and closer to the brain.........
Tice denies scalping Super Bowl tickets
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- An anonymous tipster has sparked an NFL inquiry into Vikings coach Mike Tice and one of his assistants for possible violations of the league's Super Bowl ticket policy, the Star Tribune and other media outlets learned this week.
Tice denied any wrongdoing but acknowledged meeting Tuesday with two league investigators at Winter Park. The interview came five days after an informant, who would not reveal his name, began calling the league's security office along with at least three media outlets: the Star Tribune, Sports Illustrated and the New York Daily News.
During a news conference at Winter Park today, Tice shed no new light on the investigation.
Today's news conference was held to introduce two Vikings players to the media. Defensive back Fred Smoot was signed earlier this week from the Washington Redskins, and receiver Jermaine Wiggins, was re-signed by the Vikings.
After introducing the players, Tice stepped away from the podium, allowed the players to say a few words, and left the room before Wiggins finished speaking.
Wiggins, he was asked if anyone had asked him to sell his tickets to the Super Bowl. He said no. He also said he knew nothing of the ticket-selling issue.
The informant's allegations, which SI reported on its website Tuesday night, claimed Tice routinely collects Super Bowl tickets from Vikings players and sells them to a ticket broker in bulk for hefty profits. Running backs coach Dean Dalton, whom the investigators also spoke with, was alleged to be the middle man for an operation that netted players between $1,100 and $1,400 per ticket.
Face value of Super Bowl tickets topped out at $600 this year.
Tice said he has "never, ever, ever approached a player about Super Bowl tickets" since becoming Vikings coach in 2002. Tice said he flatly denied those allegations during his Tuesday meeting. The investigators turned down Tice's offer to take a lie-detector test.
"I am confident that when the league is finished looking into this, everything will be fine," Tice said. "I'm confident nothing is going to come of this. There is no story."
During a conversation Saturday night with the Star Tribune, the informant said he represented a client who "had an ax to grind with Tice" and wanted damaging information spread about him. But the informant insisted that all of his client's claims could be proven.
In the course of reporting the story, however, a number of those allegations have proved inaccurate. For example, the informant said Tice traveled Jan. 19 to Chicago to unload his collection of tickets and returned to the Twin Cities with $250,000 in cash.
On that day, however, Tice was seen at Winter Park by dozens of members of the organization. Later, he conducted an hour-long radio interview at 6 p.m. in the St. Louis Park-based studios of KFAN (1130 AM). Tice said he hasn't been to Chicago since the Vikings played there Dec. 5.
Tice denied several other of the informant's claims that appeared on SI's website. Among those allegations: That Tice berated a Vikings player in 2003 for undermining his ticket scheme. "That never happened," Tice said.
Dalton, who was on a scouting trip Tuesday night, could not be reached for comment. The league's policy is not to comment on ongoing investigations.
NFL players and coaches have exclusive access to Super Bowl tickets but are prohibited from selling them for above face value. The rule is generally treated with a wink by NFL security, knowing that small-time scalping occurs in nearly all locker rooms -- often orchestrated by assistant coaches.
But the detail of the informant's allegation apparently drove the league to launch an official inquiry that should be completed by the end of this week.
As part of the investigation, NFL security has contacted Vikings owner Red McCombs and team President Gary Woods. Tice said he has spoken with McCombs several times about the issue.
http://www.startribune.com/stories/510/5281703.html
Tice denies scalping Super Bowl tickets
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- An anonymous tipster has sparked an NFL inquiry into Vikings coach Mike Tice and one of his assistants for possible violations of the league's Super Bowl ticket policy, the Star Tribune and other media outlets learned this week.
Tice denied any wrongdoing but acknowledged meeting Tuesday with two league investigators at Winter Park. The interview came five days after an informant, who would not reveal his name, began calling the league's security office along with at least three media outlets: the Star Tribune, Sports Illustrated and the New York Daily News.
During a news conference at Winter Park today, Tice shed no new light on the investigation.
Today's news conference was held to introduce two Vikings players to the media. Defensive back Fred Smoot was signed earlier this week from the Washington Redskins, and receiver Jermaine Wiggins, was re-signed by the Vikings.
After introducing the players, Tice stepped away from the podium, allowed the players to say a few words, and left the room before Wiggins finished speaking.
Wiggins, he was asked if anyone had asked him to sell his tickets to the Super Bowl. He said no. He also said he knew nothing of the ticket-selling issue.
The informant's allegations, which SI reported on its website Tuesday night, claimed Tice routinely collects Super Bowl tickets from Vikings players and sells them to a ticket broker in bulk for hefty profits. Running backs coach Dean Dalton, whom the investigators also spoke with, was alleged to be the middle man for an operation that netted players between $1,100 and $1,400 per ticket.
Face value of Super Bowl tickets topped out at $600 this year.
Tice said he has "never, ever, ever approached a player about Super Bowl tickets" since becoming Vikings coach in 2002. Tice said he flatly denied those allegations during his Tuesday meeting. The investigators turned down Tice's offer to take a lie-detector test.
"I am confident that when the league is finished looking into this, everything will be fine," Tice said. "I'm confident nothing is going to come of this. There is no story."
During a conversation Saturday night with the Star Tribune, the informant said he represented a client who "had an ax to grind with Tice" and wanted damaging information spread about him. But the informant insisted that all of his client's claims could be proven.
In the course of reporting the story, however, a number of those allegations have proved inaccurate. For example, the informant said Tice traveled Jan. 19 to Chicago to unload his collection of tickets and returned to the Twin Cities with $250,000 in cash.
On that day, however, Tice was seen at Winter Park by dozens of members of the organization. Later, he conducted an hour-long radio interview at 6 p.m. in the St. Louis Park-based studios of KFAN (1130 AM). Tice said he hasn't been to Chicago since the Vikings played there Dec. 5.
Tice denied several other of the informant's claims that appeared on SI's website. Among those allegations: That Tice berated a Vikings player in 2003 for undermining his ticket scheme. "That never happened," Tice said.
Dalton, who was on a scouting trip Tuesday night, could not be reached for comment. The league's policy is not to comment on ongoing investigations.
NFL players and coaches have exclusive access to Super Bowl tickets but are prohibited from selling them for above face value. The rule is generally treated with a wink by NFL security, knowing that small-time scalping occurs in nearly all locker rooms -- often orchestrated by assistant coaches.
But the detail of the informant's allegation apparently drove the league to launch an official inquiry that should be completed by the end of this week.
As part of the investigation, NFL security has contacted Vikings owner Red McCombs and team President Gary Woods. Tice said he has spoken with McCombs several times about the issue.
http://www.startribune.com/stories/510/5281703.html
