More Evidence of The Corruptive World of College Sports

Boston Celtics center and New York City native Mark Blount's name is being tossed around these days in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, as Maurizio Sanginti--the government's lead witness in a racketeering conspiracy case involving an Albanian-led gang accused of wrestling control of Bronx and Queens social clubs from Italian crime families and (to make the story more bizarre) Mark Blount's former legal guardian, after Blount apparently divorced his mom while in high school, ala Gary Coleman and Corey Feldman--claims that he arranged for someone to take Blount's SAT exam for him back in high school. (Thomas Zambito, "Thug Taints City Basketball Star," New York Daily News, 10/23/2005). Since Sanginti is cooperating with the government, he's had to discuss certain past crimes, including (apparently) fraudulently helping Mark Blount obtain the requisite SAT score to play basketball at the University of Pittsburgh.

It should be noted that Sanginti sued Blount back in 2001 for $250,000, claiming that Blount never paid back a loan. Notwithstanding the veracity concerns of such an agenda-driven witness, Sanginti has made other notable revelations (and, importantly, made them under oath). As Blount's "guardian," Sanginti travelled with Blount across the country on recruiting trips and witnessed the following:

• Blount received $20,000 in cash from an alumnus of the University of Louisville on a recruiting trip;

• Blount received cash from an alumnus of the University of Cincinnati on a recruiting trip, apparently on instruction from coach Bob Huggins;

• Blount received periodic cash payments from University of Pittsburgh boosters (Blount played there for two years); and
  

• Blount took steroids (with assistance from Sanginti).
  

Strange story, but perhaps further illumination of why the often cheerfully-depicted world of college hoops may be a darker story than most would like to admit. And one must wonder about the kind of deleterious social norms repeatedly observed by those who live in that world, and how that may affect them for years to come.

Hat Tip: Henry Abbot of True Hoop

Past Coverage: Tony Allen and the Whataburger Incident (10/21/2005), Crime and College Football Players (8/4/2005), Arrested NBA Players: Education, Age & Experience (7/20/2005)

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