Tyrod centerpiece
In a face-to-face meeting with Tech's assistant athletic director for compliance Tim Parker on Thursday, Tyrod Taylor and Kam Chancellor discussed the use of their name and/or likeness in a series of advertisements promoting Virginia Beach area parties.
Updated as of Thursday, 5:24 p.m.
According to Parker, both Taylor and Chancellor claim that neither gave permission for anyone to use their name or image to promote any event. "Based on what I've heard to this point, I'm confident that there have been no violations," Parker said.
In addition, neither was compensated - including the March 1, 2008, event they were said to have hosted, according to the event's flier. Taylor and Chancellor believe an individual at So Serious Corporate Club, who helped sponsor most of the events in question, is behind the use of their name and image. Parker hopes to speak with the person in the near future.
Chancellor said he would help, through some of his contacts in the Tidewater region, to get Parker in contact with him.
Out of the five fliers for parties in the Virginia Beach area presented to Parker by the Collegiate Times, Taylor attended three events: the "Freakum Dress and Ralph Lauren Cabaret" on March 1, 2008, the June 27, 2008 event, called the "V-Tech and NSU's Baller's Summer Jam," presented by So Serious Corporate Club as well as the "Virginia Tech ACC Champions Party" on Dec. 26, 2007, also sponsored by So Serious. Chancellor attended the March 1, 2008 event.
"They paid the same admission that everyone else paid and bought their own food," Parker said. "When they did go, they were just one of the attendees. They never received any personal invitation. They never got a phone call."
Parker said Taylor placed the pictures on his Facebook page after the parties took place. Although Parker did not directly ask Taylor if he placed the fliers on his Facebook after the events took place, Parker said that, based on the information provided in Thursday's meeting, he concludes that Taylor didn't give his permission for his name/likeness to be used.
Parker also said that Taylor should have known the ramifications, just or not, that could come from doing this.
"It wasn't a good decision (to put the fliers up)," Parker said. "If I'm 20 and I see myself on a poster, I would think, 'Hey, that's pretty cool. I'm going to put that on my Facebook.' I can see why he would do that. Clearly he wasn't thinking about the types of things that we hope they think about. All it looks like right now is that it was a harmless situation and our guys were not involved in the planning or on the front end of this promotion."
According to Parker, Taylor and Chancellor said that there are dozens of these type events in the Virginia Beach area. Parker also said he will touch base with Greg Boone, whose name was used in one flier. Also, Parker said he is attempting to contact other schools that had players placed in the advertisements.
Below is the original Collegiate Times story published Wednesday May 6, 2009.
Virginia Tech is looking into promotional materials featuring several football players, including Tyrod Taylor and Kam Chancellor.
Pictures obtained by the Collegiate Times were found to have the name and/or likeness of the team's starting quarterback and safety - as well as tight end Greg Boone, former linebacker Purnell Sturdivant and former tailback Branden Ore - in a variety of posters publicizing different events in the Virginia Beach area.
Some of the fliers were found on Taylor's Facebook page, where he had posted them as his main "profile" photo.
According to Tim Parker, Tech's senior assistant director of athletics for compliance, the compliance department asked for their removal on Monday. As of Monday at 3:56 p.m., the pictures were no longer on the page.
"I don't think that's something that the football program would want up there because anything that any of our student-athletes put up there indirectly reflects on the whole team," Parker said.
It's unclear whether Taylor or Chancellor received any compensation for the events. Parker said he is hoping to meet with the two in person on Thursday to discuss the matter.
Representatives of the football team authorized to speak to the media could not be reached for comment.
NCAA Bylaw 12.5.1.1, under Institutional, Charitable, Education or Nonprofit Promotions, states that a student-athlete can participate in a non-profit promotional activity as long as it meets nine criteria, including:
Leave a comment 24 Comments Write a letter to the editor
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Why would you publish this CT? Are you trying to get the NCAA's attention and get these athletes suspended? I don't understand why you would even think about printing this and possible getting these athletes in trouble with the NCAA. Way to go you idiots.
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If they've done something they're not supposed to, you don't think they should be punished? And you're condemning a newspaper for publishing the news? Seriously? Further, it's blown up all over the internet already, buddy--why don't you think before you comment?
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Brain, you are an incompetent douche that shols never have been able to write for the CT.. Thaks for trying to destroy the school you claim to love jackass!!
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Sheesh people its this basic:You do something wrong- you pay the price. I'm tired of people treating college athletes as "holier then thou" figures that are impervious to any sanctions and are free to do as they please. And if your worried about athletes getting in trouble with the NCAA, guess what?- They should not have done that promotion in the first place, im pretty sure they are well aware of the NCAA regulations.
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You're ignorant. "Kudos to the Collegiate Times for scooping everyone on the story about Virginia Tech players' likenesses being used to promote parties in the 757. As a former campus rag reporter, I like it when the students dig up something the big boys don't." aka the CT did break the news, because the CT is full of "incompetent douche bags" whom are sad excuse for Hokies. However, I'd blame the editor for letting this run (because he truly he a jackass).
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Except that they did nothing wrong. The article was extremely poorly researched. It was pure sensationalism. Brian Wright cares so much about himself he doesn't care who or what he hurts in the process. What a complete douche. And everyone who defends him is a douche. This is everything that's wrong with news today.
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It looks like the Athletic Department is nipping it in the butt (as they should) Anyone remember a VT quarterback from 757 named Marcus Vick?? I think they need to stop recruiting the thugs out of VB
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Anne, first I'm condemning the newspaper because they flat out blow and have for about 3 years now. I also still don't understand why a school paper would put this negative attention on their own athletes, they should be digging up dirt about other schools. And no, the story wasn't blown up all over the internet, there are a handful of articles out there with some linking the CT story. So before your next post, please take a moment and let the blood return to your brain because it seems to be pooling in the massive amount of scar tissue between your legs you dirty...
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"I also still don't understand why a school paper would put this negative attention on their own athletes, they should be digging up dirt about other schools." That is by far the stupidest thing I've read all week, and I just finished Angels & Demons last night.
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I don’t get what all the fuss is about. Newspapers publish news. Sometimes they just write it, sometimes they make it through investigative reporting. When reviewing investigative reporting, it’s fair to ask if the reporter is just digging up dirt to sell newspapers or if they are bringing to light a legitimate issue worthy of public debate. In this case, I believe the latter. If the former were true, I would have expected to have read personal smears and unfounded allegations from unnamed sources. Instead I read a dispassionate factual account which invited and included comment from the VT athletic department. The only smears I see are in some of the comments posted on this site. It’s great to be a loyal Virginia Tech fan, but don’t let it be at the expense of the educated mind you are here to develop.
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Come on!! Its not the CT's job to protect the school, OR their football team! If there is news that's worth reporting its their JOB to report it, they're a NEWSpaper.
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First of all lets talk about the job the CT is currently doing. First, they find the crappiest writers at Virginia Tech to write their stories. Then, the editor who must ride that short BT, picks the absolute worst articles to publish. Finally, students pick up the CT hoping to find some relief from a boring lecture, only to throw it down in agony 1 minute later after realizing that the paper sucks, once again.
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In response to some of the comments below, there was no "news". This was a complete nonissue and the story should have never been run. I hope they got an earful from the athletic dept.
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What?! A nonissue? Virginia Tech is a football school, and whenever there is news that could possibly involve suspension of some of the big players, I'm pretty sure that is big news.
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To those below who get angry over this being in the paper..GROW UP! Just because these are football players here, it's the students and alumni's right to know what is happening with the players. If they (Tyrod, etc) did do something like this would it even suprise you? Many tech athletes of the past have proved that you don't need a double digit IQ to make it on the field. They really don't give 2 shats about Virginia Tech, they care about Virginia Tech Football and doing well enought to have a shot at the next level PERIOD. Hopefully Beamer makes them run till they puke out all their fruity drinks.
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What if someone wrote a poorly researched article accusing you of doing something that would destroy your career? Do you think you wouldn't be a little upset?
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Tyrod did do something that could ruin his career he is promoting parties and it should be addessed by the VT Athletic Department BEFORE it is addressed by the NCAA regardless of whether or not the CT reports on it - when athletes screw up it always has a way of coming out. Just because you are on the football team does not give you immunity - it means you have not only university rules and team rules to follow - you also have NCAA rules. If these players want to make it to the next level then they should abide by all of them. Character references and checks are becoming more and more a part of the NFL draft since the antics of such athletes as Pacman Jones, TO, Plexico Burress - oh and that one time Hokie all star MIKE VICK.
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Apparently you did not even read the article. Your statement that Taylor "did something that could ruin his career" is patently false, and that has been made clear by the athletic department. All the author had to do was ask the promoter or the athletes if they were compensated or if they authorized use of their pictures to realize the same thing. One or two phone calls. But he preferred to take the low road so that idiots like you would read his articles and talk about what a great journalist he is.
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A quick review of the vulgar rants of "hokienomics" (see: http://www.collegiatetimes.com/cms/site/comment_author.php?comment_author=hokienomics) ought to give you a pretty good idea of the value of his commentary. When you believe everyone else is an idiot, maybe YOU are the idiot.
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1) I stand by everything I have said. 2) You are 100% wrong about Taylor and Chancellor. Nothing about what I have said changes that and now you are trying to cover for the fact that you are an idiot and a screw up. You are a waste of space who got called out for being a moron and now you're sad. Go cry to your mommy.
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Flame on, hokienomics!
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have to side with hokienomics
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u ever think that not everyone answers their phone or gives comment when theyre in trouble hokienomics? go die in a fire.
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Really? They didn't answer their phones? That's the best you can do? Were the club owners ever in trouble? No. Taylor and Chancellor were never in trouble either and would probably rather have cleared this up before it ever became an issue. If making one phone call and not getting a response is your definition of journalism you should never write again. You should probably be expelled from VT for being an idiot. You should definitely be kicked out of the CT for being an irresponsible moron.
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