Monday, June 02, 2008

Rich Rod's Agent Linked to Gambling

Mike Brown, Rich Rodriguez's agent, has acknowledged that he promoted a college professional sports betting service in 2001.

The revelation came during a May 5 deposition Brown gave for West Virginia's lawsuit against the Michigan coach. Brown said that he helped prepare and read sports betting scripts that aired on a Cleveland radio station. The agent maintained he was only doing a friend a favor and "never ran a sports betting operation. I just did voice-overs."

The gambling allegation centers on a script obtained by West Virginia attorneys that Brown acknowledged he read on-air promoting a gambling service. In the script, Brown is identified by the nickname "waterboy."

Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press also reported on other juicy tidbits in the deposition, including that Brown called Louisiana State less than a year after Les Miles took over to inquire about that job.

Brown said he spoke to Chuck Neinas, who was running North Carolina's search two years ago, and last year he initiated contact with Arkansas on Rodriguez's behalf.

Brown said last August he urged Rodriguez not to sign the contract with West Virginia and claimed that university president Mike Garrison threatened to replace athletic director Ed Pastilong if Rich Rod refused to sign.

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