Jim Boeheim Lawsuit: NCAA Unlikely To Look Into Bobby Davis' Claims

It's hard to keep track of all the soul-crushing incidents and happenings involving the Syracuse Orange basketball program this season, but let's try to go back to an era when the only thing we had to worry about was whether or not one of our assistant coaches was a child molester.

Ah, simpler times...

So you remember how Bobby Davis started coming out with all these allegations like Laurie Fine was sleeping with players and that there were other shady dealings going on behind closed doors at SU? Well that's the kind of stuff that might interest the NCAA, which loves to sit on its ass and do nothing until it absolutely has to do something that resembles taking action. Perhaps they might decide to look into this whatnot?

Eh, probably not.

The Post-Standard spoke with "three NCAA experts," whatever those are, and all of them agree that all of the allegations are likely too minor and too old to warrant an investigation.

"I can’t ever imagine someone looking back 20 years. It’s unthinkable to me," said Gene Marsh, an attorney who worked for the NCAA from 1996 to 2003 and served on its infractions committee 1999 to 2008. Marsh said he was speaking generally about the NCAA.

"I read the (Davis) affidavit and I don’t think there is an NCAA issue here," [David] Ridpath said. "Even with the NCAA wading into Penn State, I have my doubts they would go here even if it was within the statute of limitations."

Meanwhile, Boeheim's lawyers have gone on the offensive in the defamation lawsuit against the coach. They filed papers on Tuesday asking a judge to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that Boeheim's statements about Bobby Davis and Mike Lang fall within his constitutional right to express opinions.

Lawyers seeking the dismissal of a defamation lawsuit filed by two former Syracuse University ball boys who alleged sexual abuse argue that head basketball coach Jim Boeheim's combative comments were merely blunt opinions laced with "rhetoric and hyperbole."

"Boeheim's words reflect his passionate advocacy on behalf of his colleague Fine and himself, in light of the implication that he somehow knew about Fine's alleged abuse of plaintiffs," lawyers argued.

The lawyers also noted Boeheim's "well-known reputation for bluntly expressing himself," which I would be more than happy to take the stand and confirm if needed.