Cam Newton Saga (UPDATED)

I don't really have an opinion on this story.  There's just too much out there from too many different angles, and something new is dropped every day.  But this is my ill-informed makeshift summary of the highlights so far.  Please comment on errors and make any suggestions for things I have missed.  I'm not trying to make an argument, just trying to get the allegations listed. 

- While at Florida, Newton was arrested for receiving a stolen laptop.  He flushed it down the toilet threw it out of his dorm window when the cops were coming to search his room.  He avoided a conviction by agreeing to a pre-trial diversion program. 

- Also while at Florida, Newton was allegedly caught cheating three times.  On one occasion, he took another student's paper, erased the student's name, wrote his own name on the document, and turned it in.  Also, Newton apparently bought a paper online and attempted to turn it in.  Information regarding student's grades are protected by federal law.  Thus, these allegations are coming under heavy scrutiny.  However, no one in the Newton family has denied the allegations.

- Also while at Florida, Newton got 12 traffic citations in an 18-month period, which ranged from driving without a license to running red lights (lots of these, actually) to speeding to driving with a suspended license.  They were all relatively minor offenses. 

- After the laptop arrest, the cheating issues, and Tim Tebow's announcement that he would return for his senior year, the Newton family thought it would be in Cam's best interest to transfer from Florida.

- John Bond, a former MSU QB, claims that Kenny Rogers (chuckle, chuckle), another former MSU player and now some sort of high school recruiting agent, contacted him during Newton's recruitment and told him it would take $180,000 to land Newton, and that other schools had offered up to $200,000.

- A day later, John Bond admits that there were two go-betweens or buffers between him and Rogers for the whole $200,000 conversation.  Thus, he did not hear that straight from Rogers. 

- In September 2009, Cecil Newton was told by the City that his church would be demolished if it was not brought up to code.  Cam Newton committed to Auburn in December 2009.  Cecil Newton's church was renovated and brought up to code in Spring 2010. 

- The NCAA asked for financial statements and documents from the Newton's (including Cecil Newton's church) a month ago, before this news broke.

- Cam Newton preferred going to Mississippi State, but his father preferred Auburn. Cam left the final decision to his father, who declared to the family last December that his son would attend Auburn.

- Yesterday, both the Auburn AD and head coach Gene Chizik adamantly denied any wrongdoing and emotionally stood in support of Newton and his eligibility. 

- Yesterday, Bob Stoops of Oklahoma publicly stated that there was nothing unusual in their recruitment of Newton.  And that he nor his coaches noticed anything shady going on during their recruitment of him.

- Yesterday, after being accused in some outlets of leaking the negative information pertaining to Newton intentionally, Urban Meyer issued a statement denying leaking any information related to Cam Newton.

- Yesterday, various Auburn-affiliated outlets appear to accuse Dan Mullen and Mississippi State of "having an axe to grind" with Newton and Auburn. 

- Most recently, Joe Schad is reporting that two Mississippi State recruiters (I assume them to be coaches) have confirmed that, on one occasion, Cecil Newton told a recruiter that it would take "more than a scholarship" to land Newton at Mississippi State.  Moreover, the other recruiter stated that Cam Newton  told him that his father had chosen Auburn for him because "the money was too much."  Apparently, the conversations were turned over the SEC in January of this year, yet the NCAA (assuming they were informed) has still not acted on the alleged phone conversations. 

What have I missed?  Anything?

UPDATE (Thurs. AM):

Okay, so here's a few new tidbits to add:

- Gene Chizik adamantly confirmed in a teleconference that Cam Newton would be playing this weekend against Georgia.

- Mississippi State issued a statement that they reported details of Newton's recruitment to the SEC in January 2010.

- Oddly, another statement was later issued by Mississippi State that after first reporting the issues to the SEC in January, the SEC asked for more specific information regarding the recruitment.  MSU did not get back with the SEC until July, citing they were busy with other things.  The SEC has confirmed that MSU did not mention the recently publicized phone calls with the Newtons in either the January or July reports, and that the SEC did not know about them until they became public.  It appears that the NCAA has been involved to the extent the SEC has (i.e., the SEC reported everything to the NCAA as they discovered it and the NCAA has been also investigating concurrently with the SEC).  But, wow.

UPDATE (Thurs. PM)

- Wow.  Kenny Rogers, the guy who allegedly informed John Bond over at MSU that Newton would cost $180,000, has now come out and publicly said that Cecil Newton specifically told him that Cam's commitment was "not going to be free this time" and that he wanted $100,000 to $180,000.  This per an interview on FM103.3 in Dallas.  Uh-oh.

UPDATE (Fri. AM)

- Though this is old news, I did not have it listed.  But the FBI has gotten involved with the investigation of Newton.  This is a new one for me.  Never heard of the FBI getting involved in NCAA stuff. Not saying they haven't, I just haven't heard about it.

- Old news again, but another MSU alum spoke up about being told Newton would cost MSU $180,000.  This was Bill Bell.

UPDATE (Fri. 2 PM)

- Auburn's official stance on Cam Newton's eligibility has changed from "he is not ineligible" (earlier in the week) to "no comment."  (NOTE: It should have probably been "no comment" all along, instead of vehemently defending him publicly.)

UPDATE (Fri. 3:30 PM)

- The "tweet" heard 'round the twittersphere earlier today, that AU sources have confirmed that Chizik would announce Cam Newton would sit vs. UGA, has been outed as BS.  No truth to it.

- And soon thereafter ... Per AuburnUndercover.com: Cam Newton is expected to start at quarterback for Auburn on Saturday against Georgia.  (NOTE:  My guess is that "expected" means... "at this point there is nothing new to report, but things could change...").