I swanee…. The Great Unpleasantness (TGU) @ UNC is a case of Institutional Herpes. Like the notorious STD; certain elements of TGU might fade into remission, or hibernate, or go dormant for a spell…. but nothing about it ever totally “goes away”. Case-in-point….. The Chris Hawkins Chapter.
“Hawk” is the Rasputin of TGU. Like the legendary Mad Monk of Czarist Russia, despite repeated efforts, they just can’t kill the reoccurring reports on this guy. He has “come back” more often than the McRib.
Aficionados (or hopeless addicts) of all things TGU certainly recognize the name of this John Bunting recruit (from Kinston) who was dismissed from the UNC FB program in 2003 following some sort of altercation with a teammate. Hawkins was formally declared “not our (UNC) kinda kid” and subsequently transferred to Marshall.
“Hawk” would later be arrested on felony drug charges in 2009 and a gun possession charge in 2012. There was also an arrest /charge about his illegal dealing with a Univ Georgia FB star. “Hawk” has quite the rap sheet.
“Not a UNC kinda kid ??”…. Hellfire, “Hawk” isn’t even “a Florida State kinda kid”. OUCH!
The Latest re: Chris Hawkins & UNC Football – LINK.
I have to note that Chris Hawkins is from Kinston as is Brandon Ingram who recently knee-capped Roy by choosing Duke. Do Hawkins and Ingram balance out fellow UNC /Kinstonians Jerry Stackhouse and Reggie Bullock? Who determines these things?
Hawkins developed a very close relationship with his former roommate UNC RB Willie Parker who himself left UNC FB somewhat disgruntled over how he was treated by The Bunting Regime.
“Fast Willie” ended up with the NFL Steelers and had very productive years from 2005-2007 before reoccurring injuries ended his career.
Enter The Era of Butch & Blake (who ??) and Marvin Austin, Greg Little, Robert Quinn and the other members of Jennifer The Tutor’s bunch. Prior to the seminal moment a/k/a The Tweet Heard ‘Round The NCAA, Chris Hawkins returned to Chapel Hill and was a regular habitué in the Kenan Football weightroom.
Access to the Kenan Football Center was normally off-limits to “friends of players” but Hawkins was declared “a friend of Marvin’s” and being a FOM apparently made him “special”.
A bit of history….. Marvin Austin was the premier 5-star recruit snared by John Blake (who?) when he, Blake (who?), first arrived to join The Butcher’s staff. Austin was not considering UNC at all prior to an 11th hour visit by Blake (who?). The surprise signing of the very highly-rated Austin in February 2007 sent tremors across Big Time College Football that UNC with Butch & Blake (who?) was going to be a force to be reckoned with.
John Blake arrived in Chapel Hill with a reputation / rap sheet as “a very successful recruiter”…. wink, wink, wink. Pretty much everyone in college football knew John Blake’s sordid reputation EXCEPT his former high school teacher and fellow Dallas Cowboys staffer – Butch Davis. Blake’s reputation included being banned from recruiting in the state of Texas for assorted malfeasances. Blake’s not affectionate national nickname of “Black Santa” for the gifts he bestowed upon recruits was also not known by Butch Davis.
The “who?” after Blake’s name is in honor of Butch Davis’ oft-professed “I knew nuuuuthing” of ANY concerns regarding John Blake’s integrity as a coach / recruiter. Butch’s “knew nothing” included not only Blake’s sordid reputation prior to joining Butch’s staff; Butch also “knew nothing” about anything John Blake did while Butch’s #1 Assistant Head Coach. THAT is A LOT of Nuthin’ to Know!
Austin arrived in Chapel Hill in Summer of 2007….. somehow got enrolled in some mysterious class that somehow resolved some admissions concerns surrounding his academic credentials. Somehow clearing that hurdle, Austin became THE Alpha Dog of the UNC Football Program. Marvin’s position coach/mentor at UNC was John Blake (who?).
UNC’s Strength & Conditioning Coach at the time was Jeff Connors – an early Bunting hire who had been retained by The Butcher. The Football Weight Room was Connors’ domain. Jeff Connors was very much aware of Chris Hawkins and the circumstances of his expulsion from John Bunting’s program. But, apparently Hawkins’ FOM status trumped any concerns Connors might have had. Whether Connors alerted “upstairs” to Hawkins presence is “unclear”.
On/about the time Chris Hawkins and “what Chris Hawkins was up to” became a person of interest of the NCAA and NC Secretary of State, Jeff Connors abruptly resigned from UNC to return to ECU.
Contrary to what one might hear along legendary Franklin Street, NC’s laws governing sports agents were NOT put in by Eeeeeevil Art Pope in his mythical campaign to destroy all things UNC. I’m pretty sure not even UNC BOGer John “Trainwreck” Fennebresque was involved.
Both the NCAA and state law enforcement began an extended investigation of exactly “what Chris Hawkins was up to” as it smelled like it involved very illegal cash payments to UNC student-athletes in hopes of persuading them to sign with “an agent” in league with Hawkins. It was not the same agent that John Blake (who?) was getting illegal payments from to funnel players to. Different agents.
If you’re quite confused by this time, imagine how UNC AD Dickie Baddour would have felt is he had ever had the slightest clue about…. well “about ANYTHING”. He (“Dickie”) did not have a clue then…. and to this day remains totally clueless about pretty much anything during his almost two decades “directing” UNC Athletics. Anything OTHER THAN the various NCAA Championships won during his regime for which he received hefty bonuses. His primary contributions to those achievements being that he was totally clueless of all the assorted “schemes” in play during almost two decades.
I have always hoped that Butch would reveal he never wanted to hire John Blake but that ….. “Dickie made me do it.” Would THAT not be just too rich?
So anyhow….. now more and more is coming out about “what Marvin Austin’s friend Chris Hawkins was up to” around and about UNC Football during The Era of Butch & Blake (who?).
Does ANY of this “matter”? All the parties involved are long gone along with huge NFL deals, multi-million dollars buy-outs, and fat pensions. OK, other than John Blake (who?) who only got $75,000 to “go away” and Chris Hawkins who may / may not still be “Fast Willie’s BFF”.
“Fast Willie” lives in Durham these days as does “Fats” Thomas. Willie has NOT been linked to “Fats” who, of course, has his own sordid chapter in TGU. There are A LOT of chapters in TGU. So many that one might need a wheelbarrow to carry them all.
It must be noted that these latest revelations concerning “what Chris Hawkins was up to” DO NOT mention Sylvia Hatchell at all, or “any junk” about RecentlyRewardedRoy w/ Two Rings.
I do have a legal associate of high repute who is “of knowledge” related to statutes of limitations and guilt by omission / commission and by association. I should be getting his input soon on the “so what” value of these latest revelations.
Alas, even these latest revelations will NOT affect (1) your idiot brother-in-law a/k/a The World’s #1 UNC Wal-Mart Fan….. nor will it have any effect whatsoever on (2) those cross-eyed goobers around your water cooler who “know for a fact” that That Damn Dan Kane is behind all of this.
This absolutely will NOT deter (3) UNC’s LowerLevel Guys who are so concerned about Coach K’s recruiting resurgence that they would (almost) forfeit their trust funds and/or hedge funds to make “all this” go away.
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Quirky News – LINK
If you have NOT followed the epic volleying on Quirky News between “Bonnie & Clyde” and Art Chansky you are soooo “out of the loop”. Today (Monday) Art Fired BACK at Mary & Jay……
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