quickly here. This is Coach Dave Bliss now on this videotape that was -- audiotape, rather, that was made by the assistant coach saying that: "If there is a way we can create the perception that Pat may have been a dealer, even if we had to kind of make some things look a little better than they are, that can save us."

I'm amazed that this coach could say something like this and not have this come out by anyone or any other source.

MILLER: Well, there had been stories circulated from the time that Patrick disappeared in mid-June and further when his body was found in late July that there was drug use involved in some way, shape or form. So, with those stories out there, you can only assume that Coach Bliss, in looking for some sort of way to deflect the situation, which was that he had been at least involved in making the tuition payments for Patrick, that that was a plausible story that could be floated out there and would be accepted, Leon.

HARRIS: And it turns out that also in these conversations that the coach had with the assistant coaches and the other players, did he ever come out and admit that he was the one who had been paying the scholarship? Because, as I understand it, that's what basically was at the root of this entire thing was that he had been paying the scholarship and that the investigation by the university into that was about to uncover him.

MILLER: I'm not sure if that's in the tapes. Now, I know that after the original allegation of the tuition payments came out in late July, he followed that with a news conference in saying that there were plausible explanations for how Patrick's scholarship was paid through all sorts of financial aid that could be available to any student. But then when the investigating committee determined that he was involved and most likely making the payments himself, he was confronted with that information on Friday morning, August 8, and he admitted his involvement. And, of course, that afternoon the announcements were made by Dr. Sloan, the president of the school, that both Coach Bliss had resigned and also the athletic director, Tom Stanton, would resign as well.

HARRIS: Do you think this whole thing stops there with those two resignations?

MILLER: It's hard to say. The people connected with the investigation have been adamant to say that the wrongdoing is contained in the basketball office in the athletic department. I know when I spoke briefly last Friday night with Dave Bliss, he said, "Baylor has no booster problem."

Now, in situations like this at major colleges, that is the standard, where boosters are involved in some fashion. But, Leon, frankly with today's high salaries for coaches, it's possible that this was all coming from his own personal funds.

HARRIS: Yes.

MILLER: But I don't think it's -- I think it's too early to say that there couldn't have been outside financial involvement.

HARRIS: Yes, yet at the same time, it seems, again, you keep digging, and this thing gets worse. As I understand it now, these tapes were made before Dennehy's funeral. So, here is a case where the coach was plotting pretty much to ruin this man's reputation, and then go to the funeral and spend time with his family. Do you believe that?

MILLER: Well, Leon, in many of these NCAA investigations, coaches, programs are found to be guilty of major violations, and there is only a limited really stigma in that. And, in fact, sometimes pushing the rules is seen to be a positive. It's seen to be reassurance that you are willing to do whatever it is to win.

But in this situation, with what Abar Rouse has turned over, and that the tapes indicate that Dave Bliss was willing to try to implicate somebody specifically because he could not speak for himself -- in this case, Patrick Dennehy -- has turned this in an entirely different direction.

HARRIS: Well, you know, if people are going to cheat to win, they ought to at least win. The team wasn't even that good to go through all of that. Boy, that's amazing.

Jeff Miller, thanks a lot. We appreciate your time this morning, and we'll continue to follow your work as you continue to follow this story. Boy!

MILLER: OK, thanks, Leon.

HARRIS: Good luck to you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.