Even if Oregon hasn’t done anything wrong as it pertains to their business relationship with Willie Lyles of Complete Scouting Services, they’re sure as hell preparing for the worst case scenario.
According to the Oregonian via the Eugene Register-Guard, the university is working with Michael S. Glazier of the Bond Schoenick & King’s law firm as questions continue to mount about UO’s relationship with Lyles. Glazier, also known as “the cleaner”, has represented mob bosses universities with NCAA inquiries in the past and his services were reportedly retained by UO after initial reports in March linked the athletic program to Lyles for what was thought to be questionable recruiting tactics.
In the past, Kansas State and Ohio State have employed Bond Schoenick & King at a hefty price tag of $500,000.
From the Guard:
“Lawyering up is not an admission of guilt. Oregon hasn’t quit proclaiming its innocence, and might not anytime soon.
“But in hiring Mike Glazier — “the Cleaner,” some call him — Oregon signaled that this NCAA inquiry is a very significant matter.
...
“What does it mean now, almost four months since the news broke of the Ducks’ $25,000 payment to Willie Lyles, with no defined timetable for a conclusion? Oregon is taking this thing very, very seriously — and has been from the start.
“The party line remains that the Ducks operated within the rules. The confident chatter is that the Ducks have nothing to worry about.
“The reality is when you retain the law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King, you’re plenty concerned.”
All this for a supposedly bad $25,000 business deal. If UO really is clean in all this, it’s a shame that 1) they were ripped off and 2) that they might have to pay copious amounts of money to prove it.
But then part of me thinks that Oregon couldn’t have been that naive. Especially if they had a previous relationship with Lyles.