SI story implicates Mel Kiper in agent payoff investigation

by Dan Kadar on Oct 12, 2010 4:00 PM EDT

In what can be classified journalistically as an expose by Sports Illustrated, former football agent Josh Luchs implicates ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper as being part of the scandal involving agent Gary Wichard.

Wichard is the central figure in the NCAA investigation into collegiate players receiving money and gifts from agents. The investigation caused North Carolina's Marvin Austin and South Carolina's Weslye Saunders to be dismissed from school. It has also led to the suspensions of several other players this year. Notably, North Carolina's Robert Quinn and Greg Little were ruled permanently ineligible on Tuesday.

The SI story alleges that Wichard and Luchs called Kiper when the agents were meeting with Stanford defensive lineman Willie Howardin 2000. As the story goes, Wichard told Kiper he was meeting with the best defensive lineman in college football. To which, Kiper responded by saying Wichard must be in the room with Howard. The tone of the article suggests that Wichard called Kiper in advance so they could ham it up about Howard and get him to sign with Wichard.

The story also implies that Kiper rates Wichard's clients more favorably in his rankings, which appear on ESPN, ESPN.com and in Kiper's books published by Mel Kiper Enterprise Inc.

The question that ultimately has to be asked is this: if true, what would Kiper get out of having call arrangements with Wichard and ranking Wichard's clients higher? That is where your mind gets to run wild.

When Sports Illustrated contacted Kiper, he denied the call with Wichard, Luchs and Howard. Kiper did say, though, that he is friends with Wichard and has spoken to some of his players. Kiper added that he does that "all the time" for different agents. Kiper also said he "would never promote Gary or any other agent to a player."

Kiper also denied that he rates players higher if they are Wichard's clients.

Speaking to SI, Howard confirmed the phone call with Kiper while meeting with Wichard and Luchs.

Wichard runs Pro Tect Management. Among his clients are Jason Taylor, Dwight Freeney, Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil, Antonio Cromartie, C.J. Spiller, Keith Bulluck and Jimmy Clausen.

Kiper has faced scrutiny in the past about his involvement with agents. In April of 2009 when Kiper had Clausen rated as the top quarterback (ahead of Sam Bradford) and fourth overall, the Washington Post said there were whispers about the draft analyst's friendship with Wichard. Kiper responded by saying he didn't think highly of Wichard clients Taylor Mays and Freeney and that he is friends with several agents.

Update: In a statement to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal, ESPN says it is looking into this matter.

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Comments

well, we always knew he was a dbag

by Clyde Simmons on Oct 12, 2010 5:06 PM EDT reply actions

Kiper

The Jimmy Clausen thing was beyond ridiculous. He turned the first two nights of the draft into a Jimmy Clausen infomercial. The fact that Clausen’s agent is the one in question makes it seems obvious.

In Mayock I trust.

by Fivus Viener on Oct 12, 2010 5:13 PM EDT reply actions

Jimmy Clausen being a comparable or better prospect than Sam Bradford wasn't all that much of a stretch at all.

Should have drafted Sanchez.

by Fearless Frog on Oct 13, 2010 1:53 AM EDT up reply actions

You’re kidding right? What would make Clausen a better prospect?

by Fivus Viener on Oct 13, 2010 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions

I believe Bradford vs. Clausen was highly debated for months.

On here as well as by the professionals.

My own opinion was colored by the fact I like Oklahoma and can’t stand Notre Dame. So I stayed out of those debates.

by ct17 on Oct 13, 2010 11:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Didn't play in a cartoon offense, had fantastic production on a piss-poor Notre Dame team,

wasn’t an injury-prone mess like Bradford was, etc.

Should have drafted Sanchez.

by Fearless Frog on Oct 14, 2010 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm a Rams

fan and firmly in the Bradford camp. Only time will tell who the better NFL player will be. There’s not a large enough sample size at this point. That being said, I’m very happy with what I’ve seen from Bradford. So are the coaches. So are his teammates. I can’t speak for how people feel about Clausen…but the overwhelming opinion in StL is that we got the right guy.

The Personal Finance Playbook.

by Toddius on Oct 13, 2010 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions

That's after the fact., though.

Up until the draft you could make a valid case that Clausen was a better prospect than Bradford.

Should have drafted Sanchez.

by Fearless Frog on Oct 14, 2010 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions

It may not have been a stretch to compare them

but Kiper was having an absolute fit, relatively speaking, when Clausen dropped as far as he did

by dbcouver on Oct 14, 2010 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Hopefully

this is the good bye of Kiper. Hopefully there is a similar controversy surrounding Florio and his undying support of keeping the Vikes in Minnesota.

by rws591 on Oct 12, 2010 6:14 PM EDT reply actions

I wonder if ESPN will fire him for this

by Yankees10 on Oct 12, 2010 9:46 PM EDT reply actions

I doubt it though

by Yankees10 on Oct 12, 2010 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions

A real journalist does research

Despite this supposed favoring of players by Kiper, I notice there was not one attempt to prove this. SI located and called 50 people for this story, which must have taken a lot of work, but could not sit at a computer to analyze Kiper’s rankings of Wichard’s clients.

Kiper is The Man for the NFL Draft, which affects how much players and their agents are paid. And they scout the same players. I would bet Kiper has the personal cell phone number of every major agent in the game. And I would bet they are all friendly to him.

by ct17 on Oct 12, 2010 11:38 PM EDT reply actions

Funniest part of the whole story:

“If you were a good player at UCLA, I made a run at you. I tried to get can’t-miss NFL left tackle prospect Jonathan Ogden as a client, but he wouldn’t take my money. He did, however, go with me to a Janet Jackson concert. My girlfriend got two tickets, and I told her, “Sorry, I need those tickets for J.O. He’s a big Janet Jackson fan.” Instead of going to the concert with my girlfriend, I went with a 6’9" guy who weighed more than 300 pounds and who screamed “Janet!” the whole night like a teenage girl."

by Naptime! on Oct 12, 2010 11:41 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs