Bernie Fine Allegations: Catching Up, Creeping Out

Something involving Syracuse University was named of the ten biggest sports stories of 2011 by the AP. I'd love to tell you it was Syracuse's jump to No. 1 in the basketball rankings or Mikhail Marinovich's mustache but I can't. You know what it actually is...

The Associated Press voted the scandal involving allegations that former assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine molested two former Syracuse ball boys as the ninth-biggest sports story of the year. Fine was fired Nov. 27 after ESPN aired an audio tape between his wife Laurie Fine and Bobby Davis, the first accuser. Two more men have since accused Fine of sexually abusing them as children, and a federal investigation is ongoing.

The Jerry Sandusky/Joe Paterno scandal was obviously No. 1.

As for the Bernie story, the Post-Standard wrote a piece about what it was like in Bernie Fine's house during the years in which the alleged abuse took place. It's as grimy as you thought it might be and includes presumptions on the part of sickened parents that things went on involving their children that they can never prove.

While there's no denying what's in there and what's details, I also wonder about the kids who spent their formative years living under Bernie Fine's wing and say nothing ever happened. We know of one of them (Steve Goldsmith) and apparently there are more. It would be good to hear their side as well.

On the flip side, the fourth accuser claims there are other victims who have yet to come forward. So, there's that.

Meanwhile, a lot of reporters want access to the affidavits for warrants to search Bernie Fine's home, office, locker and bank safe deposit boxes last month in order to learn more about how agents knew to look and what they were looking for. A federal judge denied those requests on Monday.

By the way, I randomly found this Wisconsin eatery via a Google search. Linked without comment.