The UB community was rocked Tuesday as head football coach Jim Hofher resigned amid allegations of wrong doings and extreme NCAA rules violations in the program. The team, which went 1-11 last season, is the latest Division I program to come under fire for recruiting violations.
A former employee of the UB Football program, known simply as "Krazy George," made the allegations, which include boosters giving student-athletes gifts and money, such as Mercedes SL55 coupes, throwing X-rated parties for recruits, and even point shaving.
Many people involved with the football program, including Hofher, former athletics director Bob Arkeilpane and even Student Relations Coordinator Rob Suglia were implicated in the scandals.
George said he attended around five of the parties in an official capacity.
"I was hired to stand in the corner and bang my drum while the recruits and Rob Suglia took part in some really crazy stuff," said Krazy George. " It was really traumatizing, I can't go on without making the public aware of what was going on."
George said that the parties were even more outrageous than the recruiting parties that were held at the University of Colorado. He also claimed that adult film star Jenna Jameson and other adult entertainers were regulars at the parties, which were held at the Thunderbird Motel on Main St. in Clarence. The UB Athletics department did not respond to numerous calls about the allegations.
Colorado has suspended coach Gary Barnett while the school and NCAA investigate the infractions. The UC program has come under fire for offering recruits sex and alcohol, but according to George, UB did it bigger and better. Besides Jameson, the UB recruits went through six kegs of Pabst Blue Ribbon, three bottles of Jack Daniels and two bottles of Cuervo Tequila, while UC's recruits only tapped three kegs of Budweiser and one bottle of Bacardi O.
Barnett seemed giddy when he was asked about the infractions at UB.
"I don't know much about what happened (at Buffalo), but from what I have heard, he (Hofher) makes me look like a saint," said Barnett. "Go UB! Oh, and one other thing, Katie Hnida is still a lousy kicker."
Mike Price, the former coach at Alabama, has also come under fire recently for similar dealings. Price was fired just weeks after being hired as the Crimson Tide's coach for allegedly buying students drinks and soliciting sex from strippers. Price feels that the UB incident should never have taken place.
"Jim should have learned from me that buying students - or even recruits - drinks and having strippers at hotels is a surefire way to get fired," said Price.
Hofher, however, doesn't have to worry about being fired, as he quit Tuesday morning. He was later seen departing Buffalo International Airport on a personal jet to Paris, where the Spectrum has learned he has purchased half of the city, including the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.
While trying to recruit top athletes with women and booze, George says that Hofher has, quite ironically, been deliberately calling poor games and betting large sums of money against the Bulls. He is believed to have made in excess $3 billion off of such bets in his three years in Buffalo.
Pete Rose, baseball's all-time leader in hits, was accused of betting on his own team's games during his days as the coach of the Cincinnati Reds. Like Price, he sympathizes with Hofher.
"I wish I had done what he did," said Rose. "If I had been smart I would have, that way I wouldn't have to worry about writing a crappy book or kissing up to Bud Selig to pay next month's electric bill."
The only comment from the UB administration was that they are investigating the matter. However, there are reports that the UB administration decided the best course of action was to execute Suglia via firing squad before any national press had to hear his rants about the Sea of Blue. Students hailed the administration's decision.
"Thank god, that guy hasn't uttered a coherent sentence since I've been here," said Nicholas Mendoza, a super-senior Hydroponics major.
