Some Quick Thoughts: Cam Newton and the Heisman with Regards to Troy Smith and Mark Ingram

So yesterday most folks got to turning in their Heisman votes and if you want to get some thoughts on how it is going based upon reported ballots make sure you check out Stiff Arm Trophy who does a great job on his site chronicling available votes. Newton is the leader folks and rightfully so because he has had a season that is undeniably one for the record books. Not only has he had a year reminiscent of Tim Tebow's 2007 epic season but he's gone all Troy Smith on us too by leading Auburn to a story book 12-0 record, 13-0 for War CAM Eagle as he just won the SEC Championship.



But of course there is this shroud of uncertainty and anger surrounding Cam Newton as he escaped the crippling blow from the NCAA, at least for the time being. Personally, I'm glad that a kid appears to have bested the NCAA. Not because I'm rooting for more cheating but because I'm glad they erred on the side of caution rather than ratcheting up the heat with little evidence to the detriment of a school and player. The boy deserves the Heisman.

Deserves it unless you're the Mike Bianchi type. Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel has made it clear that he did not put Cam Newton on his ballot in any way shape or form. The guy even went the distance to make his "integrity" grandstand by leaving most folks second place candidate, LaMichael James, off his ballot given James' pleading to a domestic abuse charge and the whole "car trading" fiasco.

There are others like Bianchi. Six have made that public, including Michael Bradley of the Philly Post and AOL Fanhouse's David Whitley who calls Cam Newton a "dummy" while making his moral grandstand.

Personally I find this appalling and I've said as much before when this original story broke. But let's talk a little bit of scope and why I am even more frustrated by these morons making this stand on integrity. I present to you Troy Smith and Mark Ingram.

Before I get into this let's be clear: I'm not writing this to sully the names of Troy Smith or Mark Ingram. Both guys were great players and were definitely deserving of the Heisman in their respective seasons. Give them the trophy.



No, I bring up the Smith and Ingram names because folks seem to forget that Cam Newton isn't the first guy to be in the midst of winning the Heisman who has a career with NCAA issues swirling around it. I'm not even going to touch the laptop and the whole arrest ordeal, sticking strictly to the NCAA issue. We don't even have to go back to guys like Billy Cannon, Billy Sims or even Charles Woodson speculation to make a case for Newton. We can go back to 2006 and 2009, just 48 months and 12 months ago respectively.

Don't remember Troy Smith? He's the guy who was busted taking cash from a booster to pay a cell phone bill for Maurice Clarett. Yup. That happened. Sure it wasn't in Troy Smith's Heisman winning season, neither was Cam Newton's recruitment to Mississippi State, a school that Newton never even attended.

Need something with a bit closer frame of reference? Try Mark Ingram then folks, a guy who, entering his Heisman trophy winning season was in jeopardy of sitting out the first game because of a fishing trip that he and Julio Jones took with an Alabama booster. This falls a bit more in line with everyone's freaking out over Cam Newton; Ingram and Jones were ruled ineligible and then reinstated the Wednesday before the Virginia Tech game on the condition that they make repayments.



So this idea that Cam is the first or even the only recent case of a guy winning the trophy after having NCAA issues or even having been deemed ineligible is a joke. Folks are using selective memory, they just don't follow the game closely or they really don't give a damn to check facts. Unlike Smith and Ingram, Cam Newton never received any benefits, his violation was asking while the other two Heisman trophy winners are guilty of having the extra benefits in their hands.

That's the difference between asking about doing something and doing it. Something, apparently, a lot of y'all still have a hard time wrapping your brains around.