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SoCalHoops College News

Rush: Agent Denies Any Role,
Piggie Denies Grand Jury--(Dec. 14, 1999)

Yesterday we wrote a brief article on the subject of the JaRon Rush suspension from the UCLA men's basketball team, including in it much of what the local and national papers and wire services had written: i.e., that Rush had been suspended "indefinitely" and was being investigated by UCLA athletic director Pete Dalis to determine whether Rush had received money or other gratuities from an unidentified Los Angeles sports agent said to have ties to JaRon's former AAU club team coach, Myron Piggie, of whom both the AP, OC Register, the Daily News and Times all reported was currently the subject of a grand jury investigation in Missouri for money laundering, fraud and income tax evasion. At least that's what the papers and every credible media source was saying up until yesterday.

We closed our own article by saying that there would undoubtedly be more to come, and thus when we opened up our LA Times this morning, we weren't at all surprised to see the headline reading "Agent Denies Role in Rush Case." Ok, so those smart investigative reporters had gotten to the bottom of this, right?

Well, after reading the story in today's Times, we're not so sure. What do we know now? Well, for starters all we know is that an LA-based sports agent by the name of Jerome Stanley had this to say to the LA Times about any alleged relationship with Rush:

"I don't have any light to shed on it," Stanley said. "I don't know anything about it. . . . I chat with guys all over town. I watch them play basketball all summer. And you talk to them."

But the Times, checking their facts carefully, told Stanley that "three sources" had said he was the agent in question. Stanley, however, remained puzzled, befuddled, and could only respond:

"I don't know what to say. I haven't done anything with JaRon Rush. Nothing."

Ok, now we know this: Fact 1: Jerome Stanley apparently isn't the agent involved. At least he says he's not.

What else do we know?

Well, yesterday, everyone and his brother was reporting that all of this brouhaha about Rush came to light as a result of Rush's testimony at a Grand Jury proceeding. Maybe. . Perhaps there was no grand jury though. Confused? Good. It's only going to get better. Here's the good part: The Times, quoting from the Kansas City Star, had this quote from Myron Piggie about any alleged grand jury investigation:

"Not one time have I sat down with the FBI about income-tax evasion, laundering. . . I haven't been in a courtroom. Nobody has gotten in touch with me about an investigation."

Er, um, uh, ok. So now there's no investigation. Maybe. At least not one of which Myron Piggie is aware.

If there was no investigation, no money laundering, no fraud, no income-tax evasion, then what was JaRon doing when he came back to Missouri last month? The Times (and/or the Star) spoke with JaRon's mother Glenda on Monday, and she had this to say:

"I knew he had to go to court about two weeks ago. He was here and gone. But I didn't see anything wrong with him."

So JaRon might have been back to take care of a parking ticket? Doubtful. The Times however, was definite about the fact that there is some kind of investigation occurring which involves Kansas City "authorities" and federal prosecutors. Here's what the Times said today:

"Rush was suspended Friday, a day after a federal prosecutor and other authorities from Kansas City met with Dalis in his office, providing information about alleged improprieties. UCLA officials were told the week before by telephone, about potential issues involving Rush." [emphasis added].

Well, maybe there's no grand jury investigation. But there's definitely some kind of investigation which no one is talking about, except to Pete Dalis. Maybe it all really just centers around Rush. Maybe Mr. Stanley isn't involved. Maybe Mr. Piggie isn't being investigated. Who knows? And for JaRon, none of that really matters. Right now, he can't play, at least not until UCLA's internal investigation runs its own course. And, as Frank Burlison noted in his column today, that could be anytime, but it probably will be later rather than sooner. Which is not good for either JaRon or the Bruins.

Oh, and about Piggie's involvement with any agent or giving money to JaRon, Piggie had this to say to the Star, as quoted in the Times:

"JaRon never received one cent from me since he's been to UCLA. I haven't even talked to him since he got to UCLA. It's been that long. And if JaRon's dealing with an agent, he's on his own."

Indeed. This is one time that the saying "only time will tell" is probably more than just a cliche.